Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Main Hall of the Lingyun Sect.

As one of the Seven Great Sects of the Jiuzhou Continent, the Lingyun Sect boasts twelve mountain peaks, each overseen by a venerable elder.

Ning Yin and Yan Hanzhou stood at the center of the grand hall. Unlike the last trial, this time all twelve elders were present, including the secluded peak master of the Mùyún Peak, Ning Yin’s master, the Jade Micro Immortal Lord.

Among the twelve elders, the Jade Micro Immortal Lord was unmistakable—his shock of white hair made him impossible to overlook.

Years ago, when Ning Yin journeyed from the Kingdom of Cheng to the Lingyun Sect to cultivate, she brought along her personal maid and bodyguard, as well as a letter from the Kingdom’s national master addressed to the familiar Jade Micro Immortal Lord. It was this letter that made Ning Yin the sole disciple under the Jade Micro Immortal Lord’s tutelage.

No one knew what the national master had written in that letter that moved the Jade Micro Immortal Lord to repeatedly break the sect’s rules for Ning Yin, ultimately ruining his reputation and shattering centuries of cultivation in a single fell swoop.

“Master! I am innocent—”

“Silence!” the Law Enforcement Elder barked fiercely. “No shouting in the main hall!”

Ning Yin bit back her anger, grinding her teeth as she whispered, “I think that old, rigid Law Enforcement Elder just wants to whip me.”

Yan Hanzhou’s voice was low and firm. “Don’t worry. If he orders a whipping, I’ll explode and take them all with me.”

With Yan Hanzhou—the walking human bomb—by her side, Ning Yin felt a measure of security.

Yet, surveying the surroundings, the twelve elders sat motionless on the high dais, their presence as cold and deep as an abyss, their oppressive aura silently filling the entire grand hall. Not a single sparrow chirped. Such an assembly—for merely interrogating a petty dispute between fellow disciples?

Ning Yin refused to believe the twelve elders would go to such lengths over what they surely considered trivial. In all the sect’s history, such a grand gathering of the elders had only occurred once before—when the Lingyun Sect had nearly been annihilated.

Today’s occasion could only mean ill intent.

Ning Yin mulled over the possibilities. Except for the secret realm of the Lingxiao Immortal Venerable hidden in the Forbidden Land, nothing else could cause such upheaval. Yet, when Shi Yunzhao received the secret realm’s inheritance in the novel, the elders had never appeared even once. Why then this ostentatious display today?

Lowering her voice, she whispered to Yan Hanzhou beside her, “Don’t say a word later. Just follow my lead.”

Their fates were intertwined—what benefited one benefited both, and what harmed one harmed both.

To outsiders, Yan Hanzhou was nothing but her lackey; whatever he did was attributed to her. The elders might even suspect that Yan Hanzhou had changed his core spirit and become a demonic usurper. If such a trail led back to her…

Ning Yin dared not think further.

Yan Hanzhou keenly sensed several probing spiritual presences fixating on them. Any misstep would not escape these elders’ scrutiny.

The Law Enforcement Elder’s cold gaze swept over the two. “Kneel!”

“We have done nothing wrong. Why kneel?” Ning Yin retorted.

“Nothing wrong? Then tell me why you two were in the Forbidden Land after being sent to reflect upon your mistakes at Reflection Cliff? Si Heyu witnessed the exact spot where Shi Yunzhao was injured, and only you and Yan Hanzhou were there. The demonic sword that wounded Shi Yunzhao was in Yan Hanzhou’s possession!”

Ning Yin’s voice trembled with shock. “What do you mean, Elder? Are you accusing Yan Hanzhou of plotting against Senior Sister? Everyone in the Lingyun Sect knows Yan Hanzhou is a useless spirit root—he’s even weaker than the sect’s cook. How could he possibly harm a Golden Core cultivator like Senior Sister?”

Her voice choked as she continued, “I know you despise him, and I know you don’t like me either, but I have stated everything clearly. Once Senior Sister wakes, all will be clear. I don’t understand why the elders persist in targeting me.”

She then turned to the impassive Jade Micro Immortal Lord, tearfully pleading, “Master! See how they bully your disciple—not me! They’re only looking down on you!”

The Jade Micro Immortal Lord was a solitary figure, the most aloof among the twelve elders, with Ning Yin as his sole disciple. No one else had entrusted him with such a troublesome charge.

“If you are innocent, you will not be wronged. But if you are guilty…” His words carried the unmistakable threat of severing ties, harsh and unyielding.

The Sect Leader stepped forward to halt the enraged Law Enforcement Elder, speaking gently, “Today we have summoned you to clarify what exactly happened in the Forbidden Land.”

An impatient elder grumbled, “Asking questions is tedious. Why not just conduct a soul search...”

The Jade Micro Immortal Lord cut him off with a cold glare. “Mind your words!”

The elder snorted but fell silent.

The Sect Leader cast a reassuring glance at Ning Yin. “It’s alright. Speak.”

The term 'soul search' was ominous in this cultivation world.

Soul searching was a secret technique that could reveal past memories. Side effects varied by person—loss of memory, headaches, slower reactions were minor inconveniences. Becoming a fool was a possibility.

