When he entered the Errand Disciple Quarters, Xiao Bai had Zhao Hanwu smooth things over in advance. The admission heart-questioning was merely going through the motions, and he passed with ease.
When he entered Hundred Herbs Peak, faced with Elder Yuhu's heart-questioning question, Xiao Bai had intended to seize the chance to flirt with a girl. Yet by a stroke of blind luck, he handed in his pledge of allegiance and likewise passed with ease.
Now, for the Sect Tour Ceremony's heart-questioning, he had to face the pressure of three or four Nascent Soul heavyweights and over a dozen Golden Core elders. Preparing answers beforehand was useless; the heart-questioning spell would leave his true thoughts nowhere to hide.
There was no stricter political vetting in Snow Flame Sect than this!
After all, demons and devils lurked all around Snow Flame Sect. To enter the sect's core leadership, no one cared much about the extent of your strength—the key was that you could not harbor ulterior loyalties.
The heart-questioning segment of the Sect Tour Ceremony was usually conducted by the Sect Leader, who asked the newcomer three questions.
There were no requirements concerning the newcomer's talent. The emphasis was on loyalty to the sect and loyalty to the Dao Alliance.
The questions generally concerned nothing more than demons and devils, the Heavenly Origin Dao Laws, personal ambitions...
Xiao Bai steadied his emotions and slowly walked to a stop one zhang before the Sect Leader. His gaze was calm as he gave a slight salute.
"Disciple is ready."
The entire audience held its breath as well, curiosity rising to their throats—everyone wanted to glean from the heart-questioning why Elder Yuhu had chosen Xiao Bai.
Qi Shan narrowed his eyes slightly and stared at Xiao Bai.
As the Sect Overseer, he wanted even more to use this opportunity to learn the direction of Master Yuhu's research: was it truly, as rumors claimed, the fusion of demons and devils through medicinal principles?
After all, every demon or devil Snow Flame Sect captured over the years had to pass through Master Yuhu's hands for a biopsy or autopsy. Only after confirmation by the Discipline Hall would it be sent to the Dao Supervision Palace.
She had the means to do it.
"Very good."
With a sweep of his sleeve, Master Chun Xiao imposed a Nascent Soul Realm spiritual pressure, drifting like wisps of cloud, upon Xiao Bai's head.
Xiao Bai's heart sank. His dantian felt no pressure whatsoever; the pressure was on his sea of consciousness.
A layer of mist projected above his sea of consciousness, and ripples rose upon the placid sea.
This mist not only revealed the examinee's state of mind, but also showed his cognition and thoughts.
It was the ultimate lie detector!
Everyone present could tell from this mist whether Xiao Bai's answers were true or false.
Even the Blazing Spring behind Xiao Bai inexplicably churned and erupted, blasting up columns of magma.
Holding a Jade Flute, Master Chun Xiao gently patted his palm in a steady rhythm. The majesty in his eyes softened as he tried to calm Xiao Bai as much as possible.
"First question, Xiao Bai. What is it about Elder Yuhu that you cherish most?"
The moment the question was asked, the entire crowd erupted in an uproar!
No one had expected the Sect Leader to ask an emotional question during such an important heart-questioning...
Was he really shielding Yuhu?
Yet Xiao Ran felt obvious pressure.
It looked like an emotional question, but in truth, it tested how well he understood the elder. From that, they could infer the true nature of his relationship with her, even the elder's purpose.
After thinking seriously for a moment, Xiao Bai spoke firmly.
"Though this disciple was forced up Liangshan, what this disciple cherishes most is Elder's soul. Elder's beauty comes second, and only lastly does this disciple cherish the improvement Elder brings to his cultivation."
As Xiao Bai spoke those words, his face did not change and his heart did not race!
After all, every word was true.
What he valued most was the elder's soul—her resolve, as a villainous demoness, to overturn humanity.
That was also what the Modifier valued most.
Beauty came second. She had to be beautiful enough to be chosen by the Modifier as a Female Lead.
Moreover, Xiao Bai had only been an errand disciple at the time. Any Female Lead stronger than him could be considered a powerhouse—thus, after binding a Female Lead, improving his cultivation through Dual Cultivation was as natural as water flowing downhill.
At the same time, the mist above Xiao Bai's head grew increasingly calm.
It showed that his conscience was clear and that every word he spoke was true.
Before long, even his spine stopped hurting, and a faint warmth spread through it.
It seemed the elder was quite satisfied as well.
Only among the disciples came faint, overlapping murmurs of contempt.
"Shameless."
"Lewd."
"Have you no shame!"
