Those with a clear conscience were still alright—at most, they were shocked at Zhenwu Sect's unimaginable means, and grew even more respectful.
But the ones with impure hearts wore gloomy expressions.
This was practically a public execution under broad daylight!
Especially a few who had reputations as chivalrous heroes—now their righteous façades had been completely torn off.
Yet they dared not get angry.
The Zhenwu Sect was already a source of fear for them.
But even these two groups weren't the most terrified.
The ones most horrified—were the spies hidden among them.
Their deepest secrets had just been laid bare in front of everyone.
They now understood—
this mission had failed.
Zhenwu's methods were beyond their imagination.
No matter how well they covered their origins, this heart-revealing Qimen formation cut straight to the soul.
They had only slightly relaxed their minds following Luo Wentian's words—
and nearly ended up blurting out the color of their underwear.
In that instant—
several of them moved at once.
They had already distanced themselves from the other Qi Origin Realm experts.
Now, these spies from different factions acted with rare coordination—without a word, each picked a direction and burst forth with no hesitation.
What a joke!
The Zhenwu Sect had two Heaven-Man Realm powerhouses.
Forget the Heavenly Sword True Person—even Daoist Longshan alone was beyond what they could handle.
If they fled in a group, not one would escape.
But if they split up, there might be a sliver of hope.
At this moment, the Origin Core Realm middle-aged blade wielder, two from the Jade Liquid Realm, and two from the White Mist Realm—five spies—fled from the Heart-Probing Platform.
The scene instantly spiraled out of control.
Streams of Qi exploded and shot in all directions.
Some tried to create chaos to cover their escape.
Ning Qi and Daoist Longshan remained still.
As long as no Heaven-Man Realm opponent took action, they would not intervene.
The Zhenwu Sect wasn't theirs alone—
some matters had to be handled by Luo Wentian and the others themselves.
Especially Luo Wentian—ever since he became Sect Leader, he had been criticized in the martial world for his low cultivation.
This was the perfect opportunity to prove himself.
The same went for the other elders.
This was their trial by fire.
With the two of them present, nothing could go truly wrong.
Around the Heart-Probing Platform,
Luo Wentian's eyes blazed with fury as he watched the spies make their move.
They unleashed Qi without restraint—some aimed at Zhenwu disciples, some at the children taking the entrance exam, all to delay Luo Wentian and the others.
But it was useless.
Luo Wentian and his group had already prepared for this.
Before those people even stepped onto the Heart-Probing Platform, the children had been discreetly protected by elite Zhenwu disciples.
Xiong Shi, Ye Qinghe, and others immediately intervened, intercepting the Qi blasts.
At the same time, chaos broke out among the failed Qi Origin candidates.
Several spies hidden among them also sprang into action, trying to flee.
"Outrageous! You dare stir up trouble on Zhenwu's entrance exam day? You will not be spared!"
Luo Wentian's Daoist robe fluttered though there was no wind—
a wave of intense power erupted from him.
Normally, he wouldn't stand a chance against Jade Liquid or Origin Core Realm opponents.
But now—with the many trump cards Ning Qi had given him—
if he still couldn't deal with this threat, he might as well call himself trash.
Full of high spirits,
he instantly activated the Thunder Tiger False Core at his heart.
In a flash—
a surge of power exploded forth.
Bolts of thunder crackled around him.
He slapped out with one palm—lightning erupted, domineering and fierce—
it struck precisely beside the fleeing spies, sending them flying.
The White Mist Realm spies had no resistance whatsoever.
Everyone was shocked.
"Wasn't Sect Leader Luo just at the White Mist Realm? How can he be this strong?"
"He's nearly on par with Origin Core Realm, isn't he?"
Instantly, the failed Qi Origin experts looked at Luo Wentian differently—
this didn't match the rumors.
But they quickly understood—
Zhenwu's depth was far greater than imagined.
How could the leader of a great sect really be as weak as the rumors claimed?
This—was what made sense.
Even Ye Qinghe and the others were stunned—
not understanding why Senior Brother had suddenly grown so strong.
They guessed it must be their master's doing.
Luo Wentian was inwardly thrilled.
He felt more powerful than ever—his worries disappeared.
But he knew—
this wasn't his own merit.
Without the Thunder Tiger False Core, he'd be nothing more than a stronger White Mist Realm cultivator.
He marveled silently and cast a subtle glance toward the Mingwu Pavilion.
He knew—two figures were watching from there.
That was why he had the confidence to act so boldly!
