Celestial Refining Divine Scripture

A crowd had gathered around the stall, most of whom, judging by their clothes, were clearly not the scions of influential families—much like Bai Yu and Bai Zhou from Baimu Village.

One attendant was hawking their wares, while another handled the sales.

"Come, let me show you the first page! This contains most of the important information regarding the current Black Fire Immortal Mountain entry examination—the content is unchanged from previous years, mainly it’s the quotas being announced."

"There’s also detailed information on some formidable competitors. Fifty pieces of first-grade Immortal Jade or Immortal Crystals—definitely worth your money, you won’t be cheated!"

"I’ll take one."

"Give me a copy as well."

...

Many people were buying.

Xu Yang waited a while before squeezing forward. Without waiting for the attendant’s pitch, he directly handed over fifty first-grade Immortal Crystals. "Give me one!"

The attendant’s face lit up with a broad smile.

"Young master, here you are. Do you need anything else?"

"Are there other benefits to staying here?" Xu Yang asked with a slight smile.

The attendant was momentarily stunned, then quickly turned to call into the inn.

Another attendant came out.

"This young master wants a room at the inn."

"Young master, it’s quite noisy here." The attendant blinked meaningfully.

Xu Yang followed the new attendant into the inn.

The hall was filled with people.

"One guest room, from now until the day before the examination begins."

"I also wish to learn some internal information about Black Fire Immortal Mountain, as well as oddities and rumors concerning Black and White Starry Heaven."

As Xu Yang spoke, he slipped the attendant ten first-grade Immortal Crystals.

The attendant’s eyes lit up, his breath catching with excitement.

He was only a first-class Immortal Servant.

Ten first-grade Immortal Crystals—a sum greater than his annual earnings.

This was a huge windfall.

"Young master, let’s discuss upstairs."

Utterly delighted, the attendant led Xu Yang up to the third floor, and after arranging the room, closed the door and said, "Young master, ask anything you wish. I promise I’ll tell you everything I know!"

Xu Yang said calmly, "I come from a remote corner of the Northern Continent. I know little about Black Fire Immortal Mountain or the structure of our Black and White Starry Heaven."

The attendant understood at once.

Simple enough!

About half an incense stick of time passed.

The attendant barely paused, and though he was only a first-class Immortal Servant, he was quite parched by the end of it.

Still, when he thought of those ten Immortal Crystals, his spirit soared.

Xu Yang had mostly grasped the overall picture.

Black Fire Immortal Mountain—one of the Northern Continent’s three top Immortal sects—was immensely powerful. Even its disciples numbered over ten thousand. There were more than a dozen Golden Immortal experts, too.

Within, there are Outer and Inner Sects. They say some of the most gifted in the Inner Sect are classified as sect ’Seeds’, status and treatment both extraordinary.

The entire Black and White Starry Heaven was divided into North, East, and West Continents. The once-prosperous South Continent had been nearly destroyed in a great war, and was now a land of ruin, sparsely populated, holding little opportunity.

Sects like Black Fire Immortal Mountain number more than a dozen, scattered across the three active continents. Of them, the Eastern Continent is the most prosperous, rich in resources, and its powers the strongest.

The Northern Continent follows, and the Western Continent is the weakest.

This information alone was already enough for Xu Yang.

"By the way, young master, lately the most renowned news in the Northern Continent is that a genius from Ice and Snow Immortal Palace—one of the three great sects alongside Black Fire Immortal Mountain—has made it onto the Immortal Pride List."

"Ice and Snow Immortal Palace, Immortal Pride List?"

Seeing Xu Yang’s look of confusion, the attendant explained, "Young master, the Immortal Pride List ranks the supreme prodigies of each Heaven of the Immortal Domain. Born Innate, those who meet the requirements automatically appear on it."

"Simply recite ’Immortal Pride List’ in your mind to see it. There is also a Celestial Destiny List, even more remarkable, with very few listed. It’s said only those who carry the mandate of heaven can appear—each one is a child favored by the heavens, a child of destiny!"

Xu Yang’s heart trembled. Born Innate?

Just recite it in your mind and you’ll see?

"Isn’t the Immortal Pride List or Celestial Destiny List a treasured artifact forged by some mighty force?"

The attendant shook his head. "Of course not. The Immortal Domain was born from the Chaos. The Pride and Destiny Lists are expressions of heaven’s mysteries—no cultivator can fathom their true nature."

