A moment later, in the discussion hall of the Qiankun Sect.
Mo Chen waved his hand to dismiss the other elders.
In the vast hall, only four people remained: himself, Long Yu, Chen Yuyang, and Yan Dangmo.
Yan Dangmo sat down, raised an eyebrow at Mo Chen, and spoke first.
“Speak. What exactly is the situation? Where is Long Zhizheng?”
“Uncle Long…” Mo Chen shook his head, a look of grief appearing on his face.
His voice carried a hint of raspiness.
“He won’t be coming. Because… he has fallen!”
“What!”
Yan Dangmo stood up abruptly, his eyes filled with shock.
Long Zhizheng was a powerhouse at the third level of the Great Enlightenment Stage.
With his profound cultivation and countless methods, how could he have died so suddenly and without cause?
Chen Yuyang narrowed his eyes slightly.
There wasn’t much surprise on his face, but he fell into deep thought and did not speak immediately.
“What exactly happened?”
Yan Dangmo pressed, a hint of urgency in his tone.
Although he felt that Long Zhizheng might no longer be the friend he once knew, they had still faced life and death together in the past.
Moreover, the sudden death of a Great Enlightenment Stage cultivator in the righteous camp of the North Domain’s Realm of Cultivation was an absolute catastrophe.
Mo Chen took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly as he replied, “We do not know the specifics yet. We are currently investigating with everything we have. Not long ago, disciples found traces of a battle between Uncle Long and a powerful enemy 300 miles south of Tian’en City. They found… they found his mangled remains. Currently, we can only speculate that this was likely the work of the Demonic Cult.”
Just then, Chen Yuyang finally spoke, his gaze meeting Mo Chen’s eyes directly.
“Would it be possible for us to examine the body?”
Yan Dangmo glanced at the young man with some surprise, but he quickly reacted and nodded in agreement.
“Indeed. I have traded blows with some of the powerhouses of the Demonic Cult. Perhaps I can discern something from Long Zhizheng’s wounds.”
Mo Chen looked troubled.
A body represented the final dignity of the deceased.
Furthermore, Long Zhizheng’s death was gruesome, and his remains were shattered; it was truly not fit for public viewing.
But on second thought, Yan Dangmo was experienced and powerful.
If they could find clues from the corpse, it would be of great benefit in uncovering the truth.
After a moment of hesitation, Mo Chen finally nodded.
“Fine. Since Senior Yan and this young brother are willing to help, please follow me.”
Mo Chen led the two through several corridors to a hidden stone cave.
Outside the cave, a heavy stone door was tightly shut.
The surrounding area was secretly covered in restrictive runes; if anyone approached rashly, they would be punished.
Mo Chen stepped forward, used a specific footwork to reach the door, and formed hand seals.
He quickly dispelled the restrictions and pushed open the stone door.
The cave was empty and dimly lit.
In the center, on a platform made of ice jade, lay a corpse covered in white cloth.
Mo Chen walked to the side of the stone platform and took a deep breath before slowly pulling back the cloth.
Beneath it was a mangled, incomplete body.
It had no head.
The torso was covered in hideous wounds, golden bones were exposed, and the skin was charred black.
Mo Chen turned his head away, unable to look further.
His face was full of pain.
Long Zhizheng had been close to him, and seeing him in this state was more than he could bear.
Yan Dangmo took a step forward and examined the remains closely, his brow furrowing deeper.
“Even the golden bones, refined by the power of laws, have been so thoroughly damaged… The power of the laws contained within the attacks must have been extremely condensed and overbearing. Additionally, these wounds… there are marks of sabers, swords, and even battle-axes… Could it be that he wasn’t killed by one person, but besieged by a group of Great Enlightenment Stage experts? Furthermore, these scorched marks…”
Yan Dangmo leaned closer, sensing the energy.
“Undoubtedly, this is the aura left behind by a lightning tribulation. After killing Long Zhizheng, did the opponent stay at the scene to cross a tribulation?”
