He Lansong looked at Yun Heng, at a loss for words for a moment.
Although Yun Heng’s words rejected his plea for leniency, she had given plenty of face to both him and the Xuanxiao Sect.
He Lansong’s lips moved, but in the end, he merely sighed and refrained from persuading her further.
Seeing his silence, the lingering hope in Su Mingyuan’s eyes instantly shattered.
Her eyes reddened, and tears welled up, nearly spilling over.
He Lansong was abandoning her.
Without the protection of the Xuanxiao Sect's Grand Elder, what was she supposed to do?
Su Mingyuan’s hands and feet grew ice-cold, her mind a chaotic blur.
Was she truly going to die here today?
Just as Su Mingyuan slipped deeper into despair, an ancient, calm voice echoed from the sky in the distance.
“Hold on.”
Everyone raised their heads in unison to look up.
A figure stepped through the air from afar, landing beside He Lansong in the blink of an eye.
The newcomer wore a dark Taoist robe, his hair simply bound with a wooden hairpin.
His expression was calm, and his aura was deep and restrained, making it impossible to discern his true cultivation level.
It was none other than Lu Xuanwei, the Sect Master of the Xuanxiao Sect who had just emerged from secluded cultivation.
Seeing him arrive, He Lansong’s expression tightened slightly, and he immediately cupped his hands in greeting.
“Greetings, Sect Master.”
Several Xuanxiao Sect elders and twenty direct disciples bowed their heads as well.
“Greetings, Sect Master.”
Su Mingyuan was stunned for a moment.
Ever since she joined the sect, Lu Xuanwei had been in secluded cultivation.
Although she bore the title of the Sect Master's direct disciple, she had never actually met her master.
So this was Lu Xuanwei.
Realizing who he was, Su Mingyuan dropped to her knees with a plop.
“Disciple greets Master.”
A sob was already subtly breaking through her voice.
Lu Xuanwei looked around, casting a glance at the now-vanished entrance of the Qingming Secret Realm before turning his eyes to the crowd standing behind Yun Heng.
“This old man just emerged from seclusion and heard that the Qingming Secret Realm had opened.”
“I thought I would come over to join in the excitement.”
Lu Xuanwei's tone was calm.
“I didn't expect the excitement here to be quite this grand.”
As he reached the end of his words, he cast a faint glance at Su Mingyuan kneeling on the ground.
Su Mingyuan happened to look up, caught off guard as her eyes met his.
Terrified, her body shuddered, and she hurriedly bowed her head again.
Lu Xuanwei turned toward Yun Heng.
“Little Friend Yun.”
“This old man just emerged from seclusion, yet I have already heard quite a few stories about your deeds.”
“Reaching the late stage of the Nascent Soul Realm at such a young age, and even defeating opponents above your level in the Martial Inquiry Arena to claim fifth place on the Nascent Soul Leaderboard.”
“A young prodigy indeed—meeting you today proves that your reputation is well deserved.”
The expression on Yun Heng’s face did not shift in the slightest despite these compliments.
On the contrary, she became even more vigilant, merely watching Lu Xuanwei calmly.
Lu Xuanwei glanced at Su Mingyuan, a touch of sternness finally entering his tone.
“Regarding today's matter, it was indeed wrong of this useless disciple of mine.”
“Since she slandered you, Little Friend Yun, it is only right that she personally offer an apology.”
“Furthermore, if you require other forms of compensation, Little Friend Yun, feel free to name them.”
“As long as it falls within the Xuanxiao Sect's capabilities, this old man will do his utmost to fulfill it.”
“Would this resolution be acceptable?”
Yun Heng clearly understood what Lu Xuanwei was driving at.
Su Mingyuan had publicly slandered her and nearly used Wei Quechen's hand to put her to death.
Now Lu Xuanwei wanted to brush it off lightly by saying Su Mingyuan was in the wrong, offering a few spirit stones or magic treasures as compensation, and expecting the entire matter to be swept under the rug.
That was certainly convenient.
But it was utterly impossible.
Yun Heng looked at Lu Xuanwei, her tone calm.
“Sect Master Lu.”
