Yun Heng's expression turned thoroughly cold.
Su Mingyuan had clearly made up her mind that Xie Wujiu's injuries were connected to her.
“Miss Su hasn't changed at all, has she?”
The corners of Yun Heng's lips curled up slightly, her tone lazy.
Su Mingyuan froze for a moment.
“What?”
She did not understand why Yun Heng had suddenly brought her up.
The smile on Yun Heng's face did not fade.
“Your knack for slandering people, of course.”
Su Mingyuan's face instantly stiffened.
The events of a year ago resurfaced in her mind.
Back then, she had similarly accused Yun Heng in front of everyone from the Xuanxiao Sect.
But Yun Heng had exposed her in public, leaving her subject to endless ridicule.
The scenes from that day had become a nightmare Su Mingyuan could never shake off.
She had originally intended to maintain a gentle facade, but now she could no longer keep up the pretense.
“When Senior Brother Xie fell unconscious, Fellow Daoist Yun was right beside him.”
“I saw it with my own eyes.”
Yun Heng asked back indifferently, “And?”
“A mere coincidence.”
Su Mingyuan immediately pressed, “And was the secret realm's collapse a coincidence as well?”
Yun Heng's expression shifted slightly.
Though she didn't believe the secret realm could completely collapse just because she took a single spirit vein, the timing was indeed too much of a coincidence.
No sooner had she claimed the spirit vein than the secret realm began to shake.
Could that spirit vein truly have been so vital to the Qingming Secret Realm?
Su Mingyuan had kept her eyes fixed on Yun Heng, naturally missing none of the subtle changes on her face.
She immediately turned around and raised her voice.
“Fellow Daoists!”
“Haven't you all been wondering why the Qingming Secret Realm collapsed so suddenly?”
“Now I shall tell you—this matter is directly related to Fellow Daoist Yun standing before us!”
Su Mingyuan's voice resounded clearly in the ears of everyone around them.
A flurry of whispered discussions erupted through the crowd.
Ever since Su Mingyuan had brought the people from the Taihua Sword Sect to intercept Yun Heng, quite a few cultivators had already gathered nearby.
Hearing these words, even more people swarmed over.
“The Eastern Region's top genius was injured inside the secret realm?”
“Is that unconscious man truly Xie Wujiu?”
“Miss Su says his injuries are related to that female cultivator?”
“Isn't she Yun Heng, fifth on the Martial Inquiry Arena's Nascent Soul Leaderboard?”
“How could the collapse of the secret realm be related to her as well?”
Xie Wujiu's injuries could perhaps still be explained as a clash between the two inside the secret realm.
But the sudden collapse of the Qingming Secret Realm could never have been caused by an ordinary fight.
Could Yun Heng have done something unspeakable inside the secret realm?
Or perhaps she obtained some astounding opportunity and removed the treasure maintaining the secret realm's stability?
Scrutinizing gazes fell upon Yun Heng one after another.
Having listened to Su Mingyuan, Wei Quechen also took a step forward.
Though he did not unleash his pressure, the suffocating presence of a high-tier sword cultivator already enveloped the surroundings.
“Little Friend Yun.”
“This old man is Wujiu's master, Wei Quechen, Sect Master of the Taihua Sword Sect.”
“Since Little Friend Su accuses you of being connected to Wujiu's injuries, I must trouble you to truthfully recount what you know, if only to prove your innocence.”
Yun Heng raised her eyes to look at Wei Quechen.
These words sounded polite on the surface, but in truth, he had already presumed Su Mingyuan's claim to be true.
As if she could only clear herself of suspicion by laying bare her entire experience inside the secret realm.
But why on earth should she have to prove her innocence to the Taihua Sword Sect?
Just because Su Mingyuan threw out a few accusations, Wei Quechen demanded she tell the full truth.
If she refused to speak, would they directly conclude that Xie Wujiu's injuries were her doing?
Just as Yun Heng was about to speak, a woman's voice came from behind the crowd.
“Sect Master Wei, those words are quite mistaken.”
“Whether Su Mingyuan's words are true or false remains unknown. How can there be any logic in forcing someone else to prove their innocence based solely on her word?”
The crowd parted to both sides.
Yan Yi walked up from behind, stepping right up to stand beside Yun Heng.
“A-Yi,” Zhu Shuang admonished in a low voice.
Yan Yi's expression remained unchanged as she looked straight at Su Mingyuan.
“Su Mingyuan.”
“You say Xie Wujiu's injuries are connected to Yun Heng. Do you have proof?”
Gazes shifted back to Su Mingyuan once more.
Su Mingyuan opened her mouth, but found herself speechless for a moment.
Proof?
Indeed, she had no evidence that could prove Xie Wujiu's injuries were connected to Yun Heng.
Su Mingyuan's eyes darkened, but she quickly recalled that vanished spirit tree.
“Everyone.”
“Though I have no physical evidence on me, Fellow Daoist Yun has it.”
As soon as these words were uttered, everyone in the surroundings was startled.
What did that mean?
The proof was on Yun Heng?
Could Yun Heng truly have brought something out of the Qingming Secret Realm?
Connecting this with the sudden collapse of the Qingming Secret Realm, many minds immediately grew restless.
The Qingming Secret Realm had existed for thousands of years without ever undergoing such a severe disaster, yet this time it had suddenly lost stability and completely collapsed.
If Yun Heng had taken the object that maintained the realm's stability, everything would make sense.
What level of opportunity could cause a secret realm thousands of years old to crumble?
The murmurs in the crowd instantly grew louder.
“Did she truly bring something out from the secret realm?”
“To cause the Qingming Secret Realm to collapse directly, it's likely no ordinary treasure.”
“No wonder Su Mingyuan is so certain.”
“And why was Xie Wujiu lying unconscious over there?”
“Could it be that the two discovered the exact same opportunity, and Yun Heng attacked Xie Wujiu just to keep the treasure all to herself?”
None of these people had personally witnessed what occurred inside the secret realm, but that did not stop them from speculating.
More and more eyes landed on Yun Heng, their probing and suspicion growing ever more obvious.
A few high-tier cultivators even glanced toward Yun Heng's storage bag, faint greed flickering in their eyes.
Taking in the reactions of those around her, Su Mingyuan felt a sudden surge of confidence.
She took a step forward, her tone aggressive and overbearing.
“Since Fellow Daoist Yun has a clear conscience, why not tell us in front of everyone?”
“Why did you take the spirit tree from inside the secret realm?”
“A spirit tree?”
Wei Quechen frowned, his expression turning even graver.
“What spirit tree?”
Su Mingyuan immediately turned toward him.
“Sect Master Wei, I saw it with my own eyes inside the secret realm—Yun Heng took away a spirit tree.”
“Furthermore, that spirit tree was right where Senior Brother Xie fell unconscious.”
Wei Quechen's expression changed.
If Su Mingyuan's words were true and Yun Heng had indeed appeared where Xie Wujiu was unconscious while taking a spirit tree from that spot, then whether Xie Wujiu was injured by her or not, it was highly likely she was inextricably tied to the matter.
A surge of satisfaction welled up in Su Mingyuan's heart.
That Yun Heng took the spirit tree was a fact she had witnessed firsthand.
With so many people gathered here, it was impossible for Yun Heng to cover it up completely.
She wanted to see how Yun Heng would try to quibble her way out of this now!
Rate on N.U.
