No, wait! I almost got played by this brat!

Shen Wuji snapped back to reality. He was currently playing the role of the Holy Scion of the Celestial Zenith Sanctuary. If a mere Qi Refining weakling snatched his identity token, he shouldn’t be reacting with such pathetic panic.

Realizing this, his expression instantly hardened, and killing intent surged from his eyes. He growled menacingly:

“Kid, do you have any idea what you are doing?”

“According to the laws of the Celestial Zenith Sanctuary, openly snatching a Holy Scion’s token is a capital offense. And as for your Falling Cloud Valley… if you continue to let him run wild, it will be very hard for me not to believe the entire sect is conspiring with him.”

He swept his gaze across the trembling elders.

“Add to that your Sect Leader’s crime of colluding with the Demonic Path, and I have enough grounds to ensure everyone in Falling Cloud Valley dies without a grave!”

Hearing this, the faces of the Falling Cloud Valley elders drained of color. Panic set in, and they immediately began to plead and scold.

“Honored Holy Scion, please misunderstand! This is entirely Big Qi’s personal behavior. It has nothing to do with Falling Cloud Valley!”

“Nephew Qi, return the token immediately! Are you trying to get us all killed?”

“Exactly! Give it back! You can’t possibly bear the consequences of this…”

Amidst the chaotic clamor, Yin Qingyuan knew it was his time to shine. He strode directly up to Qi Yuan and spoke with cold authority:

“I said long ago that this boy was a black sheep. See? He’s finally brought disaster upon us all.”

“Qi Da, if you still consider yourself a disciple of Falling Cloud Valley, hand the token back to the Holy Scion immediately. Then, kowtow and accept whatever punishment he deems fit.”

Yin Qingyuan’s eyes narrowed. “Otherwise, for the survival of the sect, this Elder will have no choice but to cleanse the ranks personally!”

Having delivered his ultimatum, Yin Qingyuan turned to the Formation Spirit hovering nearby. He bowed deeply, his tone dripping with respectful desperation.

“Senior Formation Spirit, this junior is Yin Qingyuan, an Elder of the Initiation Hall.”

“Our sect is currently hanging by a thread. One wrong move, and not only will the lives of our three thousand disciples be forfeit, but the foundation laid by our Ancestors will be utterly destroyed. I implore you, Senior, please allow us to handle Qi Da.”

“If we can survive this crisis, Falling Cloud Valley vows to honor you as our Supreme Sovereign for generations to come. We will never disobey your will!”

His words sounded reasonable, sincere, and heartbreakingly pragmatic. They immediately resonated with many of the terrified cultivators.

“Elder Yin is truly considerate. In these stormy times, we need a prudent man like him to take charge.”

“He’s right. That disciple is reckless and lawless. Keeping him around is a ticking time bomb. He must be severely punished…”

“You… you people are simply too much!”

Before Qi Yuan could speak, Bai Xirou stepped forward, shielding him. Her beautiful eyes burned with fury as she scanned the crowd.

“My father is still unconscious, yet all you know how to do is cower before this so-called Holy Scion! You’re useless! And now you turn your blades against Junior Brother Qi, the only one actually trying to solve the problem?”

“Anyone who wants to touch Junior Brother Qi will have to ask the Frostmoon Sword in my hand!”

With a flip of her delicate wrist, a short sword glowing with indigo light appeared in her grip. She stood resolute, a lone barrier between Qi Yuan and the mob.

Nearby, Piao Genshuo picked himself up from the floor. He dusted off his robes as if nothing had happened, walked over to Qi Yuan’s side, and sneered at the crowd with maximum sarcasm.

“A bunch of fucking retards. Has cultivation rotted your brains?”

He turned to Qi Yuan. “Big Brother, this Falling Cloud Valley is trash. Forget them. Come back to the Celestial Zenith Sanctuary with me. I’ll guarantee you a Core Disciple position, easy.”

This foul-mouthed insult instantly ignited the crowd’s fury.

“Bastard! Who are you calling a retard?”

“You’re the retard!”

“You dare act so arrogant on our turf? Do you want to die?”

“SILENCE!”

Just as the situation was about to spiral into a brawl, the Formation Spirit—who had been silent until now—suddenly shouted.

The sound was like a clap of thunder. The hall went instantly quiet. Even Piao Genshuo, remembering the kick he just received, wisely shut his mouth.

Within the boundaries of Falling Cloud Valley, a mid-stage Soul Formation entity was essentially God.

