"Fellow Daoists, I know this incident will make you doubt the prospects of our cooperation. But I have always conducted myself openly and honorably, and have never stooped to such plots and schemes. Moreover, I recently devoted considerable effort to advancing nine records united. There was no reason for me to attack Yin Zheluo and try to seize his treasure just as the first light of hope appeared."
"My guiding principle has always been cooperation and sharing. I have never entertained the thought of monopolizing this secret or the ultimate treasure. I hope you will judge this fairly, fellow Daoists."
Knowing that the timing of this incident was far too coincidental, and that his strength alone did indeed make him a suspect, Grand Elder Tian Heng looked rather helpless.
Fang Qianyuan nodded inwardly at his explanation.
To accomplish such a deed, the perpetrator first needed cultivation and strength surpassing Yin Zheluo's. A sudden assassination attempt while he was off guard might also have succeeded, but it would inevitably have alerted everyone nearby. The attacker might even have suffered losses of his own, making the gains hardly worth the cost.
Grand Elder Tian Heng had stood at the pinnacle of the world for many years, universally recognized as its strongest cultivator-not even "one of" its strongest. Although he had never fought Yin Zheluo directly, clearly no one would have considered Yin Zheluo his match.
If he had acted personally, he might indeed have been capable of this.
Then there was the concealment beforehand and the hiding afterward, neither of which was easy. In fact, it was safe to say that no faction without substantial resources could have managed it.
Among those present, Luo Muyun of the Luo Clan and Yin Yuanzheng of the Heavenly Origin Association were both regional powers, each