What happened?
Seeing that the gate to the blessed land was about to completely dissipate, and his disciple Fang Xu still hadn't come out, Zhang Jing took the lead in asking a question. He looked at the four people and his Golden Core aura burst forth, but it was then canceled out by the four Golden Core auras.
True Person Zhao the Painstaking Heart Sect also looked astonished.
The gates to the blessed land have completely closed, and those inside can no longer get out; in other words... they're dead inside!
Qing Yizi's narrow, sinister eyes narrowed further, his venomous gaze sweeping over the four who had emerged. Even just that gaze sent chills down their spines.
"I think you young friends should give us old folks an explanation."
The whispers in Gongye Chun's ear gradually faded away. Although he was quite surprised, his old face remained expressionless, still as old as ever, and as sinister as a snake or dragon.
He raised an eyebrow, and his Golden Core aura enveloped Chen Shuangbai and Liu Wenyan, protecting them from the pressure from the other Golden Core core cultivators.
"Please be patient, gentlemen, and let my nephew explain."
Chen Shuangbai stepped forward and said frankly, "Reporting to you esteemed True Person, after Senior Brother Liu and I entered..."
Chen Shuangbai explained that after she and Liu Wenyan reunited, they had been exploring the blessed land without seeing anyone else. As the blessed land gradually collapsed, they followed the path they had come from, found their way back, and came out.
Upon hearing this explanation, none of the Golden Core True Person believed it.
Then, he turned his gaze to the other two.
The glint in True Person Qian's eyes had faded, and he had protected the two Foundation Establishment under his tutelage. He said softly, "Tell me the truth."
Sun Yuan and Wu Qiong exchanged a glance.
Sun Yuan stepped forward and spoke earnestly, his words roughly echoing Chen Shuangbai's: he hadn't seen the two from the Painstaking Heart Sect, Fang Xu, or Fang Yan.
Qing Yizi raised an eyebrow slightly, and a wisp of demonic energy rolled out from his body, making him appear dangerous.
Zhang Jing then flew into a rage!
"Nonsense!"
His hair and beard stood on end, and flames flickered around him. "My personally taught disciple, Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator, possessed several treasures bestowed upon him by me, and had secret techniques at his disposal. How could he have quietly perished in this mere blessed land? You must be hiding something!"
His gaze was sharp as lightning, first sweeping over Sun Yuan and Wu Qiong, and finally fixing on Chen Shuangbai and Liu Wenyan.
No!
It couldn't be Liu Wenyan!
Zhang Jing Jing's mind raced.
He had a clear understanding of Liu Wenyan's background; he couldn't possibly be a match for Fang Xu. That left only...
This kid from the Jade Spring Sect!
"It was you! You're the one who ruined my disciple?!"
Chen Shuangbai remained composed and dignified, saying, " Your True Person is wise; everything I have said is true. How could I possibly harm True Person disciple?!"
You're lying!
Gongye Chun stepped forward and stood in front of Chen Shuangbai. Although he was old, his strength was still extremely formidable. No one had seen him use his full power in more than two hundred years. Now that they had torn off all pretense, he had no more scruples.
"Hey Zhang, don't be shameless, bullying a junior like this!"
The two Golden Core cultivators were locked in a fierce battle, neither willing to yield to the other.
Zhang Jing desperately wanted to take action, to search Chen Shuangbai's soul and refine her spirit, to find out the cause of Fang Xu's death, but the first person he had to overcome was Gongye Chun...
Gongye Chun was like a mother hen protecting her chicks, staring at him with a gloomy gaze, making Zhang Jing very wary. Unless he was willing to risk his own demise, Zhang Jing had no ability to deal with this old True Person.
Zhang Jing snorted coldly, then turned to True Person Zhao and said, "Fellow Daoist Zhao, don't you have anything to say?"
Master True Person Zhao Painstaking Heart Sect also looked very grim. His Painstaking Heart Sect was already weak, and the Foundation Establishment who had entered the blessed land this time was a junior he valued highly. Now that he had been defeated inside, how could he let it go?
His gloomy gaze swept back and forth between Chen Shuangbai and the other three, especially lingering on Chen Shuangbai and Liu Wenyan. Clearly, compared to the two from the Setting Sun Sect were in a miserable state, the two from the Jade Spring Sect were more composed and aroused more suspicion.
Qing Yizi was even more direct. His narrow eyes narrowed into slits, his cold gaze like a viper's tongue, licking at Chen Shuangbai. He said, word by word, "Young friend, if you have a clear conscience, why don't you let us see your memories... what do you say?"
As he spoke, an invisible and intangible divine thought, carrying a chilling and corrosive intent, enveloped Chen Shuangbai like a tide, intending to forcibly probe Chen Shuangbai's memories.
"Enough!"
Gongye Chun's eyes shone brightly, and crimson light flowed around his body. In the dim light, the phantom of a Pill Furnace could be seen appearing behind him. The scorching heat caused the lake in the valley to steam slightly, and white smoke rose from it.
" Qing Yizi, you've gone a bit too far!"
Qing Yizi's face showed little anger, only coldness, as he said in a sinister tone, "What? If you have nothing to hide, why are you afraid of being seen by us?"
"Or is it... that the old True Person intends to... prevent us from uncovering the truth?!"
Zhang Jing spoke up at the opportune moment, asking, "You dare not investigate, which means something is amiss! My disciple, and Brother Qing Yizi's disciple, were killed by you, weren't they?"
"Joke!"
Gongye Chun dropped all pretense; his grey robe billowed without wind, and the crimson light swirling around him intensified. "Soul Searching... Heh, demonic methods. You've truly fallen into demonic ways!"
"You!"
The three Golden Core True Person were on the verge of a fight, ready to clash at the slightest provocation.
But it was at this very moment...
Chen Shuangbai suddenly spoke, attracting the attention of several Golden Core True Person.
Then Chen Shuangbai stepped forward, landing half a step behind Gongye Chun, avoiding the clash of the three Golden Core True Person' auras. He looked at True Person Qian, who was watching with a somewhat amused expression, and said seriously, "If it's soul searching, then that means... the two fellow cultivators from the Setting Sun Sect will also be involved?"
Painstaking Heart Sect True Person Zhao immediately looked over, and Qing Yizi and Zhang Jing's gazes also fell on True Person Qian.
The amused expression on True Person Qian's face immediately vanished.
To allow his disciples to have their souls searched? What a joke! No reputable sect would allow its core disciples to have their souls searched at will. This would not only be a great disgrace, but would also expose the sect's secret Cultivation Method.
He cursed the little fox inwardly, then turned serious, his body radiating magical light, and said righteously, "This matter is not yet clear, why resort to such cruel methods as soul searching?"
"Moreover, even blessed lands are inherently fraught with danger, where crises and fortuitous opportunity often go hand in hand. If greed leads one astray and brings disaster upon oneself... then one can only blame others!"
Wu Qiong and Sun Yuan have informed True Person Qian that the two of them ambushed and killed a Foundation Establishment from the Painstaking Heart Sect in the blessed land.
If this matter were to be exposed... then the reputation of the Setting Sun Sect would be completely ruined!
The Painstaking Heart Sect will never give up easily.
Moreover... recalling what Sun Yuan had just told him... Chen Shuangbai had given one precious pill to their side, so although it was a significant loss, it wasn't entirely without gain.
Only then did he realize that the precious pill was a hush money payment.
Therefore, he had to side with Gongye Chun and muddy the waters.