Astral Pet Store

The beast was finished off right before the trial ended. Su Ping and his teammates stood where they were. A golden vortex appeared above their heads; it was a channel they could use to leave that place.

They had indeed trespassed the area, but the Divine Cards they looted had triggered the channel for them.

As for the other participants, they would have to wait until the rescue team picked them up if they lost their Divine Cards.

Those with Divine Cards would be taken straight to the following trials.

"Let's go."

Su Ping looked at the channel more or less anxiously; after all, they weren't legitimate participants. He didn't know if they would be seen through, but the system could still ensure their safety if they were in danger.

Joanna was the most nervous of the three; she never thought she could visit the Heaven Path Institute someday.

She was but a little girl in her clan when the institute was in its golden era. Some members of her clan were enrolled and everybody was proud of them.

Whoosh!

The three of them entered the channel, and they were soon drowned in golden light.

Su Ping sensed that time and space were changing as everything around them moved. He opened his eyes again, finding himself in front of a magnificent mountain where a glowing palace was floating. He was standing in a vast square facing the mountain.

Many statues thousands of feet tall were looming on the square. Some were holding books, and some were grabbing swords. All of them seemed intimidating.

A lot of people flashed and appeared next to them; they were everywhere soon after. Su Ping extended his senses and detected hundreds of thousands of them, cramming the square.

There are lots of people with enough Divine Cards. Then, how many people were robbed or killed back in the trial's battlefield?" Su Ping was surprised by the discovery.

It was the Heaven Path Institute's second trial, which meant that more people had surely participated in the first stage.

"Well…"

Joanna was already stunned when she saw the mountain.

She completely forgot the participants around her. She had seen that mountain before; it was the gate of the Heaven Path Institute. The place had been destroyed during the past great war, and its mountain had later been invaded by other clans. She had seen the mountain in passing as she fought back then.

The mountain she saw back then was already black due to the attacks. The floating palace had fallen and was riddled in cracks.

However, the contour of the mountain was the same. She easily recognized the mountain. After all, she had a deep recollection of that trip; it seemed like yesterday to her.

The Heaven Path Institute has been rebuilt, and the mountain has been restored too. Has the Realm of Gods been restored to its former glory?

Joanna quaked with excitement for a bit.

The splendor of the institute's golden era remained, just like in the times it produced experts and geniuses for several generations. They fought everywhere, subduing all the other species.

Even the ancient lords in the Chaotic Realm of the Undead chose to reach a truce with the gods.

It's been so many years. Maybe the gods won the war. If enough Ancestral Gods survived, it would be possible for them to recover! Joanna thought.

The more she thought about it, the more excited she became.

If that was the case, it would be very simple for the Demigod Burial to return!

As long as she reported the matter to the Ancestral God leading the Heaven Path Institute, the latter could simply pull the Demigod Burial and once again connect it with the Archean Divinity.

After all, they used to be parts of a whole!

Su Ping was bewildered by Joanna's strong emotional waves, and her glittering eyes, filled with excitement. He had never seen her be that emotional; it looked as if she had turned from an unworldly goddess to a real girl, ever since she returned to the Archean Divinity.

Has the visit to your hometown changed you this much? Su Ping thought as he looked at the mountain.

More and more participants arrived. Most of them were gods; some were gods' vassal species, while some were human beings.

The Archean Divinity was quite a tolerant place where all species were welcome. Still, gods were superior.

A long while later—

Golden light appeared in front of the gate. Then, three majestic gods appeared; all of them projected their illusions, each a thousand meters tall, making them look like giants.

"I'm very glad to see you return safely," said the golden-haired old man in the middle with a gentle voice, "Now, we will select those who have passed the trial. I hope that those who failed work harder later on. Not entering the Heaven Path Institute doesn't mean that you are losers; there are countless opportunities and treasures waiting for you out there. I hope that all of you make names for yourselves in the universe."

His gentle voice was soothing. The people who failed the trial felt considerably less depressed; their eyes were rekindled with light and hope.

"We will now identify the winners with the Divine Cards you carry. Please hold all the Divine Cards you've acquired in your hand", said another old god, who conversely was rather harsh.

The crowd became noisy for a moment after hearing the announcement, but they soon calmed down.

Su Ping gave Tang Ruyan and Joanna ten cards each. Then, they waited quietly.

The old god took action ten seconds later. He pointed a finger, launching a streak of golden light that seemed to be from the beginning of the universe; it carried a unique, enlightening aura.

Su Ping felt confined by a power; then, his body floated. The same happened to Joanna and Tang Ruyan who were by his side.

A lot of people in the crowd started to float. Soon after, those people reached the front of the square and floated ten meters from the ground.

Su Ping turned around, and saw that close to fifty thousand people had passed the trial.

Those who remained on the ground due to not having enough cards could only look at Su Ping and the other winners with envy. Some of them were even angry; it was obvious that their enemies had passed.

"They did manage to pass."

The tattooed god and his teammates were looking up; they had quickly found Su Ping and the others among the winners. They had been convinced that Su Ping and his team could pass the trial with their cards. Still, they didn't expect those trespassers to be bold enough to sneak into the institute.

