Questioning Before the Hall, Was There Someone Else Behind It?

Gu Changsheng's voice rang wildly through the center of the great hall, and everyone's eyes once again focused on him.

Yan Xiu, watching this unfold, felt his heart sink. A terrible premonition suddenly rose within him.

Bibi Dong stood before him, taking a step forward with her long legs as she gazed coolly at Gu Changsheng.

"Speak!"

Just one word, yet it seemed to give Gu Changsheng the greatest courage.

Gu Changsheng stepped forward as well, his back straight, his hands clasped in salute as he said coldly:

"Your Holiness the Pope, what happened in the Maze Ancient Forest was no ordinary accident. Senior Sister and I did indeed encounter the Mist Tide, and we truly nearly died within it."

"But before the Mist Tide erupted, we were attacked. That was why we fled into the Mist Tide."

An assassination?

Those words darkened everyone's expressions. Yue Guan's eyes, in particular, narrowed into slits.

Guimei's figure remained hidden in the shadows, while the chill around him deepened.

Bibi Dong was the calmest of all, her fingers still lightly tapping against her Scepter.

"Continue."

Gu Changsheng turned to Yan Xiu again, his voice becoming clearer with every word:

"After Dean Yan left with two Spirit King guards, three Spirit Masters suddenly appeared. One was a Soul Sect, and two were Soul Elders. Their initial target was not Senior Sister, but me. From beginning to end, the only person they wanted to kill was me."

The atmosphere in the great hall instantly became even more oppressive.

Yan Xiu abruptly raised his head, shock appearing on his face.

"Impossible! Gu Changsheng, it is one thing that you survived death, but do you know what you are saying?"

Gu Changsheng merely looked at him calmly.

"Why is Dean Yan so agitated? I never said who they were. Why are you so worked up?"

In that instant, Yan Xiu realized that his reaction had indeed been too excessive. He was left speechless.

A faint, cold smile also appeared at the corner of Bibi Dong's lips.

"No... I was merely shocked. Your Holiness the Pope, I truly was only shocked. To think someone dared to assassinate disciples of Pope Palace in the Maze Ancient Forest—I am willing to investigate this thoroughly."

"Hahaha! What a thorough investigation."

Gu Changsheng suddenly laughed, laughing aloud.

At that moment, Hu Liena stepped forward as well and said coldly:

"Teacher, what Junior Brother said is true. Those Men in Black did appear. They did not dare kill me; they merely used a Soul Skill to restrain me."

As she spoke, she raised her wrist. The red marks left by the black Vines were still clearly visible.

And that was the evidence.

Seeing this, Bibi Dong carefully examined the wounds on Hu Liena's wrist, and the coldness in her eyes finally surfaced completely.

"Good! Very good!"

"Within Spirit City, on the territory of Pope Palace, someone actually dared lay hands on This Emperor's disciple!"

Everyone in the hall instinctively held their breath.

Yan Xiu was making his final struggle now, his face deathly pale.

"Your Holiness the Pope, if Men in Black truly appeared, then this must have been someone else's scheme. I was lured away by a false aura at the time. I too am a victim. Please investigate clearly, Your Holiness."

He spoke rapidly, because he knew he had to distance himself from this matter now. The cleaner he could make himself look, the better. After all, he had an alibi.

Gu Changsheng nodded, then gently patted Yan Xiu's shoulder.

"Dean Yan is absolutely right. Perhaps you are one of the victims as well."

Only then did Yan Xiu's heart finally ease a little. But in the next moment, the Myriad Heaven Book in Gu Changsheng's hand suddenly opened.

The First Soul Skill lit up with a bang.

Wisps of different auras slowly emerged from the dark-golden pages.

The first was a cold, sinister black Soul Power.

The second was the lingering aura of black Vines used to Bind.

The third was the aura of faint grayish-white powder.

"What does this prove? I have never even seen the Soul Power auras of the first two people, and many people can use Beast-Luring Powder. I was deceived by the same false aura as well. Don't you know that?"

