317: Chapter 317 Xinggong Takes the Blame!

The disappearance of Ji Yin was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples in the stone hall.

Although most Core Formation Cultivators dared not openly discuss the life or death of a Nascent Soul Old Monster, private eye contact and silent speculation permeated the air, making the atmosphere of the entire stone hall become even more subtle and oppressive.

Those Core Formation Cultivators either lowered their heads in deep thought or exchanged meaningful glances, yet no one dared to be the first to speak and break this eerie silence.

As for those Nascent Soul Cultivators, their hearts were even more turbulent, each calculating, and beneath the calmness on everyone's face, turbulent thoughts were hidden.

Savage Beard sat splay-legged on a wide stone stool; the stool appeared exceptionally small beneath his massive frame, as if it might collapse under the weight at any moment.

His complexion was so gloomy it seemed as if water could drip from it. His giant, bell-like eyes flickered with uncertain suspicion. His thick fingers unconsciously tapped on the stone tabletop, emitting a dull "du-du" sound that was exceptionally clear in the silent hall.

His brows were tightly locked, forming a deep " river" shape, and the flesh on his face trembled slightly because of it.

"That old fellow Ji Yin... although he is sinister and cunning, and I have always disliked him, I must admit that his cultivation and methods count him as a figure among Nascent Soul Cultivators, especially that Tiandu Corpse Fire, which is incomparably domineering. Although the Ice-Fire Path is treacherous, trapping or even killing him is by no means an easy task. Unless..."

Savage Beard's thoughts raced, and his gaze involuntarily drifted toward the two white-robed Star Palace Elders standing by the teleportation array with calm expressions.

"Unless someone struck from the shadows! And within this Void Heaven Palace, besides these two Star Palace Elders, who else has the ability and motive to strike at Ji Yin? Star Palace has always liked to manipulate everything from the shadows, and I fear this time is no exception."

The more he thought about it, the more he felt this was possible.

Star Palace has always considered itself the maintainer of order in the Chaotic Star Sea, maintaining a detached attitude toward both the Righteous Path and the Demonic Path, but in reality, everyone knows that Star Palace will never allow any faction to truly threaten their dominant position.

With the opening of the Void Heaven Palace this time, many elite Cultivators from both the Righteous Path and the Demonic Path have entered. If Star Palace wanted to secretly weaken the strength of both sides, tampering with the Ice-Fire Path and incidentally eliminating a Demonic Path Nascent Soul Old Monster would be completely logical!

After all, without Old Ancestor Ji Yin, the Demonic Path would be at a disadvantage in the subsequent competition, a situation Star Palace would be happy to see.

"Damn it! If Star Palace really made a move, then in the upcoming competition for that void heaven cauldron, my Demonic Path side will have lost an important helper, wouldn't we be constrained at every turn? Relying on myself alone, how can I fight those three fellows from the Righteous Path? And those two old foxes from Star Palace definitely don't have good intentions either!" Savage Beard thought this, his expression becoming even uglier, and a nameless fire burned in his chest. He wished he could rush up and question the two Star Palace Elders right now, but his remaining reason told him that doing so would have no benefits.

Unlike Savage Beard's agitation, after Wan Tianming learned the news that Old Ancestor Ji Yin might have fallen, although there was a trace of surprise in his heart, there was more of an indescribable sense of relief and fortune, and even an imperceptible joy.

"The old devil Ji Yin is dead? Hmph, good riddance! This old devil is ruthless and has committed countless evils; how many innocent Cultivators did he slaughter in the Chaotic Star Sea back then? He should have received this retribution long ago! With his death, the Demonic Path has lost a pillar, and the pressure on my Righteous Path side for the subsequent actions will be much smaller."

Wan Tianming thought secretly in his heart, but his face remained calm and composed. He even deliberately revealed a hint of perfectly-timed regret, gently shaking his head as if feeling sorry for the fall of a fellow Cultivator, and sighed softly: "Sigh, Fellow Daoist Ji Yin... what a pity."

If this acting were seen by those familiar with him, they would likely curse him as an "old fox" in their hearts.

