Chapter 6: Classic Question, Classic Answer

“The first trial: testing spiritual roots,” Ping Wuqi said.

He then placed his hand on the wrist of the sword cultivator youth standing at the front of the line, and encouraged him:

“Don’t be nervous. From your appearance, you must at least have triple spiritual roots…”

The sword cultivator boy’s lips twitched.

Triple spiritual roots? Who are you cursing?

“Th-this this this… could it be? No, how is that possible!”

Ping Wuqi cried out in shock. Thinking he had made a mistake, he quickly changed to the other wrist. Then his whole body trembled, his expression turned excited, his heart pounded violently, and he said in utter disbelief:

“It’s really the legendary mutated heavenly spiritual root—Sword Spiritual Root?”

“What? Sword Spiritual Root?”

The elders and the senior brother of the demonic path, hiding in the rear hall, all froze when they heard this, their faces full of disbelief.

Sword Spiritual Root!

You had to know, even among the five great immortal sects of the righteous path, producing a single heavenly spiritual root in their sect selection was already considered excellent!

In the past, let alone heavenly spiritual roots, they wouldn’t even dare dream of a dual spiritual root.

Only after Ping Wuqi confirmed again and again did the gathered demon heads finally accept it.

“As expected, the demonic path must rise!”

In the rear hall, the demon heads exchanged looks and then burst into wild laughter.

There was a formation in the rear hall that blocked all aura and sound, so no matter how they lost their composure, nothing leaked outside.

Ping Wuqi forced himself to calm down, but he still couldn’t suppress the corners of his lips from crazily lifting as he smiled and said:

“Next.”

The tall and burly body cultivator with a shiny bald head and skin that gleamed like metal stepped forward. At first glance, Xu Gu could only think one thing—this guy was sixteen?

“Heavenly Gold Spiritual Root?” Ping Wuqi stood up, hands trembling with excitement as he began swallowing saliva.

Another heavenly spiritual root?

Some of the demonic elders in the rear hall even directly fainted.

They suspected they were dreaming.

Even the immortal sects rarely managed to recruit two heavenly spiritual roots at once!

Happiness came too quickly, like a tornado.

After that, everyone grew numb.

The scholar seed had a Heavenly Wood Spiritual Root, the bald little monk had a mutated Zen Spiritual Root, and the beautiful fairy Illusion Colored Clothes had the Dream Immortal Body, even more incredible than a heavenly spiritual root.

Among the five, the weakest aptitude was still a heavenly spiritual root.

The faces of the high-ranking members of the Demon Cavern were swollen—smacked by themselves—as if this was all unreal. In all their years as demonic instructors, they had never fought such a “rich” battle!

If not for the fact that all five of them had criminal records, they would have suspected they were righteous path spies.

“This is far too abnormal.”

Cautious as ever, Ping Wuqi felt something was off. No one understood the situation of their Demon Cavern better than he did. How could they possibly find five heavenly spiritual roots with nowhere else to go?

“What do you know? This is the omen of destiny: the demonic path must rise. There has long been a prophecy that a demonic child will descend to help us restore the demonic path. Though, as I recall, the records say there should still be some time before the demonic child appears.”

Han Changsheng refuted him, but as he spoke, his brows furrowed, as if realizing something. After thinking for a moment, he then let out a sly laugh:

“He must have descended early.”

“The heaven-sent demonic child? No wonder he’s so extraordinary!” The demon heads were all shaken.

Xu Gu was shaken too.

The demon heads might not know their backgrounds, but he did!

What heaven-sent demonic child—those five were all righteous path spies!

Had those righteous sects gone mad? Sending spies with such heaven-defying aptitude? Weren’t they afraid the demonic path would corrupt them?

For some reason, he had a premonition.

This “demonic path must rise” destiny was very likely something the righteous path had lifted up themselves by sending too many insane undercover agents.

Finally—

It was Xu Gu’s turn.

“Gold, Wood, and Water triple spiritual roots,” Ping Wuqi said, frowning. Triple spiritual roots, also known as mediocre roots: such spiritual roots usually led to achievements that were neither high nor low—rather middling.

If this had been before, he would certainly have put down his senior airs and tried to win him over with great enthusiasm.

