When Chen Yin spoke, his tone was light and carefree.
Yet, the moment his words fell, the entire crowd was plunged into a silence so profound that it lasted several seconds.
No one could have anticipated that the seemingly polite and deferential young disciple from the Misty Spirit Sect's branch would suddenly pull a complete reversal, hurling insults directly at Elder Mo Jie.
Mo Jie himself froze for a few seconds, his face shifting through several expressions before gradually turning ashen with fury.
Even Yu Xiang was stunned. Was her senior brother really planning to fall out with Mo Jie in front of everyone?
"You... dare to say that again?" Mo Jie stared daggers at Chen Yin, squeezing the words out through clenched teeth.
"Didn't hear me? Ah, well, old folks' hearing isn't what it used to be," Chen Yin said nonchalantly. Clearing his throat, he repeated, loudly and clearly,
"I said: you decrepit old fossil, a snaggletooth relic probably dug up from some forgotten grave. A has-been who couldn't get it up even if ten gorgeous women—"
The string of creative, unrelenting insults had everyone around struggling to keep a straight face. Even Wan Yunhai, the Pavilion Master of Wanxiang Pavilion, nearly burst into laughter at the term "has-been who couldn't get it up," managing to stifle it only after a tug on his sleeve from a nearby elder.
"I'm sorry... but his insults are just so—pfft—so funny," Wan Yunhai whispered, still shaking with suppressed laughter.
Mo Jie's body began to tremble as if he could barely contain the storm of rage inside him. His eyes glinted with a murderous light.
"Don't glare at me like that, old man," Chen Yin taunted with a smirk. "This girl caught my eye. Maybe if I take her out for a drink, I'll get lucky. No way am I letting you ruin my chances."
"And if I lose a future sweetheart, will you send your wife over to make it up to me?"
"You insolent brat! You're courting death!"
At that moment, the sky itself seemed to respond to Mo Jie's fury. A sudden shift darkened the once-clear heavens above Wan Yun Mountain, and storm clouds gathered ominously, crackling with streaks of lightning.
Mo Jie's beard and hair bristled as a divine, overwhelming aura erupted from his body. In his palm, arcs of lightning began to dance.
"You insolent whelp! Today, I will show you what it means to face the power of an Upper Clarity Realm cultivator!"
As he raised his hand, the very forces of nature seemed to align with him. The gathering thunderclouds poured their might into his palm, coalescing into a destructive force that struck awe and terror into everyone present.
"This... this is the power of an Upper Clarity Realm expert?"
"They say that Upper Clarity Realm cultivators can commune with heaven and earth, harnessing its energy as their own. It's truly terrifying to witness!"
"What kind of fool dares challenge an Upper Clarity Realm elder in public like this?"
The howling wind whipped Chen Yin's robes around him, yet his expression remained calm, even amused, with the faintest trace of a smile at the corners of his mouth.
Behind him, a hand suddenly tugged at his sleeve.
"What are you doing, playing the hero?"
Turning, he saw Yu Xiang's panicked eyes staring back at him. "Run! You can't survive this attack!"
"That won't do." Chen Yin shook his head. "If I can't handle it, what right do I have to let a young lady bear it instead?"
"I'm... I'm different..."
Yu Xiang's anxiety was reaching a fever pitch. As a Chosen, she had a system-provided safeguard to ensure her survival, though it came with a heavy price. She wasn't entirely without options.
But her senior brother? He was as stubborn as a mule, insisting on shielding her, leaving her at a complete loss.
Just as Yu Xiang clenched her teeth, preparing to knock Chen Yin unconscious and face Mo Jie alone, another urgent voice rang out:
"Elder Mo Jie! Stay your hand!"
In the next moment, a figure as cold as frost stepped between Chen Yin and Mo Jie.
It was Shen Shuanglian.
Her intervention sent the already buzzing crowd into an uproar. Mo Jie's brows furrowed deeply as he bellowed,
"Shen Shuanglian! What are you doing? Do you even know your place?"
"As the chief disciple of Misty Spirit Sect, how dare you shield a demonic witch?"
Shen Shuanglian's expression darkened, yet her voice remained firm.
"Elder, there are still unanswered questions about this matter. I beg you to reconsider and spare Junior–Junior Brother Chen."
"He's shielding a demonic witch, and you still call him your junior brother?"
"...Yes."
Though her voice was soft, her determination was unshakable.
Mo Jie's fury burned hotter, but before he could act, another voice joined the fray, this one tinged with mocking amusement.
"Well, well. Didn't think I'd see the day when the Ice Queen herself would defy her sect for someone she cared about."
A fiery figure descended gracefully from the skies. Luo Qiaoqiao, her lithe frame exuding confidence, landed beside Shen Shuanglian and turned to flash Chen Yin a playful smile.
"Not that I care if that girl gets into trouble," she said with a slight pout, "considering she's been a pain to me before."
"But this man?" Luo Qiaoqiao's smile faded slightly as she gently stepped in front of Chen Yin, her tone becoming cold and sharp.
"This man is mine."
"If you touch him, it means the Misty Spirit Sect is declaring war on us, the Tianluo Sect."
The simultaneous arrival of two powerful female cultivators, both openly protecting a seemingly unremarkable young man, sent the already chaotic atmosphere into a frenzy.
Even Mo Jie's wrinkled face contorted in frustration as if it might collapse in on itself.
—He could never have expected that this young man would turn out to be so troublesome, even drawing out both his sect's chief disciple and the young mistress of the Tianluo Sect to intervene. The pressure had suddenly escalated to an entirely different level.
