85: The spirituality is revealed and the illusion is broken

The commotion from the theoretical assessment had not yet subsided when the New Recruit Camp participants faced their true test.

As dawn barely broke, the training ground was once again filled with people.

Unlike the previous day's clamor, today's atmosphere was noticeably more solemn.

He Tianzheng still sat high on the platform, but today he was accompanied by a sinister-looking old man, rumored to be a Great Master in Formations and Restrictions from the Demon Suppression Headquarters.

“Everyone, today’s trial is called the ‘Illusory Yao Beast Maze’,” the Silver-Armored General stepped forward again, his voice booming.

“This maze was personally set up by the Headquarters’ Formation Great Master, containing layers of illusion Formations and housing dozens of different grades of Yao Beasts. Your mission is to find the maze’s exit within three hours, and, you must kill at least three Yao Beasts equivalent to your own cultivation level. Remember, that’s *at least*! Those with excellent performance will naturally receive extra points.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd with a hint of cruelty: “Within the maze, life and death are up to fate. If you feel your strength is insufficient, you can still withdraw now. Once you enter, there will be no room for regret!”

A low murmur immediately rose from below, and many faces showed hesitation.

Li Dong stood among the crowd, still maintaining Mu Feng’s honest appearance, but his mind was calculating. An illusion Formation plus Yao Beasts—this was a good trial method, testing not only strength but also adaptability and perception.

“Hmph, three hours, three Yao Beasts… this standard will likely eliminate a large number of people,” Li Dong muttered to himself. “However, for me, it’s just right.”

With a command, over three hundred participants were led in batches into the maze entrance. The entrance glowed, like a gaping maw ready to devour people.

The moment Li Dong stepped into the maze, he felt the scenery before him twist, and then he found himself in a dense primeval jungle. The air was filled with a damp, decaying smell, and a faint Demonic Qi.

“An illusion Formation? Child’s play,” Li Dong thought.

Immediately, although the scene before him hadn’t changed, in his perception, a clear path, bypassing all the core illusion Formations, had already appeared. The seemingly real towering trees and deep grass all became illusory bubbles in his eyes.

“Life with a System is just this unpretentious and boring,” Li Dong grinned, and began to walk forward at a steady pace.

He didn’t rush to find Yao Beasts, but instead, guided by the System, first familiarized himself with the maze’s structure. The maze was quite large, with many forkpaths, and without special means, it would indeed be easy to get lost or even wander in circles within the illusion Formations.

“He Tianzheng and his group must have arranged quite a few ‘surprises’ in this maze, right?” Li Dong walked, paying attention to the movements around him.

Sure enough, not long after, he detected two not-so-weak auras lurking in a hidden corner ahead, seemingly waiting for something.

“Oh, someone’s already impatient?” Li Dong raised an eyebrow. “Are they targeting me, or casting a wide net?”

He remained calm, relying on the effect of the Aura Concealing Jade Pendant, and quietly changed direction, taking another small path. The owners of those two auras clearly hadn’t realized they had missed their target.

“Tsk, their skills are rusty; they can’t even set up an ambush properly,” Li Dong shook his head and continued forward.

He deliberately chose some secluded paths, and when he encountered Yao Beasts, he only picked those whose strength was at the Foundation Establishment Stage - Early Phase, barely meeting the criteria of “equivalent to his own cultivation.” He dealt with them in a few punches and kicks, not wasting a shred of Qi.

“Hmm, three… that’s enough. Killing any more would make my ‘Mu Feng’ too conspicuous,” Li Dong kicked the body of a wolf Yao Beast whose neck he had just snapped aside, and clapped his hands.

Just as he was about to delve deeper to see if he could find anything unexpected, a subtle energy fluctuation not far ahead caught his attention.

“Hmm?” Li Dong stopped, listening intently.

It seemed someone was fighting, and the commotion was quite significant. He stealthily crept over, hid behind a large rock, and peeked out.

