Because a large number of people were eliminated in the first round’s spiritual root test, fewer than a hundred test-takers remained for the second round.
Guided by the disciples of Falling Cloud Valley, Qi Yuan stepped onto the small path almost simultaneously with the others.
A moment of dizziness washed over him. When Qi Yuan regained his senses, he found himself in a lush, verdant forest. His feet sank into soft soil, and he realized he was now holding a sharp long blade in his hand.
Such a realistic illusion!
Although his knowledge of formation arrays wasn’t profound, he had a discerning eye. This illusion formation was not only extremely lifelike but also seamlessly integrated with heaven and earth, operating in a self-sustaining cycle. It was clearly the work of a grandmaster of formations.
Qi Yuan surveyed his surroundings, his expression gradually turning grave.
He discovered that after entering, his mind had become much more muddled, and his thinking had grown somewhat sluggish.
A formation capable of affecting a cultivator at perfected Golden Core had to be of a very high grade. He could not afford carelessness, or he might suffer a humiliating failure here.
Mental fortitude was not equivalent to spiritual root aptitude and had little relation to one’s cultivation level.
When he entered the Supreme Mystery Sanctuary, its test of character had consisted of a flash from the Heart-Questioning Mirror, a top-tier spiritual treasure. He had passed without quite understanding how, and the Sect Master had immediately accepted him as his final direct disciple. It had caused a sensation throughout the sanctuary…
After reminiscing for a moment, Qi Yuan began walking forward.
Although this formation seemed to be attempting to interfere with his memories, he had cultivated a secret technique specifically for resisting soul attacks—the “Luo Tian Spirit Refining Art.” Therefore, he hadn’t completely lost his memory and vaguely knew he was participating in an assessment…
Outside the formation.
Light shimmered on water-like surfaces, and mist rose gently.
In mid-air floated numerous water mirrors formed from magical power, displaying the situations of the test-takers within the formation.
After confirming the illusion formation was operating normally, Elder Yin Qingyuan, in charge of the Dao Entry Pavilion, gave a faint smile and said clearly:
“The Illusory Life Universe Formation was created a thousand years ago by a visiting Void Refinement formation master. It is integrated with our protective formation and contains three trials designed by our ancestral master. Clear those trials, and you pass.”
“Once activated, the Formation Spirit within will manifest countless avatars to test everyone. Anyone entering this formation will have their memories of this period erased, forgetting about the test itself, allowing them to make choices with their most genuine inner nature.”
“After a millennium of nurturing, Senior Formation Spirit has long since developed sentience. The illusions are now even more perfected than before. Even a Void Refinement cultivator trapped within would find it difficult to escape in a short time.”
“My father is in seclusion, attempting to reach peak Nascent Soul, and cannot attend to these matters. Thank you for overseeing everything, Elder Yin.”
Hearing this, Bai Xirou nodded slightly. First, she performed an elegant bow toward Yin Qingyuan, then turned her gaze to the images floating mid-air, revealing an expectant look as she thought to herself:
For Falling Cloud Valley to rise again, nurturing new disciples is of paramount importance. I hope we can find some promising seedlings this year.
……
Inside the formation.
As Qi Yuan walked through the forest, a commotion suddenly arose in the distance.
“Help!”
“Hehehe, little beauty, in these wild mountains and desolate plains, even if you scream yourself hoarse, no one will come to save you…”
Qi Yuan looked toward the sound and saw a disheveled beauty being chased by a bandit-like burly man. The two were quickly running toward him.
“Young master, please save me!”
Seeing Qi Yuan, the beauty seemed to have grabbed onto a lifeline and immediately rushed toward him.
“Get out of the way! If you dare ruin my good time, I won’t let you off!”
The bandit brandished his sharp blade, issuing a fierce warning to Qi Yuan.
Understanding dawned on Qi Yuan internally, but his expression remained unchanged on the surface. With a swift movement of his body, he sidestepped past the beauty throwing herself into his arms. Stepping forward, he delivered one slash that killed the bandit outright.
The head rolled off, and blood splattered everywhere—it all looked incredibly real.
“Thank you for saving me, young master. This humble one is endlessly grateful.”
