Chapter 23: Understand the Applause

A few dim oil lamps hung on the rock walls, barely dispersing a portion of the darkness, and the lamp oil emitted a pungent odor.

Scattered on the ground were gravel, withered grass, and some garbage whose original appearance could not be discerned.

The people gathered here were far more numerous than imagined.

There were Mortals wearing brocade and jade robes, sallow and with numb eyes, squeezed into a corner.

There were also quite a few Loose Cultivators wearing gray, washed-out, and patched "Daoist robes", with a morbid fanaticism on their faces, as if they were about to achieve Ascension on the spot.

A peculiar mixed odor permeated the air, and Lin Mo and the others covered their noses as soon as they walked in.

The sounds of conversation and quarreling were endless, making one feel upset and irritated.

Lin Mo was dumbfounded at the sight.

The Demonic Path Sect in his imagination might be a demonic cave soaring with Evil Qi, or some uniquely wonderful evil place.

How could the Chuanxiao Sect be in such a destitute state with bare walls? Were the days of the Demonic Path living this miserably?

Senior Sister Leng Hanyue frowned even more, looking utterly disgusted: "What kind of ghost place is this? It is even more rundown than our outer Sect latrine! Where are the Spirit Stones? Did they not say the Demonic Sect is rolling in wealth?"

She looked around, her eyes filled with disappointment towards the demonic Sect.

The leading little Daoist child seemed long accustomed to everyone reaction, and expressionlessly pointed to a "cubicle" hanging with a faded rag deep in the karst cave: "The Sect Master is waiting for you inside. Go on over."

The four of them looked at each other, silently placing their hands on their Storage Pouches, ready at any time to pull out Magic Treasures to fight.

Lin Mo was somewhat puzzled. What on earth was going on with this Sect? Even the Sect Master was so poor?

However, after entering the shack, a cultured and refined middle-aged man was sitting right inside. Although his attire was ordinary, it had the advantage of being clean and neat.

He said in a gentle tone: "I am Sect Master Song Zhi of the Chuanxiao Sect. Welcome, a few of you, coming from afar. You must also want to join our Chuanxiao Sect. I know you are very anxious, but do not rush for now."

Lin Mo and the others looked around with disdain. If they had a choice, they really did not want to join at all.

Song Zhi continued: "In the next two days, there will be different Immortal Masters giving lectures. You must listen carefully. Once you understand the Sect culture of our Chuanxiao Sect, it will not be too late to join then, right?"

Senior Sister Leng Hanyue looked impatient: "We are here to cultivate immortality, not to attend lectures!"

Song Zhi was not angry at all: "Fairy does not know, our Sect is different from other Sects. After joining, you can achieve a great career, the resources of Spirit Stones will be inexhaustible in the future, and even Ascension in broad daylight is not entirely impossible."

Song Zhi had the appearance of a good-natured person, not looking like the Demonic Path at all. If Lin Mo saw him outside, he would even think the other party was an old pedant well-read in poetry and books.

Senior Sister Leng Hanyue wore a look of interest; after all, what she liked most was Spirit Stones: "Really? Countless Spirit Stones?"

Song Zhi nodded affirmatively: "Fairy will know after listening to the lectures. It is getting late today, and after the long and tiring journey, your recommender did not come along either. I will have the little Daoist child arrange for you to rest."

Senior Sister Huang Doudou gently pinched her from behind and glared at her.

They came here to go undercover; how was it that after just two sentences, Senior Sister Leng Hanyue wanted to correct her ways and return to evil?

After Song Zhi left, he walked to a hidden secret door and pushed it open. Inside were mountains of Spirit Stones, as well as various Spiritual Materials, with an inexhaustible number of precious Spiritual Plants of a hundred or a thousand years.

He stripped off his clothes, plunged his entire body into the Spirit Stones, and wore a look of enjoyment.

…

The four of them, Lin Mo and the others, curled up in a shack. It was cold and narrow here, and turning over even slightly would result in physical contact with several Senior Sisters.

