Wang Guangwei clutched his severed arm with his other hand, blood continuously seeping through his palm. His eerie face made the scene look even more terrifying.
"You got lucky," Wang Guangwei said, staring coldly at Li Xiaoyao. Even now, he didn't believe that Li Xiaoyao had the strength to defeat him. He was convinced that it was sheer luck, and that Li Xiaoyao had struck at the exact moment when he couldn't defend himself. Many outer sect disciples shared this belief; they couldn't accept that the so-called "waste" Li Xiaoyao could defeat Wang Guangwei with just one strike.
"Luck?" Li Xiaoyao was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. "Maybe."
"Next time, I won't give you the chance," Wang Guangwei said, staggering toward the crowd. With one arm severed and seriously wounded, he needed urgent treatment.
"Hopefully, there won't be a next time," Li Xiaoyao thought to himself. Wang Guangwei couldn't even comprehend how he had lost and attributed it to luck. With such a mindset, Wang Guangwei would never be able to defeat him.
"You dare to injure even a law enforcer. It seems like you have no regard for the Canghai Sect at all," Xie Yun said, accusing Li Xiaoyao.
Looking at Xie Yun, Li Xiaoyao sneered, "If you're so bent on pinning charges on me, why bother with excuses? According to your logic, should I have let him break my arm and then be expelled from the sect to prove my loyalty? Don't you find this laughable, Elder?"
Li Xiaoyao deliberately emphasized the word "Elder." After all, they were trying to cripple him and expel him from the sect, yet they still expected him to show respect for the Canghai Sect. Li Xiaoyao couldn't help but admire Xie Yun's ability to say such absurd things.
"Sect Master, may I speak for myself?" Li Xiaoyao no longer looked at Xie Yun, as the one with the authority to make decisions was Nangong Shang.
A flicker of amusement appeared in Nangong Shang's eyes. He was indeed interested in Li Xiaoyao, who had remained composed and unflinching from the beginning. Such a calm demeanor was exactly what a martial artist needed.
"Speak," Nangong Shang nodded.
"Sect Master, I was summoned here and, upon arriving, was immediately accused by the Elder, labeled as a traitor and disgrace to the sect. When I tried to explain myself, the Elder insulted me and said that for defying him, my arm should be broken and I should be expelled from the sect. I want to ask: In our sect, is someone guilty simply because an Elder says so? And does the Elder's word alone represent the law of the sect?"
Li Xiaoyao's sharp words echoed, making the crowd think that this guy must be insane.
"How dare you!" A powerful aura locked onto Li Xiaoyao, and Xie Yun could barely restrain his desire to kill him on the spot.
"If I don't dare to speak, I'll be crippled and expelled from the sect. So why not dare once? I just want to ask the Elderâwhere does my guilt come from?" Li Xiaoyao stood his ground, fearlessly confronting Xie Yun.
"You wretch! You injured a fellow disciple and insulted your eldersâdo you not admit it?" Li Xin shouted coldly.
"So that's how it is," Li Xiaoyao sneered. "It seems the Elder has judged me based on her words alone."
"And what if I did?" Xie Yun's killing intent grew stronger by the moment. Whether or not Li Xin and Chu Tianpeng held grudges against Li Xiaoyao, he was determined to see him dead.
"Heh, since the Elder admits it, then let me ask you in front of the Sect Masterâif you judge me guilty based on her word but refuse to hear my side, are you an Elder of Canghai Sect or an Elder of Yuehui Sect?"
"What a sharp-tongued brat! You dare insult me, an Inner Sect Elder? I will cripple your cultivation and cleanse the sect right now!" Xie Yun had reached the limit of his patience. If Li Xiaoyao continued to speak, his reputation as an Elder would be utterly ruined.
"Justice is clear to all. I am merely an outer sect disciple. If you wish to cripple me, just do itâthere's no need for these fabricated charges." As Li Xiaoyao spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Nangong Shang.
