Infiltrating the righteous path? Just another place to be a sycophant.

One by one, people emerged from the illusion, clearly overwhelmed by the extreme joy and sorrow it had caused them.

Although these people seemed to be struggling a lot, they had obviously succeeded in breaking the illusion. Many more people simply collapsed to the ground while standing, their eyes becoming glazed over, foaming at the mouth, and their bodies convulsing repeatedly.

"That's being trapped in an illusion, unable to extricate oneself. The illusion can quickly transform from the most ideal state to the most disastrous state, but it also leaves a glimmer of hope, a little taste of success, making one believe that continuous effort will lead to success. But who would have thought..."

"It was all just a pre-ordained scheme."

An elder beside him sighed, and Lu An glanced at him silently before asking, "May I ask this fellow Daoist's name? Which peak are you from?"

"Oh? Why is Elder Lu asking about this? But since Elder Lu has asked, I can't not answer." The elder cleared his throat and said, "My surname is Zhu, and my name is Zhu Yun. I am an elder of Yuntian Peak. I am skilled in transformation techniques and cloud-riding techniques. I also enjoy sewing clothes. If you need anything, Elder Lu, please remember to contact me."

As he spoke, Zhu Yun took out a wooden business card and handed it to Lu An with both hands in a very professional manner.

Lu An politely accepted the business card with both hands. The card not only featured Zhu Yun's sculpted portrait but also an introduction to his business scope.

Services include: exorcising ghosts and demons, summoning clouds and rain, worshipping the God of Wealth, resolving conflicts with Tai Sui, attracting romantic partners, handling weddings and funerals, locating auspicious sites, providing guidance, divination, civil engineering, playing the suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument), catching adulterers in bed, unclogging sewers, taming spirit beasts, drawing talismans to exorcise evil spirits, hosting ceremonies, providing on-site explanations, real estate sales, and selling mounts. We are proficient in many services and welcome your inquiries.

Note: There is nothing I cannot do, fellow Daoists; there is only things you haven't thought of.

Lu An was instantly shocked when he saw the long introduction, which was so long that it was even written on the back.

"Elder Zhu, what is this...?"

Lu An stared blankly at the middle-aged man in front of him, who had a prominent nose, thick earlobes, and a憨态可掬 (simple and honest) face.

What kind of side hustle master is this? So many side hustles!

"Well, the job market has been tough lately, so I've been looking into side hustles. As long as the spirit stones are right, we can talk about anything. If you know anyone with business needs, you can introduce them to me."

Elder Zhu said with a smile, and now Lu An finally understood why he was so good at explaining things; it turned out that this was one of his side jobs.

"Old Zhu, come down here! You're in charge of setting up the exam room for the next test!"

"You're here! Elder Lu, I have something to attend to, so I'll take my leave now!"

"Okay... go ahead..."

Lu An looked at the figure that resembled a small sweet potato and couldn't help but find it amusing.

This Yuan Tian Sacred Sect truly produces a great many talented individuals.

Chapter 215 Odd Changes, Even Remains the Same

Because this illusionary trial caused a great deal of mental strain on many people, and some even went insane intermittently due to the vast disparity in their lives within the illusion, a break was set up during the trial.

There are a few days to rest, but at the same time, the next assessment needs to be arranged. After all, it takes time for the spiritual consciousness and mental strength to recover, because many people have developed psychological trauma.

Lu An arrived at the Spiritual Healing Hall because he wanted to see for himself just how insane those guys who had just gone mad and were knocked unconscious by the disciples with sticks were.

Upon entering the Spirit Healer's Hall, one is greeted by a scene of chaotic demonic activity.

"My Xiaojuan! Why did you betray me?! Why did you betray me?! You even transferred the spirit stones, and now the child isn't mine! Why?! Why?!"

"Swallow! How can I live without you! Swallow! Swallow!"

"I am the true Immortal King who unifies the Immortal Realm! I am not a traitor! You are the traitors! You are the traitors, hahahahahaha!"

"I want to become an immortal! I want to become an immortal! I've not become some kind of demon! I want to become an immortal! I am the true immortal! I am the supreme being in the immortal realm!"

The hospital beds were surrounded by iron bars, resembling prison wards. Inside were a group of frantic contestants, their eyes glazed over, bloodshot, and muttering all sorts of insane words.