"Do you think we should report them?"

A young guy gritted his teeth.

They had a chance to pass the trial, but it was taken by the brutal girl of the Original Ladies Clan.

Of course, they hated her.

"Don't try to get yourself killed," yelled the tattooed god.

Their faces changed after hearing his response. He added with a gloomy expression, "Did they actually sneak into the trial grounds of the Heaven Path Institute? Do you think anybody could do that? Even if we report them and violate our vows, will the Heaven Path Institute kill them?

"In other words, if they don't want their identities to be exposed, will they spare us after we turn them in?"

All of his companions fell silent upon herding that.

They were all geniuses in their respective clans, and they too had thought of such a possibility. However, they were still furious and regretful.

"We lost because we're weak. Let's just try again next time," said the tattooed god with a sneer. He never dwelled in the past.

All the people floating above the square were gathered in the high sky while they talked.

"Congratulations on passing the second test," said the old god in the center with a gentle smile, "Altogether there are three tests to enter the Heaven Path Institute. You have proven your strength and combat ability in the first two tests. Now, the third test will be held to confirm your divine quality."

"Divine quality?"

Everybody was stunned upon hearing that last part.

"That is correct."

The gentle old god continued, "Gods have stood at the top, above all other species, not just because we're born with divine constitutions. It is also because we have the divine quality that no other species have!

"Every living creature carries divine quality, beast quality, demonic quality and other miscellaneous qualities.

"Divine quality is the most sacred and noble of all. It is the reason why we can establish a civilization and define order.

"Divine quality is what separates us from beasts and other species!

"The other species are mostly born evil. They need to cultivate their divine quality to suppress their beastly and demonic qualities."

The old god added at a slow pace, "Some species, such as humans, are filled with miscellaneous qualities. Their emotions are often in chaos. There are also spirits, whose divine and demonic qualities are evenly proportioned. They are highly unstable.

"Only gods are born with divine quality. We were born merciful and benevolent.

"Demons deride us as hypocrites. However, they think that being true to one's nature means to kill blindly. They don't think that the weak deserve to live!

"Do you know how the Heaven Path Institute got its name?"

The god was looking at everyone present as he spoke.

All the people present looked at one another, bewildered. Some had glittering eyes; they had heard the answer to that question from their seniors.

However, none dared to answer as they faced the three awe-inspiring gods of the Heaven Path Institute.

"Fight the Heavens and defend the truth!

"That's the foundation of the Heaven Path Institute!

"The path of the Heavens is wrong, and that is why we must fight them!

"We must defend the truth we believe in with our weapons. That's the spirit that every student of the Heaven Path Institute should have!"

The old man declared in a heated tone because no one replied.

His eyes were as intimidating as sharp swords. Nobody dared to look him in the eye.

"The third test will assess your divine quality. You cannot join the Heaven Path Institute unless you prove yourself to be merciful. Otherwise, you won't be admitted, even if you're a great genius!" declared the old god.

Everybody fell silent after hearing that.

Even the unparalleled geniuses on the Chaos Rank would be declined if they didn't have enough divine quality?

Everybody was shocked by what he said; it left a deep impression on each of them.

Their awe they felt for the institute grew.

"Fight the Heavens and defend the truth…" Joanna kept mumbling the words to herself.

Fight the Heavens?

It seemed that the war in the past had yet to be forgotten.

The Heaven Path Institute was still the same. If the Heavens were wrong, just fight them! How awesome was that?

She felt that her blood was starting to boil; she had the urge to cry and join the Heaven Path Institute right then. She was willing to lead the charge and defend her faith if another war took place!

She didn't want to leave the land where she grew up again!

She loathed the war that had separated her from her hometown!

"All winners, follow me through the gate," said the old, harsh-looking god with indifference.

He then waved his sleeves, which enveloped the whole group and took them as if it were a black hole.

Su Ping saw nothing but darkness; then, countless stars began to glitter. They had been confined in his sleeves, but he saw a vast universe and countless stars.

Su Ping was shocked by the old man's cultivation. He was definitely strong, possibly more than a Celestial!

That was the horror of a top cultivation site. Any local could probably beat anyone in the Federation!

I wonder how far is this world from the universe the Federation is in, Su Ping pondered.

The Federation would probably end up as a colony if the gods from the Archean Divinity ever detected it.

They didn't stay long in the sleeves, away from the universe. He found himself in a temple along with the other participants. The old god said, "You'll rest for ten days here. You will be informed about the third test in great detail during this time. You will take the test along with the princes and princesses that the major clans recommended, ten days from now."

After that, the old god left without an ounce of hesitation.

"Can anybody tell me more about the divine quality testing? How can it be measured?" shouted someone in the crowd.

"Well, you've just asked the right person. Divine quality doesn't simply mean kindness. After all, the real kind hearted gods have surely died in the gutters by now," said an eloquent, stout young guy with scabs all over his body, "Divine quality is hidden deep in your soul.. Some people who have done a lot of killing still have a high divine quality, while some who have never killed anyone may not have any divine quality, at all. They never killed anyone, only because they didn't have a chance to!"