“Holy Scion of Celestial Zenith, what are you doing?!”

Seeing the sudden change, Bai Qingwu’s pupils contracted sharply. Shock and fury warred on his face as he retreated, struggling desperately to break free from the encroaching black mist.

However, the expanding mass of black substance clung to him like maggots on bone, locking him in place.

Wherever it touched—flesh, blood, bone, or even his Nascent Soul consciousness—everything solidified instantly, rendering him immobile.

“Hehe…” Shen Wuji grinned, his voice casual. “Considering how sincerely Falling Cloud Valley has served the Sanctuary, I naturally have to give you a return gift as a reward. Just accept it peacefully.”

“Wait… this is a demonic technique! You aren’t Piao Genshuo!”

Bai Qingwu’s realization came with a snarl. He tried to make a desperate last stand, but it was too late. His entire body turned pitch black, freezing him on the spot like a statue.

The commotion instantly drew attention. A group of guard disciples rushed into the hall, their eyes widening in horror at the scene before them.

“What’s going on?!”

“Sect Master!”

“What did you do to him? Why… why does he look like that?”

Chaos erupted in the hall. The disciples panicked, completely at a loss.

Logically, they should have attacked the assailant immediately. But they had been repeatedly drilled with the order that this man was a distinguished guest from the Holy Land, a person of supreme status who must never be offended. That order had come from the Sect Master himself.

Leaderless and confused, they lacked the courage to attack a Nascent Soul realm Holy Scion.

Meanwhile, Shen Wuji remained seated comfortably on the main throne, sipping his tea as if nothing had happened, completely ignoring the stares around him.

Moments later, another wave of noise came from outside. Elder Yin Qingyuan of the Initiation Pavilion strode in with several other elders, their auras imposing.

Seeing Bai Qingwu completely subdued, a flicker of delight flashed in Yin Qingyuan’s eyes, though he quickly masked it with feigned shock.

“What are you all crowding around for?” Yin Qingyuan shouted at the disciples. “Weren’t you told not to be disrespectful to the Holy Scion?”

The disciples exchanged glances and stepped back, clearing a path.

Just then, another group of Falling Cloud Valley elders rushed in. Seeing the Sect Master frozen like a statue, they froze in horror.

“Sect Master!”

The loyal elders flew into a rage, stepping forward to demand an answer.

“Piao Genshuo! How dare you assault our Sect Master! Do you think Falling Cloud Valley is empty?!”

“We have three thousand disciples and the Grand Formation left by our Ancestor! If you don’t give us an explanation today, even if it means mutual destruction, we will fight you to the death!”

“Exactly! We served you with utmost respect, yet you poisoned our Sect Master! There is no justice in this! Even if we have to take this case to the Celestial Zenith Sanctuary, we will seek justice!”

As the crowd seethed with righteous indignation, Shen Wuji let out a cold laugh. His tone turned sinister.

“Bai Qingwu, Sect Master of Falling Cloud Valley, secretly practiced evil arts and colluded with the Demonic Path. When I exposed him, he flew into a rage and attempted to murder me. That is why I subdued him.”

He swept his gaze across the room.

“With all of you making such a fuss, could it be that the entire Falling Cloud Valley is in cahoots with him?”

“If that is truly the case, I will summon forces from the Sanctuary immediately to raze Falling Cloud Valley to the ground. Better to cut the weeds and dig up the roots!”

His words plunged the hall into dead silence.

The Sect Master… colluding with demons?

The accusation was absurd, monstrous. Yet, coming from the mouth of the “Holy Scion of Celestial Zenith Sanctuary,” it carried a terrifying weight.

If the charge stuck, not only would Bai Qingwu be ruined, but the entire sect would be implicated, potentially facing annihilation. Even Bai Qingwu’s most staunch supporters hesitated, their momentum broken.

“Nonsense! My father has always been upright and honorable! How could he possibly collude with demons!”

A clear, furious voice broke the silence.

Bai Xirou strode into the hall, her face frosty as she glared at Shen Wuji. Her expression was filled with grief and indignation.

“You are slandering him! If you have nothing to hide, release my father immediately and let him confront you publicly! Right and wrong will be judged by the elders present!”

“What an eloquent little beauty,” Shen Wuji sneered mockingly. “If I release your father right now and prove he has cultivated demonic arts, what will you do then?”

Bai Xirou trembled slightly, a flicker of unease in her heart. Yet, her expression remained resolute.

“My Bai family has served the sect with devotion for generations. My father would never commit such an act.”

“If you can prove my father has cultivated demonic arts, both he and I will submit to any punishment!”

“Hahaha…” Shen Wuji threw his head back and laughed. “Good! Since you insist, how could I refuse such a kind offer?”

He flicked his sleeve. A stream of majestic, pure Qi shot out, pouring into Bai Qingwu’s frozen body.

The next moment, the ink-like blackness on Bai Qingwu rapidly dissipated like snow under a hot sun. His stiff joints loosened.

“Father!”

“Sect Master!”

Seeing Bai Qingwu regain mobility, everyone sighed in relief and rushed forward.

Amidst the calls, Bai Qingwu abruptly opened his eyes.

His pupils were gone. His eyes were pitch black, devoid of whites, looking utterly bizarre and sinister. His calm features twisted into a ferocious grimace, radiating a suffocating aura of brutality.

“Kill! Kill! Kill you all!”

He let out a bestial roar, raising his hands to attack anyone in range.

Bai Xirou’s face turned deathly pale. “Father! What’s wrong with you? Wake up!”

The other cultivators gasped in horror, retreating frantically.

Shen Wuji sneered. “See? This is the consequence of cultivating demonic arts. He recognizes no kin, no reason. He is deranged!”

With a triumphant smile, he raised his palm. A gleaming blood-red longsword materialized, slashing down toward Bai Qingwu’s neck.

“Don’t kill my father!”

Bai Xirou screamed, rushing forward recklessly to stop the blade with her own body.

Bang!

Suddenly, a streak of white light descended from the ceiling. It smashed into the blood-red sword, shattering it into a shower of light.

Who?

Shen Wuji frowned, narrowing his eyes at the source.

“What a bunch of useless fools. Someone is about to kill your Sect Master right in front of your faces, and you all act like turtles hiding in your shells.”

“If Bai Yanju saw this, even his coffin lid wouldn’t be able to hold him down!”

Accompanied by the grumpy voice, a teenage boy slowly materialized in the center of the hall. He casually waved a hand, instantly immobilizing the frenzied Bai Qingwu again.

“Senior Formation Spirit?!”

The Falling Cloud Valley cultivators stared, dumbfounded.

After over a thousand years of silence, the legendary Spirit of the Sect’s Grand Formation had finally appeared!