Upon hearing these words, the expressions of the disciples varied.
From the high seat above, Yan Haiyao's voice rang out once more. "You must be wondering why I can still sit here and chat with you all so freely, aren't you?"
The mist surrounding his face seemed to dissipate slightly, allowing the disciples to see his features more clearly.
His presence was as commanding as ever. Though seated in a place of honor, he did not exude arrogance, only an approachable dignity.
Yan Haiyao gently stroked the Cangming Sword, a hint of melancholy flickering across his face as he slowly said, "In truth, I should not even be here. A hundred years ago, I was caught off guard and betrayed, forced to flee to this place, where I have remained hidden ever since."
The disciples of Silver Feather Pavilion were visibly shocked. One of them, filled with righteous indignation, asked, "Senior Yan, you are a man of great virtue and prestige. Who would dare attempt to harm you?"
Ji Rong was puzzled. Yan Haiyao had once ranked fifth on the previous generation's Wind and Cloud List. Aside from the top four cultivators, who else could possibly harm him?
A shadow passed over Yan Haiyao's face.
After a moment of silence, he spoke in a voice heavy with sorrow. "No matter how carefully I planned, I never anticipated that the one who sought to harm me... was none other than my own wife—Meng Ruo, the current Sect Master of Tianyin Division."
A stunned silence fell over the hall.
Moments later, the disciples collectively gasped, realizing they had just uncovered a shocking scandal from the past.
The current Sect Master of Tianyin Division had poisoned the former Sect Master, her own husband. If this news spread, the sect would be condemned by the entire world.
Ji Rong watched as the initial shock on the disciples' faces gradually gave way to anger.
One of the disciples from Huashang Sect stepped forward, his righteous fury unmistakable. Pointing at the Tianyin Division disciples, he snapped, "Your sect always claims to remain above worldly affairs, acting all high and noble, yet your Sect Master is so ruthless she would even harm her own husband! Once we leave this secret realm, I will ensure the truth is revealed for all to see. Let's see how your sect maintains its facade then!"
A Xiaoyao Sect disciple stepped beside him, nodding vehemently. "Exactly! Meng Ruo is nothing but a venomous woman, devoid of talent or virtue, who climbed to power by poisoning her own husband. It's disgusting! You'd best send word to your dear Sect Master and advise her to step down before the world rises against her."
The Tianyin Division disciples turned red with shame. Though furious, they had no words to refute the claims, after all, the accusations came straight from Yan Haiyao himself.
Ji Rong suddenly noticed something strange, Lan Cen was nowhere among the Tianyin Division disciples present.
But given Lan Cen's cultivation level, her absence made no sense at all.
Gu Baiyi also seemed to have realized this. She stepped closer and whispered to Ji Rong and Qiu Sushuang, "Setting aside whether this man is truly Senior Yan, we can't take his words at face value. Besides, Lan Cen, Meng Ruo's personal disciple, is missing. Let's observe a bit longer before jumping to conclusions."
Ji Rong agreed wholeheartedly. It was at moments like these that the protagonist was the most clear-headed.
Qiu Sushuang also nodded. "I've always found Sect Master Meng's actions mysterious, but I don't believe she would go so far as to harm Senior Yan without cause."
At that moment, a female disciple of the Tianyin Division could no longer contain herself.
She stepped forward and shouted, "Senior! I believe in Sect Master Meng's character! And you were once the Tianyin Division's leader as well, how can you say such things and abandon the sect like this?"
Yan Haiyao chuckled softly. "During the battle against evil a century ago, the night before the great war, when A'Ruo poisoned my tea, she certainly wasn't thinking about the future of Tianyin Division."
A Huashang disciple scoffed and sneered at the Tianyin Division disciple. "Even now, do you still believe in your Sect Master's innocence? How ridiculous!"
The Tianyin Division disciple paled and murmured, "It's not that I believe in her innocence… I just grew up in Tianyin Division. I always heard that Sect Master Meng and Senior Yan were deeply in love, an ideal couple. Who could have expected this…"
Yan Haiyao's expression turned nostalgic. After a long silence, he murmured, "I, too, once thought A'Ruo and I would grow old together, retreating into seclusion... but who would have thought…"
His voice faltered, a deep sorrow flashing in his eyes.
