Seeing that her plan was proceeding as she had anticipated, Lin Xinyi slowly returned to her seat.
The excitement in her eyes grew increasingly evident—clearly, she was already looking forward to the upcoming spectacle.
“Come on, let me see how Bai Yuyu looks when everyone questions her, utterly unable to defend herself~”
Lin Xinyi sat in her chair, quietly waiting for the next act.
The head of the Disciplinary Division waved his hand and immediately summoned a group of outer disciples to surround the venue.
“This demon cult spy’s brazen attack is unprecedented. It must be the work of an infiltrator sent by the demon cult. Surround this place!”
“Yes, sir!”
Facing the disciplinary elder’s orders, the surrounding disciples clearly dared not delay.
They immediately mounted their flying swords and positioned themselves around the area.
No matter how vast the Celestial Altar was, the disciples surrounded it from the perimeter.
All exits were blocked, and inner disciples patrolled the skies above.
“Old Zhao, shouldn’t we discuss this with the Sect Leader before encircling the venue? Isn’t this too rash?”
“We can’t delay this. If the spy escapes, how will we answer to those wounded outer disciples?”
…
At a distant tower, Murong Xue slowly descended onto its spire.
Her white robes fluttered in the wind as she took in the entire sect from above, overlooking everything within.
Murong Xue’s Deity Transformation soul enveloped the whole Celestial Altar, scanning inside and out.
She couldn’t figure out what Lin Xinyi meant by spreading rumors about demon cult spies inside the sect, nor could she grasp Lin Xinyi’s true intentions.
“This only makes me more curious, Elder Lin. Just what is it that makes you go this far—even saying you’d do anything?”
Ever since Lin Xinyi left the sect a year ago and stayed away for a while, after she returned, Murong Xue found her style increasingly difficult to read.
She always felt as if Lin Xinyi was hiding something.
On the surface, Lin Xinyi merely held the position of elder, but after all, she was that person’s disciple.
Though Murong Xue had always maintained an appropriate distance, ever since inheriting the position of Sect Leader, she had quietly observed Lin Xinyi.
“Elder Lin… what exactly are you trying to do?”
…
Back with Lin Xinyi, she glanced at the several elders in the viewing stands.
They had all gone on alert, using their divine senses to constantly scan the newly admitted disciples—not even sparing those who had been eliminated.
But most of the elders’ scrutiny was focused on the top-ranked individuals.
Bai Qianqian’s figure was also checked, yet no one discovered the demonic-energy-emitting accessory Lin Xinyi had left on her.
“What’s wrong with these elders? Are they all just dead weight? How has no one noticed that person after all this time?!”
Lin Xinyi waited a long time, but the scenario she’d imagined didn’t unfold as expected.
Logically, even if they couldn’t sense that object directly, they should have sensed a trace of demonic energy.
By now, Bai Yuyu should have been completely enveloped in demonic energy.
“Fine, it doesn’t matter. I’ll have to point it out myself.”
Lin Xinyi began to feel irritated.
She clearly couldn’t wait any longer and just wanted to expose the other quickly.
But just as she stood up, she suddenly felt an inexplicable presence sweep over her.
“Wait…”
Lin Xinyi froze in place the moment that terrifying divine sense brushed past her.
Her eyes darted toward the tallest bell tower inside the sect—and sure enough, she saw that familiar figure.
“Damn it. Murong Xue hasn’t left after all—and that divine sense keeps sweeping over me…”
Lin Xinyi had wanted to immediately accuse Bai Qianqian, but with Murong Xue aware of what she’d just done, acting impulsively now might leave her open to other criticisms.
Gritting her teeth, Lin Xinyi decided to wait a bit longer.
But those elders seemed to have glazed eyes—not a single one looked toward Bai Qianqian.
Although Bai Qianqian had stopped at the fiftieth step, that was still a relatively high position.
These old fossils only stared at the top few.
Bai Yuyu was sitting on the steps, her cold gaze sweeping her surroundings.
How could she not notice the sudden increase in people around her?
“Qianqian, there are four or five Nascent Soul auras surrounding this place. And atop that distant tower, there’s a Deity Transformation aura.”
“I know, Sister Luo.”
Beside Bai Yuyu floated Luo Qingyao.
Though her Immortal Venerable level soul was only a remnant, she had instantly sensed all the changes in the vicinity.
After getting the information she wanted, Bai Yuyu didn’t show much reaction.
She just fiddled idly with the panel that had appeared before her.
No matter how many times she tested it, only she could see this thing.
Bai Yuyu gently touched her finger to the panel, looking at the strings of text displayed on it.
It seemed as if every line was targeting Lin Xinyi.
“My master is sitting in the viewing stand watching me. Even from this far away, it shows her position…”
Bai Yuyu grew more and more curious about what this thing actually was.
Though she had been wary at first, after so much time, she found it posed no threat to her, so she stopped paying it much mind.
Moreover, although this thing had appeared only after she started cultivating, it always provided her with information about Lin Xinyi when she least expected it.
And its functions suited Bai Yuyu’s own needs perfectly.
【Heavenly Demon Jade】
【Immortal-grade (Fake)】
【Constantly emits demonic energy while also nurturing the user through resonance. A great supplement for demonic cultivators. If the user is not a demonic cultivator, the energy will slowly seep into the user’s meridians and convert their spiritual power into demonic energy】
“At least before leaving, she gave me an interesting little toy.”
The accessory Bai Qianqian held in her hand was exactly the tool Lin Xinyi had left on her earlier.
Its aura was faint, but it constantly emitted demonic energy.
The moment it was placed on her body….
At first, Bai Qianqian truly hadn’t sensed it.
Nor had Luo Qingyao detected Lin Xinyi’s little maneuver.
