"You aren't locals, are you? Penglai Island disciples are divided into outer, inner, and core; you can tell by the wave patterns on their cuffs. That cultivator named Fan Chong just now was a Penglai Island core disciple."

"And even among the core disciples, Fan Chong is exceptionally special." "He took Daoist Xuanling as his master, and Daoist Xuanling's father is the legendary Penglai Island Master." Lu Yang was enlightened. *So he's the grand-disciple of a Tribulation Transcendence stage expert. No wonder he's so arrogant.* Quite an ostentatious display, traveling with so many Nascent Soul stage followers. Look at himself—he was taught by Yun Zhi, yet he kept a very low profile when going out. The shopkeeper sighed. "If not for his special status, someone would have snatched away his Dream Bubble and flying car businesses long ago." Lu Yang nodded and said no more. Lu Yang and the others left the shop and continued browsing the streets. After wandering for nearly half a day, they originally wanted to go check out that so-called Immortal Appraisal Assembly. Unfortunately, the assembly was organized by the Three Islands; without an invitation, entry was forbidden. Just as Lu Yang and the others were considering whether to use a few little tricks to sneak a peek at the Immortal Appraisal Assembly, a disciple wearing Penglai Island robes blocked their path. The disciple had two waves embroidered on his cuffs and was deliberately emanating pressure—a Soul Formation stage cultivator. "Who are you?" Li Haoran looked at him warily, asking the very same question he had asked earlier. The disciple still didn't answer, eyeing the five of them coldly. *Unfamiliar Nascent Souls. Doesn't look like they're cultivators from our Three Islands. Several participants were just gravely injured and won't recover anytime soon—I'll just use the five of you to make up the numbers.* "Hey, the five of you are in luck. In a moment, I'll take you to participate in the Immortal Appraisal Assembly. If you perform well, you might just catch the eye of a Penglai Island disciple or senior and become a retainer." The disciple took an unyielding attitude, brooking no objection from Lu Yang and the others, and flew with them toward the core area of Penglai Island. Lu Yang and the others were merely at the Nascent Soul stage; how could they possibly resist a Soul Formation cultivator? On the way, through fragments of the disciple's words, Lu Yang learned that the disciple was named Xu Ze and was bringing them to take part in the Immortal Appraisal Assembly. The assembly invited mighty figures from all walks of life and was a grand affair, inviting not only East Sea cultivators, but even cultivators from Great Xia. Though called an Immortal Appraisal Assembly, in reality, its primary purpose was to make a name for the disciples of the Three Islands. Penglai Island disciples were the elite among cultivators, known as seeds of the immortal path, possessing peerless combat prowess. The best way to prove that peerless prowess was to challenge cultivators of the same realm—and take on multiple opponents at once. Unfortunately, Lu Yang's group of five fell into the "multiple" being challenged. Commonly known as stepping stones. Defeating the five of them would naturally bring fame and renown. The main venue of the Immortal Appraisal Assembly was a circular arena ringed by passages on both sides: one side for Three Islands disciples taking the stage, and the other for ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators. The Immortal Appraisal Assembly had already been underway for some time. Because the Three Islands disciples fought too ruthlessly, over a dozen ordinary cultivators were unable to continue fighting. Penglai Island had sent people to round up more than a dozen cultivators as temporary stand-ins, and Lu Yang's group of five was among them. "Here I thought there would be immortals, or at the very least a half-immortal. Turns out it's just a bunch of folks calling themselves seeds of the immortal path attending the assembly." Lu Yang yawned. *Your Penglai Three Islands really dare to name things whatever you want.* They were waiting to compete in a lounge on one side of the arena. Originally, they had even wanted to teach these ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators how to fight, but those ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators were very guarded and refused to speak with Lu Yang and his companions. Lu Yang finally understood: Xu Ze hadn't been making empty promises after all. If ordinary cultivators performed well at the Immortal Appraisal Assembly, they truly had a chance to join Penglai Island. That was why these ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators viewed Lu Yang and the others as rivals, acting so wary of them. Just when Lu Yang and the others were getting bored waiting and considering whether the five of them should have an infight first, it was finally their turn to take the stage. "Hey, you five! It's your turn. Hurry up and get up there!" Lu Yang and the others walked through the passage toward the arena, where they saw their opponent. It was Fan Chong, whom they had run into just half a day ago.