"The opportunity to choose is not easy to come by, your father and the rest, they didn't even have the choice."
Xie Xingzhong's expression was somewhat sentimental, being able to choose one's own path is indeed a fortunate matter.
Song Tonghai and many others in the Martial Path, with their level of cultivation, couldn't even stay on the war chariot for long, they could only remain in the Small World that Xie Xingzhong had just opened up.
Their talents exceeded that of ordinary people by a lot, but compared to Song Lingxue, it was far too lacking. Entering the Martial Hall was quite forced, and the best ending would be to join a certain Divine Sect under the Martial Hall, which could also be considered a way out.
"What benefits would one get by becoming a disciple of the Hall Master?"
Song Lingxue snapped back to reality, not beating around the bush, and asked very straightforwardly.
"To be a disciple of the Hall Master is to be at the core of the true lineage of the Martial Hall. Across the whole Martial Hall, there are only one hundred and eight spots that rotate every ten years."
"If you can become a true disciple, the benefits you can get far exceed your imagination. The most direct is the access to extremely high-quality beast blood and flesh, and the personal guidance from the Martial Ancestor."
Xie Xingzhong, noticing Song Lingxue's intention, explained in detail:
"With your qualifications, it will not be challenging to step into the realm of Martial Saint in the future. The Hall Master doesn't lack Holy Beast's flesh and blood, which, needless to say, is of great importance to a Martial Artist."
"Besides, as a true disciple, the resources you can acquire are extremely ample, more than enough for endless use. Entering the battlefield to fight, there will also be people to protect the Dao and ensure your safety."
"Moreover, your father and others, as your dependents, will also have the privilege to follow you and enter the Martial Hall together."
At this point, Xie Xingzhong paused, then reminded:
"However, even if you navigate through the Blood Trial and catch the attention of the Hall Master, becoming a true disciple, the risks you will face afterward are numerous. Everyone in the Martial Hall has the right to challenge a disciple of their realm for their spot. If you lose in a battle at your level, you naturally lose your position as a true disciple."
The Martial Path is inherently a Taoist orthodoxy with relatively powerful combat strength, and as a true disciple, one needs to have the strength to sweep through Martial Artists of the same realm, which is indeed very challenging.
Therefore, anyone who has a position as a true disciple of the Martial Hall, could easily overpower other Taoist orthodoxies, defeating enemies across several small realms or even a large realm—this is not uncommon at all.
Song Lingxue listened quietly and without any hesitation, nodded:
"I choose the Blood Trial."
"Think it over carefully and then tell me. I will relay your decision to the Hall Master at that time."
Xie Xingzhong didn't wish for Song Lingxue to make a hasty decision, so he gave her some leeway.
The Blood Trial was far from as simple as Song Lingxue imagined.
Even now, at least half of those true disciples have never experienced the Blood Trial, but had instead secured their positions through selection within the Martial Hall after a period of cultivation and honing.
For Song Lingxue, the safest route was the second one: to enter the Martial Hall through a talent test, accumulate experience for decades, and then aim for the position of true disciple.
"I have considered it seriously, it wasn't rash talk."
Song Lingxue shook her head, one misstep leads to another, and her level of cultivation was already too far away from Chu Zheng's, almost out of sight.
If she continued to cultivate step by step, how many years would it take her to bring Chu Zheng out of the Immortal Alliance?
Chu Zheng was a Heretic Cultivator, and he carried a significant secret with him, of which she was well aware.
Chu Zheng's situation in the Immortal Alliance was perilous. If anything untoward happened, it would be a disaster beyond recovery.
Xie Xingzhong was not a ditherer. He immediately raised his hand and sent back a message to the Martial Hall.
Starlight shifted, and after an indeterminate amount of time, a reply was transmitted back.
After reading the reply, Xie Xingzhong's face became tense as he spurred the Jade Winged Heavenly Horse, changing the direction they were heading.
Before Song Lingxue could ask, he took the initiative to explain:
"The Martial Hall has commanded that I take you directly to The Battlefield of All Heavens to find a suitable place for trial."
"Thank you for your trouble, senior." Song Lingxue bowed slightly in thanks.
"It's just a small effort."
Xie Xingzhong waved his hand, while hurrying on their way, he began to advise Song Lingxue about what needed to be noted for the Blood Trial.
He had not experienced the Blood Trial himself, and much of what he knew was hearsay and not necessarily accurate, but whether useful or not, he detailed everything without omitting anything.
Knowing is always better than not knowing.
The Jade Winged Heavenly Horse pulled the war chariot, treading on brilliant starlight, roaring as it passed.
After traveling for a long while again, the Jade Winged Heavenly Horse entered a mysterious starry sky.
Gorgeous nebulae no longer scattered across the cosmos but instead piled upon each other, seemingly stratified, forming various canopies of stars.
Life Stars in great numbers, vast expansive continents shone with successive haloes, and behemoths larger than stars frequently roamed the void, weaving a view of untrodden wilderness.
"This place… is the All Heavens."
In Xie Xingzhong's eyes, a grave color had taken hold.
The All Heavens is the realm of the Demon Race.
And the Demon Race is the term coined by the Human Race; all those who aren't of the Human Race, including the Demon Race, are referred to as such.
The Jade Winged Heavenly Horse subdued its fluctuations, no longer as ostentatious as before, and began moving forward quietly.
Soon, the Jade Winged Heavenly Horse skirted past this layered nebula and entered an ordinary starry space.
This place, though part of The Battlefield of All Heavens, was considered a peripheral region, seldom tread by powerful creatures.
Eventually, the chariot stopped near a verdant Life Star.