Players: All NPCs in the Sect Are Moles

Su Ling’er flew on her sword, racing until she finally reached their rendezvous point to the southeast. She retracted her sword’s glow and landed gracefully at the canyon entrance, then hurried inside.

She had just rounded a bend when the scene before her made her blood run cold.

She saw her revered Sect Leader, Xuanyuan, using one hand to pluck Ye Longtao’s head, still frozen in shock, right off his neck. His headless body then exploded into a cloud of blood mist that condensed into a pill.

She saw Wang Xiedi scrambling on the ground, crawling and rolling away with a face etched in pure terror.

She saw the Sect Leader cradling a Crystal Ball in his hand. Inside it, several twisted souls wailed in torment.

’The Sect Leader... Has he fallen to the demonic path? How could the leader of a righteous sect... how could he be so cruel to his own disciples?!’

A storm raged in Su Ling’er’s heart. In the Guixi Secret Realm, she had personally witnessed the terrifying strength of someone at the Great Perfection of Core Formation. It was an absolute power that she had no hope of resisting with her current abilities.

’Any hesitation or questioning now will only drag me into an abyss from which there’s no return. The only way out is to run!’

In a flash, Su Ling’er shoved aside her chaotic thoughts and made the only decision she could.

She turned toward Xuanyuan and called out in a clear voice, "Sect Leader! I have an urgent report!"

Her cry made Xuanyuan pause for a moment. His gaze fell upon Su Ling’er in the distance, and he noted that her cultivation was at the Mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

’A Four-Element Pseudo Spirit Root, yet she reached the Mid-stage of Foundation Establishment? It seems this girl must have had some great stroke of luck in the Guixi Sect.’

"Let’s hear it," Xuanyuan said, curious to know what she had to report.

However, even as Su Ling’er was shouting about her report, her Wooden Sword flew from its sheath!

SWOOSH—!

The sword *was* her urgent report, and it now played its part, turning into a streak of light that shot toward Wang Xiedi.

The tip of the sword flicked up, hooking the collar of Wang Xiedi’s limp neck. The next instant, Su Ling’er pushed off from her toes and leaped onto the returning Wooden Sword. At the same time, she yanked with her left hand, hoisting Wang Xiedi’s entire body up.

The Wooden Sword changed direction and shot away like a streak of green light, retreating rapidly toward the canyon’s exit. The entire sequence was as fluid as flowing water, executed in one seamless motion.

Watching this scene, the smile on Xuanyuan’s face widened. "An ’urgent report,’ you said... So this is what you meant."

He muttered to himself, his tone laced with mockery, "It seems that after joining the Guixi Sect, you not only improved your skills but also learned to be quite sly."

’No matter. A soul search after death will yield the same results. I just wonder what kind of cut that old man, Mr. Huohua, will give me then.’

"A pity. You still haven’t recognized the true gap in our strength." He casually extended a finger in the direction of Su Ling’er’s escape.

A beam of Spiritual Qi gathered at his fingertip before shooting through the air, aimed straight at Su Ling’er’s back!

Wang Xiedi, dangling from Su Ling’er’s hand like a briefcase, watched the canyon walls recede rapidly behind them, his heart filled with utter despair.

’It’s over. Now Senior Sister is here too. We’re dead for sure... In the end, I’m still just a useless good-for-nothing...’

But then he saw Xuanyuan’s fatal attack and used all his strength to scream a warning, "Senior Sister! Look out!"

She didn’t need his warning. An icy premonition of death already radiated from behind her.

In that critical instant, a crimson glint flashed in Su Ling’er’s eyes!

HUMMM—! The Wooden Sword in her hand instantly merged into her body as the Sword Refining Skill began to operate frantically. Billowing black qi poured from her as her eyes turned completely crimson. She had entered her demonic state!

Su Ling’er twisted her body with all her might, desperately trying to dodge the fatal beam.

THUD! With a muffled impact, the beam struck her. Though she had managed to avoid a fatal blow to her heart, the irresistible power still instantly pierced through her chest.

A searing pain shot through Su Ling’er. Her grip slackened, and Wang Xiedi plummeted from the sky. She herself was sent flying by the immense impact, tumbling end over end through the air before crashing heavily to the ground, where she barely managed to regain her footing.

This strike piqued Xuanyuan’s interest. ’A casual flick of my finger, and a mere Mid-stage Foundation Establishment girl didn’t die?’

He watched Su Ling’er struggle to her feet. The bloody hole in her chest slowly writhed, wreathed in black qi. An eerie aura, far surpassing that of an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator, emanated from her body.

"Heh..." Xuanyuan chuckled. "What’s this? Have you also fallen into depravity and become a demon? The same you who was once so diligent and hardworking at Qingxu Temple, who yearned for the righteous path of an immortal?"

Su Ling’er steadied herself. The black mist around her grew denser and spread out rapidly, attempting to obscure Xuanyuan’s vision and pull Wang Xiedi into its cover.

"Sect Leader!" she demanded, her voice hoarse as she fought back the searing pain in her chest. "What is the meaning of this?! Why would you be so cruel to them—to your own disciples?!"

As she spoke, she shot a look at the nearby Wang Xiedi, signaling for him to quickly hide in the black mist and retreat. Wang Xiedi understood and scrambled into the fog, while Su Ling’er did her best to buy him time.

"Those who walk the righteous path should act with honor and integrity, punishing evil and promoting good! That is the bottom line we must uphold, no matter the circumstances! If you can’t even do that, then what path are you cultivating? What kind of immortality are you seeking?!"

Xuanyuan watched Su Ling’er, who was now barely visible within the black mist, and stood with his hands clasped behind his back, a smile playing on his lips.

"Ling’er, your understanding of the righteous and demonic paths is far too shallow. Do you really think they are as incompatible as fire and water? If their interests align, the righteous can cooperate with the demonic. They have... joined forces before to attack innocent sects and slaughter innocent people."

Hearing this, Su Ling’er felt the convictions she held so dear begin to crumble. "Then how is that any different from the vile demonic path?!" she demanded sharply.

"The difference? Look at this world. Mortals are like ants, and even Cultivators are just pawns on a board. The difference is that without an iron fist to maintain order, it is only a matter of time before the demonic path runs rampant and billions of lives are used as blood sacrifices."

"Mortals would be unable to live a single peaceful day, liable to become cultivation fodder at any moment. That would be a true hell on earth. But under the protection of the righteous path, under our watch, they can at least live their days in peace. They can live like actual people."

"This world isn’t so black and white," he said, stopping. His gaze pierced through the black mist, staring directly into Su Ling’er’s crimson eyes. "And aren’t you the same? To survive, didn’t you also compromise? Didn’t you also debase yourself and become a demon?"