After concluding their meeting with the Yin Clan members, Xu Jianwei led Zhang Lexuan to an ordinary-looking palace.
"This is..." Zhang Lexuan asked, looking at Xu Jianwei with a puzzled expression.
"The most important and core place for the Moon Lineage and the Yin Clan—the Moon Sacrificial Temple!" Xu Jianwei answered Zhang Lexuan's question with a face full of reverence and piety.
"The Moon Sacrificial Temple!" Zhang Lexuan felt a sense of solemn awe rise within her, though she didn't fully understand its significance.
"Is this where you worship the Moon?" Zhu Ziyang said, deep in thought.
"Yes!" Xu Jianwei nodded, looking at Zhu Ziyang.
To be honest, if the current situation hadn't put her at a disadvantage, she would never have brought two outsiders into a place protected by her ancestors.
Indeed, besides Zhu Ziyang, there was also Jiang Nannan. Both were specifically requested by Zhang Lexuan to accompany her. Even though Xu Jianwei was extremely reluctant, she couldn't refuse Zhang Lexuan.
After all, the current situation was that the Moon Lineage and the Silver Moon Priestess needed Zhang Lexuan more than Zhang Lexuan needed the Moon Lineage and the Silver Moon Priestess.
Why?
Firstly, with the Moon Lineage and the Yin Clan's population dwindling and the Silver Moon Priestess Xu Jianwei's lifespan nearing its end, finding another Moon Lineage descendant with a Moon Spirit would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Moreover, even if another person from the Moon Lineage with a Moon Spirit were found, the probability of their talent and strength rivaling Zhang Lexuan's would be extremely low.
Most importantly, it was still difficult to say whether that person would be willing to inherit the position of Silver Moon Priestess and take over the mess left by the Moon Lineage. After all, the Moon Lineage and the Yin Clan might be completely purged by the current imperial family at any time.
In contrast, while Zhang Lexuan also needed the support of the Moon Lineage and the Yin Clan, for her personally, the success or failure of the plan wouldn't have a major impact. If it succeeded, she would simply gain another identity; if it failed, she would just return to the academy to be a teacher.
Zhang Lexuan had many retreats, but the Moon Lineage and the Yin Clan had no way back. For them, it was either to fight fiercely in silence or be completely destroyed in silence.
"Please enter!" Xu Jianwei opened the palace gate and gestured for Zhang Lexuan and the other two to come in.
The three entered the palace and were immediately stunned by the sight inside. They had not expected that an ordinary-looking palace would have such a unique interior.
Inside the palace, there was a vast space completely out of sync with its exterior. Nine colossal pillars, entirely cast from white silver, supported the grand hall's ceiling. The hall's floor was paved entirely with glistening jade, and at the center of the hall stood a ten-meter-tall colossal statue. The statue's face was indistinct, but its graceful posture indicated it was a female statue.
The statue's hands were extended forward in a cupping gesture, palms facing upwards, as if holding something between them. Although the hall had no windows, it was still brightly lit, and the air seemed to be filled with specks of golden light.
Directly in front of the statue was a jade carved stele, only three meters high, with four gilded characters on it: Silver Moon Goddess.
"This is the faith that our Moon Lineage and Yin Clan have worshipped for generations, the embodiment of the Moon, the Silver Moon Goddess!" Xu Jianwei introduced to Zhang Lexuan and the other two, while respectfully kneeling before the jade stele in a posture of prayer.
"Silver Moon Goddess?!" Zhu Ziyang and the other two all showed astonished expressions. However, compared to Zhang Lexuan and Jiang Nannan's pure surprise, Zhu Ziyang thought more deeply. He asked, "Are you really worshipping a god?"
"Ah?" Xu Jianwei was taken aback, then said, "You've misunderstood. We believe in the Moon, and the Silver Moon Goddess is merely an embodiment of the Moon. In fact, in our Sun Moon Empire, the worship of the Moon has existed for tens of thousands of years. However, the Silver Moon Goddess is merely an image that the first ancestor of the Yin Clan manifested two tens of thousands of years ago, after receiving and passing the Moon's trial, in order to better worship the Moon. Even this statue is carved in the likeness of that ancestor.
It is said that this Silver Moon Goddess statue originally had clear facial features, but over time, her appearance gradually blurred. The Yin Clan ancestor believed this to be a miracle, the Moon's response to the Yin Clan's faith."
