Chapter 434: Rites, Righteousness, Integrity, and Shame

At the same time, Dongfangxiu, Bian Chen, and Xiao Zhufeng left the Sword Tomb and went to track down the person who fired the silver needle.

They searched the surroundings thoroughly but only found a line of footprints.

The three exchanged a glance.

Dongfangxiu asked pensively, "Who do you think it could be?"

Bian Chen's mind conjured the image of a person.

"We have no concrete evidence," Bian Chen said, frowning lightly.

Dongfangxiu sneered, "But it's already quite obvious."

Xiao Zhufeng looked at them and asked in doubt, "Do you already know who that person is?"

Bian Chen did not answer but retorted, "Without solid evidence, we cannot judge a person's crime merely on speculation."

Dongfangxiu fell silent for a moment.

"What riddles are you playing at?" Xiao Zhufeng was even more bewildered.

Dongfangxiu looked up and said, "Let's go back."

Xiao Zhufeng: "?" Please treat me as a person.

When they returned to the Sword Tomb, Yuan Yao had already finished tempering the Phantom Spirit Sword.

"Did you find the mastermind?" Yuan Yao sheathed the Phantom Spirit Sword, looked at them and asked.

Dongfangxiu's expression was stern as he said, "We only found some footprints in the distance; judging by their size, the person should be a woman."

Upon hearing that, the others present wore varied expressions.

Yuan Yao heard that and immediately thought of Lu Xiangxiang.

"In the Heavenly Fire Secret Realm, it should just be us left, right?" Qian Yunzhou raised an eyebrow, paused, seemed to recall something, and said, "No, there's another person."

"The Formless Immortal Patriarch's disciple, Lu Xiang."

The moment they heard that, their faces changed, and they began murmuring among themselves.

At that moment, a young male cultivator said, "Qian Dao You, we cannot guarantee that aside from us, only Lu Dao You remains in this secret realm. Your words are pushing Lu Dao You into the spotlight."

"Indeed, Lu Dao You is a good person; how could she do such a thing?"

"Although Lu Dao You is at odds with Yuan Dao You, she would not commit such treacherous deeds."

"By the way, aren't the Wei siblings also absent? It could be that Wei Yan Hong did it!"

The discussion became chaotic.

In Yuan Yao's Sea of Awareness, the System 250 broadcast rang out.

Their Awakening Value rose and fell intermittently.

Yuan Yao: "…"

She naturally knew it must have been Lu Xiangxiang.

But others do not understand Lu Xiangxiang and are deceived by her outward appearance.

"Alright, stop arguing," Yuan Yao interrupted, "Weren't you after the Heavenly Pride Token? Since the token is inside the Heavenly Fire Secret Realm, why aren't you going to look for it?"

Their attention was instantly drawn to the 'Heavenly Pride Token.'

So they each took their leave to search for the token.

Qian Yunzhou asked with a half‑smile, "Xiao Liu, are you really not going to avenge this?"

"Do you have evidence?" Yuan Yao sighed lightly.

The curve at Qian Yunzhou's mouth deepened.

He was about to speak when Yuan Yao's voice sounded again.

"I want to deal with her; I don't need evidence, nor a reason."

It's also time to settle scores with Lu Xiangxiang.

No, I should beat her up hard!

Yuan Yao rubbed her fists together, "Third senior brother, let's go!"

Cang Li, seeing Yuan Yao's demeanor, immediately understood her intention.

"Let's go!"

The two left the Sword Tomb.

Qian Yunzhou didn't chase after them, because he knew that if he caught up now, she would surely despise and tire of him.

His gaze unintentionally fell on the white‑clothed youth.

The youth's expression was indifferent.

The youth sensed his stare and gave a cold, sideways glance.

Qian Yunzhou let out a light snort.

Immediately, he also stepped away from the Sword Tomb.

Xie Zixu, Feng Xuanji, and Bian Chen also went to look for the token.

Xie Zixu had already obtained the Heavenly Pride Token in the Flowing Light Secret Realm.

Feng Xuanji also possessed a Heavenly Pride Token in her hand.

As for Bian Chen, he still hasn't obtained the token to this day.

On the way to search for the token, Feng Xuanji mentioned Yan Yunlan, "Yunlan was brutally killed by someone."

Hearing this, Xie Zixu and Bian Chen fell silent for a few seconds.

Xie Zixu asked, "Any clues?"

"The poison that afflicted Yunlan is extremely strange; I still have no leads. After leaving the Heavenly Fire Secret Realm, I will ask the clan elders to examine it," Feng Xuanji said, her face barely concealing grief as she slowly lifted her eyes, "I suspect this matter involves Lu Xiang."

Bian Chen said, "Do you think the one who released the silver needle to ambush Yuan Dao You and the archer are the same person?"

Feng Xuanji nodded.

Bian Chen also harbored suspicions about Lu Xiang in his heart, but without solid evidence, they could not jump to conclusions.

Bian Chen fell silent for a moment, then said, "She seems to have no grudge against Yun Lan."

Feng Xuanji also could not guess what the truth was, just as the Eldest Senior Brother had said—Yun Lan had never previously feuded with Lu Xiang, so why would she strike Yun Lan with such poison?

Feng Xuanji's thoughts trailed to this point, and she tilted her head to look at the white-clad youth beside her.

"Junior Brother, what do you think?"

"First find out what poison Yun Lan was afflicted with." Xie Zixu pressed his lips, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, "If this poison is rare, then we should investigate according to its clues."

Feng Xuanji felt that Xie Zixu's words made sense.

The three walked side by side for a distance, when Feng Xuanji suddenly spoke, "After we leave, how should we face our master? How should we face Yun Lan and Zhou Xing's relatives?"

The youngest junior brothers and sisters all died in this Heavenly Fire Secret Realm.

Just thinking about this, Feng Xuanji felt her breathing constrict and her heart seize with pain.

…

Elsewhere.

A white-clad girl swiftly moved through the ruined city, then leapt up onto the city wall, arriving at the other side.

The white-clad girl had just steadied herself when a voice suddenly came from not far away.

"Lu Xiang!"

The white-clad girl, that is Lu Xiangxiang, upon hearing the voice looked over and saw the two siblings of the Gui family not far away.

Gui Yan Hong crossed her arms, stepped forward, and with a scrutinizing gaze sized up Lu Xiangxiang, saying, "Lu Xiang, what are you rushing about to do?"

Lu Xiang gave Gui Yan Hong a cold glance, "What's it to you?"

Having said that, Lu Xiang tried to step away.

But Gui Yan Hong reached out and blocked her.

Gui Yan Hong said with a look of disdain, "Lu Xiang, I just want to know what ability you have to climb up to the Formless Immortal Venerable."

Lu Xiang looked at her smug face and inwardly sneered repeatedly.

After being reborn, Gui Yan Hong is still as detestable as ever.

In her previous life, Gui Yan Hong, at the Immortal Sect's grand competition, fell in love at first sight with Yan Zhi, then relied on her parents' old acquaintance with Yan Zhi to pester him incessantly.

She even played a trick, luring Yan Zhi to the hot springs behind the mountain, deliberately stripping naked so he could see her.

Then she began to spread far and wide that her body had been seen by Yan Zhi, her purity was gone, and if Yan Zhi did not marry her, she would die.

It was truly disgusting to the extreme.

Lu Xiangxiang said in a tone of disgust, "Gui Yan Hong, didn't your parents teach you propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame? All they taught you was how to be spoiled and to look down on others."