Chapter 675: Exposed?

"This... this is... the Palace Master's teacher?" The women of Ice Cloud looked blankly at the black-clothed figure in the sky. The overwhelming pressure, which even the Sun and Moon Elders could barely endure, was beyond imagination for them.

The people of Ice Cloud Immortal Palace all knew that Yun Che had a mysterious master. Three years ago, when he joined the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace, he had explicitly told the Grand Palace Master Feng Qianhui that he already had a master, and thus could enter the palace but would not formally apprentice himself to anyone there. His terrifyingly fast growth in profound energy and his incredible, heaven-defying medical skills naturally all came from his master. Now, they had finally seen the "true face" of Yun Che's mysterious master. The aura and pressure emanating from him exceeded their wildest imaginations and understanding by countless times.

They had all imagined Yun Che's master must be an extraordinarily formidable figure... but they had never conceived he would be terrifying to this extent!

No wonder he had been so calm... even arrogant... when facing the Sun and Moon Divine Hall.

"Is it you who wish to kill my disciple?" The black-clothed elder spoke, his voice soft and tone flat, yet to the people of the Sun and Moon Divine Hall, every word landed with the weight of ten thousand tons of rock.

Ye Guying secretly took a breath, suppressing the fear in his heart. With a calm expression, he gave a slight bow, speaking neither humbly nor haughtily: "So you are Yun Che's master. We are from the Sun and Moon Divine Hall. Yesterday, your disciple inexplicably attacked, killing twelve of our members, two of whom were personal bodyguards to our Young Master. Naturally, we have come to seek justice. We had not anticipated such a powerful expert as yourself residing here; we apologize for the oversight. Although our actions were not intended to disturb your peaceful cultivation, a life for a life is only right and proper... We believe that with your unparalleled profound energy, you are certainly not someone who would disregard justice or shelter the wicked and violent."

Ye Guying maintained a righteous expression, his voice calm yet tinged with anger and indignation. He completely adopted the stance of someone seeking "justice" for Yun Che's heinous crimes, deliberately emphasizing the words "Sun and Moon Divine Hall"... because in the Profound Sky Continent, no one dared to offend the Sun and Moon Divine Hall.

"Heh heh," the black-clothed elder chuckled faintly. "Those whom my disciple kills are undoubtedly those who deserve to die. It is your Sun and Moon Divine Hall that launched an unprovoked attack on this woman's place of peaceful cultivation, and that is truly an act of evil."

"Hmph! What utter nonsense!" Ye Shi stepped forward, lifting his head and scoffing coldly. "Our Young Master naturally had a specific purpose in attacking the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace! Even if there was to be retaliation, that would be Ice Cloud Immortal Palace's concern! Yun Che is merely an outsider. Our Sun and Moon Divine Hall has never laid a hand on him, yet he killed twelve of our people. For us to come and seek justice is only right and proper! You, to shield your disciple, are actually twisting right and wrong..."

"Enough, Ye Shi, do not be rude." Ye Guying extended a hand, quickly signaling Ye Shi with his eyes. The black-clothed man's aura was too terrifying; if he were to be provoked, the consequences could be disastrous. He raised his head, saying with a righteous expression, "Our Sun and Moon Divine Hall has a history of ten thousand years, and throughout that time, we have always taken it upon ourselves to protect the Profound Sky Continent, resisting countless invasions from foreign races! The people of the Profound Sky Continent refer to us as a 'Sacred Land,' and with the ten thousand years of service from our Sun and Moon Divine Hall, we are truly worthy of that title! We bear the name of 'Sacred Land' and the responsibility for the peace and security of all living beings in the Profound Sky Continent. Our actions have always been honorable and beyond reproach! You may possess unparalleled profound power, but if you forcefully attempt to tarnish our reputation, even if we might be no match for you, we will absolutely not agree!"

"And if you were to attack and kill us to protect your disciple..." Ye Guying's gaze hardened, "Perhaps the people of the world would not stand for it!"

Ye Guying's words made all the women of Ice Cloud show expressions of hatred and fury. These devils, who in their eyes had ruthlessly acted for their own selfish desires, shamelessly presented themselves as guardians of the continent, even using the will of the people as a threat. It was utterly despicable!

However, one undeniable fact was that the Four Sacred Lands were truly considered "Sacred Lands" in the minds of the Profound Sky Continent's people. Their understanding of a "Sacred Land" stemmed from the belief that these lands had continuously guarded the borders of the Profound Sky Continent, repelling foreign invasions and averting countless disasters.

In people's perception, it was precisely because of the existence of the Four Sacred Lands that the Profound Sky Continent had always remained so peaceful and harmonious.

Therefore, Ye Guying's "threat" was by no means a bluff or alarmist talk.

"Heh heh," the black-clothed elder still smiled faintly, showing no anger. However, this time his faint smile carried a hint of subtle mockery: "Nothing in this Profound Sky Continent escapes my notice. You may be able to deceive the world, but how could I not know about the vile deeds you have committed over the years? The countless women your so-called Young Master has harmed alone constitute a sin against heaven!"

"I will report your words verbatim to the Palace Master upon our return." Ye Guying said, his expression unchanged. "However, I have long been away from the Divine Hall and am rather unversed in current affairs. I do not recognize a master of your caliber; please enlighten me as to your identity."

