Defiance filled Lu Tianxing's brow, and when Wang Yan looked his way, hatred deepened it further.
He already bore a grudge over Lin Xuan and his disciple appearing out of nowhere and disrupting his plans. Whether it was Lin Xuan's refusal or his three defeats in the arena, after the Third Peak Master refused to see him, he regarded them all as the deepest humiliation. His hatred for Lin Xuan and Starfall Peak had reached its peak.
Now that he finally had a chance to kick them while they were down, how could he possibly let it slip away?
After Lu Tianxing spoke, quite a few elders voiced their opinions, most of them supporters of the Holy Son.
"The Holy Son is right. Wang Yan acted alone. Why should the sect shoulder the consequences for him?"
"Hand over Wang Yan and appease the Spirit Jade Sect's anger. Nothing could be simpler."
"If we muster the entire sect to fight the Spirit Jade Sect for his sake alone, how unfair would that be to the other disciples? How innocent are they in all this? Sect Master, you should make plans early."
The Peak Masters and senior figures in Lu Tianxing's faction all sided with him, their words heaping frost onto the snow of Wang Yan's expression.
But after a moment's hesitation, Sect Master Xuanyang frowned slightly, leaned toward Ancestor Xuanjian's ear, and spoke.
"This Wang Yan... is no ordinary disciple."
"He is the young man I mentioned before, the one who shone brilliantly at the sect tournament and comprehended Sword Intent."
Ancestor Xuanjian's expression paused, and he gave Wang Yan a long look.
To comprehend Sword Intent at such a tender age, he was undoubtedly a genius among geniuses. Properly nurtured, he would surely surpass him one day and become a mighty pillar of the Azure Yang Sword Sect.
But the Spirit Jade Sect...
Tsk!
Before Ancestor Xuanjian could say anything, the woman opposite Lu Tianxing stepped forward, furious.
"Lu Tianxing! How can you people even say such things? Just what are your intentions?"
Li Fufeng's chest heaved, a flush rising over her fair, luminous face. She was clearly seething.
She clenched her teeth, glared at Lu Tianxing in anger, then turned toward Sect Master Xuanyang.
"This is absolutely not Wang Yan's fault. When people venture out to train and explore, how could there be no deaths? Blades have no eyes. That young sect master of the Spirit Jade Sect was simply less skilled!"
"If we hand over Wang Yan, how will the outside world view our Azure Yang Sword Sect? Who would dare join us in the future? They might even mock our entire sect for being unable to protect a single disciple!"
"This will only chill our disciples' hearts."
Her words rang firm and forceful. She looked straight ahead, sparing no further glance for Lu Tianxing, whose expression had shifted slightly.
Li Fufeng spoke each word distinctly.
"I propose that we fight the Spirit Jade Sect to the death! The Spirit Jade Sect may be strong, but our Azure Yang Sword Sect is not powerless to fight. Besides... the Spirit Jade Sect is a force of the Dawn Empire. Once war breaks out, the imperial family certainly won't sit by and do nothing."
Li Fufeng's conviction was powerful, her gaze sincere and resolute.
She had not spoken up to help because Lin Xuan stood on her side.
Even if the one who had caused trouble today had been an ordinary disciple, Li Fufeng would still have stepped forward.
Such were her principles, utterly unwavering. One could call her foolish, but she firmly and stubbornly believed that if a sect could not even protect its own disciples, what meaning was there in its existence?
Even an ordinary disciple must never simply be handed over because another sect came demanding them.
But...
Li Fufeng lowered her eyes slightly, taking in the silence around her, and a chill crept into her heart.
Even after she had said this much, no one stepped forward in agreement.
In that instant, she suddenly saw the sect a little more clearly. Just as suddenly, the position of young sect master she had coveted for so long no longer seemed so important.
It even... made her feel a little sick.
"Naive!"
Before long, a voice suddenly rang through the hall, but it was not the response Li Fufeng had hoped for.
