Li Pin sensed the unique environment around him as soon as he arrived. "This is... the Humanity Sanctum?" The environment felt reminiscent of the divine treasure world, only that it was far more tangible. A voice echoed in Li Pin's ear. "This is just the outer section, a fragment of the Humanity Sanctum's Mini Astral World, not the sanctum itself." Li Pin glanced over and saw a man in his early thirties with long silver-white hair and a gentle, scholarly air. The man explained with a slight smile, "Think of it as a transport ship leading to the mothership. "Through this, we can safely reach the Humanity Sanctum and undergo a series of assessments. If we pass, we'll officially become part of it and be included in the Eternal Ascent of Humanity Initiative." He continued with an introduction of himself, "My name is Yun Lai, a candidate for this round of assessments." "Li Pin," Li Pin acknowledged the man's goodwill with a nod. "I thought the Astral Gate would send us directly into the Humanity Sanctum." "The Humanity Sanctum is a special world embedded beneath the Sacred Flame Hall, dedicated to nurturing the core pillars of the human race," replied Yun La. "If a mere Astral Gate could grant unrestricted access, its security would be far too lax." He chuckled. "Even for those of us with the password, gaining entry isn't so easy." Li Pin could understand why. The Eternal Ascent of Humanity Initiative had long been under the watchful eyes of alien races. Throughout history, countless young talents with the potential to reach the Cosmic Radiance Realm had been killed before they could fully grow. The Sacred Flame Hall had every reason to be cautious. Yun Lai remarked, "You're a Divine, aren't you? A Divine Being recommended for the Eternal Ascent of Humanity Initiative? You must have extraordinary talent." Li Pin scanned his surroundings. Half of the people here were Astral Gods. They weren't just avatars, but the Astral God's true forms. Though this wasn't the Astral World, the Humanity Sanctum's Mini Astral World could still accommodate the full power of an Astral God's true form. After all, this world was created by a Supreme Being. The upper limit of power it could contain far exceeded what most people could imagine. Forget a few Astral Gods, even if Cosmic Radiance descended, they might not be enough to shatter this Mini Astral World. Aside from the Astral Gods, the rest were mostly peerless Legends with Tier Seven combat strength. "Aren't you also a Divine Being? What's your extraordinary talent, then?" Li Pin asked. "Me?" Yun Lai gave a helpless smile. "I may be a Divine Being, but my talent is hardly worth mentioning..." A voice rang out from the side. "If even Yun Lai, known as the Heart of Time, says his talent is unimpressive, then those of us with barely any talent and can only advance quickly in cultivation, should be utterly ashamed." The speaker was a young woman with long golden hair, exuding a subtle, sweet aura. At first sight, anyone would feel a sense of fondness toward her. This feeling... Li Pin had only felt it from one person before—Yan Ling'er. However, compared to Yan Ling'er, her presence lacked a certain depth. One felt like a gift of nature, while the other seemed carefully refined. Yun Lai sighed helplessly. "The Heart of Time... I'd rather not have such a talent." Another couldn't help but comment, "So this is what you prodigies call humility?" "Gao Shengyan, you talk as if you're not a prodigy yourself," a woman in white replied indifferently. This woman's presence was as sharp and distant as a lone swordsman. "Yun Lai, Yu Li, Yu Xuexian, and I. The four of us should be the recognized prodigies in this round of assessment, right?" Gao Shengyan remarked. He then turned to Li Pin. "But Yun Lai only switched to the Divine Path to have enough lifespan to match his talent. "So why is there another Divine Being here? What's your talent?" "My talent... I guess my sensing ability is strong," Li Pin answered. Gao Shengyan frowned. "Sensing ability?" That kind of talent could range from exceptional to entirely insignificant. "Can you perceive the embryonic form of a True Spirit?" Gao Shengyan asked. Li Pin shook his head. His Clairvoyance wasn't strong enough to fully comprehend the mysteries of the True Spirit. Even in understanding inner spirit power, it provided far less insight than it did for analyzing energy and energy levels. Gao Shengyan immediately lost interest. Without touching upon the True Spirit, it isn't a top-tier talent. His talent holds no real value in the pursuit of Cosmic Radiance. In other words, his chances of reaching Cosmic Radiance in the future are slim. And without reaching Cosmic Radiance... for those destined to join the Eternal Ascent of Humanity Initiative, he wasn't worth a second glance. "So, there are only four prodigies?" Yu Xuexian glanced around, sizing up the surroundings. "Out of thirty-six candidates, four of us make up only one-ninth of it. Wasn't the ratio supposed to be around thirty percent?" Yun Lai patiently explained, "True human prodigies don't need to go through assessments to join the Eternal Ascent of Humanity Initiative. We... may carry the prodigy title, but since we haven't yet asserted dominance over our star domain, our achievements remain unproven. That's why this evaluation exists." His explanation