Lin Mo disgustedly found a relatively clean spot and could not help saying: "Senior Sister Huang, are you sure this is a demonic Sect? Why does it seem like a down-and-out family that cannot get by?"

Senior Sister Huang Doudou also blinked her large, puzzled eyes: "Logically speaking, it should not be like this. According to the intelligence, the Chuanxiao Sect is right here, and the other party even cheated many Loose Cultivators of their Spirit Stones. How could they be so poor? Could it be that they hid all the Spirit Stones?"

Tang Waner nodded seriously: "Senior Sister, I think what you said is not without possibility."

Lin Mo small head contained big doubts: "Then Senior Sister? Do we count as having infiltrated the interior of the Chuanxiao Sect now?"

Senior Sister Huang Doudou said uncertainly: "Should, probably, maybe. Let us talk after we finish attending the lectures tomorrow."

As the few of them were discussing, the voice of a little Daoist child came from the doorway: "Fellow Daoists, the Sect Master entrusted me to bring some food for you."

Lin Mo and the others expressions became vigilant. Was the vicious and ruthless demonic Sect finally going to make a move?

Was it putting poison, or using a Formation, or dozens of Cultivators surrounding and attacking together? The more Lin Mo thought about it, the more nervous he felt.

Senior Sister Huang Doudou spoke up first: "Many thanks, Fellow Daoist, bring the things inside."

The little Daoist child bowed and crawled into their shack, with an innocent smile on the corner of his mouth, and placed several plates of food on the ground: "Please enjoy your meal, Fellow Daoists."

After speaking, he bowed his body and was about to back out.

"Wait a moment." Lin Mo stared and continued to ask: "Is there nothing else?"

The little Daoist child looked amiable: "Fellow Daoists, rest early tonight, after all, tomorrow coursework is heavy."

Lin Mo thought to himself, could the demonic Sect be preparing to poison them?

After the little Daoist child went out, Senior Sister Huang Doudou took out a silver needle from her Storage Pouch, tested the food one by one, shook her head, and said: "There is no poison, you can eat at ease."

The food sent by this little Daoist child was not ordinary meals, but spiritual meals unique to the cultivation world, which contained a small amount of Spiritual Qi. If these dishes were eaten in a spiritual restaurant, they would cost several spirit crystals.

Among the few, Senior Sister Leng Hanyue was a Body Cultivator and got hungry the easiest.

She picked up a bowl of spiritual rice and shoveled it into her mouth, saying vaguely: "Why think so much? Eat your fill first. You do not say, the taste is pretty good, the food of this demonic Sect is not bad."

When Lin Mo came, he had seen that most of those Cultivators and Mortals outside looked sallow and withered, and probably could not get a single meal in several days.

Making the first meal a bit richer was probably also one of the Sect cultures of this Chuanxiao Sect.

Anyway, it had already been tested, and the food was not poisoned. Lin Mo also unceremoniously began to eat.

Early the next morning, the four of them crawled out of the shack early.

Mainly because sleeping here was too uncomfortable; a foul odor drifted in from outside from time to time, and the shack was also dark and damp.

As soon as they came out of the shack, the atmosphere outside was completely different. The sallow and withered people from yesterday were flushed with a ruddy complexion due to excessive excitement.

At the "Sect grand hall" where they were located, there was a high platform. At this moment, a middle-aged man with flowing long hair stood on the platform. Lin Mo carefully perceived the other party cultivation realm, and it was only the first layer of Qi Refining.

The Cultivator on the platform looked solemn with a serious expression.

He wore a white tight-fitting long robe, with a flowing skirt tail trailing behind.

He pointed at the sky with one hand, his mouth crooked into a wicked and charming smile:

"Across the heavens and earth, I alone am supreme. I, Nie Xiao, want all living beings to attain salvation!"

"Understand? Give applause!"

The crowd off the stage had deeply immersive expressions, and their palms began to clap involuntarily.

Senior Sister Leng Hanyue beside him, as if guided by some mysterious rule in the nether, had both hands rhythmically clapping endlessly.

Until Lin Mo heavily poked the other party waist with his finger, Senior Sister Leng Hanyue snapped out of her trance.