What made matters worse... Elder Mo Jie's gaze lingered on Chen Yin, who was hiding behind the two women with an infuriating smirk plastered on his face, practically taunting him: "Come at me if you dare!"
Behind this young man was his master, the illustrious Immortal Yu Ling.
Yu Ling was not only renowned throughout the cultivation world for her Great Purity Realm power but also infamous for her intense protectiveness and the uniquely vexing nature of her cultivation techniques.
To provoke her would be no less dangerous than offending the entirety of the Tianluo Sect.
At this moment, even with his strike poised to fall, Mo Jie hesitated. His tightly knit brows betrayed the calculations and considerations racing through his mind.
Meanwhile, the man hiding behind the two women, basking in their defense, wore an insufferable grin and continued his relentless insults:
"What's the matter, old fossil? Chickening out now? Too scared to make a move? Spent all these years cultivating just to end up a coward—what a waste. Honestly, you might as well hit the reset button."
Although Chen Yin's words seemed to drip with mockery, his sharp eyes carefully observed Mo Jie's expression, studying him.
—He wasn't just applying pressure. More importantly, he was probing—trying to uncover just how far Mo Jie was willing to go and what he might be hiding.
Above, Mo Jie's robes billowed as the vortex of thunderclouds in his palm continued to swirl ominously.
For a long moment, his expression shifted between indecision and resolve, as though deliberating something.
Then, Chen Yin suddenly realized something was off.
No.
He's not thinking.
He's using sound transmission with someone.
Abruptly, Mo Jie's expression twisted several times as if responding to unheard instructions. At last, his face settled into one of cold ruthlessness and finality.
"Impudent demon!" he bellowed.
"For the eternal prosperity of the cultivation world, this old man would rather bear the stigma of wrongfully killing than let evil go unchecked!"
"You two girls, don't let this brat deceive you! Move aside immediately!"
The next moment, a surge of tremendous force pushed Shen Shuanglian and Luo Qiaoqiao aside.
Both women staggered back, their expressions filled with alarm. Luo Qiaoqiao furrowed her brows, shouting, "Stop this!"
Shen Shuanglian's eyes widened in horror.
"No!"
But the vortex of thunder in Mo Jie's palm had already been unleashed, hurtling toward Chen Yin on the ground.
The devastating storm obliterated the arena, piece by piece. Standing at the center of the destruction, Chen Yin narrowed his eyes, his expression growing serious as he watched the earth-shaking attack descend.
"No!"
Behind him, Yu Xiang desperately tried to step forward, wanting to shield him. But her system's voice screamed frantically in her mind:
[Are you crazy?! You only have one chance to save your life! Why would you waste it on a side character irrelevant to the main plot?]
"I don't care!" Yu Xiang's eyes reddened, her voice trembling.
"I can't lose him!"
Yet, before she could take that step, a warm and steady hand gently rested on her head.
Yu Xiang's eyes widened as her body began to tremble.
"Don't worry," came Chen Yin's soft voice.
The thunderclouds raged behind them as Chen Yin ruffled her hair lightly, a gentle smile playing on his lips.
"Sometimes..."
"A man just wants to look cool."
Suddenly, Yu Xiang found herself unable to move as sword energy sealed her meridians. Helpless, she could only watch with wide eyes as events unfolded before her.
A moment later, a clear white light emerged from Chen Yin's sleeve, slowly materializing into a transparent, crystalline longsword.
Grasping the sword, Chen Yin's gaze turned calm as he faced the vortex of thunder.
—There was no way to resolve this peacefully anymore.
If he wanted to maintain his hidden identity and continue investigating the connection between the Misty Spirit Sect and the demonic faction, then...
It seemed he had to put on a little performance.
Hopefully, these people would cooperate and play their parts well.
Chen Yin raised his sword slowly, pointing it toward Mo Jie in midair.
"To give without receiving in return would be impolite," he said lightly.
"Now, take my strike as well."
As he lifted the blade, an obscure and profound aura began to emanate from it.
His figure seemed to grow faint and ethereal, as insignificant as a speck of dust amidst the vast sea.
Then, with a single motion, he brought the sword down.
A brilliant beam of sword light lazily cut through the sky, meeting the vortex of thunder.
A tremendous explosion erupted on the arena floor.
Boom!!!
The shockwave was so intense that countless cultivators had to shield their eyes. Even Wan Yunhai and the other elders were forced to step back slightly.
When the dust cleared, Mo Jie still floated proudly in midair, though his expression was indescribably complex.
On the other hand, a figure was sent flying through the air, drifting far into the distance.
Yu Xiang, having finally broken free of the sword energy sealing her meridians, saw the first thing her eyes fell upon—a familiar silhouette in midair.
It was Chen Yin.
Blood spurted from his mouth as he soared through the sky, his face pale and weak as if gravely injured.
The direction he was flying toward was a cliff at the back of Wan Yun Mountain.
Behind Wan Yun Mountain lay the Tian Tu mountain range.
And at the heart of the Tian Tu mountain range was the most feared region in the entire continent:
The Tiantu Abyss.
A place so dangerous that even Great Purity Realm immortals dared not enter lightly.
"No!!!" A heart-wrenching scream echoed across the field.
Yu Xiang rushed forward, desperate to chase after him.
Yet, a flash of azure light beat her to it.
A figure clad in blue followed Chen Yin's tumbling form, plunging with him into the abyss below.
—Both vanished into the depths.
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