Under the guidance of the “Path of Righteousness,” following the route previously taken by a group of demonic cultivators, a group of people continued to explore deeper.
The resilient cat demon walked in the front, while Shangguan Qing’er, with her keen senses, took up the rear.
Tang Xin and Zhou Yu were in the middle of the team.
Along the way, Zhou Yu didn’t say a word.
Her mind was still haunted by the nightmare she had earlier.
“What’s wrong?”
Tang Xin noticed her unusual demeanor and asked softly.
“I,” Zhou Yu thought for a moment and whispered, “am I too naive? As a cultivator, I mean.”
She had pondered this question before.
Her nature was somewhat naive.
Perhaps it was because she hadn’t faced many obstacles on her cultivation path, and didn’t have experiences like being “orphaned,” “oppressed by clan members,” or “constantly troubled by the chief disciple in the sect,” which made her personality much more naive than most.
People need to experience hardships and difficulties to learn, whether they are mortals or cultivators.
“What’s wrong with being naive?”
Tang Xin wondered.
“Isn’t that perfectly suited for the ‘pure heart’ sought in the quest for immortality?”
“The two aren’t the same,” Zhou Yu rarely complained, “Naive people are easily manipulated and exploited…”
“Then just keep your eyes peeled,” Tang Xin shrugged, “Whatever you do, never choose to doubt yourself… regardless of the outcome.”
Zhou Yu listened to her words and observed her expression.
This person exuded confidence, radiating a “I can create miracles” aura.
She pondered.
No wonder Tang Xin was so powerful.
The “strength” of the strong not only refers to their physical body but also represents their “spirit.”
Was what she wanted to tell herself that her flaw wasn’t “naivety,” but rather “not being strong enough,” especially in terms of spiritual strength?
A single sentence could clear the fog in her mind, this ability, it was simply, simply…
“I understand,” Zhou Yu expressed his admiration for Tang Xin for the first time, “Can I still ask you questions in the future?”
“Uh, you can,” Tang Xin scratched his head, “but what exactly did you understand…”
Didn’t I just casually say a motivational quote?
Amidst this bizarre conversation, the group had already reached the depths of the cave, encountering no traps along the way.
They kept walking until they reached a place resembling a square, where a barrier descended from the sky, blocking everyone’s path.
The stone tablet beside it read:
“Please verify your identity.”
Another friend-or-foe identification?
“No problem,” Shangguan Qing’er stepped forward, taking out a broken sword from her storage bracelet, “I snatched this magic weapon from a demon cultivator earlier; its aura should be enough to cover us.”
She waved the broken sword in front of the barrier.
It had no effect…
“Verify your identity.”
【Generating options…】
【Option one: Say “I am the natural-born arch-villain, such formations are a piece of cake for me,” and walk straight through.】
【Success rate 100%, reward: +1 Cunning.】
【Option two: Do nothing and wait for Zhou Yu to spend a lot of time breaking the formation.】
【Success rate 100%, reward: +1 Speed of Qi recovery.】
【Option three: Spend a large number of points to exchange for a method to break the formation in the store.】
【Success rate 100%, reward: +1 Rich person’s demeanor.】
Oh no!
This is terrible!
These three options… they all seem equally normal!
Isn’t that abnormal?
Based on past experiences, if every option appears normal, it definitely means something is off.
Will it take a lot of time for Zhou Yu?
Could it affect the completion of the main quest, leading to a “Main Quest Failure”?
Spending a lot of points to exchange for a method to break the formation?
Does this set the stage for not being able to exchange for combat items later?
No, these two options seem too normal, giving off a very eerie feeling.
But this first option… self-destruct “true identity”?
“I am the naturally born arch-villain,” Tang Xin crossed the barrier, walked straight through without any hindrance, “This formation is a piece of cake for me.”
Everyone was stunned.
After a good while.
“Deserving of the name Tang, fellow Daoist,” Shangguan Qing’er, still in shock, said, “Your expertise in formations is also so profound…”
“Tang Xin, fellow Daoist, are you omnipotent?”
Liu Mei said, “Ever since I met you, I haven’t found anything you can’t do!”
“You are a master of formations!”
Zhou Yu gave her a thumbs up.
“I get it now, meow,” Ah Miao suddenly realized, “The key to breaking the formation is to loudly admit you’re one of the demonic cultivators, right? Amazing meow! You saw through it at a glance!”
I knew this was an unusual option…
Tang Xin silently accepted the 【Scheme +1】 reward.
The key to crossing the barrier, of course, wasn’t admitting to being a demonic cultivator, but Tang Xin herself.
She had everyone hold hands and shout loudly, “I am a demonic cultivator, I will forever be loyal to the demonic path, and I am irreconcilable with the righteous path,” and finally managed to trick everyone into coming in…
Upon entering the barrier, several red lights descended from the sky, carrying an irresistible force, and branded everyone’s hands.
At the same time, the old man’s words directly appeared in everyone’s minds.
“The Demonic Desire Scripture is right here, move forward, descendants of the demonic path…”
Looking ahead, there stood a tall altar, held aloft by several beautifully sculpted statues.
Above the altar, what burned was not an ordinary flame, but a dark red glow, emanating a terrifying aura that made one’s heart tremble.
Below the altar, several cultivators were already standing, looking up and muttering something.
Seeing someone intrude, they were initially stunned, then… almost dropped their jaws to the ground in shock.
“How did you get in here?”
To enter the core area of the cave, wasn’t a thorough identity verification required?
They had to cut open their palms and water the barrier with their blood to be allowed entry, which shows how strict this verification method was.
“I will forever be loyal to the demonic path, I share no common ground with the righteous path…”
Tang Xin lazily called out.
“Huh? You’re also from the demonic path?”
Someone complained.
“Idiots!”
A middle-aged man in a black robe fiercely smacked the head of a demonic cultivator, shouting.
“Use your brains, they must have sneaked in using some method!”
Then, the man sneered and looked over, saying.
“Qingxin Pavilion’s Shangguan Qing’er, Mountain Colors Workshop’s Liu Mei, Xuanling Sect’s Tang Xin… these renowned figures of the righteous path, do we even need to doubt their identities?”
“Didn’t expect you to walk right into the trap,” he stepped forward, and a spell flew from his hand, “then die!”
Bang!
However, just as he made his move, a red formation appeared in the sky, absorbing his spell.
The old man’s voice once again echoed in everyone’s minds.
“Remember, you are all family, the hope of the Demon Path. Don’t engage in foolish infighting!”
“Ha—?!”
