Chapter 84: The Sky Clears

Chapter 84: The Sky Clears

Wan Yunhai descended gracefully next to Chen Yin, lightly waving his folding fan, a calm smile on his face.

“If you’re looking for concrete evidence regarding the Changli Palace incident,” he said casually, “what a coincidence—I just happen to have some.”

Upon seeing him, Chang Wen sighed deeply, and the other elders' faces grew grim. Wu Xun stared at the group silently, his gaze like a dagger.

Chen Yin, on the other hand, looked at Wan Yunhai with curiosity and couldn’t help but turn to his master.

“Is this also one of the helpers you called?”

“Yep. Got a problem with that?” his master replied nonchalantly.

“How on earth did you manage to summon the pavilion master of the Wanxiang Pavilion?”

“You think I’ve lived all these years without making a few connections? Surprised?”

Chen Yin, unwilling to listen to his master brag, turned back to Wan Yunhai.

“But why would Wanxiang Pavilion know about the Changli Palace matter?”

Wan Yunhai smiled, lightly shaking his fan.

“This is actually an open secret among the more powerful cultivators. Our Wanxiang Pavilion doesn’t just deal in business.”

“In fact, we have another line of work—intelligence.”

Chen Yin immediately understood.

—The Wanxiang Pavilion had branches all across the continent, with their presence seemingly everywhere. Comparing their scale to a sect, they might well be the largest in the world.

However, the Wanxiang Pavilion’s ancestral teaching was to stay out of the affairs of the cultivation world, seeking only wealth and prosperity. Thus, it had long been regarded as the greatest business organization on the continent, with few aware of its true capabilities.

But now it was clear: Wanxiang Pavilion was far more than it seemed.

“If an organization of that size were to set up an intelligence system…” Chen Yin thought for a moment, then smiled faintly. “…it could probably cover the entire continent.”

“Exactly. But this service is reserved for our valued patrons—not just anyone can buy intelligence from us,” Wan Yunhai said with a hearty laugh. “It just so happens that our guest deacon caught wind of the Changli Palace incident early on and preserved some evidence in secret.”

Turning to Wu Xun, he continued with a sly smile.

“If the Sect Leader of the Misty Spirit Sect is truly blameless, I’ll go ahead and display this evidence for your disciples.”

His words shook even the disciples of Misty Spirit Sect, leaving them visibly unsettled.

“How—How could even Wanxiang Pavilion accuse us?”

“First it was the Tianluo Sect, then Wanxiang Pavilion, and there’s still the Immortal Yu Ling behind them…”

“Could it be…”

“The truth will soon be revealed,” Wan Yunhai said, waving his hand.

An iron box floated into the air, projecting an image onto a blank scroll.

Wu Xun stared at the iron box, his voice emerging through gritted teeth.

“A Sound-Capture Jade Case.”

Chen Yin, meanwhile, felt his expression grow strange as he looked at the device.

—Wasn’t this just a video camera?

Why was such a thing in this world?

Did Wanxiang Pavilion also have some kind of system user?

Noticing his odd expression, Wan Yunhai explained, “This item is an ancestral treasure of the Wanxiang Pavilion, capable of recording and replaying scenes. It was one of our founder’s favorite artifacts.”

“How is it? Impressive, right?” he added with a proud grin.

Chen Yin forced a smile, his mouth twitching.

“Impressive. Very impressive…”

In the projected scene, the peaceful Changli Palace was suddenly stormed by a group of masked cultivators, with the elders of Misty Spirit Sect leading them.

The subsequent massacre, torture, interrogation, and rivers of blood made even the disciples of Misty Spirit Sect shiver.

Chen Yin gently covered Yu Xiang’s eyes, leaning in to whisper softly.

“Don’t look.”

Yu Xiang’s shoulders trembled slightly as she bit her lip and nodded.

Faced with the projection, the disciples of Misty Spirit Sect grew pale, their gazes toward their elders now tinged with fear and estrangement.

“Do you have anything left to say?” Wan Yunhai snapped his fan shut with a smirk.

Wu Xun closed his eyes for a long moment. Beside him, Chang Wen sighed and said slowly,

“The situation is beyond salvation.”

“—There’s no other way out.”

These words seemed to serve as a signal. The elders present stiffened as one.

Wu Xun nodded and stepped forward, speaking loudly and clearly.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I do not understand why you are all determined to destroy my Misty Spirit Sect today.”

“But if you think my sect can be bullied so easily, then you underestimate the foundation we’ve built over countless years in the cultivation world.”

Hearing this, Wan Yunhai and Mu Susu’s expressions changed. Chen Yin’s master narrowed her eyes slightly.

“If you are truly intent on leaving no survivors—” Wu Xun’s eyes turned venomous.

“—then we will not hold back either.”

As his words fell, several masked shadows suddenly appeared, surrounding the group.

In the next moment, a resplendent golden light burst forth beneath their feet.

Looking down, Chen Yin saw countless intricate and ancient patterns weaving together, a heavy and primordial aura enveloping the entire mountain.

