Shen Qingmei choked, then suddenly screamed, “It was the Exchange Gathering! Senior Brothers Zhang from Danxia Sect and Cao both saw it!”
Everyone’s gazes immediately turned toward the group from Danxia Sect.
Zhang Qiming smoothed his robe and slowly stood up. His dark Danxia Sect attire stood out vividly against the crowd’s muted blue-gray hues. “Indeed, on the day of the Exchange Gathering, when Lin Nan faced off against Junior Sister Shen’s Spirit Wolf, a vertical pupil flashed in her eyes, and the Demon Qi was as dark as ink. That was definitely beyond the capability of any Human Race cultivation method.”
Cao Xingzhi also rose, clutching his still-aching waist. “When I was struck by her fist, my True Qi inside felt as if consumed by a swarm of tigers and ants—a clear sign of the rumored Demon Power corrosion.”
“Oh?”
Lin Nan raised an eyebrow and turned to face them. “Senior Brother Zhang, do you know that the ‘Demon Qi as ink’ you mentioned is actually just the external manifestation of Qingyun Sect’s Summon Demon Art? As for Senior Brother Cao’s sensation of ‘tigers and ants devouring’…”
The young girl laughed lightly, then suddenly raised her voice, “That’s merely because I condensed True Qi into my fist, breaking through your Bloodfiend Art’s protective aura. It has nothing to do with Demon Power.”
“If you want to talk about it, Senior Brother Cao might want to reflect on whether his True Qi has improved over the years and whether he has truly mastered the Bloodfiend Art.”
“In the end, it’s just four words,” she flicked her hair with a hint of pride, “practice makes perfect.”
Cao Xingzhi’s face immediately flushed red, but he was at a loss for words.
The flaws of the Bloodfiend Art were well known, and it was true that he failed to defeat Lin Nan in his initial explosive assault. But after seeing Lin Nan’s iron sword shatter, he thought he had a chance. However…
The Bloodfiend Art’s protective aura had a weakness, and Lin Nan really did shatter it with a single punch.
But those four words Lin Nan said…
Cao Xingzhi gritted his teeth, unwilling to admit it.
“Words without proof!” The Beast Taming Peak Master slammed the table heavily, the beast teeth on his bracelet clacking crisply. “The Summon Demon Art was abandoned long ago! Three hundred years ago, Yuanqiao who practiced it went insane and died suddenly. You say a mere Ninth Rank cultivator mastered it?!”
Xuan Chenzi raised a hand, and a warm, gentle yet commanding flow of True Qi swept over. The Beast Taming Peak Master wisely closed his mouth.
“Lin Nan, do you have evidence?”
“Yes.”
Lin Nan turned to the Sect Leader, clasping her fists and bowing, “The borrowing ledger in the library should have the record of the disciple’s registration.”
“Summon the library steward disciple.”
No sooner had the words left the Sect Leader’s mouth than the steward, a junior sister, leapt from the crowd of attendees. Although slightly nervous in such a grand scene, she earnestly stated the facts:
“It is true. On the seventh day, Junior Sister Lin came to borrow the book Summon Demon Art from the library. I specifically warned her of its dangers. The ledger contains my seal.”
Xuan Chenzi nodded at the attendant disciple beside him.
That disciple quickly descended from the stage. After a moment of waiting, the disciple returned, holding a blue-bound ledger with glowing light, hands extended to present it.
The Sect Leader flipped open the yellowed pages. The ink of the name “Lin Nan” was clearly visible, alongside a note: “Borrowed Summon Demon Art, witnessed by Meng Zhishan,” stamped with a red Seal Stamp belonging to the female disciple.
Xuan Chenzi’s calm voice drifted to everyone present: “Confirmed.”
The square fell silent enough to hear the faint rustling of incense mist drifting past the high stage.
Shen Qingmei’s face turned from red to pale, then blue. Suddenly, as if remembering something, she wildly pointed at the Not-Seeing-Green sword in Lin Nan’s arms: “What about the Demon Qi on that sword! That can’t be fake, right?!”
“Of course not.”
