Yun Shuiqing nodded slightly. "It's true. I was beside the church leader when he died."
"Oh?" Hu Yue narrowed his eyes, a trace of killing intent showing in them.
"So you can't escape responsibility for the church leader's death!"
"The church leader was already at the Late Heavenly Balance Realm back then, while you were only at the Early Heavenly Balance Realm."
"Why did you survive while he died in the Netherworld Beast's lair?"
Hu Yue's words were razor-sharp, stirring doubts even in Python Venerable and Old Man Mu, who had already decided to side with her.
"The church leader's illness flared up while we were fighting the Netherworld Beast," Yun Shuiqing explained.
"When I saw things turning sour, I tried to take him with me, but he wounded me instead."
"You all know about his illness. Once it strikes, he doesn't recognize even his own kin."
"I had no choice but to retreat alone."
"The church leader went mad and refused to retreat. In the end, he died in the Netherworld Beast's lair..."
Hu Yue did not dispute Yun Shuiqing's explanation. Instead, he took a deep breath.
"The past has faded into smoke. There's no point probing it now."
"Our immediate priority is to fight our way into the Netherworld Beast's lair and retrieve the Heavenly Net Divine Art!"
"Then we can elect a new church leader and revive our Heavenly Net Church!"
"For the past two hundred years, I've overseen most of the church's affairs."
"You Yu and Lord Yan have also been doing their utmost to assist me."
"So I believe I'm the most suitable person to become church leader."
Man Tianning laughed. "Tiger Venerable, you're ignoring the rules."
"According to our church's hierarchy, the two envoys rank directly below the church leader."
"Ghost Envoy Mister Mo has been missing for years, and no one knows whether he's alive or dead. But Enchantment Envoy Fairy Yun is standing right before you!"
"If anyone is to succeed the church leader, it should be her!"
"Besides, if you become church leader, I'll be the first to object."
"We Eagle, Tiger, and Python Venerables have always held equal rank. What gives you the right to stand above me?"
Hu Yue snorted coldly, raised his left foot, and stamped hard on the ground. A vast surge of energy swept out in every direction.
"The fact that my cultivation is higher than yours, and I've reached the third level of the Tiger Baleful Divine Art!" Hu Yue declared imperiously.
Man Tianning glared at him in fury but had no answer.
He had been gravely wounded after falling into a trap and being ambushed, and had spent many years recovering.
As a result, his cultivation had not advanced over the years. He had merely been treading water.
Seeing that Man Tianning dared not challenge him, Hu Yue turned toward Yun Shuiqing with an arrogant air.
"Enchantment Envoy, what do you have to say?" he asked, staring straight at her.
Yun Shuiqing silently looked toward Little Yao, who was resting beside Fang Ling. The girl was already fast asleep.
When she had sensed Hu Yue and the others approaching, she had put Xiaoyao to sleep first.
"Tiger Venerable, I have no desire to become church leader, but I can't let you take the position either."
"Even if I accept your authority, the Ghost Envoy won't when he returns."
"And there's Eagle Venerable. She's even prouder, and she won't acknowledge you either."
"When that happens, the church will remain torn apart. Little will improve," she said.
"So Little Yao is the most suitable person to succeed the church leader."
"She is his daughter. The time wasn't right back then, so I had no choice but to keep her asleep until these past few years..."
"If she succeeds him and we assist her, no one will object."
"Only then will our Heavenly Net Church have a real chance of revival."
"She's the church leader's daughter?" A flicker of surprise crossed Tiger Venerable's eyes.
He turned to the old man and asked solemnly, "Master Qingmu, can you confirm that?"
Master Qingmu nodded and replied, "I secretly checked her bloodline last night."
"The blood flowing through her veins is indeed the church leader's. There is no doubt."
"Tiger Venerable, if you truly want our Heavenly Net Church to recover, do as the Enchantment Envoy suggests."
"Do you really think she's being so kindhearted?" Tiger Venerable snorted.
"She raised this little girl, who is already close to her. Naturally, the girl will listen to her more in the future."
"In the end, she'll be nothing but a puppet on strings in Yun Shuiqing's hands!"
"Even so, that would do more to unite us than making you church leader," Master Qingmu said.
"You!" Tiger Venerable clenched his fists in fury.
Just then, the spirited Water Guard You Yu, standing behind Tiger Venerable, suddenly interjected, "Wait. Wasn't there a young man with you just now?"
Yun Shuiqing and the others hurriedly looked around. Fang Ling was indeed gone!
No one knew when he had disappeared.
"What the hell? Wasn't he here the whole time?"
Man Tianning rubbed his bald head in bewilderment.
Master Qingmu's expression changed. "That man is terrifying. He slipped away right before our eyes without making a sound!" he said gravely.
Yun Shuiqing was equally astonished, staring blankly toward Little Yao.
She distinctly remembered Fang Ling standing guard beside Little Yao just moments earlier.
"Enchantment Envoy, who was that man?" Tiger Venerable demanded sharply.
Yun Shuiqing said, "Someone I met on the road. I thought he was merely a young master from an influential family..."
"He knows too many of our church's secrets. We cannot let him come and go as he pleases."
"Tiger Venerable, shall we put off discussing the leadership for now?"
"Let's find him first!"
Tiger Venerable nodded solemnly. "Agreed!"
"The brat can't have gone far. He should still be on Heavenbreak Mountain."
Suddenly, a terrifying beast's roar rang out from deep within Heavenbreak Mountain.
Yun Shuiqing would never forget that roar. It was the Netherworld Beast!
The roars came one after another, sounding like wails of agony and leaving everyone deeply unsettled.
"The Heavenly Net Divine Art comes first! Let's see what's happening to the Netherworld Beast," Yun Shuiqing said.
The two groups, who had been at daggers drawn, joined forces at this sudden turn of events and headed straight into the depths of Heavenbreak Mountain.
Meanwhile, deep within Heavenbreak Mountain, inside the Netherworld Beast's lair.
Fang Ling, who had suddenly vanished, was now inside that dangerous lair.
"Little thing, if you still refuse to submit, I'll eat you!"
Fang Ling gently patted the Netherworld Beast's head, speaking in an exceedingly tender voice.
Not long ago, he had been watching the Heavenly Net Church's entertaining drama unfold, but then he suddenly sensed that the Netherworld Beast intended to flee.
It was probably the only suitable mount in the area. Fang Ling could hardly let it slip away, so he had quietly made his way over.
With his heavenly authority realm cultivation, he had subdued it with a mere lift of his hand.
But demons were mostly unruly by nature. Though subdued in an instant, the Netherworld Beast refused to yield.
So Fang Ling had given it several vicious blows. Those repeated wails of agony had been the result.
Seeing that it still gave no response, Fang Ling was about to use it to practice his art.
"Forget it. The next one will be more obedient."
Just then, however, the Netherworld Beast suddenly began whimpering, its gaze brimming with fawning submission.
Faced with death, it finally yielded, willing to become Fang Ling's mount.
"You've lost your way but know to turn back. Very good!" Fang Ling smiled faintly. "Then I'll spare your life."
The Netherworld Beast looked somewhat like a black panther, but a pair of golden horns grew from its head.
Thick black scales covered its body, and faint flashes of lightning flickered among its claws and fangs, giving it an extraordinary appearance.
Not only did it possess terrifying offensive power, it could also merge with the darkness.
At night or in dimly lit places, its speed would be unmatched.
Its true form stood several dozen feet tall, but to accommodate Fang Ling, it could only shrink itself to the size of a horse.
Before you continue