Chapter 36: Slander

The vehicle sped along the highway, quickly leaving the sealed danger zone and returning safely to Tianchang City.

Seeing the familiar city, Li Yi, drenched in blood, finally relaxed his entire body.

Right now, he felt every part of him aching and sore; multiple areas of his body were injured from overexertion or prolonged running, especially his back—where he had been slashed by the ferocious biao during his first evasion. Though the bleeding had stopped, the wounds still burned fiercely.

“Li Yi, once we reach the secure zone, I’ll have the supervisor arrange a doctor to examine you. Your injuries seem serious.” On the vehicle, Zheng Fei noticed Li Yi’s pain and spoke up.

“Alright, thank you. I’ll leave it to you then.” Li Yi nodded without refusing.

Zheng Fei chuckled: “It’s nothing to thank me for. After all, you were injured on this mission—the company won’t ignore it. But your injuries are mild compared to someone named He Jun, a Spirit Medium cultivator who got far worse.”

“He Jun?” Li Yi’s expression shifted: “Is he still alive?”

He Jun had previously collided with him while fleeing, trying to use him as bait to draw off the biao. But Li Yi wasn’t simple—he’d used He Jun to lure away a group of spider-like humanoid monsters.

“He’s still alive, probably won’t die, but he lost an arm and has multiple severe wounds. If he hadn’t been lucky enough to run into Yang Yilong, who pulled him to safety during the evacuation, he wouldn’t have made it back.” Zheng Fei said: “And He Jun was incredibly unlucky—he didn’t face just one beast, but a whole pack of monsters.”

“Among all those who returned, he faced the greatest danger.”

Li Yi’s expression turned strange upon hearing this.

He knew those monsters had originally been hunting him.

“Enough about that. The vehicle’s arrived. Let’s get out.” Zheng Fei said.

At that moment, the vehicle stopped.

Li Yi returned once more to Secure Zone 1, Block 89.

It was still the same familiar building.

Li Yi stepped out of the vehicle, and Supervisor Xu Ming immediately approached with two nurses.

“Li Yi, go get your wounds treated first. I’ll store your prey for you. Someone will contact you later. If you’re uneasy, I can have it delivered straight to your room.” Zheng Fei said.

“No need. Handle it for me—I trust you.” Li Yi said.

He wasn’t worried about theft—so many people were watching, cameras everywhere. Yang Yilong wouldn’t turn on him over a single corpse.

Zheng Fei nodded: “Alright, go rest then.”

“Li Yi, can you walk? Do you need a wheelchair? Any dizziness?” Xu Ming scrutinized the blood-soaked Li Yi, asking repeatedly about his condition.

“I’m fine. I can walk. No wheelchair needed.” Li Yi waved his hand.

Supervisor Xu Ming said: “Good. Your condition seems decent, but for caution’s sake, come with me for a full checkup. Some internal injuries aren’t visible—only a comprehensive exam can confirm them.”

“Alright, thank you.” Li Yi said.

“I knew you were too tough to die. A cultivator with your potential wouldn’t perish in the danger zone.” Xu Ming added.

Li Yi sighed: “I just got lucky—barely made it back alive.”

“As long as you’re fine now, come with me. I’ll take you to the medical room.”

Xu Ming nodded and immediately led Li Yi and the two nurses toward the building.

Soon after.

The group took the elevator to the ninth floor’s medical room.

Inside, several patients lay in the room, the air thick with the stench of blood and occasional moans echoing.

Li Yi glanced around and spotted several injured cultivators.

“Li Yi, you little bastard...”

One cultivator, wrapped in bandages, lay on his bed, pale from blood loss, yet still struggled to curse as he saw Li Yi.

“He Jun?”

Li Yi recognized him instantly: “You’re still alive. Didn’t expect you’d still have so much energy after losing an arm—cultivators really do have tough lives.”

“Li Yi, if it weren’t for you, how would I have been chased by that group of monsters?” He Jun immediately grew agitated, shouting: “I’m telling you, this isn’t over. I’ll make everyone know your vile intentions—you’d do anything to survive, and you caused me these injuries!”

At these words, many cultivators in the room turned sharply toward Li Yi, their eyes filled with hostility.

Was He Jun’s ruin Li Yi’s fault?

