Players: All NPCs in the Sect Are Moles

The path to the mission location was not an easy one for Lu Ping and the others. It was in a corner of the Spirit Beast Garden, an area only recently opened up on the map.

At first, they could still see a few normal stalks of Spirit Grass, and a couple of startled wild rabbits would occasionally dart past. The scene could, at a stretch, be described as "man and nature in harmony."

But as the group ventured deeper, the atmosphere began to take a dark turn.

The surrounding trees gave way to a strange species called "Black Thornwood." Their branches coiled like snakes and were covered in sharp barbs.

"This... This is the path to the incubation chamber?" one of the undercover agents couldn't help but rub the goosebumps on his arms, his voice trembling. "Why does this feel less like a path to an incubation chamber and more like the Yellow Springs Road to King Yama's tomb? Did we walk onto the wrong set?"

"Heh heh!" His companion glanced at him with a smile, trying to combat the fear with humor. "Thinking a bit small, aren't we? Miss Su said this is a test of 'love.' The harsher the environment, the more it highlights the tenacity and preciousness of life... Then again, I doubt even a ghost would want to be reincarnated in a place like this."

To the other undercover agents, however, these words carried a different meaning.

They weren't sure if a plant from the Guixi Sect—a monitor or guide—was in their midst. Lu Ping was the prime suspect. After all, they had only reached the twentieth or thirtieth step on the Asking Dao Ladder, while Lu Ping was a powerhouse who had reached the eightieth. This stark difference made them suspect he was planted by the Guixi Sect to keep an eye on them.

'That guy's words must have offended the monitor watching from the shadows, not to mention Miss Su. Hope they leave his body intact.'

Yet even in this environment, Lu Ping remained in his usual, somewhat leisurely state. Or rather, his Great Dream Leisurely Skill required him to maintain this very state. Only then could it be considered cultivation.

His hands were tucked into his sleeves, his eyelids hung half-closed, making him look just like a sleepy sloth.

His steps seemed casual, but each one landed on solid ground. He exuded a sense of ease that was completely at odds with his surroundings.

This very sense of ease made the other undercover agents, their own nerves stretched taut, feel like they were sitting on pins and needles.

'We're all trembling in our boots, so how come you're so damn cool? Are you actually the guide? The monitor? Do you know what kind of test is coming up?'

Finally, the undercover agent who had been secretly watching Lu Ping ever since the Asking Dao Ladder could no longer hold back.

He hurried forward a few steps to Lu Ping's side, a fawning smile on his face.

"Um... Mr. Lu? I'm Wang, a Loose Cultivator. I've heard so much about you! Your feat on the Asking Dao Ladder earlier, reaching the eightieth step—it was truly an inspiration to us all! Your poise, your bearing... like a hidden dragon emerging from the depths!"

Lu Ping glanced at the man. "Oh. Hello."

Wang: "..."

'That's it? Your reaction is way too cold! Can you give a guy a break? I'm running out of breath from all this ass-kissing!'

Wang gave a dry laugh and, not one to give up, continued to probe, trying to get a glimpse into the master's mind. "A man of your incredible talent, Mr. Lu... why would you take on a... ahem, an egg-hatching mission like this, where the outcome seems so uncertain?"

At these words, Lu Ping paused, his gaze turning to the darkness looming ahead.

'Why did I choose this one?'

'Because I don't have time to waste grinding away at trivial tasks like "clipping a monkey's nails" or "shoveling rhino dung."'

'That's all manual labor. It's exhausting, you have to deal with the temperamental beasts, and the rewards look pathetic. It's useless for my cultivation.'

'The place that held the truth behind his childhood nightmares and his parents' disappearance was always at the forefront of his mind.'

'There are only three spots left for Broken Sword Ridge, but the number of competitors is endless. And every single one of these undercover agents is acting like they're on steroids.'

'If I just follow the conventional path, there are too many variables! I have to do something unorthodox to have a chance of being chosen!'

'This "special mission" that popped up out of nowhere is strange, even dangerous, but high risk often comes with high reward!'

'For the sake of that truth, forget hatching an egg—if they told me to hatch a rock, I'd warm that rock up! Hell, if they told me to be this egg's father, I'd do it!'

But of course, he wasn't about to say any of this to Wang.

Lu Ping retracted his gaze and casually tossed out a reason. "Those other missions are too noisy. Too many people, too many prying eyes. It's quiet here. Good for... self-cultivation."

"S-Self-cultivation?" Wang was dumbfounded, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.

'Buddy, look around you! The black trees, the eerie shadows, the gusts of cold wind, the stench of death... you call this quiet? You call this *self-cultivation*? What kind of self are you cultivating? The kind that enjoys King Yama's company?'

"If the heart is not at peace, how can one seek the Dao?" Lu Ping added, speaking in vague platitudes as he started making things up. "Besides, since it is a 'new life,' it must be a matter of fate. To go with the flow is the righteous path. Since no one else wanted this egg, it must be fated for me."

These words struck Wang and the few other eavesdropping agents like a bolt of lightning.

'Go with the flow? Self-cultivation?'

