As the highest-cultivation cultivator in the entire branch, the Branch Master had undergone systematic training at headquarters and studied the true essence of the demonic path. What spectacle had he not seen before?
He had truly never seen a spectacle like this.
If his deacons had been trying to relieve him of his burdens by preparing everything in advance, he could have understood—he might even have felt gratified.
But who the hell were these three? What patch of dirt had they crawled out of?
The moment the Branch Master realized what was happening, his gaze turned murderous. These three were impersonating examiners to weed out the competition before the trial even began!
"What marvelous methods!" the Branch Master ground out through clenched teeth.
Meanwhile, the three were still shamelessly playing their roles. Lu Yang propped his boots up on the table. "Trying to pass the evaluation without bribing us? Next!"
The next applicant respectfully offered up a pouch of spirit stones as tribute to the three examiners. Meng Jingzhou counted them, decided it wasn't enough, and asked, "Do you have any prior experience in a demonic cult?"
"No."
"Ah, our apologies, but we don't take people without experience. Go home."
"..." The applicant felt the examiners might as well have tattooed *We are not hiring* across their foreheads.
Like a ghost, the Branch Master materialized right behind the trio, cold mist seething through the gaps in his teeth. His Golden Core stage aura flared unchecked as he slapped all three of them into the wall in a single sweep. "The gall on you three, daring to impersonate examiners here!"
If he had arrived any later, every single recruit would have been chased off!
Lu Yang peeled himself off the wall and hurriedly cried, "Milord, this is an injustice! We only have the demonic cult's best interests at heart!"
The Branch Master laughed out of sheer fury. "Then by all means, explain to me how you have the cult's best interests at heart!"
"Think about it, Milord!" Lu Yang argued. "As cultivators of the demonic path, one should be suspicious, inquisitive, and never trust others easily. Look at these fools! The three of us simply sat down here, and they believed we were examiners without a shred of doubt! Not a single person questioned us!"
"If they fall for tricks this easily, wouldn't they be ridiculously simple for outsiders to deceive? If the righteous path sent someone with half a brain, they could scam these idiots every single time!"
"Besides, only righteous cultivators believe whatever anyone tells them. I even suspect there are righteous spies planted among them! Milord, you must thoroughly investigate their identities. We cannot allow righteous dogs to infiltrate our ranks!"
As he reached this point, Lu Yang cast a suspicious glare over the assembled applicants, his face practically screaming that there was definitely a spy among them.
He spoke with such heartfelt sincerity that he seemed utterly devoted to easing the Branch Master's worries.
The Branch Master's expression softened slightly.
Meng Jingzhou chimed in with even greater earnestness, sounding as though he were speaking straight from the depths of his soul. "Furthermore, demonic cultivators are selfish and look out only for themselves! With so many people turning up for the trial, naturally we had to use every trick in the book to eliminate the competition!"
"They were outmatched and fell for it—who can they blame? They can only blame themselves for lacking experience in deceit!"
The Branch Master's brow smoothed over. *Now that sounds like their honest thoughts.*
Indeed. A demonic cultivator was meant to be lawless, stopping at nothing to achieve their ends. Back when he first joined the cult, he had similarly exhausted every underhanded scheme available, earning the high-ranking leadership's favor and clawing his way to his current position.
These three had pulled off something even bolder than he had back in his youth. The disciples had truly surpassed the master.
Man Gu gave the most down-to-earth pledge of all: "We genuinely want to join the demonic cult! We swear we won't do a single good deed!"
The Branch Master nodded slowly. Perhaps these three really could earn the favor of the higher-ups, raising headquarters' opinion of the Yanjiang Branch up a notch.
The applicants glared daggers at the trio. They were all notorious hooligans, scoundrels, and swindlers in their own right, yet none had ever met anyone as shameless or viciously deceptive as these three!
If not for the Branch Master's presence, they would have swarmed forward and torn the bastards to shreds!
The Branch Master cared nothing for the mob's opinions. What was a pack of mediocre hacks compared to the value of these three gems?
