Inside the magnificent grand hall, the Master of the Seven Realms Holy Temple had already obtained the information he needed.
But his gaze had settled on the introduction of one particular individual, scrutinizing it for a long while.
"Chu Feng, you again."
"It seems this Holy Temple entrance trial is about to become interesting."
Anticipation flickered in the eyes of the Seven Realms Holy Temple Master.
He then pushed open the hall doors.
Outside, a great number of powerful figures still knelt in orderly rows, waiting.
"Is Qinghe here?" the Seven Realms Holy Temple Master asked.
"This subordinate is present, Master."
A white-haired elder stepped forward.
This was the same elder who, alongside the black-haired elder, had been observing Chu Feng from the rice paddies.
This Elder Qinghe was no ordinary figure.
His full name was Ling Qinghe, and he was one of the thirty-six Saint-Level Elders of the Seven Realms Holy Temple.
And a Saint-Level Elder held a status second only to the Supreme Elders within the Seven Realms Holy Temple.
In terms of both strength and standing, such a position was extraordinarily prestigious.
"Is Zhenfu here?" the Seven Realms Holy Temple Master asked again.
"This subordinate is present, Master."
A portly old man with a large belly and a somewhat plump figure rose to his feet.
This man, named Jie Zhenfu, was likewise one of the thirty-six Saint-Level Elders and also one of the supervisors in charge of this Holy Temple entrance trial.
Whoosh—
The Seven Realms Holy Temple Master swept his great sleeve, and two scrolls flew out, landing in the hands of Ling Qinghe and Jie Zhenfu respectively.
"Don't open these until the day before the Holy Temple entrance trial officially begins."
With those words, the Seven Realms Holy Temple Master turned and walked back into the hall.
Only the crowd of powerful figures remained where they were.
Every pair of eyes fixed upon those two scrolls.
The two elders holding the scrolls—Qinghe and Zhenfu—exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions grave.
Whatever task the Master had entrusted to them, they dared not take it lightly; they had to give it their all.
And precisely because they took it so seriously, they were restless and unable to settle until the matter was finally revealed.
…………
In the days that followed, Chen Hui continued to make progress.
By the final day, when handing in the harvested rice, Chen Hui was able to exchange his earnings for one hundred Realm Beads.
As for Chu Feng, there had been no change—one hundred and ten.
"Chen Hui, you've made impressive progress."
"It's a pity there's only one Heaven-grade Holy Pearl." After the elder handed the Realm Beads to Chen Hui, his tone carried a hint of regret.
"Elder, is there a reward only for first place?" Chen Hui asked.
"Yes," the elder replied.
"Then the ranking is determined by quality, right?" Chen Hui asked further.
"Yes," the elder answered again.
"Then it seems first place belongs to none other than Chu Feng," Chen Hui said.
Though the trial judged quality, he knew perfectly well that quantity and quality were not mutually exclusive. He believed that even in his mastery of harvesting rice, he still fell short of Chu Feng, so first place was certainly Chu Feng's to claim.
The elder didn't respond to Chen Hui, but instead addressed both Chu Feng and Chen Hui:
"Tomorrow morning, some of you will receive a ranking scroll showing your results, and first place will be rewarded with one Heaven-grade Realm Bead."
"Furthermore, tomorrow afternoon, the Holy Temple entrance trial will officially commence."
"Those who receive a ranking scroll will be qualified to participate in the official Holy Temple entrance trial."
With those words, the elder departed, but after flying only a short distance, he suddenly stopped.
He swept his great sleeve, and Chu Feng's defensive formation was completely dismantled.
"Since you're all leaving soon, there's no need to keep these up. Sometimes, getting to know a few more people isn't a bad thing."
After breaking the formation, the elder offered a meaningful smile, then finally left.
"Looks like the elder wants more people to witness the moment you take first place," Chen Hui sidled up to Chu Feng and said with a grin.
"Things that haven't happened yet—who can say?" Chu Feng replied.
"It's definitely you. Unless they rig it, but this is a trial of the Seven Realms Holy Temple. Naturally, they want genuinely talented people. Would they dare break their own rules?" Chen Hui asked.
"It doesn't have to be rigging. There might be other formidable peers I don't know about," Chu Feng said.
"Someone more formidable than you? I don't believe it." Compared to Chu Feng himself, Chen Hui actually had more confidence in him.
At this, Chu Feng smiled faintly.
Soon, the next day arrived. Before dawn had even broken, the area around Chu Feng was already packed with people.
Before, there had been a barrier that kept everyone out, but now it was gone—and upon learning that the elder himself had broken it, people felt bold enough to come.
Everyone had heard about Chu Feng, and they all agreed he was the one most likely to claim first place.
Just as the sky began to show the first pale light of dawn, several streaks of light came soaring through the air.
The scrolls—those ranking scrolls—as if recognizing their owners, landed precisely in the hands of certain people among the crowd.
Those who received a scroll could barely contain the excitement on their faces.
Those who did not receive a scroll—some craned their necks to peer into the distance, growing more anxious by the moment.
Others simply lowered their heads in silence, their faces full of disappointment.