Inside the railings were the disciples, driven to madness, and also some who were secretly heartbroken, seemingly wounded by love.

"My husband, why did you betray me? I finally got pregnant with your child."

"I clearly, clearly gave everything for you, why... why did you just abandon me like this? Ahhh...!"

"Odd changes, even remains the same, sign depends on quadrant, finally got back, how... how come it's gone? How come there's nothing left?"

The supposedly spiritual healing hall was filled with beds enclosed by iron bars, and the people inside were babbling incoherently as if they had gone insane.

As Lu An walked inside, he felt like he was in a mental hospital. Every now and then, someone would pounce on him, barking and spitting saliva at him like a mad dog.

Looking at all these crazy people, Lu An felt that there were some of his fellow countrymen among them.

Especially that guy who kept shouting "odd changes, even stays the same, sign depends on quadrant", he was currently holding a piece of paper and frantically drawing on it with a brush. When Lu An looked at it, he realized that it was actually a trigonometric function formula.

The dead knowledge suddenly came back to life and attacked him.

Lu An grabbed a disciple from the Spiritual Healing Hall next to him and asked, "What is he writing?"

The disciple glanced at it and said, "I don't know what it says, but he said it contains the secret to becoming an immortal."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the disciple seemed to have overheard their discussion. He suddenly raised his head, grabbed the railing, and clattered to Lu An's side. With his large, beady eyes, he said, "You also know the secret to becoming an immortal? You actually know it too?"

"Look, he's gone mad again. Don't mention this around him, it'll drive him crazy."

"Again? What does that mean?"

“He’s not a disciple who’s participating in the competition, but rather a long-term patient here. He’s an outer disciple of our sect, not exactly old, but he only went mad in the last month or two.”

"Crazy? What made you crazy?"

"It's said that while doing a mission, he fell into some ancient cave. After finally managing to escape, he went crazy and wrote and drew a bunch of things that no one could understand. He probably went insane."

Looking at this disciple, the Lingyi Hall disciple curled his lip and then quickly walked away.

However, the mentally ill disciple ignored the disciples of the Spiritual Healing Hall and instead held up the paper in his hand, showing Lu An his achievement: "Fellow Daoist, this is the secret manual to becoming an immortal! It contains the secrets to immortality! I found it in that ancient cave! Really! You have to believe me! You have to believe me!"

"Once this secret is unlocked, I will receive the immortal's legacy! Once I ascend to immortality, I will definitely share half with you!"

Looking at the contents of the paper, Lu An saw the trigonometric function formulas that he hadn't seen in a long time.

For example, sin(A+B) = sinAcosB + cosAsinB.

He couldn't look anymore; his dead memories were attacking him. He had forgotten all this knowledge after the college entrance exam, so how did he end up seeing these bizarre formulas after time-traveling?

Could it be an ancient cave dwelling created by a time traveler?

"I've solved this one, but I can't solve this one. Fellow Daoist, can you help me? Please help me!"

The disciple glanced at the contents of the paper, then took out another piece of paper. The contents of this paper were a² + b² = ( )?

Lu An was stunned when he saw it, thinking, "Isn't this the Pythagorean theorem? How did it become the secret to becoming an immortal?"

"I've never seen these words before, and I don't know what they are. Could you please help me? Could you please help me...?"

The disciple said excitedly, as if the person in front of him could provide the answer.

"Oh, it's this. May I borrow your pen?"

Seeing the man's almost insane state, Lu An couldn't bear it, so he took the ink-stained brush from his hand and wrote "C2" on it.

It's strange. He completely forgot about the trigonometric functions, but someone solved the trigonometric functions. Yet no one solved the Pythagorean theorem. Isn't that a problem?

"This is...this is..."

"Hahahaha, I've got it! I've got it! I've got it! This is the secret to becoming an immortal! That's right! This is the secret to becoming an immortal!"

The man looked up at the sky and shouted wildly.

"Patient number 1403's condition has worsened again! Quickly, bring me the needles! I want to administer the acupuncture myself!"

An elder with an air of otherworldly wisdom walked over, followed by a disciple carrying a bag of needles. The iron-barred prison cell door creaked open, and the outer elder, holding needles in his fingers, walked straight in.

"You demonic cultivators! Get out of my way! Don't touch me! Don't touch me!"