"What are your cultivation levels?"
Lu Yang answered respectfully, "All three of us are at early Foundation Establishment. We brothers hail from outside the commandery. We arrived in Yanjiang Commandery a month ago and happened to hear that the cult was recruiting, so we came to try our luck. Seeing so many competitors, we resorted to this brilliant strategy."
"Well done." The more the Branch Master looked at the three, the more satisfied he felt. Fine seedlings indeed—all of them contributing to his performance metrics.
His casual strike earlier would have injured an ordinary early Foundation Establishment cultivator, yet these three showed not a scratch, proving they were extraordinary even among their peers.
If they performed passably well during the trials, promoting them straight to deacons wouldn't be out of the question.
The candidates Lu Yang had turned away gradually trickled back in, having been rounded up by the Branch Master on his way over.
These rejected applicants harbored even deeper resentment toward Lu Yang than the rest. Lu Yang felt that if he killed them on the spot, their sheer spite might condense directly into vengeful wraiths.
The Branch Master opened the stone wall once more and addressed the crowd. "Everyone, get inside."
Behind the stone wall lay a vast, subterranean expanse where massive boulders floated midair, connected by iron chains in a magnificent display.
Lu Yang's suspicion had been correct: the Yanjiang Branch was housed within a grotto-heaven.
The Branch Master's demeanor toward the trio was noticeably different from how he treated the rest. "Your plan was solid, and trying to crowd out your rivals was commendable. But your premise was flawed from the very beginning. Crowding them out—or even being the only three taking the trial—would not guarantee you'd pass."
"What do you mean?" Lu Yang and his companions asked, puzzled.
Behind his mask, the Branch Master smiled without answering. Leaping across the floating boulders, he led the group to the largest floating platform.
Complex, magnificent formations were etched into the stone floor of the platform, and four ancient stone pillars stood erect in the cardinal directions. Eleven black-robed deacons stood around the perimeter, each attending to their respective duties.
"Spread out, sit down, and relax your minds."
Once everyone complied, the Branch Master walked to the center of the platform, where a jade-green stone hovered, its surface densely carved with mysterious runes.
The Branch Master channeled spiritual energy into the stone. Beneath their feet, the formation activated, spinning outward, replicating, and expanding until it blanketed the entire platform.
Like an ancient beast stirring from slumber, the platform unleashed a primordial, mystic force, sweeping everyone away into an unknown space.
Within a pure white expanse, vague silhouettes stood around, looking completely bewildered, unsure of what had just transpired.
Whenever Lu Yang saw a stark white space, he couldn't help suspecting that a Tofu Heavenly Venerable might leap out of the crowd at any moment.
Looking around, Lu Yang realized neither Meng Jingzhou nor Man Gu was at his side. He was surrounded entirely by strangers.
"Brother, where are you from?" Lu Yang asked with easy familiarity. The man seemed somewhat uncomfortable with such friendliness.
Deciding it would be unwise to remain silent, the man replied, "Huangyue City."
Lu Yang went on to ask several more people and discovered they hailed from different demonic cult branches, all teleported here through massive formations.
Lu Yang roughly understood what the Branch Master had meant. This recruitment was not conducted individually by each branch; it was organized directly by headquarters, a unified trial for rogue demonic cultivators from all over.
*This feels like soul projection, yet not quite,* Lu Yang muttered to himself. He could sense that what the platform had teleported was not their physical bodies, but their consciousness or intent.
*Interesting. I wonder if Eldest Senior Sister can...* Lu Yang reined in his thoughts. If they were in a state of pure thought, the Immortal Cult might have ways to detect what he was thinking.
Caution came first.
Suddenly, the entire space dimmed, and a figure radiating a soft white glow appeared, hovering in midair.
A tranquil voice echoed across the expanse:
"I am the Vice Cult Master of the Immortal Cult. I have prepared three trials for you all. Those who pass all three may enter our cult."
Chapter 67