Across the Blackwater River lay the cliff where Luo Luo had once fallen. The river did not flow with water but with dense, tangible yin energy and malevolent aura.
Senior Brother Buyang, with sharp eyes, pointed to a protruding rock on the cliff face. "Isn't that our sect's robe?"
Tattered strips of cloth hung from the rocks, swaying gently in the eerie wind.
"This is where Luo Luo saved Gu Meng," he said, scanning the traces with a complicated tone. "Took quite a few injuries for her—little junior sister, you're such a saint!"
Luo Luo: "..."
She wasn’t fooled. Though Senior Brother Buyang called her a saint, his eyes clearly said "fool."
Luo Luo felt the need to explain herself. "I'm tough—I don’t break easily. Gu Meng would’ve died from a single bump! I needed her alive to testify against Chen Xuanyi."
The group sighed. "Ah, little junior sister, you’ve suffered so much."
Thinking of the times they’d secretly badmouthed Luo Luo, the disciples from Old Peak felt their hearts twist with guilt.
"I didn’t suffer," Luo Luo said sweetly, shaking her head. "I already killed Chen Xuanyi."
The group: "..."
Such a cute little girl, saying such brutal truths.
Unmatched!
"Huh?" After walking further, Xu Junlan tugged at Xu Junzhu’s sleeve excitedly. "Elder Sister, doesn’t this mountain look familiar?"
Xu Junzhu studied it carefully, her brow furrowing slightly.
"...Winterlord Ridge?"
"Yes, that’s it!" Xu Junlan nodded vigorously, looking smug.
The others couldn’t help but ask, "What’s this place?"
Xu Junlan explained, "When we sought apprenticeship under the Supreme Profound Sect, our parents were afraid the master wouldn’t take us, so they bought this spiritual mountain as a gift."
Luo Luo’s jaw dropped. "..."
She’d always thought Xu Junlan was just "a slightly rich nuisance"—who knew she could buy an entire mountain?
Luo Luo, feeling petty, muttered loudly, "I didn’t spend a single coin to become a disciple."
Xu Junzhu sighed. "The master refused the mountain but kept us."
"And the mountain...?"
"If it was meant as a gift, how could we take it back?" Xu Junlan said. "We just left it there."
Luo Luo: "..."
She pretended not to care, but jealousy gnawed at her. She fidgeted with Li Zhaoye’s collar, tugging it restlessly.
"Huh?" Zhao Yu said in surprise. "So Winterlord Ridge is a real mountain? And the Netherworld’s Jianmu Tree from the preliminaries—it’s identical to the real one too."
Another disciple added, "The Netherworld mirrors real places."
Zhao Yu nodded. "Oh..."
Luo Luo suddenly looked up, meeting Li Zhaoye’s gaze.
"Sealed God Hall?"
In the memories of the Divine Sovereign, the place where the Three Ancient Lords had schemed against that Sage was the Sealed God Hall.
Could it be...?
A chill ran down Luo Luo’s spine. "Could there be a real Sealed God Hall?"
Just as the Netherworld’s Jianmu Tree corresponded to the real Jianmu, and this misty mountain mirrored Winterlord Ridge—could the Sealed God Hall also have a real counterpart?
Li Zhaoye mused, "If it exists."
Luo Luo stared at him nervously. "If it exists?"
What a vast, terrifying secret that would be—just thinking about it made her scalp tingle and her jaw stiffen.
Li Zhaoye’s eyes gleamed. "Think of all the treasures it must hold!"
Luo Luo: "..."
That logic... wasn’t entirely wrong?
Further ahead, Luo Luo spotted a familiar little grave mound.
She patted Li Zhaoye’s shoulder, signaling him to put her down.
"Wait a moment."
Luo Luo walked up to the grave.
Back then, she’d been barely surviving, injured and weak, so she could only dig a shallow pit to bury this unlucky soul—just enough to keep him from rotting in the open.
She’d promised him that if she made it out of the Netherworld alive, she’d investigate Yue Wugou’s murder of his wife.
"I’m back," Luo Luo told the grave’s occupant. "The case is solved. Yue Ranchen possessed Yue Wugou’s body, killed his sister-in-law, and framed you."
The stone slab serving as a makeshift tombstone wobbled slightly.
Luo Luo froze, then cautiously added, "No need to thank me in person. As a righteous cultivator, it was my duty."
The group: "..."
The tombstone kept shaking.
