It seems our Celestial Martial Sect is truly about to produce a peerless prodigy!

Lin Tieshu dragged the unconscious Zhao Leyue away.

Hai Fen gave Li Yun, who remained calm and composed, a long look. Doubt stirred in his heart. Could this kid be telling the truth? Was he really a newcomer?

If he truly was a newcomer, that would be far too outrageous.

"Kid, I'll give you one more chance. If you really are impersonating a newcomer, it isn't too late to admit it now."

Li Yun smiled bitterly. "Elder, there's really no need. This disciple truly is Li Yun of Rank 95 Academy. If you truly don't believe me, once Elder Zhang Cong arrives, a single question will make everything clear."

"Fine. Since you insist, I'll assume you really are a newcomer who has only just entered the sect. Then tell me—what exactly happened tonight?"

"Why did they ambush you?"

By this point, Hai Fen basically believed that Li Yun really was a newcomer.

He did not believe anyone could keep lying so stubbornly. They had already sent someone to summon the Outer Sect Elder, yet Li Yun still dared to carry the lie through to the end.

It was precisely because of this that he was even more shocked.

A disciple who had entered the sect barely over a month ago had actually achieved the feat of fighting seven alone, leaving six third-year Entry Realm disciples severely injured and one lightly injured.

This was absolutely unprecedented. He had blazed a trail no one had walked before.

What kind of aptitude would it take to reach such a level?

Though he was an elder of the Punishment Hall and nurturing disciples was neither within his duties nor authority, as a member of the Celestial Martial Sect, he would still be delighted if the sect truly produced an astonishing peerless genius.

He was even considering that, if Li Yun's mistake tonight was not too serious, he could make an exception and forgive him this once.

Li Yun also faintly sensed that Hai Fen's tone had softened.

He knew that Hai Fen's attitude had changed.

Thus, he chose his words carefully. "Actually, this disciple isn't sure either. It was probably caused by a misunderstanding..."

"A misunderstanding? Explain."

"Elder, several days ago, Senior Sister Zhang Ruohan of the Inner Sect's Vermilion Bird Courtyard came to find this disciple. She hoped I would leave the sect with her to help her with something. Senior Sister Zhang has shown this disciple much care, so naturally, I would go through fire and water without hesitation."

"So, this disciple left with Senior Sister Zhang."

"I only returned tonight because Elder Zhang Cong wished to appoint this disciple as the Rank Ren Chief."

"Right after returning to the sect, this disciple parted ways with Senior Sister Zhang and went alone to pay respects to Elder Zhang Cong. On the way, that Rank 77 Courtyard disciple from earlier, who called himself Zhao Leyue, along with another who called himself Li Qin, suddenly stopped me. They wanted to forcibly take me to meet someone named Wu Yuekong. Oh, that's right—they called him Young Master Wu!"

"Yet whether it was Zhao Leyue, Li Qin, or that Young Master Wu... this disciple knew none of them and had never even heard of them. Naturally, I could not go with them, so this disciple shook them off."

Hearing this, Hai Fen could not help nodding.

"Not bad!"

"You were clearly capable of defeating them, yet when they first stopped you, you did not forcefully attack. You chose to shake them off instead. That was very rational. Very good."

"And then?"

"Then this disciple went to Azure Cloud Residence to meet Elder Zhang Cong. I stayed at Azure Cloud Residence for roughly two hours before returning to Rank 95 Academy. I never expected that, at the entrance of Rank 95 Academy, this disciple would be ambushed by that person who called himself Zhao Leyue!"

"Because it was late at night and this disciple was suddenly attacked, I could only fight back. That was how Zhao Leyue was injured."

Hai Fen's expression had already turned somewhat unpleasant.

"Bastard! A third-year Entry Realm disciple actually lay in ambush under cover of night to attack a newcomer. This is simply lawless!"

"There is no problem with you fighting back. Not to mention injuring him—even if you had accidentally killed him, it would not violate the sect rules!"

Hai Fen directly set the nature of the matter.

"And then?"