In the dead silence, the Formation Spirit let out a long, heavy sigh. Its voice sounded incredibly weary.

“This old man is truly unlucky. I just woke up and I’m already dealing with this pile of shit. If I had known, I would have stayed in my cave and slept.”

It turned its glowing gaze toward Qi Yuan, speaking slowly and deliberately.

“You little slippery rat. You definitely aren’t the type to commit suicide. Since you dare to do this, you must have a reason.”

“I’m leaving this mess to you. You figure it out.”

The Spirit slumped visibly. “I just want to destroy everything quickly. I’m tired. Really.”

The entire hall froze. Everyone stared at Qi Yuan with eyes wide enough to pop out of their sockets. They suspected they were hallucinating.

Holy shit!

This… this isn’t following the script!

Shouldn’t Big Qi be crushed under the weight of public opinion, forced to kneel, beg for mercy, and return the token with trembling hands?

Why did the situation suddenly flip? How did the player suddenly become the referee?

Even worse, this referee was backed by the sect’s ultimate weapon—the Formation Spirit. What was the point of pressuring him now? That would just be asking for a beating!

Shen Wuji’s triumphant smile froze on his face, replaced by a surge of bitter resentment.

Damn Formation Spirit! Is Big Qi your dad or something? Why do you trust him so blindly?!

Hearing the Spirit’s words, Qi Yuan paused, then rubbed his nose sheepishly. “Thank you for the trust, Senior.”

“Actually, verifying the truth doesn’t require a trip all the way to the Celestial Zenith Sanctuary. Wouldn’t it be easier to just find a disciple from their sanctuary to come take a look?”

As he spoke, he reached into his storage bag, pulled out a severed head with a ferocious expression frozen on its face, and held it up for everyone to see.

What… what is this?!

Dozens of eyes stared at the bloody object in confusion, unable to comprehend Qi Yuan’s move.

“Impossible! That… that is the head of the Wang Family Patriarch from Reed River City!”

Yin Qingyuan was the first to recognize it. He screamed in shock, looking at Qi Yuan as if he were seeing a ghost.

“Patriarch Wang Tiande is a Golden Core cultivator! How do you have his head?!”

Hearing this, the rest of the crowd realized the gravity of the object. A wave of shock crashed over them.

Is he crazy?!

A mere Qi Refining junior publicly displaying the severed head of a Golden Core powerhouse? This surreal scene completely shattered their understanding of the world.

Qi Yuan chuckled. He casually tossed the head onto the floor, his expression perfectly calm.

“Not long ago, I accepted a mission from the Merit Hall to investigate missing cultivators in Reed River City.”

“I went there, but before I could do much, I found the case had already been solved by two passing disciples from a Holy Sanctuary.”

“It turned out that Wang Tiande was practicing evil arts to extend his lifespan. The missing cultivators were abducted by the Wang Family, their flesh and blood used as fuel for his longevity technique.”

“Naturally, justice was served. The Sanctuary disciples uprooted the Wang Family and executed the ringleader, Wang Tiande, on the spot.”

Qi Yuan shrugged modestly. “I’ve always been a likable guy, so I hit it off with those two disciples. When they found out I was on a mission, they gave me Wang Tiande’s head as proof of completion.”

Hearing this explanation, the crowd let out a collective breath of relief.

That makes sense.

If this kid claimed he killed a Golden Core master himself, that would be a fairy tale no one would believe. But mooching off the success of high-level disciples? That was plausible.

Qi Yuan smiled faintly. He then pulled a communication talisman from his bag.

“Of course, the head isn’t the point. The point is, those two Sanctuary disciples are still in Reed River City.”

He looked directly at Shen Wuji.

“For late-stage Golden Core cultivators, flying from Reed River City to Falling Cloud Valley takes less than an hour.”

“If we just invite them over to verify your face, wouldn’t the truth be revealed immediately?”

Late-stage Golden Core disciples from the Celestial Zenith Sanctuary?

Shen Wuji’s face changed drastically. A chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to his skull.

Disciples with that level of cultivation were definitely elites within the sect. There was zero chance they wouldn’t know what their own Holy Scion looked like.

If they actually came here… he was dead.

At this moment, everyone in the hall was completely sold on Qi Yuan’s reasonable story. They naturally assumed the “Sanctuary disciples” Qi Yuan mentioned were from the Celestial Zenith Sanctuary…