Chapter 68: The Correct Way to Clear the Trial

A tremor of excitement rippled through the crowd, for none had anticipated that the Immortal Sect would attach such profound gravity to this introductory trial that even the Vice Sect Master would grace them with his presence.

The vice sect masters of the Four Great Demonic Sects were figures of supreme renown across the length and breadth of the Central Continent, individuals whom ordinary men could scarcely hope to glimpse in a lifetime.

Lu Yang, however, remained largely unmoved; to his mind, the man occupied a rank no higher than an elder of the Seeking Dao Sect, a class of cultivator he had encountered more than once.

"Your present states are but mere projections of your consciousness, whilst your physical vessels remain where they were. Once the formal trial commences, your cultivation bases and memories shall vanish entirely, ensuring that every soul begins from the very same line."

The Sect Master placed immense stock in this trial, for what mattered most in this grand era of contention if not talent, supreme and untamed?

If they could secure individuals blessed with Single Spiritual Roots, innate Heavenly Celestial Physiques, or innate Heavenly Demonic Seeds, they would finally possess the leverage needed to match the righteous orthodox sects stride for stride!

To this end, he had tasked the Vice Sect Master with meticulously forging three distinct trials, designed to sift the chaff and uncover true genius.

To prevent any manner of deceit, a secret sect art was deployed on this day to strip the aspirants of their cultivation and recollections, thereby laying bare their authentic capabilities.

"The first trial now begins; the criterion for passage is the absolute defeat of the army of the State of Liang."

No sooner had the Vice Sect Master spoken these words than the world spun violently before the eyes of the gathered throng, leaving them utterly disoriented, and by the time clarity returned, their minds were entirely washed clean of the past.

"Where am I?" Mangu muttered as awareness returned to him, his head still swimming in a daze.

His hair was disheveled, his face begrimed with dirt, a broken sword gripped tightly in his hand, while his armor was thoroughly drenched in grime and blood.

Mangu took two faltering steps, nearly collapsing to the earth, before a personal guard rushed forward to support him: "General, you must mount your horse at once! This is no time for stubborn pride; the forces of Liang are fast closing in upon us!"

As they fled on horseback, memories pertaining to the nature of this trial gradually flooded back into Mangu's mind.

"In this realm lie two nations, Liang and Jin, locked in a bitter, ancestral feud, each desperate to vanquish the other. Jin is the weaker of the two, and I am currently a general of Jin, commanding the entirety of its forces."

"In this latest clash, I was careless and fell into the enemy's treacherous snare; I must master my resolve, rally my forces, and march again to crush the State of Liang!"

Mangu had forgotten that this was merely an illusionary trial; he remembered only that he was the ever-victorious general of Jin, bound by sacred duty to defeat Liang and shield his homeland.

Alongside these background memories, vast stores of tactical experience rushed into his consciousness, transforming Mangu completely into a seasoned commander of the Jin state.

Regrettably, though Mangu was rich in experience, the opposing generals of Liang were no less adept, and in the engagements that followed, Mangu suffered defeat after crushing defeat.

Mangu commanded immense prestige within the ranks, and his soldiers trusted him implicitly, believing that this adversity was but a passing shadow and that General Mangu would surely lead them to ultimate triumph.

Yet, Mangu failed yet again; he was honest and steadfast by nature, and though his tactical knowledge was genuine, he struggled to adapt it to the fluid realities of the battlefield, consistently falling prey to the ruses of the Liang commanders.

"Pant... pant... pant..." Mangu fled ignominiously into the dark recesses of a cavern, this latest rout a total disaster that left him stripped of his armor and weapons—the absolute crowning shame of his existence.

Outside, a dismal wind howled and a bitter rain fell, a perfect mirror to the desolation consuming his soul.

Mangu thought of the unwavering trust his soldiers placed in him, and of the shattering blows dealt by successive defeats; looking down at the notched, ruined blade in his hands, he felt a desperate urge to slit his own throat.

To die would end it all; what did failure or the fate of Jin matter to a corpse?

Suddenly, a strange spider caught his attention.

It was a creature of peculiar aspect, the likes of which Mangu had never before beheld.

