At the same time, the voice of the Heavenly Dao echoed once more in Su Ji’s ears.
["A clear conscience paves the way to the Great Dao."]
["As the first to pass the trial, you are granted ‘Clarity of the Dao Heart.’"]
As the words faded, a gentle light descended from the heavens and merged into Su Ji’s brow.
Su Ji glanced at his "Heavenly Mandate."
It hadn’t increased.
This was more like a "state enhancement."
He felt his mind grow crystal clear, as if all meaningless distractions had been swept away.
His thoughts flowed faster.
Just then, Su Jiu also completed the trial.
The moment she stepped out of the "Path of Heart’s Trial," her gaze met Su Ji’s.
Her clear eyes were filled with shock.
How had Su Ji finished so quickly?
If she remembered correctly, she had entered the trial first.
She had just endured the torment of severing ties with the clansmen who raised her in the illusion.
The heart-wrenching pain still lingered.
But Su Ji… he looked…
Completely at ease?
What had he experienced?
Or was he simply a cold, unfeeling monster with no attachments at all?
Su Ji ignored her astonishment and instead observed the other cultivators still struggling on the path.
Some knelt on the ground, weeping and kowtowing to empty air.
Others snarled, fists flying as if battling invisible foes.
One female cultivator rolled on the ground, robes disheveled, moaning in a way that would make anyone blush.
Tsk.
It seemed the Path of Heart’s Trial didn’t just reflect worldly ties—it also laid bare one’s deepest desires.
Still, the performances were all the same.
Su Ji quickly grew bored.
He turned his attention back to Su Jiu.
"Well? Seeing me finish so fast, are you impressed now?"
Su Jiu looked away without answering.
Su Ji felt a flicker of disappointment.
Not that he actually cared to tease her.
It was just that [Gaze of the Heavenly Mandate] was still on cooldown after being used on the fat steward.
He wondered if he could trigger a [Romance Option] to glean hints about future events.
Meanwhile, Su Jiu couldn’t comprehend it.
Even the most resolute cultivators couldn’t remain so composed under such soul-piercing trials.
Was Su Ji’s heart truly made of stone? Or… had his illusion been different from everyone else’s?
……
Time passed.
Fewer cultivators writhed on the path, and more emerged at the end.
One by one, they appeared beside Su Ji and Su Jiu.
Most were pale and dazed, still reeling from their painful choices in the illusion.
Their gazes toward Su Ji held a trace of awe.
To them, the earlier one passed, the more "ruthless" they must be.
Finally, as the last cultivator staggered out, the ethereal voice spoke again.
["The trial of the heart is complete."]
["Only those with a clear conscience may proceed."]
The moment the words fell, the Path of Heart’s Trial split down the middle without warning.
An invisible divide separated the crowd.
Su Ji, Su Jiu, and the thirty-odd cultivators who passed stood firm.
On the other side, the old Daoist who had been laughing maniacally earlier—along with fifteen others—watched as the ground beneath them turned illusory.
"Hahaha! This old Daoist has severed worldly ties and purged all inner demons! The Great Dao awaits!"
Still lost in his euphoria, the old man didn’t notice the change beneath his feet.
Then, the illusory ground vanished entirely.
His laughter cut off abruptly—no time even for a scream.
He and the fifteen others plunged into the bottomless Abyss of Delusion below.
Not even an echo remained.
"……"
Silence gripped the survivors.
Fear was etched on every face.
Only Su Ji found it somewhat amusing.
With skills like these, why even cultivate immortality?
The Heavenly Dao’s trial might as well have spelled out "This is a test" in bold letters.
The setup was obvious—first the talk of "severing ties" and "worldly burdens," practically announcing the illusion trial.
And yet, they still fell for it?
Even if they had loved ones they couldn’t bear to part with, shouldn’t they at least use their brains?
Wasn’t their own survival important?
Knowing the "loved ones" before them were illusions, how could they hesitate?
A little vigilance—channeling the mindset of "How dare you impersonate those I care about? Die!"—would’ve made it easy.
Just raise the blade and slaughter without mercy.
This trial wasn’t even difficult.
If he were the designer, he wouldn’t have made it so straightforward.
At the very least, he’d add layers.
