Inside the Clan Hall, there was a deathly silence.
Senior Brother Chen Yuan looked at that Cyan Jade Dao Tablet, which symbolized Sect privileges, and his head buzzed.
A Guest Elder?
How many years had it been since the Jieqing Sect had a Guest Elder?!
When did such a person appear?!
Lin Feiyan's eyes widened even further.
She had just grabbed someone off the road to make up the numbers, and she ended up grabbing a Sect Guest Elder?
Xu Liunian stood in the hall, his expression shifting uncertainly.
A Guest Elder?
The status of a Dao Sect Guest Elder was far higher than that of an ordinary Inner Sect Disciple.
What exactly was this woman's background?
Jiang Yuechu rested her chin on one hand, quietly watching the crowd below.
"Why is everyone silent?"
"..."
Xu Liunian silently clenched his palms, remaining speechless for a long time.
If she truly was a Jieqing Guest Elder, she naturally had the right to intervene in this matter... the position of Guest Elder was transcendental.
They didn't need to follow those rigid Sect rules about not interfering in the internal affairs of subordinates; they acted entirely according to their own preferences.
It was precisely because of such unrestrained existences that the Nine Great Dao Sects, for the sake of stability, had long since stopped appointing new Guest Elders.
Xu Liunian had originally calculated everything perfectly.
First, use the excuse of Family business to keep these rule-abiding Jieqing Disciples at bay.
Then slowly plot, using secret methods to lure them out of the city and get rid of them using that demon's hand.
But despite all his calculations...
He hadn't expected to provoke such an anomaly among this group.
Head of the Xu family, who was slumped on the ground, finally caught his breath. Hearing the young girl announce her status as a Guest Elder, he no longer cared about Xu Liunian's threats.
"Upper Sect, please see clearly! This wretch has practiced evil arts and lured demons into the city to slaughter our Xu Family children!"
"He lied about the demon situation just to lure people from the Upper Sect here..."
"You're looking for death!"
A fierce light flashed in Xu Liunian's eyes.
No longer caring about any pretense, the blood Qi around him erupted violently.
His body turned into a blood-red shadow, lunging straight at Head of the Xu family on the ground.
The expressions of Senior Brother Chen Yuan and the others changed drastically. They wanted to intervene, but it was already too late.
However.
Jiang Yuechu, seated at the head of the hall, merely lifted her eyes slightly.
She didn't stand up.
Not even the corner of her clothes fluttered.
She simply raised her right hand casually, curved her fingers into a claw, and pressed down into the air.
A brilliant galaxy surged forth.
It was as if a heavenly river was flowing, descending out of thin air.
It pressed down toward the mid-air!
Xu Liunian's lunging body was instantly suppressed in mid-air.
His face turned red as he tried to resist.
But he discovered in despair that under this thick galaxy, his body was forcibly pressed onto his knees on the ground.
His knees shattered the floor tiles, and cracks spread in all directions.
No matter how he tried to activate the Qi Sea in his body, he couldn't move an inch.
Jiang Yuechu withdrew her hand and then looked back at the old man: "Continue."
Head of the Xu family had escaped death, and cold sweat soaked his clothes.
He swallowed hard, no longer daring to hide anything, and spoke rapidly to reveal the whole story.
"This wretch is an illegitimate son my son left behind outside. He was kicked out of the house early on, but somehow he obtained an evil Legacy and cultivated a demonic art that sucks people's essence and blood."
"A few days ago, he suddenly attacked the Xu Family, draining my son and several clan elders of their blood Qi, and then secretly created the illusion of a demon's presence outside the city."
"His intention in luring the Upper Sect Disciples this time is most likely to consume the essence and blood of Dao Sect Cultivators!"
"..."
Hearing this.
Senior Brother Chen Yuan and the other three standing in the hall were all enlightened.
No wonder the call for help was so vague, and why things were as they were now.
So that was the situation.
Thinking of this.
The gaze the four of them cast toward Xu Liunian grew a bit colder.
If not for Jiang Yuechu's unreasonable interrogation, they might have actually fallen for this scoundrel's scheme.
Although they had Lin Feiyan of the Seven Chess Pieces in their group.
A mere Four-Piece Cultivator who practiced some evil arts, even if he laid a trap, wouldn't be able to cause much trouble.
But to dare plot against the Disciples of the Jieqing Sect.
Such behavior had already touched the Dao Sect's bottom line.
Senior Brother Chen Yuan took a step forward, his eyes cold, and his internal Qi began to circulate faintly.