Luo Luo’s scalp prickled. "The truth is out, and your name’s been cleared. Do you still have unfinished business?"
Thud.
The slab toppled over, and the thin, damp layer of soil began to shift.
Luo Luo’s pupils trembled.
Li Zhaoye, amused, nudged her behind him.
Luo Luo hid behind his back, gripping his lean but broad shoulders, and peeked out cautiously.
Pfft.
A musty, rotten stench filled the air as a skeletal hand burst from the ground.
The group instinctively drew their swords.
Blades flashed, clanging loudly.
Pfft.
More bones emerged, swaying unsteadily.
Thump.
The skeleton collapsed beside the grave.
Zhao Yu chuckled nervously. "It’s fine, it’s fine—maybe it’s here to repay a favor."
The next moment, dirt sprayed as a smaller demonic creature shot out from below, shook off the soil, and lunged at the group with a snarl.
The group: "..."
Their tension dissolved instantly.
All that buildup—just a corpse-eating demon? No wonder the grave’s occupant had turned to bones so quickly.
The demon, mid-lunge, suddenly hesitated.
These "prey" were all smiling, cracking their knuckles, looking eager.
The demon shuddered, retreated, and hastily reburied itself.
The group stared. "Hey, you little—!"
Li Zhaoye crouched by the bones, examining them, then motioned for Luo Luo.
She peeked over his shoulder.
He pointed to a mark on the skeleton. "Moonwheel Halberd."
Luo Luo nodded. "Right, that’s it."
To ensure the victim stayed dead in the Netherworld, Yue Ranchen had secretly struck him.
...Wait, no.
The Moonwheel Halberd was Yue Wugou’s personal weapon—Yue Ranchen’s spirit couldn’t wield it.
Which meant Yue Wugou did this!
Luo Luo’s eyes gleamed. "Finally, proof that Yue Wugou’s a murderer!"
She pulled out a Qiankun pouch, ready to stash the bones.
Li Zhaoye stopped her. "Have some decency. I’m in there too."
Luo Luo: "...Right."
Storing him with corpses was disrespectful.
Xu Junzhu rubbed her temples, recalling the time Li Zhaoye had pulled out a corpse to dodge a debt—such a headache.
"I’ll handle it," she offered, taking the bones.
Luo Luo asked, "Elder Sister, nothing important’s in your Qiankun pouch, right?"
Xu Junzhu said casually, "No problem, I’ll just use a separate Qiankun bag."
Luo Luo blinked in shock. "You have that many Qiankun bags?"
Xu Junzhu looked puzzled. "Of course. Pills, spirit stones, clothes, food… they all need to be stored separately."
Luo Luo blinked like a dead fish.
She had—so many—Qiankun bags!
Meanwhile, she—for all these years—had been sharing just one—with Li Zhaoye!
"Heh," Luo Luo muttered, fiddling with her fingers, "It’s not like they absolutely have to be separated."
Xu Junzhu frowned. "How else would everything fit?"
Luo Luo: "…"
This only made her jealousy twist her face even more.
After collecting the corpse, Xu Junzhu’s expression darkened. "The fact that Yue Wugou secretly poisoned this man proves he wasn’t completely ignorant about his wife’s death."
Luo Luo and Li Zhaoye exchanged a glance.
They hadn’t expected their senior sister to be so sharp, picking up on the hidden truth so quickly.
"Exactly!" Luo Luo loudly continued the gossip. "When Yue Ranchen used her brother’s body to threaten her sister-in-law, Yue Wugou was actually watching from the top of the wall!"
"Tsk!"
Instantly, everyone perked up, crowding around Luo Luo.
Even Xu Junlan pushed forward, completely forgetting their earlier tension, and grabbed Luo Luo’s arm. "Hurry, hurry! What happened next?"
"Yue Wugou didn’t dare let Yue Ranchen know they’d switched bodies. He was afraid Yue Ranchen would go all the way and kill him to take his body permanently. So he watched his wife die without making a single sound."
"Ew—" The crowd erupted in disgusted jeers.
"What a pathetic man!"
"Looks decent on the outside, but he’s just a spineless coward."
"Fake! How dare he pretend to be innocent!"
Luo Luo found herself surrounded by the heated discussion, voices buzzing everywhere.
It was her first time experiencing such a lively scene. She blinked, looking around at everyone in amazement.
Seeing them vent so passionately, she nodded eagerly in agreement.
Li Zhaoye had been pushed to the edge of the crowd. He lazily crossed his arms, watching her dazed expression before scoffing with amusement. "Silly girl."
