Celestial Taoist

Chapter 36 Trial of the Sinner

The entrance to the trial realm was a row of about twenty two-person wide-sight doors. Ten people stood in front of the doors; they were the new recruits and their leaders who were participating in the trial.

"Brother Li, if we survive this trial, we'll definitely invite you for drinks and laughter then." A man patted Li Mofan on the shoulder, his voice hearty. This man was named Zhang Shuo, whom Li Mofan had just met while inquiring about the trial. However, like Li Mofan, the others participating in the trial knew nothing about it.

The trial portal had no frame and glowed with a pale blue light.

"Show your number plates!" The team leader was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his early forties. As soon as he finished speaking, everyone put their number plates in their hands. The team leader then used a silver-white metal bar to scan each person's number plate.

When he glanced at Li Mofan, he could clearly sense a change in the team leader's expression, but he quickly composed himself and moved on to the next person.

Before long, the team leader had finished sweeping. He put away his stick, pointed at Li Mofan, and then waved to the secret realm on the far right: "You, enter this secret realm."

Li Mofan nodded slightly and, under the watchful eyes of everyone, was the first to enter the secret realm.

Unlike cross-realm teleportation, this secret realm teleportation feels like simply stepping through an ordinary portal, except that the world behind this portal is naturally very different from the one before.

Unlike the bright light of the Heavenly Punishment World, the Secret Realm World was much dimmer. A dog-shaped mechanical construct stood before the portal, and upon hearing the sound of someone entering, it immediately leaped over.

Li Mofan connected to the optical computer interface on its head and immediately received a lot of information.

This secret realm trial mission is somewhat similar to the RTS games I've played on Earth, except that the subordinates I'm about to choose are all real living beings, and the mission requires me to defeat all sorts of strange enemies from past conquests of the Heavenly Punishment World, which are simulated in the secret realm.

Following the mechanical dog, clearly used for mission guidance, he arrived at a spacious corridor. At the end of the corridor was a row of stone chambers, each connected to the roof by rows of metal bars. Each chamber held dozens of creatures of various shapes and sizes. Most were huddled in the corners, their eyes vacant; some muttered to themselves, while others occasionally let out mournful howls or eerie laughter. However, with the quantum computer acting as a translator, Li Mofan could understand their language.

As Li Mofan approached the iron bars, a pale-faced, ragged man suddenly lunged at him, gripping the bars tightly with both hands, his knuckles white, his eyes filled with terror, his voice trembling as he pleaded, "Don't choose me! Please, don't choose me! I want to live a few more days, I don't want to die in the trial..." His voice was hoarse and broken, and as he spoke, he collapsed inside the bars, clutching his head, his shoulders trembling uncontrollably.

As soon as the words were spoken, from another column nearby, a hunched-over, scale-covered alien suddenly burst into laughter, its shrill, piercing sound: "Hahaha, it's useless! No matter who he chooses, it's all the same—death! If he fails, we'll just have another neighbor, another person to rot here with us! We're all going to die anyway, hahaha..."

Several other creatures huddled in a corner, indifferent to everything around them. Some stared blankly at the wall, while others muttered under their breath, exuding an aura of death, as if they had already accepted their fate of being used as tools for trial.

The mechanical dog stopped at Li Mofan's feet, and the quantum computer interface on its head lit up faintly. A cold notification sounded in Li Mofan's mind: "Please select 5 slaves. The selected slaves will be bound to the trial participant to complete the secret realm conquest mission together. The selection time is limited to 30 minutes. Please select as soon as possible."

Li Mofan stood in the middle of the corridor, his gaze calmly sweeping over each stone chamber and each slave. He had his own methods for assessing their strength and weakness.

He slowly raised his hand, and golden Dao essence emerged from his body, gently flicking it towards the metal bars beside the human slave who had just pleaded. A crisp clang rang out, the vibrations of spiritual energy striking the bars particularly jarring in the silent corridor. Li Mofan roared, "If even someone of my strength can't complete the mission while following me, you'd be better off dying here."

The human shuddered, and when he looked up, his fear was mixed with panic, but he remained slumped on the ground, trembling all over, unable to even get up, repeatedly muttering, "I can't, I dare not." Li Mofan glanced at him indifferently, seeing only fear in his emotions, with nothing else hidden, and immediately ruled him out.

Then, he walked to the stone chamber of the mad alien, his gaze sharp as a sword, his tone mocking: "You speak so arrogantly, but you're just afraid of this trial. If you truly had any skill, why would you cower here, masking your incompetence by mocking others?"

These words pierced the alien's sore spot like needles. He roared and lunged at the railing, his hands gripping the metal bars tightly, his knuckles turning bluish-purple from the force. His eyes, filled with madness, surged with violence: "You're talking nonsense! I'm strong! Choose me! I can help you kill those monsters! I don't want to rot here!" His emotions were fluctuating greatly, but he was at least determined, much stronger than the human slave from before.

Li Mofan understood, and without showing any emotion, he made a mental note of him. He then turned to the other slaves. He tried them one by one, and it didn't take much time. Soon he reached the end of the corridor, and he had already narrowed down his choices.

In a stone chamber at the end of the corridor, a three-person-tall, fiery red, flame-shaped beast leaned alone against the wall.

As Li Mofan approached, the strange beast suddenly straightened up, its gaze falling on the golden Dao Foundation floating around him. A hint of surprise flashed in its large, copper-bell-shaped pupils, and then its lips, outlined by flames, opened and closed, emitting a booming voice: "I didn't expect to see a Dao Foundation Realm cultivator here." There was no pleading, no madness, but rather a certain composure. "I am Huo Di, a bloodline awakener, awakened with the Burning Heaven Flame Vein. In terms of realm, I am equal to your Dao Foundation Realm."

Li Mofan's eyes flickered slightly, and he said calmly, "Li Mofan, since you have awakened your bloodline, why are you imprisoned here?" He didn't waste any time on pleasantries and went straight to the point, but there was a hint of scrutiny in his eyes. Bloodline awakeners with Evolutionary Talents are equivalent to those in the Foundation Establishment Realm. If he could be chosen, it would undoubtedly be a powerful ally.

Huo Di leaned against the railing of the stone chamber and replied, "It seems you don't know yet. This is the Trial Grounds for Sinners. Only those with the talent to cleanse themselves of sins are forcibly selected to enter this arena. I failed the Trial Grounds back then and was directly taken back by the Heavenly Punishment World and banished here to become a trial slave. Only by passing the trial together with the new trial participants can one have the chance to regain freedom and leave this place."

Li Mofan nodded slightly, not hiding his strength, "Follow me, pass the trial, and you will be able to break free from this cage."

A strange light flashed in Huo Di's eyes as he met Li Mofan's gaze: "Do you know that when I participated in the trial, I specifically chose three slaves of the same cultivation level to accompany me? In the end, only I survived by voluntarily abandoning the mission and letting the Heavenly Punishment World reclaim me. I advise you to follow my example and simply give up the trial, stay here and lie low. If you endure long enough, you'll eventually have a chance to escape."