"You… not bad at all."
"I could tell long ago that you were upright and principled—a rare talent indeed."
After hearing Ye Lingyun's story, Yun Zhongque's face was full of praise.
In the cultivation world, people of such loyalty and righteousness were few and far between. No wonder he had singled Ye Lingyun out during the Outer Sect Tournament.
Ye Lingyun's supposed actions only made him feel all the more proud of his own discerning eye, and in his heart, deeply gratified.
Then he turned toward Jia Wenchang, Qingfeng, and Song Qiuyue. "And the three of you—don't you owe my Hehuan Sect an explanation?"
At his words, Jia Wenchang chuckled. "Daoist Yun, you jest. When our four sects discovered the Cold Pool Secret Realm, we agreed from the beginning: all conflicts within are the disciples' own choices. They must never be elevated to the level of the sects themselves."
"Jia speaks the truth," Qingfeng added calmly. "Every secret realm expedition sees casualties. My Ten Thousand Sword Sect has suffered them as well. Have we ever come to demand explanations from your Hehuan Sect?"
Song Qiuyue said nothing, merely let out a scornful laugh.
"You—!" Yun Zhongque's face darkened, but he found himself unable to argue back.
Just then, Song Qiuyue suddenly turned toward Yan Qingxuan. "Oh, right. Yan Qingxuan, I believe that wager of ours should now be settled in my favor, no?"
Yan Qingxuan ignored her and instead looked expressionlessly at Ye Lingyun. "During the canyon battle, did Wang Jianqiang take part?"
Ye Lingyun immediately put on an indignant face. "Elder, Wang Jianqiang never showed himself. He must have hidden away the moment he saw his comrades in danger. Such a coward, without loyalty or honor—he is nothing but shame upon our Hehuan Sect."
Yan Qingxuan's expression did not shift in the slightest at his words. Her voice remained calm. "So what you're saying is—Wang Jianqiang isn't dead?"
Ye Lingyun froze, unable to read her intent.
After a pause, he shook his head. "That I don't know. But what I can confirm is that he never appeared during the battle."
"Enough. You've exhausted yourself. Go sit and recover." Yan Qingxuan waved him off.
"Yan Qingxuan, don't tell me you're planning to wriggle out of this!"
Seeing her disregard, Song Qiuyue's face darkened.
Yan Qingxuan shot her a cool glance. "The secret realm exit hasn't even closed yet. What's the rush?"
"Heh. Maybe not, but isn't the outcome already obvious?" Song Qiuyue sneered, gesturing at Ye Lingyun. "Your Hehuan Sect sent only this one man out of the realm. With just him, how could you possibly win? Do you expect one man's harvest to equal that of dozens?"
"Are your ears failing you?" Yan Qingxuan lifted her eyelids slightly. "Didn't you hear me say that my sect still has disciples inside?"
"You mean that half-buried old fossil?"
Song Qiuyue laughed as though she had just heard the greatest joke in the world.
Jia Wenchang and Qingfeng joined in, and even Yun Zhongque couldn't help shaking his head.
When the laughter subsided, Song Qiuyue sneered again at Yan Qingxuan. "Don't tell me you're hoping that decrepit Qi Refinement-stage relic of yours can somehow turn things around?"
"Why not?"
"Fine. Since you won't believe until you see the coffin, I'll wait until the exit closes. Then we'll see how you try to deny it."
A dozen minutes later.
The secret realm's exit rippled once more.
One figure after another stepped through.
Leading them was a breathtaking young woman in a flowing blue dress. Her figure was tall and straight, long hair tied neatly behind her, a longsword strapped to her back, her expression calm and composed.
It was none other than Liu Qing'er, the foremost disciple of the Ten Thousand Sword Sect's outer sect.
Behind her followed Jian Jiu and the other disciples of the sect.
In mere moments, over forty figures appeared in the sky.
Once the disciples of the Ten Thousand Sword Sect had all emerged, the spatial gateway quieted again.
"That's it?"
Song Qiuyue and Jia Wenchang, who had both been so confident, now frowned.
"Liu Qing'er, why are you the only ones to emerge? Where are my Xuanqing Palace disciples?"
"And where are my Zhengyang Sect disciples?" Jia Wenchang demanded as well.
Liu Qing'er faced them without arrogance or servility. "The Xuanqing and Zhengyang disciples are currently locked in battle. It will be some time before victory is decided."
At her words, not only Song Qiuyue and Jia Wenchang froze—
Even Qingfeng, Yun Zhongque, Yan Qingxuan, and Ye Lingyun himself were stunned.
"The three sects had already formed an alliance, had they not? How could they end up fighting each other?" Song Qiuyue pressed, unable to believe it.
Liu Qing'er nodded. "Yes, we had formed an alliance. We had already driven the Hehuan Sect disciples to the brink. But then Ye Qingxue of Xuanqing Palace suddenly appeared, accusing Yang Yun of killing five of their disciples. Without warning, she struck to kill her. After that, your two sects began fighting each other."
At this, both Jia Wenchang and Song Qiuyue's faces turned ashen.
"When you left the secret realm, were there still Hehuan Sect disciples alive?"
This time, the voice came from a red-robed figure.
Liu Qing'er turned toward her, paused for a moment, then replied truthfully. "When I left, twenty-one Hehuan Sect disciples were still alive—including Bai Xiruo."
The moment her words fell, everyone present froze.
Then, as one, their gazes all snapped toward Ye Lingyun.
That information… was very different from his version.
Cold sweat broke out instantly on Ye Lingyun's face.
He cursed inwardly. The only reason he had dared lie to Yan Qingxuan and Yun Zhongque was because he believed Bai Xiruo and the others would certainly perish in the secret realm.
So long as none of them returned, his words would stand unchallenged.
Who could have guessed that the three-sect alliance would dissolve right after he escaped? That Xuanqing Palace and Zhengyang Sect would even start killing each other?
"Ye Lingyun, what is the meaning of this?"
Yun Zhongque's face darkened as he glared at him, humiliation churning in his chest.
So much for his "keen eye." He had just praised Ye Lingyun to the skies, only to be slapped in the face moments later.
Ye Lingyun's sweat poured, his tongue tied, not knowing how to answer.
At that moment, Yan Qingxuan cast him a cold glance. "We'll discuss this matter later."
Ye Lingyun's heart lurched.
She wasn't defending him—She was clearly saving the reckoning for when they returned to the sect.
Meanwhile, Song Qiuyue's face had grown ugly.
Her certainty of victory suddenly seemed far less secure.
Then Yan Qingxuan's calm voice reached her ears.
"Song Qiuyue, victory or defeat is only decided at the end. It seems you were celebrating a little too early just now."
"Hmph. Do you truly think your Hehuan disciples will still come out?" Song Qiuyue sneered, turning to Liu Qing'er. "When you left, what was their condition?"
"Severely depleted. Over half of them gravely injured, and the rest wounded to varying degrees," Liu Qing'er answered.
"And compared to my Xuanqing disciples?"
"Far worse."
Song Qiuyue smiled. "Yan Qingxuan, did you hear that? You've already lost."
But just as Liu Qing'er's confident words fell,
The secret realm's exit rippled violently again.
And twenty more figures poured out in a flash.
At the sight of them, Song Qiuyue's smile froze solid.