Chapter 159: Righteous Path Undercover

"Huh? We're back again?" Lu Yang opened his eyes to find himself once again in the mysterious white space.

Many familiar faces were around him, including Meng Jingzhou, Mang Gu, Chi Xulong, and Shen JinYi.

Only ten people from Yanjiang Branch successfully passed the first two rounds. Lu Yang only recognized half of them—he hadn't had time to trick the other half into giving him their personal information while posing as an examiner.

Memories of passing the first two rounds gradually returned to his mind: the Praying Mantis Fist in the first round, and pushing a potato cart in the second...

"It seems the Immortal Cult's trials aren't that difficult after all," Lu Yang thought, believing his method was standard and anyone with a brain could figure it out.

"I thought so too," Meng Jingzhou echoed. "In the first round, just let the spider bite you, and in the second, punch that fat guy."

Lu Yang looked at Meng Jingzhou with slight surprise. "Huh? How come our methods for passing were different?"

Meng Jingzhou waved his hand confidently. "Why even ask? Mine must be the standard answer, and you just stumbled your way through."

Lu Yang scoffed at Meng Jingzhou's confidence. "Ridiculous! In the first round, I comprehended the Praying Mantis Fist, demonstrating my martial arts prowess. What did your first round demonstrate? Good luck? Is that what the Immortal Cult looks for in its members? It's obvious mine is the standard answer!"

"I advise you to face reality."

Mang Gu, standing nearby, watched the two men vehemently arguing, each sticking to his own version. He quietly recalled his own way of passing.

In the first round, he learned perseverance from the spider and planning before acting from the praying mantis. In the second, he learned to think empathetically and act meticulously.

"Now that I think about it, my method of passing was a bit ordinary. It seems Brother Lu and Brother Meng's methods were the correct ones. I just don't know whose was *most* correct," Mang Gu mumbled to himself, feeling he had learned something new.

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou argued for a long time without reaching a conclusion. It was Mang Gu, as an observer, whose mind was clearest, and he ended their debate.

"Is it possible that both your methods are correct? The demonic path emphasizes acting as one pleases; there is no single 'correct' answer, or perhaps any method that leads to passing is the correct answer."

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou looked at Mang Gu in surprise, finding his words very reasonable.

"I never thought the demonic cult's trials would be so open-ended," Lu Yang marveled. Meng Jingzhou nodded.

"Speaking of which, we've only passed two rounds. Why are we back here? Where's the third round?" Only then did the three remember the main point.

The Vice Cult Leader's figure reappeared in the sky, holding a palm-sized spherical orb with a slit in the middle.

He took a step in the air, and the mysterious white space instantly transformed. With him at its center, buildings rose up in dense rows like a tide: city walls and palaces, courtyards and small pavilions, towering mountains, rivers flowing through the entire city, hurried pedestrians, hawking vendors, cultivators moving mountains and seas... It was truly a grand city of cultivation!

The Vice Cult Leader then dispersed the crowd by branch, and the ten members of the Yanjiang Branch sat in a small building with a view of the outside.

The Vice Cult Leader's emotionless voice sounded in everyone's ears: "Everyone, congratulations on passing the first two trials. Now, we will proceed with the third trial."

"This is a simulated city. Soon, I will unleash your true natures. Your true natures will make you believe this is a real world and compel you to commit the evil deeds you genuinely desire to do."

"The more destructive you are, the higher our evaluation of you will be. The time limit is one day and one night."

With that, the Vice Cult Leader raised the spherical orb in his hand. A slit opened in the orb, revealing a black pupil.

This was not an orb at all, but a giant eye!

The giant eye opened, and eerie purple light enveloped the entire city.

The Vice Cult Leader's consciousness returned to the headquarters, still holding the giant eye.

"As expected of the Immortal Eye refined by an Immortal Cultivator! The human heart is most complex; only an immortal treasure can unleash true nature and lure out the darkest side of humanity."

The Vice Cult Leader returned the Immortal Eye to the Cult Leader, a hint of reluctance in his demeanor. Opportunities to use an immortal's ultimate treasure were rare.

Theoretically, he did not have the authority to use the Immortal Eye. This time, the Cult Leader had temporarily entrusted him with it to initiate the third trial.

The Cult Leader said, "This third trial is crucial. It determines whether righteous cultivators have infiltrated the demonic path as spies."

"The Immortal Eye can unleash a person's true nature. Righteous cultivators are inherently good-hearted and won't cause excessive destruction. Under the Immortal Eye's light, those righteous cultivators won't even be able to commit murder or arson against their true nature!"

"Furthermore, righteous cultivators will even intervene to stop unjust acts they witness. This way, we can filter out any righteous cultivators who have infiltrated our ranks!"

The primary condition for becoming a member of the Immortal Cult is not being a righteous spy.

The Vice Cult Leader chuckled. "Moreover, this Immortal Eye can automatically judge the level of destructiveness based on cultivation. With the Immortal Eye, you and I simply need to wait for the results."

Thwack—

A passerby's heart was pierced by a sword. Others screamed and fled upon seeing it. A demonic rogue cultivator stood behind, laughing maniacally. As he laughed, he hacked at others, beheading them and leaving corpses strewn across the ground.

"What a thrill! What a thrill!" The demonic rogue cultivator had never enjoyed killing so thoroughly; his mood was elated as he unleashed his true nature. "Today, your corpses will lay the foundation for my place in the Immortal Cult!"

He intended to kill his fill while he had the chance!

"Stop!" A large spear suddenly appeared, parrying the demonic rogue cultivator's sword.

The demonic rogue cultivator saw who it was and paused slightly. "Well, well, if it isn't Fang Hao! You always acted so ruthless, I actually thought you were a truly wicked demonic cultivator. So you're from the righteous path after all."

Fang Hao struggled to calm himself, telling himself this was a crucial moment and he couldn't expose his righteous identity, or all his previous efforts would be in vain. Unfortunately, under the shroud of the Immortal Eye's purple light, all disguises were useless.

He couldn't stand the demonic rogue cultivator's wanton slaughter, and wanted to stop it by any means necessary!

This surge of intrinsic impulse could not be suppressed by any means!

Fang Hao and the demonic rogue cultivator engaged in battle, sword clashing against spear. For a time, neither could gain an advantage.

"Sure enough, a righteous cultivator infiltrated us!" the Vice Cult Leader exclaimed furiously. "If not for the third trial, this Fang Hao would have joined the Immortal Cult!"

The Cult Leader's gaze was cold. "I shouldn't have to tell you what to do."

The Vice Cult Leader nodded. "I'll have the branch leader of Huangyue Branch kill him at once!"

"Kill him, my ass! Immediately inform the branch leader of Huangyue Branch that their stronghold has been exposed and they need to flee quickly!"

"Huh?" The Vice Cult Leader was dumbfounded.

The Cult Leader explained, exasperated by his subordinate's slowness: "'Huh' what? Fang Hao managed to infiltrate the trial, which means the righteous path already knows the location of the Huangyue Branch. Shouldn't we tell them to pack up and run quickly?"

"Then what about Fang Hao?"

"We can't kill him. The righteous path definitely has Fang Hao's soul lamp. If we kill him, the righteous path will know the infiltration has been exposed and will rush straight to the Huangyue Branch. How would the Huangyue Branch have time to escape then?"

"Oh."