Chapter 38

At this moment, the medical room was heavy with tension.

Several cultivators gathered together, chatting.

They made no effort to hide their words, nor feared being overheard, speculating and debating who the real culprit was—some believed Li Yi, thinking He Jun was fabricating facts, while others felt Li Yi’s account had loopholes; if He Jun had truly done as described, he could not have sustained such severe injuries.

Of course, some believed neither He Jun nor Li Yi was clean, each trying to sabotage the other, with Li Yi merely outmaneuvering him and returning unscathed.

“Their personal grudge doesn’t matter—the key point is whether He Jun actually killed his two assistants,” said a cultivator with great reason: “Since both He Jun and Li Yi are still alive, the accusation of sabotage isn’t proven, but those two assistants truly died in the danger zone.”

“That’s right—personal grudges don’t matter, but the deaths of two cultivators must be thoroughly investigated; otherwise, who will dare enter the danger zone with a partner again?” Immediately, many nodded in agreement.

“Now we just wait for the evidence Li Yi mentioned—once it surfaces, the truth cannot be hidden.”

Li Yi, seated on the hospital bed, heard all this and remained expressionless, unmoved.

He knew that despite being framed by He Jun, as long as he didn’t die, no one would care, let alone stand up for him—so he had just shifted the topic to the two deceased cultivators.

Because this matter concerned everyone’s interests—if those who killed their teammates went unpunished, none would dare trust their backs to others in the future.

“Here?”

Suddenly, Li Yi heard footsteps approaching—he immediately put down his phone, rose from the bed, and turned toward the door.

The other cultivators also heard the noise and fell silent.

The medical room’s door opened.

Yang Yi entered with a stern expression, striding forward; merely with a single glance, an invisible pressure surged forth, making everyone instinctively tense and dare not underestimate him. Behind him, an assistant carried the corpse of a Biao into the room and placed it in the most prominent spot in the center.

“I didn’t expect Yang Yi would really come,” He Jun said, his face tightening instantly, his heart pounding uncontrollably.

But he forced himself to remain calm, his expression unchanged.

“Who is Li Yi?” Yang Yi asked slowly.

“I am,” Li Yi stepped forward.

Yang Yi gave him a brief appraisal, then asked with concern: “How is your injury? No serious damage, I hope?”

“Your medical facilities are excellent—I just had a full-body scan. I’m fine,” Li Yi replied.

“Good. Your performance in the danger zone was exceptional—you personally hunted down this Biao. Among all Qi Mediator cultivators I know, none outperformed you,” Yang Yi nodded slightly, acknowledging Li Yi.

“If I hadn’t fought for my life, I’d be dead. I got lucky—my potential erupted and I killed the beast,” Li Yi replied humbly.

Yang Yi said: “Modest. Good.”

Then his tone shifted, turning sharply cold: “He Jun, come here.”

He Jun also stood up, assisted by a nurse as he walked over, saying: “Director Yang.”

The other cultivators gathered closer, knowing today’s matter would reach a conclusion.

“He Jun, I’ve heard everything about your conflict with Li Yi. I came here to clarify this matter and deliver justice to the two deceased cultivators,” Yang Yi fixed his gaze on He Jun, his pupils narrowing slightly, unconsciously turning vertical.

In that moment, He Jun felt like prey, pinned by a terrifying beast.

Had it not been for the nurse supporting him, he would have collapsed, limbs weak and trembling.

“He Jun, answer me before me—did you kill your two assistants?” Yang Yi barked, his voice deafening.

He Jun, already guilty, had feigned calm before—but now, shaken by this sudden pressure, his face turned pale. His lips trembled as he tried to fabricate an excuse: “I—I...”

Yang Yi raised a hand: “Don’t rush to answer. I, Yang Yi, bear undeniable responsibility for how this danger zone mission turned out. Had I successfully dealt with that extraordinary creature and ordered an early evacuation, none of this would have happened.”

“Therefore, I, Yang Yi, must shoulder primary blame for the deaths of those two cultivators. But matters must be separated: whether they were killed by a beast or by a human—this must be clarified. He Jun, if you did this, confess now, and I, Yang Yi, will give you a chance.”

“But if we open this Biao’s belly and find evidence, I, Yang Yi, will show you no mercy.”

He Jun’s expression shifted wildly—he glanced at Yang Yi, then at the corpse of the beast before him, trapped in agonizing indecision.

Should he confess his crime outright, or gamble everything?

Quickly.

He Jun made his choice. He gritted his teeth: “Director Yang, I did not kill those two. I have a clear conscience. Li Yi is lying, trying to frame me. Those monsters behind me were lured by him—if you hadn’t saved me at the critical moment, I never would have escaped the danger zone alive.”

“I refuse to believe there’s any evidence inside this Biao’s corpse.”