“This is–!” Shen Shuanglian’s rarely seen fear flickered in her eyes.

“The Misty Spirit Sect’s protective grand formation—the Xuanhuang Mist-Hidden Formation!”

Chen Yin tilted his head curiously.

“What’s that? Is it powerful?”

“This formation has only been activated once in the past thousand years, during the height of the demonic path’s power,” Shen Shuanglian said, her brows furrowed.

“I read about it in sect records. The formation consumes enormous energy, enough to drain the life force of several Great Purity Realm immortals.”

“And its power—”

“Leaves no survivors below the level of True Immortal,” Yu Ling interjected flatly, glancing at him sideways. “What do you think? Powerful or not?”

Chen Yin let out a quiet “Oh.”

Soon, the golden light completed its circuit beneath their feet. In an instant, the entire mountain seemed to plunge into a primordial wilderness.

The dense spiritual energy was suffocating, and Chen Yin found even the circulation of his own spiritual energy slowing to a halt.

The scene before him grew increasingly blurred and chaotic, as though swallowed by boundless fog.

Everything felt like the dawn of creation.

Mu Susu tightened her grip on Luo Qiaoqiao’s hand, her lips parting slightly.

“Stay close. Hide behind me.”

Luo Qiaoqiao glanced uneasily at Chen Yin.

Chen Yin surveyed the fog that now completely surrounded them and turned to his master.

“So, this supposedly amazing formation—can you deal with it?”

“Of course not.”

Yu Ling  stood with hands on her hips, perfectly serious.

“I’m still injured, okay? At best, I can protect myself. Where would I get the energy to deal with this ridiculous formation?”

Chen Yin turned to Wan Yunhai, who gave a sheepish laugh and shrugged.

“I’m just a businessman. Fighting isn’t my strong suit.”

On the side, Mu Susu’s face was grave.

“This formation would be nearly impossible for a single person to dismantle. I came here expecting a spectacle, not thinking the old dogs of Misty Spirit Sect would be desperate enough to bite back.”

“Looks like we’re in for it today.”

Chen Yin irritably poked his master’s forehead.

“You came out injured just to show off, huh? Well, great job. Now look where it’s gotten us.”

"What’s there to be afraid of?" Her master waved her small hand nonchalantly.

"It's not like we need to make a move, aren’t you here?"

"You're all seasoned experts of the cultivation world, and yet you're relying on a mere disciple like me, who’s just at the Cloud Realm, to face the danger?"

"Ah, raising a disciple for a thousand days is for using him at a critical moment. Why else would I keep you around if not to take hits for me?"

Chen Yin glared at her angrily, gritting his teeth. "You old hag! Always pushing the dirty work onto me."

"Look who's talking. Don't you go around flaunting my name all the time, tricking and scamming people?" she retorted casually.

"Old hag."

"Brat."

The two exchanged a look and burst into laughter.

Nearby, Luo Qiaoqiao and her mom listened in bewilderment to their banter. Chen Yin then turned to Xiang'er and said softly, "Step back and protect yourself," before stepping forward slowly.

In his hand, Changming began to glow, its light gradually intensifying like a lamp being turned up.

"So, this explains why your secret division experts haven't shown up in force." Chen Yin chuckled softly.

"Turns out you’ve been using yourselves as the foundation's core."

"That saves me the trouble of hunting you all down one by one."

His tone turned icy.

The glow from the sword grew brighter and more dazzling, its blade trembling slightly as it emitted a crisp, clear hum. His figure seemed to blend with the swirling mist, becoming ethereal.

"Senior brother…" Yu Xiang couldn't help but call out softly.

Chen Yin turned his head and smiled gently at her.

"Xiang'er, watch closely."

"From this day forward, no darkness will ever cloud your life again."

"Because this sky, I will clear it for you," he said calmly.

The aura around him turned cold and unassuming, not like a celestial or a deity, but like an ordinary mortal holding a sword, standing against the boundless heavens.

Though small in stature, the sword in his hand grew ever brighter and more intense, like a blazing sun.

Under its radiance, the masked cultivators serving as the core of the formation began trembling uncontrollably. Thin, bloody fissures appeared on their bodies, and countless tiny sword lights pierced through them like a hail of arrows.

Their bodies were torn apart in an instant, leaving not even time for a scream before they disintegrated into ash in the vast radiance of the sword.

The dark mist that covered the sky ripped apart with a sharp tearing sound, like fabric being shredded.

At the same time, those outside the formation, including Wu Xun, who were pouring their spiritual energy into it, all spat blood and staggered backward. Their bodies became feeble and weakened.

Elder Mo Jie, already injured, let out a mournful cry as half his body exploded into a bloody mist. Elder Chang Wen gave a bitter smile as the light in his eyes dimmed and faded.

With a single stroke, the formation was cleaved in two. The sky slowly returned to its original clarity and brilliance.

Yu Xiang widened her eyes, gazing at the cloudless blue sky, the gentle sunlight, and her senior brother standing beneath it with his sword.

Chen Yin turned his head, smiling warmly at her.

"Xiang'er, look."

"—The sky has cleared."

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