Luo Wentian roared to the sky:
"Capture every last spy!"
After his stunning display, those who had been hesitant to help changed their minds.
Some began acting to help intercept the fleeing spies.
Especially those who had performed well on the Heart-Probing Platform.
They knew they were already half a member of the Zhenwu Sect, and fought even harder.
Of course, these were upright individuals to begin with.
Seeing such chaos, they wouldn't just stand by.
In the blink of an eye—
the spies were completely surrounded.
Outnumbered—
even if they had heaven-defying abilities, it was useless.
The White Mist Realm spies were all captured.
Only three remained on the run—
the Origin Core Realm middle-aged blade wielder, a Jade Liquid Realm woman in a black dress, and a one-eyed man from the Jade Liquid Realm.
The black-dressed woman and the one-eyed man were from the Demonic Sect.
The Origin Core Realm man was from the Southern Alliance.
Thunder crackled around Luo Wentian as he caught up with the blade wielder—
the two clashed violently.
The two Jade Liquid Realm spies were stopped by other strong participants from the Heart-Probing Platform.
Blade Qi and thunder palms clashed—shockwaves blasted out.
With the Thunder Tiger False Core empowering him,
Luo Wentian completely overwhelmed the Origin Core opponent.
As Zhenwu's Sect Leader, his aura surged to the heavens—
every disciple watching was awed.
Especially the children—
their eyes were full of admiration.
They had been panicked at first,
but Zhenwu disciples quickly calmed them.
Now that the scene was nearly under control, none of them were injured.
The children truly felt Zhenwu's strength—
and their desire to join the sect deepened.
Gou Dan watched everything unfold,
feeling as if a new world had opened before him.
He looked at Luo Wentian, lightning swirling around him, and thought he was the coolest man alive.
"If I can one day become as strong as Sect Leader Luo," he thought, "then my little sister will never go hungry again."
Suddenly—
his eyes widened.
He rubbed them in disbelief.
Was he seeing things?
A white ape in Daoist robes had silently appeared near the battlefield.
The ape didn't look big—
in fact, it seemed rather scrawny.
But the patches of fur exposed were silvery white like snow, mystical in appearance.
The white ape looked like it had been accidentally caught in the crossfire.
Gou Dan wanted to yell out a warning—
but the next moment, his face froze.
The white ape took a step forward—
its body rapidly expanded.
With each step, it grew taller.
In an instant, a massive figure appeared.
A six-zhang-tall white ape in Daoist robes stood there—
its expression fierce yet serene, its golden eyes seeming to pierce through everything.
In the battlefield—
the one-eyed man shouted harshly:
"You dare meddle in the affairs of the Sacred Sect? Do you have a death wish?"
He and the black-dressed woman felt the pressure rising—
forced to invoke the Demonic Sect to threaten everyone.
Some people's expressions changed.
It was a problem indeed.
If they failed to join Zhenwu and got marked by the Demonic Sect—
it would be a miserable fate.
But the next second—
people gasped in shock.
Their eyes filled with disbelief.
The one-eyed man felt a chill in his heart.
He turned—his pupils shrank.
A towering white ape, over six zhang tall, was silently approaching—
its body like a small mountain, radiating terrifying pressure.
Its golden eyes gleamed with cold insight.
The man's heart pounded.
He howled in panic, erupting his Qi fully.
A sense of unprecedented danger gripped him.
Yuan Tiansheng let out a sky-shaking roar.
He had cultivated under Ning Qi for six or seven years—
and never once revealed his true form as the Monkey King.
Now, with Ning Qi's permission, he finally had the chance.
Golden eyes swept the field—
the one-eyed man's movements were laid bare.
Yuan Tiansheng simply raised a fist.
Terrifying power surged.
Silver light danced across his fur—
he smashed through the man's Qi like it was paper.
Then—
the fist landed.
Bones cracked loudly.
The one-eyed man crashed into a crater, coughing blood nonstop.
Everyone watching was stunned.
Where did this monstrous white ape come from—
able to crush a Jade Liquid Realm fighter with a single punch?!
Was this also Zhenwu's hidden power?
Today had opened everyone's eyes.
Even Zhenwu's own disciples were dumbfounded.
Even those who usually played around with the white ape were stunned.
He had always seemed mischievous and dim-witted—
a Daoist boy under Uncle Ninth.
But now they realized—
that same "foolish monkey" was terrifyingly powerful!
Ye Qinghe's eyes were wide open.
