Sending a message with his lifebound flying sword, Ji Yuan then turned his gaze back to the Rainbow Cloud Ladder.
Upon seeing the illusion the young man was currently experiencing, he finally understood why the latter kept trying despite having no apparent hope of passing.
It turned out that this person was trying to use the trial of the heart to stir memories buried deep within his soul!
His eyes narrowed, as if a sharp glint were flashing within them.
If news of an outsider were to spread, it would surely attract scrutiny from all sides.
Without exaggeration, if this person were in another place and their secret discovered, even Golden Core cultivators would be tempted to intervene personally.
A collision with memories from a different civilization could bring all sorts of unexpected benefits to cultivators at or above the Golden Core realm.
After a while, Ji Yuan suddenly felt a stir in his heart. His lifebound flying sword quietly appeared within his sleeve.
At the same time, a low voice entered his ear: "Take him in."
Recognizing the familiar voice, he immediately realized it was the Peak Master of Lei Ze Peak himself. He subtly nodded without changing his expression.
Just as Ji Yuan was contemplating how to take in the young man, the latter suddenly passed the heart trial and even traversed nearly half of the Rainbow Cloud Ladder.
The young man was brought to the end, passed the aptitude and identity checks, and was then led to wait on the side.
Seeing this, Ji Yuan quietly ordered a nearby disciple to retrieve the young man's identity jade slip and take it back to Xuán Tiān Peak.
The other elders present paid it no mind, considering him merely a disciple who had failed many times and luckily passed. If nothing unexpected happened in his life, reaching the second realm would be considered great fortune.
After finishing these matters, he did not choose to leave immediately but instead calmly continued selecting disciples.
However, Ji Yuan sensed that two or three hidden presences had already quietly departed from the area.
If he guessed correctly, these presences likely belonged to Xu Chengfeng and other core high-level figures of the same caliber within the sect.
Among them, he estimated, was the most highly respected Sect Master.
For the next half a month, he remained at the sect's gate, diligently selecting a group of disciples with rather decent aptitude for Xuán Tiān Peak.
However, he did not encounter any with genius-level potential.
Thinking about it, it was not surprising. Geniuses were exceedingly rare; for instance, the Nine Profound Sect, with its three-hundred-year cycle, only produced about ten to twenty such individuals.
Estimating that the number of disciples was sufficient, Ji Yuan bid farewell to the surrounding elders and then rose to leave, leisurely flying back to Xuán Tiān Peak.
As soon as he approached the peak, he sensed several subtle presences, including that of the familiar Lei Ze Peak Master.
He surmised that the other party likely felt it was their own territory and thus did not meticulously conceal their presence, allowing him to detect them easily.
Of course, this was also largely due to Ji Yuan's powerful spiritual sense.
He mused for a moment, then cast a spell to conceal his whereabouts and slowly landed in the Taoist temple on the mountaintop.
In the large open area in front of the main hall, thirty-two people were currently seated cross-legged, all wearing the outer disciple attire of the Nine Profound Sect. Their ages ranged from seven or eight-year-old children to young adults in their mid-twenties.
However, the vast majority were under fifteen, with only a select few around seventeen or eighteen.
Only one individual had reached twenty-five.
These individuals had passed the trials, had their aptitudes and identities checked, and had successfully become outer disciples.
They were now gathered in the open space before the main hall of Xuán Tiān Peak, with several outer disciples responsible for teaching them introductory techniques and guidance on enlightenment.
As Ji Yuan landed at the edge of the open space, he immediately felt several presences approaching.
Before he could react, several figures gradually appeared in his line of sight.
Besides Lei Ze Peak Master Xu Chengfeng, there were also the Sect Master and others he had met before.
"Greetings, Sect Master, all Peak Masters!"
He quickly clasped his hands in a salute, bowing to the individuals before him.
These were the pillars of the Nine Profound Sect, each possessing a cultivation realm of Golden Core or higher, and possessing immense combat power, far surpassing cultivators of the same level.
Otherwise, the Nine Profound Sect would not have become the dominant sect in Feiyun Commandery, and even in Lingyang Prefecture, it held considerable renown.
"You have done very well."
The Sect Master nodded, his gaze filled with admiration.
Discovering an outsider, though the impact on the Nine Profound Sect remained unknown, was ultimately more beneficial than detrimental.
Especially for those at the Golden Core realm, colliding with memories from a different civilization might lead to breakthroughs in their own cultivation or provide some enlightenment.
"May I ask, esteemed seniors, how should this person be arranged?"
After observing for a while, Ji Yuan couldn't help but ask.
An outsider was enough to pique anyone's curiosity.
He was also eager to know how the individuals before him would ultimately arrange this person.
Would they take him away and place him somewhere for sect disciples to observe memories from different civilizations, or would there be other arrangements?
"For the time being, let him cultivate on Xuán Tiān Peak."
The Sect Master remained silent. Xu Chengfeng, standing beside him, said, "This child still carries the power of the Heavenly Dao, making it impossible to pry into his memories through other means."
Only when the dense power of the Heavenly Dao shrouding his soul dissipated could they probe further with spells and divine abilities.
This was a form of 'protection' by the Heavenly Dao for outsiders, an aura they picked up as their souls traversed the Heavenly Dao and descended into this time.
Unless a Heavenly Immortal intervened, it would take a long time for it to gradually dissipate.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan couldn't help but be taken aback. He then looked at the Sect Master and the Peak Masters before him with confusion.
He couldn't understand why such an important outsider would be placed on his Xuán Tiān Peak, rather than being taken to a more secure location like Yunxia Peak.
Having the Sect Master or the Peak Masters watch over him would undoubtedly be safer than him, a cultivator of the third realm.
"There is a reason for this course of action; you simply need to follow it."
The Sect Master of the Nine Profound Sect spoke, his tone calm.
Thus, Ji Yuan naturally had no further objections. Since the Sect Master himself had spoken, he could only comply.
"You also do not need to feel burdened. Simply keep this person by your side as usual, and let him do as he normally would."
A moment later, Xu Chengfeng instructed, "There is no need to give this person any special treatment. Let him follow his natural course as before."
Ji Yuan nodded. Although he had many questions, it was clear that the individuals before him were unlikely to provide any answers.
Knowing that the morning assembly had concluded, the important figures of the Nine Profound Sect quietly departed.
However, in the following days, during the morning assembly each day, a few of them would still quietly arrive at Xuán Tiān Peak, secretly observing the outsider.