Chapter 498 - Lucky.

Yang Dao stopped waving his sword when the last demon vanished after his attack, the boy smiled and said, "Long journey starts from one small step. What do you say, Plume?" 

The sword trembled a bit as if expressing joy at his comment. The boy stroked the reed of the blade and then placed it back inside the sheath. After that was done, he walked outside the array and found a lot of people looking at him with reverence in their gazes. 

He did not say much and skipped his way back to where the prime disciples were standing. Daina wanted to say something when Trent place his hand on her shoulder and said, "It is useless." 

The girl shrugged his hand off and said, "I will defeat him." but the corner of her mouth was twitching. 

Elder Jing Shui commented, "So, Prime Disciple Yang Dao wins the first place again. He defeated a hundred demon phantoms in seven minutes." her voice woke up the stunned disciples. 

They were lost when they all saw his performance inside the array. His sword movements ranged from basic to complex and they were all mesmerizing, the elders were in doubt when they saw his performance. They could not discern that the sword arts carried a tinge of dao. 

...

Yang Dao stood among his peer and said, "Do you think the next round will be tough?" 

The other shook their heads. Elder Jing Shui said, "You all see that tunnel?" as she pointed at a tunnel dug inside the mountain wall. The disciples turned to look at the side and the lady continued. 

"The next test is about luck, and one disciple can only take this test once in their life. This test does not have any relevance to your assessment score, but it teaches you a crucial fact. Sometimes, you may not have the luck that defies heaven, however, if you use your wits, you might be able to see the light at the end of the darkness. Wits can make change your misfortune to fortune. So, do not bother with the results, just go inside the tunnel, and try to cross it. One disciple at a time." 

The disciples were eased to hear that this tunnel round had no relevance to their scores and they all followed inside. The tunnel would split in two, while one path leads to the clear outside, the other path will make you go round in round. 

A lot of disciples entered and the tests soon came to finish. The people of the sect did not know that this tunnel will be closed after this exam. In the next assessment, the sect will prepare something new to check the people. 

...

Elder Jing Shui said, "Now the assessment has come to an end, you all are free to go back to your dwellings, those who had failed the staircase of heaven trial, please stay behind. The elder of law enforcement will take you all for special training." her smiling face gave the people a sense of tranquility. 

The disciples dispersed and only the elders and the prime disciples stood facing the failed disciples. Yang Dao stood behind elder Jing Shui and said, "Do we have to witness this?" 

Elder Chime said, "You all are the prime disciples, you are needed to watch these proceedings because you are the future pillars of the sect. Do not waver." his calm demeanor was failing to keep the boy get a grip. 

He was the one who suggested this step. Those who failed to climb the sixtieth step were all deemed as fail, the reason lay inside the illusions they faced. These illusions were the tests for their loyalty toward the sect. However, since they failed to show their loyalty, they were either traitors, or they were just not determined enough, lacking a sense of belonging. 

If it was the latter, they will be spared, but if it was the former, they will be slain. The elder of law enforcement was a mysterious figure, not many people have seen him, but they all knew that he had the power to read memories concealed deep inside their minds. 

Suddenly, a person came out of the void. This figure was draped in a black murky cloak. Only a pair of eyes were visible in the shroud. Yang Dao and the other disciples thought that the pressure was strong enough to make them suffocate. The elders bowed down to the figure respectfully. The disciples followed course. 

Yang Dao also bowed down with everyone. The figure spoke in an ethereal voice, "Have you all finally made up your mind?" 

The voice did not come in from their ears but directly echoed inside their minds. Jing Shui nodded and said, "Elder, we have decided." 

The figure did not speak much but nodded. The next moment, a cold and unfeeling gaze landed on the disciples. The figure stood in the void and the cloak fluttered. The disciples below were all frightful and the next moment the disciples started to faint one after another. Yang Dao wanted to ask what was happening but he held it inside. 

After the elder finished dealing with matters, a voice echoed in their minds again, "I have checked, ten are traitors. They have deep backgrounds before execution make sure you investigate." with that said, the figure vanished, along with all the pressure radiating from him. 

Yang Dao asked, "Elder, what now?"

Elder Chime said, "The elder has given us the names of the traitors, we will be investigating these people with the help of the overlord families. Traitors belong to a group that supports demons." 

Yang Dao did not understand much and asked, "Elder, why is it that we hate demons? Is it because they do not have rules or that they are crude?" 

His question was crucial. Elder Chime shook his head and said, "Everyone is made differently, the ones we target are those who harm the balance. Like sovereign sects, there are a lot of demon sects that attack these unorthodox cultivators. Whether they are demons or humans, those who use depraved means must pay a price." 

Yang Dao nodded. Then he recalled something and asked, "Elder, that senior earlier, how strong was he? I could tell that his aura was stronger than the master." 

The two elders were shocked and the rest of the disciples were too. Elder Jing Shui said, "That elder is a senior from the older generation. We should call him martial uncle but he forbids that. He is indeed stronger than your master. However, what you heard today must not be spoken to anyone below this pedestal. Okay?" 

Yang Dao nodded and then he and the others walked away. Alisha took the boy to the cloud palace and the rest went to their accommodations. Tonight Yue Jing also returned to her accommodation, because it was time for her to confront her brother. She had stepped into the peak of the spirit gathering realm and was just half a step away from breaking through the spirit formation realm. 

The main reason why she had gone to her own house, was because she needed to lead her brother. She entered the house and saw her brother sitting in the living hall. She walked over and said, "Brother, I have two pieces of news for you, which one do you want to hear first? A good one or bad one?" 

Yue Ming did not expect her to speak up in such a cherry tone with her. He asked, "Good one." 

"Master will be deciding on Athena's engagement soon," she said. 

Yue Ming shivered and was shocked. He asked, "How do you know? What happened all of a sudden?" 

The girl replied, "Master saw through martial sister and decided to call her parents over." 

Yue Ming's eyes lit up. He asked, "What is the bad news?" 

Yue Jing sighed and said, "The boy Athena took a liking to is Yang Dao." 

Yue Ming's excitement converted into a rage all of a sudden. He raised his hand and wanted to slap Yue Jing, but the girl hurriedly said, "But there is a way to turn things over." 

Yue Ming stopped in his tracks and asked, "What is it?" 

The girl pretended to be hesitant and said, "Master told me today that the top true disciple in the senior disciple category will get a chance to have one of their wishes fulfilled. If you can somehow get to the top, you can ask my master for an audience and have her betroth Athena to you instead of Yang Dao." 

Yue Ming asked, "Are you telling me the truth?" 

Yue Jing nodded and said, "Athena is aware of this." 

She did not lie to him in all this, but this was her way of getting back at him for all the things he had done to her in the past. This was also a way to get him back off Yang Dao's back. The constant surveillance has become a very troubling matter for the boy. He wanted to take up some tasks and go out of the sect but he was being watched everywhere. 

If he was outside, he was lacking experience, this would come when the commander of the enemy forces is not paying him any attention. Thus they decided to take a gamble.. Also, Yang Dao was lucky to get out of the tunnel maze in just one attempt. That was obvious, was it not?