The other cultivators were all injured, already furious and bitter. Seeing Li Yi betray a teammate, they wanted to beat him senseless.

But none moved rashly.

They wanted to see how Li Yi would defend himself—what the truth really was.

Li Yi had no intention of being falsely blamed. He coldly said: “He Jun, you were being chased by a biao yourself—you deliberately lured it toward me, nearly getting me killed. If I hadn’t broken through in desperation, evolved my body, and entered the Spirit Medium realm to fight it to the death, I’d be food in that biao’s belly right now.”

“As for you being chased by another group of monsters—that’s your bad luck. Don’t blame me.”

After speaking, Li Yi took off his shirt, revealing deep claw marks on his back.

Many immediately recognized them—clearly wounds from a beast’s claws during escape.

“So that’s how it was.”

Seeing Li Yi’s logical account and physical proof, their expressions shifted. They looked at He Jun with complex glances—he had no evidence whatsoever to prove Li Yi caused his ordeal.

Li Yi continued: “He Jun, you’re inherently evil. During the escape, you didn’t just betray me—you killed your own two assistants. You used their corpses to block the beasts’ attacks. Otherwise, how could you have escaped safely? Fortunately, your last assistant revealed your treachery before dying and warned me. Otherwise, I’d be dead too.”

“You, you’re lying! Li Yi, when did I ever use my eye attack on my own companions? You’re slandering me! Don’t believe him! If I were really as you say, I’d have escaped safely long ago—why would I be this badly injured?”

He Jun’s pale face flushed crimson. He had intended to use others as bait, but never used his eye attack on anyone.

He hadn’t expected Li Yi, who looked so honest and meek, to be just as deceitful—this man could fabricate lies effortlessly.

But Li Yi gave him no chance to retaliate. He believed dealing with such a man required no morality—just mud-slinging, and who couldn’t do that? He continued: “I’m slandering you? Everything needs proof. If you claim I harmed you, produce evidence. Don’t just play the victim to win sympathy.”

“I... I can’t produce evidence. But Li Yi, where’s yours? You say I killed two assistants and lured the biao at you—prove it to everyone. If you can, I’ll accept it. But if you can’t, you’re slandering me. I’ll never let this go.”

He Jun roared from his bed, furious, his wounds reopening and blood seeping out.

Yet deep down, he didn’t believe Li Yi could produce any evidence.

The men were dead in the danger zone—their bodies were probably gone by now. Where could proof come from?

So, with no witnesses left, He Jun stood firm, unshaken.

Li Yi stared at him fiercely: “Proof? I’ll give you proof—but I need a witness. Xu Ming, I need Yang Yilong to testify. Can you notify him?”

He turned to Supervisor Xu Ming beside him.

Xu Ming immediately nodded: “This concerns two cultivators’ deaths. If you can produce evidence, I’ll bring Yang Yilong here as a witness.”

“The evidence is inside the biao’s belly. If what I said is true, your two assistants were definitely eaten by it. Fortunately, I brought back the biao’s corpse. If we open its stomach and test the flesh, everything will be clear.” Li Yi said.

“Makes sense. Truth can’t be hidden. If true, cutting open its belly will reveal proof—even an undigested bone, with DNA testing, will confirm it. This medical room has the equipment. Wait here. Go clean yourself and treat your wounds. I’ll arrange everything.”

Xu Ming immediately promised to handle the matter properly.

“Alright, I’ll wait here for the results.” Li Yi said.

Xu Ming didn’t delay—he hurried off immediately.

This matter was grave—it involved murder and cultivators’ reputations. Mishandling it now could trigger serious consequences.

“What? You brought back the biao’s corpse?” He Jun panicked.

But how was that possible?

How could Li Yi have actually killed that biao?

He was a cultivator who hadn’t even opened his Spirit Medium... Wait, no—he had opened it.

Suddenly,

He Jun noticed Li Yi’s eyes—bright, glowing with clarity. The unmistakable sign of entering the Spirit Medium realm.

Realizing this, his heart turned cold.

“No... it shouldn’t be. Even if he opened his Spirit Medium, he couldn’t possibly have defeated that biao.” He Jun’s face twisted, sweat beading on his forehead without him noticing.

If betraying teammates was proven, his life would be ruined forever.

That’s precisely why he’d tried to kill Li Yi too.

So no one would ever know what he’d done in the danger zone.