Chapter 356: Raising Troops to Demand Accountability

The area around Nanqing Palace shook with deafening sounds.

The elders and true disciples of the Mortal World Layer emerged from their residences and looked into the distance.

Days earlier, they had heard rumors that Venerable Nan, known as the "Divine Cult's Foremost Beauty," had been confined to Nanqing Palace by the Withering and Flourishing Hall and was forbidden to leave. Of course, the title "Foremost Beauty" was first coined by her senior disciple, Li Weiyi, and then gradually spread.

All upper and mid-level cultivators at the headquarters knew that something was about to happen to Venerable Nan.

Today, the formation was breached, and a large number of people surrounded Nanqing Palace. Clearly, everything had been settled.

**Nanqing Palace**

Inside the main hall with a hip-and-gable roof and green tiles, Yao Qingxuan sat in the foremost position on the right side. She knew this day would come sooner or later, so she remained exceptionally calm, quietly awaiting the storm.

The Hall Master and Deputy Hall Master of the Withering and Flourishing Hall were the first to enter the hall.

A man and a woman, both around fifty years old, possessed a Golden Pure Immortal Body and a Silver Pure Immortal Body, respectively. Blinding radiance emanated from them, splitting the green-tiled hall into golden and silver halves, exuding formidable power.

They presided over the cult's punishments, rewards, divine prison, and regulations. They resided year-round on the third level of the Asura Layer and were the two most feared figures among the Rice Cult disciples.

Cult members without the Rice Human bloodline had to first pass through the Withering and Flourishing Hall upon entering the headquarters.

Most human martial cultivators who infiltrated suffered terrible fates. Only those who passed the vetting process could enter the second level of the Asura Layer for cultivation.

For pure human martial cultivators, entering the Mortal World Layer of the headquarters was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

"So, Hall Master An is here as well," said the Deputy Hall Master of the Withering and Flourishing Hall.

An Xianjing had been in Nanqing Palace for two days, sitting in the highest main seat in the hall, clutching prayer beads, her expression uncertain. She said, "Perhaps I should yield this seat to Hall Master Sikong?"

The Hall Master of the Withering and Flourishing Hall replied with an icy tone, "No need. This master is merely here today to observe and apprehend. We hope Hall Master An prioritizes the great cause of the Divine Cult and does not show favoritism or protection due to personal ties. This is not something we can bear responsibility for."

Subsequently, the two Hall Masters of the Withering and Flourishing Hall sat on either side near the hall entrance, closing their eyes to rest.

They did not look at Yao Qingxuan at all, clearly having already made up their minds and determined her guilt.

Deputy Hall Master Chu Tianshu of the Heavenly Principle Hall entered. The snake head on his neck glanced at Yao Qingxuan, flicked its tongue, and revealed a sinister smile. He bowed to An Xianjing and the Hall Master of the Withering and Flourishing Hall in turn, then sat across from Yao Qingxuan.

Immediately after, Grand Zen Master Xinku appeared at the doorway.

Dressed in a purple kasaya, he stood two and a half meters tall, with a belly as large as a water vat.

Seeing An Xianjing seated at the head of the hall, his expression subtly changed. Like a mouse seeing a cat, he scurried aside, not daring to enter.

An Xianjing called out, "Xinku!"

Grand Zen Master Xinku quickly revealed himself, respectfully bowing and kowtowing, fawningly saying, "Greetings, Senior Martial Aunt."

Grand Zen Master Xinku was the most ruthless of the three Grand Zen Masters of Coffin Mountain, possessing extremely high cultivation and talent. In the Southern Territory, his fierce reputation was second only to the three barbarian bandits.

"What are you doing here?" An Xianjing asked.

Grand Zen Master Xinku reported cautiously, "I am here on behalf of my master! My master said to bring Yao Qingxuan back to him, alive."

An Xianjing closed her eyes, resting without speaking.

Grand Zen Master Xinku stood there, hunched over and rigid, unable to advance or retreat.

Only when Old Ancestor Sheng arrived did he take the opportunity to retreat to the side.

Old Ancestor Sheng was one of the four giants of the Sui Sect and also "Elder Qiu" among the seven great elders of the Southern Territory, responsible for matters in Qiuzhou.