The confusion on Yan Dangmo’s face grew.
The situation was simply too bizarre.
Chen Yuyang stood to the side, his gaze sweeping over the body.
In his heart, he understood everything.
Those wounds clearly came from the law-manifested weapons of the Nirvana Annihilation Array.
‘I knew it. Since I gave Master such a treasure, there was no way she could lose.’
As for the traces of a lightning tribulation…
‘Did Master break through to the next realm right after defeating Long Zhizheng?’
That might be a bit of a problem.
The Nirvana Annihilation Array was not a specialized defensive array.
While it could block some of the lightning tribulation, its effectiveness was limited.
His Master must have consumed a significant amount of energy to operate the array to kill Long Zhizheng, and she might have been injured.
Crossing a tribulation in that state…
Thinking of this, Chen Yuyang’s expression darkened.
However, judging by the current situation, his Master had not been killed by Long Zhizheng.
Instead, it seemed Long Zhizheng had attacked her first and ultimately reaped what he sowed.
Chen Yuyang did not say anything.
He could see that Mo Chen was overcome with grief.
If he learned the truth now, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t lose his mind.
Although the Realm of Cultivation was divided into righteous and evil, and the Qiankun Sect was a righteous sect, some logic simply didn’t apply when emotions were involved—especially when the other party was stronger than you and had suffered a massive loss.
“Aside from the body, were there any other discoveries at the scene?”
Chen Yuyang asked.
Mo Chen snapped out of his grief and nodded.
“Yes. The area where Uncle Long’s body was found was completely destroyed for dozens of miles. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth in the vicinity is still somewhat chaotic.”
Hearing this, Yan Dangmo’s pupils constricted.
“Traces of a tribulation spanning dozens of miles? That isn’t something an ordinary lightning tribulation could cause. Could it be a powerhouse of the Tribulation Transcendence Stage…?”
Mo Chen’s brow remained furrowed as he shook his head slightly.
“I am not sure. If it truly was a Tribulation Transcendence Stage expert, then this matter might be even more troublesome.”
After a pause, Mo Chen seemed to remember something and added, “Right. In addition, a set of damaged black flags was found at the scene. They have already lost their spiritual energy. There was also the wreckage of a shattered flying boat, which does not belong to my sect…”
“Beyond that, my disciples spotted a strange woman. She was at the scene taking a square copper plate. When my disciples stepped forward to question her, she attacked and injured them without provocation. Her methods were ruthless, and my sect is currently pursuing her with all our might.”
Mo Chen did not hide anything, relaying all the information he had gathered.
At the mention of the square plate, Chen Yuyang’s heart leaped.
The Ji Plate!
That was the Ji Plate he had given to his Master!
Could it be that his Master had entered the Ji Plate?
It was possible, very possible!
As for that woman…
‘Could it be Senior Sister Qiushui…?’
At this point, Chen Yuyang had an eight or nine percent certainty about the truth.
He felt a secret sense of relief, and the weight on his heart lifted significantly.
Chen Yuyang maintained his composure and continued to ask, “May we see the set of flags? Also, do you have a portrait of that woman?”
Speculation was just speculation. It was better to have more proof.
Mo Chen was somewhat dissatisfied with this junior’s repeated interruptions.
But seeing that Yan Dangmo did not stop him and appeared to have an unusual relationship with the boy, he suppressed his displeasure and nodded.
“Yes, we have them.”
As he spoke, Mo Chen took an object from his storage ring.
It was a set of damaged flags, seven in total.
Simultaneously, he took out a portrait of a woman and unrolled it before everyone.
Upon seeing the flags and the portrait, Chen Yuyang understood instantly.
His suspicions were now fully confirmed.
However…
Looking at it this way, things were about to get complicated.
His Master had killed Long Zhizheng.
Even if the man deserved to die, the Qiankun Sect would likely not accept it easily.
