Luo Mingyue brought Li Shuang directly to the sect master's hall and made an urgent request for an audience.
Inside, Sect Master Meng Yifei raised his brows slightly.
"The Supreme Forgetting Love Technique?"
A flicker of astonishment passed across his normally calm expression.
It had been a thousand years since anyone had truly cultivated that technique.
In ancient times, the Sword Sect's founder had used the Supreme Forgetting Love Technique to overwhelm every genius of his generation. With that power, he established the Sword Sect among the Six Great Righteous Sects.
After the founder ascended, the sect tried for generations to replicate his success. For a century, they invested every resource into researching the technique.
But they failed—again and again.
And as they stagnated, the Sword Sect's reputation plummeted. Some even questioned whether the founder's technique was complete or real at all.
Eventually, the sect's leadership made a reluctant decision: abandon the Supreme Forgetting Love Technique and adopt more practical methods.
Though the sect stabilized using newer sword techniques and the unique resources of the Sword Pavilion, its status remained the weakest of the six great sects.
Only Wuqing Peak, led by Lin Qingling, refused to let go. She had devoted her entire life to keeping the ancient legacy alive.
And now, after all this time—
Someone had truly entered the technique?
Meng Yifei leaned forward slightly, interest flickering in his eyes.
Still… was this version of the technique the same one the founder once practiced?
Was it truly as mystical as the legends claimed?
All unknown.
But regardless—he was intrigued.
He summoned Li Shuang and Luo Mingyue to his hall.
When the two arrived, Meng Yifei greeted them personally.
"Li Shuang," he said, "you've switched to the Supreme Forgetting Love Technique?"
Even after her fall from grace, Meng Yifei hadn't forgotten the once-glorious prodigy of Lingxu Peak.
Li Shuang bowed respectfully. "Yes, Sect Master. I came today to—"
Before she could finish, a disciple rushed in.
"Reporting in: Lingxu Zhenren requests an audience."
Meng Yifei raised a brow. "Let him in."
Li Shuang paused, lips pressed into a thin line.
Moments later, Lingxu Zhenren entered the hall, followed by Sheng Yuan and Ye Zhaozhao.
His expression was cold, his aura oppressive. Without preamble, he extended his spiritual sense and pressed it down on Li Shuang.
Then, a sneer.
"Well, well, well. A traitorous disciple dares stand before the sect master? You've even gone so far as to change your cultivation technique!"
The Mirror Heart Technique she once cultivated—he had personally taught her. He hadn't even been the one to revoke it.How dare she throw it away without his permission?
Meng Yifei narrowed his eyes slightly. "What's the meaning of this, Zhenren Lingxu?"
Lingxu Zhenren gave a shallow bow, then straightened immediately.
"Sect Master, this disciple is deceitful and vicious! I recommend her meridians be destroyed and that she be expelled from the Sword Sect!"
"What?!" Luo Mingyue blurted, face paling.
Even Sheng Yuan was shocked. "Master, that's too much…"
Lingxu Zhenren remained cold.
He didn't actually intend to expel her.
He just wanted her to kneel. To apologize. To beg.
And maybe then… maybe he'd give her one final chance.
Luo Mingyue stepped in front of Li Shuang protectively, heart pounding.This was the person her master had waited a thousand years for! If she were expelled, Lin Qingling would lose her mind!
Meng Yifei frowned. "Zhenren Lingxu, why such a harsh accusation?"
Lingxu Zhenren sighed deeply and began his performance.
"As you know, my cultivation has been unstable recently. My disciples heard that the Tianshan Snow Lotus could help, so they went to the snowy mountains to retrieve it."
Meng Yifei nodded. "It's a precious item. Your disciples were loyal to go."
"My youngest disciple, Ye Zhaozhao, braved great danger to pick the snow lotus," Lingxu Zhenren continued. "But she was surrounded by snow monsters."
He turned sharply toward Li Shuang. "And this one—my eldest disciple, whom I had the highest hopes for—watched her in danger and fled! Jealous of Zhaozhao's talent, she left her to die!"
His voice rang through the hall like a thunderclap.
Ye Zhaozhao bowed her head slightly, a sorrowful expression on her face.
Luo Mingyue frowned. "That's quite the accusation. Do you have proof?"
Lingxu Zhenren's face twitched. "Zhaozhao told me herself."
"And you believe her word alone?" Luo Mingyue pressed.
"She would never lie!" he barked.
"Neither would I," Sheng Yuan added. "We were separated during the mission, but Zhao Zhao told us the truth. That's enough."
Luo Mingyue's eyes narrowed. "So none of you saw it yourselves?"
"…No."
Luo Mingyue turned to Ye Zhaozhao. "And you're the only one who claims this happened?"
Zhaozhao nodded meekly, her eyes brimming with tears. "I didn't want to speak ill of my senior sister… but I can't lie, either…"
Lingxu Zhenren turned back to Li Shuang, his voice sharp."Even now, your junior sister begs for your forgiveness. Why don't you admit what you've done?!"
Luo Mingyue glanced sideways at Li Shuang. "...Are your former sectmates always this dramatic?"
Li Shuang actually chuckled.
Someone she barely knew—a stranger—was the first person to ask if the story made sense.
The disciples of Lingxu Peak? They believed Ye Zhaozhao without question.
Once, she had seen them as family.
But even strangers offered her more fairness than they ever had.
Li Shuang turned to the sect master.
"I never abandoned them. I was the one who picked the Tianshan Snow Lotus. I handed it to Ye Zhaozhao and told her to reunite with the others while I stayed behind to block the monsters."
She met Meng Yifei's gaze steadily.
"I have no regrets about what I did. I speak the truth. Please judge as you see fit."
She wasn't here to win them over.
She had simply come to state her case.
Whether they believed her or not—she was done explaining herself.