The sudden appearance of the figure made the four men behind Yan Biao tense in alarm.
Just as they were about to strike, Yan Biao suddenly raised his hand, stopping them.
He looked toward Dong Yue, surprise flickering in his eyes."What, Elder Dong, are you planning to obstruct the Hall of Justice in carrying out its duties?"
Dong Yue was silent for a moment before sighing softly."Speak, then. What will it take for you to let him go?"
Yan Biao chuckled. "Elder Dong, you're putting me in a difficult position."
"This man has committed the grave sin of slaughtering a fellow disciple. If I let him go, the risk I'd be taking would be far too great."
Dong Yue's eyes grew cold. She said nothing.
Yan Biao smiled faintly. "However, if you agree to one condition, I might be persuaded to spare him."
Dong Yue's expression tightened slightly.
Yan Biao looked her up and down, his eyes glinting with lewd amusement."As long as you agree to become my Dao companion, I'll spare his life."
Dong Yue's face turned to ice. She was about to speak when a mocking laugh cut her off.
"You're ugly as sin, but your fantasies are quite grand."
Yan Biao's face darkened instantly.
He turned to Wang Jianqiang, his tone sharp as a blade."Foolish wretch! You dare spew such insolence when death is upon you? Because of your stupidity, I've changed my mind."
"I will no longer accept anyone's pleas."
"And now, your crimes are not just killing a fellow disciple—add to that, defying the enforcers of the sect."
"You… must die."
Wang Jianqiang snorted lightly. "Such big words. You speak as if you're the one who writes the Hehuan Sect's laws."
Yan Biao's expression stiffened. "The laws of the sect are not mine to make, but I am empowered to enforce them."
As he spoke, he took a step forward, preparing to strike.
"Stop!"
Dong Yue's face turned cold as her killing intent locked onto him.
Yan Biao frowned slightly, and the spiritual energy gathering around him halted for an instant.
He and Dong Yue were roughly of the same generation. He had once witnessed her brilliance firsthand.
Back then, Dong Yue had been a peerless genius, suppressing every other prodigy of her era. She was the first among her generation to reach the pinnacle of the Foundation Establishment stage—a goddess beyond his reach.
Later, she suffered a calamity during her Core Formation attempt. Her foundation was damaged beyond repair, and her cultivation was forever trapped at the peak of Foundation Establishment. That was when she fell from the altar.
Because he knew her past glory—had seen her once make all her peers bow their heads—he remained cautious before her even now.
Though he was now a Core Formation cultivator, superior to her in realm, he still did not dare underestimate Dong Yue in the slightest.
A grave look crossed his face."Elder Dong, think carefully. According to sect law, anyone who obstructs the Hall of Justice's enforcement will face severe punishment."
"You are no exception."
Dong Yue remained silent and unmoving—her stance said everything.
Yan Biao's gaze hardened. "Since Elder Dong has made up her mind, then don't blame me for what happens next."
As his voice fell, a terrifying pressure erupted from him, howling like a storm.
Dong Yue's long skirt billowed as her hair tie snapped, black hair streaming wildly behind her.
Yet Yan Biao's spiritual pressure was completely held at bay by her, leaving Wang Jianqiang standing calmly behind her, untouched by the force.
"Wait!"
Just as the clash was about to begin, Wang Jianqiang suddenly spoke.
Yan Biao's gaze turned icy. "What, are those your last words?"
"Hehe," Wang Jianqiang chuckled. "Elder Biao, are you so certain I'm doomed?"
Yan Biao sneered. "You killed someone within the sect's territory—on what grounds could you possibly live?"
Wang Jianqiang shook his head. "If I recall correctly, the sect's rules state that, except for treason, all other crimes can be offset by merit."
"Whether or not I truly committed murder aside, even if I did, there should still be room for redemption."
At that, Yan Biao burst out laughing, the sound dripping with mockery.
"You? Earn merit to offset your crime?"
"Do you have any idea how absurdly high the exchange rate between merit and guilt is?"
"With you, you think you can erase a murder charge?"
This time, not only Yan Biao laughed—the other four enforcers joined him.
Within the Hall of Justice, there was a well-known saying:A hundredfold merit to offset a single sin.
The slain Zhou Feng had been a cultivator at the peak of early Foundation Establishment.
For Wang Jianqiang to offset such a crime, he would need to earn enough merit to equal the creation of a hundred—or even several hundred—Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Such a feat wasn't just impossible for a newly advanced Foundation cultivator—even most who stood at the brink of Core Formation would never manage it without heaven-defying fortune.
Yet while the five men mocked, Dong Yue's expression remained calm, as if she had already anticipated this.
Others might find it impossible, but she knew Wang Jianqiang could do it.
If he were willing to reveal his ability to refine perfect-grade Tier-2 pills, the entire upper echelon of the Hehuan Sect would be shaken.
At that point, killing one Zhou Feng—ten, twenty even—would not matter.
A single Tier-1 perfect pill wasn't much, but a Tier-2 perfect pill was another story.
Take the Perfect Foundation Pill, for instance—it could effortlessly produce large numbers of Foundation Establishment cultivators for the sect, greatly strengthening its core ranks.
Such a treasure could propel the Hehuan Sect's power to a new level.
Just as Wang Jianqiang was about to respond to their ridicule, a flash of crimson cut across the sky.
With a single wave of her hand—
A scorching, domineering surge of spiritual power exploded outward toward Yan Biao and his men.
Yan Biao, caught at the front, groaned as he was blasted backward.
His four subordinates, though not directly targeted, were struck by the shockwave.
Being only peak Foundation cultivators, far weaker than Yan Biao, they fared even worse—instantly wounded and sent crashing to the ground like dumplings dropped into boiling water.
"Ten breaths," came a cold, imperious voice that filled the air. "Disappear from my sight—or bear the consequences."
Yan Biao wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked toward the red-dressed figure, his expression paling."Yan Qingxuan!"
He stumbled back a few steps, eyes filled with dread. "You would involve yourself in this matter as well?"
"One breath."
Yan Qingxuan looked at him lightly.
"Yan Qingxuan, that man has committed the grave sin of killing a fellow disciple!" Yan Biao gritted his teeth.
"Three breaths." Yan Qingxuan's tone remained indifferent, as if she hadn't heard him at all.
Yan Biao's face twisted, dark and ugly. "Yan Qingxuan, by defying the Hall of Justice so openly, do you not fear that the High Inquisitor himself will come knocking?"
"Six breaths."
Her expression didn't change in the slightest.
Humiliation flashed across Yan Biao's face as he ground his teeth."Withdraw!"
With a sweep of his sleeve, he gathered his four injured subordinates in a surge of spiritual power and fled at full speed.
He knew very well—if he delayed even an instant longer, Yan Qingxuan would strike.
She would even kill him outright if she wished.
In every sect, there were always a few who stood above the rules.
In the Hehuan Sect, those people were the Ancestors and the four Supreme Elders.
Below Nascent Soul, very few could join their ranks.
Yan Qingxuan—hailed as the most promising Core Formation cultivator to reach the Nascent Soul realm—was one of them.