Within the Ten Sects and Thirteen Houses, the Eastern Verge Sect was shrouded in mystery, its inner workings unknown. “I know not if any Celestial Venerate dwells within,” mused Wang Lin, the meager information from his tortoise shell divination and the jade scroll map offering little insight into the sect. This was attributed to the sect’s reclusive nature, its disciples rarely venturing forth to mingle with the outside world.

“Surely, a sect ranked among the Nine Sects and Thirteen Houses cannot be ordinary. Yet, even if a Celestial Venerate resides there, it is of no consequence,” Wang Lin murmured. He dispersed his divine sense, scanning the surrounding lands, poised to journey to the Eastern Verge Sect’s location as marked on the map. But as he lifted his foot, he froze, a sudden realization washing over him.

In the vast expanse encompassed by his divine sense, from a mortal city tens of thousands of leagues distant, he faintly detected a familiar resonance. This was a ripple of the seal he had laid upon all reincarnated souls back in the Cave World. Too faint to detect at great distances, it grew stronger with proximity, becoming palpable to his divine sense.

“Whose essence is this echo of the past…?” A smile bloomed upon Wang Lin’s face, tinged with anticipation. He knew not which familiar soul emanated the surge, similar to when he had sensed Zhou Yi and Qing Shuang outside the Gates of Earth. He could only perceive the echoes, unable to discern the individual without beholding them directly. The seals, after all, had been uniformly applied, lacking unique signatures.

His heart stirred with a rare joy. To encounter a friend from those distant days upon this unfamiliar land, regardless of who it might be, filled him with delight. A swift shift of his essence, and he abandoned his plans to journey to the Eastern Verge Sect, instead setting his course for the mortal city tens of thousands of leagues away.

With his cultivation, the distance was but a blink. As he approached the city upon the earth below, the resonance intensified. He hovered above the city gates, his gaze descending upon the throngs of mortals entering the city. Among them, a white-haired elder, his face radiating ancient wisdom and concealing a hint of smugness, caught Wang Lin’s eye. It was from this elder that the telltale resonance originated!

Even without the telltale surge, Wang Lin knew he could have recognized that familiar face amidst the teeming masses. His smile widened, a touch of incredulity upon his face.

“Liu Jinbiao!” The name escaped Wang Lin’s lips, his smile growing ever more amused.

“That wily Liu Jinbiao, who once fathomed the path of deception, has, in his reincarnation, found himself treading the same… path.” A mere glance was enough. With his understanding of Liu Jinbiao and his honed insight, Wang Lin instantly discerned the purpose of the white-haired elder, who was surrounded by nearly a hundred adoring mortals.

The subtle smugness barely concealed within Liu Jinbiao’s expression, the reverent gazes of the surrounding mortals, caused Wang Lin’s mirth to deepen, though it was now tinged with a weary amusement.

“Deceiving mortals… This is the same Liu Jinbiao who once deceived cultivators in the Cave World. How has he come to stoop to preying on mortals? He has cultivated himself and attained the Core Formation Realm.”

“With such power, why would he choose to deceive mere mortals? What is he planning?” A frown creased Wang Lin’s brow as he pondered the situation. He decided to refrain from immediately awakening Liu Jinbiao’s memories, content to watch from the heavens and observe his machinations. Concealed in the skies, his presence went unnoticed by all.

Liu Jinbiao, having entered the city, suddenly felt a pang of unease, a strange and unfamiliar sensation as though he were a child caught in the midst of some misdeed. He glanced around warily, his gaze sweeping across the skies. He blinked in surprise, “Strange, why do I have such a sensation… like a child caught doing something wrong by his parents… peculiar.” He suppressed his unease, relieved that the feeling was fleeting.

Three days passed. People of prominence from the city brought their children to Liu Jinbiao. The elder examined them under his gentle gaze. Then, on the fourth day, he departed, leading with him five children. Three were boys, two were girls. The eldest was thirteen, the youngest but eight years of age.

Amidst the respectful and excited farewells of the city folk, Liu Jinbiao, bearing his select few, was carried aloft in a sedan chair, with other people bearing the children, and ascended into the heavens.

Throughout the three days, Wang Lin watched Liu Jinbiao, his brow furrowed in contemplation.

“What is Liu Jinbiao up to? He has not stolen a single coin, merely led these five children with some potential away… These children possess some talent, but it is not enough for a sect to take interest in them! If he has ill intentions, I will not spare him!” Wang Lin’s expression remained placid as he followed Liu Jinbiao from the heavens.

In the skies, Liu Jinbiao sat upon his sedan chair, joy writ upon his face. His gaze swept across the five children, his eyes gleaming with barely suppressed excitement.

“Never would I have imagined finding five people within this town suitable. Haha, this time, I’m sure to make a fortune!”

The children felt uneasy under the elder’s gaze. They were filled with expectation, all yearning to enter a sect and become immortal cultivators, as did their parents and relatives.

Several days later, outside a series of mountain ranges in the Great Saint Continent, Liu Jinbiao’s sedan chair came to a halt. He rose to his feet, wearing a solemn expression, and eyed his entourage.

