Chapter 574: Integrity Assessment, Start With Me

Beneath Lingshan.

Near the venue for the second round of the “Immortal Sect Special Recruitment.”

Rows of semicircular white chambers were neatly arranged, their surfaces marked with winding pale blue lines that flickered dimly.

The line patterns on each chamber differed, yet they shared a strange connection with one another.

In the flickering light and shadow, the lines resonated, forming a peculiar linkage.

This was the finest cultivation zone in the Yuling Star System, equipped with a large-scale Spirit Gathering Array, and each chamber had an independent spiritual energy regulation system.

It could adjust the concentration of spiritual energy and tailor it to specific elemental affinities according to the user’s needs.

Of course, the better the effect, the higher the cost.

But…

Since any cultivator who passed the preliminary screening could later claim reimbursement from the Immortal Sect after the “Immortal Sect Special Recruitment,” many came to use these chambers.

At this moment, in Chamber No. 97.

Calm spiritual energy flowed gently, faintly forming a vortex.

At the very center of the vortex, a girl sat quietly, her appearance unremarkable—the kind you’d overlook in a crowd.

Deng Xuan.

Her realm was also Qi Refining Ninth Layer, and she had already completed the first stage of the Gathering Method: “Gathering Starlight.”

She ranked second in the first round of the “Immortal Sect Special Recruitment” on Yuyao Star.

She was also one of the lucky few who received the small gift from Xu Xing.

“Should I start the second stage…?” Deng Xuan was deeply conflicted.

A year ago, during a biological weapon attack, she accidentally gained a stroke of fortune—

The “Dharma Evolution: Passage Through Illusory Catastrophe.”

It was a highly potent scripture, its accompanying divine ability equally mysterious.

After mastering the first layer, her spiritual power quality surpassed that of ordinary cultivators, allowing her to anticipate opponents’ moves in battle, and she gained a remarkably strange ability.

Dharma Evolution: Foreseeing the Auspicious or Inauspicious of Future Events!

It was thanks to this ability that she amassed a vast amount of resources during the upheaval on Yuyao Star.

Her realm successfully reached Qi Refining Ninth Layer, and she completed the first stage of the Gathering Method.

Now she could begin the second stage of the Gathering Method anytime—but…

It was excruciatingly painful!

The sensation of being sliced repeatedly by tiny knives, every part of her body torn apart, had left her with deep psychological trauma.

Sss~

Perhaps recalling the pain of her earlier Gathering Method training, Deng Xuan shivered involuntarily.

Forget it!

I’ll delay it by one more day—start the second stage tomorrow.

For now…

I’ll just check the auspiciousness of my second-round selection.

During the first round, she had grown overconfident due to her stroke of fortune, convinced no one on Yuyao Star progressed faster than she did.

She also considered herself above others, thinking it unfair to use her scripture’s predictive ability against fellow candidates.

As a result, in the “Fasan Pass” combat trial, she was instantly slain by the top-ranked candidate…

Instantly slain!

(ーー゛)

And the third-place candidate wasn’t easy either—if his foundation score in the “Dao San Guan” test hadn’t been poor, he might have ranked above her.

In summary, it’s best to calmly define the scope, check the auspiciousness, then make a plan.

“Huh~”

With a soft exhale, Deng Xuan slowly closed her eyes.

The “Dharma Evolution: Passage Through Illusory Catastrophe” activated spontaneously; her spiritual sea shimmered brightly, spiritual power surging like a river.

Hum~

A low hum sounded in her ears.

Though her eyes were closed, Deng Xuan saw with perfect clarity wisps of cloud rising, intertwining into an unusual cloud-bound book.

After all, the “Dharma Evolution: Passage Through Illusory Catastrophe” drew inspiration from He Yun’s “Great Dharma of Infinite Realms” from the Tai Ping Realm, so she’d simply borrowed its “intro animation” too.

Deng Xuan remained calm, silently focusing on the date and specific event she wished to foretell.

Her spirit tensely watched the slowly unfolding cloud book.

Based on past experience, the result would soon appear on its surface, allowing her to prepare accordingly…

The cloud book fully unfurled; golden characters appeared one by one on its pristine surface.

But when she read the text, she froze.

The golden characters on the cloud book were not what she expected—they were—

【Integrity Assessment, Start With Me】

Huh?!!!!

No way!

What the hell is this?!

…

…

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

Gu Wangjun had returned from buying talisman paper and now stood before a table.

In one hand he held a purple jade red-hair brush, its tip saturated with blood-red spiritual ink, tracing intricate talismanic script onto the paper laid before him.

Spiritual power flowed gently and smoothly, mingling with the ink as it settled onto the talisman paper.

Clearly, he had already achieved some proficiency in talisman arts.

In under five seconds, Gu Wangjun lifted the brush.

