There’s a traitor in our sect

The Inner Sect had five peaks.

The main Sword Peak rarely accepted disciples, since it was directly overseen by the Sect Master of the Azure Cloud Sword Sect.

Anyone accepted there would become a personal disciple, and if nothing unexpected happened, the next Sect Master would naturally be them.

The other four peaks—Pill, Formation, Artifact, and Talisman—each corresponded to one of the four great arts of cultivation.

Inner Sect disciples could freely choose among them, with each peak led by a master deeply skilled in their respective art.

In her previous two simulations, Cao Xueyan had already joined the Pill Peak and Artifact Peak.

Judging by the results, Pill Peak was the better choice.

Now there remained the Formation Peak and the Talisman Peak.

With exactly two simulations left, Cao Xueyan gritted her teeth and decided to use both of them this morning.

The most urgent task now was to find the place most suited for her, to maximize her chance of surviving the inevitable disaster twenty years later.

But if even these two simulations offered no hope, Cao Xueyan would have to seriously consider leaving the sect before the demonic invasion, to find a safe place to hide.

The world was vast, but her life came first.

Only by surviving could she cultivate.

Only by living could she seek immortality.

Cao Xueyan understood her priorities well.

Without further hesitation, she immediately chose to consume one simulation attempt and started a quick run.

“Quick simulation, start!”

【At the age of 20, you broke through to the late stage of Qi Refining and became an Inner Sect disciple.】

【When choosing which peak to enter, you felt deep down that Pill Peak and Artifact Peak were not good choices, so you chose the Formation Peak instead.】

【An elder assigned you to a beautiful senior sister, under whom you served as an apprentice to learn formation arts.】

【Formations were even more difficult than alchemy or artifact refining. But your senior sister was patient, even sacrificing her own cultivation time to guide you.】

【You were moved, and worked harder than ever to study formations.】

【At the age of 25, you achieved entry-level mastery of formations. Not because of your talent, but entirely thanks to your senior sister’s wholehearted teaching.】

【At the age of 28, your senior sister successfully formed her Foundation, becoming a prominent Foundation Establishment cultivator.】

【You spent months preparing an offensive formation as a gift for her advancement.】

【Your senior sister was delighted. Instead of letting you leave, she invited you to stay in her cave dwelling.】

【You spent a joyful night together.】

【You and your senior sister became Dao partners, living together in shameless intimacy.】

【Her talent was extraordinary. In both cultivation and formations, she was outstanding among her peers. Unfortunately, she could not master the sect’s signature sword art, so the Sect Master did not take her as a disciple.】

【At the age of 35, thanks to your senior sister’s support, you successfully broke through to the eighth level of Qi Refining.】

【Both of you were overjoyed, and you spent several days and nights in passionate indulgence.】

【At the age of 40, news spread of disciples being assassinated by demonic cultivators, and fear spread through the sect.】

【The elder of Formation Peak, seeking to protect his disciples, went into seclusion to create a great formation to expose the infiltrators.】

【A month later, the elder was found dead in his cave dwelling, his body mutilated. His unfinished formation was left in ruins.】

【The sect’s elders were enraged. Even stranger, the Sect Master still did not appear despite such a major event.】

【At the age of 41, demonic cultivators conquered all the towns and markets at the foot of the Azure Cloud Sword Sect. Soon, they marched up the mountain.】

【The elders dismissed the outer disciples, and with the remaining inner disciples, swore to fight to the death for the sect.】

【You, still only at the Qi Refining stage, were naturally nothing but cannon fodder. You were about to die… when suddenly someone saved you.】

【It was your senior sister. You stared at her, stunned by her drastically different appearance.】

【A black-robed demonic cultivator at the Core Formation stage descended from the sky, stood respectfully behind her, and said: “Subordinate greets the Holy Maiden.”】

【Your heart filled with grief and fury. You never imagined that the hidden assassin within the sect was your senior sister. The woman you shared your days and nights with… was the demonic cultivator you hated most.】

【You tried to kill yourself, but she sealed your cultivation with formations. You were taken back to the demonic sect, Eternal Heaven, and became the pet of the Holy Maiden.】

【At the age of 50, after being drained too many times by the Holy Maiden’s dual cultivation, your essence was completely exhausted and you died.】

【You died.】

【Evaluation: Although your talent in cultivation and formations was mediocre, you clung to the right thigh. As it turns out, compared to bitter training, living off a senior sister was far sweeter. Dear host, perhaps you should continue down this path. If you can live off the Demon Saintess, an Imperial Princess, and a Reincarnated Empress all at once, you’ll truly be set for life!】

【Reward: Cultivation Points +160】

Cao Xueyan read the simulator’s text from start to finish and nearly choked on her own saliva.

The early part had gone so well.

She met a beautiful senior sister.

She learned the difficult art of formations.

Her cultivation advanced.

So many good things—yet how did it all end like this?

She was dumbfounded.

There was a demonic spy within the Formation Peak, and that spy was the Demon Saintess herself?!

Was her sect infiltrated by an inner ghost?

This was completely beyond her expectations.

By this logic, wasn’t choosing Formation Peak just walking into a trap?

But wait—at least in the beginning, the Demon Saintess treated her well.

She patiently taught her formations and gave her resources.

In the simulation, that “soft rice” she ate was sweeter than anything.

But in the end, that damn woman revealed her true nature, draining her to death!

Did such a dual cultivation method really exist in the world?

Thinking of it, Cao Xueyan’s face reddened.

Still, the reward this time was excellent—160 cultivation points, almost as much as the total from her first three simulations combined.

She added all 160 points to her panel.

Her dantian filled with that familiar sense of fullness again.

But this time, having learned from yesterday, she remained calm.

The more she thought about the simulation, the more uneasy she felt.

In just a few days, she would officially enter the Inner Sect.

No matter which peak she chose, wouldn’t that mean stepping closer to the Demon Saintess?

No way!

Already she could picture two possible deaths: one, being pierced through the heart by a demonic sword; two, being drained to death by that vile woman through dual cultivation.

Either way, both were miserable ends.

But stepping back, the truth was that twenty years later, she was destined to die at the hands of demonic cultivators.

Why had the Azure Cloud Sword Sect fallen so quickly?

Of course, spies contributed.

But the simulation also emphasized again and again: at the critical moment, the most powerful Sect Master was nowhere to be seen.

Could it be that the Sect Master abandoned the sect?

Or had some unknown accident occurred?

Twenty years.

She had only twenty years.

Cao Xueyan clenched her teeth and made a vow.

She would not let the sect be destroyed.

She would live.

She would seek immortality!