Yan Xiu was still arguing, because he knew there was no concrete evidence that could prove his involvement. Thus, he could only stubbornly deny it.

"Fine, then please don't be impatient, Dean Yan. Why not keep watching?"

The moment his words fell, the grayish-white aura on the Myriad Heaven Book suddenly transformed into a thin line that slowly drifted toward Yan Xiu.

In the end, it stopped before his sleeve. At once, everyone's eyes fell upon Yan Xiu.

Yue Guan's gaze turned cold. With a grasp through the air, he drew out a wisp of gray powder so insignificant it was nearly impossible to detect from Yan Xiu's sleeve.

The two auras met in the air and proved to be of exactly the same origin. This sight once again plunged the great hall into dead silence.

"Dean Yan, do you have any more excuses now? Any more claims that you were a victim too?"

Gu Changsheng slowly closed the Myriad Heaven Book, his voice calm.

Yan Xiu abruptly raised his head and continued arguing, roaring loudly:

"What can this possibly prove? I entered the Maze Ancient Forest as well. What is strange about getting a little Beast-Luring Powder on me?"

What Yan Xiu said was not wrong. This could not be considered irrefutable evidence, at least not enough to convict a Spirit Saint on the spot.

But what Gu Changsheng wanted were precisely these wisps of aura—these wisps capable of disturbing Yan Xiu's state of mind.

In the next moment, Bibi Dong once again brought the Purple Gold Scepter in her hand down onto the floor.

Bang!

Terrifying Soul Power pressure instantly enveloped the entire hall. Yan Xiu was forced to his knees, cold sweat continuously rolling down his forehead.

"Yan Xiu, do you truly think This Emperor is so easy to fool?"

"No! It truly was not me! I have truly been wronged!"

Just as Yan Xiu was still frantically explaining himself, the Myriad Heaven Book had already silently opened, and the First Spirit Ring faintly lit up.

Its glow was extremely dim, nearly entirely concealed beneath Bibi Dong's pressure.

[Myriad Burning: Phantom Heart Guidance.]

Once this fused Soul Skill was unleashed, it truly could not control a Spirit Saint, but it could genuinely influence Yan Xiu's will.

Because Bibi Dong's pressure had already shaken his mind, this instant was the perfect opportunity.

Gu Changsheng's Mental Power quietly merged into the Soul Power beside him, like an impossibly fine thread gently plucking at the thought Yan Xiu feared most deep within his heart.

Yan Xiu only felt his pupils abruptly constrict. A hazy scene appeared before his eyes, while that icy voice rang beside his ears:

"This Emperor already knows who ordered you to act. Are you still unwilling to confess your guilt?"

Those words completely snapped the taut string in his heart, and it broke with astonishing speed.

"No... Your Holiness the Pope, I wasn't... it was... the High Priest..."

His voice came to an abrupt stop. Yan Xiu broke free from the mental control and suddenly regained his senses.

But his face was now pale as paper. It was already too late. Everyone in Pope Palace had heard what he had just said.

Especially the words "High Priest"!

"High Priest what? Continue!"

Bibi Dong's gaze turned utterly cold. She walked directly before Yan Xiu, her graceful figure now radiating an overbearing presence.

"I... I was just disturbed by this brat's mental attack! It was him, he guided me into saying that! This is a frame-up, nonsense!"

But Bibi Dong seemed to have already understood everything. The instant she turned around, she waved her hand.

"Take him away. Throw him into the dungeon, Seal his Soul Power. This Emperor will interrogate him personally!"

In the next moment, Yue Guan stepped forward, his Soul Power instantly sealing Yan Xiu's entire body. Guimei's shadow wrapped around Yan Xiu's legs like chains.

Just like that, he was dragged violently out of the great hall. Even as he was taken away, he continued staring fixedly at Gu Changsheng.

Gu Changsheng merely watched him calmly and waved. He knew Yan Xiu would never have another chance to speak...