499: mutual accusations

To his slight surprise, he did not see Ye Mao by the other party's side.

The corners of Xun Xiuyuan's mouth curled up slightly, and he spoke with a faint, enigmatic smile: "Alliance Leader Bai? Senior Wan Hai of the Neutral Alliance has brought dozens of Hongmeng Realm Experts to my Yuan Ling Universe, claiming that you have betrayed the Blue Star Great Universe and become a Puppet for external forces. I wonder, is this true or false?"

As he said this, Xun Xiuyuan's gaze swept past Bai Guang's shoulder, looking toward the azure planet in the distant sea of stars.

That planet seemed like the hometown deep in his memories, yet at this moment, it was shrouded in an eerie atmosphere.

What was even more alarming was that thousands of Cultivators stood in the Void Realm, each possessing an Aura that had reached the Guiyi Realm of the Grandmist, illuminating the entire Star Domain like a dense cluster of stars.

In fact, for Xun Xiuyuan, whether or not Bai Guang had betrayed them was not worth mentioning.

Having cultivated until now, he had witnessed too many shifts and betrayals of forces; the grudges and grievances of the Universe were merely passing clouds in his life.

However, when he truly saw the planet of his homeland and witnessed these overwhelming top-tier Cultivators, his thoughts shifted quietly.

Wan Hai's accusations still rang in his ears, but Xun Xiuyuan keenly sensed something suspicious about them.

If it were truly as he said, only Bai Guang should have betrayed them, but the many Guiyi Realm experts now suspended in the Void Realm all had grand bearing and clear eyes; they did not look like they were being controlled by external forces at all.

Their positioning appeared casual, but it actually aligned with the profound principles of heaven and earth, with their Qi connected to each other, forming an incredibly mysterious defensive array.

Xun Xiuyuan sighed inwardly; these Cultivators had no grudges against him.

If he were to really make a move, it would surely result in a river of blood, which was not the outcome he wanted to see.

Because he could also be considered a remnant of the Blue Star Universe; after all, the people of the Initial Domain came from the Blue Star.

Hearing this, Bai Guang curled his lips in a sneer of disdain, a sharp, cold glint flashing in his eyes: "You must be that Xun Xiuyuan, right? Heh, you really know how to turn black into white. Wan Hai has long since abandoned the Blue Star Great Universe and defected to external enemies. Now, you actually dare to make false counter-accusations and slander me?"

Xun Xiuyuan remained as calm and composed as ever, as if all this strife had nothing to do with him.

He smiled faintly, neither admitting nor refuting, maintaining an entirely detached stance.

But Bai Guang was different. He knew clearly in his heart that if he were labeled a "traitor" at this moment, once the top-tier experts from the Blue Star behind him joined forces to attack, even if he were stronger, it would be absolutely impossible for him to face ten thousand alone.

—This was not just dozens or hundreds of experts. The elite of the entire Blue Star were almost all gathered here, with thousands of gazes fixed behind him; even the slightest wavering would be enough to trigger a devastating chain reaction.

Fortunately, the people behind Bai Guang were not suspicious because of Xun Xiuyuan's words at this moment.

Most of them still had firm gazes and a steady Aura, clearly having great trust in Bai Guang.

However, Bai Yun, who was being held in Xun Xiuyuan's hand and was almost unable to move, felt his mind shake violently at this moment.

He couldn't help but recall the scene when Bai Guang had given him the order to attack the "Neutral Alliance".

At that time, Bai Guang's tone was cold and unquestionable: "All small Universes related to the Neutral Alliance are to be cleared out, rooted out, and not a single one left behind."

Bai Yun remembered that he had hesitated slightly, asking if it was too ruthless.

But Bai Guang had only responded coldly: "The Neutral Alliance led by Wan Hai is actually a spy organization that has long since betrayed the Blue Star Great Universe. If not completely eradicated, it will lead to endless trouble."

