Chapter 210: Chapter 203: This Man Has a Heart of Iron, He Can’t Possibly Be an Undercover Agent
Clearly, the Perception Transmission Talisman represented a rare opportunity for the Shadow Puppet Sect!

Even though Jiang Cheng’s asking price was steep, the commercial value of the talisman was evidently much higher!

As the Deputy Sect Master, Fan Yue attached great importance to the Perception Transmission Talisman. It concerned whether the Shadow Puppet Sect could upgrade from a second-rate Demon Sect within the Liang Kingdom to a first-rate international Demon Sect!

Fan Yue called together several elders of the Shadow Puppet Sect in the Capital that very night to discuss the development of the Perception Transmission Talisman.

“I have made contact with a few famous Talisman Masters in the Capital, and they have already started to decipher the Perception Transmission Talisman,” Fan Yue said.

Elder Er complimented with his hands clasped, “Deputy Sect Master Fan’s discovery of the Perception Transmission Talisman has indeed made a great contribution to our sect!”

“No, no, it’s all part of my duties.”

Fan Yue said modestly, but he knew in his heart that if the Perception Transmission Talisman could be sold successfully, it would definitely create significant benefits for the sect. His bid for the position of the next Sect Master was very likely as well.

Generally speaking, the decryption of a first-level talisman shouldn’t pose much of a problem.

Thus, the high-ranking officials of the Shadow Puppet Sect couldn’t help but fantasize about the future development of the sect.

In the puppet craftsman industry, the biggest shortages were not manpower nor cultivation techniques, but money!

The problem that the Perception Transmission Talisman could solve was precisely that of money!

“It seems there is a problem with this talisman.”

The Great Elder spoke, dampening the optimistic mood of the people of the Shadow Puppet Sect.

“What’s the problem?”

“Great Elder, this is no joking matter!”

The Great Elder speculated, “Looking at the brushstrokes of this talisman, it greatly resembles the technique of the Immortal Sect! Look at these curves here; this is how they are drawn by the Immortal Sect.”

Elder Er was startled and said, “You mean, Chen Jiang is from the Immortal Sect?”

Elder San countered, “Not necessarily. Just because he uses techniques from the Immortal Sect doesn’t mean he is one of them. Doesn’t a considerable part of our own puppetry also originate from the Immortal Sect?”

“Chen Jiang could not possibly be a person from the Immortal Sect!” Fan Yue exclaimed.

He then shared Jiang Cheng’s “dishwashing theory” with everyone present.

Most of them bowed their heads in shame after hearing it, realizing that they, as elders of a great Demon Sect, had not thought of Jiang Cheng’s method! Truly, there is always a higher demon outside, and the demonic path is endless.

The Great Elder said, “The matter of this talisman is critical to our grand plans and cannot be taken lightly. We must test Chen Jiang one more time to ensure absolute certainty!”

Everyone nodded, agreeing with the Great Elder’s view.

Being cautious was not a mistake—it would spell the end for the Shadow Puppet Sect if Chen Jiang really was sent by the Immortal Sect.

…

Since he was to discuss the cooperation matters regarding the Perception Transmission Talisman, Jiang Cheng stayed tonight at the Riverside Hotel owned by the Shadow Puppet Sect.

Downstairs in the hotel, all the high-ranking members of the Shadow Puppet Sect from the Capital were gathered.

“Great Elder, how shall we test him?” Elder Er asked.

The Great Elder said, “The biggest difference between disciples of the Immortal Sect and us of the Demonic Path is their superfluous compassion. Chen Jiang’s next-door neighbor is a pregnant woman. In a moment, I will have a disciple sound the fire alarm, then have that pregnant woman fall in front of Chen Jiang. We’ll see if he saves her or not!”

The people of the Shadow Puppet Sect nodded in approval of the Great Elder’s plan when they heard it.

The Great Elder was the Great Elder indeed, especially cunning and ruthless when it came to schemes!

If Chen Jiang really was a disciple from the Immortal Sect, he would definitely come to the aid of the pregnant woman!

Room 6-103 of the Riverside Hotel.

Jiang Cheng took out a Portable Spirit Gathering Array from his storage bag and began to enter his cultivation state.

To enhance his cultivation efficiency, Jiang Cheng also ingested a Spirit Gathering Pill as an aid.

The abundance of spiritual energy allowed him, even with mediocre talent and extremely low cultivation efficiency, to maintain a relatively high speed of cultivation.

However, this method still had one unavoidable flaw—concentration was easily exhausting.

Qi cultivators were no different from ordinary people and still needed to eat and sleep.

If he slept for eight hours a day, he would lose eight hours of cultivation time. Sleeping felt like such a waste of time to Jiang Cheng, and he found it a pity.