Ye Guying's words clearly indicated his strong intention to retreat... With a person whose profound energy aura was so terrifying, his immediate and only course of action was to quickly withdraw with the Young Master! Under such a fearsome aura, every moment they lingered posed an immense danger.

"My name has long been lost to the mortal world..." The black-clothed elder's voice paused slightly. He then tilted his head back slightly and suddenly let out a long, heavy sigh: "Alas, the mortal world is vast, filled with endless rights and wrongs. Since I have sworn to no longer meddle in worldly affairs, I truly should not interfere in these earthly disputes... You may leave. I do not wish to break my long-held vow against killing because of you."

When the black-clothed elder's words fell, the first reaction of the Sun and Moon Divine Hall members was not relief. They exchanged glances, strange expressions appearing on their faces. The pressure on their bodies, and the tension and fear in their souls, suddenly dissipated by about seventy to eighty percent.

Even the faces of the Ice Cloud women showed clear disappointment... and apprehension.

Yun Che's master had appeared with astonishing aura, but when asked for his name, he didn't answer and instead directly told them to leave... Anyone could see that he was perhaps wary of the Sun and Moon Divine Hall!

He didn't dare to let the Sun and Moon Divine Hall know his name, and even less dared to attack them!

However, this was inevitable! In the Profound Sky Continent, no matter how powerful an individual or a force, how could they dare to defy the Sun and Moon Divine Hall?! To strike against the Sun and Moon Divine Hall was to invite self-destruction!

"Leave?" Ye Juanyun, instead, took a step forward, a faint smile on his face. Both his expression and his gaze had undergone a significant change... Although the mysterious black-clothed elder before them possessed an astonishing aura, his previous words and actions clearly showed apprehension towards the Sun and Moon Divine Hall! Since he was wary of the Sun and Moon Divine Hall, there was nothing to fear. Furthermore, it seemed... the aura emanating from him might be fake... perhaps released by some special profound artifact! Because this aura was simply too powerful, unusually so, defying common sense. If a person whose true strength matched this aura truly existed in the world, how could the Sun and Moon Divine Hall not know? Moreover, if he were genuinely that powerful, why would he lack the courage to even state his name, and rush them to leave after only a few words?

"We came here to seek justice for our deceased Young Master's bodyguards. If we were to leave simply because of your words, how would we explain ourselves to the two fallen bodyguards and our brethren in the Divine Hall?"

Ye Xiaoran narrowed his eyes and said, "Exactly. We went so far as to deploy the Sun and Moon Sacred Ark, traveling thousands of miles to reach this place, only finding Yun Che after great effort. If we just leave now, it would be utterly shameful. If word gets out, our entire Sun and Moon Divine Hall would likely be ridiculed by the world."

The black-clothed elder remained perfectly still, his voice as calm as still water: "Then what do you propose? Are you determined to force me to resume killing?"

"Naturally, we wouldn't dare. We are all people who cherish our lives," Ye Guying said slowly, his expression far more relaxed than before. "The strength of your profound energy is unlike anything I've ever witnessed. I believe you could easily slay any one of us. However, we are, after all, a Sacred Land of this continent... people of the Sun and Moon Divine Hall, with our Young Master present and four elders accompanying him. If we were to retreat simply because of your words, where would the dignity of our Sun and Moon Divine Hall be? As members of the Divine Hall, how could we commit such an act that sacrifices our dignity?"

"However, we also know we are no match for you, and killing Yun Che today seems hopeless. Yet, we cannot simply retreat like this..." A cunning glint flashed deep in Ye Guying's eyes. "How about this: our Divine Hall's Elder Ye Shi will exchange a few blows with you. We believe that with your power, you can surely defeat Elder Ye Shi with ease. This way, we will have retreated due to our inferior strength and defeat in battle, rather than being simply dismissed by your words. We can then provide a proper explanation when we return to the Divine Hall."

"This perfect strategy injures no one, maintains peace, and prevents you from breaking your vow against killing. Surely you will not refuse?"

As Ye Guying slowly finished speaking, Ye Xinghan, Ye Xiaoran, Ye Juanwang, and Ye Shi all secretly chuckled to themselves... As expected of the meticulous Ninth Elder, this was indeed a perfect plan! Because by forcing the black-clothed elder to act, if he truly possessed such astonishing power that he could defeat Ye Shi, given his apparent "apprehension" towards the Sun and Moon Divine Hall and his "unwillingness to break his vow against killing," he would not deliver a killing blow to Ye Shi. They would then be able to retreat completely unharmed.

But if his strength was actually lacking, and this extraordinarily powerful aura was merely a bluff achieved through some special method... then everyone present would be at their mercy!

And if he outright refused... then it would be absolutely certain that he was merely bluffing!

Without waiting for the black-clothed elder's response, Ye Shi instantly appeared before him. Being closer, the terrifying and peerless pressure caused his entire nervous system to spasm uncontrollably, but he immediately suppressed it with all his might. With a forced, insincere smile, he said, "I am Ye Shi, the Fifteenth Elder of the Sun and Moon Divine Hall. I have specifically come to experience your unparalleled profound energy. You only need to defeat me, and we will immediately leave this place, never to appear before you again... I only hope you will show mercy when you strike."

"Heh heh heh," the black-clothed elder responded with the same emotionless, faint smile: "Since this is what you wish... very well."