Then, suddenly, his tone sharpened. "Who would have thought it was all a lie! Meng Ruo only ever wanted to seize the position of Sect Master. I was nothing more than a stepping stone to her ambition."
"The poison in that tea was meant to paralyze me completely, stripping me of my cultivation. And she didn't care that we were on the eve of war, she was in such a hurry to eliminate me. If I hadn't barely clung to life and escaped into this secret realm, who knows how long she would have deceived the world?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding mist completely dissipated.
Ji Rong stared in shock at Yan Haiyao's face, feeling as though the story had suddenly taken a surreal turn.
Yan Haiyao was a cultivator of the Infinite Realm, possessing techniques to preserve his youthful appearance. But now…
As the illusion faded, his once handsome face underwent a horrifying transformation.
Gone was his unparalleled beauty, his face was now lined with wrinkles and scars, with golden cracks running through it like fractures in a jade statue.
Amid the brilliant light, his white robe billowed in the wind.
A solemn, compassionate expression graced Yan Haiyao's face, and even the stone beneath him seemed to transform into a lotus pedestal. Seated in the ethereal Yunxian Cave, he resembled a suffering deity.
The disciples fell into an uneasy silence.
Finally, the Xiaoyao Sect disciple spoke up, his voice heavy with emotion. "Senior Yan, why not leave this place and reveal the truth to the world? Let everyone see Meng Ruo for who she truly is!"
Yan Haiyao's clouded eyes reflected a quiet sorrow. "I have never wished for A'Ruo to be utterly ruined. Besides, I am gravely injured and unable to leave this secret realm. All I ask is that a worthy successor inherit my lifelong teachings and ensure that Jinse is revived in this world."
Ji Rong frowned. Was this the legendary hidden quest where a supreme martial art could randomly drop?
But this plot twist was getting too bizarre.
Gu Baiyi furrowed her brows and murmured, "Senior Yan seeks to pass on his legacy, but with so many gathered here, I fear trouble will arise."
Sure enough, the Xiaoyao Sect disciple's eyes shone with eagerness. He immediately declared, "Senior Yan! I am willing to become your disciple. Once I master your techniques, I will surely rescue you from this realm."
Yan Haiyao smiled wordlessly, gripping the Cangming Sword as he nodded in approval.
The disciple was overjoyed and eagerly leaped toward the high seat.
But just as he took to the air, a sword shot out from above, piercing straight through his abdomen.
Blood gushed from the wound. Stunned, he turned to look at his attacker.
His eyes widened in disbelief. "Senior Brother… why—"
On the other side, Xie Bai casually shook his folding fan, his expression unchanged, as if he had seen this sort of thing countless times before.
He chuckled and said, "Before absolute power, does the concept of seniority even matter? Blinded by greed, where the strong prey on the weak, this has always been the way of the world."
Ye Chuyang remained silent for a moment before asking, "Then, Senior Brother Xie, does that mean you also want to kill me?"
"Silly boy, of course not."
Xie Bai grinned brightly and sighed. "With how weak we are, we don't even have the qualifications to fight over anything. Naturally, we should stick together and rely on our senior sisters for protection."
The three "senior sisters" he so casually mentioned remained silent, clearly uninterested in entertaining him.
Ji Rong coldly watched Xie Bai's little performance, thinking, Who in their right mind would protect you? Besides, pests like you always manage to survive, your fate is probably too stubborn to let you die so easily.
As Ji Rong was mentally roasting Xie Bai, the situation inside the hall had already spiraled into chaos.
The Eldest Senior Brother of the Xiaoyao Sect sneered after slaying his fellow disciple. "With talent like yours, you actually dared to dream of inheriting the senior's legacy? Did you ever stop to consider whether you were even worthy?"
After speaking, he turned toward Yan Haiyao with eager reverence and said respectfully, "Senior Yan, this junior has devoted himself to the path of cultivation. I humbly seek your guidance!"
Blood still dripped from the tip of his sword, yet his face was filled with devout sincerity, sending a chill down everyone's spine.
A disciple from Huashang Sect scoffed, pointing at the bloodstained floor. "'Seeking knowledge,' you say? So, is murder the Xiaoyao Sect's method of learning? Feng Youyi, you certainly have mastered your sect's so-called 'carefree' way."
