Chapter 683: The Illusion Test

Ye Lin's bizarre, rambling words left the Master of the Wunian Hall, who was watching from the shadows, deeply shocked.

Although she did not understand the passage, she keenly captured several key terms.

Clansmen!

Immune to Heavenly Tribulation!

"You mean... you use your own blood relatives to take the Heavenly Tribulation brought upon you by your Forbidden Spirit Root?"

The voice of the Wunian Hall Master trembled slightly.

She had heard of such secret arts that could use the blood of close kin to deceive the Heavenly Tribulation.

But she had not expected that someone would actually do it.

"Yes."

Ye Lin produced the Ten Thousand Soul Banner and pulled the people of the Ye family out together.

Their entire Ye family had ascended; this could not be faked.

Swish!

A figure appeared suddenly, and a rich, fragrant scent rushed toward him.

A woman in a black dress appeared before Ye Lin; her brows were like a painting, her skin like congealed fat, and she was breathtakingly beautiful.

A pair of fox-like eyes should have been charming and moving, but at this moment, they carried a faint chill.

"I will teach you a technique; follow my lead."

The Wunian Hall Master formed a strange gesture with her delicate, jade-like fingers and then tapped Ye Lin between the brows.

Ye Lin instantly felt an nameless fire ignite within his body!

He roughly understood the purpose of the technique the Wunian Hall Master was teaching him.

He mimicked the Wunian Hall Master's movements and tapped out with a finger as well, while silently reciting in his heart.

"Forbidden Curse: Joy-Emptiness Dual Practice!"

A strange, warm glow suddenly flushed across the Wunian Hall Master's fair face, and a hint of seductiveness appeared in those fox-like eyes.

But this abnormality was quickly suppressed by her.

"What a formidable talent!"

The Wunian Hall Master could not help but exclaim; she had sealed away her emotions and desires for many years, yet just now, she had actually felt a stir of worldly desire!

At this moment, she was convinced that even if Ye Lin did not possess a Forbidden Innate Spirit Root, his talent was certainly peerless.

"With such great talent, why not join a righteous sect instead of my Joyous Union Sect? With your aptitude, joining an Imperial Immortal Sect shouldn't be difficult, right?" the Wunian Hall Master asked in a deep voice.

Ye Lin revealed a bitter smile, one that contained an indescribable, sorrowful quality.

Then, he covered his face and began to laugh wildly with extreme pain.

"Ha-ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

"How would you know, Hall Master, that I haven't joined a major sect before? Do you know of the Ancient Hall of Heavenly Secrets?"

The Wunian Hall Master nodded.

The Ancient Hall of Heavenly Secrets was a proper Imperial Immortal Sect; although it was not in the Eastern Profound region, she had naturally heard of it.

"Actually... I was once an outer disciple of the Ancient Hall of Heavenly Secrets."

"At the time, I went down the mountain to retrieve spiritual herbs for the sect, but I was ambushed by experts from a rival sect, and my dantian was shattered, leaving me a cripple."

"I was loyal to the Ancient Hall of Heavenly Secrets, but they treated my sincerity like dirt and expelled me from the sect!"

"In total despair, I jumped off a cliff, wanting to end my miserable life. Fortunately, heaven never closes all doors; after falling, I ate an unknown heavenly treasure, and my dantian was completely restored!"

"For the rest of my life, I have only one goal: to take revenge on the Ancient Hall of Heavenly Secrets!"

Ye Lin's eyes were bloodshot, and he panted like an ox, as if he had truly suffered a great injustice.

The Wunian Hall Master remained silent.

Although Ye Lin's excuse was well-crafted, she still felt something was not quite right.

She flipped her fair hand, and a crystal-clear little insect appeared in her palm.

The moment this little insect appeared, the Wunian Hall Master's aura became noticeably chaotic.

"This is my life-bound Love Gu. If you are truly sincere about joining my Wunian Hall, this Gu will assist your cultivation. If you harbor evil intentions..."

Before the Wunian Hall Master could finish, Ye Lin snatched the Gu from her hand and swallowed it.

The speed of his action made the Wunian Hall Master pause in surprise.

"Don't you want to ask about the consequences of betrayal?"

"No need to ask, because I am a person of the Wunian Hall in life and a ghost of the Wunian Hall in death. I can swear a Dao oath: if I have spoken a single lie, may I be struck by the five heavenly thunders, never to find peace!"

Without another word, Ye Lin immediately swore a Dao oath.

The way the Wunian Hall Master looked at him softened significantly.

Someone who could use their own blood relatives to block a tribulation must have a heart as hard as iron, which clearly fit the philosophy of their Wunian Hall.

Coupled with that heaven-defying talent, it seemed their Wunian Hall had truly found a good seedling this time!

"Then, there is only one last step left."

A strange fluctuation emerged from the Wunian Hall Master's body.

"This Hall Master wants to see if you are truly a person of the Demonic Path!"

Her jade-white finger tapped Ye Lin's brow. Ye Lin felt the world spin before his eyes; he seemed to guess what was happening and couldn't help but twitch his lips.

"Why is it an illusion test again..."

Ye Lin's memories were quickly sealed. When he woke up again, he was wearing blood-stained armor and appeared on a battlefield.

A soldier-like man rushed toward him quickly.

"General! I fear this city cannot be held; please, you must leave quickly!"

Ye Lin felt a pain in his head as a large segment of memory flooded his mind.

The current Ye Lin was a Great General responsible for guarding the border.

A month ago, the enemy nation invaded and began a massive siege.

He had defended it desperately for a month, but he had waited in vain for reinforcements; the imperial court had abandoned them!

Now, the city was out of ammunition and food, most of the garrison was dead or wounded, the food was almost entirely consumed, and the soldiers were all exhausted and starving.

More critically, due to the high number of casualties, a plague had broken out from the corpses piled up in the city.

Ye Lin's status as a cultivator had been sealed, and at this moment, he truly believed he was a city-defending general who loved his soldiers like his own children.

After organizing the memories in his mind, Ye Lin's expression became extremely grave.

Judging by the current situation, this city was definitely impossible to hold.

Their remaining garrison was less than twenty thousand, while outside the city, there were thirty thousand enemy troops!

Once the city fell, a massacre was inevitable.

"General! Please leave! It doesn't matter if we die, as long as you are still alive, there is still hope!"

The soldier knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly!

Outside the illusion, the Wunian Hall Master and Elder Xi were observing the situation within.

Other elders of the Joyous Union Sect, hearing the news that the Wunian Hall had recruited someone with an Innate Spirit Root, had also rushed over.

"Hall Master, you had him enter this illusion to test his character?" Elder Xi asked.

"Correct."

The Wunian Hall Master nodded.

"In this situation, there is clearly no hope of victory."

"We often pride ourselves on being of the Demonic Path, but... what exactly is the Demonic Path?"

"There is a saying that as the Dao rises one foot, the demon rises ten. The so-called Demonic Path does not actually refer to our techniques, but to our thoughts and actions!"

"The true Demonic Path should be selfish, putting one's own interests first, stopping at nothing to achieve one's goals, and not being constrained by external things like reputation, dignity, or face."

"If this Ye Xiehong decides to stay in the city and die righteously with these soldiers, it means he is not suited for the Demonic Path; it would be better to refine him into a cauldron."

"As the saying goes, 'as long as the green hills remain, one need not worry about firewood.' The true Demonic Path should be decisive, abandoning the city and fleeing without hesitation!"