“Await my return here, until I, your Immortal, return.”

The four burly men who bore the sedan chair and the surrounding attendants bowed, acknowledging his order with haste. The four men were at the Foundation Establishment Realm, while most of the attendants were at the Qi Condensation Realm, a good portion of them having attained cultivation through Liu Jinbiao’s teachings.

With a flicker of movement, Liu Jinbiao transformed into a dark wind, spiriting the five children through the mountain ranges, vanishing into the shadows.

From the heavens, Wang Lin observed Liu Jinbiao’s actions, his face darkening. He followed.

After a moment, the dark wind that was Liu Jinbiao came to a halt within a secluded valley within the mountain. The valley was small, containing a series of caves hewn into the rock face. In one of these caves, Liu Jinbiao sat, placing the five children before him. His eyes gleamed with a dark light, and with a solemn face, he spoke:
The five children, met with his gaze, grew instantly rigid, their faces paling to the shade of bone. Yet, they bit their lips and held fast, refusing to yield to tears.

“Ah, little ones,” the man boomed, “truth be told, I… *exaggerated* before your kin. Your aptitudes, alas, are but…middling. Barely enough to tread the path of cultivation. I chose you not for inherent talent, but for the unyielding spirit I see within you!”

He paused, his eyes sweeping over their anxious faces. “For a seeker of immortality, mere talent matters little. A resolute heart is the truest treasure.”

The five children remained silent, their gazes fixed on the man, Liu Jinbiao.

An equally silent observer stood unseen nearby – Wang Lin. He watched Liu Jinbiao, awaiting his next words.

*Liu Jinbiao, to deceive cultivators is one thing, but to prey on these children… you disappoint me*, Wang Lin thought grimly.

Suddenly, Liu Jinbiao spoke, “I am a charlatan.”

The words hung in the air, silencing even the wind. The children stared, mouths agape. Even Wang Lin was taken aback.

“I am a charlatan,” Liu Jinbiao repeated, his expression unwavering. “I deceived your families, and brought you here under false pretenses.”

The children were struck dumb, overwhelmed by the sudden confession.

“However…” Liu Jinbiao smiled faintly, his gaze lingering on each of them. “I can still offer you a chance to join the hallowed halls of the Great Saint Sect. But the choice, ultimately, must be yours. Firstly, understand this: your inherent abilities would never pass the Sect’s trials. The Grand Masters would never deem you worthy of discipleship. Though you possess some potential, it is far too meager to warrant their attention. On this, I speak the truth.”

He paused for a moment, letting his words sink in.

Wang Lin watched, a thoughtful frown creasing his brow. Liu Jinbiao spoke the truth; the children’s potential was insignificant in the eyes of the great Sects.

“But I possess a… *method*,” Liu Jinbiao continued, a glint in his eye. “A way to fool the examiners, to make your talents seem far greater than they are! A deception that could grant you entry.

“However, this is merely illusion. Should your performance within the Sect prove lackluster, should they scrutinize you further, the truth will be revealed. You would not face death, nor would you likely be expelled. You would simply fade into obscurity, becoming footnotes in the Sect’s history.

“Therefore, I say again: talent is secondary. It is the strength of your heart that truly matters!”

Liu Jinbiao paused, letting his gaze rest on each child.

“And I, in turn, shall profit from your deception,” he continued. “I shall leverage your enhanced reputations to acquire necessities for myself. The more ‘talented’ you appear, the better the initial treatment you receive. The better the treatment, the more valuable the items I can procure. However, such a bold deception carries a greater risk of exposure.

“I offer to weave this illusion, to grant you entry into the Immortal Sect. Once inside, your fate will be your own. As for my own reward… well, consider it my due.

“But choose wisely. If you refuse, I shall erase this memory and return you to your families. If you accept, you must decide what level of ‘talent’ I shall bestow upon you. Excellent, Superior, or Common… those are your choices!

“My advice? Choose ‘Common’ – enough to enter the gate. I intend to ply this trade for years to come and wish not to draw undue attention to myself.”

With that, Liu Jinbiao reached into a pouch at his belt, retrieved a handful of peanuts, and began to crack them open, munching thoughtfully.

Wang Lin watched, a wry smile gracing his lips. *That Liu Jinbiao*, he thought, *was surely a charlatan in a past life. His deceptions seem to grow ever more elaborate.*

Three of the children, overcome with fear, chose to return home. But a boy and a girl stood firm, their eyes blazing with determination. The girl chose the “Common” aptitude, just enough to enter the gate. The boy, however, boldly declared his desire for “Superior.”

Liu Jinbiao fixed the boy with a long, searching look. This child possessed the greatest natural talent of the five, and an unusually resolute spirit. He came not from wealth or privilege, but from humble origins. Yet, somehow, Liu Jinbiao had seen something…

With a nod, Liu Jinbiao erased the memories of the three wavering children. With a flick of his sleeve, he sent them drifting out of the cavern, back toward the mountains where his servants waited. He sent a telepathic message, instructing them to return the children to their town and to inform their families that their entry into the Sect had failed.