The three newcomers were assigned to different areas of the Mortal Sect.
No interrogation.No surveillance.No pressure.
The sect's response was simple:
"Stay wherever you wish."
The First Man — "Wandering Cultivator"
He was placed at the outer perimeter of the Trial Forest.
He had expected hostility.Challenges.Tests.
Instead—
No one bothered him.
No one provoked him.No one taught him.No one even questioned his background.
He wandered for half a day, increasingly unsettled.
"…How am I supposed to stir trouble if no one reacts?"
Even picking a fight required an opponent.
And here—
There was none.
The Second Man — "Cultivation Victim"
He was arranged beside the Lecture Hall.
"Attend classes. Rest. Stabilize your mind."
Perfect.
He had prepared a tragic speech.A moving tale of suffering.A spark to ignite fear.
Day One's lecture topic:
"Five Paths After Cultivation Failure"
He sat there, stunned.
Day Two, he attempted a different approach.
Perhaps emotional manipulation.Seed doubt. Spread anxiety.
The lecture topic:
"You Are Free Not to Cultivate"
Day Three—
He gave up entirely.
Nothing he prepared could take root.
Because the sect had already addressed every fear he intended to weaponize.
The Third Man — "Admiring Genius"
He was assigned to a Basic Mutual-Assist Group.
No secret techniques.No privileged resources.
Only one activity:
Recording each other's mistakes.
"You were breathing too fast.""You disrupted someone else's spiritual rhythm.""You struck without restraint."
Every flaw was calmly pointed out.
By everyone.
Including toward him.
At first—
He endured it.
Barely.
But on the third day—
He exploded.
"Enough!"
He shot to his feet, eyes blazing.
"My cultivation level is the highest here!"
"By what right do you judge me?!"
Silence fell over the group.
Shen Yan looked at him.
His voice was calm. Unshaken.
"You don't have to listen."
"But you don't get to demand that others only listen to you."
And at that exact moment—
The Sect Assistance Module activated quietly.
Every disciple felt it.
Not pain.Not suppression.
But something subtler.
When one's actions became incompatible with sect principles—
The support simply ceased.
No punishment.
Just—
No amplification.
No invisible assistance.
No shared stability bonus.
The infiltrator's cultivation speed plummeted.
Not blocked.
Just…
No longer carried.
His expression twisted in panic.
"What did you do to me?!"
"What kind of technique is this?!"
No one answered.
Because they had done nothing.
That was the most terrifying part.
That Night
All three men—
Independently—
Sought the exit.
No one chased them.No one stopped them.
Xiao Xuanyin did not even appear.
Only a newly placed wooden sign:
— Exit Zone
Before leaving—
The so-called "genius" turned back one final time.
He stared at the Mortal Sect.
And for the first time—
Fear filled his eyes.
"…This place…"
His voice was low. Uneasy.
"…is too clean."
Too clean for schemes.Too clean for manipulation.Too clean for corruption.
Immortal Realm — Hall of Balance
Three reports arrived simultaneously.
— Infiltration Failed
Not due to exposure.
Not due to elimination.
But because—
Their system simply could not take root.
The Immortal Arbiter stood in silence for a long time.
Then finally spoke:
"…There are no vacant seats of power there."
In the Mortal Sect—
Authority was not something you seized.
It was something the structure either supported—
Or rejected.
Meanwhile — Mortal Sect
Su Wan's phone lit up.
New notifications cascading across the screen.
[External Destabilization Attempt: FAILED][Sect Stability: +40%][New Feature Unlocked: Trial Forest — Deep Zone]
Su Wan's eyes gleamed.
A slow smile spread across her lips.
"…Finally."
"The deep forest."
"Time to hunt monsters."
Trial Forest — Deep Within
Shen Yan's spirit beast suddenly froze.
Its fur bristled.
A low growl rumbled from its throat.
This was not ordinary danger.
Not wild beasts.
Not corrupted cultivators.
This was—
A true spiritual entity.
High Above
Xiao Xuanyin stood overlooking the forest.
His gaze sharp. Cold. Anticipating.
"…Prepare yourselves."
His voice carried like distant thunder.
"The Mortal Sect…"
"…will launch its first offensive."