Sect mutiny undercurrents
Qingyun Sect, Lingxiao Palace.
The once solemn and majestic hall was now shrouded in a tense and oppressive atmosphere. The bright lights inside illuminated the varied expressions on the faces of the elders on either side. Sect Master Su Hao sat at the head of the table, his face ashen, his knuckles unconsciously tapping the sandalwood armrest, producing a dull thud.
Su Qingqing knelt in the hall, dressed in plain white, her hair slightly disheveled, and her cheeks still bearing traces of undried tears, looking utterly pitiful. Her voice trembled slightly, choked with sobs, yet it carried clearly to every corner of the hall.
"...This disciple was ordered to patrol the back mountain, but unexpectedly stumbled upon Junior Brother Xie and that servant Mo Xiaoyu trespassing into the forbidden area, acting suspiciously. This disciple intended to go forward and question them, but who knew...who knew that they were guilty and suddenly attacked! Not only did they injure several junior brothers who came to stop them, but Xie Yunzhi even...even used an extremely evil magic artifact, awakening an extremely evil and powerful force deep within the forbidden area!"
She raised her tear-filled eyes and looked around at everyone, her eyes filled with fear and grief: "Junior Sister Lin... she was caught in the evil force while covering our retreat, and died on the spot... her body was never found!"
These words shocked everyone present!
"What? Junior Nephew Lin, she..."
"Forbidden Land Evil Force? Could it be something recorded in ancient texts..."
"How could Xie Yunzhi do this?!"
The elders discussed amongst themselves, their faces filled with shock and disbelief. Junior Sister Lin was well-liked within the sect, and her "death" was undoubtedly a devastating blow.
An elder who was on good terms with the Su family immediately stepped forward and said with great indignation, "Sect Master! Xie Yunzhi, as an inner disciple, actually colluded with a servant to trespass into the forbidden area, harm his fellow disciples, and even alarmed the evil spirits. Such behavior is intolerable! Please, Sect Master, immediately order the capture of these two scoundrels to uphold the sect rules!"
"Elder Zhang is absolutely right!" another person echoed. "That Mo Xiaoyu has an unknown origin. Now it seems that she must be a spy sent by the demonic path to bewitch Xie Yunzhi and destroy the foundation of our Qingyun Sect!"
There were dissenting voices. A gaunt elder in a green robe, with white hair and beard, frowned and spoke: "Nephew Qingqing, what you have said is of great importance. Xie Yunzhi is usually diligent in his cultivation and of upright character. Why would he suddenly do such a thing? Is there any other evidence? Also, what is the evil magical artifact you mentioned? And what did it awaken?"
This is Elder Xuan Shi of the Discipline Hall, who is known for his fairness and impartiality.
Su Qingqing seemed to have been prepared, and her tears fell even more rapidly. She took out a recording jade slip from her bosom and presented it with both hands: "Uncle-Master Xuan Shi, please be wise! I know that words are not enough to prove anything. At that time, the situation was critical, and I risked my life to record some fragments with the recording jade slip. Although it is incomplete, it is enough to prove that what I said is true!"
Elder Xuan Shi accepted the jade slip and infused it with spiritual power. A screen of light unfolded in the hall, the image shaky and unclear, clearly recording a fierce battle. In the image, Xie Yunzhi wielded an ancient longsword (the Abyss-Slaying Sword), his aura powerful yet unfamiliar, exchanging blows with several Su clan elders, his sword flashing sharply. Then, the image abruptly shifted towards the abyss, where a chilling dark energy soared into the sky, accompanied by a faint, inhuman roar (a dragon's roar cleverly altered by Su Qingqing). The image then abruptly ended amidst a blinding light and violent tremors.
This carefully edited clip perfectly "proved" Su Qingqing's words—Xie Yunzhi's strength had increased strangely, and he had used unknown power, causing anomalies in the forbidden area.
"This...this aura is definitely not from our righteous path!" another elder exclaimed in horror.
