Vindication

Yet far from being angered, the man pointed at the disciple and bellowed at the top of his lungs, "Look! Look, everyone!" "He's panicking! Look how defensive he is!" "It's plain as day—you just want to seize my junior sister and execute her! If that weren't the case, why would you be so desperate to explain yourself?!" The man clutched the woman in his arms tightly, sweeping a sharp, fierce gaze in all directions. Many in the crowd nodded along with what he was saying. At that moment, the sect master of another sect stepped forward, frowning as he said in a chilling voice, "Do not jump to conclusions!" "The only reason we are standing here alive right now is that the powerhouses of the Great Xia Sword Sect rushed to our aid." "Were it not for them, we would have long since perished at the hands of the Abyss Demons!" These words immediately drew nods of agreement from many in the crowd. "He's right! The Great Xia Sword Sect wouldn't be so petty." "If they truly wanted to wipe us out, it would be as easy as turning over a hand for them." "All of you, remember one thing... The Great Xia Sword Sect could have easily stood by and done nothing!" Seeing the tide turning against him, the man immediately countered, "Then where are all the people who were taken away? Why hasn't a single one returned to this day?" "If you ask me—" *Boom!* Before he could finish his sentence, a terrifyingly immense pressure came crashing down, slamming the man straight out of the sky. *Bang!* His body crashed violently onto the ground, shattering the bluestone pavers. Prostrated on the ground, the man spat out a mouthful of blood—this impact alone had injured him worse than his earlier fight against the Abyss Demons. A pair of white boots entered his field of vision. Across the square, every member of the Great Xia Sword Sect stopped what they were doing, bowed deeply toward the figure, and chorused in resonant voices: "Greetings, Elder Li!" Li Guanqi gave a calm nod. With his hands hanging loosely at his sides, he walked expressionlessly toward the man on the ground. The man's previous bluster vanished into thin air in an instant. Blood blurred his vision as he looked with trembling horror at the youth approaching him. Meanwhile, the unconscious woman lay sprawled on the ground beside him. Li Guanqi glanced at her, then slowly crouched down. "Afraid we'll kill people?" The man dared not utter a single word now, pursing his lips and averting his gaze. Li Guanqi said nothing more, merely gazing quietly at the woman. Suddenly, the woman—who had been deeply unconscious—began writhing and convulsing, twisting her limbs into uncanny, unnatural angles that sent chills down the onlookers' spines. Worry flared in the man's eyes as he watched. "Yunxi! Yunxi, what's happening to you?!" The woman did not answer. Only strange, guttural snarls tore from her throat. Then, her eyes snapped open—revealing a pair of blood-red irises. Black mist churned within them. The instant she opened her eyes, she lunged straight toward an injured cultivator nearby! She moved so fast that the cultivator could only raise his hand and throw out a burst of spiritual light! "Get off me! What the hell is that?!" *Bang!* The woman took the blow head-on and flew backward through the air, yet she twisted midair and landed steadily on both feet. *Thud!* The moment she landed, wisps of eerie black mist began leaking from her body! Seeing this, the pupils of many onlookers constricted sharply! "Demonic qi! It really is demonic qi!" "Look! Her flesh and blood vitality are dwindling at terrifying speed!" "The demonic qi is devouring her essence blood!" The woman with the oval face had grown haggard and gaunt, her hair falling out in thick clumps and her cheeks sinking inward. In the span of a single breath, she had withered into skin and bones, yet her aura continued to swell relentlessly. A chill gripped the hearts of the watching crowd! It was true... Just as that Great Xia Sword Sect disciple had said, the Great Xia Sword Sect had hidden nothing about the nature of this affliction! "Yunxi! Yunxi... how... how did you become like this?!" "Argh! Damn Abyss Demon! Give me back my Yunxi!" The man writhed frantically. Even though the power manifested by the Abyss Demon had already far outstripped his own, he still struggled with all his might to break free of Li Guanqi's suppression. Yet with his meager strength, how could he possibly contend against Li Guanqi? Li Guanqi lightly