The spider was spinning a web, but the fierce wind and rain driving into the mouth of the cave tore the silk apart time and again.

With every rupture of its web, the spider simply began anew, weaving its threads without a single trace of discouragement.

Watching the spider fail time after time, only to try time after time, Mangu felt a profound sense of kinship; how desperately the creature resembled himself!

"You shall succeed!" Mangu murmured, staring intently at the spider as a glimmer of hope rekindled in his eyes.

If a mere arachnid could possess such fortitude, was he, a man, to prove inferior in willpower to a beast?

At long last, after countless failures, the spider successfully completed its web.

Mangu leapt to his feet, his fighting spirit blazing anew; if the spider could triumph, so too could he!

A fierce fire roared to life within Mangu's breast, and he vowed to reform his ranks and launch a devastating counteroffensive against Liang!

"Hmm?"

Mangu chanced to glance back at the spider, intending to offer silent gratitude for its silent encouragement, when a praying mantis suddenly lunged from the shadows and snuffed out the spider's life.

Mangu’s first impulse was to crush the mantis beneath his heel in righteous fury, but he paused, realizing how closely the spider's fate mirrored his own potential future—growing complacent upon success, blind to the perils lurking in the dark.

He fell into deep contemplation: "Indeed, while perseverance is vital, strategy is no less crucial. To strike when the enemy relaxes their guard yields the greatest element of surprise!"

Ultimately, Mangu used small-scale victories to lull the State of Liang into a false sense of security before unleashing his hidden reserves, shattering the main force of the Liang army in a single decisive blow to claim total victory.

Mangu had passed the trial.

Deep within the headquarters of the Immortal Sect, a placid sheet of water mirrored the actions of all participants in the first trial, while the Vice Sect Master observed their performances, rendering his assessments.

"Well? Are there any promising prospects?" The fabric of space warped, and the Sect Master materialized. "This first trial of yours is no easy feat; in the face of relentless defeat, one must not only glean the virtue of persistence from the spider, but also grasp the wisdom of striking the unwary from the mantis."

The Vice Sect Master shook his head: "It must be so. The righteous sects oppress us, and our demonic brotherhood has suffered successive setbacks, to the point where some within our ranks wish to beat a retreat. Our plight is remarkably similar to that of the State of Jin; through this test, I intend to select disciples of iron clad will, to nurture them into pillars capable of defying the orthodox path!"

"To oppose the righteous path requires more than mere willpower; it demands cunning. If one cannot learn from both the spider and the mantis simultaneously, how can one ever hope to grasp victory?"

The Sect Master nodded in approval: "Quite so. You speak with great insight, which is precisely why I entrusted you with organizing this selection. The exceptional disciples chosen through this trial must be cultivated with the utmost priority; they are the bedrock of our future resistance against the righteous path!"

The Vice Sect Master pointed toward one of the shimmering images on the water: "I favor this one named Mangu. His method of passing the trial perfectly aligns with my intentions; this youth is destined for greatness!"

The Sect Master cast his gaze upon Mangu, finding the boy rather agreeable to the eye, and remarked: "Then let us see how the others fare."

The Sect Master and his deputy stood side by side, watching the reflections for a time, before the Sect Master suddenly inquired: "Tell me, do you think it possible that there exists another method to pass this trial?"

The Vice Sect Master rejected the notion instantly, his tone absolutely unwavering: "Utterly impossible!"

"This first trial is a fragment of history that I personally severed from the annals of time. The conflict between Liang and Jin occurred during a chaotic era ten thousand years ago, a time when cultivators were far scarcer than they are today, and neither state possessed more than a handful of them. I merely adapted the scenario upon that historical foundation to ensure the highest degree of authenticity."

To extract such a fragment from the river of history, the Immortal Sect had expended a vast fortune in resources, a cost that still pained the Vice Sect Master's heart.

"The general of Jin in actual history achieved his enlightenment within that very cave, subsequently crushing the Liang army!"

"That itself was a miracle born of necessity; I simply refuse to believe any alternative path exists!"

The Sect Master nodded; he shared the sentiment, having posed the question merely to dispel the awkward silence and find a topic for conversation.

And then, their eyes fell upon the methods employed by Meng Jingzhou and Lu Yang to pass the trial.