When the people from the Chen Family first arrived, a quick-witted disciple had run to the Elder Hall to ask the Grand Elder to intervene.
As it happened, the Grand Elder and several other Elders were in the Elder Hall discussing sect matters.
With the Grand Elder's timely arrival, everyone put away their Magical Artifacts and calmed down.
After learning the reason for the conflict, the Grand Elder first sternly reprimanded the members of the Chen Family, ordering them to leave the hall immediately and wait outside.
He then took control of the investigation, personally presiding over the inquiry into Xiao Chen and Elder Chen.
Several hours later, the full investigation was concluded. There was no evidence whatsoever to suggest Xiao Chen was at fault.
By extension, there was no evidence to implicate Elder Chen either.
It was only when the two were brought out for a public search of their personal belongings that the Elder from Blazing Fire Peak, who was responsible for searching Xiao Chen, noticed something amiss.
"You're at the seventh level of Qi Refining!"
The moment he spoke, the hall fell silent, and all eyes turned to focus on Xiao Chen.
Despite being the center of so many gazes, Xiao Chen's expression remained unchanged. "Replying to the Elder, this disciple had an epiphany during cultivation this morning and successfully broke through."
As he spoke, he voluntarily released his aura.
The aura of a Cultivator who has just achieved a breakthrough is relatively unstable, possessing a distinct and irregular fluctuation that is very easy to identify.
The Elders present immediately looked at one another, their eyes widening in shocked disbelief.
They all knew from the recent investigation that just half a year ago, Xiao Chen had been a mere Servant Disciple at the first level of the Qi Refining Stage.
Yet now, in only seven months, this Servant Disciple had somehow completed a journey that took others seven years, breaking through one Realm after another to reach the seventh level of Qi Refining.
All the Elders present were stunned, unable to believe their own eyes.
In the entire history of the Li Huo Sect, there had never been a disciple whose Cultivation progressed so rapidly.
Even a founding ancestor with a Fire Element Celestial Spirit Root had taken a full ten months to go from the first to the seventh level of Qi Refining.
Yet Xiao Chen had just shattered this thousand-year-old record, and by a margin of thirty percent at that.
It was simply incredible!
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
Jiang Shiyou roared, his face flushed crimson and his eyes seeming to split at the corners.
The moment he heard Xiao Chen mention "this morning," he realized he had fallen for Elder Chen's scheme.
'No wonder he was so willing to step up and protect Xiao Chen. He was trying to win over a genius disciple with immense potential.'
'This way, not only would Xiao Chen become Elder Chen's disciple and feel favorable toward the Chen Family, but he would also inevitably come to resent the Jiang Family—especially him, Jiang Shiyou.'
Elder Chen, meanwhile, was smiling, confident of his victory. This was precisely the outcome he had considered when he gave Steward Chen his instructions.
With this conflict as a catalyst, he was confident that once Xiao Chen matured, he would inevitably side with the Chen Family in their struggle against the Jiang Family.
Jiang Shiyou quickly realized this as well. His gaze turned cold. 'No, I absolutely cannot let this go.'
'Either you don't make an enemy, or you make sure they're finished for good, leaving no loose ends!'
If he recalled correctly, the sect's records stated that Xiao Chen had a Lower Grade Spiritual Root.
'To be able to advance his Cultivation so quickly, there must be some other trickery that the investigation didn't uncover.'
Just then, Jiang Shiyou had a flash of inspiration, suddenly recalling a report he had once read.
Thirty years ago, the Four Seas Sect, one of the three great sects of Li State, had experienced a similar situation.
At the time, an Outer Disciple of the Four Seas Sect had experienced a sudden, rapid increase in his Cultivation, and he was hailed as a once-in-a-century prodigy.
In the end, however, it was proven that he had taken a shortcut by secretly cultivating a Demon Technique.
At this thought, Jiang Shiyou looked back at Xiao Chen. 'Could this suddenly prominent Servant Disciple also be cultivating a Demon Technique?'