As for Layman Qingyi, he remained sitting in the corner, holding the bamboo slip that never left his side, his head slightly lowered, his gaze fixed on the bamboo slip, as if he were intently reading the text on it.

But his slightly flickering eyes and the occasionally trembling brows exposed his inner unrest.

He had witnessed the chaotic battlefield with his own eyes and seen the lifeless corpse of Old Ancestor Ji Yin; he had long since concluded that Old Ancestor Ji Yin was doomed.

However, he was not sure whether the killer was a Star Palace Elder or that mysterious powerhouse hidden in the shadows.

No matter which possibility it was, it made him feel deeply wary.

"The waters of this Void Heaven Palace are deeper than I imagined... It seems that every step from here on must be taken with even greater caution. If one is slightly careless, Ji Yin's fate will be my cautionary tale." Layman Qingyi warned himself secretly in his heart, his fingers gripping the bamboo slip tightening slightly.

At this moment, the two white-robed Star Palace Elders, Elder Qin Heng and Elder Qin Yue, faced with the suspicious, scrutinizing, and even somewhat hostile gazes of the crowd, felt quite helpless and even a bit aggrieved.

They felt like scapegoats, inexplicably taking the blame.

They certainly knew what the crowd was suspecting.

But they really did not strike at Old Ancestor Ji Yin!

Although they did indeed release the Restrictions of the Black Desert and the Blood Ice Forest in the Ice-Fire Path, that was only to increase the difficulty of clearing the stage and reduce the number of Cultivators passing through, not specifically targeting any one person.

The disappearance of Old Ancestor Ji Yin was completely beyond their expectations!

They also wanted to know who had killed Old Ancestor Ji Yin in the Blood Ice Forest, and for what purpose.

"These fellows... do they really think we killed Old Ancestor Ji Yin? This is preposterous! Although we want to weaken the strength of the Righteous Path and the Demonic Path, we wouldn't directly kill a Nascent Soul Cultivator within the Void Heaven Palace! If this were to spread, would Star Palace still have any reputation left? If the Palace Master were to blame us, who could bear the responsibility?" Elder Qin Heng felt depressed but could not explain.

In such matters, the more one explains, the guiltier one appears, and the more it gets twisted.

He simply stiffened his face, looking at his nose and contemplating his heart, ignoring the questioning gazes of the crowd, and adopted an attitude of "the innocent clears themselves."

Elder Qin Yue was the same.

He stood there expressionless, like a statue, turning a blind eye to all the discussions and gazes around him, as if everything had nothing to do with him.

The two Elders looked at each other, exchanged a helpless glance, and both saw the same meaning in each other's eyes.

It seems this blame is definitely theirs to bear.

They decided to ignore these groundless suspicions and instead fulfill their duties.

Elder Qin Heng cleared his throat and spoke loudly, his voice echoing in the hall like a great bell, instantly suppressing those whispers: "Fellow Daoists, please be quiet!"

After everyone's gaze gathered, Elder Qin Heng continued: "First, congratulations to you all for successfully passing the second stage, the Ice-Fire Path. Being able to reach this place has already proven your strength and Luck. According to the rules of the Void Heaven Palace, after passing the second stage, you will have one Opportunity to obtain a reward."

He pointed to the four tightly closed huge bluestone doors around the stone hall and explained: "Behind these four stone doors are four different passages. Three of these passages lead to three independent pavilions respectively. Inside these three pavilions are stored items left behind by ancient Cultivators, namely 'ancient treasure', 'Medicinal Pill', and 'Cultivation Technique'."

Hearing the three terms "ancient treasure", "Medicinal Pill", and "Cultivation Technique", the breathing of many Cultivators in the hall became a bit rapid, their eyes flickering with greed and desire, and some even subconsciously licked their lips.

For these Core Formation Cultivators, any single treasure left behind by an ancient Cultivator could be an Opportunity sufficient to change their destiny!

Elder Qin Heng paused, his gaze sweeping over the expectant expressions on everyone's faces, and continued, "However, every one of these treasures is sealed by a powerful Restriction. Each person only has one Opportunity to take a single item. Once successful, that person will be immediately teleported to the next stage—the 'Ji Miao Illusionary Realm'. Therefore, when you make your choice, you must be cautious and select the treasure most suitable for yourself."