made it clear. Essentially, their status as prodigies wasn't high enough to grant them automatic entry. "Heh, the standard is quite high." Yu Xuexian chuckled. "A high standard makes for a real challenge. The Eternal Ascent of Humanity Initiative is directly overseen by the Sacred Flame Hall, the oldest faction of our race. Now, I'm even more eager to see what it can offer for my cultivation." Gao Shengyan also smiled. "In our star domain, no one of the same generation interests me anymore. I just hope the talents in Eternal Ascent of Humanity live up to their reputation." Yun Lai remained modest. "Focus on solid cultivation. A strong foundation is the key to going further." Yu Li smiled. "Prodigies should carry themselves as such. A few stellar millennia from now, our names will surely be remembered across the cosmos." The four quickly formed a small circle, subtly pushing the others aside. Li Pin swept his gaze over the others. None dared to call themselves prodigies, but each was a peerless genius in their own star domain, admired by countless people. Even in the presence of the four, not a single one showed fear. Some even carried a hint of arrogance, as if the title of prodigy was nothing special to them. They would gradually surpass these so-called prodigies, until one day, they outpaced them completely and achieved Cosmic Radiance. At that moment, a faint pressure descended upon the hall. A figure took form at the center. Judging by the sheer intensity of his aura, it was clear he was an Eternal Solar Flare-level existence. "Silence," he said indifferently. Though not everyone held him in high regard, the crowd quickly fell silent. "I will now lead you through Astral World Traversal into the true Humanity Sanctum." He gave no further explanation. With a simple wave of his hand, faint ripples spread outward. Many felt their senses distorted. "The traversal has begun," Gao Shengyan remarked. The prodigy gazed ahead, a hint of longing in their eyes. "To traverse the Astral World completely unaffected by its laws... What an unbelievable place." "A world left behind by the Supreme..." Despite their overwhelming talent—each capable of dominating an entire star domain, with the Cosmic Radiance Realm seemingly within reach—not one of them dared show the slightest irreverence toward the Supreme. None had the audacity to make bold declarations like "One day, I will reach the pinnacle of power." They understood that while Cosmic Radiance was attainable, Supremacy was far beyond their grasp. "I wonder what kind of sight awaits us in the Eternal Ascent of Humanity Initiative," Yu Li said with a hint of curiosity. "I heard there are tens of thousands of members in the project. Have they all reached the Astral God level?" Gao Shengyan replied, "There are indeed tens of thousands, but most hold other identities as well. We'll be lucky to meet even ten thousand of them in the Humanity Sanctum. The majority are only at the Starshine level. Those at the Eternal Solar Flare level no longer waste time in seclusion. "Even within the Humanity Sanctum, there are Cosmic Radiance lectures and peer sparring, but reading a thousand books will never compare to walking ten thousand miles. True learning comes from practical application." Yun Lai, the eldest among them and the one most familiar with the Eternal Ascent of Humanity Initiative, nodded in agreement. Just as he was about to speak, the Mini Astral World they were traversing, meant to send them to the true Humanity Sanctum, suddenly trembled. The unexpected disturbance made everyone pause. The Eternal Solar Flare overseeing the traversal narrowed his eyes sharply. He wasn't the only one. Many Astral Gods attuned to the Astral World sensed it too. A colossal hand, vast beyond measure, tore through the void at the speed of light, reaching toward them. The moment it appeared, a powerful will erupted from the core depths of the Astral World, surging like a cosmic storm. A thunderous, mind-shattering roar followed. "Black Abyss Highlord! How dare you?!" "Hah! Pathetic failures clinging to the past. Time has changed. My path is the only way forward!" In the next instant, two unfathomable beings clashed within the Astral World. No visible shockwaves erupted, yet the Mini Astral World shook violently. Li Pin focused his senses. It didn't take long for him to realize that it wasn't just their Mini Astral World trembling. It was the entire Astral World. The entire Astral World trembled as if shaken by an earthquake, and the Mini Astral World within this region was also severely affected. "Such power..." muttered Li Pin. Before anyone could adjust to the tremors, the colossal hand, so vast it blotted out the stars, spanning tens of thousands of miles, descended with a visible blue shift, instantly enveloping the Mini Astral World. Violent tremors continued to spread and sweep through the Mini Astral World, accompanied by what seemed to be the resistance and furious rebukes of a certain great existence. Yet, in the end, even they were unable to stop the colossal hand from seizing control of the Mini Astral World. Everything seemed to rapidly fade into the distance. The furious rebukes, the tremors, everything grew fainter and fainter. This continued until they disappeared entirely into the mysterious, unfathomable depths of the Astral World.