"Your job is just to escort people, not to block them, right?" Evan Yang said with a smile.
"Who says we're supposed to escort people? Don't make things up," the man retorted, unwilling to concede.
"Is that so? Then where does this teleportation array lead?" Evan Yang smiled.
"Teleportation array? It doesn't work. You should leave," the man said.
Evan Yang just smiled and said nothing, then turned to Hannah Nangong, "Let's go over there."
Of course Hannah Nangong listened to Evan Yang, so the two walked over together. The two reception disciples, unwilling to let it go, hurried to block them.
Evan Yang casually flicked his qi, sending the two blocking disciples flying. Then he and Hannah Nangong walked inside, while the two reception disciples chased after them, furious and unwilling to give up.
Evan Yang and Hannah Nangong stepped through and found themselves at a mountain gate—the entrance to Celestial Resonance Sect. There were guards watching over the gate, and the two reception disciples followed them up.
Chasing after Evan Yang and Hannah Nangong in anger, the two reception disciples even shouted from behind, "Stop those two!"
Seeing their fellow disciples tell them to stop Evan Yang, the gate guards immediately surrounded him.
Evan Yang smiled and said, "So this is Celestial Resonance Sect. Am I not allowed to enter?"
Ian Lian smiled back, "You can, but Celestial Resonance Sect isn't open to just anyone."
"Oh? What kind of people can enter?" Evan Yang asked, still smiling.
"It's simple. If you can defeat these guards, you can enter," Ian Lian said.
Evan Yang glanced at the guards. They were all Xuan-Immortal level—not monsters, but strong. He smiled and asked, "So this is the rule for entering Celestial Resonance Sect?"
Ian Lian explained, "There are two ways for guests: one is what I just said, the other is if you're invited by Celestial Resonance Sect. So, which kind are you?"
Evan Yang smiled. "I see."
"So, are you still coming?" Ian Lian asked with a smile.
"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" Evan Yang replied.
"Good, you have guts. As for Miss Nangong, you're my friend, so you don't have to fight. But he does," Ian Lian said after thinking for a moment.
Seeing that Hannah Nangong didn't need to fight, Evan Yang didn't ask further. Hannah said, "Brother Lian, he's my husband. Can't you not do this?"
Ian Lian replied, "I'm fair. Even though he's your husband, he's not my friend, so I can't make an exception, right?" He made it clear he was only targeting Evan.
Hannah was about to speak, but Evan Yang stopped her. "I'll accept. So I just have to defeat these people to get in?" "That's right," Ian Lian confirmed, not believing Evan could beat the gatekeepers.
Evan Yang smiled. "Alright, let's get ready."
"So eager? Well, that's fine. Once you're dealt with, I can rest sooner," Ian Lian said with a smile.
Evan Yang smiled without saying a word. Five guards surrounded him, while Hannah stood off to the side, her expression a bit grim. Ian Lian smiled and asked, "Miss Nangong, what do you think of your husband's strength?"
"His strength will surprise you," Hannah replied, now annoyed with Ian Lian. Though they were once friends, his attitude made her uncomfortable.
"Don't be so upset, Miss Nangong. I'm just curious why you didn't choose someone with more prospects, but instead a mere Heavenly-Immortal. You're ninth-tier Xuan-Immortal; shouldn't you pick someone equal? If you regret it, it's not too late," Ian Lian said shamelessly.
"Thank you for your concern, Brother Lian, but he has more prospects than anyone," Hannah countered.
"Is that so? Then it's troublesome. My five senior brothers are at least seventh-tier Xuan-Immortal. Together they're as strong as a peak Xuan-Immortal. Do you think he has a chance?" Ian Lian said with a smile.
"A peak Xuan-Immortal? Then that's fine," Hannah Nangong suddenly said. Ian Lian couldn't tell if she was provoking him or genuinely confident.
As Evan Yang fought the five guards, a crowd gathered. They often saw people challenge these five; strong ones passed easily, weak ones were quickly defeated.
With eighth-tier Heavenly-Immortal strength, Evan Yang darted among the five, dazzling everyone like a shooting star.
Everyone was visibly shocked. Even Ian Lian, once full of confidence, now felt uneasy. Evan Yang kept going—he might actually win.
