Lu Xueqi and Bi Yao (75)

The surrounding stands fell into an eerie silence.

The uproar and amazement that had risen when Su Han broke the formation had now turned into complicated whispers and glances. Sympathy, pity, curiosity, schadenfreude... all manner of emotions flowed through the crowd before finally converging on the green-robed youth slowly walking toward Arena Three.

True Person Ziyang clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. Faint violet energy rose around him, revealing just how unsettled he was. Behind him, disciples such as Ye Lingxiao and Lin Qingxue wore looks of anger and worry. Lin Qingxue could not help taking a step forward, only to be gently held back by the senior sister beside her.

"Master..." Ye Lingxiao lowered his voice, a fierce glint flashing through his eyes. "The Corrosive Heart Sword Sect clearly intends to destroy Junior Brother's path of cultivation! That Corrosive Heart Demonic Seed is incomparably vicious. Once it invades, it damages the mind and taints the Star Palace. Future cultivation will become fraught with obstacles, and he may even turn into a puppet that knows nothing but slaughter! We absolutely cannot..."

"I know." True Person Ziyang interrupted him in a low voice. How could he not understand the danger? But the rules of the Hundred Sects Tournament were right there—so long as one's identity was valid and one did not openly use forbidden artifacts or forbidden arts, sects had no right to interfere. The Corrosive Heart Sword Sect had registered a Sword Puppet as a "disciple." It was shameless, yet it happened to fall within a gray area of the rules.

He looked toward the elevated platform. Several adjudicating elders from different major sects, their auras unfathomably deep, were speaking in low voices. Their gazes occasionally swept toward the Corrosive Heart Sword Sect, but their expressions remained calm.