Yun Wan'er's words were like a ladle of cold water poured into a boiling oil pan, instantly stirring up even greater waves in the water prison.

The phrase "invasion of the demon realm and devastation of life" caused even Lingxiao Zhenren, whose momentum had been dampened by the appearance of Xuanji Daozu, to shrink in shock upon hearing it.

If what Yun Wan'er said is true, then this matter is by no means a private grudge of the Tianyan Sect, but a calamity concerning the survival of the entire Lingzhou.

Shen Zhaozhao: "???"

no?

Is this person sick?

She was enjoying the play, how could she suddenly be caught in the crossfire?

But Yun Wan'er clearly had no intention of giving up.

Seeing that her words had successfully aroused her master's suspicion, she was secretly pleased and became even more certain of her guess—Shen Zhaozhao must have used some underhanded means to forcibly break the seal, otherwise, how could she have entered the Yellow Springs with her meager cultivation?

It should be noted that to bypass the barriers and enter the Yellow Springs, one must at least be at the Nascent Soul stage.

Ha, a Nascent Soul cultivator?

Yun Wan'er sneered inwardly.

Given Shen Zhaozhao's foundation at the early stage of the Golden Core realm, even if she obtained an extraordinary opportunity, it would be absolutely impossible for her to surpass the Nascent Soul realm and reach the Divine Transformation realm in a short period of time.

This is absolutely ridiculous.

They must have taken a crooked path and broken the seal.

Just like... she was back then...

Thinking of this, Yun Wan'er grasped at a straw, fearing that if time dragged on, the marks on Shen Zhaozhao's body that might remain from the broken seal would naturally dissipate.

She mustered her strength, disregarding her injuries, and though her voice was weak, it carried an unusual firmness and urgency as she looked intently at Master Lingxiao.

"Master, the Yellow Springs Seal was set up by an ancient powerful being, containing the extremely yin and cold power of the 'Nine Nether Profound Evil'."

"If a living person forcibly breaks through, even for a brief moment, the backlash from the seal will inevitably leave a unique 'Mysterious Fiend Mark' on their body. This mark is chilling and piercing, and it will be extremely difficult to dissipate within three days; ordinary cleansing spells cannot remove it!"

Yun Wan'er became more and more certain as she spoke, as if she had already grasped Shen Zhaozhao's fatal weakness. Her tone was resolute, carrying a sense of "Let's see how you argue with me."

"If Senior Sister Zhao Zhao truly has a clear conscience and has not broken the seal, her body will naturally be clean and flawless."

"But if she really does carry that 'Mysterious Fiend Mark'... then the evidence is irrefutable."

Yes.

Shen Zhaozhao must have used some underhanded method to forcibly tear open a corner of the seal, and that "Xuan Sha Mark" must still be on her body at this moment.

The longer the time is delayed, the greater the chance that the mark will fade. It must be checked immediately!

Thinking of this, Yun Wan'er's eyes flashed with an almost obsessive light. She couldn't wait to see Shen Zhaozhao's panicked and speechless expression when the evidence was found in public.

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhaozhao suddenly seemed to realize something. Her eyes sharpened, and she was about to speak when she was interrupted by a voice filled with obvious impatience.

"Tu (艹皿艹) is so annoying."

Everyone looked up in horror and saw a tall figure appear at the broken entrance of the water prison.

The newcomer wore a moon-white, cloud-patterned, wide-sleeved immortal robe. His dark hair was tied up with a simple green jade hairpin. His face was exceptionally handsome, but his eyes held a detached indifference as if it had never melted for millennia.

He didn't deliberately exude any pressure; he just stood there quietly, and it was as if the cold water prison was instantly pulled into a realm of ethereal purity, and even the air became stagnant.

It was none other than Immortal Lord Yunji.

He didn't even bother to glance at Yun Wan'er, whose expression had suddenly changed. His cold, star-like eyes fell directly on Shen Zhaozhao, and the frost in his eyes seemed to melt for a moment, carrying a hint of helplessness, as if to say, "Oh, what a coincidence, I'm here to clean up your mess again."

"The Yellow Springs Seal is intact and requires no further attention."

Immortal Lord Yunji spoke, his voice calm and even, yet each word clear and resonant, striking the hearts of everyone present, "As for how she entered the Yellow Springs—"

He paused, then, as if condescending, turned his gaze to the frozen Yun Wan'er, his eyes filled with undisguised disgust, as if he were looking at something filthy.

“My dog… cough, my lord merely gave her a few pointers, and temporarily raised her cultivation to the Nascent Soul stage, allowing her to ignore barriers.”

Immortal Lord Yunji raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying an extremely sarcastic sneer: "What? Does my Venerable One need to report the reasons to a mere disciple from the lower realm like you when he takes action?"

"Do you think you have an exceptionally large face, or do you think your meager skills are worthy of a Celestial Venerable condescending to give you an explanation?"

He glanced at Yun Wan'er from head to toe, his gaze so sharp it seemed to peel away her disguise: "Look at you, you're not much to look at, but you've got quite the dream."

"Just as the old saying goes—"

Yunji Immortal Lord's lips curled into a cold smile, his words piercing to the heart: "Ugly people are always up to no good."

"Well!"

Yun Wan'er was already seriously injured and was only holding on by her last bit of willpower. Now, being humiliated by Yun Ji Xianjun's merciless and venomous words, she was so angry that her blood surged, and she felt a sweet taste in her throat. She actually spat out a small mouthful of blood, her body swayed, and she was about to faint.

Ji Lian, who was beside her, hurriedly supported her. Her gaze toward Immortal Lord Yunji was filled with fear, but she didn't dare to utter a single word in rebuttal.

Inside the water dungeon, a deathly silence pervaded.

Immortal Lord Yunji withdrew his gaze expressionlessly, as if those words of piercing the heart had merely been brushed away like a speck of dust. Only the nameless fire in his heart burned even more fiercely.

This anger was naturally not directed at Yun Wan'er, who was as insignificant as an ant in front of him.

He was after Xie Linyuan, his boss, who was probably somewhere out there, eagerly waiting to be taken to some ridiculous Flower Festival.

Not long ago.

Above the Nine Heavens Palace.

Yunji sensed the anomaly in the Heavenly Dao and immediately suppressed his temper, finding the location of Xie Linyuan's wisp of divine consciousness that had secretly infiltrated the lower realm.

Immediately, they went down to the mortal realm to arrest the person.

"Heaven has already noticed your actions."

"Since it can't touch you, it has resorted to locking down Shen Zhaozhao and using her to force you to submit."

The man lowered his eyes, his tone businesslike, carrying an undeniable urgency: "This place is no place to linger. You must return to the Nine Heavens Palace with me immediately."

"At least with you in charge of the Upper Realm, the Heavenly Dao dares not act rashly, and the Lower Realm can continue to be peaceful for a while longer."

In his view, this is the most reasonable and efficient way to handle the situation.

Only by cutting off the source can the storm be quelled.

However, Xie Linyuan remained silent for a long time. Just when Yun Ji thought he was weighing the pros and cons, he slowly exhaled and asked a completely unrelated question: "Has the Heavenly Dao... found Zhaozhao's exact whereabouts?"

Yun Ji paused for a moment, then replied truthfully, "Not yet. You haven't used your divine sense since you descended to the mortal realm, so the Heavenly Dao can't trace your origins based on that for the time being. But it's only a matter of time."

Upon hearing this, Xie Linyuan nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.

Then, just as Yunji thought he was finally about to make a decision, and even leisurely prepared to appreciate the struggle of this love-struck fool—