"What kind of monster is he? What level is his strength?" Ian Lian cursed internally, and many others had the same thought.
After several loud impacts, all five guards fell. No one dared underestimate Evan Yang now. He walked up to Ian Lian, who looked grim, and smiled, "Brother Lian, does this count as success?"
"You, you—!" Ian Lian was about to curse when a stern voice rang out from the crowd: "Stand down."
Everyone heard the voice and stepped back. A middle-aged man appeared. Ian Lian hurried forward and said, "Elder Victor Deng."
"Enough, haven't you embarrassed yourself enough?" Elder Victor Deng said with a cold snort.
Ian Lian was stunned and quickly said, "Disciple was wrong."
Elder Victor Deng turned to Evan Yang and said, "You just won. You may enter Celestial Resonance Sect. May I ask your name?"
"I'm Evan Yang," Evan replied.
Elder Victor Deng was surprised, then looked at Hannah Nangong and asked, "Is he the one who defeated Marcus Hale, a peak Xuan-Immortal, single-handedly?"
"Didn't expect you to know," Evan Yang said with a smile.
"A rare talent. I didn't expect you'd come to us," Elder Victor Deng said.
The surrounding disciples, unaware of Evan Yang's feats, were shocked when Elder Deng mentioned he defeated a peak Xuan-Immortal. Ian Lian was also stunned, while Hannah Nangong smiled.
"Damn it, let him show off," Ian Lian cursed internally.
Evan Yang hadn't expected anyone here to know his story, but he took the opportunity to mention his purpose. He said, "Elder, I have something to ask your help with." "Oh? I see. Come, let's talk inside," Elder Victor Deng invited him. The onlookers were stunned—a sect elder personally invited Evan to talk.
Evan Yang nodded, and he and Hannah Nangong followed Elder Victor Deng inside.
This main branch of Celestial Resonance Sect is stationed here; the other branches are on different planets. Elder Victor Deng is responsible for handling disputes at the main branch, so he often observes newcomers and appears when needed—that's why he showed up earlier.
Soon, Evan Yang and Hannah Nangong were led by Elder Victor Deng into a room. After seating them, Elder Deng said, "Go ahead, no one else is here."
Evan Yang said, "Actually, it's like this—I want to know about some ancient teleportation arrays, especially those leading to Blaze Mountain Territory."
After hearing this, Elder Victor Deng was briefly stunned, then frowned. "That's a bit tricky," he said.
"Oh? Why is that?" Evan Yang asked curiously.
"First, only our sect's core disciples are allowed to access information about ancient teleportation arrays. Second, those arrays are usually not located here, so I don't know their coordinates. I'll have to check with other elders," Elder Victor Deng explained.
Evan Yang hadn't expected it to be so difficult just to ask about ancient arrays. He asked skeptically, "Do I really have to become a core disciple?"
"Yes," Elder Victor Deng replied.
"Then how can I become a core disciple?" Evan Yang asked.
"Strength, of course. But our Celestial Resonance Sect is famous for formation research, so strength mainly refers to attainment in formations. If your formation mastery is high enough, even with a lower cultivation level, you can become a core disciple," Elder Victor Deng explained.
After hearing this, Evan Yang pondered for a moment. Hannah Nangong was worried, since in her eyes, Evan didn't know anything about formations, so it seemed impossible for him to become a core disciple.
To Elder Victor Deng, it was equally unlikely Evan knew formations—unless he started from scratch, which would take years.
Evan Yang finally asked, "What level of formation do I need to know? Immortal formation?"
"Yes, Immortal formation. At the very least, you must know how to set up a basic Immortal formation to qualify as a core disciple," Elder Victor Deng confirmed.
Evan Yang thought for a moment and said, "Alright, how do I take the test? Take me there."
Hannah Nangong and Elder Victor Deng were both stunned by Evan's eagerness.
But Evan Yang repeated, "I want to take the test."
"Are you sure? The test is no joke. If you fail, there are penalties—it's to prevent people from taking it lightly, since the procedures are quite strict," Elder Victor Deng warned.
Evan Yang smiled, "What are the procedures?"
"Do you know formations?" Elder Victor Deng asked first.
"Yes," Evan Yang replied.
Hannah Nangong was stunned—she had no idea Evan knew formations, since he'd never demonstrated it.