tapped the void with a finger. Several bolts of lightning immediately coalesced into a three-foot cage, firmly sealing the woman within. Looking down contemptuously at the man, Li Guanqi said softly, "See that? You're the one who caused her to become like this." The man looked up, glaring wrathfully at Li Guanqi, and roared, "It's you! It's all because of you! If you hadn't stopped me, I definitely could have saved her!" Li Guanqi sneered, withdrew his oppressive aura, and pointed toward the woman, murmuring, "Go on then. I won't stop you. Let's see how you save her." The man struggled to his feet and flew to the woman's side. Yet looking at the woman now—completely devoid of reason, drooling, and snarling incessantly—he had no idea where to even begin. Li Guanqi sneered. "Is this what you call protecting her? Foolish..." By now, many cultivators had already begun inspecting the disciples of their respective sects. The moment anyone showed any signs of infection, their leaders practically wanted to drop to their knees and beg the Great Xia Sword Sect's disciples to take them away. The man tried every method at his disposal, yet none did anything to improve the woman's condition; if anything, it only deteriorated further. Every drop of essence blood he channeled into her was wholly swallowed by the Abyss Demon, only serving to strengthen it. Seeing the man slip into madness and slit his own wrist, Li Guanqi frowned and flicked his sleeve, tossing him a dozen zhang away. If this continued any longer, the woman truly would be beyond saving. With hollow eyes, the man looked at the scene before him, pushed himself up, and crawled toward Li Guanqi. Falling to his knees, he wrung his hands in desperate remorse, weeping bitterly. "Venerable One, I'm sorry... I'm sorry! I was wrong... I was truly wrong!" "I beg of you, please save Yunxi!" *Thud! Thud! Thud!* The man kowtowed to Li Guanqi, each strike harder than the last, until fresh blood stained the bluestone pavers. Yet he continued banging his head against the ground, his voice choked with pleading and tears streaming like a broken dam as he begged Li Guanqi to save her. Li Guanqi sighed. He had originally intended to make an example of the man to warn the others, but seeing him reduced to such a state, he could not help feeling a twinge of pity. Glancing around at the grim, chastened faces of the crowd, he knew his purpose had been achieved. It was enough to make them realize how severe the consequences were. Besides... with the Great Xia Sword Sect's current strength and standing, they had no need to resort to such petty, underhanded tricks in the first place! Li Guanqi raised his hand and extracted the woman's soul. Everyone could clearly see the dark demonic qi entwining it. With another wave of his hand, boundless lightning materialized. The sight dumbfounded many of the onlookers. "Hiss... Is he going to kill her?" Yet before they could ponder further, the lightning dissipated, leaving the woman's soul completely cleansed of demonic qi. Once the soul returned to her body, although she remained exceedingly weak, the monstrous, twisted ferocity from earlier was gone. The man finally let out a breath of relief, scrambling on hands and knees across the ground toward her. "Thank you... Thank you..." Paying no further heed to the kowtowing man, Li Guanqi turned to the youth who had spoken out in anger earlier and asked with a smile, "What is your name?" Excitement flushed across the youth's face as he answered in a solemn, respectful voice, "Reporting to Elder Li, I am Shen Zhirong, a thirty-seventh generation disciple of the Great Xia Sword Sect's Tianlei Peak." Looking at the youth, who had already reached the early Nascent Soul realm, Li Guanqi pondered for a moment. Raising his hand, he sent a streak of purple spiritual light floating toward him, saying softly, "Contained within this is a sword technique I have long practiced. Today, I bestow it upon you." "I hope that you will continue to maintain this attitude in the days to come. The sect's glory shall surely shine upon every one of you!" Watching this, disciples across the square—whether they were among those who had recently returned or not—could not help but look on with burning envy! That was a sword technique personally gifted by Li Guanqi! That alone was more than enough to make them green with envy. And in that moment, Shen Zhirong's sense of belonging and devotion to the sect reached its absolute pinnacle!