The True Trial

Heaven Defying Sect.

Kite Plaza.

When Ning Ri said that he respected the choices of a small minority, a burst of laughter rang out...

That laughter was aimed at Xun Zang, who was sitting off to one side.

This could be considered Elder Xun of Joyful Union Courtyard's traditional performance—

Having his sexual orientation questioned!

If Xun Zang was the one sent out to recruit disciples, the questions he asked were always like this.

If the person Xun Zang was questioning was of suitable age, highly tolerant, and accepting enough, Xun Zang would even bring out many splendid images that struck straight at the heart of the matter for them to view.

Among the disciples watching the spectacle in Kite Plaza, quite a few had either fortunately or unfortunately witnessed them before.

At the same time.

A male elder with a calm expression and a face as fair as jade stared at Xun Zang. There was a trace of indignation in his tone as he said, "Elder Xun, when you ask others such questions in the future, do not drag these matters into the ideals of our sect."

"These are the ideals of your Joyful Union Courtyard, not the ideals of the Heaven Defying Sect, nor the ideals of my Casting Sea Peak."

Mo Cuidao was the peak master of Casting Sea Peak, and Casting Sea Peak was an artifact-refining peak.

So many disciples would ask: Clearly it was an artifact-refining peak, so why was it called Casting Sea? Was it because Elder Mo liked being with the sea?

If they were merely asking, that would have been fine. But after experiencing Xun Zang's Heart Questioning, none of those asking such questions were asking innocently.

Seeing the anger hidden in Mo Cuidao's words, Xun Zang laughed heartily. "Elder Mo, don't be hasty. You often enter secluded cultivation and haven't descended the mountain in a long time. You don't understand—the times have already changed. The disciples are all rather lively these days."

"They're merely asking for fun because they don't know better. They aren't truly questioning your preferences. They just want to get a little closer to you..."

Mo Cuidao snorted coldly and directly cut Xun Zang off. "Say no more."

Xun Zang shut his mouth.

At the same time.

As Ning Ri finished his Heart Questioning, the fourth water screen in midair emerged as well.

As for the first three trial participants, Ning Ri included, after they were "driven" out of the Heaven Defying Sect, they all experienced the same thing—

A cry for help!

Only then.

After Liang Chengdao left the Heaven Defying Sect, he released his magical artifact carriage—a horseless carriage.

The horseless carriage was extremely fast. In no more than a short while, it plunged straight into the forest, far away from the Heaven Defying Sect.

Halfway through the journey, Liang Chengdao, seated in the carriage, suddenly heard cries for help from ahead:

"Kind sir, please save me!"

"I'm willing to give anything!"

"Please save me..."

Hearing the voice, Liang Chengdao opened his eyes, his expression indifferent. He had intended to close them again...

His mother had told him that when trouble arose outside, he had to protect himself first, just as he did in the palace...

But as the cries outside the carriage grew ever more urgent, his gaze flickered for a moment. In the end, he took out the Prince's Token, cast a layer of concealment over his face, and lifted the curtain...

Ahead, a petite woman who looked frail enough to be blown over ran out in a panic. Her dress was covered in filth, her hairpins were in disarray, and she looked as though she had rolled miserably through the mud several times. She bore the aura of Qi Refining First Rank, but she was already extremely weak.

One glance was enough to tell that she was on the verge of exhaustion!

Behind the woman followed a masked bandit at Qi Refining Second Rank. He carried a blade and clung tightly to her trail.

The instant Liang Chengdao lifted the curtain, the woman accidentally tripped and fell. She cried out in pain, then turned back in terror to look at the bandit who had already closed in beside her.

At that moment, utter despair appeared on her face...

This drew an excited laugh from the masked bandit. "Hehehe, there's no one around here. Let's see how you run this time... Hm? Kid, you want to meddle in this lord's good fortune?"

As though he had only just noticed Liang Chengdao's stopped carriage, the masked bandit turned to look at him.

