Half a month passed, and the hundred-woman group had sharply decreased in number. By now, barely half remained. The most ambitious “Become the Ancestral Master’s Concubine” faction had dwindled to just a few members. The Sect Leader’s faction—”Become the Ancestral Master’s Disciple, Win Him Over, and Take Him Down When Possible” group—still had over a dozen people bravely fighting on. The largest faction was the “I’m Here to Serve the Ancestral Master But Have No Idea What I’m Doing So I’ll Just Pass the Days in Confusion” group, which still had thirty people huddled together in constant fear.
Those who had died from the first two factions were mostly people who had actively delivered themselves to death by being too proactive. Another portion had inadvertently triggered some death conditions and was eliminated by the Ancestral Master, who wandered around daily. The entire Three Saints Mountain had become like a large-scale survival horror scene—a homicidal maniac against a hundred people.
The fifty people who remained now, watching those around them continuously decrease, faced with the immense threat of death, all appeared somewhat haggard and frightened. None of them knew when or where they might encounter the bloodthirsty Ancestral Master, who was like a demon and die at his hands.
They couldn’t utilize spiritual power here, couldn’t even protect themselves, and they were facing the Ancestral Master. Even if they had spiritual power, they would still be like ants before him—which only added to their psychological pressure.
Sima Jiao was extremely sensitive to human emotions. Fear, disgust, jealousy, greed… all these negative emotions, he could easily perceive. Add to that the Si Ma clan’s unique ability—the Oath of Truth—and almost everyone was transparent before him.
“I dare not go see the Ancestral Master. Master-Aunt, please spare me!”
Mu Ni Sheng, as the person who had initially stepped forward to lead everyone, now wore an ugly expression as she addressed the woman kneeling before her, crying and wailing: “What are you saying? Wasn’t it you who originally begged to come serve the Ancestral Master?”
The woman’s face was filled with regret: “I don’t want to anymore, Master-Aunt. I’m scared. Has the Ancestral Master fallen into demonic cultivation? Otherwise, why would he slaughter disciples from our sect? If he can kill several Master Aunts and Master Sisters, he’ll kill me too!”
She had personally witnessed her two senior sisters, who had tried to secretly escape from Three Saints Mountain, explode into sprays of blood on that broad, clean jade platform. Who else could do such a thing here but the Ancestral Master? He had killed casually before; it must have been him. Such a cruel Ancestral Master was not at all what she had imagined.
Seeing the fear in her eyes, Mu Ni Sheng darkened her face and waved her sleeve: “If you’re afraid, then don’t follow me anymore. I said from the beginning that I came for the Ancestral Master. As long as he doesn’t accept me, I won’t give up for a single day. You cowardly lot can’t even endure this small test—how could you be worthy of catching the Ancestral Master’s eye!”
Mu Ni Sheng was a descendant of the Sect Leader’s lineage and knew more than others. Because of her innate intelligence, Mu Ni Sheng had grown up under the Sect Leader’s guidance since childhood, receiving his teachings. Thus, she often saw the Sect Leader gazing toward Three Saints Mountain with worried eyes. From the moment she was born, she knew there was an Ancestral Master in Three Saints Mountain whose existence was tied to the survival of Gengchen Immortal Mansion for tens of thousands of years. And she had been specifically raised by the Sect Leader for this Ancestral Master.
The Sect Leader hoped that one day she could become the Ancestral Master’s disciple, or if not his disciple, at least serve by his side.
“If you can gain the Ancestral Master’s regard, you can save Gengchen Immortal Mansion. If not, I fear our Gengchen Immortal Mansion will perish at his hands,” the Sect Leader had once told her.
From the Sect Leader’s words, Mu Ni Sheng learned about the Feng Mountain clan’s bloodline of Compassionate Repository Ancestral Master, knew of his forbidden birth, knew of the tragedy he had once caused and knew of his temperament. She was confident that she understood the Ancestral Master better than anyone else here.
In her view, she had indeed received special treatment from the Ancestral Master. During these days, the Ancestral Master often personally killed people, even eliminating Yun Xi Yue, her biggest rival, yet she was still alive and well. Every day, she would go to the central tower and wait for the Ancestral Master before that door that no longer opened.
She had encountered the Ancestral Master several times, but she didn’t rush to curry favor. Instead, she tried to move him with her sincerity, wanting him to see her genuine intentions.
The Sect Leader had once said that before this Ancestral Master, attempting to hide oneself was useless. She could only expose her thoughts to him in the most devout and humble state. Mu Ni Sheng had done exactly that, and she found that the Ancestral Master was not as bloodthirsty as others imagined. He wouldn’t kill arbitrarily; if he wanted to kill someone, that person must have done something. And she, without those ulterior motives, had never been harmed by the Ancestral Master even when he saw her kneeling at the tower base. He simply liked to ignore everything.
Mu Ni Sheng became increasingly convinced of her thinking. She only needed to persevere, and eventually, the Ancestral Master would be moved by her.
Those who had originally persisted with her now refused to continue going to the base of the central tower daily to wait, only because whenever the Ancestral Master saw them, he seemed extremely impatient and occasionally would kill one or two people. Under these circumstances, who would dare to go again? Only Mu Ni Sheng persisted day after day.
On this day, she came to the base of the central tower as usual, kneeling with a straight back before that tightly closed door.
Liao Tingyan arrived at the central tower with the dejected air of a corporate slave on Monday, only to see their group’s big boss class monitor kneeling there, occasionally calling out: “This disciple has come to serve the Ancestral Master. Please accept this disciple, Ancestral Master.”
Liao Tingyan: “…” What a brave warrior. She would rather hide far away to enjoy her vacation, yet this boss requested to face that unpredictable ancestor. What extraordinary psychological resilience—no wonder she could be the leading boss. This level of ideological awareness was truly impressive.
