Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw that Huo Qingfeng, carrying an ancient longsword, had somehow arrived in the middle of the Sword-Asking Platform.
Ouyang Jingfeng's eyes flickered slightly: "Qingfeng? What do you have to report?"
Huo Qingfeng bowed respectfully to the air and then said loudly, "Reporting to the Pavilion Master, I happened to be present at the scene of the Tanghuo City incident and witnessed the entire process of the conflict between Fellow Daoist Zhu Dachang and the Xuanhuang Sect members down the mountain."
Shen Yunhao's heart tightened upon hearing this.
The battle must have been witnessed by someone with ulterior motives, which is why Zhu Dachang was included in the Chronicles of the Storm. This is not surprising.
Although he had borrowed Mo Yan's power back then, the Wisteria was relatively obedient to him at the time and did not display the strange power of the Dark Abyss Vine. It only devoured the other party's spiritual energy and did not harm anyone at all.
This is why Shen Yunhao dared to create such a magic weapon as a substitute; low-level cultivators should not be able to tell the difference.
But Huo Qingfeng is different...
With his keen sense of smell, he could even detect the scent of a sword. It's hard to say whether he actually recognized the Dark Abyss Vine back then.
Moreover... given Huo Qingfeng's status, his words are clearly more persuasive than those of other passersby. If he were to say something detrimental to Shen Yunhao, the situation would become quite difficult.
Ouyang Jingfeng immediately asked, "Oh? You saw it with your own eyes? Then tell me, are there any similarities between the vines this boy used back then, the demonic vines that are wreaking havoc in Wanren City today, and the spiritual vines that this magic artifact in his hand has transformed into?"
Huo Qingfeng raised his head, his gaze calmly sweeping over Shen Yunhao, a faint, enigmatic smile playing on his lips.
He spoke slowly, his voice carrying clearly throughout the entire hall:
"Reporting to the Sect Master, I was quite far away when I watched the battle, so my view wasn't very clear..."
Hearing this, Shen Yunhao felt a little relieved, but he still dared not relax.
"However, I can be certain of one thing! Although the purple vines summoned by Fellow Daoist Zhu Dachang were powerful and forced back many fellow Daoists from the Xuanhuang Sect, they did not harm a single Xuanhuang Sect disciple's life from beginning to end! They didn't even cause them any serious injury!"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Huang Shunan and the other powerful figures in the air, and asked a crucial question: "This disciple dares to ask you seniors, if what Fellow Daoist Zhu Dachang used back then was truly that bloodthirsty and violent Dark Abyss Demon Vine... how could it have been so precise in such a fierce conflict that it left dozens of low-level cultivators... completely unharmed?"
Huo Qingfeng did not directly conclude what kind of vine Shen Yunhao had used, but his words reminded everyone!
How could a terrifying being like the Dark Abyss Vine not injure people once it makes a move?
Could it be... that this demonic vine is some kind-hearted, compassionate being? That's just too absurd...
Nie Qingshuang breathed a heavy sigh of relief, but Daoist Qianhe remained silent with a gloomy face.
He couldn't possibly insist that the demonic vine obeyed Shen Yunhao's orders and deliberately didn't harm anyone; even if it were true, it was unlikely that anyone would believe him.
Ouyang Jingfeng frowned, glanced at the scattered wisteria on the ground, then turned to Huang Shunan, his voice unconsciously taking on a hint of authority:
"Sect Leader Huang! Is what Huo Qingfeng said true? During the battle at Tanghuo City, were there any casualties among your Xuanhuang Sect disciples? Give me a truthful answer!"
Facing Ouyang Jingfeng's gaze, Huang Shunan broke out in a cold sweat, her expression shifting unpredictably.
After a moment of silence, he finally lowered his head in dejection and admitted in a dry voice, "Reporting to the Sect Master... in that battle, only my son was seriously injured and unconscious; the other disciples were unharmed."
As Huang Shunan uttered these words, the scrutinizing gazes that had lingered on Shen Yunhao finally dissipated...
...
In a secluded corner of Wanren City.
Through the gaps in the eaves, Mu Shuangshuang watched from afar as Shen Yunhao, with his quick wit and Huo Qingfeng's "divine assistance," gradually turned the tide on the Sword Inquiry Platform. The breath that had been in her throat finally let out a heavy sigh of relief.
"That wretched husband... he's such a worry! Why can't he just live off you? He had to use that scoundrel's power, and we almost capsized... Luckily, I went to great lengths to get you this incredibly realistic 'fake wisteria,' otherwise, let's see how you'd get out of this mess today!"
Despite her complaints, her alluring eyes were filled with lingering fear and a hint of barely concealed joy.
For now, Shen Yunhao is finally safe, so the only thing we really need to worry about is ourselves...
Just then, the shadow behind her writhed as if alive, and a figure shrouded entirely in a wide black robe silently appeared, as if he had always been standing there. From beneath the black robe, a deep, slightly hoarse young male voice rang out:
"Miss... the situation in the city is chaotic. If the true culprit cannot be found, the Sword Pavilion will definitely search with all its might. This place is not safe to stay for long. We need to leave the city as soon as possible!"
Mu Shuangshuang was startled by the sudden voice and trembled slightly. After turning around and seeing who it was, she frowned and asked in surprise, "Youying? What are you doing here?"
The figure in black bowed slightly, his tone icy: "I am here on the orders of the Palace Master to escort Miss out of the city."
The "palace master" he mentioned could only be Mu Qingqing, the palace master of the Scorpion Palace, Mu Shuangshuang's birth mother, also known as the "Poisonous Lady".
Upon hearing this, a knowing glint flashed in Mu Shuang's eyes.
Youying was trained by Elder Duying and is well-versed in the art of stealth. More importantly, he possesses a talent called "Shadow Stealth," which allows him to bypass most array barriers and travel short distances to a certain extent.
Mu Qingqing's decision to have him come over was indeed because he was currently the best candidate to safely take her out of Wanren City.
Mu Shuangshuang pondered for a moment and felt that Youying's words made sense.
Her identity as the Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect was like a bomb; once discovered, it would attract even more firepower from the Sword Pavilion than the "Demon Vine."
"You've come at the right time! But we can't leave now. The real body of that broken vine is still hidden in the city. Leaving it here is a potential threat. We must send it out of the city with us so that Yun Hao can be completely safe!"
In the shadow of the black robe, unseen by Mu Shuangshuang, the man clenched his fist slightly, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
He paused for a moment, but his voice remained steady. "Miss, when I entered the city, I had already damaged a section of my physical body. It's already a struggle to carry you alone. If I were to bring along a Void Realm demon as well, I'm afraid... there would be risks!"
As a member of the Scorpion Hall of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, Youying's true form is the extremely rare Phantom Centipede. Every time he uses the ability of Shadow Step, he pays the price of a segment of his body, which takes a long time to recover, so he cannot use it frequently.
Upon hearing this, Mu Shuangshuang frowned even more deeply.
What Youying said was true. Taking the sleeping Moyan through the barrier would increase the difficulty and risk exponentially, but if he were in good condition, taking him out... shouldn't be too difficult.
Unless... Shadow had already used Shadow Step multiple times and consumed a significant amount of its essence before entering the city...
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