A clear and cold voice suddenly came from the left side of the stage, like ice beads falling on a jade plate.
Shu Ying had risen quietly, her azure-gray robe fluttering gently in the breeze. The Purple Sandalwood Prayer Beads she held clicked softly between her fingers as her gaze landed on Shen Qingmei’s silver hairpin.
“If I’m not mistaken, that silver hairpin is the Cloud Demon Calming Hairpin, originating from the ancient Danxia Sect a thousand years ago. It uses the Demon Pill of the Azure Sea Cloud Demon at its core, wrapped in a special Bone-Corrosion Grass powder, and employs the unique reversal formation technique of Danxia Sect to counteract Demon Qi. This hairpin possesses a calming and charm-removing effect, considered one of the pinnacle man-made magical tools of that era.”
“Unfortunately, with the complete extinction of the Monster Clan, the Danxia Sect lost its crucial raw materials, and thus, this relic perished in the Historical Flood.”
Zhang Qiming’s expression shifted sharply.
He glared at this unknown Elder, teeth clenched, uncertain of the elder’s background.
He didn’t even know if this elder was aware of another secret…
That is, the Danxia Sect was actually the predecessor of the Danxia Sect.
This hairpin and reversal formation were Danxia Sect’s own techniques!
If the elder knew this, then… Qingyun Sect was merely giving Danxia Sect face.
Unwilling to mention “Danxia Sect” by name, they only brought this conflict to the surface.
Shu Ying ignored him and continued, “The Cloud Demon Calming Hairpin produces demon mist when in contact with blood. If the reversal formation technique is applied on an object like this, it can summon Demon Power. Shen Qingmei, the Qingyun Sect should never have taught you such things, right?”
Shen Qingmei’s eyes widened. She looked at Zhang Qiming, seeking help.
But Zhang Qiming simply stared at the clear sky, ignoring her.
“Although the Summon Demon Art draws on Demon Qi, it requires the user’s own True Qi as a guide. When used, its energy is clear and transparent, definitely not some forbidden Demon Art,” Shu Ying raised her hand, and a faint azure Qi condensed at her fingertips, the aura identical to Lin Nan’s when channeling the Qingyun Heart Sutra. Moments later, the True Qi shifted from pale blue to ink green. “This is the characteristic True Qi signature of Summon Demon Art. If anyone has doubts, feel free to verify.”
Lin Nan held up the Not-Seeing-Green sword. A faint azure True Qi quietly rose, matching Shu Ying’s description. In an instant, it gradually transformed into an ink-green hue.
Yet at that moment, the eerie Demon Qi on the Not-Seeing-Green sword suddenly surged, dark as ink, fiercely opposing Lin Nan’s ink-green True Qi, writhing and snarling.
The Sword Peak Master suddenly laughed. He seemed to have grasped the essence, his gaze flickering between Zhang Qiming and Lin Nan. His coarse laugh sounded like grinding steel: “If Elder Xunlin says so, what else is there to investigate?”
He closed his eyes again, pressing the back of his head against the bronze ring. “It’s just some underhanded tricks that certain people can’t openly show.”
Xuan Chenzi closed the borrowing ledger and scanned the faces of those present one by one, finally resting on Shu Ying.
Shu Ying nodded slightly, her prayer beads clicking again.
The Sect Leader cleared his throat and spoke again, his voice carrying throughout the square: “Shen Qingmei, you accused Lin Nan of being a Monster but have no solid evidence, and instead revealed that you have used forbidden Demon Arts outside of the Qingyun Sect…”
“No! It’s true!” Shen Qingmei suddenly lunged at Lin Nan but was firmly restrained by disciples from the Disciplinary Hall. She could only reach out helplessly, scratching wildly at the air, “She’s a Monster! She’s a Monster! You’ve all been deceived by her!”
Lin Nan quietly watched her, her eyes free of mockery or anger, only a profound calmness.
The morning sun rose higher and higher, its golden light spilling onto her white hair, giving off a warm glow. The silver hairpin in her hair swayed gently, sparkling.
She knew this farce was about to come to an end.
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