The Third Chamber was serene.
Peach blossoms drifted in the wind. A gentle stream flowed over smooth stones. The air smelled of eternal spring.
It was a jarring contrast to the bloody hellscape of the Hall of Mirrors they had just escaped.
One by one, the survivors stumbled through the entrance door.
Sword Ancestor Wuji was bleeding from his chest. His robes were slashed.
Demon Commander Gui was missing an arm (which was slowly regenerating).
Sect Leader Jian looked like he had aged ten years.
Of the thousands who entered the Tomb, only about fifty people made it to the Third Test. The rest were either dead or ejected.
"We... we made it," the Violet Mist Matriarch gasped, leaning on her staff. "Is this the Legacy Chamber?"
"No," a lazy voice called out from under a peach tree.
They looked up.
Jiang Chen was lying on a silk blanket, tossing a peach into the air and catching it.
Ye Kai, Su Ling, and Wei Wu were sitting around him, eating lunch.
"This is the waiting room," Jiang Chen pointed to the center of the garden. "That big guy is the doorman."
In the center of the path stood a massive Stone Golem. It was 30 feet tall, carved from ancient grey granite. Its eyes were closed.
Behind it lay the final gate to the Heart of the World.
The Test of Truth
Xie Molin (Demon Commander) stepped forward, his eyes burning with killing intent.
"I don't have time for games," he hissed. "Move, stone trash."
He unleashed a Blood Slash at the Golem.
CLANG.
The red energy hit the Golem's chest and shattered. Not even a scratch.
The Golem opened its eyes. They glowed with a piercing blue light that seemed to scan the soul.
"Violence is forbidden in the Garden," the Golem rumbled. Its voice was heavy, vibrating in their chests.
"Test 3: The Garden of Truth."
"Rule: Answer one question. Speak the truth, and pass. Speak a lie, and be crushed."
"A truth test?" Grandma Venom (Violet Mist Ancestor) scoffed. "Simple. We are righteous cultivators. We have nothing to hide."
"Good," the Golem turned its gaze to Demon Commander Sha (The Blood Shark).
"You first. Why do you seek the Heart of the World?"
Commander Sha grinned, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth. He didn't hesitate.
"To slaughter," Sha laughed. "I want the power to turn this world into a blood farm. I want to eat the livers of every living human and offer their souls to the Emperor."
The Righteous Elders gasped. "Monster! Such evil!"
The Golem's eyes flashed green.
"Truth Detected."
"Purity of Malice: 100%."
"Pass."
The gate opened slightly. Commander Sha laughed and walked through.
"What?!" Monk Bujie (Vajra Ancestor) shouted. "He admitted to genocide! And you let him pass?!"
"I judge Truth, not Morality," the Golem rumbled. "He is honest about his nature. Now, it is your turn, Monk."
The Fall of the Righteous
Monk Bujie stepped forward. He adjusted his kasaya robes, looking holy and dignified.
"Ask, Guardian."
"Why do you seek the Heart of the World?"
Monk Bujie put his hands together in prayer. "Amitabha. I seek the power to purify the world of demons. I wish to bring peace and save all sentient beings from suffering."
The Golem stared at him.
The blue eyes turned red.
"Lie Detected."
WHAM.
The Golem's massive stone fist moved faster than sound.
"Wait!" Bujie screamed.
He barely raised his golden staff to block.
CRACK.
The staff shattered. The fist slammed into the Monk, burying him into the ground up to his neck.
"URGH!" Bujie coughed blood.
"Hypocrisy detected," the Golem intoned. "You do not care about suffering. You seek the Heart to extend your own lifespan because you fear death. Speak the truth!"
Bujie, humiliated and crushed, wheezed. "Fine! True! I want to live forever! I don't want to die!"
The Golem's eyes turned green.
"Truth Detected. Pass."
It lifted its fist. Monk Bujie crawled out of the crater, his reputation in tatters. The other monks looked away in shame.
The Parade of Shame
One by one, the "Righteous" Ancestors faced the Golem. And one by one, they were exposed.
Grandma Venom: claimed she wanted to protect her sect.
Lie. She actually wanted to use the Heart to cure her own disfigured face.
Sect Leader Jian: claimed he wanted to uphold justice.
Lie. He wanted to make the Heavenly Sword Sect the dictator of the region.
The Garden of Truth became a public confession booth. The Elders were forced to scream their darkest, most selfish desires to avoid being crushed.
"I want more concubines!"
"I want to kill my rival!"
"I stole my brother's inheritance!"
Jiang Chen sat on his blanket, eating a peach.
"Man," Jiang Chen shook his head. "These guys are messier than a soap opera. Su Ling, are you recording this?"
"In 4K resolution, Master," Su Ling tapped her glasses. "This blackmail material is worth at least 500 Million Spirit Stones."
"Excellent investment."
The Final Contestant
Finally, it was Xie Molin's turn.
The Demon Commander walked up to the Golem. He looked tired.
"Why do you seek the Heart?"
Xie Molin looked at the gate. He looked at Jiang Chen in the distance.
"Because I am the strongest," Xie Molin said arrogance. "It belongs to me by right of conquest."
"Lie," the Golem rumbled. "You are not the strongest here."
Xie Molin froze.
The entire garden went silent.
"What did you say?" Xie Molin hissed. "I am Void Treading Level 9! Who is stronger than me?!"
The Golem didn't answer. It just raised its fist.
"Rephrase, or die."
Xie Molin trembled with rage. He was being humiliated. But he couldn't fight the Golem's rules.
"Fine," he gritted his teeth. "I want it... to prove I am not a failure. To prove to the Emperor that I am worthy."
"Truth Detected. Insecurity: High. Pass."
Xie Molin walked through the gate, his face burning with shame. He shot a glance at Jiang Chen.
'Not the strongest? Does the Golem mean... him?'
The Assembly
Finally, everyone had passed (or died trying).
The group stood before the Fourth Gate.
It wasn't a door. It was a bridge.
A narrow bridge made of bone, stretching over an endless abyss of void lightning.
Test 4: The Bridge of Sacrifice.
Jiang Chen stood up and dusted off his pants.
"Alright, show's over. No more peaches."
He walked to the front of the group.
Sword Ancestor Wuji glared at him. "Junior. You passed the Golem first. What did you tell it?"
"Me?" Jiang Chen smiled. "I told it I was broke and wanted loot."
Wuji blinked. "That's it?"
"That's it," Jiang Chen shrugged. "Unlike you old fogies, I don't pretend to be a saint. It saves a lot of time."
He stepped onto the Bone Bridge.
"Be careful," Jiang Chen warned without looking back. "The Golem checked your words. This bridge... checks your worth."