Liang Chengdao, whose features were obscured by a hazy layer of light, spoke blandly. "I don't want to kill anyone. I'll give you one breath's time. Get lost."

The moment his words fell.

The masked bandit immediately burst into laughter. "Hahahaha, kid, do you know who you're talking to... urgh..."

Before he could finish speaking, the bandit clutched his throat in unbearable agony. Blood continuously streamed from between his fingers as he stared at Liang Chengdao and squeezed out, "You... you... How could you launch a sneak attack?!"

Bang—

The moment his words fell, the bandit crashed to the ground, lifeless.

Liang Chengdao put away the Prince's Token in his hand. To avoid further complications, he had just used the spell on the Prince's Token to instantly kill the bandit.

The Prince's Token could prove one's identity, but it could also be used to catch others off guard and strike suddenly when one revealed that identity.

Seeing the bandit slain, the woman immediately wept tears of excitement and repeatedly kowtowed. "Thank you, Young Master, for your great kindness and virtue!"

Liang Chengdao swept a glance over her and said blandly, "No need..."

After saying that, he tossed the woman a medicinal pill and turned to leave. Before departing, he left behind one more sentence:

"Follow my carriage. There is a mountain village ahead."

The moment his words fell.

Liang Chengdao climbed into the horseless carriage and activated it. A gust of spiritual wind surged from the wheels, swirling around the woman and immediately making her body light...

Immediately after.

After Liang Chengdao drove past the woman, he suddenly discovered that the entire scene before him had changed. The bandit and the woman vanished, transforming into the world he had been in when he first entered the water screen.

He was briefly stunned. Then he turned and walked out, only to discover that the elders in the distance were all looking at him with smiles...

His expression changed slightly at the sight, and then he narrowed his eyes—

He understood at once!

So the earlier Heart Questioning had merely been a smokescreen.

The bandit and the woman afterward were the true trial!

At that moment, Guan Yan, the gray-robed elder, smiled at Liang Chengdao. "Thank you, little friend Liang, for coming to the rescue! The trial results will be announced after the others have finished participating. Please wait for now."

Liang Chengdao fell silent for a moment before saying, "Thank you, Elder Guan."

Then he walked to the side and sat down, observing Gao Hong and Ning Ri within the water screens. At the same time, his expression was somewhat wary...

He was worried that this place might still be an illusion...

But when he touched the jade pendant in his robes, he felt that something was off...

His jade pendant could break illusions. Ordinary illusions could be shattered at will.

Everything in the trial had felt so real, without even the slightest flaw. Was this truly an illusion?

Or had the Heaven Defying Sect specially invited a great illusionist to create an illusion in order to give its disciples the most realistic test possible?

That would have been far too unnecessary!

At the same time.

Gao Hong, the second trial participant, encountered the same situation as Liang Chengdao after descending the mountain.

However, because he traveled slowly, it took him nearly half a day to encounter the bandit and the woman crying for help.

When Liang Chengdao in Kite Plaza saw the woman fall before Gao Hong once more, the corner of his mouth could not help but twitch slightly...

Seeing this, Gao Hong within the water screen immediately roared, "You thief, how dare you?!"

The moment his words fell.

Gao Hong charged out without the slightest hesitation like a massive bull. Spiritual energy surged around his feet, and as he shot forward like an arrow leaving the bowstring, the tremendous force erupting from his body crushed the dirt road beneath him to pieces...

The bandit was still laughing viciously. Before he could utter a second sentence—"You dare meddle in this lord's good fortune..." —he was directly rammed to death.

Bang—

After the bandit died, Gao Hong intended to help the woman up and send her back. Instead, his water screen shattered directly...

Then, just like Liang Chengdao earlier, he emerged from the hole of light.

When he came out, he was still somewhat dazed...

And then.

Everyone's attention focused on the third water screen.

At that moment, Ning Ri had also encountered a woman who had fallen before him.