"That sword... I've never seen one like it before, its murderous aura is so strong!"
Elder Xuan Shi frowned, staring silently at Xie Yunzhi's eyes in the light screen—eyes that were different from usual, filled with cold authority. The jade slip containing the image seemed real, but he felt something was amiss.
Seeing this, Su Qingqing cried out, "My esteemed teachers, please understand! Xie Yunzhi must have been bewitched by that Mo Xiaoyu and cultivated evil arts, which is why his personality has changed so drastically and his strength has increased so much! They have already fled to escape punishment. If they are not captured as soon as possible, I'm afraid there will be endless troubles in the future!"
"Enough!"
The sect leader, Su Hao, who had been silent all along, finally spoke, his voice carrying an undeniable authority that instantly silenced all the discussions. His gaze swept across the entire room, finally settling on his daughter, his eyes filled with a complex and unreadable expression—a mixture of heartache, scrutiny, and a hint of barely perceptible weariness.
"Xie Yunzhi has trespassed into the forbidden area and harmed his fellow disciples. The evidence is conclusive. Effective immediately, he is stripped of his inner disciple status, listed as a traitor of the Qingyun Sect, and a sect warrant for his arrest is issued. The entire cultivation world is hereby called upon to condemn him! Anyone who can provide information on his whereabouts will be rewarded with a thousand high-grade spirit stones; anyone who can capture and kill him will be rewarded with a hundred top-grade spirit stones and will be allowed to choose one cultivation technique from the Qingyun Secret Treasury!"
"Sect Master!" Elder Xuan Shi wanted to say more.
Su Hao raised his hand to interrupt him, his tone resolute: "Elder Xuan Shi, I know you value talent. But sect rules cannot be trampled upon! Harming fellow disciples is an unforgivable crime! This matter is settled here, no further discussion is needed!"
His gaze was deep, carrying the unique pressure of a sect leader: "Send down the order to close the mountain gates and thoroughly investigate all disciples who have had contact with Xie Yunzhi and Mo Xiaoyu! Strengthen the defenses of all peaks to prevent spies from the demonic path from colluding with us from within!"
Orders were issued one after another, and the entire Qingyun Sect began to operate like a giant machine, revolving around the core objective of "hunting down the traitor." The wanted posters were quickly sent to various friendly sects and cultivation cities through communication arrays.
As night fell, the gates of the Qingyun Sect slowly closed, and the protective array, shimmering with spiritual light, activated at full power, isolating the sect from the outside world. The atmosphere within the sect became unprecedentedly tense; disciples whispered among themselves, their faces filled with shock and unease. A once-proud genius had become a traitor whom everyone wanted to kill overnight.
Inside the Lingxiao Palace, the crowd gradually dispersed. Su Qingqing rose with the help of a trusted elder, a cold glint of triumph flashing in her lowered eyes. She glanced discreetly at her father, who sat high on the throne, rubbing his temples, his figure appearing somewhat lonely in the empty hall.
She knew her father might not fully believe her, but between the stability of the sect, the reputation of the Su family, and her as his daughter, he ultimately chose to protect her. That was enough.
Elder Xuan Shi was the last to leave the main hall. He stood on the white marble steps outside the hall, gazing at the cold moon in the night sky, obscured by thin clouds, and sighed deeply. He stroked an ordinary communication jade talisman in his hand, which Xie Yunzhi had given him when he first entered the inner sect, instructing him to use this talisman to find him if he encountered any difficulties.
"Yun Zhi... I hope you have your own reasons." He murmured to himself, ultimately not crushing the jade talisman, but slowly putting it into his sleeve. A trace of worry flashed in his cloudy old eyes. He vaguely sensed that a greater storm was quietly brewing within this seemingly monolithic sect.
Meanwhile, Xie Yunzhi and Mo Xiaoyu, thousands of miles away, were unaware that their portraits and "crimes" had already spread like snowflakes to every corner of the cultivation world. An invisible net was closing in on them like a siege.
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