With his own poor talents, he should be grasping every second.

Thus, Jiang Cheng thought of a way to cultivate without getting tired.

He attached a Smart Puppet Talisman for cultivation to himself so his body could cultivate on its own, which meant he wouldn’t get tired.

However, the downside was that once the talisman was attached, his body would become uncontrollable.

But that was no problem, designing a countdown pause and a touch pause would suffice—small issues, easily solved.

Shortly after Jiang Cheng entered his cultivation state, the fire alarm at the Riverside Hotel began to ring.

Jiang Cheng, who had the Smart Puppet Talisman on, didn’t move a muscle.

Seeing this, the people downstairs nodded in approval.

“This man hears the alarm but does not stir, his mental fortitude is evident,” someone commented.

The Great Elder laughed and said, “The Immortal Sect’s undercover agents indeed need a mental strength far beyond ordinary people. However, the real test for him is coming. I hope he doesn’t give himself away.”

As the fire alarm grew increasingly urgent,

the pregnant woman in the room next to Jiang Cheng hurriedly packed her things and rushed to evacuate.

The Great Elder, with his Core Formation cultivation, willed his spiritual sense and cast “Boulder Roll Art” stealthily into the Riverside Hotel. The fleeing pregnant woman stumbled suddenly, falling right in front of Jiang Cheng’s door.

She couldn’t help moaning in pain, crying out “aiya, aiya.”

With the plan successful, the Great Elder and all the high-ranking members of the Shadow Puppet Sect smiled. Next, they would see whether Chen Jiang of the Dayan Sect was a cold-hearted individual from the Demonic Tao or a pretender from the Immortal Sect!

Among all those watching, Fan Yue was the most nervous.

If Chen Jiang truly was an undercover agent, then he would be to blame for nearly causing a disaster due to his inability to judge people.

By then, let alone competing for the position of Sect Master, it would be uncertain if he could even retain his seat as Deputy Sect Master.

However, the “naturally wicked” Jiang Cheng didn’t disappoint him.

Despite the pregnant woman’s constant moans of pain outside the room, Jiang Cheng inside remained completely still, without any intention of getting up to help.

He was so indifferent it was chilling!

“What a display of turning a deaf ear, he doesn’t even care to watch the spectacle,” someone remarked.

“Indeed, completely indifferent, only caring for his own cultivation, such selfishness, this man truly has the style of our Demon Sect!” another praised.

“Didn’t the Dayan Sect get destroyed? Just in time, I’ve been looking for a disciple recently, and I think Chen Jiang is pretty good,” another chimed in.

Seeing the Elders starting to consider taking him as a disciple due to their admiration for talent, the Great Elder frowned and said, “This test is not yet conclusive, my friends, please be patient!”

The Great Elder took out a bottle of water, cast a few incantations, and immediately the water flew from the bottle and splashed onto the pregnant woman.

The woman immediately cried out even more pitifully.

Fan Yue, upon seeing this, frowned and said, “Great Elder, the hotel does good business, don’t cause a death here.”

“Hehe, there won’t be any loss of life, just wait and see how Chen Jiang reacts!” the Great Elder replied.

Facing the increasingly pitiful cries of the pregnant woman outside, seemingly on the verge of giving birth, Jiang Cheng within still did not budge.

Jiang Cheng’s excessively composed demeanor made the Elders doubt him.

“He’s not moving at all? Could it be that he hasn’t heard it?” one questioned.

“Yes, even if he’s from the Dayan Sect, shouldn’t he at least go out and check with all this commotion?” another wondered aloud.

Just when the high-ranking members of the Shadow Puppet Sect became suspicious, the unmoving Jiang Cheng suddenly acted.

He casually took out his storage bag, fetched an Elixir from it, and then, with equal nonchalance, ingested it and continued cultivating.

With Jiang Cheng taking an Elixir as proof, the speculation that he “couldn’t hear” shattered.

This convinced the higher-ups of the Shadow Puppet Sect.

“He’s taken an Elixir, it seems that he can hear, but simply chooses not to get involved,” someone observed.

“Such a heart of stone, he cannot possibly be a member of the Immortal Sect,” another concluded.

Fan Yue, who had been tense all along, laughed heartily with relief, “Haha, I told you he couldn’t be an undercover agent from the Immortal Sect. If Chen Jiang were from the Immortal Sect, wouldn’t that mean the Immortal Sect is even more exploitative than the Demon Sect? And they call that a so-called ‘Immortal Sect’?”

Even the ever-cautious Great Elder had nothing more to say.

“It seems, indeed, that Chen Jiang is unlikely to be a disciple of the Immortal Sect,” he stated.