First, craft an illusion that seemed brutally challenging, letting the victim believe they’d fought hard to "pass."
Then, when they let their guard down, basking in their reward and thinking themselves the chosen one—
Strike.
Reveal a mocking grin.
And whisper:
"When did you… start believing you’d already passed?"
The thought sent a jolt through Su Ji.
His smirk froze.
Wait…
A terrifying possibility clawed its way into his mind.
Could it be…
This "success" itself was part of the illusion?
A trap for those who thought they’d outsmarted it?
Once the seed took root, it grew wildly.
He discreetly scanned his surroundings.
The pale, shaken cultivators who’d "passed."
The split path that had swallowed the failures.
Even Su Jiu, standing cold and pristine beside him.
Everything seemed too logical, too seamless.
Which made it all the more suspicious.
Su Ji’s heart sank.
He had to test it.
Turning to Su Jiu, he forced back his usual careless grin, as if his earlier tension had never existed.
"Hey, junior sister."
His tone was casual.
"Those foxes from your Qingqiu homeland—are they all experts in seduction?"
Su Jiu, lost in thought, frowned at the interruption. Her icy demeanor sharpened.
"I’ve told you before. I’m of the Pure Fox lineage."
A normal response. No issues.
But Su Ji pressed on.
"Ah, right, my mistake."
He feigned realization, then shifted to a suggestive tone.
"It’s just—you share the surname Su, and that time you measured my spiritual roots, your technique was so…"
"I thought I’d lucked into the Su Daji special."
Su Jiu’s expression turned glacial. A vein pulsed at her temple.
Yet she held back, only correcting through gritted teeth.
"She was of the You Su lineage."
Su Ji’s smile vanished completely.
The You Su lineage…
So Su Daji actually existed here?
His mind reeled. Suppressing the storm of thoughts, he pretended surprise.
"So, Su Daji actually exists in this world?"
Su Jiu finally began to sense something amiss.
Her clear eyes, tinged with curiosity, fixed on Su Ji's face.
She found his surprise... utterly baffling.
Her brows furrowed slightly as she countered, "If she doesn’t exist..."
"Then how did you even know that name?"
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
mance] After transmigrating for eighteen years, Lin Qi lived as an utterly ordinary herbalist in the countryside. One day, he kindly brought home a sickly, beautiful girl covered in blood. They married in a flash and began their blissful, intimate life together. Right then, his long-delayed system finally activated. [Warning! Host detected in contact with the "Crimson Calamity," the world-ending witch!] Lin Qi looked at the adorable wife currently curled in his arms, who couldn't even open a jar lid and trembled at the sight of a mouse. Lin Qi: "System, are you insane? This is clearly just a weak and delicate sickly girl!" Thus, Lin Qi treated the system as a "Contrast System," where taking care of his wife made him stronger. Combing his wife's hair rewarded him with [Free Attribute Points]. Taking his wife out for sunshine rewarded him with [Forbidden Spell: Arcane Explosion]. Lin Qi: "This soft life tastes so good!" ... Yet, in the eyes of outsiders: The strongest Beastkin Assassin: "That man dissected a Beast King with a common skinning knife! That was a show of force towards the powerful!" The Holy Son of the Radiant Church: "I infiltrated his home as a tutor, but he had me babysit the children... He must have seen through my disguise!" The World-Ending Witch, Felucia: "I hid all the way in the countryside. How is it that the husband I married on a whim is stronger than I was at my peak?"
iaobai: "Councilor Dad, front me some funds. I want to hire ten thousand professional miners for a project!" [Five-Star Mission Issued: Capture the leader of the Blood Heaven Pirate Gang, who is on the run in the Radiant Star Sector. It is said the gang has over a hundred members. Proceed with caution.] Lu Xiaobai: "Councilor Dad, lend me the family's hundred-thousand-strong Lu Army!" [Seven-Star Mission Issued: Subdue a juvenile Void Dragon Beast.] Lu Xiaobai: "Councilor Dad, I'm taking your tamed Void Dragon Beast King out for a family reunion!" I said, System, don't you have any slightly more challenging missions? You're just not up to par! [Nine-Star Mission Issued: Become the Human Councilor.] Lu Xiaobai: "Dad, there's a small matter I'd like to discuss with you..."
