Chapter 7: Unity Is Strength

The righteous spies all felt that Senior Brother Xu Gu had strong reflexes. With just one sentence, he dispelled all suspicion from the demon heads.

If it were them, they would probably have been exposed long ago.

Thinking further of how Xu Gu came to the Demon Cavern as an undercover agent not because his sect drew him a big cake of promises, but because he carried great righteousness in his heart, was willing to suffer… all for the glory of the righteous path…

For a time, the righteous spies felt only admiration.

They were ashamed of themselves.

Compared to Senior Brother Xu Gu, they were like pampered rich youths coming here just to embellish their resumes.

Ping Wuqi also nodded in relief. As expected of the natural-born demonic seed he had chosen.

Suddenly, the entire space darkened. A figure radiating mysterious light stood in the air, wickedly handsome, wildly arrogant, exuding an overwhelming aura that shocked everyone present.

They heard that person say faintly:

“I am the acting Demon Lord of the Cavern. I have set three trials for you. Those who pass all three may enter the Demon Cavern.”

Everyone at the scene was startled.

They had never expected the acting Demon Lord himself to appear for just an entry selection.

And this acting Demon Lord’s aura was so strong. He came with his own pressure, and the sky itself darkened. Truly worthy of the title “acting Demon Lord”!

Illusion Colored Clothes and the others exchanged glances, their eyes full of shock.

Now it seemed that although the Demon Cavern was run-down, its elders and demon lords were powerful. On the entire Profound Sky Continent, they were formidable figures.

No wonder their sects took this place so seriously and sent them to infiltrate it.

The demonic path really was about to rise.

“I knew it—there are still some capable people in the Demon Cavern. It’s not all worthless,” Xu Gu’s eyes lit up as well.

Just as everyone was secretly shocked—

“Senior brother, if you’re coming out, just come out. Why did you have to blow out the candles?” Ping Wuqi’s lips twitched as he relit the candles in the room, restoring the light.

Xu Gu and the others all felt black lines crawl over their foreheads, taking back the praise they had just given. This broken state of the Demon Cavern clearly had its reasons.

The Cavern’s senior brother, Han Changsheng, didn’t mind and said:

“In a moment, I will activate the Cavern’s supreme treasure to open an illusion and send your consciousnesses into it. There, your cultivation and memories will all be erased. Everyone will be on equal footing.”

Originally, he had just intended to go through the motions. Who could have predicted that in this selection, the ancestral tomb of the demonic path would explode with green smoke and five heavenly spiritual roots would show up? He had no choice but to take it seriously.

“Senior brother, why did the trial’s content suddenly change?” Ping Wuqi asked in confusion.

According to the original plan, there were three trials. The first: testing spiritual roots. The second: testing for spies. The third: testing knowledge of the law. There was no such thing as three trials personally set by the acting Demon Lord.

Han Changsheng’s expression didn’t change. He maintained his air of mystery and cold aloofness.

“I understand now.” Ping Wuqi suddenly realized and sent a voice transmission: “After their memories and cultivation are erased, every move they make in the illusion will reflect their truest selves.

“In this way, we can better evaluate each person’s abilities,

“And also determine whether they are spies. Senior brother, do you still find it too suspicious that five heavenly spiritual roots showed up in a row?”

“Suspicious? This is fate! They are heaven-sent demonic children!” Senior Brother Han Changsheng shook his head, hating iron for not becoming steel.

Had this third junior’s brain filled with water? At this point, he still suspected these people were spies!

Heavenly spiritual roots, coming to their Demon Cavern as spies?

He clearly didn’t understand the value of heavenly spiritual roots in the righteous path!

With a single line, they could have the entire Demon Cavern wiped out. Would they need spies for that?

“Then why?” Ping Wuqi hesitated in confusion.

Han Changsheng gave a slight shake of his head and shot him an ineffable, meaningful look that made Ping Wuqi’s imagination run wild.

In truth, his motive was very simple.

He just wanted to show off the Cavern’s strength!

These were heavenly spiritual roots, peerless geniuses, who had, thanks to fate, gone blind and come to their Demon Cavern. Even if they really were heaven-sent demonic children, if the Cavern didn’t display some strength to awe them, to let them see how impressive the Demon Cavern was—

Wouldn’t it be easy for them to decide demonic cultivation had no future and then get poached by the righteous path?