She claimed to dislike socializing, but clearly, she loved the excitement.
"What happened next?!" Xu Junlan urged frantically. "Ignore them, just keep talking!"
Luo Luo obediently nodded. "After that, Yue Wugou took advantage of the situation, stole the Tianyin True Breath, and pinned it on Yue Ranchen. He even killed Yue Ranchen himself, leaving no witnesses."
"Wow!" The crowd gasped. "That snake tricked everyone! And I actually felt sorry for him before!"
"That bastard is ruthless. He got away with the Tianyin True Breath scot-free!"
"Even if the truth comes out later, the Heavenly Dao Sect will protect him unconditionally."
The more they talked, the angrier they got, their indignation boiling over.
Luo Luo pointed at one of Xu Junzhu’s Qiankun bags. "But Yue Wugou slipped up—he left evidence behind."
Honestly, they had that corpse-eating little demon to thank for it.
"Huh?" Zhao Yu frowned. "But Yue Wugou didn’t actually need to kill Yu, did he? Yu was completely innocent—he just delivered something to his junior sister and left. He had no idea what happened afterward."
"Yeah… Yu was already framed, had his golden core destroyed, and was banished to the Netherworld. He was as good as dead. Why would Yue Wugou go out of his way to kill him personally?"
"Strange. Doesn’t make sense."
"Right, right! There’s no reason!"
From outside the crowd came a lazy, icy voice: "It’s not that hard to figure out."
Everyone whipped around, staring eagerly at Li Zhaoye. "Senior Brother, explain! Tell us!"
Li Zhaoye smirked and pushed through the crowd.
"Getting too close to his wife—wasn’t that just asking for death?"
Before anyone could react, he reached Luo Luo, ruffled her hair, and scooped her up in a princess carry. "Let’s go!"
The crowd froze for a second before gasping. "Wait—was Senior Brother warning us?!"
Li Zhaoye tilted his head slightly.
The crimson mark in his eyes flickered as he raised a brow, lips curling into a silent, knowing smirk.
"Ah, haha…" The crowd laughed awkwardly, scratching their heads. "We were just talking about Yue Wugou, haha… haha!"
Using Dongjun Ridge as a reference, the group traversed mountains and valleys, soon arriving at the Tai Xuan Sect’s territory within the Netherworld.
Luo Luo looked around curiously.
The Netherworld lacked vitality, shrouded in dark, sinister energy. Though the mountains were familiar, they looked entirely different here.
Passing by Mirror Twin Peaks, Luo Luo couldn’t help but steal a glance.
The two small peaks stood opposite each other, their summits bare—no Zhaoye Pavilion or Liuguang Pavilion in sight.
"These pavilions weren’t built yet when the Netherworld existed," Luo Luo thought.
After crossing the main peak, they reached the back mountain.
Luo Luo pointed it out to Li Zhaoye. "This is the entrance to the formation."
He remarked, "You really outdid yourself while I was gone. Managed to get yourself banished to the Netherworld."
Luo Luo: "…"
She huffed. "You’ve done enough bad things to get banished eight times over."
Li Zhaoye grinned. "Difference is, I never got caught."
Luo Luo had no comeback.
She clung to his shoulder, peeking out. "Senior Sister, he admitted to his crimes! Make sure he’s punished eight times!"
Xu Junzhu nodded. "Agreed."
Li Zhaoye: "Tch."
While manipulating the sealing threads to dismantle the formation, he still found time to push Luo Luo’s head back down.
This girl wasn’t even shy anymore, daring to squirm around in his arms.
"Hum—"
A dim golden light slowly rippled outward.
The formation entrance opened, and the group filed out.
"Whoosh!"
In an instant, they were bathed in sunlight again.
The two elders guarding the Netherworld formation gaped as the group emerged from within.
Disbelieving, they rubbed their eyes furiously.
Xu Junzhu stepped forward and bowed. "Elder Qin, Elder Bai."
Spotting the Sect Leader’s token at her waist, the two elders exchanged a stunned glance.
"Niece," Elder Qin said hesitantly, "how did the Sect Leader’s token end up with you?"
Xu Junzhu asked solemnly, "The Sect Leader personally entrusted this token to me. May I ask who is currently leading the sect?"
Elder Qin sighed. "After the Sect Leader’s soul blood dissipated, Master Yuan took over as acting Sect Leader."
