The Xuannü Sect’s Red Line and Qing You’s Scheme

“Every disciple, no matter whose direct protégé they may be, is mandated to participate in the Hall of Clarity. This, in essence, constitutes the Xuan Nv Sect’s inviolable red line. Not even I, much less that old crone Qing You, would dare to overstep this boundary.”

Mu Qingli’s voice, as if ten-thousand-year-old ice scraped against itself, carried an icy bite that carved sharply into the desolate silence of the vast hall.

Each word, heavy as a thousand pounds, resonated with grim finality.

“What I am about to impart concerns matters of life and death, so you must commit it to memory.”

Lin Mo’s heart seized, his spine rigid, his breathing barely perceptible.

Enduring the stinging chill that radiated from his arm, he held his breath, his concentration absolute, terrified of missing a single syllable.

Mu Qingli slowly raised a hand, extending two fingers that, while exquisitely sculpted like jade from ice, exuded a profound, chilling aura.

“Ostensibly, the Hall of Clarity serves two primary functions.”

“Firstly,” her first finger curled slightly, “it involves a thorough assessment of a newly inducted disciple’s compatibility with their chosen cultivation method. While masters impart techniques during the first month, true compatibility cannot be ascertained in a mere day or night. The Hall of Clarity’s purpose is to employ arcane methods to observe and meticulously document the fluidity of your spiritual energy circulation, the pace of your advancement, the efficiency of your conversions, and even your practical application in combat over a three-month period. All these aspects will be recorded as incredibly detailed data. This measure is designed to prevent certain masters from misguidedly persisting in their ways, thereby harming their disciples and inadvertently thwarting the cultivation paths of promising talents.”

“Secondly,” Mu Qingli’s second finger rose, “it is to instill the sect’s unwavering regulations and fortify the very bedrock of cultivation. Here, disciples assimilate the sect’s legal framework, comprehend its stringent prohibitions, are instructed in fundamental Daoist techniques, and receive elucidation for any cultivation perplexities they might encounter.”

As she spoke, her fingertip abruptly stilled.

Her gaze, sharp as the ice from the Nine Netherworlds, transformed into two palpable ice picks, drilling into Lin Mo’s face with a chilling intensity that seemed capable of piercing through all things.

“However, this is merely the superficial explanation. In reality, the Hall of Clarity’s true function is—” Her voice abruptly lowered, like a frigid wind howling through an ice crevice, carrying a bone-chilling dread. “The ultimate crucible for discerning identity and loyalty!”

“The initial entrance examination is nothing more than a rudimentary screening. The Hall of Clarity, however, serves as the true demon-revealing mirror, designed to meticulously unearth every last fiend and phantom.”

“From the instant one crosses into the Hall of Clarity’s domain, every movement, every breath, even the subconscious murmurs uttered in sleep, falls under the relentless scrutiny of countless watchful eyes and innumerable divine senses! This surveillance is ceaseless, pervasive! Though only two Golden Core stage protectors may be visible, in truth, formidable Nascent Soul stage cultivators lie concealed in the shadows, their vigilance unwavering.”

“The sole objective is to unmask those who, with meticulous forethought, have altered their appearances to infiltrate our sect as imposters! It is to identify the malevolent moles and covert agents dispatched by rival factions! And to excise the fickle opportunists whose resolve falters readily under external allure!”

Her gaze, sharp as the keenest blade, seemed to flay Lin Mo.

“Thus, the first, and indeed the most lethal, tribulation you shall confront upon entering the Hall of Clarity is—the revelation of your true identity!”

Lin Mo’s heart plummeted.

He instantly comprehended the gravity reflected in Mu Qingli’s expression.

Yet, what was to come would stir even greater trepidation within him.

“Furthermore, the intensive training within the Hall of Clarity spans three months, and each month features a ‘Profound Yin Resonance’ test. This, I assure you, presents the most formidable challenge for you. This particular stone exhibits a strong repulsive reaction to Yang energy, impurities, conflicting cultivation methods, or indeed, any male essence. The instant you make contact with it, detection is virtually guaranteed.”

Lin Mo’s face blanched, and a cold sweat instantly drenched his inner robes.

‘What in the hell am I supposed to do? If I simply place my hand upon it, won’t my disguise be utterly and irrevocably shattered?’

As if savoring the tumultuous shifts in Lin Mo’s expression, Mu Qingli allowed a moment to pass before her tone subtly shifted, a faint, ephemeral smile playing at her lips.

She spoke softly, “Yet, this predicament is not insurmountable. I, your master, shall implant three ‘Profound Yin Seals’ within you, utilizing my innate Profound Yin Qi!”

At her fingertip, a wisp of ice-blue energy coalesced, purer and more profound than the hall’s pervasive chill, an aura so potent it seemed capable of freezing even light.

