Chapter 671: Death of the Fiendish Cultivator
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
When the trio arrived at the Great Hall, it was already filled, the Nascent Soul Elders of each peak were already present. Lonemoon scanned the crowd, Shu Yi and Two Bucks Zuo were amongst them too, they were standing in the middle of the Great Hall, seems like something had happened, the atmosphere was a little solemn. The naive Two Bucks Zuo who was always good tempered wore a rare furious look now.
“Greetings Uncle-Master.” Seeing them walk in, everyone bowed. However, an unfamiliar Nascent Soul on the left did not even budge, instead, he turned his head the other way with a sneer, his eyes filled with displeasure and anger.
Yi Qing had also sensed that the atmosphere was a slightly off, but did not bother and walked directly to the only seat at the top. He then habitually stepped to the side and let Shen Ying who was behind him take the seat while he stood on her right and Lonemoon took the left.
Maybe because the situation was pressing, everyone wasn"t bothered by these details, instead Tian Yi who was by the side looked towards Lonemoon and suddenly said, “Don"t worry Brother Lonemoon, I have absolute faith in your character!”
“…” Lonemoon was confused, what did that mean?
Were they called here, not only because there were new clues, but by the looks of it, it even involved them?
“Uncle-Master Yi Qing.” Sect Master Yu Luan then stood up and said, “We requested for Uncle-Master to come over, because we have something we wanted to clarify with you. That day when Uncle-Master headed to Yuan Yang City to rid the fiend, when you were pursuing the fiendish cultivator Zhong Yi, did you find anything unusual about him?”
Yi Qing turned towards him and said to a frown, “What do you mean by unusual?”
“It"s…” A trace of hesitation flashed across Yu Luan"s face, as if he did not know how to answer to that. He took a while before asking with gritted teeth, “Is Uncle-Master sure that the fiendish cultivator is really… dead?”
“Of course!” Yi Qing"s frown deepened as he continued to answer in a deep voice. “The body of that fiendish cultivator was handled by Elder Shu Yuan.” When he finished, he looked towards Shu Yuan who was seated on the right side.
“That"s right!” Shu Yuan also stood up and nodded. “I can bear witness to that, after Uncle-Master Yi Qing killed that fiendish cultivator, he notified me to rush over that night, that fiendish cultivator is dead, I was the one to dispose of his body using a blazing fire, my aim was to avoid having other fiendish cultivators using the Nascent Soul body to do evil.”
“Hmph! Who knows if the one who died was Zhong Yi or not?” The Nascent Soul Perfected One on the left chimed in suddenly with some disdain.
They had yet to speak up but Two Bucks Zuo grew restless, seeming like he had held himself back for a long time. He said with cupped fists, “Perfected Jing Yuan, that person was Zhong Yi indeed, it wasn"t just me, Senior Sister Shu saw it too!”
Shu Yi faltered for a moment and hurriedly said with a fl.u.s.tered look. “I… I don"t know either, after we b.u.mped into that fiendish cultivator on accident, Supremacy instructed us to return to the city quickly, I did not think too much of it and left. As for what happened after that, I have absolutely no idea.”
“Senior Sister Shu!” Zuo Shuming looked at her in disbelief, his face contorting with rage. “If it wasn"t for Supremacy who rushed over in time after sensing the fiendish cultivator, you and I would have died in his hands. I saw with my two eyes that the fiendish cultivator was dead, could that have been fake?”
“But I really didn"t see it!” Shu Yi said in a panicked and aggrieved low voice, “You saw, not me! You"re a disciple of Nameless Peak, you"d naturally side with them, who knew what happened after I left?”
“You…” Zuo Shuming became angrier and shot back directly, “Do not forget Senior Sister, you were the one who first discovered that fiendish cultivator! According to you, do you have some relations to that fiendish cultivator too?”
“I… I don"t!” Shu Yi wore a look of innocence, looking so aggrieved like she would burst into tears anytime.