The Sect Leader’s soul blood was tied to the sect’s protective formation—her death had been sensed immediately.
The disciples exchanged uneasy glances, murmuring, "So Master Yuan was involved too?!"
Xu Junzhu raised a hand to silence them. "Master Yuan has always assisted the Sect Leader in managing sect affairs. With her gone, it’s only natural for him to take temporary charge."
"Right, right! Master Yuan must have been kept in the dark. Let’s go report everything to him!"
Leaving the back mountain, they saw mourning banners hanging along the mountain paths, white drapes adorning every pavilion and hall.
News traveled fast.
By the time they reached the main peak’s grand hall, it was already filled with peak masters and elders.
Every one of them wore white mourning robes.
As Xu Junzhu’s group stepped into the solemn, funeral-draped hall, their presence felt starkly out of place.
"Trouble’s brewing," Zhao Yu muttered under his breath.
Luo Luo, standing close, couldn’t resist stating the obvious: "We’re the ones bringing trouble."
Zhao Yu: "…"
He took a deep breath and looked up toward the hall’s high seat.
Behind the desk where Master Lingxue usually handled affairs, Master Yuan sat rigidly upright.
Before he even spoke, an oppressive aura descended, thick with the tension of an impending storm.
Luo Luo’s gaze shifted, landing on Master Qingxu.
As always, he looked utterly unbothered, lounging lazily to the side, staring absently at the ceiling.
His white mourning robes made his delicate features even more striking.
At a glance, he almost resembled the beautiful youth who once stood by the window of the South Wind Pavilion.
Xu Junzhu stepped forward solemnly, paying respects to each elder in turn.
The air grew heavier.
As she bowed, the weight of their scrutinizing gazes pressed down like leaden burdens, making it difficult to straighten again.
Xu Junlan muttered angrily under her breath, "Why does this feel like an interrogation?"
Finally, Master Yuan spoke, his voice grave. "Master Qingxu has already informed me of what happened at Jianmu. You all nearly brought about a catastrophe!"
The group exchanged uneasy glances.
Master Yuan continued, expressionless. "You damaged the seals. The sect leader rushed to the Divine Seal Hall alone to clean up your mess—and perished in the process!"
Gasps erupted.
"That’s a lie!" Xu Junlan shouted, lifting her chin defiantly. "The Divine Seal Hall was destroyed by the Heavenly Dao Sect! How dare you blame us?"
"And the sect leader was killed by him!" Countless furious fingers pointed at Master Qingxu. "Senior Uncle Yuan, don’t be fooled by him!"
Master Yuan slammed his palm on the desk. "How dare you continue lying!"
Xu Junzhu silenced the group with a gesture and stepped forward, raising the Sect Leader’s Token. "Senior Uncle Yuan, our master entrusted her legacy to me. Allow me to investigate and give the sect a proper explanation."
Master Yuan’s face turned icy. "You killed the sect leader, and now you refuse to repent? Hand over the token immediately—you’re all being sent to the Discipline Hall!"
"What?!"
"You wouldn’t dare!"
The oppressive aura intensified, forcing the disciples to their knees.
Then Li Zhaoye took a step forward.
Two overwhelming forces collided.
The two men locked eyes—one gripping the edge of the desk, the other quirking a brow with a smirk.
Li Zhaoye tilted his head. "Care to spar?"
Master Yuan took a deep breath, his voice low. "The Divine Sovereign bears the fate of all living beings. Shouldn’t you be fulfilling your duties instead of meddling in our sect’s affairs?"
Li Zhaoye scoffed. "Hah."
Luo Luo’s voice was thick with disappointment. "Senior Uncle Yuan, I refuse to believe you don’t know he’s Li Zhaoye. Chen Xuanyi has already been executed. The sect leader promised us justice. Now that we’re back, your first demand is for Li Zhaoye to die?"
She spoke firmly. "No wonder the sect leader passed her position to Senior Sister Xu instead of you."
Honest words always carried a strange kind of lethality.
Master Yuan’s composed expression cracked slightly. The elders and peak masters exchanged silent glances.
Xu Junzhu held the Sect Leader’s Token, and her aura bore the unmistakable mark of Lingxue. Clearly, the late sect leader had indeed passed her authority to her.
But Master Yuan had served diligently for years, managing the sect’s affairs with unwavering dedication. By all logic, the position should have gone to him.
Yet it hadn’t.
Just as doubts began to stir, Master Qingxu—who had been lost in thought—suddenly stood up, swaying slightly.
