Ning Shuang could not help demanding, "So someone who relies on a Law Treasure for a sneak attack gets to call others weak? Doesn't Peak Master Yue think he's being far too partial?"
Yue Su said, "Was I wrong? A disciple who failed the trial ten times-"
As he spoke, he suddenly felt a deep chill all around him. Immortal Venerable Wanghan's sword pressure was almost bearing down on his head.
His face instantly paled. He snorted and fell silent.
The elders: The immortal venerable was mighty indeed!
That sword pressure-truly worthy of the foremost master of the sword!
By comparison, Peak Master Yue was rather cowardly.
Still, watching these two clash was far more entertaining than the disciples' trial. The elders decided to stay right in front of this water mirror!
Just then, Yue Liuqin noticed Tingxi standing behind Qiaoqiao, and her expression suddenly became quite interesting.
"You're actually hanging around with him."
"And you expect to pass with him in tow?" Her voice dripped with mockery. She looked at Tingxi and raised her chin. "Why aren't you greeting me? Gone mute?"
Qiaoqiao was surprised. They knew each other?
At the sight of Yue Liuqin, Tingxi's expression turned decidedly ugly.
Outside the water mirror, True Person Yao stroked his beard. "Come to think of it, who exactly is this disciple?"
The other elders all shook their heads. "Don't know him." "Never seen him."
"Strange. None of the Peak Masters recognize him?"
Everyone was puzzled. Could a disciple from another sect have slipped into the trial?
Only the Moonlight Peak Master watched the scene with an indifferent expression.
Tingxi said nothing. Yue Liuqin sneered. "True enough. You've already been thrown out of the household. What right do you have to call me your sister anymore?"
Tingxi clenched his hands so tightly that his knuckles turned white and lowered his eyes.
The elders: *??*
What?!
He was Yue Liuqin's younger brother?
Didn't that make him Peak Master Yue's own son?!
Peak Master Yue had actually thrown his own son out and refused to acknowledge him?
Yet Yue Su remained coldly silent, looking as though he had no intention of explaining further.
The elders felt as though claws were scratching at their hearts: At least tell us why!
Qiaoqiao was also astonished by what she had heard. "You're Yue Liuqin's younger brother?"
Tingxi nodded reluctantly.
He had not wanted to admit it, but he did not want Qiaoqiao to be dragged into Yue Liuqin's crosshairs because of him...
He stood up and pressed his lips together. "I'll leave right now."
Qiaoqiao said, "Stop!"
At the same time, she shouted inwardly.
[Aaaaah, so he's Yue Tingxi!]
[I remember now! I dreamed about the tea on this pair of siblings!]
Everyone from Ethereal Peak: What? There was tea?
Now that was something to wake them up. Sharing in the tea with Qiaoqiao was quite the spectacular experience!
Even Shen Ji stared unblinkingly at the water mirror.
The elders: *?*
Why did it feel as though everyone from Ethereal Peak had suddenly perked up?
[Let me sort through this tea...]
[The Moonlight Peak Master had two children. The older sister had a Heaven Spirit Root, while the younger brother had the weakest kind, five spirit roots. The Peak Master was terribly partial: he cherished his daughter to the depths of his heart but paid his son no attention. The Yue Household's second young master was invisible at home, and the Moonlight Peak Master never even mentioned this child to outsiders.]
[Under their father's influence, Yue Liuqin's attitude toward her younger brother grew worse and worse. She was heaven's favored daughter, while Yue Tingxi was the Yue Household's disgrace. His existence would only hold her back.]
*[During an accident, the two encountered a fifth-rank Demon Beast. Yue Liuqin just had to provoke it and was badly injured, but after they were rescued and brought home, she claimed that Yue Tingxi had enraged the Demon Beast and caused her injuries.
Peak Master Yue flew into a rage. Without listening to his explanation, he punished him severely, then made him use blood from his heart to heal Yue Liuqin's injuries, turning Yue Tingxi's hair white overnight. After wringing every last bit of value out of him, he severed their father-son relationship and threw him out of the household.]*
[After that, Yue Tingxi's health deteriorated day by day. He became a ghost of a disciple whom no one cared about on Moonlight Peak. Hardly anyone on Moonlight Peak even knew he existed.]
The reason Yue Liuqin had yet to reach Foundation Establishment was that she had spent so much time recovering from her injuries.
Qiaoqiao looked at Yue Tingxi and shook her head repeatedly.
[Tragic. Truly tragic.]
[Saddled with such a biased father, falsely accused, drained of all his value, and finally thrown out of the household-who could see that and not call it tragic?]
[Peak Master Yue really is a piece of work!]
She looked at Yue Tingxi as though he were a pitiful little bean sprout.
Her gaze made Yue Tingxi's scalp prickle. "Wh-what is it?"
"Nothing," Qiaoqiao said. "I just think some people don't deserve to be fathers."
In front of the water mirror, Ning Shuang, Shen Ji, and the others could not help nodding.
They had never expected Peak Master Yue to be such a person. This went beyond favoritism. He was not treating his own child as a human being!
So what if he had five spirit roots? Couldn't he cultivate all the same?
Talent was all he cared about. He discarded a child with poor talent without a second thought. Yue Liuqin's disposition had plenty to do with her father, too.
[What a pity. What a pity.]
[For all Peak Master Yue's scheming, he ended up with nothing.]
Her senior brothers and sisters: *?*
What happened?
Was there another twist to this?
[To ensure Yue Liuqin took first place in this secret realm trial, Peak Master Yue secretly gave her a cheat-the Seven Stars Compass.]
[This compass can pinpoint the distribution of every Demon Beast and spirit herb in the secret realm. It can even pinpoint other disciples' locations, giving her every advantage.]
Qiaoqiao suddenly understood.
[No wonder she could steal my kill!]
[She was cheating!]
The sect's secret realm trial allowed participants to bring in Law Treasures, but their grade could not exceed Profound Grade. Generally, they were merely offensive or defensive Law Treasures.
The Seven Stars Compass was an Earth Grade Law Treasure. Yue Su had tampered with it so that Yue Liuqin could successfully bring it inside.
Everyone looked at Peak Master Yue with even greater contempt. Could this man's character possibly sink any lower?