Chapter 53

As for the so-called guilty conscience, she had long flung it to the nine heavens and clouds away.

Only Sect Master Liu, who was apprehended and taken away by a Warrior Sect cultivator, though she had long anticipated this scene, when it actually occurred she still could not fathom that such a despicable woman existed in this world.

Before leaving, she shot Lin Jianran a contemptuous look: 'Su Chen has given you his all, his sincere devotion; you stab him in the back like this—don't you feel any guilt?'

'Miss Lin, you truly are upright and pure‑kind! To repay a drop of kindness with a gushing spring—'

'As sect master, I really have opened my eyes today.'

"'Superficial, do you even know what unseen sacrifice means?' Lin Jianran, struck where it hurt, instantly flushed with anger, stood up and retorted, 'A backstab? Do you know what price I have paid? You think saying this makes it easy for me?'"

"'Moreover, do you think I'm fine? Do you know how much guilt and turmoil I feel inside?'"

"'If it weren't for him blindly offending Brother Ye Xuan, would the Profound Heaven Dao Sect have ended up like this today? Considering how he previously fawned over me in every way, and now, even on the brink of death, he can make a small contribution to my happiness—that's the blessing of eight lifetimes of cultivation; what do you know?'"

Lin Jianran shot back angrily, full of domineering vigor; at the same time her heart felt a surge of relief, and even a hint of sweetness—her Brother Ye Xuan still loves her, only pressured by the imperial princess's side, he cannot openly treat her well.

This outer‑door elder's status is itself excellent proof.

She believed that today's choice was the most correct she had ever made in her life.

But was her choice really right? Will she truly never regret it in the future?

Yet how could Lin Jianran at this moment know that the events about to unfold in the Eastern Wasteland would shock everyone?

And she, full of smug delight,

Not long after, she will regret the decision she made today.

"Have all the sect's disciples gathered?"

Inside the Profound Heaven Dao Sect.

Su Chen stood calmly atop the main hall, glancing over all the sect's disciples, elders, and attendants, and said, 'I know that lately the Eastern Wasteland has been rumoring that our Profound Heaven Dao Sect is colluding with extraterrestrial heavenly demons.'

"Today we'll open the skylight and speak plainly."

"This is pure fabrication, a lie concocted by Ye Xuan to eradicate the Profound Heaven Dao Sect, his aim being to have a righteous pretext."

"But our opposition to Ye Xuan is real!"

"The words fell!"

At last, the hanging hearts of everyone in the hall settled!

Although they were loyal to the Profound Heaven Dao Sect, they still harbored aversion to extraterrestrial heavenly demons, for who would want to become the blood demon's fodder, to be spat upon and condemned by the world?

Heilong and the nine others standing at the front all let out a sigh of relief.

Yet opposing Ye Xuan still genuinely startled many.

After all, Ye Xuan is now vastly different from before, his foundation plainly evident.

Facing the crowd's startled and uneasy gazes, Su Chen gave a deep chuckle and continued, 'Ye Xuan, you want to unify the Eastern Wasteland and reorganize the forces, but you lack the prestige; my father is the number one in the Eastern Wasteland, and at this moment he seeks to unify the Eastern Wasteland, to win over the various factions, so he must eliminate harm—and our Profound Heaven Dao Sect has become the harm he wishes to eliminate.'

"As early as two years ago, after he joined the Star Pavilion, he began laying the groundwork, trying first to ruin my father's reputation, then to fabricate some baseless charges."

"Only last month, with everything ready, he intended to utterly annihilate our sect!"

"However, the thing I least believe in is the so‑called Heaven's mandate; I have agreed to a duel with him—if he accepts the challenge, he can use the opportunity to reforge his Dao heart—so before Ye Xuan seeks to exterminate our Profound Heaven Dao Sect completely…"

"Since we've already become enemies, we might as well exterminate his entire Ye family!" Su Chen's tone shifted.