She couldn't believe it—
the little monkey she brought back with Ning Qi years ago had become this strong.
Stronger than herself.
Seeing what he did to the one-eyed man,
she figured she couldn't even take a single punch.
Was this really the goofy little guy who once taught her to brew peach blossom wine?
Zhuang Chen and Li Ling were dumbfounded.
The three of them used to hang out all the time—
and now you're telling me you can punch Jade Liquid Realms and kick Origin Core Realms?!
Xiong Shi and the others, though shocked, reacted quickly.
They moved in to capture the one-eyed man.
These spies couldn't be killed just like that—
they had to be thoroughly interrogated.
Xiong Shi's eyes were cold—already thinking of how to extract every last bit of information.
At this moment—
the black-dressed woman, seeing her companion's miserable state, was overwhelmed with fear.
She had no desire to fight anymore—
she only wanted to flee.
But Yuan Tiansheng wasn't slow.
As the white ape stepped forward, it was as if wind and thunder followed in his wake.
In just a few strides, he appeared behind the black-dressed woman.
A mountainous hand reached out—
the woman let out a sharp scream, suffocated by the overwhelming pressure, but her struggle was useless.
In just a breath's time, she followed in the one-eyed man's footsteps—
caught in the white ape's grasp, her bones and tendons shattered.
The white ape felt no pity for beauty—
he casually flung her aside, making the surrounding Qi Origin experts break into a cold sweat.
Too fierce!
The situation had changed far too quickly.
In mere moments, only the Origin Core blade wielder was still fighting alone.
But he too was being utterly suppressed by Luo Wentian—
bolts of lightning pierced through the air, striking him again and again.
His whole body had started to go numb, while his Blade Qi couldn't even pierce Luo Wentian's thunder.
It wasn't even a fight anymore.
And now, seeing the sudden emergence of that towering six-zhang white ape—
his heart pounded with terror.
Clenching his jaw, he made a desperate move—
his blade shot out like a flying dragon, and he forcefully used his left arm to absorb a thunder palm in exchange for a backward retreat.
It was a risky move—if it failed, he'd be seriously injured, perhaps fatally.
The blade wielder coughed up blood.
He flew backward at lightning speed.
Luo Wentian was briefly startled—
he still lacked some experience in battling Qi Origin experts.
But soon, he calmed down, a trace of admiration appearing in his eyes.
The white ape had already been waiting in the distance.
Golden light shimmered in his eyes—
he could see the flow of power clearly, and easily guessed the blade wielder's intentions.
Now he simply lay in wait.
The giant ape's leg lashed out—like a mountain collapsing—
bringing wind and thunder with it as it stomped down on the middle-aged blade wielder.
Even as an Origin Core expert, he couldn't withstand such force—
he flew back even faster.
Luo Wentian struck with a palm—lightning roared across the sky, sealing the deal.
The blade wielder coughed blood endlessly, nearly dying on the spot.
Xiong Shi personally moved in and captured him.
In the blink of an eye, the chaos was over.
Inside Mingwu Pavilion—
Ning Qi and Daoist Longshan both wore smiles.
Zhenwu disciples had acted with precision and confidence—
they were quite pleased.
Daoist Longshan marveled:
"Tiansheng, that little monkey… when did he become this strong?"
He had sensed something before, but never knew Yuan Tiansheng had grown so powerful.
This was almost enough to call him Zhenwu's third strongest!
Ning Qi smiled.
"Tiansheng has a powerful bloodline, paired with great perception and willpower. His Dao heart is solid—his strength isn't surprising. His bloodline developed quickly, and he also trained in martial arts."
Daoist Longshan was stunned.
"Martial arts?"
Though Yuan Tiansheng hadn't revealed much earlier, Longshan still noticed something unusual.
Ning Qi nodded.
"I created the Ape King Stance, Ape King Force, and Ape King True Qi based on human martial arts. With those, he successfully awakened his bloodline. But lately, the more I observe, the more I realize—maybe the path of awakening for exotic beasts isn't so different from martial arts after all."
Daoist Longshan's eyes filled with even greater awe.
To create an entirely new martial path for a beast—
such a world-shaking act sounded casual coming from his young disciple.
But this was truly what Ning Qi believed.
Currently, Yuan Tiansheng's power came largely from his bloodline.
Without it, his Inner Origin Realm cultivation wouldn't be nearly enough to reach such heights.
Of course, the martial arts Ning Qi taught were also crucial—
the Ape King True Form secret art was practically equivalent to his bloodline ability now.
