Chapter 125 Cause of Death in a Previous Life

Ye Li initially thought that Chu Wei had ambushed her, but after she regained her footing, she found that the scene in front of her had changed.

She was bound by heavy, dark iron chains, the chains shimmering with runes that imprisoned spiritual energy. Looking up along the chains, she was startled for a moment.

This is... the Nine Nether Soul-Destroying Pillar.

This is the extreme punishment that the Heavenly Gate Sect would only use for those who have committed heinous crimes.

She looked around and saw that there were only a few people standing by the execution platform.

Sect Master Ouyang, Elder Ge, the Grand Elder, and also, True Person Qingyu.

The voice of Sect Master Ouyang, seated above, was filled with deep sorrow: "Yuehua, do you know your crime?"

Ye Li, unaware of what had happened, asked in return, "What crime have I committed?"

The Grand Elder said angrily, "You killed so many fellow disciples, and you say you didn't know!"

Ye Li was shocked.

So, those sect leaders and elders who didn't appear later were all killed by Li Yuehua?

How is that possible!

She was so shocked that she voiced her question directly.

The elder grew increasingly furious. "You still say it's impossible? Qingyu saw it all with her own eyes. How can you deny it!"

Ye Li looked at Qingyu Zhenren, who was standing beside Sect Master Ouyang, his gaze extremely complex.

He knew that once he said those words, she would have no chance to refute him. After a struggle, he still managed to control his emotions. As if he couldn't bear it, he slightly shifted his gaze before saying in a hoarse voice, "Indeed, I saw it with my own eyes. Li Yuehua killed those sect leaders."

"..."

Ye Li looked around and finally pieced together Li Yuehua's memories.

First, something happened in the Golden Sands Illusionary Realm, and the Heavenly Gate Sect sent them there.

No one knows what happened, but Li Yuehua slaughtered all her fellow disciples and was imprisoned. Master Qingyu brought some snacks to visit her.

And now, it was the day Li Yuehua was to be tortured.

So, the tragedy all began when Li Yuehua went to the Golden Sand Illusionary Realm with several sect leaders.

Ye Li was shocked. If that's the case, then she must have made the wrong decision!

She, like Li Yuehua, took her own life!

Just as he thought this, the Grand Elder's rebuke came from above, "Execute him!"

"..."

The nine pillars began to rotate.

Ye Li had heard before that the Nine Nether Soul-Destroying Pillars represented nine levels of punishment.

Even a celestial being couldn't withstand it.

Unlike before when she was merely wandering in the Mirror of Returning Souls, her body was now truly trapped inside the mirror. If she were to endure these nine forms of torture, she feared she would never be able to escape.

Before she could think further, the nine pillars stopped rotating, and the bronze pillar in front of her flashed with lightning. The giant dragon carved on it opened its mouth wide, and in an instant, hundreds of lightning bolts coiled around Ye Li.

Just as life and death hung in the balance, Ye Li suddenly heard a loud bang.

The sound was deafening; it was clearly not a sound that should be heard here.

-

Tianming Hall

"Ah! Elder Song, you've gone mad!"

Su Ying'er screamed, and dust flew up in front of her, all because of the thunder pearl that Elder Song had thrown down.

After Ye Li fell into the formation, Elder Song did not argue with anyone, but immediately went to get a few thunder beads and was now throwing them into the formation one by one.

Seeing that she had lost one and was about to lose another, Master Qingyu finally spoke up.

"Elder Song, the Spirit Mirror Illusion Array was built by a wisp of the ancestral master's divine consciousness. If you destroy this array, you will be violating the sect rules and showing great disrespect to the ancestral master. The Heavenly Gate Sect Discipline Hall will definitely not sit idly by."

Elder Song was not afraid at all. She held her head high and said, "Sect rules are dead, but people are alive. Which is more important, a formation or a living human life?"

Master Qingyu stood up, flicking his sleeves. "Heaven above, after Ye Li's death, she disregarded the cycle of reincarnation and used a demonic possession technique to be reborn, only to be devoured by it. Today, she fell into the formation, meaning the path of immortality cannot tolerate her. If Elder Song insists on saving her, wouldn't that be going against the will of Heaven? As an outer sect elder with countless outer sect disciples, are you really going to gamble your reputation as an elder for this one person?"

Master Qingyu's face was cold and stern, and his tone was undeniably icy.

Elder Song, however, laughed in anger, “If I, as an outer sect elder, cannot even protect one of my own disciples, then what use am I as an outer sect elder? You keep talking about the Heavenly Way, but if you can’t even protect a disciple who has been wronged, what are you talking about protecting the common people!”

His words were resounding and powerful.

Qingyu Zhenren's face, which was as cold as a snow mountain, showed a change.

If you can't even protect your own disciples, how can you protect the common people...?

These words struck him like a heavy hammer blow to the heart.

His beliefs, which he had held for hundreds of years, began to crack.

But if he admits this, then all the things he gave up to uphold these things become a joke.

Master Qingyu quickly regained his composure. No, the Heavenly Dao is supreme, and no one can defy it.

He said coldly, "Ye Li has been trapped under the formation for an hour. She possessed Jiang Li's body, and once she fell in, she would be burned to ashes by the formation. Even if you blast the formation open, it will be useless."

Elder Song snorted coldly, "Whether it's useful or not, I'll decide for myself!"

After saying that, she threw several thunder beads into the formation.

"boom-"

In an instant, the entire Heavenly Mandate Hall trembled violently.

The tremors reached Ye Li's feet, and in the violent shaking, everything around her seemed to fade.

She heard Huo Huo's voice again, "Mother! Mother, can you hear me!"

Before Ye Li could answer, she heard Huo Huo's tearful voice, "It's all your fault, you stinky dragon! If you hadn't made Mother go get that mirror, Mother wouldn't have been trapped inside."

Ah Jin was also unusually flustered. "I forgot that my mother is a spirit. This Soul-Guiding Mirror is the most deceptive. It will take people back to the moment of life and death. If you can avoid the danger, you can come out. If you can't, you will die in the mirror."

Ye Li belatedly realized, "So that's how it is."

So she made the same decision as Li Yuehua, and ended up with the same fate.

Ye Li was originally unable to get out, but Elder Song's lightning bead forced her out, saving her by accident.

When the earth returned to normal, Ye Li returned to reality. However, just as she was separating from the illusion, she saw another scene.

On the execution ground

The woman was dressed in tattered clothes, stained with blood, and her disheveled hair flew wildly, obscuring most of her face.

On the high platform, someone asked, "Li Yuehua, do you plead guilty?"

The woman's voice was hoarse, each word choked with sobs, "I...don't...accept...the guilt! I can die, but I will never confess!"

Master Qingyu's voice was somber, "Yuehua, the crimes you have committed are intolerable to Heaven. I have already pleaded with my master for mercy. If you confess your sins, you will be spared the pain of the Nine Nether Soul-Destroying Pillar."

Upon hearing this, the woman was taken aback at first, then slowly raised her head, revealing a hint of mockery and sorrow in her eyes, which were hidden by her hair.

She did not respond to Qingyu Zhenren's words, but instead laughed softly. At first, the laughter was tinged with sobs, but it became increasingly manic. She laughed loudly, as if she wanted to break through all the constraints in the world.

Laughter echoed across the execution ground, sending a shiver down the spines of all who heard it, as if something momentous was about to happen.