With a delicate touch, she pressed her fingertip to Lin Mo’s forehead, and in that instant, his entire being felt as though it had been plunged into the frigid depths of a frozen lake in the heart of winter.

“This seal possesses the power to utterly suppress and freeze every vestige of male essence within your being that might otherwise betray your true nature. Be it the subtle undulations of your bloodline’s circulation or the inherent traits ingrained within your soul, all shall fall into dormancy under this seal’s icy grip, rendering you indistinguishable from an authentic Profound Yin woman! Even if the Elder of Imparting Cultivation were to probe with arcane divine sense techniques, they would struggle to uncover any imperfection.”

With another light tap of Mu Qingli’s fingertip, the wisp of ice-blue energy pulsed like a living entity, its chilling tendrils burrowing into Lin Mo’s physique.

He was instantly enveloped by an overwhelming cold, every inch of his being frigid, devoid of the slightest hint of warmth.

“With this seal firmly in place, the Hall of Clarity’s ubiquitous ‘eyes’ will find it exceptionally difficult to penetrate the very foundation of your disguise. This is your initial, and most vital, talisman for navigating this treacherous deception, for venturing into that perilous den of dragons and tigers!”

“If the Hall of Clarity represents an unavoidable threshold we must cross, then the ‘Martial Arts Trial’ conducted within its walls is nothing less than a lethal trap, meticulously orchestrated by Qing You, for both you and me!”

“‘Lethal… lethal trap?’” Lin Mo’s heart constricted.

“It serves both as a sparring session and a rigorous examination,” Mu Qingli’s voice carried a subtle, almost imperceptible gravity.

“During this segment, the disciples’ practice bouts will be scrutinized from a raised platform by the Elder of Imparting Cultivation and the protectors. They will meticulously document the fluidity of your cultivation method’s execution, the efficiency of your spiritual energy conversion, your tactical ingenuity in confronting adversaries, and, most critically—the raw potency of your combat prowess! Every single move, every single stance, will be subject to their stringent judgment!”

She leaned forward slightly, the invisible pressure she exuded almost suffocating Lin Mo.

“Should the ultimate verdict declare that your Bright Jade Profound Yin is incompatible with your physique, your progress agonizingly slow, and your combat efficacy utterly negligible, rendering it virtually useless… then, in accordance with the sect’s inviolable tenets, the Hall of Imparting Cultivation possesses the authority to…”

Mu Qingli’s voice, cold as the grave, articulated the terrifying decree: “To forcibly abolish your cultivation! To cleanse your marrow and sever your meridians, extirpating every trace of Profound Yin Qi from your body! Should the need arise, they would not hesitate to even shatter and reconstruct your meridians!”

“‘Abolish my cultivation?! Break and remold my meridians?!’” Lin Mo’s face instantly drained of all color.

While he couldn’t grasp the precise implications, the profound gravity etched onto Mu Qingli’s features left no doubt that the consequences would be anything but trivial.

More critically, if his meridians were to be abolished, his true physical gender would assuredly be revealed.

At that point…

Lin Mo recoiled from the thought, a profound chill creeping down his spine.

“Precisely so.” Mu Qingli, observing the terror in his eyes, offered no solace, instead ripping open the brutal truth.

“This is the overt machination of that old hag, Qing You. All she requires is for you to suffer a sufficiently swift, sufficiently humiliating, and utterly defenseless defeat upon the martial arts arena! In such a scenario, the damning verdict of ‘unworthy of cultivation’ will become the sharpest blade in her arsenal! It would grant her the legitimate authority to wrench you away from my tutelage and strip you of your Bright Jade Profound Yin. While she may be unable to bribe the chief examiner directly, orchestrating your downfall poses no challenge for her. My gravest fear is that… she might subtly incite her own disciples, and perhaps even others’, to collectively assault you, or employ a grueling relay battle to deplete your meager spiritual energy, or conspire in secret to lay traps, ensuring your utter humiliation and plunging your evaluation to its lowest depths. Furthermore… Qing You’s corrosive influence within the sect is now profound… I can hardly guarantee… that her pawns will not be among the evaluators in the Hall of Clarity…

Should that come to pass… you will be deemed unfit to cultivate Bright Jade Profound Yin, and they will simply seize you, and I will be utterly powerless to intervene. Not even Martial Aunt Zhao Qiubai would be able to utter a single word in your defense.”

Mu Qingli’s gaze, like palpable ice picks, fixed unyieldingly upon Lin Mo.

Her voice descended to an even lower register, imbued with a chilling clarity that pierced through secrets.