After all, Xiao Bai had placed Elder Yuhu's beauty second and Dual Cultivation third. Saying that the soul came first could not cover that up!
Master Chun Xiao felt relieved, and the flute melody lingering stubbornly in his mind dispersed by more than half.
"Second question: after becoming partners with Elder Yuhu and taking up residence on Hundred Herbs Peak, what are your personal ambitions?"
Xiao Bai and the audience let out a breath at the same time.
Finally, a normal question.
"This disciple's ambition is to cultivate diligently, continuously raise his cultivation, take subduing demons and vanquishing devils as his duty, remain loyal to the sect and the Dao Alliance, and uphold the Righteous Qi between Heaven and Earth!"
Xiao Bai spoke with overwhelming momentum.
After all, those were his true feelings.
If he did not subdue demons and vanquish devils, frustrating their evil undertakings, how could he receive the Heavenly Dao Grand Gift Bag?
And his wording was very precise: subduing demons and vanquishing devils, not slaying demons and exorcising devils.
How could he kill his wives?
At the same time, the mist above Xiao Bai's head was terrifyingly calm.
Everyone was rendered speechless.
Generally speaking, a person's aura was allowed some fluctuation during heart-questioning. Yet this boy's aura was so stable that it was beyond comprehension.
Even Sect Overseer Qi Shan had nothing left to say.
Even Yuhu and Mu Yun, seeing Xiao Bai so brimming with Righteous Qi and lofty ambition, felt ripples stir in their hearts and completely forgot about the matter of subduing demons and vanquishing devils...
After all, in their eyes, Xiao Bai's strength was still a hundred thousand li away from subduing demons and vanquishing devils.
Master Chun Xiao nodded in approval.
"Final question: why do you think demons and devils cannot fuse?"
The entire audience was stunned.
Everyone held their breath, and the silence was so complete that a pin could have been heard dropping.
The Sect Leader had suddenly become ruthless!
Xiao Bai's expression stiffened.
What kind of question was that? First ask whether it could be done, then ask why!
Could demons and devils truly not fuse?
Xiao Bai considered it carefully. This question was severely beyond the syllabus—even Olympiad math problems were not set like this.
Too lazy to dwell on it, he answered casually.
"Can demons and devils truly not fuse? This disciple is not certain either, but regardless, this disciple will certainly do his utmost to stop it."
If the person doing such a thing is one of the Female Leads in my harem...
Xiao Bai did not say those words aloud.
Doing his utmost to stop it—those were not words one could utter by casually boasting.
The mist above his head remained as still as the sea on a windless day.
This showed that, deep within his heart, Xiao Bai truly thought so!
A gust of Astral Wind swept through, making everyone's hearts clear and cool as bright mirrors.
Behind Xiao Bai, Yuhu and Mu Yun both looked calm, but their hearts had long been filled with ripples.
The reason they had not told Xiao Bai there would be an additional heart-questioning segment during the Sect Tour Ceremony was also because they wanted to understand his true inner thoughts.
Such a righteous Xiao Bai was likable, but was that good or bad for them?
That was a question worth pondering deeply.
Princess Fei Yue smiled without speaking, finding it only interesting.
The male disciples in the plaza were speechless and ashamed. They did not even dare look directly at the righteous radiance on Xiao Bai's face.
So the beautiful women of the Cultivation World all liked handsome men with pure hearts and an overflowing sense of justice?
The female disciples also began to reassess Xiao Bai, this errand disciple.
The quality in Xiao Bai that had left them racking their brains was not his figure or appearance, but his sense of justice!
The elders, however, were somewhat suspicious.
For an errand disciple who had only just reached Qi Refining, his enlightenment was a little too high.
Being too perfect instead made him worthy of suspicion.
But it was also possible that this fellow was an epic uncut jade, with Balanced Five Elements and an exceptionally pure heart!
It seemed heart-questioning alone was not enough. Someone still needed to take the lead and test his true abilities—whether he could match this unprompted sense of justice of his.
"The heart-questioning is over!"
The old master of ceremonies called out.
Yuhu had no problem!
The newcomer had no problem!
Even the Sect Overseer had nothing to say!
The huge stone hanging over Master Chun Xiao's heart finally fell to the ground.
"Congratulations to Junior Brother Xiao and Junior Sister Yu Hu on your joyous union. May Junior Brother join Junior Sister in contributing your share to reviving our sect, eliminating demons and defending the Dao."
"I shall offer my meager strength."
Xiao Bai cupped his fists slightly, relief flooding his heart. Finally, I can receive the gifts.
The old master of ceremonies threw back his head and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"The ceremony begins!"
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