Chapter 63: We Are All Thinking for the Demonic Cult

The Branch Master, the most cultivated cultivator in the entire branch, had undergone systematic training at headquarters and learned the true essence of the demonic path. What kind of situation hadn't he encountered?

He had truly never encountered a situation like this.

If the deacons had prepared in advance out of consideration for his hard work, he could have understood, and even felt comforted.

But what was wrong with these three? Where did they even come from?

The Branch Master understood the problem, his gaze chillingly murderous. These three were impersonating examiners to screen out competitors in advance.

"What clever tactics!" the Branch Master ground out.

The three continued to impersonate examiners. Lu Yang propped his leg onto the table. "You expect to pass the assessment without bribing us? Next!"

The next person respectfully offered spirit stones to the three "examiners." Meng Jingzhou counted them, decided it wasn't enough, and asked, "Do you have any experience joining a demonic sect?"

"No."

"Oh, I'm sorry, we don't accept inexperienced individuals. You may leave."

The applicant felt as though the "examiners" had "We're not recruiting" practically written on their faces.

The Branch Master appeared behind the three like a phantom, cold air seeping from his clenched teeth, his Golden Core stage aura fully unleashed. He slapped all three of them, sending them flying into the wall. "How dare you three impersonate examiners here!"

If he had arrived any later, everyone would have fled!

Lu Yang peeled himself off the wall and quickly exclaimed, "My lord, you've gravely misunderstood! We were wholeheartedly acting in the demonic sect's best interests!"

The Branch Master was so infuriated he chuckled, then asked, "Well, then, tell me how you were considering the demonic sect's interests."

"My lord, consider this: as demonic cultivators, one should be suspicious and questioning, not easily trusting others. Look at these people. The moment the three of us sat down, they immediately believed we were examiners; not a single person questioned us."

"Falling for it so easily, wouldn't they be easily deceived? If righteous cultivators had cunning individuals among them, they would surely trick these people every single time."

"Furthermore, only righteous cultivators would believe anything told to them. I even suspect there are righteous path spies among these individuals, my lord. You absolutely must thoroughly investigate their identities; we cannot allow righteous cultivators to infiltrate!"

As he spoke, Lu Yang cast a suspicious glance at the test participants, his expression clearly implying there must be a spy among them.

Lu Yang spoke with such apparent sincerity, appearing to be genuinely considering the Branch Master's best interests.

The Branch Master's expression softened slightly.

Meng Jingzhou sounded even more sincere than Lu Yang, his true thoughts clearly expressed: "What's more, demonic cultivators are selfish and only look out for themselves. So many people came for this assessment; naturally, we had to find a way to reduce the competition!"

"Whose fault is it if they were outsmarted and deceived? They can only blame their own insufficient experience in deception!"

The Branch Master's brow smoothed, realizing these were the trio's true intentions.

That's right. Demonic cultivators should be lawless and unscrupulous. When he himself joined the demonic sect, he had exhausted every possible means to gain the favor of high-ranking officials and achieve his current position.

The tactics of these three surpassed his own from back then; they had truly surpassed their teachers.

Man Gu's statement was the most direct: "We genuinely want to join the demonic sect, and we promise not to do a single good deed!"

The Branch Master nodded subtly, thinking that perhaps these three could also gain favor with higher-ups, thereby elevating the headquarters' evaluation of the Yanjiang Branch.

The crowd glared furiously at Lu Yang and the other two. All of them were notorious rogues, scoundrels, and swindlers in their own right, yet none were as shameless or as ruthlessly deceptive as this trio!

If the Branch Master hadn't been present, they would have swarmed the trio and torn those scoundrels to pieces!

The Branch Master paid no heed to the thoughts of the others; how could a group of mediocre individuals compare to the value of these three?

"What is your cultivation level?"

Lu Yang respectfully replied, "All of us are in the early Foundation Establishment stage. My two brothers and I are from out of town. We arrived in Yanjiang County about a month ago and happened to hear the demonic sect was recruiting. We decided to try our luck, and seeing the overwhelming number of competitors, we resorted to this excellent strategy."

"Well done." The Branch Master grew increasingly satisfied the more he observed the three. What promising talents; they would all contribute to his achievements.

His casual wave just now would have injured ordinary early Foundation Establishment cultivators. In contrast, these three were completely unharmed, indicating they were exceptional among those at the early Foundation Establishment stage.

If these three performed adequately in the test, promoting them to deacons would not be out of the question.

Those eliminated by Lu Yang gradually returned, having been summoned by the Branch Master upon his arrival.

These eliminated individuals resented Lu Yang even more than anyone else. Lu Yang felt that if he were to kill them now, they might instantly transform into vengeful spirits.

The Branch Master then opened the stone wall and instructed everyone, "All of you, come in."

Behind the stone wall lay a vast and dim space, where massive boulders floated, connected by chains, creating a spectacular sight.

Lu Yang's guess was correct; the Yanjiang Branch was indeed situated within a grotto-heaven.

The Branch Master's demeanor towards the trio was notably different from his attitude towards the others. "Your idea was sound, to eliminate competitors, and your execution was commendable. However, you misunderstood from the very beginning. Eliminating these individuals, or even if only the three of you participated in the assessment, doesn't guarantee you'd qualify."

"What do you mean?" Lu Yang and the others asked, puzzled.

The Branch Master, his face obscured by a mask, smiled but did not answer. Stepping onto a floating stone, he led everyone to the largest one.

This was a platform with intricate and magnificent patterns carved into its surface. Four ancient stone pillars stood in the four cardinal directions, and eleven black-robed deacons performed their duties, guarding the platform's edge.

"Disperse and sit down, and relax your minds."

After everyone complied, the Branch Master approached the center of the platform. There, a jade-green stone floated, its surface intricately engraved with dense, mysterious symbols.

The Branch Master channeled spiritual energy into the stone. The formation beneath their feet activated, spinning and expanding, replicating and multiplying, instantly covering the entire platform.

The platform hummed like an ancient beast reawakening, using mysterious power from primeval times to transport everyone to an unknown space.

Inside the pristine white space, indistinct figures stood, looking bewildered and unsure of what had transpired.

Whenever Lu Yang saw a pristine white space, he couldn't help but suspect a Tofu Heavenly Venerate would suddenly emerge from the crowd.

Lu Yang found neither Meng Jingzhou nor Man Gu beside him; he was surrounded by unfamiliar faces.

"Brother, where are you from?" Lu Yang asked with casual familiarity. The other person seemed somewhat unaccustomed to Lu Yang's enthusiasm.

Feeling it would be rude to remain silent, the person replied, "From Huangyue City."

Lu Yang questioned several individuals in succession and discovered they originated from various demonic sect strongholds, all transported here via the colossal formation.

Lu Yang now roughly understood the Branch Master's intention: this selection was not conducted independently by each stronghold but was an overall assessment organized by headquarters, involving all rogue demonic cultivators simultaneously.

"This feels like an out-of-body experience, yet it's different," Lu Yang murmured to himself. He speculated that the platform had not transported their true bodies, but rather something akin to their consciousness.

"This is interesting, I wonder if Senior Sister could..." Lu Yang halted his thoughts. If he were currently in a state of pure thought, the Immortal Cult might be able to detect what he was thinking.

Caution was paramount.

Suddenly, the entire space dimmed, and a figure emanating a white halo stood suspended in the air.

The figure calmly stated, "I am the Vice Cult Master of the Immortal Cult. I have prepared three trials for you all. Those who pass all three trials may join our Cult."