Narrowing his eyes, he surveyed the assembled cultivators, taking in their panicked gazes: 'Slaughter the Ye family!'

"Head to Yunhai City to rendezvous with my father."

"Now I give you all a choice: I have a contract here; those willing to follow me should step forward and sign it voluntarily, standing on the right side—once the contract takes effect, lifelong betrayal is forbidden."

"Those who wish to leave, stand on my left side."

The hearts of the sect's fewer than four hundred cultivators gave a heavy jolt, and almost instinctively they lifted their heads.

Surely,

seeing yellow tin foil hovering beside Su Chen, a red gleam flashed.

Signing the contract means losing freedom, forever forbidden from betrayal—how is that any different from selling oneself into slavery?

To clash head‑on with the Ye family is nothing but a mantis trying to stop a chariot—aren't you overestimating yourself?

Every heart struggled; after a silent exchange, finally a disciple mustered courage, walked to the far left, lowered his head, dared not meet Su Chen's eyes, and tremulously whispered, 'Junior Sect Master, sorry… I… I want to leave…'

"The sect master cannot possibly be a match for Ye Xuan; I heard Master Xu Dan say that Ye Xuan founded the Azure Abyss Sect, and behind him are not only the Great Yu Dynasty and the Star Pavilion, but even the Pill Emperor Hall of Central Provinces is on friendly terms with him."

"That's right, the Star Pavilion is said to have a Warrior Saint Realm elder—such a being is not something we lowly insects can resist."

"Our Profound Heaven Dao Sect has hardly any members; even our strongest sect master is only at the Warrior Sect Realm—if we followed you, we'd likely be slain by a Warrior Sect Realm shadow guard before we even reached the Ye family's gate."

"……"

Once there is a first, there will be a second.

In less than a quarter of an hour.

Seventy to eighty percent of the people stood on the left, among them not lacking Warrior King Realm elders, each feeling unworthy, heads lowered, afraid to look at Su Chen's face.

The Ye family has Ye Xuan, a unicorn‑like prodigy destined for solitary ascension that drags even chickens and dogs to heaven; the entire Profound Heaven Dao Sect now numbers fewer than four hundred cultivators, most of them in the Warrior King and Warrior Spirit Realms—even if we all followed Su Chen, it would still be a march to death.

Better to die than to remain; it would be preferable to sever ties with the Profound Heaven Dao Sect.

"You, you all!!"

Heilong looked at these cowardly, death‑fearing faces, his face flushing red with anger.

At the same time, a feeling of helplessness and powerlessness welled up in his heart.

He turned his head and slammed his palm down, demanding, 'The sect master and junior sect master have never treated you poorly; even Elder Zhu has shown you kindness… yet at this moment you would heap disaster upon the sect? Abandon the sect?'

Facing them, a cultivator objected coldly, "What does abandoning the sect mean? Is preserving oneself through wisdom also wrong? Knowing it's a dead end, you still insist on dying—are your lives lives, while ours are not?"

"You think you're a mayfly trying to shake a tree—if you're looking for death, don't drag us along!"

"Moreover, it hasn't even been proven whether the sect master is truly colluding with extraterrestrial heavenly demons; if such a charge were to stick, merely being despised by humanity would invite a concerted attack."

Heilong, his face alternating between green and white with rage, pointed at these people, for a moment unable to find a rebuttal.

He let out a heavy, cold snort.

Immediately stand to the far right.

Choosing to stand with Su Chen, to wipe out the Ye family to the last: "Disregarding human relations, betraying trust and abandoning righteousness, a traitor! Since ancient times, who in life does not die? The young master and the sect master have shown me kindness as heavy as a mountain; I would risk my life to ensure the sect master's safe arrival at Cloud Sea City."

I, Heibao, also follow the young master!

The Heavenly Beast Guard ought to fight side by side, shedding blood; count me, Heigou, as one!

In an instant.

All nine stood on the left.