"Because this disciple did not understand the situation, I held back and did not truly inflict severe injuries on Zhao Leyue. Yet he suddenly opened his mouth and slandered this disciple, claiming that I had killed disciples from Rank 77 Courtyard—apparently named He Tingfeng and Xu Youwu."

"This was utterly fabricated out of thin air! This disciple did not know those two either, so I denied it on the spot. Moreover, this disciple suspected that Young Master Wu had ordered him to say it, intending to provoke this disciple's anger... so that I would go with him to meet Young Master Wu."

"This disciple then said that if there truly was something, Young Master Wu could come find this disciple himself."

"But Zhao Leyue threatened this disciple, saying that if I did not go meet Young Master Wu, then tomorrow he would spread word throughout the Celestial Martial Sect that this disciple had killed He and Xu."

"This disciple thought that I was to accompany Elder Zhang to the Elder Hall tomorrow and did not wish for such rumors to spread, so I had no choice but to follow them to that small grove. I wanted to ask clearly why they were causing trouble for this disciple."

"Unfortunately, before this disciple could figure out what was going on, the conflict erupted."

"That Young Master Wu first ordered five people to gang up on this disciple. Left with no choice, this disciple fought back... But because this disciple had only recently entered the Martial Dao and had not experienced much fighting, I lacked experience and failed to control my strength... That was why they were severely injured."

"Afterward, Young Master Wu personally attacked me. But he was a Force Refining Realm expert. This disciple knew I was no match for him and could only go all out, unleashing the Thunderclap Fist Intent that I had comprehended not long ago..."

"At that moment, the senior brothers of the Discipline Hall Patrol happened to arrive. This disciple could no longer withdraw my Fist Intent... Left with no choice, I severely injured Young Master Wu as well..."

Hai Fen: "..."

After hearing Li Yun's exceedingly detailed explanation, Hai Fen no longer knew what to say.

If Li Yun's account was true, then tonight's private fight had been entirely brought upon Young Master Wu's group by themselves. It was already fortunate that they had not been beaten to death.

However, as an elder of the Punishment Hall, he had an inexplicable feeling that Li Yun's account was simply too watertight, carrying the suspicion of having been carefully fabricated.

Most importantly, Li Yun insisted that he did not know Wu Yuekong's group. Then why had they slandered Li Yun?

Why Li Yun of all people, rather than someone else?

At this thought, Hai Fen gave Li Yun a deep look. "Li Yun, after hearing your account, I roughly understand the situation. But do you dare guarantee that everything you said is true?"

"Of course this disciple dares. This disciple can even confront them face-to-face."

"Very good. Then let me ask you again. Those He and Xu you mentioned—did you truly not kill them? Was it truly only their slander against you?"

As he spoke, Hai Fen deliberately yet seemingly casually released a sharp aura and fixed his gaze tightly on Li Yun's eyes.

Li Yun's heart and mind suddenly jolted.

This was not because he had a guilty conscience. It was simply that the other party was an elder of the Punishment Hall, with his strength and authority laid out plainly before him. How could a mere greenhorn like Li Yun withstand it?

Almost instinctively, he avoided Hai Fen's gaze.

Only after taking a deep breath did he say, "This disciple did not kill He and Xu. This disciple does not know He and Xu either. As for why they slandered this disciple as their killer, this disciple is also utterly baffled. I hope Elder can inspect every detail with a bright eye, uncover the truth, and return this disciple's innocence!"

Hai Fen said nothing.

He continued watching Li Yun with an unfathomably deep gaze.

Only after a long while did he laugh.

"Very good. For now, this elder will assume that everything you said is true. Go rest to the side first. We will wait until Elder Zhang Cong arrives before discussing anything further!"

"Yes!"

Li Yun cupped his fists, walked to the side, and sat down on a wooden stool.

His eyes watched his nose, his nose watched his heart. He closed his eyes to rest, and not even his breathing became the slightest bit disordered.

Hai Fen looked at Li Yun twice, and could not help sighing inwardly. It seems our Celestial Martial Sect is truly about to produce a peerless prodigy...