In the utter silence, Shen Changlin seemed to hear only his own breathing, rapid and tense, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, his throat dry.

All the elders couldn't help but look over, but Ruan Qing'an just lowered his eyes to look at Shen Changlin and said, word by word, "Changlin, I'm asking you, what were you doing back then...?"

Even if the image of Shui Jing only flashed by, who wouldn't recognize themselves?

Although most people didn't see it clearly, Ruan Qing'an knew that the person lying on the bed was the body she had left in the inn when her soul was in the Wei Rui Secret Realm, and the other person... was Shen Changlin.

The boy, with his head down, didn't speak. He just remained silent, opening his mouth but not knowing where to begin—Shen Changlin knew the danger he was in.

However, he couldn't refrain from taking action against Gao Yue'er. He wanted to divert everyone's attention and dared not let Ruan Qing'an know about it, even though such an action would put him in an even more dangerous situation.

But... Shen Changlin thought to himself, how could he dare let his master see him like that?

Just as Shen Changlin was silent, a weak voice suddenly rang out. Gao Yue'er, who was lying in a pool of blood, had just taken a healing pill and was now being assisted by an elder to heal her wounds.

Shen Changlin's knife strike just now almost severed her life force. At this moment, Gao Yue'er's hatred intensified. Even though she was vomiting blood, she still laughed mockingly and stared intently.

"Answer me, Shen Changlin, just say it!"

"What, you're scared now? When you were threatening me, you dared to do anything!"

Gao Yue'er coughed forcefully, her eyes filled with vengeful pleasure. She looked at Ruan Qing'an: "He doesn't dare to answer, so I'll tell you, Ruan Qing'an, I'll tell you everything!"

Inside the main hall of the Myriad Paths Sect, only Gao Yue'er's voice remained, mocking and laughing, causing the boy's already pale face to gradually lose all color...

"It's funny, isn't it? I heard the Yang family is seeking revenge. The reason you survived, Shen Changlin, is because your master risked his life to protect you, isn't it?"

"Because of this incident, your master fell into a coma and even suffered more serious injuries. I have also heard rumors that even Elder Ruan's future path to immortality may be affected."

"Yes, all of this is for you, Shen Changlin, but what about you—what were you doing when your master was at her weakest? You were even molesting her!"

Gao Yue'er scoffed and cursed. As soon as she said this, all the elders in the main hall wished they could cover their ears—was this really something they could listen to?!

Gao Yue'er continued to spout off: "What did I see? I saw with my own eyes that he pinned his master down on the bed and kissed him, and the reason his master was so weak was even because of him."

"Shen Changlin, how many times did you do this while Elder Ruan was unconscious? Do you dare to say it in public? She became like this because of you, and you just took advantage of her like this?"

"You really are a 'good disciple,' Shen Changlin. Do you really care whether Elder Ruan has recovered or not? Was what happened to your Wandao Sect really not something you did intentionally?"

The entire Wandao Sect was deathly silent. Even Zhan Hongyuan, who had sent Gao Yue'er here, was stunned for a moment, clearly not expecting it to be because of something like this.

But since it was a scandal within the Wandao Sect, Zhan Hongyuan coughed lightly: "Miss Gao's injury this time is also a problem of my Wandao Sect."

"Alright then, where are the elders of Danfeng? Take Miss Gao down to recover from her injuries first, so as not to damage her foundation. Otherwise, how will we explain this to the city lord of Sanyue City?"

Soon, under Zhan Hongyuan's arrangement, Gao Yue'er was carried away, and even after leaving the main hall, her continuous cursing and mocking of Shen Changlin's behavior could still be heard.

In the main hall, all the elders' gazes unconsciously fell on Ruan Qing'an—but she remained expressionless, as aloof as a solitary, cold peak, inspiring awe in those who looked upon her.

At this moment, Zhan Hongyuan also looked up and said, "Elder Ruan, I have reason to suspect that your disciple's breakthrough at Yanlai Peak was premeditated. After all... he has a criminal record."

"If you cannot handle this, Elder Ruan, the sect can do it for you and imprison him in Xingfeng."

"..."

Finally, Ruan Qing'an lowered her eyes. With her back to Shen Changlin, she didn't turn around to look at him, but whispered, "Is what Gao Yue'er said true or false, Shen Changlin?"

The boy, who had been bowing his head, trembled. He said in a flustered manner, "Master... I'm sorry, it was just that I, a young man, was filled with uncontrollable feelings, but..."

"Master, Changlin really, really likes you. I... I truly love you. The matter at Yanlai Peak wasn't my fault, I—"

But before he could finish speaking, Zhan Hongyuan interrupted him: "Alright, Shen Changlin, do you know how important this breakthrough is to Elder Ruan? She has already failed once before."

"The foundation has already been damaged. If we fail again this time, the next breakthrough will be a long way off. How many people have wasted their lives and died at this threshold?"

"Elder Ruan was only one step away from breaking through, but now because of your selfish desires, she can't even get back the divine soul that she nurtured with you, and her future path to immortality is hopeless."

Zhan Hongyuan paused, then said meaningfully, "Or... is this what you were planning all along, Shen Changlin?"

Ruan Qing'an remained silent for a long time, which made Shen Changlin panic completely. Even the feelings he had blurted out at the beginning were now tinged with fear.

That disgusting, filthy desire, mixed with the most ardent and obsessive love, was laid bare and displayed before her.

The boy knelt on the ground, his hands, pierced by black iron chains and dripping with blood, trembling as he grabbed the hem of the woman's white dress. He looked up at her slender and tall figure, his eyes trembling.

"Master..."

“Master, it was Changlin’s fault. I shouldn’t have done this while you were unconscious.”

"Please, Master, you can punish me however you want, just... please don't ignore me."

But the only response Shen Changlin received was her figure taking a step forward. The hem of her clothes, stained with blood, slipped from the boy's grasp, just as he could not hold onto her.

He looked up blankly, but Ruan Qing'an had already turned around. When she lowered her eyes, she looked down at him and said, "Chen Changlin."

"Master, I'm here..."

No matter what, no matter how embarrassing the situation, it always seemed that only he was in a sorry state, while she remained high in the sky, like a bright moon, inspiring no thought of desecration.

How could he possibly grasp the bright moon, or get close to it? Even what he touched seemed to be merely her reflection on the lake's surface; a gentle touch would shatter it into scattered specks of light.

Like a dream that's easy to wake from, when he met Ruan Qing'an's leaden gray eyes, whose cold emotions remained unchanged—Shen Changlin felt as if he had woken up from the dream, and the coldness chilled him to the bone.

Looking at Shen Changlin's pale face, Ruan Qing'an said in a deep voice, "You have been my disciple for some years now, Shen Changlin, and we are now master and disciple."

"Master, do you mean to—"

“Go down the mountain, Shen Changlin.”