Chapter 935: Utterly Fragile

Lin Qingli's angry rebuke was like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, exploding loudly in everyone's ears, causing everyone present to change color. Especially Elder Dong Feng, his face turned instantly iron-blue, and the hands hidden in his sleeves, clenched with excessive force, turned white at the knuckles.

"Good! Very good!" Elder Dong Feng flew into a rage, laughing angrily, his voice full of fury and resolve, "Since Sect Master Lin insists on acting so recklessly, then don't blame me for being impolite!"

His words revealed the fury of being humiliated, as if he had already prepared to settle the score with Lin Qingli.

However, just as Elder Dong Feng's words had not yet faded, Lin Qingli suddenly took a startling action. She swiftly produced a bronze ancient mirror; the mirror looked age-worn, its surface inscribed with mysterious runes and patterns. As the mirror was unleashed by Lin Qingli, its surface rippled with a layer of blood-colored light, as if activated by some power.

Immediately, Lin Qingli shot a beam of spiritual light from her fingertip, striking precisely into the bronze ancient mirror. In an instant, the mirror lit up, displaying a clear image. Everyone focused their gaze and saw that the image showed the mountain gate of the Profound Heavens Sect not far away, within which a strange demonic aura was spreading.

"Everyone, look!" Lin Qingli shouted loudly, pointing at the image in the bronze ancient mirror so all could see. Following her indication, everyone's eyes fixed on the picture, and upon seeing the scene, all were stunned into silence.

In the forbidden rear mountains of the Profound Heavens Sect, dozens of disciples gathered, each holding various magical implements and treasures, and among them stood a huge beast at the Transformation Stage! Even more unbelievably, these disciples were feeding the beast with fresh human blood and essence.

"This... this is impossible!" Elder Xu exclaimed, seeing this, he staggered backward as if struck by lightning. As the Grand Elder of the Profound Heavens Sect, he should have known the sect's affairs best, yet the scene before him completely exceeded his understanding.

Elder Dong Feng's pupils contracted instantly; he clearly had not expected this either. However, unlike Elder Xu who panicked, he suddenly erupted, slamming a palm fiercely toward the bronze ancient mirror.

"A demoness uses trickery!" Elder Dong Feng roared, believing Lin Qingli was deliberately using this mirror to fabricate a false image to slander the Profound Heavens Sect.

However, Lin Qingli had prepared beforehand. At the moment Elder Dong Feng's attack was about to hit the bronze ancient mirror, the members of the Demon Extermination Office quickly formed a Heavenly Net Earthly Web Grand Formation. The formation shone with dazzling light, firmly blocking his attack and reflecting it back.

With a loud bang, Elder Dong Feng's attack was violently rebounded, slamming hard into the ground and instantly blasting a pit three zhang deep, smoke and dust spreading, shards scattering.

"Elder Dong, you're so anxious—could it be you have a guilty conscience?" Lin Qingli curled her lip in a cold smile, her eyes icy like a cold star, fixed on Elder Dong, "I, Lin Qingli, walk upright and sit properly; naturally the clear need not fear baseless accusations."

As she spoke, she waved her arm; seven jade slips shot out like meteors, landing steadily before everyone. Each slip glowed with a faint light, bearing the Immortal Alliance's distinctive anti-counterfeit mark, clearly important documents specially processed.

Lin Qingli turned her gaze to Elder Xu, whose face was ashen as paper, deathly pale, a flicker of contempt in her eyes, "Elder Xu, do you recognize these jade slips? Should I, as Sect Master, read their contents aloud here so everyone can hear the sordid dealings between the Profound Heavens Sect and the demon tribe?"

"Or perhaps we should go ourselves to the Cloud Heavens Sect to see?"

Her voice was not loud, yet it thundered like a clap in everyone's ears; the hall fell instantly silent, so quiet a dropped pin could be heard. Those elders who had been aggressive and hurled accusations at Lin Qingli now seemed to have had their spines pulled out, bowing their heads, daring not to meet her gaze.

Even more, some had quietly retreated to the edge of the crowd, seemingly afraid of being caught in Lin Qingli's wrath.

Since Lin Qingli dared to produce them, it proves she has grasped the actual evidence.

Elder Xu is no fool; he knows that since Lin Qingli has evidence, he should now beg for mercy rather than resist. Otherwise, if this blows up, the entire Cloud Heavens Sect might become intolerable to humanity!

"Now, who still wishes to obstruct the Demon Extermination Office's enforcement?" Lin Qingli's voice rang out again, icy and imposing. She pinched a sword seal with her hand; the thirty-six Demon Extermination Enforcers behind her moved like a precise machine, acting in unison, simultaneously drawing their demon-binding ropes; the cold-light ropes wove in the air into an impenetrable net, as if ready to trap anyone harboring ill intent at any moment.

In this tense atmosphere, Dong Feng suddenly let out a long sigh, "Ah..." His voice filled with regret and self-reproach, "I truly have eyes but no pearls, misjudging a person!"

Having said that, he then, before everyone, bowed deeply to Lin Qingli with utmost respect, "Sect Master, your perceptiveness is impeccable; my admiration for you flows like an endless river. Today's matter is entirely my fault; I hope Sect Master will be magnanimous and not hold my narrow view against me. To atone for my error, I am willing to personally lead the vanguard to exterminate the demonic calamities harming humanity, to uphold the name of my Profound Heavens Sect!"

"Not necessary." Lin Qingli's face sank like water, her voice icy as frost, her sleeves fluttering in the night wind like a dancing fairy. Yet this seemingly graceful motion held boundless authority; she tapped her toes, her form flickering like a phantom as she rose into the air, vanishing instantly from everyone's sight.

"Issue my order: the Profound Heavens Sect shall close its mountains immediately, no cultivator may enter or leave!" Lin Qingli's voice echoed in midair, resounding like a great bell, deafening. Her command was like an imperial edict; none dared to defy it in the slightest.

"Elder Xu...." Lin Qingli's gaze burned like a torch, fixed firmly on the trembling old man, "Will you walk yourself, or shall I, as Sect Master, summon you with the soul-locking chain?" Her tone was calm, yet the threat was unmistakable.

Elder Xu's face was ashen as paper, cold sweat beading on his forehead; he stammered, trying to say something, but his throat felt blocked, unable to utter a sound.

That night, the news that the Profound Heavens Sect had been uprooted spread like a thunderclap from flat ground, shaking the entire Qingheng Prefecture. This once invincible sect, before Lin Qingli's thunderous methods, proved utterly fragile.