In an open space ahead, a tall, thin young man was being attacked by three green-faced, fanged evil spirits, barely escaping danger. The young man held a Talisman in his hand, mumbling incantations, seemingly casting some secret art.

“Interesting,” Li Dong stroked his chin.

He noticed that as the young man activated the Talisman, wisps of black Qi subtly swirled around his fingertips, and the movements of the three evil spirits also seemed somewhat… deliberate? As if they were attracted by something.

The System prompted: Environment analysis in progress... Illusion Formation nodes analyzed, real path highlighted.

“As expected!” Li Dong understood. There were indeed many tricks in this selection.

He did not intervene, merely silently noted the young man’s appearance.

Continuing forward, Li Dong successively observed abnormal actions from several participants. Some showed an extraordinary familiarity with specific types of Yao Beasts, as if they knew their weaknesses and habits; others furtively buried strange-smelling objects in certain places, seemingly some kind of “demon-attracting incense.”

“It seems this ‘special selection’ is really for screening certain ‘special talents’,” Li Dong sneered inwardly. “I just don’t know if these people are being kept in the dark, or if they are already part of the scheme.”

As he pondered, the System suddenly issued a subtle warning.

The System prompted: Thirty feet ahead, within a crevice in the left rock wall, faint “Soul-Devouring Demon Flower” energy residue detected.

“Soul-Devouring Demon Flower?!” Li Dong’s spirits lifted.

He immediately held his breath and cautiously crept over. Pushing aside dense vines, he indeed found a completely withered black demon flower, reduced to mere remnants, in an inconspicuous rock crevice.

Although the demon flower had lost most of its energy, Li Dong would never mistake its unique form and the faint, sinister aura it emitted.

“It actually appeared here too…” Li Dong frowned. “Is it a coincidence, or is this maze itself related to the ‘Soul-Devouring Demon Flower’?”

The System prompted: The energy of this “Soul-Devouring Demon Flower” remnant is mostly depleted, but a trace of “spiritual essence” sample can still be extracted.

“Extract!” Li Dong did not hesitate.

A barely perceptible flash of light passed, and a small pinch of black powder, finer than dust, was quietly collected by the System.

“This is good stuff,” Li Dong was satisfied. “I’ll have to study it carefully when I get back.”

With this discovery, Li Dong’s interest in the maze grew stronger. He no longer rushed to find the exit but, guided by the System, began to consciously search for clues related to the “Soul-Devouring Demon Flower” or the “Forbidden Experiment.”

Time passed bit by bit, and the sounds of fighting and screams in the maze rose and fell.

Li Dong remained unhurried, like a true “lucky person,” always able to avoid major dangers at critical moments and complete tasks just right.

Finally, just before the time limit expired, he “miraculously” found the maze exit.

The moment he stepped out of the maze, the sunlight was somewhat dazzling. At the exit, dozens of participants who had passed the trial were either standing or sitting, their expressions varied. The Silver-Armored General next to He Tianzheng was holding a roster, checking off each person who emerged.

Seeing Mu Feng’s figure, a flicker of an imperceptible emotion flashed in the General’s eyes, but he quickly regained his composure, merely saying indifferently: “Mu Feng, passed. Next.”

Li Dong cupped his hands, walked to the side, and found an inconspicuous corner to sit down cross-legged, beginning to regulate his breathing.

He appeared calm, but his mind was rapidly organizing everything he had seen and heard in the maze.

“Those who can control demons, and the remnants of the ‘Soul-Devouring Demon Flower’… this selection is indeed more than just a simple recruitment drive,” Li Dong thought. “What kind of ‘subjects’ are He Tianzheng and his group trying to screen out through this method? Or are they conducting some larger-scale experiment?”

He recalled the rumors about the “Forbidden Experiment” that Inspector Zhou had mentioned when he was in Qingzhou Prefecture.

“It seems I’m one step closer to the truth,” Li Dong slowly opened his eyes, his gaze deep as he looked towards He Tianzheng on the high platform in the distance.

This so-called “special selection” was increasingly like a carefully laid trap. And he was already caught in it.