"There's such a story," Zhang Lexuan and Jiang Nannan both exclaimed in admiration, then asked, "Then you brought us here just to worship this statue of the Silver Moon Goddess?"
"Of course not just to worship!" Xu Jianwei shook her head, stood up, walked to the jade stele, and said to Zhang Lexuan, "Lexuan, kneel before the stele and pray sincerely. The Moon God will then bestow upon you the trial from the Moon. This is simply the Moon's gift to us, its Moon believers!"
Faced with Xu Jianwei's request, Zhang Lexuan did not comply immediately. Instead, she looked puzzled and asked, "Great-grand-aunt, it's better if you explain things clearly first, otherwise, I'll feel uneasy! What is the Moon's trial?"
"I was too hasty," Xu Jianwei said with an embarrassed smile upon hearing this. "I forgot to tell you these things.
The so-called Moon's trial is actually a miracle from the Moon that the first generation ancestor of the Yin Clan discovered by chance. Anyone with the Moon Lineage, as long as they sincerely pray to the Moon, will receive a trial bestowed by the Moon. As long as these trials are completed, they will be able to receive the Silver Moon Goddess's blessing."
"Trial? Blessing?" Zhang Lexuan and Jiang Nannan looked at each other, a bit confused, and could only continue to ask, "Can you be more specific? What kind of trial? And what kind of blessing?"
"Everyone's trial is different, so I can't explain it clearly," Xu Jianwei shook her head helplessly and said, "However, I do know a thing or two about the blessings. Since the first generation ancestor of the Yin Clan, at least one person in each generation of the Yin Clan has received the Moon's trial. Most of the blessings they received were an increase in spirit power, while a few received the blessing of an increase in spirit ring age."
"Increased spirit power and spirit ring age!" Zhang Lexuan and Jiang Nannan couldn't help but exclaim, while Zhu Ziyang's expression grew even stranger. This Moon's trial, how did it feel like a God Position assessment from some deity!
"Yes!" Xu Jianwei said with pride and gratitude, "The trial I received back then was a Purple Grade Five Assessment, and the blessing I gained was five levels of spirit power. It was thanks to these five levels of spirit power that I was able to reach the Titled Douluo realm."
"So there are different grades of trials?" Zhang Lexuan asked upon hearing this.
"Naturally," Xu Jianwei said, "The Silver Moon Goddess listens to the Moon's will and, through the Moon's evaluation of the person seeking the trial, bestows five levels of trial assessments.
These five levels of assessment, from lowest to highest, are White Grade One Assessment, Yellow Grade Two and Three Assessments, Purple Grade Assessment, Black Grade Assessment, and Red Grade Assessment. The higher the assessment level, the greater the difficulty of the assessment, and naturally, the more generous the blessing received.
When I received the trial, I was fifteen years old, and my spirit power was only in the thirties. It took me nearly sixty years to complete the five assessments. With your talent and strength, Lexuan, I think you'll at least receive a Black Grade Assessment, and it's even possible you'll receive a Red Grade Assessment.
Since the Moon's trial first appeared, the Red Grade Assessment has only appeared twice: the first time was for the Yin Clan's progenitor, and the second time was for the Silver Moon Empress. The highest anyone else who received a trial achieved was a Black Grade Seven Assessment.
Perhaps, I will be fortunate enough to witness the third Red Grade Assessment."
"I see." After hearing Xu Jianwei's explanation, Zhang Lexuan and Jiang Nannan both showed a look of realization. Zhang Lexuan said, "Great-grand-aunt, according to your words, only those with the Moon Lineage can receive the trial?"
"Yes!" Xu Jianwei nodded and said, "And preferably an unmarried woman! After all, the Moon represents chastity! Lexuan, you should..."
Xu Jianwei didn't finish, but Zhang Lexuan immediately understood, her face flushing as she nodded and said, "Mhm!"
"Hehe! Why are you shy? You're not young anymore," Xu Jianwei said with a kind smile, "Never mind, I won't say any more. Go and seek the trial!"
"Okay!" Zhang Lexuan, her face still red, knelt before the jade stele as instructed by Xu Jianwei.
Zhu Ziyang listened to Xu Jianwei's words with intense curiosity. He also wanted to know what level of trial Zhang Lexuan's talent would earn her, and what level of trial Jiang Nannan would receive.
Of course, what he cared about most was whether this so-called Moon's trial was related to the inheritance of a God Position. If it was, then what kind of god was it? The Silver Moon Goddess? The Moon God? Or some other god?
Curious, he was very curious!