This was, of course, just a guess—or rather, a malicious accusation—as he had no evidence whatsoever.
But without a moment's hesitation, Jiang Shiyou pointed a finger straight at Xiao Chen. "You're a Demon Cultivator! A spy sent by the Demon Sect!"
The accusation was like a boulder dropped into a calm lake, sending massive ripples through the crowd.
The term "Demon Cultivator" was practically the gravest accusation and slander one could level against an Orthodox Cultivator.
Throughout history, countless Demon Cultivators, their names stained with sin, have been responsible for all manner of horrifying atrocities.
As a result, all Orthodox Cultivators in the cultivation world, along with the Loose Cultivators, shared a consensus: Demon Cultivators deserved to die a thousand deaths!
Once a Cultivator was labeled a Demon Cultivator, it meant they would be cast out and hunted down by the entire Righteous Dao.
A Cultivator who killed a Demon Cultivator, on the other hand, would be hailed as a hero.
In effect, Jiang Shiyou's accusation was an indirect death sentence for Xiao Chen.
Hearing this, Elder Chen immediately shot back, "You're full of shit, Jiang Shiyou! Do you have any idea what you're saying?!"
The Grand Elder's expression hardened. "You can't make such accusations recklessly. Do you have any proof?"
But Jiang Shiyou declared with absolute certainty, "I have checked the sect's records! When this Xiao Chen had his entry-level assessment, he had a Lower Grade Spiritual Root. Everyone, a Lower Grade Spiritual Root!"
"I trust that everyone present knows what that means. A Cultivator with a Lower Grade Spiritual Root will face obstacles even when breaking through minor bottlenecks."
"Only those with an Upper Grade Spiritual Root can proceed through the Qi Refining Stage without any bottlenecks, reaching Great Perfection with ease."
Jiang Shiyou grew more confident as he spoke, even calling on someone in the crowd. "Jiang Cungang! You have a Middle Grade Spiritual Root. Tell us, how long did it take you to break through to the late stage of Qi Refining?"
Jiang Cungang replied, "Answering the Elder, after this disciple reached the peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining, I spent another year consolidating my foundation before I successfully broke through."
"Did you all hear that?" Jiang Shiyou's voice rose. "And yet, Xiao Chen, with a mere Lower Grade Spiritual Root, has made one rapid breakthrough after another! By what right?"
"Xiao Chen, I'm asking you, how could you possibly overcome the bottlenecks imposed by your Spiritual Root!"
Then, without waiting for Xiao Chen to answer, he declared his conclusion on the spot. "There is only one explanation—you are a Demon Cultivator!"
Elder Chen grew frantic. "Jiang Shiyou, you can't just declare someone a Demon Cultivator with baseless accusations! If you have proof, show it to everyone!"
"If you can prove Xiao Chen is a Demon Cultivator, I will personally purge him from our ranks."
"But if you don't have any proof, then shut your goddamn mouth and stop spewing these baseless slanders!"
Jiang Shiyou, however, shamelessly retorted, "Xiao Chen, why don't you tell us yourself? By what right were you able to overcome your innate bottlenecks? If you can't explain, then you must be a Demon Cultivator."
Xiao Chen almost laughed when he heard this. "Elder Jiang, as an Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall, do you convict people based on words alone?"
"You just flap your lips, and suddenly the burden is on me to prove my own innocence? What kind of logic is that?"
But Jiang Shiyou completely ignored Xiao Chen, turning instead to the Grand Elder. "Song, if a Demon Cultivator is allowed to infiltrate the sect, the consequences will be endless."
The Grand Elder lowered his head, pondering for a moment. In the end, he chose to side with Jiang Shiyou. "Xiao Chen, why don't you tell everyone how you broke through to the late stage of Qi Refining."
"If your explanation makes sense, it will surely be of help to your fellow disciples. On my authority, I will reward you with five hundred Spirit Stones for sharing your insights."
"But if you cannot explain..." The Grand Elder paused.
"This old man would rather harm an innocent than let a single suspected Demon Cultivator go free."