Tang Yao pressed her lips together as she watched the scene before her.
This guy was so strange.
Judging by his decent aptitude, he had to be one of the few people mentioned in the book: the Profound Heaven Sect's eldest disciple, Jiang Yueyan, second disciple, Chu Song, or third disciple, Chi Wang.
The Profound Heaven Sect's eldest disciple had developed an inner devil over unrequited love. After he fell and became a Devil Cultivator, both the sect's reputation and strength suffered greatly, and it never recovered.
The Beast Taming Sect had also put pressure on the second disciple, Chu Song.
The third disciple, Chi Wang, had vanished along with the eldest disciple after the latter became a Devil Cultivator.
Then this had to be Chi Wang.
The Profound Heaven Sect's third disciple in the story.
"The elder had his reasons for asking Senior Brother Jiang to come. But you-why are you trying to drive a wedge between the elder and Senior Brother?"
Smiling, Tang Yao walked over of her own accord and stood between the two, naturally separating them physically. Then she frowned and clicked her tongue. "Why is your face so pale? The sun's blazing. Don't go fainting on us."
Since he was a Devil Cultivator, he couldn't blame her for her sharp tongue!
"Unless!" Tang Yao made a fist with her right hand and smacked it into her left palm, looking as though realization had dawned. "You're planning to faint, and right now, the only one..."
"The only one who can carry you is Senior Brother Jiang! Well, well, so that's what you're after!"
Who cares whether it's black or white? I'll paint it all yellow!
Now Chi Wang wasn't the only one looking displeased. Even Jiang Yueyan began to frown. Both stared unhappily at Tang Yao between them, as though saying, "Fairy, perhaps you should go back to lying on the ground."
Tang Yao: "..." She seemed to have hit someone with friendly fire.
Although Jiang Yueyan was displeased, Tang Yao's remarks made him realize something was wrong with Chi Wang's words. But what could he gain from doing this?
He couldn't help rolling his eyes inwardly.
Sure enough, everyone in this world except him was fucking sick in the head.
Noticing Jiang Yueyan's suspicious gaze, Chi Wang turned away in annoyance.
Out of Jiang Yueyan's sight.
His formerly gentle eyes instantly filled with viciousness as he stared at Tang Yao.
His bloodless face brimmed with intense hatred.
He gripped Tang Yao's wrist hard, preparing to give this fairy a proper thank-you.
But the instant he touched Tang Yao-
He froze, and his eyes, which had slipped out of his control in his anger, returned to normal.
All the Devil Qi I sent in disappeared?
The boy's previously sinister gaze was now full of confusion.
Could she be a human with an innate devil physique? Then she could become my "nourishment." At that thought, Chi Wang looked at the two people before him like lambs awaiting slaughter, filled with excitement.
One was credit, the other food.
"You certainly know how to joke, Junior Sister. I don't like men, but you're quite lovely yourself." Having worked it out, Chi Wang was naturally in a good mood. He put away his sinister expression and revealed a meaningful smile.
Watching Chi Wang change faces like a master performer, Tang Yao couldn't help cursing inwardly.
In the story, Chi Wang had disappeared alongside Jiang Yueyan after the latter fell to the devil path. That meant Chi Wang himself had countless tangled ties to Devil Cultivators.
Just now, she had felt a strand of purple gas inside her body. It had to be Devil Qi. Just as she thought she might be in danger, her Spirit Root had absorbed it in an instant and purified it into her own Spiritual Qi.
Good grief, even Devil Qi worked???
Could this really be a Chaos Spirit Root?!
Tang Yao had no time to get excited about her Spirit Root, because a wicked idea had sprung up in her mind. A sly smile curled her lips.
Since it could turn into her Spiritual Qi, couldn't the process be reversed too? Her Spiritual Qi could turn into that purple qi from earlier-Devil Qi.
Fine sweat covered Tang Yao's forehead. Converting it into Devil Qi didn't harm her body; she just needed time to adjust.
A moment later, a large surge of Devil Qi flowed from her wrist into him.
Chi Wang's expression changed instantly.
How could it be Devil Qi?!
Was she some Devil Realm powerhouse's illegitimate daughter, tossed out here for training? Or a newcomer from the Devil Race competing with me for the credit of making Jiang Yueyan fall to the devil path?
Seeing Chi Wang's expression change in an instant, Tang Yao decided to put on a grand performance.
Tang Yao folded her arms, furrowed her brows slightly, and gave a cold snort. "Do you really not know?!"
She narrowed her eyes and looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with tears and a hint of anger. "Lovely? Sometimes people admire those who look like them. Do you know why we look alike?"
Handsome men and beautiful women all looked alike anyway. There was nothing wrong with her saying that!
Aside from being a little pale, Chi Wang was passably good-looking too.
But to be safe, Tang Yao turned away, took some makeup from her Storage Bag, and swiftly powdered her face, making herself look a little more like Chi Wang. Her movements were swift as wind and lightning, completed in one smooth sequence.
She used to work as a makeup artist on the side!
A piece of cake!
By the time Chi Wang recovered and took a proper look at Tang Yao's face, he was already beginning to question his life.
Actually, they really did look a little alike.
Did my old man really have an illegitimate daughter back then?!
Under Chi Wang's scrutiny, Tang Yao's expression remained unchanged. She returned a resolute gaze and said softly, "Big Brother."
That "Big Brother" struck Chi Wang like a thunderbolt, and he hastily stepped back. Seeing him retreat, Tang Yao immediately pressed closer, mist swirling in her eyes as she launched into her performance. "Your name is Chi Wang, isn't it? I know everything. I'm not worthy of the surname Chi. I'm just a..."