He was the protagonist of today's drama. After entering and bowing to the various Hall Masters, he poured out a bloodied human from his spatial bag, who landed on the ground with a thud.

It was Qi Xiao!

He was unconscious, his breath faint.

Old Ancestor Sheng stood in the center of the hall, looking at Yao Qingxuan, his gaze as sharp as a sword. "Venerable Nan, he is from your Nanqing Palace, isn't he? The forces this old master dispatched tracked him all the way to Qiuzhou, and then they were all annihilated. Why did he go to Qiuzhou? What was he doing there? How do you explain this, Venerable?"

Yao Qingxuan cast a fleeting glance at Qi Xiao on the ground, refusing to fall into the trap of self-justification. "You want to rise in rank? Are you strong enough?"

Old Ancestor Sheng chuckled lightly. "I knew you'd turn the tables. This old master has no interest in the position of Venerable Nan. Yao Qingxuan, we possess ample evidence. The only reason we're giving you a chance to argue is because you hold a high and influential position. We truly hope you'll confess voluntarily, atone for your sins, and perhaps die a quicker death."

"Otherwise, your fate will be either imprisonment in the divine prison or dispatch to Coffin Mountain, where you will wish for death but cannot find it."

Yao Qingxuan had long prepared herself mentally and did not utter another word.

She understood that the moment several Hall Masters appeared simultaneously, her fate was sealed.

Seeing that the situation was not as he expected, with no fierce arguments or tense standoff, Old Ancestor Sheng became indecisive, secretly glancing at An Xianjing above.

Seeing that he was struggling with his solo performance, the Deputy Hall Master of the Heavenly Principle Hall broke the silence. "This young man, this master has some impression of him. He seems to be from the Qi family in the Southern Territory. He fled back to Qiuzhou; surely he didn't leak any important secrets, did he?"

"That is precisely what this old master is most worried about!" said Old Ancestor Sheng.

The Deputy Hall Master of the Heavenly Principle Hall asked, "Has he been interrogated?"

"He has been interrogated, but he refused to speak even under duress. We brought him back to invite someone from the Hall of All Under Heaven to use soul-retrieval techniques to directly extract his memories," Old Ancestor Sheng replied.

Only those who applied the Death Spirit Flame could retrieve souls.

If an outsider attempted soul retrieval, the Death Spirit Flame within Qi Xiao would instantly ignite.

The Deputy Hall Master of the Heavenly Principle Hall asked, "Since the people you dispatched were all annihilated, where did you capture him?"

"This young man is extremely cunning. Knowing that the Death Spirit Flame within him would reveal his location, he actually hid in an underground immortal mansion. If this old master had not acted personally, it would have been very difficult to track him down."

Seeing Yao Qingxuan's continued indifference, Old Ancestor Sheng couldn't help but say gravely, "Whether the secret has been leaked will be revealed shortly. Yao Qingxuan, you boast of being exceptionally intelligent, a peerless genius of the Southern Territory since childhood, even deceiving Hall Master An. But you probably never dreamed that in my youth, I once saw a young Zhou Bida in the Jiuli tribe."

"He later joined the Jiuli Hidden Sect, didn't he?"

"Li Weiyi is a divine hidden agent of the Jiuli Hidden Sect, and Li Songgu also appeared at Nanyan Pass at the same time. Therefore, you are also a member of the Jiuli Hidden Sect!"

Yao Qingxuan understood in her heart.

The people of the Sui Sect had deliberately set up a trap using Zhou Bida, intending to eliminate her and expose the Jiuli Hidden Sect to capture them all.

The Sui Sect's ambition to occupy Lizhou had remained unchanged throughout generations, from ancient times to the present.

Yao Qingxuan gently nodded her head, sighing with genuine admiration, "Impressive... I am completely convinced of my defeat in this round! Yang Shenjing is indeed seasoned; truly, I cannot help but admire him!"

Everyone in the hall turned their gaze towards her.

They believed she had confessed.

Old Ancestor Sheng waved his hand, his voice rising. "No, it is your Jiuli Hidden Sect that is more formidable! Jiang Xin is dead! The foundation the Divine Cult established at Nanyan Pass over centuries has been utterly destroyed by you."

