Thinking of this, Yun Wan'er quickly raised her tear-filled face and looked at Ling Xiao Zhenren, her voice mournful and filled with heartbreaking regret: "Master... Wan'er truly knows she was wrong..."

"Wan'er is foolish and foolish, manipulated by treacherous people without realizing it, causing such a disaster... Wan'er, Wan'er is willing to bear all the punishment, only begging Master... not to upset yourself..."

Her seemingly righteous admission of wrongdoing, achieved through a strategic retreat, was done with an extremely humble posture. However, her eyes were secretly observing Ling Xiao Zhenren's reaction, and she was calculating how to guide him step by step to respect and cherish her.

However, before she could even begin to make her plans, and before Xuanji Daozu could speak, Shen Zhaozhao, who was standing to the side, started to laugh.

The laughter was filled with undisguised sarcasm. Immediately afterwards, Yun Wan'er felt a tightness in her scalp as an irresistible force pressed down on the back of her head, slamming her face hard into those dozen or so ethereal soul lights!

"Bang!"

Yun Wan'er's forehead slammed against the cold, damp ground with a dull thud, followed by an instant, sharp pain.

"Since Junior Sister Yun is so understanding and willing to accept punishment..."

Shen Zhaozhao's voice rang out above her head, icy cold and devoid of any warmth, "Then kneel here for now, and kowtow a few times to these senior and junior brothers who almost lost their souls because of you and couldn't even enter the cycle of reincarnation, and admit your mistakes."

Yun Wan'er was pinned down and unable to move; her forehead was burning with pain, indicating that her skin had definitely been broken.

Shen Zhaozhao ignored her, pressed her head down, forcing her to face the direction of the soul light, and her tone suddenly turned sharp, "Tell me, Yun Wan'er, do I need to remind you who Lin Feng is?"

"During the Newcomer Competition, why did the demonic beasts in Riftwind Valley, who were originally only at the Foundation Establishment stage, suddenly turn into demons in droves? Do you dare to say that this matter has nothing to do with you, you evil creature?"

"You say you didn't know this black jade could imprison souls? Fine, I'll believe you halfway."

"But you are 'well-read' and know obscure knowledge such as the Yellow Springs Seal, so how could you not know the common knowledge that demonic cultivators often use the flesh and souls of Lingzhou cultivators to improve their cultivation?!"

"Since this black jade was given to you personally by Ye Wushang—that young master of the Demon Realm—you must know its true quality!"

"Ever since you started wearing this thing, your cultivation has improved by leaps and bounds, soaring from the ninth level of Qi Refining! Tell me, what price did you pay for this improvement? Don't you know anything about it?!"

Shen Zhaozhao's questions came one after another, giving Yun Wan'er no chance to catch her breath or make up a story: "Don't forget, when we left Riftwind Valley, Senior Sister Qingyi asked you in front of everyone why you didn't save Junior Brother Lin Feng from death!"

"What did you say back then? You said 'One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand,' and you said Lin Feng was 'willing to sacrifice himself for the sect!'"

"Right now, Junior Brother Lin Feng's soul is right here! Why don't we ask Dao Ancestor Xuanji to ask him now—was he truly willing to be used as nourishment by you?!"

"If he isn't, then what was the reason for your 'failure to save him' back then? Was it because there really wasn't enough time to save him, or—did you do it on purpose? Did you deliberately use Lin Feng's death to provide the first 'nourishment' for your evil jade!"

"..."

Yun Wan'er's forehead was a bloody mess, and her vision was blurring.

Even though she harbored boundless hatred and had cursed Shen Zhaozhao a thousand times over, she dared not reveal it in the slightest at this moment.

After all, right now, the only lifeline she could grasp was Ling Xiao Zhenren and that man's "reluctance."

Thinking of this, Yun Wan'er immediately endured the excruciating pain and dizziness, struggled to lift her face, and looked at Ling Xiao Zhenren with her tear-filled, innocent, and aggrieved eyes, silently conveying a signal for help.

As expected, when Lingxiao Zhenren saw Yun Wan'er's miserable state, especially the glaring bloodstain on her forehead, his brows furrowed subconsciously, and a trace of pity flashed in his eyes.

He immediately turned to Xuanji Daozu, opening his mouth to speak, but before he could utter his plea—

Outside the water prison, the celestial phenomena that had been looming over the city with dark clouds and chaotic lightning suddenly vanished without warning. The terrifying sights seemed to have been wiped away by an invisible hand, revealing a completely normal, twilight sky behind them.

It was as if the overwhelming power of heaven that had destroyed the world was just an illusion.

This bizarre and abrupt change startled everyone inside the water prison.

Yun Wan'er's heart skipped a beat, and a strong sense of unease instantly gripped her.

Have the celestial phenomena returned to normal?

what does that mean?

Could it be that Immortal Lord Yunji has already resolved the problem?

If he returns so quickly...

Just as her mind was racing with thoughts and doubts, the light and shadow dimmed slightly at the broken opening of the water prison.

A tall, slender figure appeared there silently.

The newcomer's face was obscured by shadows, but his eyes, sharp as a hawk's, held a playful yet cold smile that pierced the dim light and landed on Yun Wan'er, who was being held down by Shen Zhaozhao and looked utterly disheveled.

Yun Wan'er subconsciously looked up, and the moment her gaze met those eyes, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Her pupils suddenly contracted, and even her breath caught in her throat for a moment.

It's...it's him?!

The person who arrived was none other than Ye Wushang.

He was still dressed in a dark brocade robe with subtle patterns, his black hair tied up high, his handsome face covered with a layer of ice that would never melt, his eyes filled with aloofness and indifference, a kind of coldness that penetrated to the bone and was unapproachable, as if nothing in the world could catch his eye, let alone move his heart.

What's even more astonishing is that his aura was perfectly harmonious and restrained, blending seamlessly with the world of Lingzhou, without exhibiting any of the suppression or rejection that ordinary demons would experience when entering this realm.

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