The Peak Master who stepped forward to rebuke her looked mildly angry and could not resist sneering.
"The Holy Maiden must have spent too long perched on high. She knows nothing of the suffering below, much less how difficult it is to manage a sect."
"Has Wang Yan ever contributed anything to the sect? Who knows how many people would have to die for him alone? Foolish! Naive!"
He berated her fiercely until his voice was almost the only sound left in the hall.
Even so, some Peak Masters and elders in the Holy Maiden's camp offered no rebuttal, much less any intention of stepping forward to stand beside Li Fufeng against a common enemy.
Clearly, most of them considered this none of their concern.
Since it did not concern them, they naturally hung it high out of reach.
Was it necessary to stake the lives of the entire sect on a single disciple?
Even if that disciple possessed extraordinary talent, so what?
There were so many geniuses in this world, but only living ones were geniuses.
Countless geniuses had fallen before they could rise.
If anyone was to blame...
He had only himself to blame for not knowing his limits and killing someone he should not and could not kill.
Ultimately, they merely believed that the Spirit Jade Sect was too powerful, and that once war broke out, the Azure Yang Sword Sect would have no chance of victory.
Counting on the Tangqing Imperial Family to intervene? That was simply too naive...
With that thought, many Peak Masters and elders could no longer hold back and began speaking.
"Your Highness, Holy Maiden, we have no wish to pay with our lives for another person's mistakes."
"Indeed... if you want to seek death, step forward yourself. Don't drag unrelated people into it."
"A person should answer for their own actions. The Holy Son is right."
For a time, arguments filled the great hall, emotions surging, but as Li Fufeng listened, her heart grew colder and sank ever deeper.
Traces of an utterly bitter, mocking smile crossed her face.
Was this... the sect she had held such hopes for all this time?
"Enough!"
Amid the clamor, Ancestor Xuanjian interrupted, silencing everyone.
No one dared defy his authority.
For a moment, a falling pin could have been heard in the hall.
Li Fufeng could not help feeling a flicker of hope.
What... does the ancestor think?
"Since opinions differ, let us vote with our feet. Those who agree to hand over Wang Yan, take one step forward."
A sharp footfall rang out!
Everyone glanced over.
Without a change in expression, Lu Tianxing had stepped out first. He stood in the middle of the great hall without looking at anyone, his stance unmistakable.
The Second Peak Master and the Ninth Peak Master followed...
In very little time, the vast majority of the Peak Masters stood behind Lu Tianxing. Among them were even Peak Masters from the Holy Maiden's camp!
The light in Li Fufeng's eyes went out.
Those Peak Masters were unwilling to look at Li Fufeng, but they did not believe they were wrong.
What wrong had they committed?
Even if they belonged to Li Fufeng's camp, on this matter they agreed more with Lu Tianxing.
Hand over one disciple to quell a storm-such a favorable bargain. Why not?
Wang Yan had been the first to hurt someone anyway. Handing him over was perfectly reasonable.
The outcome... was already obvious.
Watching all this, and the Peak Masters who dared not look at her, Li Fufeng was utterly disappointed.
She had never imagined...
That the sect where she had spent so many years, the sect for which she had given everything and braved boiling water and raging fire, could be so heartless and faithless.
Why did they not consider that if the sect could abandon Wang Yan today, it could abandon them tomorrow...
No.
It was not that they had not considered it. They simply believed this fire could never burn them.
Li Fufeng gave a mocking smile.
To think she had fought Lu Tianxing tooth and nail over the position of young sect master. Looking at it now, it was truly laughable!
Just then, a clear voice suddenly broke the silence in the hall.
"No need to trouble yourselves."
Lin Xuan looked at these displeased faces, a cold light in his eyes.
It was time for this farce to end.
"Everyone, there's no need to vote either."
"I, Lin Xuan, and my disciple hereby leave the Azure Yang Sword Sect!"
"From this day forth, our lives and deaths are our own, and we have nothing more to do with one another."