The Deputy Hall Master of the Heavenly Principle Hall subtly glanced at An Xianjing, seizing the opportunity to add, "Jiang Xin was the Divine Cult's Prefecture Elder, and the prefecture is where the headquarters are located. His death has truly had too great an impact, and who knows how many people will be implicated afterward. This crime alone is punishable by death."

"Nanyan Pass is even more critical, with hundreds of lives lost—a huge blood debt."

Yao Qingxuan was surprised. Logically, with Yang Shenjing personally orchestrating the plan and holding every advantage, he should have been able to wipe out the Jiuli Hidden Sect. How could the Jiuli Hidden Sect counterattack while at such a disadvantage?

**Outside the Hall**

Someone reported that the elder from the Hall of All Under Heaven responsible for implanting the Death Spirit Flame had been invited.

The Rice Human elder from the Hall of All Under Heaven entered the hall, releasing threads of spiritual light from his fingertips that entered Qi Xiao's seven orifices, searching his soul and memories.

Moments later.

He bowed to Hall Master An and the Hall Master of the Withering and Flourishing Hall. "I have understood the situation!"

The Deputy Hall Master of the Heavenly Principle Hall smiled and asked, "Did he leak any secrets?"

An Xianjing opened her eyes. As long as no secrets had been leaked, she could still intervene in the matter.

If a major secret truly had been leaked, she would have no choice but to distance herself, as it would surely alert the Rice Ancestor.

The elder from the Hall of All Under Heaven looked at Old Ancestor Sheng. "Elder Qiu, may I ask if he had a letter on him?"

Old Ancestor Sheng looked at Qi Xiao on the ground, whose magical artifact robes were tattered. "Even if he had a letter on him, it would have been pulverized. In any case, this old master did not find any letter on him."

The elder from the Hall of All Under Heaven nodded slightly. "Qi Xiao's sea of consciousness has been tampered with."

"What did you say?" Old Ancestor Sheng said gravely.

The elder from the Hall of All Under Heaven said, "A segment of Qi Xiao's memory is missing. From the intact parts, it can be seen that he was carrying a letter from the Fourth Divine Son. The letter stated that if there were any changes at Nanyan Pass, he was to immediately return to the Divine Cult's headquarters and inform Venerable Nan. Clearly, the Fourth Divine Son sensed danger before entering the pass and made arrangements in advance."

"Shortly after Qi Xiao left Nanyan Pass, he was pursued by expert cultivators from the cult."

Old Ancestor Sheng detected the doubt in the other's words. "You'd best not spout nonsense."

As someone capable of implanting the Death Spirit Flame, the elder from the Hall of All Under Heaven naturally possessed profound mastery of spiritual power, being a Holy Spirit Seer. He showed no fear of Old Ancestor Sheng, gesturing for him to investigate himself.

At the same time, An Xianjing and the Hall Master of the Withering and Flourishing Hall each extended a thread of spiritual light to investigate.

Nanqing Palace had been sealed off days ago.

Yao Qingxuan had no access to outside information and did not know the specific situation at Nanyan Pass. She realized that the situation might have a turning point, so she chose to respond to all changes by remaining unchanged.

She secretly pondered what her senior disciple could be plotting.

Even she hadn't detected the peril at Nanyan Pass; could that young man have sensed it in advance?

An Xianjing withdrew her spiritual light thread. "Indeed, there is a missing letter in his sea of consciousness. Logically, if those three young men had betrayed us, the Fourth Divine Son should not have sent him back to the headquarters, but rather to the Qi family or the Zuoqiu clan. How do you explain this?"

Old Ancestor Sheng said, "It must be that the Zuoqiu clan already received the news and deliberately erased his memories, sending him back to conceal the truth. If it were my doing, I would have completely erased his memories; how could a memory of a letter remain? Everyone, think: if he truly wanted to return to the headquarters, going directly to the Rice Ancestor Temple would be closer. Why would he go out of his way to the entrance of an underground immortal mansion?"

The Deputy Hall Master of the Heavenly Principle Hall said, "This matter is indeed strange and unexplainable."

The elder from the Hall of All Under Heaven said, "To retrieve memories from consciousness requires a lot of time and some luck, as consciousness is extremely fragile and easily becomes disordered and chaotic. How could it be so simple to precisely manipulate someone's memories?"