The talisman paper shimmered with spiritual light; the previously damp ink had dried instantly.

He set down the brush, picked up the completed talisman, examined it carefully, confirmed there were no flaws, and placed it beside him.

Beside him, a transparent box designed for storing talismans already held a small stack—roughly forty to fifty sheets.

“The most crucial aspect of cultivating the ‘String Sword Talisman Scripture’ is finding the balance between ‘talisman’ and ‘sword’…”

The voice came from behind the talisman paper.

It was a projection screen, showing someone explaining the essentials of the “Talisman-Sword” lineage. Gu Wangjun had just crafted dozens of talismans and was about to rest and recover some spiritual power.

So he pulled up a chair, tidied the talisman tools and paper on the table, and continued watching the screen.

“Talisman-Sword…”

Wasn’t this exactly what Leng Rou said suited him—the “Talisman-Sword” lineage of the Taishang Dao Sect?

So he’d searched for some courses, hoping to get a basic understanding first.

Two minutes later…

【Your trial period has ended. Purchase to view subsequent content.】

The free courses only offered concepts and theories—no practical content.

So he had to rely on these paid courses.

Of course!

He only watched the first three minutes of the trial.

After all, he could always ask Leng Rou about this later—why waste money?

Besides, Gu Wangjun didn’t believe these instructors matched Leng Rou’s level.

Leng Rou was a fully perfected Void Return cultivator!

Thinking this, he waved his hand and switched to the next course.

“Today we’ll discuss the cultivation of the ‘Classic Talisman Sword Scripture.’ Actually, this scripture is merely a foundational text used by the ‘Talisman-Sword’ lineage—it’s not hard to learn. If you have some sword foundation, you’ll typically master it in about two days…”

The voice had been processed, sounding unremarkable—but…

“Isn’t the ‘Classic Talisman Sword Scripture’ one of the hardest foundational scriptures in the ‘Talisman-Sword’ lineage?”

Two days?

“Correct. It is indeed the hardest.”

A soft voice suddenly echoed behind him, a cold wind howling—startling Gu Wangjun.

“Holy shit!”

He spun around and saw Leng Rou standing right behind him, eyes fixed on the projection screen.

“Didn’t you say you were resting today and wouldn’t come out?”

“I heard someone lying and boasting—I had to come see for myself.”

“Huh?”

Gu Wangjun blinked.

Someone lying and boasting?

He recalled his own words from earlier, found nothing amiss, and turned to the projection screen playing the “Classic Talisman Sword Scripture” cultivation insights.

"You mean the one giving the lecture?"

"Mm." Leng Rou kept her eyes fixed on the screen.

Master the Classic Scripture Sword Text in two days?

You’re just blowing smoke here!

How much have you drunk to dare talk like this!

Back then, she spent over half a month just to barely get started!

Even then, that was among the fastest in the history of the Talented Sword lineage.

"I’ll buy it and listen—let me see how he’s blowing wind!" Leng Rou sneered.

She had decided!

After listening to the entire course, I’ll ask questions in the private message section.

If the course creator can’t answer, I’ll report him for false advertising!

Buy it…

Gu Wangjun glanced at the price and hesitated.

The Classic Scripture Sword Text was available on the Spirit Net—it was used by the Talented Sword lineage to screen disciples—but he had never bought it…

The hesitation lasted only an instant; Gu Wangjun began payment.

Since they met, Leng Rou had never asked him for anything—now, she finally spoke up.

If I refuse this, I’ll be ungrateful.

After the screen displayed the text 【Purchase Successful】, the voice continued.

But the screen remained pitch black—no extra visuals, only the subtitles at the bottom…

This course is made too crudely.

Gu Wangjun’s eyebrow twitched, yet he still listened intently.

After all, I paid for this—I can’t waste it.

Yet as he listened, his confusion deepened.

He understood every single word, but why did they sound like divine scripture when combined?

It felt like one moment you were teaching one plus one, and the next you were asking him to build a starship…

After only a third of the lecture, Gu Wangjun understood nothing—he could only stare blankly at the wall behind the semi-transparent screen.

Finally, when the lecture reached the halfway point, he couldn’t help glancing back at Leng Rou.

He found her expression serious, her eyes no longer filled with disdain—instead, they held a touch of surprise…

"Just how good is this person?"

"…" Leng Rou paused, snapping back to awareness. "He’s got some skill."

Her gaze never left the screen as she spoke.

"Though the video itself has elements of false advertising, this man’s insights are truly extraordinary—he must be a very powerful cultivator."

Some skill, extraordinary insights, very powerful…?

Could he really be that amazing?

"Buy a copy of the Classic Scripture Sword Text and practice it yourself. Listen to it often in your spare time—it’ll help you."

Gu Wangjun: "…"

Didn’t you just say the author was lying and blowing wind?

How can you change your mind so fast! (End of Chapter)