"Ah, but before Lingxue left, she personally handed the sect’s protective formation to Senior Brother Yuan, just in case." He sighed regretfully. "She must have been delirious near the end, repeating herself."
His words swayed the elders.
A decision made in clarity versus one made in delirium—the choice was obvious.
Master Qingxu smiled faintly. "Back when Sect Leader Qin chose her successor, both Yuan and Lingxue were equally qualified. But Sect Leader Qin picked Lingxue without hesitation—simply because they were both women. That wasn’t fair, was it?"
He continued, "Yuan never complained. For years, he served faithfully. Everyone here has seen it. I imagine Lingxue, in her final moments, was overcome with sentimentality and impulsively handed the token to a junior." He chuckled. "Women are prone to emotional decisions. Understandable, really."
Luo Luo turned to Master Yuan.
The elder’s eyes flickered, his lips pressed into a hard line as he nodded slowly.
"Senior Uncle Yuan," Luo Luo said, "the whole world knows Chen Xuanyi tried to possess Li Zhaoye. Did you know his accomplice was him?" She pointed at Master Qingxu.
Master Qingxu didn’t even bother pretending. "Why point at me? I was deceived too. If you insist on blaming me for being blind, so be it."
Luo Luo clenched her teeth. "You’re not my master."
"Ah," Master Qingxu sighed dramatically. "Girls grow up and forget their teachers. For Li Zhaoye’s sake, you’d abandon me."
"Sect Leader Lingxue was my master," Luo Luo said flatly. "You traded me to her in exchange for your precious disciple, Gu Meng."
Master Qingxu: "..."
A muscle twitched near his eye, as if he’d swallowed a thorn.
Luo Luo pressed on. "Your two favorites—one was crushed by me, the other was killed by me."
Master Qingxu let out a hollow laugh, shaking his head.
Luo Luo knew such words barely scratched him.
She turned back to Master Yuan. "Senior Uncle Yuan, don’t trust him. Believing him will ruin you. What happened in the Divine Seal Hall was witnessed by Feng Guanhai of the Heavy Star Sect and Wu Xie of the Divine Palace. This isn’t just our word."
She recounted everything that had transpired from the moment they fell into the Divine Seal Hall.
Many details matched the injuries on the disciples.
Seeing their broken spiritual swords and battered bodies, several elders and peak masters grew visibly distressed.
"Senior Brother Yuan, Luo Luo’s account is coherent and consistent. It doesn’t seem fabricated."
"Indeed… Given the gravity of the matter, these disciples wouldn’t dare lie about the involvement of Daoist Feng and Priestess Wu. Her words carry weight."
The disciples’ eyes brightened with hope as they looked up at Master Yuan.
But his expression remained unmoved.
"I will investigate," he said coldly. "Hand over the Sect Leader’s Token. You will all be confined to the Discipline Hall until the truth is uncovered."
Zhao Yu scowled. "Why won’t you listen?!"
Xu Junlan sneered. "The Discipline Hall has always been under your control. Once we’re in there, you’ll decide what ‘truth’ gets told!"
Master Yuan’s smile was icy. "The Divine Sovereign exists to sacrifice for the world. Yet here he is, interfering in sect matters. By that alone, you’ve all committed a grave crime!"
Watching his unyielding demeanor, Luo Luo finally understood.
Master Qingxu knew human nature too well.
He had exploited Master Yuan’s long-buried resentment, pulling him into his camp.
Master Lingxue was formidable enough—when she was the sect leader, even Master Yuan had nothing to say. But now that she was gone, how could he willingly let some junior climb over his head?
So Master Yuan trusted only Master Qingxu—only what he chose to believe.
"Sect affairs are none of your concern, Elder Yuan!" Luo Luo declared loudly. "Xu Junzhu is the rightful leader of our Tai Xuan Sect!"
The crowd echoed in agreement: "That's right! That's right!"
Master Yuan sneered. "So you all intend to betray the sect?"
Luo Luo raised her voice even louder. "You're the traitor here! Sect Rule Four: 'No disciple shall frame or harm a fellow member for personal gain!'"
Xu Junzhu: "..."
Not a single word was correct! Not a single word!
Master Qingxu smiled faintly as he stepped to Master Yuan's side.
They held control over the sect's protective formation, their influence deeply entrenched within the sect. They had no fear of confronting Li Zhaoye, the Divine Sovereign, here and now.
The tension was palpable, blades drawn and arrows nocked.