What grave matter could have compelled such a measure?

Ning Yin calmed herself and respectfully cupped her fists. “Sect Leader, the day before yesterday, I was reflecting on my mistakes at Reflection Cliff when I accidentally fell with Yan Hanzhou. To our surprise, the bottom of the cliff was the Forbidden Land. We wandered inside for a long time without finding an exit, until we encountered Senior Sister. At that time, she was severely injured and had mistakenly entered a secret realm. The realm’s master seemed to be the Lingxiao Immortal Venerable from a thousand years ago. Senior Sister awakened a Heavenly Spirit Root there, and I obtained the Cangming Ring, an artifact of the Immortal Venerable. After leaving the secret realm, Senior Sister was attacked by demons while searching for the teleportation formation that leads out of the Forbidden Land. When Yan Hanzhou and I arrived, she had already fainted. Everything I have said is true; I ask for your fair judgment.”

“The Cangming Ring?”

“On my right index finger.”

As she spoke, the binding immortal rope that held her hands behind her back snapped open, and an invisible force lifted her right hand, displaying the ancient and mysterious Cangming Ring to all.

“It is indeed the Cangming Ring.”

“Was it the only treasure in the secret realm? Nothing else?”

Ning Yin hesitated. Yan Hanzhou still carried the Lingxiao Immortal Venerable’s soul power within him. In the novel, Shi Yunzhao had inherited all of the Immortal Venerable’s legacies, and the Sect Leader personally protected her, helping her refine the soul power for her own use.

Should she mention this?

Looking at the Sect Leader’s gentle face, Ning Yin clenched her teeth and chose silence. Since Yan Hanzhou had said he could solve the risk of the soul power exploding due to his useless spirit root, she would say no more.

She nodded.

The Sect Leader’s searching gaze rested on Ning Yin. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Very well. We shall suspend this matter for now. Once Shi Yunzhao awakens, we will question her. If this has nothing to do with you two, justice will be served. For today, you may return to Mùyún Peak.”

“Yes, thank you, Sect Leader. We will take our leave.” Ning Yin signaled Yan Hanzhou with her eyes and respectfully exited the hall.

Only after they left did the Sect Leader’s solemn voice ring out. “Everyone, have you seen clearly?”

The twelve elders exchanged glances. After a moment, the Jade Micro Immortal Lord said gravely, “That Cangming Ring is indeed the Immortal Venerable’s relic. When Shi Yunzhao wakes, questioning her will reveal whether Ning Yin’s account is true.”

“If she is telling the truth, how should we proceed?”

“I think we need not treat this as a dire threat. The Lingxiao Immortal Venerable died under a lightning tribulation a thousand years ago—this is an eyewitness fact. The secret realm contains only some treasures. How could a man dead for a millennium still be relevant?”

“If it’s just treasures, why did we emerge from seclusion? The scarlet light pillar rising from the Forbidden Land carried the Immortal Venerable’s aura.”

At this, the hall fell into a heavy silence.

“If that demon is not truly dead, the Jiuzhou Continent will once again be engulfed in blood and chaos!”

“A thousand years ago, Lingxiao nearly overturned the entire Jiuzhou Continent alone, leaving countless lives in ruin. We must not allow any chance of his resurrection!”

—

Leaving the hall, Ning Yin steeled herself against the sharp gazes of countless Lingyun Sect disciples.

“They’re out! The Sect Leader didn’t blame her! How unfair!”

“Isn’t it because the Jade Micro Immortal Lord is shielding her...?”

“Shh! Don’t slander! Watch out for the Discipline Hall’s severe punishments!”

“At next month’s sect tournament, if I face her, I won’t go easy on her!”

Ning Yin froze.

The sect tournament—she remembered.

Every year, Lingyun Sect held a minor tournament. Each peak sent one to three disciples to compete in friendly sparring matches.

In the novel, Ning Yin missed the tournament due to receiving thirty lashes from the Law Enforcement Elder. This time, it seemed she could not avoid it.

Judging by the fervent mood among the disciples, if she lost the match, it would be a grim fate.

But there was still a way out—if Shi Yunzhao awoke soon and cleared the misunderstanding, perhaps the hatred toward 'Ning Yin' would lessen. Or maybe not.

The resentment from fellow disciples was not from this incident alone but had accumulated over time. They would not forgive her simply because she hadn’t harmed Shi Yunzhao.

Over the years, the Jade Micro Immortal Lord had secluded himself in cultivation, only handing Ning Yin cultivation manuals without much guidance, leaving her progress mediocre.

Perhaps, when the time came, it would be best to forfeit the match outright.

After all, no one could defeat them.

Yan Hanzhou seemed to see through her thoughts. “Are you worried about the sect tournament?”

Ning Yin nodded miserably. “What else? I can’t win.”

“I can help you.”

Her eyes brightened. “How?”

Yan Hanzhou’s sharp gaze swept over the crowd.

It was strange—a useless spirit root who couldn’t cultivate, yet in broad daylight, his gaze pierced like needles, chilling to the bone.

“Before your match, I’ll beat them so badly they won’t get up.”