Chapter 63 All Unauthorized Personnel Clear the Area

Ji Baichuan was the sect leader of the Immortal One Sect and possessed the cultivation base of the mid-Emperor Realm. Highly respected in the Southern Continent's cultivation world, he was known for his fairness and righteousness. Having been unanimously elected by various sects to serve as the leader of the Righteous Alliance, he naturally possessed extraordinary capabilities.

Compared to the humble and amiable Ji Baichuan, Li Ya was far more arrogant.

As the sect leader of the Heavenly Master Pavilion, his own cultivation had already reached the early Emperor Realm. Moreover, within the Heavenly Master Pavilion, there were eight Supreme Elders who had reached the mid-Emperor Realm, giving him ample capital for his haughtiness.

Furthermore, looking across the entire cultivation world, the Heavenly Master Pavilion was the only sect that had dealings with the Underworld. The way their disciples underwent trials differed from that of other sects.

Before entering the Golden Core Stage, the Foundation Establishment and Qi Condensation disciples of the Heavenly Master Pavilion would go out into the mortal world to undergo trials. They helped mortal beings capture ghosts and exterminate demons, which was how the Heavenly Master Pavilion earned its name.

The wandering spirits and wild ghosts these disciples captured in the mortal world would be handed over to the Underworld ghost runners in exchange for merits to aid their own cultivation.

Zhou Shuo had previously intended to use the opportunity of his birthday banquet to get on good terms with the people of the Heavenly Master Pavilion, asking them to help procure some Othershore Flowers from the Underworld. He never expected that the situation would evolve into what it was now.

At this moment, the leaders of the various sects had surrounded Li Ya in the center, their intent crystal clear: they wanted him to perform a soul search on Li Xun publicly.

Before coming, Li Ya had already familiarized himself with the sequence of events. Seeing everyone turning on him all at once, his expression inevitably darkened.

He cast an unkind gaze at Lin Qiaosheng, asking with an icy tone, "Sect Leader Lin, my Heavenly Master Pavilion kindly came to offer birthday greetings. Yet my disciple ended up dead within your Vast Ocean Sect, and you even banded together with others to detain the rest of my disciples. As a sect leader, shouldn't you give me an explanation?"

Seeing the other party attempt to shift the blame, the smile on Lin Qiaosheng's face vanished, replaced by a frosty glare. Staring into Li Ya's aged face, he sneered, "Sect Leader Li, none of us are new to the cultivation world, so you can spare us this act. Right and wrong are already known to everyone present, and I believe you are well aware of the whole story. This matter is of grave importance, and your disciple Li Xun is deeply implicated. Whether the Heavenly Emperor Society is righteous or evil, and whether the bloody cases of the Dan Ding Sect and my Vast Ocean Sect have anything to do with them, must be figured out today!"

Without giving the other party a chance to retort, Lin Qiaosheng turned around and commanded, "Men, bring out the people from the Heavenly Master Pavilion!"

Before long, Zhao Tongzhou led the Law Enforcement Hall members to escort the detained members of the Heavenly Master Pavilion forward.

Upon seeing Li Ya, the members of the Heavenly Master Pavilion found their backbone and tearfully complained that the Vast Ocean Sect had detained them indiscriminately without distinguishing right from wrong.

Li Xun, in particular, tearfully and angrily denounced the Vast Ocean Sect for fabricating accusations and wrongfully framing him for colluding with the demonic cult.

Seeing his disciples being humiliated, Li Ya surveyed his surroundings with an iron-blue complexion, his angry gaze sweeping across everyone's faces one by one before finally locking onto Lin Qiaosheng. He fumed, "Lin Qiaosheng, you go too far! Release my disciples this instant!"

Had so many sects not been involved, given Li Ya's temperament, he would have already made a move against Lin Qiaosheng.

Just as his voice trailed off, before Lin Qiaosheng could reply, Zhan Wushuang, the Master of the God of War Palace standing to the side, sneered, "Li Ya, have you still not grasped the situation? Your disciple colluded with the demonic cult and used demonic artifacts to blow up the Junxiu Peaks of the Dan Ding Sect and the Vast Ocean Sect. Now, everyone is simply giving you a chance to prove your innocence. You keep evading and refusing to perform a soul search on Li Xun. Could it be that your Heavenly Master Pavilion has long been entangled with the demonic cult, and this wasn't merely Li Xun's personal doing?!"

