Chapter 73: The Righteous Path Spy
Out of the ten who successfully passed the previous two challenges in Yanjiang Lodge, Lu Yang only recognized half—since he hadn’t had the chance to deceive personal information from the other half while impersonating the examiner.
The memories of passing the previous two challenges gradually returned to his mind: the Mantis Fist from the first challenge, pushing the potato cart in the second…
“It seems that the Everlasting Sect’s tests are not so difficult.” Lu Yang felt his methods were just standard operations, achievable by anyone with a brain.
“I think so too,” agreed Meng Jingzhou. “For the first challenge, getting bitten by a spider, and for the second, just punching that fatty.”
Lu Yang looked at Meng Jingzhou with slight surprise: “Huh? How come our methods of passing are different?”
Meng Jingzhou confidently waved his hand: “That still needs to be asked? Obviously, mine is the standard answer, and you just stumbled through.”
Lu Yang scoffed at Meng Jingzhou’s confidence: “Ridiculous, my first challenge’s Mantis Fist showcased my martial arts prowess. What does your first challenge show, good luck? Does becoming a member of the Everlasting Sect depend on that? Clearly, mine is the standard answer!”
“I advise you to face reality.”Barbarian Bone, watching the two arguing fiercely from the sidelines, silently recalled his own method of passing.
Learning perseverance from the spider in the first challenge, and planning from the mantis, then empathetic thinking and thoroughness in the second challenge.
“It seems my method of passing was rather ordinary. It appears that Lu and Meng’s methods are the correct ones. Just not sure who’s exactly right.” Barbarian Bone murmured to himself, feeling he had learned something new.
Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou argued for a long time without reaching a conclusion. It was Barbarian Bone, the observer, who had the clearest mind, ending their debate.
“Is it possible that both of your methods are correct? The demonic path values reckless abandon; there’s no correct answer, or perhaps any method that leads to passing is correct.”
Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou looked at Barbarian Bone in surprise, finding his reasoning very sound.
“I didn’t expect the Everlasting Sect’s test to be so open-ended.” Lu Yang admired, and Meng Jingzhou nodded.
“Speaking of which, we’ve only passed two challenges, why are we back here? What about the third challenge?” The three then remembered their main task.
The vice sect leader’s figure reappeared in the sky, holding a palm-sized sphere with a slit in the middle.
He stepped forward in the air, and the mysterious white space immediately changed. Centered on him, buildings rose like a tide, with walls, palaces, courtyards, towering mountains, rivers running through the city, hurried pedestrians, vendors calling out, and cultivators moving mountains and seas… It was a magnificent city of cultivation!
The vice sect leader then dispersed everyone by lodge, with the ten from the Yanjiang Rudder sitting in a small building with a view of the outside.
The vice sect leader’s emotionless voice rang in everyone’s ears: “Congratulations on passing the first two challenges. Now, you will proceed to the third challenge.”
“This is a simulated city. Soon, I will release your true nature, which will convince you this is the real world, allowing you to do the bad things you truly wish to do.”
“The more destructive you are, the higher our evaluation of you, with a time limit of one day and one night.”
After speaking, the vice sect leader raised the sphere, which opened a slit to reveal a black pupil.
This was not a sphere at all, but a giant eye!
The giant eye opened, casting a bizarre purple light over the entire city.
…
The vice sect leader’s consciousness returned to the headquarters, still holding the giant eye.
“It truly is an Everlasting Eye crafted by the Everlasting Being himself, capable of unleashing one’s true nature and enticing the darkest side of the human heart. Only an immortal treasure could achieve such a feat.”
The vice sect leader reluctantly handed the Everlasting Eye back to the sect leader, cherishing the rare opportunity to use an immortal’s treasure.
Theoretically, he didn’t have the authority to use the Everlasting Eye. For the purpose of initiating the third challenge, the sect leader temporarily entrusted it to him.
The sect leader said, “This third challenge is crucial, as it determines whether there are righteous cultivators infiltrating our ranks as spies.”
“The Everlasting Eye can release one’s true nature. Righteous cultivators, being inherently good, won’t cause much destruction. Under the glow of the Everlasting Eye, those righteous cultivators won’t even be able to act against their nature to commit murder or arson!”
“Even when witnessing injustice, righteous cultivators will intervene to stop it, allowing us to filter out those righteous infiltrators among us!”
Becoming a member of the Everlasting Sect primarily requires not being a spy from the righteous path.
The vice sect leader chuckled, “Moreover, the Everlasting Eye can automatically judge the level of destruction based on one’s cultivation, making our job easy. With the Everlasting Eye, you and I just need to wait for the results.”
…
Pissh–
A pedestrian’s heart was pierced by a sword, causing bystanders to scream and flee, while a demonic cultivator stood behind, laughing heartily, slashing and killing others, leaving a trail of decapitated bodies and corpses everywhere.
“What a thrill, what a thrill!” The demonic cultivator had never felt such exhilaration in killing, feeling joyful and releasing his true nature, “Today, I will establish my foundation in the Everlasting Sect with your corpses!”
He seized the opportunity to kill to his heart’s content.
“Stop!” A large spear suddenly appeared, deflecting the demonic cultivator’s sword.
The demonic cultivator, recognizing the newcomer, paused slightly, “Who do I have here if not Fang Hao? Always acting so cool, I thought you were a real evildoer of the demonic path, turns out you’re from the righteous path.”
Fang Hao struggled to calm himself, reminding himself this was a critical moment not to reveal his true identity from the righteous path, but under the purple light of the Everlasting Eye, any disguise was futile.
He couldn’t stand the wanton slaughter by the demonic cultivator and sought to stop it by any means possible!
This inner urge was unstoppable by any means!
Fang Hao clashed with the demonic cultivator, swords and spears colliding, with no clear victor in sight.
…
“There really was a spy from the righteous path!” the vice sect leader exclaimed angrily. Without the third challenge, this Fang Hao would have infiltrated the Everlasting Sect!
The sect leader’s gaze was cold, “You know what to do without me saying.”
The vice sect leader nodded, “I’ll have the Yanjiang Lodge’s master kill him right away!”
“Kill him, my foot. Quickly inform the Yanjiang Lodge’s master that our location is compromised, and they need to flee immediately!”
“Ah?” The vice sect leader was taken aback.
The sect leader explained impatiently, “What ‘ah’? If Fang Hao could infiltrate our test, it means the righteous path already knows Yanjiang Lodge’s location. Don’t you think we should tell them to pack up and run?”
“What about Fang Hao?”
“We can’t kill him. The righteous path surely has a soul lamp for Fang Hao. Killing him would alert them that their spy’s cover is blown, and they’d storm Yanjiang Lodge immediately, leaving no time to escape.”
(End of the chapter)