He pointed to the stone door that was the most secluded and looked the most unremarkable: "As for the final passageway, it is a shortcut that leads directly to the next stage. If anyone feels their Luck is poor, or is not interested in the treasures within those three pavilions, they may also choose this passageway and proceed directly to the next stage. Of course, this means giving up this Opportunity to obtain a treasure in vain. How you choose is entirely up to your own judgment."

As soon as his voice fell, a wave of hushed discussions erupted in the great hall.

Many Cultivators were calculating in their hearts which passageway to choose to obtain the greatest Opportunity. Some favored ancient treasures, believing that powerful Magic Treasures could directly increase their combat power; others favored Medicinal Pills, hoping to use them to break through their Bottlenecks; still others favored Cultivation Techniques, wanting to acquire more profound methods of Cultivate.

Just then, a loud and somewhat overbearing voice rang out in the great hall like a thunderclap, instantly drowning out all the discussions: "Hold on!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Savage Beard suddenly stand up from his stone stool. As his massive body moved, the stool emitted a harsh, grating sound.

He strode to the center of the great hall, each step causing the ground to tremble slightly. His gaze, like two sharp swords, pierced directly at the two Star Palace Elders, and he aggressively demanded, "Two Fellow Daoists of the Star Palace! Before we go and take those damned treasures, I want to clarify one thing! Did you kill Old Ancestor Ji Yin?!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the great hall instantly fell silent, so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

Everyone held their breath, their gazes uniformly cast towards the two Star Palace Elders, waiting for their answer.

The air seemed to freeze in that moment, and the atmosphere was tense to the extreme.

Facing Savage Beard's blunt questioning, Elder Qin Heng's expression sank, as if covered by a layer of frost.

He met Savage Beard's gaze calmly, without the slightest hint of backing down, and his tone cooled, carrying a trace of unquestionable authority: "Fellow Daoist Savage Beard, you can eat whatever you want, but you cannot say whatever you want! While the two of us would not dare claim to have a deep friendship with Fellow Daoist Ji Yin, we have no grudge against him either; why would we lay such lethal hands on him? If Fellow Daoist can produce evidence proving that the death of Fellow Daoist Ji Yin is related to us, the two of us are willing to accept punishment! But if you have no proof and slander the Elders of our Star Palace at will, hmph! Even if you have profound cultivation and a powerful background, our Star Palace is definitely not a group to be bullied! We will certainly report this matter truthfully to the Palace Master!"

His words were sonorous, reasonable, and full of Aura, which instead left Savage Beard momentarily speechless. He opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

He truly could not produce any evidence; it was merely based on speculation. If he really made a scene before the Star Palace Master, he would not fare well either.

Elder Qin Heng softened his tone slightly, though it still carried a hint of coldness, and continued: "Furthermore, although Fellow Daoist Ji Yin has not yet appeared, it does not necessarily mean he has met with misfortune. Within this Void Heaven Palace, there are countless Opportunities and complex, intersecting spaces. Perhaps he had some other encounter, was teleported elsewhere, or even obtained some Opportunity and left the Void Heaven Palace early; who knows? Why must Fellow Daoist be so arbitrary and conclude that he has fallen? You should know that in the world of Cultivate, anything is possible."

Upon hearing this, Savage Beard snorted coldly, two puffs of rough air spraying from his nostrils. Although he still did not believe it one bit in his heart, it was not appropriate to continue pestering them.

After all, he had no concrete evidence, and the Star Palace was powerful; he did not want to truly tear down the facade with the Star Palace, as that would bring him no benefits.

His gaze shifted, scanning the crowd in the great hall like a hawk, and finally landed on a figure in the corner who was bowing their head with somewhat unstable Aura—it was Immortal Master Xuesha!

He remembered this person; they had previously been following behind Old Ancestor Ji Yin, seemingly a servant newly taken in by Ji Yin.

Savage Beard strode over to Immortal Master Xuesha and looked down at him, the shadow cast by his massive body completely enveloping Immortal Master Xuesha.