But Ning Qi also discovered two major benefits of martial arts for exotic beasts:
One, they gave beasts with weaker bloodlines a way to grow stronger.
Two, they helped stronger ones awaken their latent power.
Daoist Longshan was filled with emotion.
Unknowingly, his young disciple had already achieved so many incredible feats.
He paused to sense the surroundings, then asked:
"Xiao Jiu, did you sense any Heaven-Man Realm presence?"
Ning Qi shook his head slightly.
"No. If a Heaven-Man appears, the Zhenwu Sword Stele will react."
After reaching the Origin Core Realm, he had reinforced the stele with sword intent—
not only could it be used for comprehension, but in critical moments, it could also confront enemies.
"It's normal they didn't show.
The Southern Alliance has always been cautious.
That Origin Core woman who attacked late at night was like that too.
These spies were likely a probe.
If it worked—great.
If not—they were expendable."
Daoist Longshan nodded in agreement.
But his gaze turned cold.
"So many forces planting spies in our sect—partly due to our rising fame.
But the Southern Alliance may truly suspect us because of past events."
"We need to remind our disciples to be extra cautious during future outings—
to avoid being ambushed."
Ning Qi nodded slightly.
He was already thinking of countermeasures.
For now, eradicating the Demonic Sect and the Southern Alliance was impossible.
What he could do—
was strengthen his disciples as much as possible.
…
In Zhenwu City—
inside a private suite of an inn.
Qin Yun and the Southern Alliance Saintess sat quietly drinking tea.
All around them, the city buzzed with discussion—
about the Zhenwu entrance test.
"The Stairway to Heaven, puppet formation, and Heart-Probing Platform?"
The Saintess listened to the chatter, her eyes flickering.
She had already received detailed information on the first two.
Their mystical nature surprised her.
Zhenwu Sect had only been around for a few decades—
yet now unveiled one astonishing creation after another.
"Saint Qin, when you were at Zhenwu, did you ever hear of these things?" she asked curiously.
Qin Yun silently shook his head.
He had left Zhenwu only four or five years ago—
but the changes in that short time surpassed his entire two decades there.
Even he was struggling to understand the source.
However—
her question clearly annoyed him.
He replied coldly:
"If the Saintess has time to worry about me, perhaps you should focus more on the Heart-Probing Platform.
My intuition tells me—something big is about to go wrong."
Based on timing, the spies were likely undergoing the heart test by now.
The Saintess was just about to retort—
when her expression suddenly shifted.
A subtle fluctuation of power rippled through her—
her control over her own energy momentarily slipped.
Qin Yun's eyes glinted.
He asked calmly:
"Something happened?"
The Saintess gave him a long, deep look.
"Saint Qin, you truly have prophetic foresight.
All of our Southern Alliance pawns have been wiped out.
Even the Origin Core one.
And I suppose your Demonic Sect hasn't fared much better."
She had just sensed the disruption in the parasites within her agents.
The suite fell silent.
Qin Yun let out a cold laugh.
"I told you not to underestimate Zhenwu.
My master and senior brother are not ordinary men.
If they decided to open the sect's gates,
they were surely well-prepared."
He felt inwardly relieved.
He had planned to leak intel if the spies succeeded,
but doing so would have drawn suspicion—especially since he had been responsible.
And he didn't know about the Southern Alliance's pawns.
This result was the best.
The Saintess gazed toward Zhenwu Mountain.
Eventually, she smiled softly.
"If they're that hard to deal with,
we'll just take our time."
But in her heart—
she now held a trace of suspicion toward Qin Yun.
She didn't say it out loud.
She was already planning a trap to test him later.
One failure wasn't the end.
If anything, it made her even more intrigued by Zhenwu—
especially the mystical tools used in this recruitment.
What power did the Heart-Probing Platform truly possess—
to expose all spies in mere moments?
…
Around the Heart-Probing Platform—
one spy after another had been captured.
Luo Wentian had already withdrawn the power of the False Core—
returning to his usual calm self.
The white ape also returned to his normal form.
He bowed respectfully to Luo Wentian.
"Grandmaster!"
Luo Wentian smiled.
"Well done, Tiansheng."
He was once again amazed by his Ninth Junior Brother—
even his little white ape was so formidable, yet had never shown it before.
He glanced at the captured spies and signaled Xiong Shi to take them away.
They could be interrogated later.
Turning to the Qi Origin experts who had assisted, he gave a heartfelt thanks:
"Thank you all for your help.