Enraged by the provocation, Feng Youyi abruptly drew his sword and struck without hesitation, stabbing forward.
As if one strike wasn't enough, he plunged his blade three more times, his face splattered with blood. He even had the audacity to declare, "The reputation of the Xiaoyao Sect will not be sullied by the likes of you!"
The Huashang disciple paled, staring at the blade buried in his abdomen. The next moment, he collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
"Feng Youyi! You've got some nerve! Killing a fellow Kunlun disciple right in front of us, today, I'll tear you apart!"
Several Kunlun Sect disciples roared in fury, drawing their swords and lunging at Feng Youyi.
Even though Feng Youyi was a standout talent of his sect, he couldn't withstand an onslaught from multiple opponents.
Moreover, having just murdered his own comrade, he had already lost the support of his fellow Xiaoyao Sect disciples, who now stood frozen in fear, unwilling to step in.
After several clashes, Feng Youyi was forced into a corner. He stumbled and fell, only to be run through by multiple silver swords, his body crumpling into a pool of blood, joining the others in death.
In mere moments, three lives had been snuffed out within the hall, the air now thick with the stench of blood.
Ji Rong felt a chill run down her spine.
She turned to look at the Kunlun Sect disciples in the center of the room. They exchanged glances, their eyes gradually turning bloodshot.
As if under some kind of spell, they suddenly turned their blades on one another and began to fight.
Their voices rang out sharply as they slashed at each other.
"The inner sect quota was mine back then! If you hadn't schemed against me, I would be an inner disciple now!"
"You're talking nonsense! When Liang Zhu was dying just now, you could've stopped Feng Youyi, but you just stood there watching! Don't tell me you weren't waiting for an opportunity to get rid of him!"
Ji Rong was dumbfounded. What the hell is happening?!
Why were these people suddenly turning on each other?
Cold sweat trickled down her back. She turned to look at the others, only to see that everyone's expressions had gone blank.
One by one, they began walking toward Yan Haiyao as if entranced.
Even Xie Bai and Ye Chuyang had lost focus in their eyes, mindlessly moving forward.
"Junior Brother Ye, wake up!"
Panicked, Ji Rong grabbed Ye Chuyang's sleeve and called out to him a few times, but he gave no response. He even shook off her hand and continued walking forward, completely unresponsive.
She realized at once that something was bewitching them. Alarmed, her eyes instinctively searched for Gu Baiyi.
If even the protagonist got caught up in this, then they were all doomed.
Just as Ji Rong's mind was in turmoil, a pair of arms suddenly reached out from the crowd and pulled her into an embrace.
She looked up to see Gu Baiyi's deep, ink-black eyes reflecting her own.
Ji Rong let out a long breath of relief. As long as the protagonist still had her wits about her, there was still hope, even if the plot was going off the rails.
Gu Baiyi held her close, speaking in a gentle voice. "Senior Sister, look around."
Still in shock, Ji Rong forgot to struggle out of her embrace.
She nodded, lifted her gaze, and looked around the hall, only to find that the place where she had been standing moments ago had transformed into a hellish landscape of corpses and blood.
The once-grand and resplendent hall was gone, replaced by crumbling ruins and blood-soaked bones.
The remaining disciples moved like pilgrims in a trance, mechanically climbing toward the high seat at the end of the hall.
Atop that seat sat Yan Haiyao. His long hair had turned stark white, his eyes sunken, his emaciated hands chained in place, rendering him motionless.
Yet he inhaled the scent of blood with a near-maniacal fervor, and before their very eyes, his withered skin began to regenerate, growing fuller with every breath.
As he beheld his newly restored flesh, he let out a manic laugh, grasping the chains that bound him and tugging at them violently.
Yan Haiyao's appearance was eerie, his gaze was unnervingly calm, yet his face was twisted with madness.
His eyes landed upon Ji Rong and Gu Baiyi amid the sea of blood.
Slowly, he curled his lips into a gentle smile and said, "You two little friends, why not come closer and have a chat with me?"
Ji Rong stared at Yan Haiyao's deranged expression, and only one thought filled her mind—
Hell no. What the fuck are you?