He said in an unquestionable tone: "You are that kid who was following the old geezer Ji Yin before? I remember you, your name is Xuesha, right? Since the old geezer Ji Yin is no longer around, from now on, you can follow me! Don't worry, as long as you are loyal, I won't treat you badly! It's much better than following that sinister old geezer!"

Upon hearing this, Immortal Master Xuesha's body stiffened slightly, and a hint of perfectly timed panic and hesitation appeared on his face.

In his heart, he was naturally ten thousand times unwilling, but he had long been secretly instructed by Lu Qiu to try his best to stay by the side of the Demonic Path Nascent Soul Cultivators, in order to gather information and play a role at critical moments.

At this moment, Savage Beard's active recruitment played right into his hands and aligned with his master's plan.

He quickly raised his head, a look of flattered yet somewhat fearful expression on his face, and bowed, saying: "Thank you for your favor, Senior Savage Beard. This Junior is honored beyond measure! This Junior is willing to follow by your side and render service like a dog or a horse! I will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

Seeing this, Savage Beard nodded with satisfaction and patted Immortal Master Xuesha's shoulder with his cattail-fan-sized hand, nearly making him stumble, and laughed heartily: "Good! Those who know the times are outstanding! You kid are not bad! You have better judgment than that old geezer Ji Yin! From now on, just follow me, and I guarantee you'll have the best of everything! Inside this Void Heaven Palace, no one will dare bully you!"

Seeing this scene, Lu Qiu, who was hidden in the corner of the crowd, curled the corner of his mouth into an almost imperceptible cold smile, the smile carrying a trace of smugness and mockery.

"Everything is proceeding according to my plan. The chess piece, Xuesha, has successfully infiltrated the side of Savage Beard. Ji Yin has been eliminated, and Xuesha has been successfully planted by Savage Beard's side; for the next move in the chess game, it depends on how I play it." Lu Qiu thought to himself, his gaze deep.

At this time, the two Star Palace Elders no longer delayed and announced that everyone could choose their own passageway to go and seek Opportunities.

The Cultivators in the great hall were instantly like they had been injected with chicken blood, swarming towards the four stone doors, fearing that if they were one step slow, the Opportunities would be snatched away by others.

Lu Qiu mingled in the crowd, walking unhurriedly.

The passageway was not long, with some night-luminescent pearls embedded in the walls on both sides, emitting a soft light that illuminated the path ahead. After walking for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the path ahead suddenly opened up, and a piece of brilliant radiance came into view.

A white jade bridge, about several tens of zhang long and carved entirely from pure white jade, floated in mid-air. The bridge body was exceptionally exquisite, carved with Dragons and Phoenixes, lifelike, as if it would soar into the sky at any moment.

Beneath the bridge was a ten-thousand-foot abyss, shrouded in clouds and mist, bottomless. One end of the long bridge connected to the passageway exit, and the other end led to a four-cornered pavilion suspended in the center of the space.

That pavilion was over thirty zhang high, divided into upper and lower levels, and was built entirely from the finest spirit jade. In the Void Realm, it emitted a soft and warm light, flowing with color, like the legendary Immortal Realm jade terrace palace, beautiful and magnificent, breathtaking. On the flying eaves and upturned corners of the pavilion, some small golden bells hung, emitting a crisp and pleasant tinkling sound in the breeze.

Directly above the entrance of the pavilion hung a golden plaque several zhang in size, on which three ancient Seal characters were written with dragon-flying and phoenix-dancing flair, the brushwork vigorous, faintly having spirit light flowing: "Miao Dan Pavilion".

Lu Qiu stood at one end of the white jade bridge, his gaze falling on those three large characters, a flash of brilliance in his eyes, and a hint of anticipation rising in his heart.

"Miao Dan Pavilion... I hope that inside here, there can be Medicinal Pills that interest me. It would be best if they are treasures that are beneficial to the Nascent Soul Stage cultivation." He whispered to himself in his heart, then stepped onto the exceptionally exquisite white jade bridge, walking steadily towards the pavilion suspended in the air.