If Nangong Shang stopped Xie Yun, he would still be a disciple of Canghai Sect. But if Nangong Shang allowed Xie Yun to cripple him, then Li Xiaoyao would reveal the secret of the Bell and Drum Cliff. Even if he escaped in the end, he would no longer be a disciple of Canghai Sect. Therefore, sect or no sect, Li Xiaoyao did not have a servile mindset ingrained in him anymore.
So, everything hinged on Nangong Shang's decision.
Xie Yun's footsteps drew closer.
Nangong Shang noticed Li Xiaoyao's gaze, and his own eyes were fixed on Li Xiaoyao as well.
"This boy has a firm will. Facing such a dangerous situation, he remains calm. Coupled with his talent, in a few years, he could potentially enter the Inner Sect, or even become a core disciple."
"Xie Yun, as an Inner Sect Elder, has achieved much in martial arts, and his talent is not lacking. He has room for further improvement. Although today's events were his fault, he is still an Inner Sect Elder, and more importantly, he is the son of Xie Canglan."
In that instant, Nangong Shang thought of many things. As the Sect Master, he had to weigh the pros and cons of everything. If it benefited the sect, he would do it. If it didn't, he wouldn't.
He knew very well that Xie Yun was in the wrong, but if he stopped him now, it would damage Xie Yun's pride, creating a grudge. Furthermore, he had to consider Xie Canglan's influence, as the latter was the Great Elder of the sect, a man who had contributed greatly to Canghai Sect.
In comparison, Li Xiaoyao's potential still seemed insignificant.
Nangong Shang's silence brought a self-mocking smile to Li Xiaoyao's face, ridiculing his own naivety. Defeating Wang Guangwei, who ranked tenth among the outer sect disciples, didn't change the fact that he was still just an outer disciple. Xie Yun was an Inner Sect Elder. How could Nangong Shang possibly damage Xie Yun's reputation for him?
Only by possessing great power could one avoid such predicaments.
"You foolish boy." Xie Yun's voice, cold and full of killing intent, echoed in Li Xiaoyao's ears as he approached. His face bore a malicious grin. To him, Li Xiaoyao was nothing more than an outer discipleâdaring to oppose him was simply seeking death.
"Li Xiaoyao is finished," many in the crowd thought. This outcome, they felt, was self-inflicted.
"Shame, I won't get to cripple him myself." Li Xin sneered coldly. Though the outcome surprised her, it made little difference. Either way, Li Xiaoyao was doomed.
A powerful pressure bore down on Li Xiaoyao, making his hair stand on end. He opened his mouth to speak, but just as he was about to, the icy killing intent that had locked onto him vanished, disappearing completely.
"Huh?" Li Xiaoyao was stunned, surprised that the cold intent had dissipated so abruptlyâand so thoroughly.
Xie Yun was only a short distance away from Li Xiaoyao, but at that moment, his steps came to an abrupt halt. His pupils dilated wildly as if he had witnessed something unbelievable. Simultaneously, an irresistible force of oppression descended upon him.
As many wondered why Xie Yun had suddenly stopped, both Nangong Shang and Xie Canglan's eyes sharpened with shock.
"What is that..." Li Xiaoyao's gaze froze on Xie Yun, his eyes widening with disbelief. He could hardly trust what he was seeing.
"It's not an illusion." Li Xiaoyao's eyes opened as wide as they could, staring fixedly at Xie Yun. There, on Xie Yun's body, was a shadow, humanoid in form, and it moved. Even when Xie Yun stood still, the shadow moved on its own.
It was a shadowâa real, human-like shadow.
But the terrifying thing was, Li Xiaoyao could only see the shadow. He couldn't see the person it belonged to; the shadow's owner was invisible.
Not only did Li Xiaoyao notice this, but the crowd, witnessing the strange behavior of Xie Yun, the Sect Master, and others, also spotted the shadowâor more precisely, the figure of a shadow.
"Get back." A raspy voice echoed from the void. The voice was heard, but no speaker could be seen.
This eerie scene sent chills down many people's spines. The sudden appearance of the shadow profoundly shook everyone's hearts.