Even with Yan Dangmo backing him, he couldn’t tell the truth.
Saying it would only bring more trouble and pressure upon the Hehuan Sect.
On the other hand, Senior Sister Qiushui being mistaken for a member of the Demonic Cult was also a problem…
Regardless, at this point, it didn’t matter if the Qiankun Sect suspected the so-called Demonic Cult.
The priority was to extract the Hehuan Sect from the matter of Long Zhizheng’s death.
As for seeking justice for Long Zhizheng’s attack on his Master… there was no rush.
Confirming the safety of his Master and Junior Sister was the most important thing.
Chen Yuyang had patience, and he had methods.
In an instant, Chen Yuyang thought of many things.
Then, he put on an expression of surprise and pointed at the portrait.
“Ah! This… this isn’t some demonic cultist! This is clearly a Senior Sister from my Hehuan Sect!”
Mo Chen was startled, and Yan Dangmo was also surprised.
He quickly asked Chen Yuyang, “Why would your Senior Sister be there?”
“Senior Yan, have you forgotten? My Senior Sister went to find Master!”
Chen Yuyang said immediately.
Yan Dangmo blinked, remembering that Su Chunshuang had indeed mentioned this back at the Hehuan Sect.
Mo Chen was stunned, his mind falling into a bit of a muddle.
“Wait a moment. Sect Leader Mo, what did that square plate look like? Did your disciples see it clearly?”
“It was a square copper plate. It seemed to have a…”
Mo Chen paused, then spoke.
“That is a magical treasure belonging to my Master, called the Ji Plate!”
Chen Yuyang interrupted.
“My Senior Sister likely couldn’t find Master at the scene but found the Ji Plate. When she was surrounded by Sect Leader Mo’s disciples, she probably feared they were the culprits behind Master’s disappearance. In her desperation, she fought them and fled.”
Chen Yuyang immediately provided the most logical excuse.
Whether that was the actual truth didn’t matter.
As long as it was plausible and beyond reproach, it would serve.
“Your Master… why would your Master be here?”
Mo Chen was stunned and asked immediately.
“After the Pill Assembly ended, my Master’s whereabouts became unknown. Since Sect Leader Mo said there was a destroyed flying boat at the scene that doesn’t belong to the Qiankun Sect, and disciples saw my Senior Sister and my Master’s treasure, then my Master must have been here originally,” Chen Yuyang replied.
His words were clear and logical.
For a moment, Mo Chen couldn’t find any flaws.
But then, Mo Chen’s gaze became somewhat sharp.
“But… that is the place where an elder of my Qiankun Sect fell… If your Master was there, could it be that she…”
“Sect Leader Bu is only at the ninth level of the Soul Transformation Stage,” Yan Dangmo cut in from the side.
“But didn’t my Uncle Long die at the hands of a group?”
Mo Chen replied, his eyes still narrowed.
He hadn’t completely dispelled his suspicion.
“It is indeed suspicious. However, how could my Master have intercepted Senior Long on her way back to the Hehuan Sect? Senior Long shouldn’t have been passing through that area. Furthermore, where would she have found a group of experts to help her kill him?”
Chen Yuyang sneered and spoke up.
Mo Chen went silent.
Indeed, Long Zhizheng had died on Bu Lingxuan’s return route, not on the route back to the Qiankun Sect.
This point made no sense no matter how one looked at it.
Instead, it looked like Long Zhizheng had gone looking for trouble with Bu Lingxuan and was killed in a counter-attack… No, that was impossible.
It must have been the Demonic Cult.
Even if the Hehuan Sect exhausted all its strength, they couldn’t possibly kill Uncle Long!
Mo Chen decided in his heart.
At that moment, Yan Dangmo cleared his throat and spoke.
“The only explanation is that when the Demonic Cult ambushed Long Zhizheng, Sect Leader Bu was unintentionally caught in the crossfire.”