Friendly reminder: This is an ensemble novel where both the master and disciples are main characters. Proceed with caution if this isn't your preference.

The Profound Yellow World.

Eastern Wastelands, Qian Yuan Dao Domain.

Purple Heaven Sacred Land, Clear Void Peak.

The towering thousand-zhang peak was shrouded in mist and clouds, where ancient pines and weathered stones exuded timeless charm, and murmuring streams cleansed the Daoist heart. Pavilions and towers dotted the landscape, while winding mountain paths faded in and out of view—every inch of this place resonated with the natural harmony of the Dao, serene and untouched.

Jiang Chen sat cross-legged atop a moss-covered boulder at the summit, breathing in rhythm with the heavens. His bearing was as refined as jade, his aura transcendent like an immortal’s, carrying an ineffable and profound Daoist resonance.

"Whoosh!"

His eyes snapped open, their gaze piercing through the void, illuminating the mountains and rivers as if all color had drained from the world.

"Today marks the Purple Heaven Sacred Land’s once-every-three-years disciple selection ceremony. Hopefully, this time, I’ll encounter a true Child of Destiny—otherwise, that damned system is nothing but a useless trinket..."

Jiang Chen shook his head slightly before vanishing from Clear Void Peak without a trace.

A century ago, he had crossed into this world with the Supreme Destiny System, becoming the last true disciple of Clear Void Peak in the Purple Heaven Sacred Land.

So long as he took in a Child of Destiny and nurtured their growth, Jiang Chen would receive corresponding destiny feedback and unimaginably rich rewards!

Such as explosive cultivation breakthroughs, hundredfold comprehension boosts, divine constitutions and bloodlines, supreme Daoist techniques, heavenly treasures, divine weapons, ancient talismans and formations—and more.

Alas, how easy was it to find a true Child of Destiny?

Even the Sacred Son of the Purple Heaven Sacred Land lacked the fate of a Child of Destiny!

For years, Jiang Chen had relied on his own relentless efforts to open his Dantian, forge his Destiny Palace, refine his True Spirit, shatter the shackles of nobility, and ultimately ascend to the rank of Emperor!

Yet, the system he carried with him remained dormant all this time.

Eighty years ago, Jiang Chen’s master, Qing Xuanzi, passed away in meditation, leaving Jiang Chen as the new master of Qingxu Peak.

He had attended every disciple recruitment ceremony since then, even wandering the outside world for years, but never managed to find the fabled Child of Destiny.

Today marked another grand disciple recruitment ceremony at the Purple Heaven Holy Land, held once every three years. Jiang Chen decided to try his luck once more.

With a single step, Jiang Chen merged into the void and reappeared in the blink of an eye before the towering gates of the Holy Land.

The vast square outside the gates was packed with a sea of eager young men and women, tens of thousands of them, forming orderly lines that stretched endlessly.

Every one of them gazed up at the majestic gates that pierced the heavens, their eyes filled with awe.

The gates of the Purple Heaven Holy Land were supported by four colossal pillars wreathed in violet mist, as if the celestial gates of an ancient divine court had descended upon the mortal realm. Ethereal runes, resembling dragons and phoenixes, flickered across the pillars and the archway, pulsing with terrifying divine might that instilled an instinctive reverence in all who beheld them.

High in the void above, coiled around one of the towering pillars, lay a monstrous black dragon spanning tens of thousands of feet. Its mountain-sized head rested near the archway, eyes half-lidded, while its swaying whiskers twisted the surrounding space. The sheer presence of its colossal body exuded an overwhelming draconic pressure.

This dragon was known as the Annihilation Dragon Emperor, a peerless demon sovereign and the guardian beast of the Purple Heaven Holy Land.

The Annihilation Dragon Emperor spent most of its time cultivating at the gates, overseeing every disciple recruitment ceremony.

At this moment, dozens of powerful figures hovered in the void around the dragon’s massive form—some standing atop floating swords, others wreathed in crackling lightning, some surrounded by shimmering petals, while ice lotuses bloomed behind others. Some strode upon raging seas of fire, and others held towering mountains in their palms.

Each exuded their own unique aura, a breathtaking display of power and majesty.

These were the elders and core disciples from the various peaks of the Purple Heaven Holy Land.

They dared not stand upon the Dark Extinction Dragon Emperor's massive form, instead employing various divine techniques to hover mid-air.

The Purple Heaven Sacred Land's disciple recruitment ceremony was held once every three years, and each time, a few exceptionally talented disciples would emerge.

