Lu Han approached the immortal supervisor, who maintained the same expression as always.
Motionless black eyes, ever-straight brows, and lips that only opened to yawn.
She was extremely bored.
A boredom that dissipated the moment she saw Lu Han.
Not because he was special, but because he was the last participant. After this, she could leave.
"Proceed—"
Before she could finish speaking, a sound broke the silence between them.
Grrr!
Lu Han's stomach growled loudly.
Embarrassment flashed across his face, but he quickly suppressed it.
"Then I'll proceed."
Lu Han cupped his hands in respect and stepped away from the table.
He was the type who didn't like to show his pitiful side. Not to impress others—he simply understood this himself.
The moment he showed his misery, he would become weak.
Weakness cannot be hidden, but lamenting it makes one even weaker.
The time spent complaining could be used as fuel to seek solutions.
The path is full of thorns, but there are also clear stretches.
Stepping on a thorn and crying about it would only delay him.
Avoiding obstacles was the best way to move forward.
And of course, not all could be easily overcome.
Lu Han's third test was one of those unavoidable thorns.
If he wanted to continue his journey, he had to face it.
Destroying it completely was impossible, but perhaps he could break it in half.
"This is the first obstacle in my pursuit."
In the future, he knew there would be even greater challenges, but he felt no fear.
He possessed a spying ability. Uncovering immortal secrets wouldn't be difficult.
The problem might be the karma he would accumulate by meddling in things that didn't concern him.
But Lu Han didn't care.
For his goals, he would do anything.
With a straight back and eyes calm as deep waters, Lu Han reached the gate, leaving the monuments behind.
Just as he was about to pass through, a female voice echoed in his mind—
"Wait, boy."
He stopped immediately.
Recognizing the source, he turned and looked at the immortal supervisor, who was now rising from her chair.
Stretching her arms, the fairy took a step forward calmly.
She moved as if gliding over water, like walking on the surface of a river.
In a fraction of a second, she crossed two hundred meters and appeared in front of Lu Han, whose eyes widened to their limit.
He knew immortal cultivators were incredible—but not to this extent.
For a few moments, his heartbeat quickened with excitement.
It only settled when he remembered the current situation, involving this indifferent fairy.
"What does the fairy desire? Is there any instruction before I enter the third test?"
Still himself, Lu Han asked in confusion.
But he received no immediate answer—only silence.
Before him, the fairy seemed like a living ghost, making no sound at all.
Instinctively, Lu Han's hairs stood on end, and his scalp tingled, causing slight discomfort.
"F-fairy?" he stammered, his words catching in his throat.
The atmosphere was heavy.
The immortal supervisor, looking at Lu Han, carried a question in her mind.
Was it worth investing in this shabby-looking young man?
She didn't care about appearance—only benefits.
From the beginning, Lu Han had been an anomaly in these tests.
Even being arrogant, she had paid attention to every detail.
At the monuments, he had a look of conviction. He wasn't merely memorizing—he was studying deeply.
This was confirmed during his fight with Murong Huali.
He knew about the third test. How he found out, she didn't know.
Her first thought was that he had a good background, but that was dismissed when she saw him starving.
Would someone of good background go through that?
Now, she could no longer understand Lu Han.
Perhaps he was an abandoned bastard. Or someone lucky enough to receive insider information from the sect.
Another possibility was that he was an infiltrated spy.
That hypothesis seemed plausible, but was discarded after analyzing his mentality.
Lu Han might pretend at first, but deep down, he was too proud.
He refused to appear weak, even when he was, and he was also selfish—creating a contradiction.
He wouldn't accept help easily, but he could kill to get what he wanted.
How did she know this?
Simple.
He accepted Murong Huali's ointment with gratitude, but when Murong Huali began laughing loudly, he immediately raised his guard. If he had a weapon at that moment, he would have attacked without hesitation.
Even if he were an infiltrator, Lu Han would act for himself, ignoring any sense of loyalty.
Someone like that would be useless as a spy.
Thus, she discarded that possibility.
Even so, she hesitated to help him.
"Why did you come here? Why risk your life, even being selfish? Lu Han, why are you willing to cultivate immortality?"
She finally asked the question she had wanted from the start.
"…?"
Lu Han was stunned.
After so much silence, that was it?
But it made sense.
She had seen everything.
Why would a mortal struggle so much for a chance?
Lu Han considered lying, hiding the truth—but gave up.
She was an immortal. She would likely detect any falsehood.
Taking a deep breath, he answered honestly:
"I want to be strong! I don't want to keep living at the bottom, being bullied for being an orphan, being poor, having a weak body, and especially for working without receiving what I deserve."
"My goal is to gain strength so I'm no longer at the mercy of others. Yes, that's why I'm willing to do anything. If it's to live the way I used to, I'd rather die and end everything."
The fairy, sensing his sincerity, finally organized her thoughts.
This boy was a miserable wretch who, for some reason, possessed privileged information about the sect.
"Interesting." She smirked.
"You know what cause and effect is, right? You're willing to reveal all this, but you know there are consequences? What do you think I, a supervisor, can do with someone suspicious, with no background, who possesses information about our sect?"
"Do whatever you want."
Lu Han showed no emotion.
He had expected this ever since he lingered in the second test.
If he hadn't learned anything there, he would have died in the third.
So in the end, he simply took the risk.
"Even if I die, no one will ever discover my ability. It's not a treasure or something divine—just something strange I was born with."
Deep down, Lu Han always wanted answers.
Why was he like this?
Why did no one notice?
What were his true origins?
All of that required one thing.
Strength.
'In the end, everything comes down to strength. As long as I'm weak, my life will be in the hands of others.'
"What will you do now? Kill me for being suspicious?"
"I'm too lazy for that."
The fairy yawned.
Lu Han was speechless. He truly didn't understand this woman.
After yawning, she smiled.
Lu Han's calm reaction made her realize something.
This young man would go far.
A cultivator who relies only on himself, unafraid of death, is terrifying.
They dare to go where others hesitate.
"I won't investigate or report your suspicious actions. Consider this luck—you encountered a broad-minded supervisor."
"But…"
Her eyes gleamed with killing intent.
Lu Han felt as if he were facing a monster from the depths of the ocean.
His body reacted instantly—sweat, tension, survival instinct.
"If you practice demonic techniques, or if you ever kill a human to absorb their blood, I will kill you."
"Even if cultivators are indifferent to mortals, we still have limits that separate us from monsters."
"Killing for resources or treasures is acceptable. Cultivation has always been about the strong."
"But breaking certain taboos—that we do not do."
"Is it hypocrisy? Perhaps. But it's necessary. Imagine a world where cannibalism were allowed. That would be the end of humanity."
"So, Lu Han, if you swear not to cross that line, I will keep my promise. I will even help you in the next test."
The fairy had made her decision.
She trusted her judgment.
And she believed that this young man had value.
Investing in him now, while he was still just a wretch, could bring great returns in the future.