"Fellow Daoist, who might you be? Why have you drawn us into this place?"
"Senior, I, Sun Jianhua, would like to become your apprentice, serving you for life!"
"Senior, we are people of Master Qingxu, tasked with mining under his orders! We ask that you let us go for the sake of Master Qingxu..."
...
For a moment, everyone spoke out, each with different thoughts, some even directly kneeling to seek apprenticeship.
Li Jizhou, however, felt as if he had fallen into an icy abyss.
His many secrets must never be revealed.
And now, things were beyond his control.
This feeling of helplessness, he really did not want to experience again.
He was filled with regret at this moment.
If he had known earlier that there were other uncontrollable factors beneath the Thunder Spirit Crystal Ore, no matter the temptation, he would never have entertained any thought.
He even secretly swore that if he could leave alive today, he would never again look at any opportunity, relic, or secret realm, no matter how tempting!
This life requires no opportunity, no striving for advantage, just to live steadily one more day at a time!
"Silence!" At this time, the man spoke again while scanning the surroundings.
"I am Xu Jiuge, Law Enforcement Elder of Thunder Flame Sect, acting on behalf of my brothers to oversee the recruitment of disciples today, next..."
Before the man could finish, someone in the crowd below exclaimed in astonishment, "What? You're the Law Enforcement Elder of Thunder Flame Sect? How is this possible? You..."
"Pfft~"
The person who interrupted Xu Jiuge's speech could no longer speak the next moment.
Because Xu Jiuge merely glanced at him, and his flying sword shot past instantly.
When the sword returned to Xu Jiuge's side, the man's head was still spinning in the air, yet to land, and the blood gushing skyward had not ceased its path.
"Ah!" Someone beside the headless corpse screamed.
"Pfft~" The Thunder Sword moved again.
Another head soared into the sky.
...
Then all mouths were shut.
Xu Jiuge's expression turned hideous and violent!
"I clearly said silence, silence! Why won't you listen? Why won't you listen?"
"Since I took on the role of Law Enforcement Elder, my brothers have criticized, saying I am too kind-hearted, saying my law isn't strict, orders aren't followed, saying I indulge disciples, break sect rules... I have been too merciful to you all, my brothers were right, I have been wrong before, I need to change, I will change!"
Xu Jiuge's sudden madness shocked everyone.
Especially as those two vibrant lives vanished before their eyes,
those who had just sought opportunities and protection were trembling, slowly retreating, fear written on their faces.
"Brother Yu, who exactly is he? Where is this place anyway? I'm scared!" Yutong tightly clutched the young man's arm, her whole body shaking.
The young man hurriedly covered her mouth, looking anxiously at several people around him.
"Fellow Daoists, are we really left here to die? What exactly is this situation?" The young man was also panicked, urgently transmitting a message to those nearby.
"Although I spent a lifetime stuck at Qi Cultivation Third Level, I have seen much, yet the current situation is unheard of, endlessly bizarre!" The oldest practitioner was also anxiously transmitting.
"Is Xu Jiuge really Thunder Flame Sect's elder? Wasn't the Thunder Flame Sect destroyed eight hundred years ago? Why is he still alive?"
"Everyone, I've once read information about Thunder Flame Sect and can confirm one point, Xu Jiuge is indeed Thunder Flame Sect's Law Enforcement Elder!
Back when Thunder Flame Sect was destroyed, Xu Jiuge was Thunder Flame Sect's youngest elder, known as Thunder Flame Sect's greatest genius with a Celestial Spirit Root, achieving Foundation Establishment at thirty, Golden Core at eighty."
"Then he... he's really alive? Even Golden Core has but a five-hundred-year lifespan, could he have advanced to Nascent Soul?"
"What in the world happened eight hundred years ago? Didn't Daoist Venerable Mo Li destroy Thunder Flame Sect?"
...
Everyone grew more anxious the more they thought.
Yet, as everyone panicked,
Li Jizhou, who had witnessed the two heads rising into the air and the spraying blood, gradually calmed down,
indeed, his previously chaotic thoughts disappeared.
Because he had somewhat grasped the situation!
"This is the mystical realm of sinister path!"
Through randomly entering here, followed by the fact that this place turned out to be the ancestral land of Thunder Flame Sect wiped out eight hundred years ago, and even Xu Jiuge's appearance, he was not completely sure.
However, seeing Xu Jiuge's actions and soliloquy just now.
He finally formed a judgment.
The so-called sinister path mystical realm was something he had coincidentally heard about from an elder in a previous life.
It was said that when many people died at a place at once, their lingering obsessions formed into divine thoughts over time.
Divine thoughts carry obsessions from past lives, immortal and unextinct.
If a large number of divine thoughts gather, and there is a Spirit Vein supplying Spiritual Qi, it would form a sinister path mystical realm.
Divine thoughts, nourished by the Spirit Vein and formless and intangible, are stronger than in life, especially the bizarre laws they spawn, which cannot be understood through normal reasoning.
However, the good part is that divine thoughts cannot be defeated through force but can be outwitted.
The sinister path mystical realm mainly operates through the bizarre laws; each divine thought within has its own obsessive law.
As long as one discerns the bizarre laws and goes with the flow, all will be well!
Just now Xu Jiuge's law was clear—the enforcement of orders and prohibitions, his obsession in life.
"Whew~" Li Jizhou let out a long breath.
Then, he glanced at the surrounding people and transmitted a message, cloaking it, "Fellow Daoists, do not defy senior's laws; follow his intent, there might be a chance of life!"
The bizarre laws sound simple, but some laws might not be clear at a glance, so it's best to have more cannon fodder to increase survival chances.
Those around, hearing Li Jizhou's transmission, couldn't identify who it was, but were quickly reminded by the message.
Those who managed to remain and observe the changes were cautious people, and after Li Jizhou's transmitted reminder, quickly pieced the events together; although still unsure of the situation, they had an idea.
One must not defy Xu Jiuge's laws!
"Finally, silence! Next, I will conduct the entry evaluation for you.
In our cultivation practice, talent, disposition, and fortune are all indispensable. You have already demonstrated talent by entering the Thunder Flame Sect plaza.
However, talent alone is far from sufficient.
Talent determines the lower limit, disposition determines the upper limit, and in my view, disposition surpasses talent in importance.
Thus, I will focus the evaluation on your disposition."
"What constitutes the disposition in cultivation? Calmness, perseverance, original intention!"
"The cultivation realm is ever-changing, with prodigies emerging, monsters abound. Today you hear of one obtaining an opportunity, tomorrow you witness another forming a Golden Core. Hearts increasingly restless, dreaming of Nascent Soul's majesty before even Qi Cultivation, unable to calm down.
Furthermore, cultivation is fraught with difficulty, seeking the Great Way requires enduring a thousand hardships and overcoming ten thousand trials, which is the norm. If each setback leads to discouragement and easy abandonment, one ought to leave early.
Finally, you must remember your original intention, why you embarked on cultivation—For status? Riches? Unhindered freedom? Or to witness the Dao and experience eternal life?"