Lonemoon"s eyes dimmed, turning his head to look to Yu Luan, he asked, “Sect Master, may I ask what exactly happened? Why is that fiendish cultivator also involved now.”
Yu Luan sighed then brought out a fragmented jade and said quietly, “It"s like this, we found this when we searched Dan Cheng Mountain earlier.”
Lonemoon took a closer look. “Shadow Preserving Stone?”
“Yes!” Yu Luan nodded. “There was originally a huge Shadow Preserving Stone in front of the Disciples" Hall at Dan Chen Mountain, used to record the cultivation progress of the disciples everyday. This piece is a fragment of that Shadow Preserving Stone, there is a video of the happenings before Dan Chen Mountain exploded in it.”
As he spoke, he sent a shred of Spirit Qi into it, in the next moment, a white light flashed out from inside and slowly formed an image, though it was only a broken corner, the scenery before the Disciples" Hall at Dan Chen Mountain could still be made out. There was no one there now, then a while later, a black figure suddenly appeared then disappeared in a flash. However, it could be seen that he was surrounded by heretic, evident that he was a fiendish cultivator at one look and that face…
“Zhong Yi!” Lonemoon was shocked, this person looked exactly like the one possessed by an Earth Demon outside of Yuan Yang City back then.
“Behind the Disciples" Hall, is the quarters of Junior Brother Yin, he was in seclusion then so he did not come forth to watch the compet.i.tion.” Yu Luan explained, then put the Shadow Preserving Stone in his hand away.
“Sect Master means, you suspect that fiendish cultivator Zhong Yi did not die and the incident at Dan Chen Mountain was his doing?” No wonder they asked about that fiendish cultivator once they arrived.
Yu Luan did not reply, instead the Nascent Soul Perfected One who challenged them earlier spoke first, “That day when Zhong Yi was killed, only you four were present, who knows exactly if the one who died was that fiendish cultivator?”
“This Perfected One is…” Lonemoon frowned.
“This is Perfected Jing Yuan.” Yu Luan explained. “He was the closest to Junior Brother Yin who just pa.s.sed.”
Lonemoon nodded before saying, “The body of that fiendish cultivator was checked by us and Perfected Shu Yuan, it was undoubtedly that fiendish cultivator!”
However Jing Yuan remained indifferent and continued meaningfully, “There are so many morphing spells in the world, who would know whether that body was real or fake. Besides, the Protective Mountain Array of our sect now, was set by Supremacy too.”
“You"re spouting nonsense!” Zuo Shuming panicked, seeming rather infuriated.
“When have I.” That Jing Yuan turned towards Yi Qing and said, “Supremacy Yi Qing, this matter concerns the deaths of two Nascent Soul Elders, please give us a clear answer. How exactly did Zhong Yi die that day? And the tinder of the Icy Deep Fire on that fiendish cultivator, where is it now?”
Lonemoon"s eyes narrowed, Dark fire? He subconsciously turned to look at Shu Yi who looked all innocent and obedient at a side, seems like before they arrived, she got a lot done.
“The dark fire has been destroyed.” Yi Qing answered.
“Destroyed!” Everyone was shocked.
“Mm.” Yi Qing nodded. “That fire can burn and damage souls, it does not belong to the mortal realm in the first place and should not be kept!” Accurately speaking, if it wasn"t for that Earth demon, that fire wouldn"t have appeared here at all.
“Burn and damage souls!” Everyone gasped, not expecting that such a deviant fire actually existed.
On the contrary, Shu Yi"s expression changed and could not help but comment, “That is a Deviant Fire, Supremacy could really bear to destroy it?”
“Senior Sister Shu"s words are ridiculous.” Lonemoon laughed coldly, finally figuring what this Shu Yi was planning. She"s here to drive a wedge, making them out to be the accomplices of the fiendish cultivator, then reap advantages without lifting a finger. “According to you, you"re suspecting that we have some deal with that fiendish cultivator, on top of secretly possessing the deviant fire, we even helped him to fake his death and let him into Gui Yi Sect to do harm?” This accusation was… rather absurd.