But now, standing before him were five heavenly spiritual roots!

What mediocre spiritual roots? Never heard of them!

He had originally held very high expectations for Xu Gu, seeing him as a natural-born demonic seed who could become a true disciple of the Cavern like himself, to share some of his burdens.

Now it seemed that hope was slim.

“Didn’t demonic cultivators say they don’t care about spiritual roots?” Xu Gu asked when he saw Ping Wuqi’s expression change.

He knew his own spiritual roots, but had never thought much of it. He was already cultivating demons—who cared about spiritual roots? The demonic path had plenty of ways to rapidly raise cultivation.

“Uh… that statement was fake,” Ping Wuqi said, scratching his nose awkwardly. “No one wanted to cultivate demons in the first place. If we didn’t say that, we’d fool even fewer people into joining.”

If it had been before, he might still have tried to maintain the lie.

But now, he had five heavenly spiritual roots standing in front of him!

“Huh?”

Xu Gu and the white fox both stared, eyes wide.

The five righteous spies weren’t surprised at all. Clearly, they had long known.

So the ones being tricked were all the bottom-level demonic cultivators!

“But don’t worry, triple spiritual roots are already very impressive.” Ping Wuqi encouraged him. “They’re more than good enough to be an inner sect disciple. If you can pass the subsequent trials perfectly, you still have a chance to become a true disciple.”

The five righteous spies started comforting Xu Gu as well.

Xu Gu hadn’t minded much originally, since he had his trait cheat. But after their comforting, it was hard not to feel bad.

“Next is the second trial.”

Seeing the mood turning odd, Ping Wuqi quickly took out a drawing board. On it were two roads—one road had five people lying on it, the other had just one. In the distance, there was also a runaway carriage rushing forward at full speed.

“You can control the direction of the out-of-control carriage. Will you steer it toward the road with five people, or toward the road with only one person?”

This was a multiple-choice question, but not a simple one.

It was a test their senior brother had wracked his brains to devise, to probe whether new disciples were righteous path spies.

If they were righteous spies, they would definitely hesitate and eventually choose the road with just one person.

A demonic seed, on the other hand, would undoubtedly choose the road with five people without hesitation.

Even though Ping Wuqi thought this test was very stupid.

What righteous path idiot would ever come undercover to their Demon Cavern?

As expected, the five righteous spies all chose the road with five people without the slightest hesitation.

However—

Xu Gu blurted out, “Steer toward the road with one person.”

“What?” Ping Wuqi was horrified. He shot to his feet and almost wanted to say to Xu Gu: You’re the natural-born demonic seed I had my eyes on! How can you be this merciful?

The faces of the five righteous spies changed. They had assumed Xu Gu had bought the test questions like they did, and had just forgotten to share them with him!

But no!

Seeing how Xu Gu chose the road with only one person without any hesitation, they all had a single thought in their hearts.

Their thought was… senior brother is just too righteous!

Next came worry—worry that righteous Xu Gu would be exposed!

“What a righteous path spy!

“I knew this method would catch spies!

“Don’t stop me, I’m going out there to kill that brat and cut down Ping Wuqi who brought him in while I’m at it!” The senior brother burned with fury, killing intent overflowing.

If not for the elders beside him desperately holding him back—

He might have rushed out already.

“Why did you choose that?” For some reason, Ping Wuqi felt a shiver in his soul and a sense of impending death, yet he still couldn’t help asking in confusion.

After all, Xu Gu was the one he had personally recognized as a natural-born demonic seed. Even if he couldn’t compare to the heaven-sent demonic child, he shouldn’t be like this!

“Saving five means five more slaves,” Xu Gu said, as if it were only natural. “Isn’t that the correct answer?”

The senior brother in the inner hall trembled, his expression going blank. When he finally reacted, his anger had vanished, his bluster disappeared, and he stared at Xu Gu outside in shock, lost in thought.

He wasn’t the only one. The other elders all stood solemnly in respect.

What a fresh angle. Third junior was right—this one really was a natural-born demonic seed!

The five righteous spies all let out a sigh of relief, their faces full of admiration.

“Senior brother Xu Gu is fine. As expected of a disciple from a hidden sect—his ability to adapt is amazing!”

(End of this chapter)