If only they could switch places, letting her go serve that ancestor instead.
However, she could only think about it; this wasn’t something she could decide. If the Ancestral Master told her to come, she had to come even if it meant death. The world was probably just that messed up—what you want, you can’t get; what you don’t seek, comes to you.
Her footsteps attracted the boss’s attention. The boss turned to look at her, and her originally sincere, fiery gaze turned cold and disdainful.
“You’re still not dead.”
Liao Tingyan had initially wanted to greet her but changed her mind. These people were inexplicable—they all said this sentence when they saw her. Death? Not happening. She could continue to lie low for another day.
Seeing her walk straight toward the central tower’s main door, Mu Ni Sheng’s eyes revealed some surprise, followed by mockery. Even if this person had managed to survive until now, today she would likely die at the tower’s base. She didn’t stop Liao Tingyan, just coldly waited to see how she would die.
Recently, all who rashly approached the central tower had died. The only one who could remain safely at such a close distance was herself. Mu Ni Sheng felt somewhat proud.
Liao Tingyan walked step by step to the main door, feeling slightly awkward. Although the Ancestral Master had told her to report for duty, he hadn’t given her an access card, and now she couldn’t get past the security door.
She considered what might happen if she turned back now to sleep, but still raised her hand to knock on the door.
Behind her came Mu Ni Sheng’s sneer. Would the central tower where the Ancestral Master resided open for just anyone who knocked?
The door opened.
Watching Liao Tingyan calmly enter through that door, the haughty, disdainful smile on Mu Ni Sheng’s face instantly froze.
What was happening? Did she go in? Was that door one that would open with just a knock? Hadn’t it stopped opening freely since Yun Xi Yue went to see the Ancestral Master and angered him? Why could that junior disciple enter?
Mu Ni Sheng thought of those who died upon approaching, then thought of Liao Tingyan who had just entered right under her nose, and her eyes nearly popped out. She abruptly stood up and rushed forward.
Having thought herself special, only to suddenly have that belief shattered, how could she accept it? She immediately wanted to follow and see what tricks Liao Tingyan was up to.
Just as she stepped through the central tower’s door, her mouth suddenly emitted a miserable scream, and she exploded into a mist of blood.
Click.
Liao Tingyan turned her head with a chill running down her spine. Had that been the girl outside screaming just now? But the door had already closed, and she couldn’t see outside.
The ghostlike, expressionless Ancestral Master stood on the stairs. Seeing Liao Tingyan’s expression, he smiled faintly: “The person outside is dead.”
“Do you know why I killed her?” He turned and walked up the stairs. Liao Tingyan could only swallow hard and force herself to follow.
“Most of the others I killed had greedy, ambitious, foolish thoughts in their hearts. They looked offensive, so I killed them. But not the one just now—she had nothing… A puppet deliberately cultivated naturally has nothing. Compared to the greed that can be seen at a glance, I despise even more this kind of puppet that has lost its mind and soul. I couldn’t even muster the interest to kill her, but she was too noisy, which annoyed me somewhat.”
He seemed to have found some interest in telling Liao Tingyan these things, personally coming down to take her upstairs, appearing quite conversational.
The first time Liao Tingyan came here, she climbed to the fifth floor and could go no further. But this time, following the Ancestral Master, she kept going up and up, climbing twelve floors with no end in sight.
So tired, exhausted like a dog. How could this body, so weak, dare call itself a cultivator?
The fear she had initially felt toward the Ancestral Master and nausea from witnessing another death had dissipated after climbing ten flights of stairs. She only felt extremely tired, almost collapsing. Being inside this tower seemed even more uncomfortable than being outside.
The Ancestral Master ahead still maintained that leisurely pace, not even glancing back once. Liao Tingyan clung to the railing, crawling like a turtle, occasionally looking at the Ancestral Master’s back. His hair hung loose, black, and long, and he still wore that same robe.
Liao Tingyan somewhat suspected he had never changed his clothes. If so, wouldn’t the hem dragging on the ground be filthy? Black clothing was indeed good at hiding dirt.
Sima Jiao happened to turn his head and look at her at that moment.
Liao Tingyan’s face tensed. Wait, he had the truth-compelling buff—surely he didn’t also have mind-reading abilities? She felt as anxious as when she’d gone for her first job interview after graduation.
“Your courage today is not as great as yesterday’s; you’re frightened to such an extent.”
Liao Tingyan wiped away her sweat, thinking to herself that fortunately, she had been more afraid yesterday. Today’s excessive sweating wasn’t from fear but mainly from exhaustion.
“Are you very afraid?”
Liao Tingyan felt her mouth had its own consciousness as it answered: “Not afraid, just too tired from climbing stairs.”
This bastard with his truth-compelling buff again! Did this truth-compelling buff have a setting that forced answers whenever it detected a questioning tone?
Sima Jiao’s expression became somewhat strange.
“Tired?” From just these few stairs? People from the Demon Realm were too weak.
Liao Tingyan saw contempt in the Ancestral Master’s eyes. Such an obvious and easily understood emotion—it was the first time she had seen it on him.
After climbing another five floors, Liao Tingyan collapsed. She had thought the impatient Ancestral Master would kill her, but he seemed to have taken it as a challenge, waiting on the side, apparently preparing to see how many more floors she could manage to climb.
Liao Tingyan slowly crawled up the stairs, feeling like the Ancestral Master was just a bored person watching a hamster climb stairs to pass the time.
Finally, she reached the twenty-second floor. This was still an open space but enclosed. The most eye-catching thing in the room was a red flame burning in a red lotus. The flame burned, illuminating the entire space.