"What audacity. You wretch, you actually dared to plot against us."
Lin Feiyan's eyebrows shot up in anger.
She had come down the mountain specifically to have a satisfying fight against a demon.
Now hearing that she had been toyed with by such a petty person, the fire of anger in her heart surged uncontrollably.
However.
Jiang Yuechu, seated at the head of the hall, frowned slightly.
She looked down at the slumped Head of the Xu family, her voice cold.
"What do you mean? Are you saying there's no demon at all?"
Head of the Xu family was stunned.
He hadn't expected this Guest Elder's focus to be on that.
But he didn't dare to be slow and quickly prostrated himself.
"In response to the Elder, there shouldn't be any demon..."
"It's mostly this wretch deliberately faking the Demonic Qi traces to deceive people and lure powerful Cultivators here."
Hearing this definitive answer.
Jiang Yuechu fell into a long silence.
No demon.
Then what was the point of her coming all this way?
To listen to your cliché Family grudge?
What she lacked most right now was Dao Cultivation.
She had hoped to slay a few great demons during this trial to top up her empty balance.
In the end, after all that fuss, it was fake news.
A wasted trip.
Thinking of this.
Jiang Yuechu's mood suddenly became a bit depressed.
Her originally high spirits vanished without a trace in an instant.
She withdrew the galaxy Aura suppressing Xu Liunian and said with some disappointment, "Since there's no demon, you can handle the rest yourselves."
After saying that.
She rested her chin on her hand, her eyes drooping, and she actually closed them directly.
A look of total indifference.
"Uh..."
This capricious behavior caused everyone present to freeze for a moment.
Even Senior Brother Chen Yuan couldn't help but look at the main seat helplessly.
Wait...
What are you disappointed about?!
What does that have to do with whether there's a demon or not?
Sect trials are meant to solve problems that subordinates can't handle... in most cases, one doesn't encounter any demons.
Besides, what's so good about demons?
They're not only tough and hard to deal with, but if you're not careful, you might lose your life or expend a lot of effort.
Isn't it better to peacefully suppress this Xu Family rebel, get the credit, and return to the Sect to report?
Who goes on a trial and specifically looks for the hard ones to seek death?
But complaining aside.
Now that the truth was clear and the matter could end without any further waves, Senior Brother Chen Yuan felt a wave of relief.
As long as they captured Xu Liunian and handed him over to the Xu Family or brought him back to the Sect for punishment, this trip could be considered a job well done.
But his breath had only been half-released.
In the center of the hall.
Xu Liunian, no longer suppressed by the galaxy, suddenly began to laugh low.
He struggled to lift his head, his face covered in blood, and stared fixedly at the white-robed girl on the main seat: "Good, good, good..."
"I originally thought of only destroying the Xu Family and taking you Jieqing Disciples along with it."
"You forced me to do this..."
After saying that.
He suddenly bit the tip of his tongue and rapidly formed a strange hand seal in front of his chest.
Boom!
A surge of blood Qi erupted from his body.
The blood color soared into the sky, directly blowing off the roof of the Clan Hall.
Clouds rolled in the sky.
A massive and illusory blood-colored Demon Palace phantom slowly emerged above Huangshan City.
The palace gates swung wide, and a cold wind howled.
Four dao chess pieces emitting thick blood light rose from Xu Liunian's Qi Sea, lining up on both sides of the Demon Palace.
And at that moment.
Outside Huangshan City, an extremely sharp demonic howl tore through the air, coming from afar.
The sound of the demonic howl was deafening, mixed with undisguised murderous intent, and it was approaching the Xu Family at extreme speed.
Senior Brother Chen Yuan's face changed drastically.
What was the situation?
This kid actually had a helper?!
And judging by the Aura of this demonic howl, the newcomer's cultivation was definitely not low, far beyond that of an ordinary Four-Piece Demon!
Senior Brother Chen Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly drew the long sword at his waist, shouting out to warn everyone: "Suppress this wretch first! We must not let him coordinate with the demon outside the city!"
Lin Feiyan also set aside her previous casualness, her internal Qi circulating, and the pressure of the Seven Chess Pieces was ready to be unleashed.
She was about to act.
But then she looked at the main seat.
The white-robed girl, who had been resting with her eyes closed and looking bored, suddenly sat up straight.
She had no intention of acting to suppress Xu Liunian.
Not only that.
In her originally cold and indifferent dark eyes, an undisguised look of excitement now surged.
"Don't be in a hurry... let's see how things develop first."