"Get out! Get out! Get out of here!"

While screaming wildly, the disciple hurriedly stuffed the paper with the answers already on it into the drawer next to the bed, glancing at the drawer as he did so.

It seemed as if they were afraid the contents inside would be stolen.

"The patient is very ill, but I am a doctor with a compassionate heart. You lot, quickly tie him up with rope! Don't let his condition worsen!"

At the elder's command, the other disciples picked up ropes and quickly tied him up, completely ignoring the things he had hastily stuffed into the drawer.

After all, who would steal from a mentally ill person? What if it worsens their condition? Wouldn't that just cause even more trouble?

Lu An watched as the mentally ill disciple was bound hand and foot, and then the kind-hearted elder began to administer acupuncture without saying a word.

"Ah! Ah! Oh! Oh! Ah~ No~... Ah..."

The mentally ill disciple's voice quickly changed from screams to slightly joyful shrieks, and then to screams with a hint of pleasure, causing Lu An and the disciples beside him, including the passing Lingyi Hall disciples, to frown.

What the heck is going on? Is this needle even being inserted properly?

Lu An didn't want to stay any longer, so he turned around and left, walking out of the prison clinic of the Spirit Medicine Hall.

Of course, that's what he called these rooms; after all, they were all single cells like prison cells, used to hold mentally unstable people.

This so-called entrance test may not be life-threatening, but it's absolutely insane.

"You are Elder Lu, may I have a word with you in private?"

Just as Lu An was about to leave, a cold voice came from behind him.

Lu An turned around and saw a familiar person.

Guo Fengyi.

"It's you?"

"It seems Elder Lu has been paying attention to me."

"After all, you argued with that guy named Xiao Yun the whole way, and he even has a top-grade spiritual root. Who wouldn't pay attention to you?"

"In that case, I won't introduce myself. I have something I'd like to discuss with Elder Lu. May I ask for your permission?"

"What do you want to say?"

Chapter 216 My Innocence With Her

Guo Fengyi pulled Lu An to a secluded corner. Lu An tried to struggle, but Guo Fengyi was too strong and he couldn't hold her back. He could only let her do as she pleased.

"I don't know what Fellow Daoist Guo wants to do by bringing me here. It's not appropriate for a man and a woman to be alone together like this..."

Lu An didn't know what to address him; he wasn't quite a disciple, so he could only call him a fellow Daoist.

Or perhaps a young friend?

"Not good? What's wrong with it? Does Elder Lu have feelings for me?"

Guo Fengyi said this half-jokingly, yet somewhat seriously.

"No, I'm just worried about your reputation. I'm upright and have nothing to fear."

"That's true. If Elder Lu is really worried, how could I possibly persuade you with your strength?"

"Of course, hahaha."

Guo Fengyi laughed as she spoke, and Lu An laughed as well, secretly squeezing the wrist that she had just grabbed.

After all, this guy is really strong.

"I wonder what Elder Lu's requirements are for accepting disciples. Is there any hope that I can become Elder Lu's disciple?"

Guo Fengyi suddenly changed the subject and asked with a slight smile.

"Becoming my disciple is no easy feat. Since I came to the Yuan Tian Sacred Sect, I have never taken on a disciple before. And to be honest, this time I am also..."

"But I've heard that you have a disciple, also surnamed Lu, named Lu Ping, who has appeared in Lin Shen City. Is that true?"

Lu An replied without hesitation, "It's fake, just a rumor."

"Is it really a rumor? But I still have photos here."

"Photos? Let me see them!"

So Guo Fengyi took out a piece of paper and unfolded it directly in front of Lu An. On it was a picture of Lu An wearing a fake human skin mask, which was his disciple, Lu Ping.

Below are a few more lines of large text: Hongyin Pavilion's latest batch of high-quality partners, first come, first served!

Requirements: The only disciple of Elder Lu An of the Yuan Tian Sheng Zong, high income, good background, and the most popular young master in the Red Marriage Pavilion. Fairies, you'll be lucky to get him! Come and start your wonderful destiny!

The contact number is below... Call the hotline.

Lu An was stunned when he saw the poster.

Goodness, they're putting him up as a hot-selling item!

These old bastards were actually secretly betraying him.

"I called the number above, but unfortunately the call couldn't get through. Why is that, Elder Lu?"