Soaring Cloud Sect’s Palace Hall.
As one of the seven great Sects of the Jiu Zhou Continent, the Soaring Cloud Sect had a total of Twelve Peaks, each guarded by an Elder.
Ning Yin and Yan Hanzhou stood at the center of the hall. Unlike the last trial, this time, all twelve Elders were present, including the usually reclusive master of Muyun Peak, Ning Yin’s Master, Yu Wei Immortal Lord.
It was easy to spot Yu Wei Immortal Lord among the twelve Elders—his head of white hair was simply too striking to ignore.
Years ago, when Ning Yin traveled from the Cheng Kingdom to cultivate at Soaring Cloud Sect, she brought not only her personal maid and guards, but also a letter from the National Preceptor of Cheng Kingdom addressed to his old acquaintance, Yu Wei Immortal Lord. It was precisely this letter that allowed Ning Yin to become the sole disciple under Yu Wei Immortal Lord.
No one knew what was written in that letter from the National Preceptor of Cheng Kingdom that could make Yu Wei Immortal Lord break his own rules for Ning Yin again and again, ultimately ruining his reputation and destroying hundreds of years of cultivation in one stroke.
“Master! I’m innocent—”
“Silence!” The Law Enforcement Elder snapped angrily. “No noise in the Palace Hall!”
Ning Yin swallowed her anger, gritting her teeth as she muttered under her breath, “That old stick-in-the-mud Law Enforcement Elder just wants to whip me with the Soaring Cloud Sect’s Whip!”
Yan Hanzhou said in a low voice, “Don’t worry. If he orders you to be whipped, I’ll explode right here and blow them all up!”
With this human bomb Yan Hanzhou by her side, Ning Yin felt a rare sense of security.
But as she glanced around, she saw the twelve Elders seated motionless on the high dais, as if carved from stone.
The oppressive aura was like a frozen abyss, silently filling the entire hall.
Not even a sparrow dared chirp. Such an imposing display—just to interrogate a petty dispute between fellow disciples?
Ning Yin didn’t believe these twelve Elders would make such a fuss over what, in their eyes, was a trivial matter.
After all, in the novel, the only other time all twelve Elders of Soaring Cloud Sect gathered was when the Sect nearly faced extermination—never for anything less.
Clearly, trouble was brewing. Ning Yin thought it over.
Aside from the matter of Lingxiao’s Secret Realm in the Forbidden Land, nothing else could have caused such a stir.
But in the novel, when Shi Yunzhao obtained the inheritance from the Secret Realm, not a single Elder showed their face.
Why were they making such a spectacle today…?
She lowered her voice and said to Yan Hanzhou beside her, “No matter what happens later, don’t say a word. Follow my lead.”
If one prospers, all prosper; if one suffers, all suffer.
To outsiders, Yan Hanzhou was just her lackey.
Everything Yan Hanzhou did was at her command, and there was no way to separate their fates.
If these Elders discovered Yan Hanzhou had changed inside, and mistook him for a soul-stealing demon, then traced it back to herself… Ning Yin didn’t dare continue that line of thought.
Yan Hanzhou could sense several probing spiritual senses in the hall sweeping over him and Ning Yin.
Any misstep would not escape these people’s notice.
The Law Enforcement Elder swept a cold gaze over the two of them. “Kneel!”
Ning Yin retorted, “We didn’t do anything wrong, why should we kneel?”
“Nothing wrong? Then answer me this: You were ordered to reflect at Reflection Cliff, so why were you found in the Forbidden Land? Si Heyu personally witnessed the place where Shi Yunzhao was injured—only you and Yan Hanzhou were there, and the Demonic Sword that wounded Shi Yunzhao was in Yan Hanzhou’s hand!”
Ning Yin’s tone was full of shock. “Elder, what do you mean by this? Are you suspecting Yan Hanzhou of harboring ill intent and plotting against Senior Sister? Who in Soaring Cloud Sect doesn’t know that Yan Hanzhou is a Waste Spiritual Root, unable to cultivate? Even the Sect’s cooks are stronger than him. How could he possibly ambush a Senior Sister with Golden Core cultivation?”
At this, Ning Yin choked up. “I know you all look down on him, but I also know you don’t like me either. But I’ve already explained everything clearly. Once Senior Sister wakes, the truth will be plain for all to see. I don’t understand why Elder keeps targeting me.”
She turned, crying to the unmoved Yu Wei Immortal Lord, “Master! Look how they’re bullying your disciple. They’re not just bullying me—they’re looking down on you!”
Yu Wei Immortal Lord had always been a loner, the most reclusive of the twelve Elders, with Ning Yin as his only disciple. If not for a favor owed, he would never have accepted such a troublesome disciple.
“If you truly did not do this, you won’t be wronged. But if you did…” Yu Wei Immortal Lord’s threat to put the Sect before family was clear.
The Sect Master stopped the angry Law Enforcement Elder, his tone gentle as he asked, “We summoned you here today to find out exactly what happened in the Forbidden Land.”
One Elder grumbled impatiently, “Enough with the questions—why not just use the Soul Searching Technique…”
Yu Wei Immortal Lord cut him off, his gaze icy. “Watch your words!”
That Elder snorted coldly and fell silent.
The Sect Master gave Ning Yin a reassuring look. “No need to be afraid, speak.”
The words “Soul Searching” were never good news in this cultivation world.
The Soul Searching Technique, put simply, was a secret art that let one view another’s past memories.
The side effects varied, from mild amnesia and headaches to slow reactions—and sometimes, it could even turn someone into an idiot.
What on earth had happened to make them even consider using the Soul Searching Technique?