Now, Xun Xiuyuan's understated accusation was like a stone thrown into a still lake; though light, it sent ripples spreading outward.

Recalling that exceptionally cold extermination order again, a chill could not help but rise in Bai Yun's heart.

His originally unwavering conviction finally showed a crack.

The corners of Xun Xiuyuan's mouth curled into an enigmatic arc, and he spoke in a flippant tone: "What about Ye Mao? Haven't I heard that he has already reached the Supreme Realm? Why has he not appeared yet? If he knew that you were actually a traitor to the Blue Star Great Universe, I'm afraid he wouldn't stand on your side anymore, would he?"

He said this casually, but every word was barbed.

Xun Xiuyuan actually did not have solid evidence; it was just that many sources indicated that Bai Guang was very likely to have long since betrayed the Blue Star Great Universe. As for Ye Mao, although he had a close personal relationship with Bai Guang, if he knew the truth, he might not necessarily help.

More importantly, Xun Xiuyuan knew that there was an old grudge between Ye Mao and the Yuan Ling Universe.

Bringing him up now was just to stir up the situation further, so he could see the reactions of all parties clearly, or even leverage the momentum.

Hearing Xun Xiuyuan point directly at Bai Guang as a "traitor," most of the group behind Bai Guang remained unchanged in expression, either sneering or indifferent.

They either did not believe it, or felt that such accusations were groundless and not worth mentioning.

But when Xun Xiuyuan mentioned "Ye Mao has reached the Supreme Realm," the atmosphere suddenly changed.

In an instant, it was as if an invisible wave swept through the crowd; many people's pupils constricted, their expressions became grave, and whispers and exclamations rang out one after another.

That was the case on the surface, while in the dark, Divine Thoughts intertwined and transmissions were constant; who knew how many people were rapidly exchanging information and confirming intelligence, and the scene began to surge quietly.

Upon hearing this, Bai Guang's expression changed abruptly, and his heart sank suddenly.

Although Ye Mao had reached the Breakthrough, whether the hidden danger lurking deep in his Dao Foundation had been completely cleared remained an unknown.

If the hidden danger had been removed, according to Ye Mao's temperament, he would surely not hesitate to strike him down with his sword;

If it had not been removed... then the catastrophe that Ye Mao would bring to the Blue Star Great Universe would likely far exceed everything he had done in the past.

Earlier, Bai Guang had revealed his identity, stated his own encounter, and advised him with deep meaning to find his true self and not lose his original heart.

One person, two sides; Bai Guang himself did not know why he was like this, which was why he had been struggling all along.

But Bai Guang knew clearly in his heart that although these words had been spoken, they could not hide his inner struggle deep down—

He both wanted to survive and did not want to witness with his own eyes the Blue Star Great Universe heading toward complete destruction.

Over these years, although he had been secretly carrying out acts that damaged the Foundation of the Great Universe, in his subconscious, there still remained a trace of a very faint attachment,

that was his last, almost extinguished attachment to the planet of his homeland.

It was precisely because of this attachment that, the moment he learned that Ye Mao's Soul had a hidden danger, he had, as if possessed, spoken of the experience he had once had.

At this moment, Xun Xiuyuan's question was like a silver needle, piercing directly into that bit of self-consciousness deep in Bai Guang's Soul sea that had not yet been extinguished.

A painful expression uncontrollably appeared on his face, his lips trembling slightly, as if he wanted to say something—

but before the words could take shape, they were ruthlessly suppressed by an invisible force and sealed again.

Xun Xiuyuan had just noticed that his expression was strange and was about to speak, when he suddenly saw a brilliant gate of light suddenly unfold in the starry sky,

and a figure stepped out leisurely—it was none other than Ye Mao, who had already stepped into the Supreme Realm.

His robes fluttered, his expression was calm, yet he carried an Aura of majesty that made one's heart tremble.

The entire starry sky seemed to freeze for a moment because of his appearance.