The projection moved at tens of thousands of times the normal speed.
In the blink of an eye, the infant within the memory grew into an adult, his life racing forward until a twist of fate led him onto the path of cultivation.
By this point, his appearance had become clear.
That child—was undoubtedly Li Heng.
This was the memory of Li Heng's life.
Lin Xiao's expression darkened immediately.
So, Ji Wusi had hidden this card up his sleeve too?
And judging from how confidently he revealed it now, there really must be something wrong with Li Heng. But hadn't they said the Nascent Soul was destroyed on the spot? How could there still be a memory projection?
Lin Xiao glanced sharply at Zhao Wuji, his expression turning grim.
Zhao Wuji's face had gone pale. He stood frozen in place.
He had seen it with his own eyes. Ji Wusi used a bottle of poison to destroy Li Heng's Nascent Soul—there was no mistake.
Suddenly, Zhao Wuji remembered something.
When the Nascent Soul dispersed, it had turned into mist—and Ji Wusi had gathered that mist into a vessel.
Could that... have been Li Heng's memories?
Now it all made sense.
But that realization only made Zhao Wuji feel worse. If Li Heng's memories truly contained something damning, then it meant his sins were being exposed for all to see.
The Sect Master had come to settle accounts with Ji Wusi. If this ended up proving Li Heng's guilt instead, how would Lin Xiao react?
And as for himself, the one who first spread word of Li Heng's death—what fate awaited him?
Cold sweat broke out all over Zhao Wuji's body. He stared fixedly at the white mist, praying that Ji Wusi was bluffing and Li Heng's memories held nothing incriminating.
Inside the mist, the projection suddenly slowed.
The image showed Li Heng, now a disciple of Qingxiao Pavilion, preparing for his first mission with the Demon-Slaying Alliance.
The task was to eliminate a demonic sect. But during the operation, the cultivators encountered unforeseen resistance—the demonic group's strength far exceeded what the documents had described.
As a result—
All ten cultivators were captured.
In the end, only Li Heng survived. It was during this mission that he earned his first Demon-Slaying Token.
Yet, in the image, Li Heng was seen sobbing before the demonic cultivators, begging for mercy with his face drenched in tears.
So that was how he had survived.
Even then, Li Heng had already betrayed the righteous path.
From there, aided by the demonic sect, he completed mission after mission, climbing ranks until he became a hall master. During this rise, he used demonic techniques to frame countless innocent cultivators.
One betrayal after another, laid bare in the projection.
By the time the sequence had finished playing, the fury on everyone's faces was unmistakable. And when the final scene played—Ji Wusi beheading Li Heng in a single clean stroke—the crowd erupted into cheers.
They had seen this execution once already, just yesterday.
But back then, they hadn't known what kind of person Li Heng truly was. Now, having witnessed the truth of his life, that strike felt all the more satisfying.
Who wouldn't say it aloud—Well killed.
In the closing sequence, Ji Wusi fed Li Heng's Nascent Soul a pill, and the image came to an end.
It meant Li Heng's soul had been entirely annihilated.
Lin Xiao's face was thunderous.
Now he understood.
The pill.
It had to be that pill.
To destroy a Nascent Soul, a single surge of spiritual force would have sufficed. So why had Ji Wusi gone out of his way to ask Qing Yun for a specific pill?
That medicine clearly had some unique function.
At Tianjian Peak, Ji Wusi was cheerfully saying, "Old Daoist, your pill is pretty effective. Not only is it laced with strong poison, it also extracts memory directly. Saved me a lot of trouble."
Qing Yun rolled his eyes. "One thousand top-grade spirit stones. Don't forget to pay me later."
"One thousand?" Ji Wusi's eyes widened. "Are you robbing me?"
"That's the price. Don't like it? Return the pill," Qing Yun replied calmly.
Ji Wusi paused, speechless.
"Or," Qing Yun added, "you could always withdraw from competing for Xiao Jin."
"One thousand it is," Ji Wusi agreed instantly.
Qing Yun looked at him with mock disappointment.
After finishing his chat with Qing Yun, Ji Wusi sent his voice across the wind again, smug as ever.
"Sect Master Lin, would you say the evidence is conclusive now?"
Lin Xiao said nothing.
Behind him, another sect master spoke up. "Sect Master Lin, that Li Heng joined the demonic path long ago. His death was well-deserved."
Others nodded in agreement.
Memory resurfacing was a sacred technique—impossible to fake. Ji Wusi had even played the memory from infancy to prove its authenticity.
This was irrefutable evidence.
Lin Xiao had mobilized an entire delegation to question Ji Wusi. He never imagined Ji Wusi would resolve the matter without even showing his face.
Whispers passed through the crowd.
The strongest of the human race—was indeed worthy of the title.
No one even questioned Ji Wusi's methods anymore. His decision to use a memory projection showed foresight and restraint, completely at odds with his reputation as a reckless swordsman.
Lin Xiao's expression remained clouded.
Zhao Ling didn't even dare breathe. He cast a glance toward Zhao Wuji, filled with blame. If Zhao Wuji had mentioned the pill earlier, they might have taken a different approach. Now, not only had they failed to condemn Ji Wusi, they had cemented Li Heng's guilt in front of everyone.
Li Heng may have died, but Qingxiao Pavilion's reputation had suffered for it.
Zhao Ling had only one thought in his heart now.
His career in Qingxiao Pavilion likely ended here.
"Sect Master Lin, cat got your tongue? Weren't you full of righteous fury just a moment ago?" Ji Wusi's voice carried over once again, teasing.
A flicker of frustration flashed in Lin Xiao's eyes. He gritted his teeth and replied slowly, "True, Li Heng was indeed guilty. But, Sect Master Ji, when you struck him down, you couldn't have known any of this, could you? Was your action truly in accordance with procedure?"
Ji Wusi's tone turned even more infuriating. "My eyes can see into the heart. One glance and I knew what he was. Just like now, I can see that on the surface, you look calm—but inside, you're about to explode."
Lin Xiao: "..."
Absolutely maddening.
But with the projection laid out, there was no room for doubt. Li Heng wasn't just guilty—he was beyond redemption. Continuing to press the issue wouldn't hurt Ji Wusi at all.
So Lin Xiao changed tack.
A smile curved across his lips.
"Sect Master Ji, I hear you came here regarding a Tianxing Sect disciple named Yun Jin? I've read her profile. She grasped the Azure Lotus Sword Art within half a month. Truly impressive."
He gave a light chuckle. "Now, while Qingxiao Pavilion may not match Kunlun Sword Sect in terms of sword heritage, we do possess numerous sword arts and divine techniques that enhance them. Our disciples are no less skilled in swordsmanship."
"According to tradition, if a prodigious disciple appears within Qingxiao Pavilion's territory, we have the right of first claim."
Lin Xiao's smile deepened, eyes glinting with certainty.
"I will now exercise that right. Have Yun Jin come forth. I wish to speak with her personally."