At this moment, the beauty’s face was flushed red, and her clothes were disheveled—revealing large patches of snowy white skin inadvertently—which, coupled with her pitiful appearance, made her seem even more alluring.
Yet Qi Yuan responded with a cold laugh.
“Monster! Stop pretending! I knew you weren’t human at first glance.”
With that said, he punched the beauty before him to the ground and then quickly untied his belt… using it to bind her up tightly from head to toe.
“Young master… you… what are you doing?”
The beauty was terrified and struggled repeatedly.
“Never mind how a delicate young lady came to be alone in this wilderness. In that cumbersome long skirt, you outran that towering brute. You hardly seem like a helpless woman.”
“More importantly, you have been running through all this mud, yet there is not a speck on your embroidered shoes. Who are you trying to fool?”
As Qi Yuan laid out his reasoning, the “beauty” stopped struggling and dissolved into a wisp of green smoke.
Seeing this scene. Qi Yuan showed no surprise on his face whatsoever. instead revealing an interested expression.
Interesting.
He originally thought this checkpoint was just a simple test involving feminine allure. but unexpectedly, there were hidden intricacies.
He chose to capture her alive not because he was moved by lust. but because he wanted to see if there were any other special scenarios.
There seemed to be no further surprises, but that should count as passing the trial…
As these thoughts raced through his mind. Qi Yuan casually wiped off the bloodstains on his blade. and continued walking forward.
……
At the same time.
Outside, the Falling Cloud Valley cultivators watched with grim expressions. The scenes in the mirrors were hard to stomach.
The illusion formation automatically generated scenarios based on the different genders of test-takers: male test-takers encountered bandits chasing beauties; female test-takers encountered villainous women chasing handsome men.
Probably due to the different scenarios, female test-takers performed well at this checkpoint, while the male test-takers’ side became an ugly spectacle filled with all sorts of grotesque behaviors. Follow the newest chapters on novelping.com.
A little under half resisted temptation after rescuing the woman. Quite a few, however, killed the bandit only to take his place.
Another portion felt cowardly, fleeing quickly away.
Even worse, some actually acted as accomplices, excitedly standing behind the bandits waiting their turn.
Most utterly depraved among them: one pervert unhesitatingly killed off the beauty, leaving only the bandit behind.
Fortunately, those who failed were usually transported out and eliminated before they could even undo their trousers. Otherwise, the sect would have turned into an orgy.
“How outrageous! What kind of demons and monsters are these?! I never imagined worldly morals have fallen so low. Truly utterly disappointing!”
“Ahh! That newcomer I had high hopes for clearly had decent aptitude. I never expected him to be so worthless!”
“The first trial is simple enough. Resist lust, and you pass. Even running away can be put down to caution and count as a narrow pass. And yet this is what we get. Young people these days…”
“Huh? Look over there. Someone perfectly passed the first checkpoint!”
Right then, a light exclamation came from among the Falling Cloud Valley crowd, drawing the attention of everyone present.
Following the pointing finger, they saw the recording image of when Qi Yuan underwent the first checkpoint.
Watching the scene within the water mirror, Yin Qingyuan narrowed his eyes slightly, then spoke calmly.
“Good. He found the hidden clues. That is indeed a perfect pass.”
“Big Qi resisted temptation and showed courage, resourcefulness, and a keen eye. His spiritual roots may be poor, but his character is sound.”
Bai Xirou also nodded slowly, saying:
“Cultivation is full of danger, traps, and schemes. A single careless step can cost your life. A cultivator must resist temptation and remain vigilant at all times.”
“That was the original purpose of this trial. Candidates had to notice what was wrong with the beauty to pass. But so few succeeded that the rules were later relaxed: anyone who refrained from wrongdoing could pass.”
After speaking, she sighed lightly, murmuring:
“Since our ancestral master passed away, Falling Cloud Valley has steadily declined, and fewer talented disciples have joined us. The last perfect pass in this trial was nine years ago.”
“Who?”
Apart from some insiders, many surrounding disciples who had recently entered Falling Cloud Valley showed curious expressions.
Although they also experienced the illusion formation tests, they had never heard the inside story about a perfect clearance.
Before Bai Xirou answered, Yin Qingyuan raised his eyebrows faintly, replying:
“It was your eldest senior sister, Bai Xirou.”
“And she was only ten at the time.”