Meanwhile—

“What? An illusion that reveals one’s true heart? The Demon Cavern actually has such a supreme treasure?”

The faces of the righteous spies all changed, turning slightly pale. They had not expected the current Demon Cavern to be able to bring out such a treasure for a trial.

Indeed, the demonic path was about to rise!

They had chosen the right place to infiltrate!

But this also meant that maintaining their cover and not being exposed would be harder.

They were fine; their sects had prepared treasures for them. But what about Senior Brother Xu Gu?

Xu Gu, however, was not nervous. He was an expert at demonic trials. No one understood demonic cultivation better than he did.

At this moment, his attention was completely on the supreme treasure that the senior brother had brought out. His brows furrowed slightly. “Why does it look so much like a hotpot pot?”

He really wanted to ask if this so-called supreme treasure was reliable.

He didn’t know why, but ever since he entered the Demon Cavern, his desire to cultivate demons had suddenly dropped a lot.

“The first trial begins now. Starting now, you are the acting Demon Lord of the Cavern. Two thousand miles away, there is a spirit stone mine. How will you plunder enough spirit stones?”

As Senior Brother Han Changsheng spoke those words, everyone felt the world spin, losing all sense of direction. By the time they came back to themselves, their memories had vanished, and they had already appeared inside the illusion.

…

“Where is this?” The young girl Illusion Colored Clothes’ head buzzed. She frowned and looked at the dilapidated surroundings.

Demonic energy surged into the sky, blood fiend aura was thick, and below, groups of demonic cultivators held demonic weapons, their faces full of longing and anticipation, as if they were waiting for her to issue a command.

“Demon Lord, hurry and rally the troops! The creditors will be at our gate any moment! This is no time to hesitate. We have to take that spirit stone mine today!”

As Illusion Colored Clothes hesitated, a trusted subordinate ran up to her in a panic, urging her.

At that moment, memories of the trial appeared in her mind.

“I am the Demon Lord of the Cavern, with combined-body cultivation, but currently under heavy debt pressure. Nearby is a spirit stone mine, but the mine is very close to the government.”

“Should I rob the spirit stone mine?”

Illusion Colored Clothes’ heart was heavy. She had forgotten everything and fully assumed the Demon Lord’s identity. Her cultivation had even reached early-stage Combined Body. Yet, as a disciple of the righteous path, she was utterly unwilling to do anything that harmed heaven and reason.

The demonic cultivators beside her urged her on more and more anxiously.

Making her extremely irritable.

“A bunch of scum who offend heaven’s will. No wonder you’re in debt—you all deserve to die!” These words nearly slipped past her lips, but at the critical moment, a ray of clear light flashed in her mind.

This was the safeguard her sect had prepared for her to help her infiltrate better.

“So this is the trial?”

Illusion Colored Clothes broke out in a cold sweat. She had nearly exposed herself. Thankfully, her sect had prepared in advance.

She hurriedly recited the Heart Demon Art.

The aura on her body changed.

This Heart Demon Art was used to periodically release negative emotions from her heart so that heart demon power wouldn’t accumulate.

At this moment, she released the negative emotions that had been building up inside her. Her gaze turned fierce, her killing intent surged, and she finally had some Demon Lord presence as she calmly reasoned:

“This trial isn’t simply about seeing who is the most ruthless and can lead their underlings to rob the most spirit stones.

“That spirit stone mine is so close to the government. Before my ragtag troops can even rob the stones, we’ll be seized by the authorities.”

Her heart weighed heavy as she pondered a solution.

Suddenly, she saw a garrison map, and her eyes flashed. “There are three other demonic factions around the Demon Cavern. To succeed, I must gain their support.

“Right. Unity is strength. This trial actually tests the ability to unite the strength of the demonic path.”

She shared her plan with her trusted subordinate.

“They’re not short of money. They won’t want to take the risk,” the subordinate said, not believing those three demonic factions could be united. He had already asked them before.

“Then let them become short of money,” Illusion Colored Clothes said with a smile.

In the end, Illusion Colored Clothes invited the leaders of the three demonic forces to play Pai Gow, and by using her superb illusion arts, she gambled them into massive debt. To pay off what they owed, they had no choice but to agree to join the raid on the spirit stone mine.

(End of this chapter)