Old Ancestor Sheng's eyes chilled. Feeling that this old man was deliberately opposing him, he snorted, "Hall Master Sikong, Yao Qingxuan herself has admitted to being a member of the Jiuli Hidden Sect, and with the conclusive evidence from Nanyan Pass, let's just convict her directly! This Qi Xiao is merely a diversion set up by the Jiuli Hidden Sect."

"Elder Qiu, when did this venerable one admit to being a member of the Jiuli Hidden Sect? I merely admire your methods; you certainly went to great lengths to deal with me," Yao Qingxuan said.

The Hall Master of the Withering and Flourishing Hall asked, "Venerable Nan, do you have anything else to say?"

Yao Qingxuan shook her head. "I know nothing of the outside affairs. My people returned to report to me, but they were beaten into living corpses. What more can I say?"

Old Ancestor Sheng said, "Your senior disciple destroyed all the Divine Cult's foundations at Nanyan Pass, and countless cult disciples died tragically. Do you think you can escape responsibility?"

Outside Nanqing Palace, sounds of commotion arose.

Elder Xu's roar echoed outside, "Get out of the way! This old man needs to see the Hall Master."

"What's happened now?" Old Ancestor Sheng demanded in a furious tone.

A soldier from the enforcement team came to report, "The two Elders Xu from the Spiritual Valley Hall have brought a severely injured person and wish to see Hall Master An."

"Who is blocking my people?" An Xianjing fumed inwardly.

The enforcement team soldier, frightened, prostrated himself on the ground.

"Senior Martial Aunt, please do not be angry. This monk will go and bring them in," Grand Zen Master Xinku said, striding out quickly.

Soon after.

The two Elders Xu carried the severely injured Tuobabu Tuo, bringing him outside the green-tiled hall.

One of the Elders Xu reported, "Hall Master, it is Tuobabu Tuo, an exceptional talent under the Fourth Divine Son. He says he has extremely urgent intelligence to deliver."

The other Elder Xu chuckled, "We found him in the Black Swamp of Netherbloom. This young man has such tenacity; there wasn't a single uninjured piece of flesh on his entire body, one leg was broken, and he was still desperately swimming on the water's surface. If he hadn't run into us, he definitely wouldn't have made it back."

The reason the two Elders Xu were in the Black Swamp of Netherbloom was that Li Weiyi had previously exchanged a large quantity of scrap metal at the Spiritual Valley Hall for an immense sum of Yongquan coins.

When Elder Xu inquired, Li Weiyi was not stingy and told him the location where he had found treasures.

It was then that they coincidentally encountered Tuobabu Tuo, who had escaped from the underground immortal mansion!

"Hall Master An... the Sui Sect has rebelled... the Fourth Divine Son is dead..."

Tuobabu Tuo's voice choked, his hair disheveled.

He was severely wounded, with countless injuries on his body, his abdomen slashed open, more than a dozen bones broken, and his eyes filled with tears, looking utterly miserable. He genuinely believed that Li Weiyi was trapped at Nanyan Pass and had barely escaped death.

Everyone inside and outside the hall was stunned.

Old Ancestor Sheng was the first to react, roaring, "What did you say?"

His cultivation was immensely high; this explosive roar contained powerful spiritual force. Tuobabu Tuo's body went limp, and he collapsed backward.

"Old Devil Sheng, are you trying to silence him in front of this Venerable?"

With a crash, Yao Qingxuan slammed her palm, shattering her chair, and abruptly stood up.

She didn't know what Li Weiyi had arranged, but she knew that at this moment, stirring up the waters was her only path to survival.

Tuobabu Tuo was revived and, trembling, retrieved a blood-stained letter, wrapped in multiple layers, from his ancestral field.

"What is this?" Yao Qingxuan took it.

Tuobabu Tuo's expression was desolate as he wept, "I don't know. Brother Weiyi... the Fourth Divine Son told me to bring it back and give it to Hall Master An..."

The beast skin package was sealed with a special rune from the Spiritual Valley Hall.

An Xianjing took the package, glanced at Old Ancestor Sheng, then unsealed the rune and took out the two blood-stained letters from inside.

Old Ancestor Sheng felt amused, knowing that the young man named Li was definitely playing some trick. However, the audacity to falsely accuse the Sui Sect was utterly childish.