The elders and core disciples attended these ceremonies with the hope of recruiting one or two prodigies to strengthen their respective factions. It was rare for a peak lord to make an appearance in person.

"Whoosh!"

Jiang Chen's figure suddenly materialized in mid-air. He bowed slightly toward the Dark Extinction Dragon Emperor and said, "Jiang Chen of the Clear Void Peak greets the Dark Extinction Dragon Emperor."

The dragon emperor's eyes snapped open, illuminating the heavens like two divine lanterns. His amber-hued draconic gaze flickered with surprise as it settled upon Jiang Chen.

The Dark Extinction Dragon Emperor possessed unparalleled mastery of the Dao, particularly in sensing the subtlest fluctuations of energy. The moment Jiang Chen appeared, he had faintly detected an elusive pressure emanating from him. Yet upon closer inspection, the sensation vanished, leaving him deeply perplexed.

Suppressing his doubts, the dragon emperor's voice boomed like a great bell as his maw parted: "Ah, Peak Lord Jiang!"

"All these years, you've attended every recruitment ceremony yet never taken a disciple. With only you remaining on Clear Void Peak, it must be terribly lonely!"

"Let us hope this time you finally find a worthy apprentice!"

Jiang Chen smiled faintly in response. "Your concern is appreciated. Let us hope so."

*If only you knew how long I've waited to take a disciple!*

Unfortunately, that damn system only allows recruiting the Chosen Ones!

But how often do you come across a true Chosen One?

Jiang Chen couldn't help but grumble inwardly.

"Greetings, Peak Master Jiang!"

As Jiang Chen arrived, the elders and core disciples all bowed respectfully, their eyes filled with curiosity.

Ever since joining the Violet Heaven Holy Land, Jiang Chen had spent most of his time in secluded cultivation at the Tranquil Void Peak, rarely participating in any events except the disciple recruitment ceremony.

Because of this, many elders and core disciples in the sect barely knew him. It was only through word of mouth that they learned of his existence.

The Obsidian Dragon Emperor's gaze swept over the tens of thousands of disciples gathered in the plaza. His massive, mountain-like draconic head then tilted toward the heavens above the Violet Heaven Holy Land as he boomed, "The time has come—summon the Sacred Bell!"

"Whoosh!"

As his voice faded, the auspicious clouds and radiant mist enveloping the holy land swiftly dissipated.

Then, an ancient bell, colossal as a mountain, materialized from the depths of the void, hovering high in the boundless sky.

Emerald mist coiled around its surface, while violet and azure clouds churned within. An overwhelming, majestic pressure radiated from it, as if an unfathomable entity had awakened.

The Violet Heaven Bell of the Netherworld!

This sacred artifact was an immortal treasure left behind by the founding patriarch of the Violet Heaven Holy Land, renowned throughout countless realms in ancient times.

With a single toll, the laws of heaven and earth would shatter, the world would fall silent, and even gods and demons would perish.

The oppressive aura of the Dark Extinction Dragon Emperor was already terrifying enough, but compared to the Violet Firmament Bell, it was like comparing a firefly to the full moon—not even one ten-thousandth as formidable!

*Dong!*

The Violet Firmament Bell trembled faintly, releasing a deep, resonant chime.

From its surface surged vast emerald mists, blotting out the sky as they rolled like tidal waves toward the tens of thousands of young men and women gathered in the plaza.

In that instant, everyone present was struck dumb by the bell's toll.

Each of them involuntarily fell into a series of illusions—blistering flames and freezing ice, howling gales and thunderous tribulations, poisonous thorns and miasmic swamps, mountains of bones and seas of blood, monstrous beasts and vengeful spirits, and countless other calamities.

The illusions seemed endless, battering the minds of every single person.

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

Row after row of youths collapsed uncontrollably to the ground, their faces twisted in terror. Some even wet themselves in sheer panic.

When the bell's echo finally faded, only about three hundred people remained standing in the plaza.

Though most of their faces were pale and strained, they gritted their teeth and held their ground, their eyes burning with unyielding determination and resilience.

**[Cultivation Realms: Wheel Sea, Life Palace, True Spirit, Marquis, Monarch, Sovereign, Demigod, Four Divine Realms

Celestial, Divine King, Divine Emperor, Divine Venerable

, Quasi-Saint, Three Sage Realms

Saint, Saint King, Great Saint

, Quasi-Emperor, Two Emperor Realms

Great Emperor = Supreme, Celestial Emperor = Heavenly Venerable

...]**