“At that juncture, your gender will assuredly be exposed. A mere crude disguise of women’s attire will prove utterly insufficient to evade the divine sense probes of those individuals. Within the Xuan Nv Sect, a male body infiltrating to spy on female cultivators… this is a crime of the most heinous magnitude! The outcome can only be one—”

Mu Qingli’s words abruptly halted.

The ultimate, most terrifying pronouncement remained unspoken.

Yet, Lin Mo’s blood seemed to instantly congeal, and a bone-deep, soul-piercing chill utterly engulfed him.

Terrifying visions flashed uncontrollably before his eyes: himself publicly stripped of his disguise, subjected to unspeakable humiliation, and torn asunder by a thousand cuts.

‘If a mere disciple dared to slay a man from another sect in the street, surely this sect would possess far more horrific methods of execution… awaiting me?’

The chasm of despair, it seemed, had already opened its gaping maw, patiently awaiting his inevitable descent.

A profound stillness.

Within the vast hall, only the pallid luminescence of the glow-stones persisted, accompanied by the thunderous, yet impossibly heavy, beat of Lin Mo’s own heart, threatening to cease at any moment.

He waited, a protracted, agonizing duration.

But Mu Qingli offered no further words.

There were no fervent vows, no meticulously laid plans, not even a single, hollow word of solace.

That protracted, suffocating silence proved more deafening than any roaring threat could ever be.

Lin Mo understood with chilling clarity.

His heart, clear as a polished mirror, was simultaneously ashen and lifeless.

Mu Qingli, this exalted acting sect master, his nominal mentor, his sole ‘ally’ in this moment…

She possessed no further stratagems.

She was utterly without recourse.

Confronted by Qing You’s intricately woven, overt scheme, which leveraged the sect’s very regulations to crush them, Mu Qingli’s capabilities appeared… to have genuinely reached their absolute limit.

‘No, can this truly be classified as an overt scheme? Honestly, isn’t this merely a consequence of your own oversight, Mu Qingli, forgetting this crucial detail and thereby plunging us into this perilous, near-fatal predicament?’

“Heh…”

A dry, almost self-derisive chuckle rasped from Lin Mo’s throat.

‘I can only attribute it to my misfortune, to be saddled with such an ill-fated master. To forget a matter of such paramount importance, only recalling it when an adversary arrived to taunt her…’

‘Could it be that my master… the reason she’s unpopular… and effectively stripped of power, is simply… that she truly possesses little ability?’

‘Who could truly say?’

‘How utterly laughable… all that effort I’ve poured in for so long.’

Qiu Yue, the woman who had dragged him into hell, the dark, blood-soaked torments of the Qiu family—he had believed that was merely an unbearable past, never to be revisited.

Now, it appeared, it had truly been but a trifling ‘appetizer’ in his accursed transmigration!

Fate, that malevolent beast, had served up the appetizer named ‘Qiu Yue’ with a sneer, allowing him to savor the taste of despair.

And now, it eagerly hurled a succession of increasingly brutal, increasingly lethal ‘main courses’—Xuan Nv Sect, Qing You, the Hall of Clarity, identity exposure, abolished cultivation, marrow cleansing—each capable of chewing him up, skin and bone, and swallowing him whole!

How many more awaited him?

He didn’t know.

But they were undoubtedly countless, each more vicious than the last!

A colossal, suffocating wave of absurdity and powerlessness instantly engulfed Lin Mo, cold as the tide.

‘Life?’

‘On Blue Star, he couldn’t walk, paralyzed in bed, his soul imprisoned in his body’s cage, despairingly awaiting death.’

‘Arriving in this other world, able to run and jump, he had believed he could traverse the world on his own two feet, yet in the end, he was still trapped in a cage.’

‘He had lurked for ten years to escape the Qiu family, only to fall headfirst into the Xuan Nv Sect, and just a month later, he was condemned to death.’

In this world, his life seemed to have been painted with the darkest hues of despair from its very inception, the path ahead boundless, strewn with shattered ruins, not a glimmer of light to be seen.

It was a despair so profound it verged on madness.

‘Is this even a life worth living?!’

‘System! You damned system! Where have you gone?! Come out and save me!’ Lin Mo’s silent, hysterical roar echoed in his mind.

Dead silence.

The only response was the cold, despairing void within his consciousness.

This silence was more piercing than the whistle of Qiu Yue’s whip, more bone-chilling than Mu Qingli’s coldness.

It was as if the dying visions of the Little Match Girl, as she desperately struck her last match, were, in the end, mere illusions, warming not an iota of reality.

‘Give up?’

The thought, like a venomous snake, slithered silently through his heart.

‘Just like this… accept my fate? To be crushed like an ant in this unfamiliar world?’

…

‘Mom, I’m so tired…’

‘So tired…’

‘Can I… give up?’

‘Just this once… can I?’