Hit with such a grave accusation, Li Ya's expression instantly shifted. It wasn't that he was unwilling to perform a soul search on Li Xun; rather, he had heard about Lin Qiaosheng performing a soul search on Li Huan yesterday.

No one could guarantee that Li Xun hadn't committed disgraceful acts like Li Huan. If unsightly secrets were uncovered during the soul search, the Heavenly Master Pavilion would lose all its face.

Furthermore, the Heavenly Master Pavilion had dealings with the Underworld, and many of those secrets were inconvenient to expose in public.

That was why he repeatedly stalled and refused to search Li Xun's soul in front of everyone.

However, facing the aggressive sect leaders, Li Ya furrowed his brow tightly. Judging by the current situation, it would be difficult to settle this matter without searching Li Xun's soul.

Besides, once the Heavenly Master Pavilion was branded with the accusation of colluding with the demonic cult, they would never be able to shake it off in the future.

Just as he was caught in a dilemma, Ji Baichuan, who had remained silent all along, guessed his predicament.

Stepping forward, Ji Baichuan cupped his hands in a salute to the assembled sect leaders and said, "Everyone, please calm yourselves and hear a few words from this old man. We have all witnessed the conduct of the Heavenly Master Pavilion over the years; how could they possibly collude with the demonic cult? As for what Li Xun has done, it should be regarded as his individual action. And Sect Leader Li is certainly not refusing to search his soul; it is simply that the Heavenly Master Pavilion has longstanding ties with the Underworld, and many confidential matters there are not suitable for public disclosure. How about this: let everyone present choose a few representatives, and with this old man accompanying them, we shall conduct a private soul search on Li Xun. After the soul search, should any matters between the Heavenly Master Pavilion and the Underworld be seen, I ask that these representatives swear a Heavenly Dao oath never to leak them! What do you all think?"

As Ji Baichuan's voice faded, Li Ya immediately chimed in, "I agree!"

Seeing this, the crowd looked at one another. After exchanging glances, they said to Ji Baichuan, "Since the Alliance Leader has spoken, let it be done this way. But how should these representatives be chosen?"

Ji Baichuan smiled faintly, "Among everyone present, some hold positions as alliance elders. Why don't we select five individuals from among these elders?"

With Ji Baichuan calling the shots, the crowd quickly reached a consensus. Lin Qiaosheng and Zhan Wushuang, serving as elders of the Righteous Alliance, were naturally included among the five chosen representatives.

Seeing that the matter was settled, Li Xun panicked.

He knew better than anyone what he was hiding in his mind. The Heavenly Emperor Society had planted a restriction in his Sea of Consciousness; once someone searched his soul, he would undoubtedly end up with his body exploding into pieces!

Watching the figures closing in step by step, Li Xun retreated frantically, shouting in terror, "Don't come over! I haven't colluded with the demonic cult, you have no right to search my soul!"

Seeing Li Xun's reaction, Li Ya's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, "This fellow really does have skeletons in his closet!"

Raging with fury, he gritted his teeth, stepped forward quickly to grab the fellow, and prepared to drag him into the hall!

Yet right at that moment, a drastic change occurred out of nowhere! A suffocating pressure descended from the sky, chilling everyone to the bone.

Even mid and early Emperor Realm powerhouses like Lin Qiaosheng, Ji Baichuan, and Li Ya were forced to their knees on the ground by this immense aura.

As for those with lower cultivation bases, they coughed up blood instantly, collapsing facedown onto the ground with their fates unknown!

Within the crowd, Wan Yi had received an early warning from the *Emperor Slicing Art* just before this aura erupted. Seized with dread, he reversed his cultivation technique to force out a mouthful of blood and, mimicking the appearance of the others, dropped flat onto the ground with a heavy thud!

This sudden transformation terrified everyone to the core. Just as the crowd was pinned to the earth by the pressure, unable to move a muscle, an imposing and resonant voice echoed from the sky: "The Heavenly Emperor Society is conducting business, all outsiders step aside!"

At this moment, Li Xun cried out toward the sky like a madman, "Holy Envoy, save me!"

To be continued...