Ning Yin became much more obedient, respectfully bowing.
“Replying to Sect Master, two days ago, while reflecting at Reflection Cliff, I accidentally fell from the cliff with Yan Hanzhou. Who would have thought the bottom of Reflection Cliff was actually the location of the Forbidden Land?”
“Yan Hanzhou and I wandered there for a long time, unable to find a way out. Luckily, we encountered Senior Sister. At the time, Senior Sister was gravely injured and had stumbled into a Secret Realm. The owner of that Secret Realm seemed to be Lingxiao Immortal Lord from a thousand years ago.”
“Senior Sister awakened the Heavenly Spiritual Root in the Secret Realm, and I obtained Lingxiao Immortal Lord’s treasure, the Cangming Ring. After leaving the Secret Realm, Senior Sister was attacked by demons and monsters while searching for the Teleportation Array to leave the Forbidden Land.”
“By the time Yan Hanzhou and I arrived, Senior Sister was already unconscious. Every word I say is true; I ask Sect Master to see clearly.”
“Cangming Ring?”
“It’s on the ring finger of my right hand.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the Binding Immortal Rope behind Ning Yin snapped, and her right hand was lifted by an invisible force, revealing the ancient and mysterious Cangming Ring on her finger for all to see.
“It is indeed the Cangming Ring.”
“Was that the only treasure in the Secret Realm? Nothing else?”
Ning Yin hesitated for a moment.
Yan Hanzhou still held the Lingxiao Immortal Lord’s Soul Power within him.
In the novel, Shi Yunzhao received all of Lingxiao Immortal Lord’s inheritance, and the Sect Master personally protected her, helping her refine the Soul Power for her own use.
Should she say it?
Looking at the Sect Master’s gentle face, Ning Yin gritted her teeth and stayed silent.
Forget it—since Yan Hanzhou had said he could resolve the risk of his Waste Spiritual Root and the danger of his body exploding from the Soul Power, she wouldn’t say any more.
Ning Yin nodded.
The Sect Master’s probing gaze lingered on Ning Yin for a moment before he spoke. “If that’s the case, we’ll set this matter aside for now. When Shi Yunzhao wakes, we’ll ask her directly. If you two are not involved, I will see that you are given justice. For now, return to Evening Cloud Peak.”
“Yes, thank you, Sect Master. Then we’ll take our leave.” With that, she gave Yan Hanzhou a look, and the two of them respectfully withdrew from the hall.
As soon as they left, the Sect Master’s voice rang out, heavy with authority. “Did everyone see clearly?”
The twelve Elders looked at each other.
After a long silence, Yu Wei Immortal Lord spoke in a low voice, “That Cangming Ring is indeed Lingxiao Immortal Lord’s. When Shi Yunzhao wakes, we can ask her to confirm whether Ning Yin’s words are true.”
“If she’s not lying, what does everyone think we should do?”
“I don’t think there’s any need for such alarm. Lingxiao Immortal Lord died under a lightning tribulation a thousand years ago—everyone here witnessed it. That Secret Realm only held some treasures. Why make such a fuss over someone dead for a thousand years?”
“If it was just some treasures, would we have needed to come out of seclusion? The Red Pillar of Light that shot up from the Forbidden Land two days ago carried Lingxiao Immortal Lord’s presence.”
At these words, the hall fell silent.
“If that demon is not dead, the Jiu Zhou Continent will be plunged into chaos once more!”
“A thousand years ago, Lingxiao Immortal Lord nearly overturned the entire Nine Heavens Continent single-handedly. Countless lives were lost. We must not allow him any chance of resurrection!”
Outside the Palace Hall, Ning Yin braced herself and walked past the countless gazes of Soaring Cloud Sect disciples.
“They’re out! The Sect Master didn’t punish her! How unfair!”
“Isn’t it just because Yu Wei Immortal Lord is protecting her…”
“Shh! Don’t talk nonsense! If the Hall of Discipline hears, you’ll be severely punished!”
“Next month’s Sect Competition—if I get matched against her, I won’t let her off!”
Ning Yin’s steps faltered.
Sect Competition. She remembered now.
Every year, Soaring Cloud Sect held a Sect Competition.
Each Peak sent one to three disciples to spar—friendly matches, nothing too serious.
In the novel, Ning Yin missed the competition that year because she was whipped thirty times by the Law Enforcement Elder.
But this time, it seemed she couldn’t escape.
Judging by the disciples’ excitement, if she lost the match, things would get ugly.
Still, there might be a way out.
If Shi Yunzhao woke up soon and cleared up the misunderstanding, maybe the resentment toward ‘Ning Yin’ would lessen a bit?
…But that was uncertain.
Her fellow disciples’ hatred for her wasn’t just because of this incident; it had built up over time.
No one would hate her less just because she hadn’t hurt Shi Yunzhao.
These years, Yu Wei Immortal Lord had focused on secluded cultivation, only tossing Ning Yin some cultivation manuals and never personally instructing her.
As a result, her progress was mediocre, and she hadn’t improved much.
Maybe when the time came, she’d just forfeit the match and admit defeat.
She couldn’t beat anyone anyway.
Yan Hanzhou seemed to read her thoughts. “You’re worried about the Sect Competition?”
Ning Yin nodded miserably. “What else? I can’t win.”
“I can help you.”
Ning Yin’s eyes lit up. “How?”
Yan Hanzhou’s sharp gaze swept over the crowd.
It was strange—though he was a Waste Spiritual Root unable to cultivate, his gaze in broad daylight still made people feel as if needles were pricking their backs, sending chills down their spines.
“Isn’t it simple? I’ll beat them all down before you even take the stage.”
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