Chapter 049: Weekly Journal—Zhou Xiaocheng, the Rising Star of the Dao Court’s New Generation

"Although we are called the First Heretical Sect of the Human Race by outsiders, many elders within our sect are actually people who stand up for justice," Ning Kunlun said. "Otherwise, we wouldn't have been hunted by the Dao Court all this time. Since you choose not to join the Dao Court, Qingjin, no matter which Dao Lord you ally yourself with, we are still comrades."

Qingjin's mouth felt dry. He could hardly believe that his friend of two years was from the Ancient Sage Sect!

"When you were taken away by the Meishan Command, I planned to secretly send word to nearby elders of the sect, so they could rescue you. But by then, you would have to join our Ancient Sage Sect," Ning Kunlun said apologetically. "Forgive me, I know that would have disregarded your own wishes."

"That's still better than being locked up in Meishan County. Who knows if the people hunting my elder brother are there too—they could even be working together," Qingzhen said, surprisingly open-minded.

"Dao Child of the Ancient Sage Sect, are you really the new-generation Dao Child of the largest heretical sect among the humans?" Zhou Ji was utterly shocked, his expression one of disbelief.

"Why be so surprised? Aren't you Zhou Xiaocheng, the new-generation Dao Child under the Dao Lord of Spirit Medicine Mountain in the Dao Court? Why keep up the act?" Ning Kunlun said with disdain.

His words prompted a cry of shock from Qingzhen.

Old Zhao and Qinghu looked at Zhou Ji in surprise.

They had always thought the two were close friends when they followed Qingjin here, but never imagined their bond went this deep—opposing factions, one from the heretical sect, one from the Dao Court!

Qingjin was full of inner complaints—how lucky could he be that the two friends he'd made over the past two years were both Dao Children!

With his identity revealed, Zhou Ji’s face was full of helplessness. "Yes, Zhou Ji is Zhou Xiaocheng. I come from the Spirit Medicine Mountain under the Dao Court, and the Dao Lord is my grandfather.

But why expose me? I was only hoping to make a couple of friends during my travels."

"Zhou Xiaocheng, you truly live up to your reputation as a Dao Court Dao Child. That Qidong Xuan of your Dao Court is just the same. Not a single pause when telling lies.

Do you dare deny your travels are actually the Dao Court's trial of worldly refinement?

Do you dare deny that this trial is all about befriending ordinary people, wandering cultivators, and the fallen of small families, while secretly reporting their transgressions to the Dao Court? Using the Court to arrange calamities for your friends, watching them struggle like insects caught in a web, through misfortune, injustice, and betrayal.

Witnessing their suffering to temper your own heart, seeing through the joys and sorrows of the mortal world, severing all attachment, and choosing the path of immortality?"

Qingjin and the others, hearing this, immediately turned pale with anger.

Damn it, Zhou Ji, who would have thought you were such a person!

"Zhou Ji, maybe a bit foolish, always daring to say and do anything. It was you who led us to dig up the tombs of Dao Court elders. Then you handed evidence of our tomb robbing to your protector assigned by the Dao Court, used them—even if Qingjin wasn’t hunted by the secret army, one day you’d destroy him, maybe even get him killed." If Qingjin from his previous life were here, he would have said, Ning Kunlun, you guessed it perfectly—damn it, the first person to teach me how to be a man was Zhou Xiaocheng, that bastard!

"Ning Kunlun, you’re going too far. Are you Ancient Sage Sect trying to start a war with the Dao Court right now?" Zhou Xiaocheng’s expression suddenly turned cold and fierce.

His entire demeanor changed, as if he were a different person.

Qingjin and the others also grew cold as his attitude shifted.

Such a venomous snake, to disguise himself as a sunny fool, was truly impressive.

"Haha, can you represent the Dao Court and start a war?

No, you can’t.

But even if war comes, so what? Our Ancient Sage Sect has deep foundations, we can withstand it. Your Dao Court is riddled with leaks, can you really endure a full-scale conflict with us?

Your Dao Court always plays these games, but it’ll lead to disaster. Your trials of worldly refinement break families, ruin lives—don’t you see how wicked that is?

The targets you choose are so innocent.

Our two newest Dao Lords were both forged by being victimized in your Dao Child trials."

Qingjin listened, then suddenly gazed intently at Zhou Ji.

But Zhou Ji remained silent.

No explanation—that meant it was true.

"I never imagined I, Shen Qingjin, would serve as a whetstone. So, is it true that the secret army hunting me is acting on your orders?" Shen Qingjin asked softly.

Qingzhen, hearing this, immediately stood up and guardedly moved to his elder brother’s side.

Qinghu also looked at Zhou Ji with a serious gaze.

Old Zhao stared at Zhou Ji in shock.

"You’re not just a little Qi Refining cultivator, are you?" Shen Qingjin’s voice grew cold.

"Sorry, I’m actually Foundation Establishment," Zhou Ji admitted.

"So your purpose, for the trial of worldly refinement, was to have the secret army hunt me?" Shen Qingjin pressed him again.

"The secret army was not sent by Zhou Xiaocheng. Someone else is after you—I’m still investigating. If it were Zhou Xiaocheng, he would be far more discreet. He’d start with the deaths of your parents, siblings, drive you mad and down into hell, then arrange the rest—not just send the army so openly," Ning Kunlun said with absolute certainty to Qingjin.

Qingjin felt as if he’d been doused with a bucket of cold water.

In that moment, he felt he was truly seeing Zhou Xiaocheng for the first time.

"Your former identity, personality, maybe even your appearance—were they all fabricated?"

"No. Dao Court Dao Children never disguise their appearance. They’re not afraid of being exposed. So what if their identity is revealed? If they fail here, they’ll simply choose someone else, spend another couple years, and succeed at their trial by manipulating their friends’ fates."

Ning Kunlun laid bare the Dao Court's methods for Shen Qingjin, stripping Zhou Xiaocheng of his last layer of dignity.

Even Zhou Xiaocheng, thick-skinned as he was, felt his face burning.

"You Dao Court Dao Children are nothing but beasts," Shen Qingjin said through gritted teeth.

"Ha! The Dao Court always boasts of being the righteous side, the force of humanity!

Now you see? All that talk about joining an alien Dao Lord being a betrayal of the human race, a betrayal of the Dao Court—it’s just to increase your psychological pressure, sow cracks in your heart, so when you advance to higher cultivation, powerful inner demons will be born as you attempt to break through."