The Zhenwu Sect is deeply grateful.
You will be generously rewarded."
Everyone waved it off.
They knew full well—
even if they hadn't acted, Zhenwu could've handled it easily.
They dared not take credit.
The Qi Origin experts who felt confident about passing—
now looked bright-eyed.
Luo Wentian didn't disappoint.
He announced the list on the spot.
Out of the thirty-some who entered the Heart-Probing Platform—
five were spies.
A dozen or so had flawed temperament—
cruel, selfish, or hypocritical.
They had stood by during the chaos, confirming the platform's effectiveness.
In the end—
sixteen passed.
Twelve from the White Mist Realm,
and four from the Jade Liquid Realm.
While they had minor flaws,
they were overall upright and trustworthy.
After the announcement—
Luo Wentian smiled.
"From today, you are Zhenwu disciples.
You will temporarily serve as Guardians.
Protect Zhenwu—and Zhenwu will treat you without reservation."
He bowed deeply, with utmost sincerity.
Though they joined midway,
if they proved their loyalty,
Luo Wentian would gladly embrace them fully.
Everyone responded solemnly:
"We greet the Sect Leader!"
They felt proud.
Leaving aside the Heavenly Sword and Daoist Longshan—
Luo Wentian and the white ape alone had been terrifying enough.
Let alone all the other displays of hidden strength.
Even the looks of envy from the surrounding crowd proved their good fortune.
Luo Wentian was in high spirits.
With these sixteen Guardians—
Zhenwu Sect's mid-to-high-level combat strength had now received a tremendous boost.
In some time, the original nine disciples of Zhenwu would each be able to break through to the Jade Liquid Realm, or even the Origin Core Realm, allowing a smooth transition of strength.
After news of this assessment at Zhenwu Mountain spread,
Zhenwu Sect's prestige would surely rise to a new height.
Luo Wentian turned to look at the remaining children and smiled:
"Alright, little ones, it's your turn for the trial. Once you pass the Heart-Probing Platform, you'll be members of Zhenwu!"
Hundreds of children looked at each other.
They had just witnessed the strength of Luo Wentian, the white ape, and the elders.
All of them had grown eager to join the sect—
but now that the moment had come, some began to shrink back.
After all, the power of the Heart-Probing Platform had been shown very clearly earlier.
Luo Wentian didn't rush them—he simply smiled.
Just a single breath passed before someone responded:
"M-me! I'll go!"
Gou Dan was the first to step forward.
Having eaten his fill and just witnessed a grand battle,
his resolve had only grown stronger.
His bandaged hand raised, eyes full of determination.
He had clearly seen the magic of the Heart-Probing Platform—
but he wasn't afraid.
He was here to join Zhenwu.
He wasn't a spy—he had nothing to fear from the truth.
Luo Wentian burst into laughter, his gaze full of approval:
"Very good!"
Hearing Luo Wentian's praise, Gou Dan grinned foolishly—
the other children all looked at him with envy.
Right after Gou Dan, voices rang out in succession:
"I'll go!"
"Me too!"
Almost all of them were those who had performed well on the Stairway to Heaven.
The rest quickly came to their senses and responded one after another.
But just from these few breaths of delay,
one could already see the difference in mindset and wisdom among the children.
Luckily, the Heart-Probing Platform was big enough.
Nearly five hundred entered together.
Just like before,
they relaxed their minds.
The solemn voice rang out once again.
For the children, the questioning was even stricter—
after all, they were the future of Zhenwu. Their roots had to be straight.
Respect for teachers, bonds with fellow disciples, sense of chivalry, the heart for martial cultivation...
All these aspects were part of the test.
Of course—
they were also asked where they came from.
A few minor spies were silently exposed.
Some factions had long-term plans—trying to infiltrate from the root.
If one of their geniuses rose to a high position within Zhenwu, the payoff would be a hundredfold.
Luo Wentian sneered coldly and had those little spies taken away as well.
No one interrupted—
most didn't even realize people had already been removed.
The questioning continued.
Luo Wentian paid close attention to Gou Dan.
Twice now, the boy had left a deep impression.
He had already started developing a fondness for this talent.
During the questioning—
Gou Dan's answers were firm and pure.
"He has a younger sister? She must be a very important person in his life," Luo Wentian noted silently.
He was already considering taking him as a disciple.
Though the sect leader's disciple wasn't necessarily the next sect leader,
it was still a matter that had to be handled with utmost care.