“I've already made myself crystal clear.”
“This matter has nothing to do with you, nor does it have anything to do with the Xuanxiao Sect.”
The smile on Lu Xuanwei’s face gradually faded away.
“Then what does Little Friend Yun wish to do?”
Yun Heng’s gaze passed right over Lu Xuanwei and landed on Su Mingyuan, who was still kneeling on the ground.
Sensing her gaze, Su Mingyuan’s body froze completely.
Yun Heng said, word by word:
“I want the Xuanxiao Sect to expel Su Mingyuan from the sect.”
“And cripple her cultivation.”
A wave of gasps instantly echoed from the surrounding crowd.
Su Mingyuan’s face turned deathly pale, her body trembling uncontrollably as she knelt.
She had originally thought that once her master appeared, Yun Heng would not dare to pursue the matter any further.
But Yun Heng actually demanded that the Xuanxiao Sect expel her and cripple her cultivation.
Once she lost her cultivation, she would revert to being a mere mortal.
The cultivation world was fraught with peril.
Without the Xuanxiao Sect's protection and stripped of all her cultivation, how could she possibly survive?
“No...”
Su Mingyuan spoke up reflexively.
“Master, my cultivation cannot be crippled!”
She looked at Lu Xuanwei in panic, her eyes filled with desperate pleading.
Lu Xuanwei looked at Yun Heng with a somber expression, clearly having no intention of agreeing to this demand.
“Furthermore—”
Yun Heng turned her head and looked at Wei Quechen, who stood not far away.
“The Taihua Sword Sect also needs to apologize and compensate me.”
The expressions of those from both the Xuanxiao Sect and the Taihua Sword Sect turned grim.
In their eyes, the conditions Yun Heng proposed were no longer just about seeking justice; she was trampling the dignity of both major sects underfoot.
The surrounding onlookers did not dare to continue whispering either.
Whether it was the Xuanxiao Sect or the Taihua Sword Sect, either one was a behemoth they could not afford to offend.
This situation would likely be very difficult to resolve peacefully.
Sure enough, the first to speak out in opposition was Lu Xuanwei.
“Su Mingyuan is this old man's disciple.”
“I cannot agree to this condition.”
His tone was much colder than before.
Lu Xuanwei narrowed his eyes slightly and turned his gaze toward Wei Quechen in the distance.
Their eyes met briefly.
Wei Quechen immediately understood Lu Xuanwei’s intention.
Although Yun Heng had a family of unknown strength backing her, only ten Soul Transformation cultivators and two hundred Nascent Soul cultivators were present here right now.
The Xuanxiao Sect and the Taihua Sword Sect were both among the Five Great Sects of the Eastern Region. Joining forces, they might not necessarily be unable to deal with these people.
Besides, today's matter had already escalated to such a point.
Yun Heng was clearly unwilling to let it rest easily.
Since both sides had already thoroughly offended each other, dragging it out would only give the family behind Yun Heng the chance to summon more experts.
It would be better to strike first while she only had these guards by her side.
As long as they wiped out Yun Heng and everyone she brought along right here, the trouble before them would be eliminated.
The atmosphere around them shifted abruptly.
Neither Lu Xuanwei nor Wei Quechen had spoken aloud, yet everyone present simultaneously felt a sense of imminent danger.
The onlookers who had gathered nearby exchanged glances and quietly backed away.
Elders from other sects and noble clans quickly pulled their disciples away from the center of the crowd as well.
Even Zhu Shuang frowned, pulling Yan Yi back toward where the Mirror Moon Sect was stationed.
Yan Yi was reluctant to leave, repeatedly turning her head to look back at Yun Heng.
“Master, Yun Heng...”
“Step back first,” Zhu Shuang said softly. “This is no longer something you can interfere with.”
Yun Heng likewise noticed the intentions of the two sects.
Her expression gradually grew cold.
It seemed they didn't intend to be reasonable and were going to resort to brute force instead.
It didn't matter.
She had long been sick of Wei Quechen and Su Mingyuan anyway.
Since the Xuanxiao Sect and the Taihua Sword Sect wanted to fight, then fight they would.
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