Siheyuan: The Temptation of the Mountains

The old man looked at Lin Ze expressionlessly. His eyes were as cold as a pond, making people shudder. His voice was equally cold, as if it was devoid of any emotion. "You are quite courageous to trespass here."

Lin Ze's heart suddenly tightened, and he immediately realized that the old man before him was definitely no ordinary person. Judging from his powerful aura and cold attitude, he was clearly a powerful figure. Lin Ze did not dare to be negligent in the slightest. He quickly bowed and said respectfully, "Junior Lin Ze, greetings to the elder. I have not come here intentionally, but to uncover a huge conspiracy hidden behind it."

Upon hearing this, the old man's eyes flickered with a strange color. A hint of curiosity seemed to appear on his previously indifferent face. He looked Lin Ze up and down and said slowly, "Oh? What evidence do you have to support your statement?"

Lin Ze took a deep breath, gathered himself, and then told the old man everything he knew. He detailed the origins of the mysterious token and his various speculations about this hidden sect. Lin Ze spoke clearly and earnestly, clearly having given it much thought.

After listening to this, the old man was silent for a moment. His brow furrowed slightly, as if he was pondering Lin Ze's words. After a while, he finally spoke, "In that case, if you can pass the three tests I set, I will allow you to enter the sect."

Lin Ze was delighted. He knew this was a rare opportunity. No matter what, he had to give it a try. So, he nodded without hesitation and said firmly, "Thank you, senior! I will definitely give it my all and pass the test."

The old man waved his hands, and a sea of fire suddenly appeared before him. "The first test: cross this sea of fire." Lin Ze stared at the blazing flames, his brow furrowed, but there was no trace of fear in his eyes.

He mobilized the spiritual power in his body, formed a protective shield around him, and rushed into the sea of fire.

The flames burned the shield, making a sizzling sound. Lin Ze gritted his teeth and moved forward with difficulty.

Just when he felt his strength was about to run out and he was about to be engulfed by the raging flames, he suddenly saw a glimmer of light ahead. It was the dawn of hope! He used up his last bit of strength and rushed forward desperately, finally successfully breaking out of the sea of fire.

Standing in a safe area, he gasped for breath, sweat and smoke mixed together, making him look miserable. However, before he could rest, the old man's voice came again.

"Yes, you have successfully passed the first test." The old man nodded slightly, seeming to be quite satisfied with his performance. Then, the old man waved his sleeve again, and a huge stone man suddenly appeared in the open space ahead.

"This is the second test. You need to defeat this stone man." The old man said expressionlessly.

Lin Ze looked closely. The stone figure was several feet tall, covered in solid rock, and every muscle was brimming with strength. It waved its massive fist like a moving mountain, smashing down on Lin Ze fiercely.

Lin Ze didn't dare to delay. He quickly dodged the stone man's attack and then nimbly moved around the stone man, looking for its flaws. Although the stone man's movements were clumsy, each attack was incredibly powerful. If he wasn't careful, Lin Ze would probably be smashed into a meat pie.

However, Lin Ze was not intimidated by the stone man's strength. He took a deep breath and unleashed his best punches, each one landing on the stone man like a torrential downpour. However, the stone man's body was incredibly tough, and while Lin Ze's attacks pushed it back a few steps, they didn't cause any substantial damage.

Lin Ze didn't give up. He kept observing the stone man's movements, trying to find its weakness. Finally, when the stone man swung his fist, Lin Ze found a gap under its armpit. Without hesitation, he used all his strength and punched the gap fiercely.

With a crack, a tiny crack appeared on the stone man's body. Lin Ze was delighted to see this. He pressed on, attacking the crack repeatedly. Finally, with his unremitting efforts, the stone man's body collapsed, turning into rubble on the ground.

A hint of praise flashed in the old man's eyes, "Very good, you passed the second test. Next is the last test." As he said that, the old man waved his sleeves again, and the scene in front of Lin Ze suddenly changed.

He found himself in a fog, and everything around him became blurry. Suddenly, he saw his family, who were being brutally murdered. Lin Ze's heart was broken, and he wanted to rush over to save them, but he found that his body was completely out of control.

"This is an illusion, don't be fooled by it." Lin Ze kept reminding himself in his heart. He closed his eyes tightly, tried to eliminate all distracting thoughts in his mind, and used his strong willpower to resist the interference of the illusion.

As time passed, sweat began to form on Lin Ze's forehead, but he never opened his eyes. Finally, he felt the illusion around him begin to dissipate, and he successfully broke free from the illusion.

When he opened his eyes again, the old man was looking at him with a smile, "Congratulations, you have passed all the tests. From today on, you are a disciple of my sect."

Lin Ze was so excited that he knelt on one knee and said solemnly, "Thank you for taking me in, senior. I will definitely live up to your expectations." The old man nodded and took Lin Ze into the sect. There were many disciples in the sect, and they all cast curious glances at the newcomer.

The old man brought Lin Ze to a place for cultivation and said, "You will practice here from now on. There are many skills in the sect, and I will teach them to you in the future." Lin Ze respectfully accepted the order.

However, just as Lin Ze was about to devote himself to cultivation, shocking news struck the sect like a bolt from the blue. Reliable sources reported that a mysterious force, like a ghost, was secretly spying on the sect's secrets. This force was not only cunning but also extremely ruthless, and had already targeted smaller sects surrounding the sect.

Lin Ze's heart sank upon hearing this. He realized that the conspiracy he'd been pursuing was likely inextricably linked to this mysterious force. This discovery weighed heavily on him, but it also stirred a fighting spirit deep within him.

Lin Ze secretly made up his mind to work harder to improve his strength in the sect. He knew that only by becoming strong enough could he uncover the huge conspiracy behind this and protect the safety of the sect and more people.

From that moment on, Lin Ze began his arduous and challenging life of cultivation within the sect. He rose early and went to bed late every day, diligently practicing his techniques and constantly challenging himself to the limit.