The hall was dead silent.
This… wasn't how they'd imagined things would go at all. They'd come here fully prepared to die, thinking that even if they had to throw their lives away, they'd at least buy Senior Yun some time or create a chance for her to act.
But now?
Before they could even fight, every enemy in the hall had already been taken care of by her.
So what were they supposed to do now? Just… stand here and watch?
No way.
Being nothing but spectators was way too pathetic.
The Elf girl clenched her fists, her eyes full of resolve. No matter what the others thought, she wasn't someone who'd just sit still. If she couldn't help in a fight, then at least she could do something else.
So she raised her hands and clapped hard, her voice filled with admiration. "Senior Yun, you're incredible!"
Yes, that's right.
If she couldn't be a fighter, then she could at least be part of the hype team!
That was her—the pride and spirit of an Elf!
When the others saw her, they quickly followed her lead, voices echoing with praise. If they couldn't help physically, then they'd contribute emotionally.
For a moment, Yun Jin was actually stunned by their antics. After a long pause, she waved her hand. "Alright, that's enough. Let's keep a low profile, okay?"
Everyone immediately quieted down.
The Elf girl looked up, her eyes bright. "Senior, what should we do next?"
There were still ten days left before the Grand Sect Ranking Conclave.
Now that all the guards in the Liuyue Hall were under control, and with Mister Mirror being nothing more than one of Yun Jin's puppets, they were completely safe here.
They'd be stuck for ten days, so they might as well do something useful.
Yun Jin smiled faintly. "You guys can rest here. I'm planning to take a stroll around the Imperial City, see what secrets it's hiding."
"Senior, you're going alone?" the Elf girl asked, her worry instinctive. "The Imperial City's filled with the royal and noble bloodlines of the Shi Tribe. Their blood's purer than that of common Shi Tribesmen, and their cultivation's higher too. I heard there are at least three Mahayana peak experts in the city, not to mention countless other powerhouses. Maybe you should be careful?"
Yun Jin was about to reply when—
She raised her brows, the corners of her lips curving into a strange smile.
"Senior Yun?" the Elf girl asked nervously.
Had she sensed something?
"It's nothing," Yun Jin said casually. "Just some familiar faces. You all go about your own business, there's no need to worry about what happens next."
Seeing how calm she looked, everyone relaxed and went off to a corner to meditate quietly.
Yun Jin's smile deepened slightly, her expression mysterious. "How interesting."
In the next instant, she vanished.
Night shrouded the Imperial City.
"Are you sure this is the place?" a deep voice asked.
"There's no mistake. To confirm this, Brother Chen even had to return early to Wushuang Sect," Si Wanning said solemnly.
A few days ago, Yu Songnian had wanted to enter the Imperial City to uncover the secrets of the past. Naturally, they followed him without hesitation.
But that night, after Yu Songnian and Yue Zhao entered the city, the two accidentally lost their way. Instead of finding the royal residence, they stumbled into a remote dungeon.
When the guards changed shifts, they slipped inside. What they found were countless imprisoned foreign races.
Yue Zhao risked exposure to question them and managed to learn the truth.
The captives said that ten days from now, they'd be used in a secret blood sacrifice ritual to extract their bloodlines. And another group—those with beautiful appearances—would be sent out soon, to perform during the upcoming celebration.
The performance was nothing but a cover, meant to show that the Shi Tribe "welcomed" other races. But after the performance, every single performer would be killed.
Before Yue Zhao could learn more, the guards returned, and he and Yu Songnian barely escaped using a treasure.
The two discussed it afterward.
Yu Songnian's mother's past could be investigated slowly—it was an old secret, after all. Waiting a bit longer wouldn't change anything.
But those imprisoned foreign races didn't have that kind of time. Their situation was far more urgent. So they decided to act on this first. Still, they didn't blindly trust the captives' words. They sent people to verify the information, and it all checked out.
They also discovered that all performers were first sent to Liuyue Hall for "training."
A few of their scouts got exposed during the investigation and were forced to use teleportation talismans to return early to Wushuang Sect.
The rest stayed behind to continue gathering intel.
"Listen," Yue Zhao said grimly. "Many people in the Shi Tribe have long suspected something like this, but there's never been any proof. We don't have enough strength to save those captives by force."
He paused for a moment, his tone low but firm. "So I've been thinking. Those performers might not even know what fate's waiting for them. If we can talk to them, convince them to reveal the truth during the ceremony, maybe righteous cultivators will step in to help. At the very least, it'll expose the Shi Tribe's crimes."
Si Wanning nodded. "And the disciples who returned to Wushuang Sect will report this to the elders. Reinforcements should arrive soon."
The Shi Tribe's situation was complicated. There were plenty of experts among them. To take them head-on, they'd need multiple elders working together—and those elders might not even be at the sect right now.
So Yue Zhao's group had to prepare for both possibilities: act on their own, and also wait for backup.
While Yue Zhao and Si Wanning were discussing strategy, Yu Songnian stayed silent. His expression was calm, but his eyes were cold.
Yue Zhao sighed softly. "Third Brother, we don't know for sure if the royal clan's behind this. Even if they are, it has nothing to do with you."
Yu Songnian stayed quiet for a long moment, then said evenly, "I know."
He wasn't blaming himself for others' sins. He just felt… cold.
His mother had always been gentle and kind. If she knew her kin had done something like this, it would've broken her heart.
According to the mission system, the Shi Tribe had lost prestige because no new member with the King Stone had appeared for ages.
Yu Songnian had once even thought about offering his King Stone to them, just to help the clan recover. He'd believed that's what his mother would've wanted. But now, after seeing the truth for himself…
The royal clan's corruption and cruelty made him sick.
His senior brother might say this wasn't confirmed, that it might not be the royal clan's doing. But Yu Songnian knew better. Even weakened, the royal clan still ruled the entire Shi Tribe. The other families could only rival them by uniting together.
Something of this scale couldn't possibly happen without the royals' approval.
His fists clenched tightly. If things really were as he suspected, then that royal clan didn't deserve the King Stone at all.
It'd be better to destroy them entirely.