"Can you access the Celestial Destiny List the same way?"

"Exactly!"

"Much obliged!"

Xu Yang suppressed his inner shock and nodded slightly.

The attendant bowed and withdrew.

Xu Yang sat down, holding the Black Fire Immortal Mountain information booklet, his heart unable to settle.

Immortal Pride and Celestial Destiny!

How truly astounding.

He silently recited ’Immortal Pride List’ in his heart.

Whoosh!

Before his eyes the world twisted—utterly silent, without wave or disturbance. As though reality itself was forcefully altered, a radiant immortal light exploded as a magnificent ancient scroll, like a celestial waterfall cascading from the heavens, unfurled before him.

Brilliant golden names sparkled in his vision, each one marked with their Heaven and affiliated force.

"Taihao Ancient Heaven, Golden Light Taihao Heaven, Jiu Yue Encircling Heaven, Wind, Fire, Thunder, Rain Heaven...Wind, Fire, Thunder, Rain Heaven?"

Xu Yang’s eyes flew wide open. Wind, fire, thunder, rain—aren’t these the Four Divisions?

"But the attendant just said—there are only four Heavens in the Immortal Domain: Taihao Ancient Heaven, Golden Light Taihao Heaven, Jiu Yue Encircling Heaven, Black and White Starry Heaven. He didn’t mention Wind, Fire, Thunder, Rain."

Xu Yang found this exceedingly odd.

Yet this Wind, Fire, Thunder, Rain Heaven was clearly linked to the Four Divisions.

To find the remnants of the Four Divisions is to know all!

As the phrase echoed, Xu Yang’s gaze glinted as he seared the location into memory.

Such secrets could wait for now.

When opportunity comes, he’ll pursue them.

He continued reading.

The Immortal Pride List was filled with elites—three hundred and sixty in total.

Taihao Ancient Heaven and Golden Light Taihao Heaven accounted for the majority; Jiu Yue Encircling Heaven and Black and White Starry Heaven had the fewest.

He found the one from Ice and Snow Immortal Palace—it was Liou Xueyan, Celestial Immortal cultivation, clearly a woman.

Ranked only at three hundred and fifty-first!

"Making the Immortal Pride List isn’t necessarily a good thing."

Such public prominence did not suit Xu Yang’s nature.

However, he suspected that in the Immortal Domain, the competition was even more cutthroat.

Soon, he recited ’Celestial Destiny List’ in his mind.

Boom!

The stars rotated, the heavens transformed, sun and moon overlapped, and a simple, ancient celestial waterfall gradually obscured the Immortal Pride List.

Calm as a still well, it lacked the dazzling display of the Pride List—yet the pressure it conveyed was indescribably supreme.

Just a glance, and Xu Yang’s mind wavered.

For the upper half of the Celestial Destiny List was shrouded in fog, with only indistinct names to be seen, beyond recognition.

After only a moment, Xu Yang felt his spirit shudder, and quickly moved his gaze downwards.

"Seems like my cultivation isn’t strong enough to view more. Even these two glances made my Primordial Spirit wane."

Xu Yang was shocked—this Celestial Destiny List was indeed astonishing.

"Thirty-six names, yet nine spots remain unfilled."

This discovery astounded him even more.

Across so many heavens of the Immortal Domain, only thirty-six could be listed, and the quota wasn’t even full—truly unexpected.

He could only see from the eleventh place onward.

Eleventh: Xiao Tianci, True Immortal Realm, Golden Light Taihao Heaven.

No affiliated sect was noted, clearly he had not joined any of the great powers.

True Immortal Realm, eleventh place on the Celestial Destiny List.

Hiss—

Xu Yang couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath. Even the name stands out—Tianci: ’Heaven-Given’?

It was only fitting for one listed on the Destiny List—even their name seemed fated from birth.

Those on the Celestial Destiny List never appear on the Immortal Pride List; the former’s status is naturally more remarkable. No matter how brilliant a Pride, can they compare to Heaven’s chosen?

This much could be seen from the quotas allotted between the two lists.

"Xiao Tianci, Xiao..."

"I wonder where Xiao Ming and Elder Yun Zheng ended up after entering the Immortal Domain?"

This Xiao surname reminded Xu Yang of Xiao Ming; but if they were in Black and White Starry Heaven, he would surely meet them one day.