The sunlight seemed to have grown colder.
Layers of thick clouds covered the morning glow, turning the early morning chilly and gloomy.
The deceased Gao Quan still wore an expression of terror on his face. The statue beside him remained still, its shadow elongated and distorted by the sunlight, casting a twisted shadow on the ground.
After a moment, someone spoke up. A disciple from the Demon Extermination Army said angrily, “This statue is really eerie and it makes one’s skin crawl. Let’s all go together and smash it!” With that, several disciples exchanged glances and, holding their long swords, approached the statue.
The sudden movement of these people bewildered Zanxing for a moment. Given that they had no clear understanding of their opponent’s background, it was indeed foolish to act so rashly. But it was too late to stop them now.
With a bang, the swords and blades struck the statue, producing a crisp sound. The disciples were forced back a few steps by the sword qi they had unleashed. Looking at the statue, it still stood perfectly in front of the white tower, showing no signs of damage, not even a scratch.
It seemed the statue could not be shattered.
Mingjing said, “The Xie Zhi statue cannot be destroyed. There have been cultivators at the Divine Transformation stage who came here and tried to break it, but to no avail.” He did not elaborate further, but his intention was clear. These disciples were far from reaching the Divine Transformation stage and were even less likely to break it.
“This monk is just being mysterious!” a disciple said angrily. “What’s going on here? Why is there such an weird statue? How can we get inside?”
“I have already said,” Mingjing replied calmly, “Only those who are innocent can pass through.”
Zanxing thought for a moment. “Then Master, how do we distinguish between the guilty and the innocent?”
“Generally speaking, evil deeds lead to evil consequences. The three kinds of evil deeds are: physical evil deeds—killing, theft, and sexual misconduct; verbal evil deeds—false speech, harsh speech, slanderous speech, and divisive speech; mental evil deeds—greed, anger, ignorance, and arrogance.” Mingjing paused for a moment before continuing, “However, whether one is guilty or innocent is decided by the Xie Zhi. The criteria for judgment, I do not know.”
“Does that mean that someone who has never done anything wrong can pass this statue’s test?” Tian Fangfang stroked his chin. “But if we examine ourselves honestly, who has never made a mistake in their entire life? The requirement seems a bit harsh.”
Meng Ying, holding her long sword, stepped forward. “If that’s the case, I’ll give it a try.”
The group was taken aback, and Mu Cengxiao grabbed her arm urgently. “Senior Sister, don’t.”
“As for the three kinds of evil deeds, I believe I have not committed any. Looking back, I don’t remember ever making a mistake.” Meng Ying remained calm. “Gui Yansheng has already entered the tower. Time waits for no one, and someone must be the first to pass. I might as well give it a try.” There was one thing Meng Ying didn’t say—having been personally taught by Yue Qin since childhood, she had always been upright and selfless in her conduct, and her behavior was also proper. If she were judged to be guilty, then others need not try.
She walked toward the Xie Zhi statue. Zanxing was about to stop her when he heard Gu Baiying speak up.
“I’ll go.”
“Martial Uncle…” Meng Ying was startled.
The young man, holding the Xiu Gu spear, stepped forward with a sharp gaze. “Why should a junior go? It’s only right for a senior to take this on.” He approached Xie Zhi and coldly stared into the statue’s dark eyes. Suddenly, he reached out and grasped the statue’s ram’s horns, speaking with his usual arrogance, “Besides, why should others judge whether I am guilty or innocent?”
“Submitting oneself to the judgment of a statue is truly… too absurd!”
The moment Gu Baiying grasped the Xie Zhi’s horns, Zanxing tightened her grip on her Wuyou Staff. The statue’s depth and nature were unknown, and its actions were mysterious. Gu Baiying likely intended to confront the statue if necessary. If anything went wrong, Zanxing would be the first to step in.
But what happened next took everyone by surprise.
As Gu Baiying held the ram’s horns, a blinding white light suddenly emanated from the statue. The light was so intense that everyone had to squint their eyes. When the light faded, Gu Baiying’s figure was nowhere to be seen.
“Martial Uncle!” Men Dong cried out in panic.
Zanxing looked at Mingjing, his tone growing colder. “What’s going on?”
Mingjing, surprised, looked at the Xie Zhi and shook his head lightly. “No need to panic. He… has passed the judgment and has now entered the tower.”
Entered the tower? The group’s expressions turned peculiar. Gao Quan, when facing the Xie Zhi, hadn’t had a chance to act and was killed instantly. Yet Gu Baiying, with his aggressive demeanor and intention to fight, passed the Xie Zhi’s judgment.
Could it be that the Xie Zhi was someone who only feared the strong and not the weak?
As this thought crossed their minds, Tian Fangfang stepped forward with a grin, confidently carrying his golden axe. “Since Martial Uncle could get through, I’m sure I can too. My character isn’t any worse than Martial Uncle’s.” He approached the Xie Zhi statue and patted the ram’s horns. “Hey, buddy, how do I measure up?”
His casual attitude eased the tense atmosphere considerably. Zanxing was momentarily speechless, and in the next instant, Tian Fangfang’s figure vanished from view.
He… had also entered the tower.
The group exchanged confused glances, unable to make sense of the situation. Gu Baiying’s passing was understandable, but what was the difference between Gao Quan and Tian Fangfang? Was Gao Quan outwardly a righteous person but secretly a villain with blood on his hands?
However, with two people having successfully passed, the others felt a bit more assured. Next was Meng Ying, who was regarded as a potential future leader of the Taiyan Sect and naturally had a good reputation. Meng Ying also passed the Xie Zhi’s judgment without issue.
Following her was Mu Cengxiao. Men Dong stayed outside, as his cultivation was not high, and the trials within the Five-Wheel Pagoda were unpredictable. Meng Ying, fearing any mishaps, left him outside and protected him with a talismanic array.
Pu Tao from the Xiang Ling Sect and Nie Xinghong from the Yinfeng Sect also made it through. The Demon Extermination Army members entered one after another. At first, it went smoothly, and many people entered the tower. However, after about ten had entered, Xie Zhi once again killed two disciples. These two met the same fate as Gao Quan—silently and without warning.
It seemed the statue had its own set of judgment rules: those deemed innocent could enter the tower, while those found guilty would die upon contact.
And whether one was guilty or innocent was not for one to decide. Gradually, some members of the Demon Extermination Army began to waver. Some were self-conscious, fearing their past misdeeds would be exposed by the Xie Zhi, while others were simply scared and hesitant to proceed. Slowly, no one from the Demon Extermination Army wished to enter the tower anymore.
The surroundings fell silent.
At noon, the clouds parted, and the golden sun illuminated the pristine white tower, making it look holy and serene.
Mingjing looked at Zanxing, the dark, warm beads in his hand.
“It’s your turn.”