(I saw the enthusiasm of my fellow Daoists voting with their monthly passes today, so I’ve decided to make an exception and add an extra Chapter on the last day of the event! Six Chapters for you all today! This month’s monthly pass bonus Chapter event has officially come to a successful end!)

When Su Ling’er saw Mr. Dong’s brow furrow slightly, her heart tensed.

Sure enough, in the next moment, Mr. Dong’s voice rang directly in the minds of all the undercover disciples.

The disciples were stunned by this sharp wake-up call, their gazes subconsciously drifting toward the one person who should have been the most dejected of all.

Then, Li Chunfeng’s "victorious" declaration also bolstered the courage of the other ten disciples.

"I’ll go first!"

A disciple stepped forward to be the first to try.

Su Ling’er’s heart leaped into her throat, but this time, all her attention was focused on the great demon cracking melon seeds not far away.

’Will he make a move?’

’Will he use that evil crystal artifact to pry into the minds of my fellow righteous disciples and find our weaknesses?’

However, even when that disciple was defeated by his Heart Demon and teleported off the steps, Senior Brother Lin Qingfeng remained impassive. He even let out a yawn.

The second, the third...

Ten disciples tried in succession, and the results all left much to be desired; the best among them only managed to reach the twentieth step. And throughout it all, the great demon never took out his heart-peering crystal.

Su Ling’er’s tense nerves relaxed slightly, but her confusion only deepened.

’Why isn’t he making a move?’

’Could it be... that we outer sect disciples aren’t even worth his notice?’

’Does he think we’re too weak, that there’s no value in even spying on us?’

’Has he had a change of heart and decided to stop being a peeping tom?’

’Is he really just bored today, here purely to see how many steps we can climb?’

’That’s just too boring, isn’t it?’

’Or perhaps...’

’Did Wang Xiedi’s eye-polluting Heart Demon Illusion Realm leave an indelible psychological scar on the senior brother?’

’So much so that now he feels a bit sick looking at anyone’s Heart Demon, and only wants to see how far people can go without wanting to see the content inside?’

This speculation made Su Ling’er feel a surge of humiliation, but it was followed by a wave of relieved, lingering fear.

’Thank goodness he didn’t act. Otherwise, if the thoughts of "infiltration" and the "righteous path" in her fellow disciples’ minds were exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable.’

Looking at her dejected fellow disciples, Su Ling’er’s heart filled with sympathy and regret.

’Alas, the demonic sect’s trials are truly extraordinary.’

’It seems the junior brothers’ understanding of the strong hearts of Mr. Dong and Mr. Li isn’t thorough enough. Their Dao hearts still need more tempering.’

But no matter what, as long as that great demon didn’t grow suspicious, there was still a chance.

And now, it was the turn of the one among them with the most resolute Dao heart.

Everyone’s gaze converged on the last person.

Dong Changsheng!

He was the leader of this small team of undercover disciples, the spiritual mentor in the hearts of most outer sect disciples.

His theories on success and his belief in repaying gratitude had inspired countless people in the outer sect of Qingxu Temple.

Now, he was going to ascend the ladder himself!

Dong Changsheng slowly stood up and straightened his robes, his expression solemn and dignified.

He scanned his surroundings, looking at his dejected junior brothers and at Li Chunfeng, who was still making faces off to the side, and smiled confidently.

’It’s time to show my junior brothers and sisters a true Dao heart.’

’That demon... he’s watching.’

’What he wants to see isn’t how high we can climb, but our "Dao".’

’My Dao is gratitude, and it is success!’

’It is the most powerful force in this world!’

’He will see it, and he will be conquered by it!’

’Here, in this place, I will perfectly display the supreme Great Dao I have comprehended—to this so-called demonic sect, to that unfathomable senior brother of the demonic path, and even to the heavens and the earth themselves!’

Watching Dong Changsheng’s supremely confident appearance, the worry that Su Ling’er had just set aside inexplicably began to rise again.

’She had a feeling things wouldn’t be that simple.’

He took a deep breath. Amid the mixed gazes of reverence and expectation from his fellow disciples, he stepped forward, walking steadily toward the white jade steps.

He was about to take that crucial step, the one that would validate his Great Dao.

And in that very instant!

CLICK.

A soft sound reached the ears of everyone present.

Su Ling’er’s pupils constricted violently!

She saw that by the distant table, the perpetually lazy Senior Brother Lin Qingfeng had finally put down the melon seeds in his hands.

He dusted the husks from his hands and, unhurriedly, took an object out of his storage pouch.

It was a magnificent crystal that radiated an eerie, violet light.

[Purple Crystal - Wolf’s Prying Gaze]!

’He finally took it out!’

’The ten people before were just appetizers, a smokescreen!’

’His real target, from the very beginning, was Mr. Dong—the one with the best aptitude among them, a Three-Spirit Root, even if his foundation was damaged!’

[Su Ling’er: Mr. Dong!!! Be careful!!! He took out that heart-peering crystal! He wants to see your Heart Demon Illusion Realm!!! You must hold fast to your true intentions! Don’t expose us!!!]

She immediately sent a message via Telepathy in Dong Changsheng’s direction.

However, Dong Changsheng, who had already reached the foot of the steps, only paused for a fraction of a second.

’He’s finally here.’

’He really was waiting for me.’

’The ten people before were nothing but appetizers to amuse him.’

’Only I am worthy of him using such a method to spy on me.’

’Spying?’

’Very well.’

’I’ll let you see what a brilliant, righteous heart truly is!’

[Dong Changsheng: Miss Su, do not be alarmed.]

[Dong Changsheng: My heart is like pure glass, transparent inside and out. All my actions are to repay gratitude, and all my thoughts are of success. I am open and honorable. Why should I fear the prying tricks of a petty scoundrel?]

[Dong Changsheng: This isn’t prying. It is that this demon’s Dao heart is clouded, and he wishes to seek the Dao from me! This is the perfect opportunity for our generation to display the brilliance of the righteous path and enlighten this fiend!]

With that, he no longer hesitated in the slightest.

Under everyone’s watchful gaze, Dong Changsheng lifted his foot.

Carrying all the philosophy and conviction he had learned, believed in, and comprehended in his entire life, he proudly stepped onto the Asking Dao Ladder!

...

「And on the other side.」

「Anhe City.」

The rain drizzled down, enveloping Anhe City in a hazy mist.

The stone-paved roads reflected rows of lanterns swaying in the wind under the eaves, adding a touch of the gentle charm of a Jiangnan water town to the bustling city.

Anhe City, though part of the Daqian Dynasty, was a mortal city under the governance of the superior sect, the Celestial Furnace Sect.

Although the city was managed by a mortal government, the true authority resided with the few Immortal Masters of the Celestial Furnace Sect, who were stationed in the tallest building in the eastern part of the city, the Star-Picking Pavilion.

With the Immortal Masters present, petty criminals were nonexistent, and evil spirits did not dare to invade. Even the iron hooves of neighboring kingdoms dared not tread here lightly.

Of course, the price for this was paying tribute to the Celestial Furnace Sect and the direct transfer of any Cultivation talents from within the city.

This peace, which had lasted for over a hundred years, was already ingrained in the very bones of every citizen of Anhe City.

It all began with an eerie silence one early morning...