After speaking, he seemed to convince himself—his demeanor turned fierce, his eyes locked on Li Yi with righteous fury, as if he truly had been slandered.

“This bastard...” Li Yi’s face darkened.

He understood—He Jun was gambling that no evidence would be found inside the Biao’s corpse.

If he won, Li Yi would become the false accuser, and He Jun would rise as the innocent victim.

If he lost... well, He Jun wouldn’t lose much—he’d already killed people.

Li Yi now realized nothing he said would matter—he could only wait for the outcome.

“Autopsy. Lab test,” Yang Yi ordered immediately.

Director Xu Ming promptly assigned a doctor to begin dissecting the Biao’s corpse before everyone’s eyes, while nurses went to the rooms of the two deceased to collect hair and other samples for comparison.

Quickly.

As the sharp surgical blade cut open the corpse,

the stench of blood filled the air.

A mass of partially digested flesh was extracted—it had been mostly broken down, but samples could still be taken.

Meanwhile, the nurses successfully retrieved hair samples left behind by the two deceased in their rooms.

“Director Yang, please wait a moment—the results should be ready in about ten minutes,” the doctor said.

“Good. Bring me the report the moment it’s ready,” Yang Yi said.

The doctor and nurses immediately went to work. With full medical equipment, they didn’t need ten minutes—he deliberately stretched the time for caution.

At this moment,

everyone fell silent, waiting quietly for the results.

He Jun pretended not to be nervous—but he was trapped now. He had to gamble everything: either stage a miraculous turnaround, or be branded a murderer.

“Damn it—how did things spiral like this? I barely survived—why must this Li Yi still oppose me? He wants to destroy me. No—I won’t sit idle. I must find a way.”

He clenched his fists, seething with rage.

Yet even in fury, He Jun was still thinking of a way to handle the situation.

Should he flee outright?

He could escape to the Ruined City, become a scavenger, and return after the storm passed.

But so many eyes watched him—and Yang Yi was here. He couldn’t escape.

“If I must die, I’ll drag Li Yi down with me—I won’t let him go,” He Jun thought bitterly.

Li Yi didn’t yet know He Jun was plotting to kill him after the truth came out—his own heart was uneasy.

Because he himself couldn’t be certain the Biao had eaten those two deceased cultivators.

So Li Yi had taken a risk—if no evidence surfaced, he’d be left helpless.

Everyone continued waiting.

Only eight minutes had passed.

The doctor returned swiftly with the report: “Director Yang, results are in. Lab tests confirm the partially digested flesh inside the beast matches the hair samples taken from the victims’ rooms.”

At these words, all the cultivators froze.

It was exactly as Li Yi had said—He Jun had used the two cultivators as bait to delay the beast and fled himself.

“Li Yi, I’ll kill you!” His last hope shattered, He Jun went utterly mad—he roared, eyes blazing, lunging straight at Li Yi with a psychic strike.

“Whirrr!”

Li Yi, caught off guard, felt his head spin with dizziness.

But as a fellow Qi Mediator, he was immune to psychic strikes—he shook off the disorientation instantly, unharmed.

Yet just as he regained clarity, He Jun’s figure was already upon him.

Clearly, He Jun’s psychic strike had only been a distraction—to create an opening for his attack.

Li Yi’s eyes snapped shut, then flared open—he drew power from the ground, raised his arm, and punched instinctively.

“Li Yi, watch out—he’s holding a scalpel!” someone shouted, but the warning came too late.

At such close range, a Qi Mediator launching a desperate assault—most couldn’t react in time.

“Die.”

Then, like thunder splitting the earth, a gust of wind erupted. Yang Yi’s tall figure moved across the room as if teleporting—his speed left afterimages in the air. His right arm rose and fell.

Though he never physically touched He Jun’s body, an unimaginable scene followed.

Blood sprayed violently—He Jun’s body split apart midair, torn cleanly in two.

Everyone stared, stunned.

It happened too fast—they had barely reacted when He Jun was already dismembered by some unseen force.

“What was that... a sword?” Li Yi’s pupils contracted sharply. His punch missed—he had not struck He Jun.

He saw Yang Yi standing beside him, his right arm wrapped in a terrifying aura, emitting flickering, brilliant light. The glow wasn’t intensely bright, yet it remained solid, dazzling—like a luminous sword held in his grasp.

The sword had no physical form, yet its edge sent shivers through the soul.

“I was blind—I hired such a beast,” Yang Yi raged. He had been deceived, and He Jun had betrayed the kindness he’d shown him.

Had He Jun confessed his crimes earlier, Yang Yi would have punished him severely—but spared his life.

But now, He Jun had murdered two teammates, then attempted to kill Li Yi after the truth was revealed.

If he let this go unpunished, Yang Yi would be nothing but a laughingstock.