It was precisely the panel before her that had given her a warning.
【Warning】
【Currently carrying equipment incompatible with your cultivation path】
Through the screen before her, Bai Yuyu saw Lin Xinyi sitting in the viewing stand with that smug expression—and she knew this was definitely her master’s doing.
“I suppose this is a gift from my master as well…”
Bai Qianqian held the dark jade up to the light, looking at the carving on it—like a demon from outside the heavens.
A faint smile slowly appeared at the corner of her lips, as if she were being influenced by the image.
“Wait—Bai Yuyu found the thing I put on her?!”
Lin Xinyi had wanted to sit back and wait patiently, but when she saw the other sitting on the steps, slowly picking up that black jade piece, her heart tightened.
That spirit treasure, once placed on someone, would be like an adhesive patch.
It would slowly dissolve into a cloud of demonic mist, invisible and intangible.
Unless stimulated with spiritual power, even someone as strong as Luo Qingyao wouldn’t sense it.
“How did Bai Qianqian discover it?”
Seeing this, Lin Xinyi’s confidence wavered.
She immediately stood up from her chair, no longer caring whether Murong Xue would notice anything suspicious about her.
She walked straight to the railing and extended her hand with a wave.
The barrier that had been concealing her area was instantly torn away.
The elders behind her were also drawn by Lin Xinyi’s sudden movement.
“Elder Lin, what are you doing? The sect selection is still in progress. What do you mean by removing the barrier?”
“Exactly! If those demon cult spies see us elders up here, won’t it tip them off?”
…
Lin Xinyi could no longer afford to care about the objections of the two elders behind her.
The moment Bai Yuyu saw the blurry mist in front of Lin Xinyi torn away, her eyes lit up.
“Wow—seeing my master in person really is so much prettier~”
Bai Yuyu sat on the steps, resting her cheek on her hand, a hint of infatuation in her gaze.
From the viewing stand, Lin Xinyi had been obscured by a white mist, but now she was directly exposed to everyone.
“With all these people here, none of you noticed the demon cult spy? That person—the one on the fiftieth step!”
Lin Xinyi pointed directly at Bai Qianqian, who was still holding the dark jade.
A faint, triumphant smile curled at her lips.
Even if the other had discovered it, it was fine—but she had just happened to take it out at this very moment.
Bai Yuyu, who had all her attention focused on Lin Xinyi, saw the elder’s finger pointing in her direction.
A trace of confusion appeared in her eyes—she clearly hadn’t processed what was happening.
“Is Master pointing at me? Did she say something just now? I didn’t hear very clearly.”
“Lin Xinyi is falsely accusing Yuyu of being a spy!”
“Huh? Me?”
Lin Xinyi saw Bai Yuyu’s still-confused expression, and her triumphant smile grew even more smug.
Though things had deviated slightly from her plan, there was no better option now.
With Lin Xinyi’s direct accusation, everyone’s gaze focused on the fiftieth step of the Heart-Questioning Steps.
Almost all eyes were fixed there.
Even Murong Xue, atop the bell tower, raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“What is Lin Xinyi doing?”
The dark jade in Bai Qianqian’s hand emitted its faint demonic energy.
The fiftieth step held only Bai Qianqian sitting there—her relaxed demeanor forming a stark contrast with the other disciple nearby, who was also on the fiftieth step but could barely move.
“Everyone—go and arrest that person on the fiftieth step!”
The head of the Enforcement Hall was the first to react.
Though he didn’t understand why Lin Xinyi was so certain, at this point, arrest came first.
Lin Xinyi thought to herself: once she captured Bai Yuyu, she would have countless reasons to frame her.
“Haha, done. Sorry, Bai Yuyu—this life, I win~”
The more Lin Xinyi thought about it, the more excited she became.
She was even trembling with joy.
But just when she thought victory was certain, the smugness on her face froze completely.
Arrogant demonic energy shot straight into the sky.
In an instant, that figure leaped directly from the Heart-Questioning Steps, soaring into the air.
The formation above the Celestial Altar was shredded by that sharp energy.
At the same time, the cultivation level of the Nascent Soul stage was revealed.
“I disguised myself perfectly—no one under an Immortal should have recognized me. As expected, the elders of the Hidden Immortal Sect truly hide dragons and crouching tigers…”
The scene Lin Xinyi had imagined—Bai Yuyu being immediately captured—did not happen.
Instead, the disciple who had been lying motionless on the steps beside Bai Yuyu suddenly exploded into action.
A moment ago, that person had appeared completely pinned down and unable to move.
Now, they wore a dark purple robe.
Their childlike appearance had transformed into a mess of white hair, looking like dead wood.
“Haha, this old man’s lifespan was nearly up. I had planned to kill off one of your Hidden Immortal Sect elders—I never expected to be seen through by a mere mid-Nascent Soul!”
The suddenly revealed demon cult elder, his body like withered wood, extended a finger toward where Lin Xinyi stood.
His voice carried a mix of self-mockery and unwillingness.
Lin Xinyi was dumbfounded.
Her plan was not supposed to go like this.
But Murong Xue, who had been watching all along, stopped observing.
She took a single step forward.
In an instant, the surrounding space cracked.
Murong Xue stood at an even higher vantage point, looking down at the suddenly appeared demon cult elder.
“Haha—a Deity Transformation cultivator! This old man’s infiltration was worth it!!”
Seeing Murong Xue appear, the withered-tree-like elder’s eyes flashed with excitement.
The realm he had pursued his entire life without reaching now stood before him.
But after appearing, Murong Xue did not look at him.
Instead, a faint smile curled at her lips as she gazed at Lin Xinyi in the viewing stand.
Her voice softened somewhat.
“Elder Lin, you’ve rendered a great service this time~”