Her angry face now looked choked with emotion. "I'm just an... illegiti... mmph!"
Before she could finish saying "illegitimate daughter," Chi Wang forcibly covered her mouth.
"Enough. Stop talking." Chi Wang interrupted her unhappily.
Why does this woman know my name?
Could she really be my half sister?
But is she an idiot? This isn't the place for a family reunion!
At that thought, Chi Wang glanced back at Jiang Yueyan. He was sitting impatiently in his original spot, listening to their conversation with anger on his face.
"Whatever ties you two have, take it outside." Jiang Yueyan found their chatter grating. He pointed toward the teleportation array beneath the maple tree. "You both get full marks. Go outside and wait for the others."
Chi Wang: "Yes... Senior Brother."
Tang Yao: "All right, Senior Brother."
The two exchanged a glance, each harboring their own thoughts.
She had to find out why Chi Wang had come to the Profound Heaven Sect. This wasn't just a matter for the sect; having Devil Cultivators infiltrate the cultivation world was no good for anyone.
Tang Yao lowered her eyes and took Chi Wang's hand with a show of caution, walking toward the teleportation array while pondering how to coax the information out of him.
The boy frowned at the hand she held, his eyes unreadable and his lips pressed shut. In the end, he didn't stop her and allowed Tang Yao to lead him away.
"Hey, um, what's your name?"
"Tang Xiaocao."
Chi Wang said unhappily, "That's your name? What a slapdash name."
"What's wrong with that?! Little grass strives ceaselessly and has vigorous vitality! Do you even understand..." Tang Yao suddenly remembered her role and immediately put on a more affected tone. "I mean, a humble name makes a child easier to raise, Big Brother..."
Chi Wang fell silent for a while, pressing his lips together.
Then he suddenly spoke in a serious whisper. "Would you like to be called Chi Jiang?"
"Eldest Brother picked the names back then. He said a boy would be Chi Wang and a girl would be Chi Jiang. Then I turned out to be a boy."
Tang Yao suddenly stopped and turned her head in disbelief, her expression seeming to say, "What are you talking about?"
He's way too easy to fool. Even my lousy acting worked? Did the Devil Realm really send this idiot to the cultivation world?
Actually, Chi Wang wasn't entirely to blame. Tang Yao releasing Devil Qi had already convinced him seventy or eighty percent.
"No! I've had this name for over ten years. I-I'm used to it." Although Tang Yao was inwardly mocking him, her face remained full of gratitude. She pressed her lips together and said awkwardly, "Big Brother, did you come here this time to..."
Before Tang Yao could finish, a talisman flashing with blue light suddenly appeared, hovering before them. Then a projection emerged from it-
At the front stood a middle-aged man watching them with satisfaction. Behind him, three elders with graying beards were grinning from ear to ear.
His gaze burning, Duan Xiangyuan couldn't contain his excitement and spoke first. "Good, good, good! You both reached the very top! Excellent! These days, very few talisman cultivators pay attention to tempering their bodies! I look forward to your performance in the coming rounds!"
Behind him, Elder Ling smiled like a blooming chrysanthemum and waved. "Xiaocao! Keep it up!"
"Your Martial Aunt has high hopes for you!" A middle-aged female elder squeezed into view and winked her right eye.
"..."
Looking at the enthusiastic seniors of the Profound Heaven Sect, Tang Yao sighed and shook her head inwardly.
She wondered whether they would still be this happy when they discovered she couldn't draw so much as a fart in the second round.
Compared with Tang Yao, Chi Wang was much more confident. A smile of certain victory curled his lips. "Sect Master, elders, I'll perform well."
"Hahaha, good! Then keep surprising me in the next two rounds, you two youngsters!" With those final words, the talisman dispersed, and the projection swept away, vanishing into the wind.
Tang Yao: "..."
There would be no pleasant surprises.
Shocks would come wave after wave.
She wondered what expression the sect master would make if he knew that of these two, one was a Devil Cultivator and the other a sword cultivator stealing their teachings.
In the plaza.
Only Tang Yao and Chi Wang occupied the vast space. Tang Yao seized the opportunity to question Chi Wang about his purpose in coming, but he refused to say anything, seemingly having no intention of letting her get involved.
If Chi Wang still wouldn't tell her despite fully trusting that she was a Devil Cultivator, then his objective this time was most likely somewhat dangerous...
It might well be something big.
It seemed she would have to slowly win him over.
An hour later.
The first trial reached its end.
People began returning to the plaza one after another, lying flat on their backs as though the very last shred of strength had been wrung from their bodies.
Unlike before, very few people complained about exhaustion this time. More of them were talking about how truly amazing it had felt.
Their physical fitness had genuinely improved during this trial too!
It was all thanks to the Flowers and Grass Group!
Everyone had been inspired by Senior Sisters Xiaohua and Xiaocao's heroic bearing!
Just then, a burst of blue light swept over.
At the base of the array, it read: Floor 80.
When the light faded, a beautiful figure who didn't quite fit in with the crowd was teleported back. She wasn't sprawled out. The girl stood with her arms folded and her back perfectly straight, her sect robes and inky hair fluttering in the wind.
(Some readers have flagged the number of male supporting characters as a dealbreaker because they haven't reached the middle section yet, so I'll explain the gender ratio here. There are more male supporting characters in the cultivation world early on, more female supporting characters in the Devil Domain in the middle, and a balanced mix later. Basically, the cultivation world cosplays a boy group, and the Devil Domain cosplays a girl group~ Those who like female characters can keep reading~ All the female characters in this novel are career-oriented.)