'Self-cultivation in this terrifying, demonic cavern?'

'This isn't about hatching an egg! This is clearly a trial to temper his Dao heart! Now *that's* what you call enlightenment!'

'On the Asking Dao Ladder, Lu Ping broke through the illusion by relying on that very "go-with-the-flow" Dao heart. And now, he's planning to temper it even further by hatching a demonic creature?'

'What a profound state of being! What incredible confidence! No wonder he was able to reach the eightieth step!'

'And if he really is the plant from the Guixi Sect—pah! The monitor, the guide—then that's even more terrifying! Who else could make a suicide mission sound so noble and profound?'

The awe in Wang's eyes deepened. "Mr. Lu, your cultivation level is truly... profound. We mere mortals only see fear and disgust, but you, Mr. Lu, have already seen 'opportunity' and 'the Dao heart'! I'm in awe, truly in awe! It is I who was shallow!"

Suddenly, a cave appeared before them. The ground around its mouth was barren, with not a single blade of grass in sight. Strange lines were scrawled across the rock face, resembling bizarre talismans or perhaps a child's graffiti.

A chilling wind blew WHOOSH out of the cave, carrying a thick, foul stench. The entrance looked like the gaping maw of a great beast, waiting for its meal to walk right in.

The group stopped in their tracks. Whatever admiration Lu Ping's words had stirred in them was mostly blown away by that chilling gust of wind.

"Do... do we go in?" someone asked, their voice raspy after a hard swallow. "This place doesn't look right at all."

"Since we're here, let's see it through."

Lu Ping muttered the phrase to himself. It was both a personal motto and a reminder for the current situation.

'For the sake of Broken Sword Ridge, he was determined to brave this dragon's den.'

'Even if it's a mountain of knives and a sea of fire in there, he'd just have to use it to hard-boil that damn egg.'

He tightened his collar and was the first to step into the darkness.

Regardless of whether Lu Ping was a master in disguise, a monitor, or a guide, he had gone in.

The others saw their "guide" enter. If they dawdled outside, wouldn't they be giving someone an advantage? It wouldn't be good to give their competitors leverage, and it would be even worse to give the real monitor something to hold over them. It would make things difficult later. So, steeling themselves, they all followed.

Besides, as terrifying as the unknown was, being left behind was even worse.

After passing through a tunnel, the view opened up before them, causing everyone to gasp.

'Was this some kind of heavily-fortified, underground water prison?'

The black walls glistened with a cold light. The air was silent, save for the DRIP... DRIP... of water.

"One person per room. Enter and begin incubation."

Mr. Qian's emotionless voice echoed from the shadows, making everyone jump.

'Mr. Qian? How did you get here? Hey, could you please not be so terrifying? Couldn't you have just set up a desk in a well-lit area and told us what to do? You're going to scare us to death!'

'You're a great master who can be anywhere at once, so could you stop with all the spooky shenanigans?'

He stood in the shadows, watching them with a blank expression.

"The doors will not open until the mission is complete. You may repeat the mission from within. Rewards can be claimed on the spot upon completion."

The undercover agents stared at the rows of dark, imposing doors. Combined with the unnerving atmosphere, their legs began to feel weak. 'This isn't accepting a mission, this is lining up for our own funerals!'

"I'll take that one," Lu Ping said, pointing casually.

Without waiting for a reaction, he walked straight toward it. His retreating figure had the tragic air of a hero marching to his doom.

Seeing this, the others could only grit their teeth and choose their own cells, silently cursing the Guixi Sect and all their ancestors.

Lu Ping pushed open the heavy stone door.

GRIND— The sound of the stone door scraping against the floor was a low, harsh rumble.

The room was bare save for a single stone bed.

And on that stone bed lay an oval... tumor.

Its surface was a grayish-brown, crisscrossed with bluish-purple veins that pulsed faintly. At its peak was an opening like a closed flower bud, which contracted and expanded with each beat, occasionally oozing a viscous fluid.

'What the hell is this godforsaken thing?! How are you supposed to hatch it? Sit on it?'

The sight of the thing was enough to traumatize every last one of the undercover agents.

Lu Ping stared at the thing, his own stomach churning.

'So this was the "new life" Miss Su mentioned? This was the "little baby" that needed to be "nurtured with love"?'

'Her aesthetic sense is a little too avant-garde, isn't it? If something hatches from this and calls me "Daddy," I think I'd have to put it out of its misery right then and there.'

But a deep-seated resolve appeared in his eyes.

'No matter what kind of monster this is, if I can hatch it, I might get the opportunity I need to go to Broken Sword Ridge!'

'As long as it gets me to Broken Sword Ridge, I'll do it.'

*Huuu...*

Lu Ping let out a long breath, steadying his breathing to regain his composure.

BOOM!

The runed stone door slammed shut on its own, sealing him inside the chamber.

"Alright," he murmured, "let's see what you really are."

He whispered to himself and slowly closed his eyes, calming his aura until it was perfectly steady. Then, he began to approach the bizarre entity.

Just then.

HISS—

From several small holes in the corner of the room, a colorless smoke suddenly began to hiss out...

No one noticed a thing.