Chapter 290: Was It You Who Bullied My Precious Disciple?

Xiaoyao Immortal Sect!

Zhengxian Peak, Xiaoyao Grand Hall!

In the vast black hall stood a giant lotus platform carved entirely from jade.

The lotus platform was pure white as snow, with only a few red spots at its center.

From afar, those red spots resembled lotus seeds.

Lifelike.

But in truth, this giant lotus platform was merely a jade carving.

Upon the lotus platform sat a withered old man.

His aura was completely concealed, making him appear no different from an ordinary mortal elder.

Yet before him stood the two peak masters of the Xiaoyao Immortal Sect.

One was Guanglong True Person, master of Yushu Peak.

Behind Guanglong True Person stood several disciples, including Wuqiong Daoist and Zhang Qi.

Opposite Guanglong True Person stood Biyun Immortal, master of Biyun Peak.

Behind Biyun Immortal stood two disciples: Qiao Xiaoqiao and her eldest disciple Liang Zhiqing.

"Qiao Huizhu is my direct disciple!"

Although Biyun Immortal possessed only a Golden Core cultivation base, her aura surged fiercely as she glared at her Nascent Soul elder brother without yielding: "If anyone deliberately damages my disciple's Dao heart, don't blame me for turning hostile—I'll cut down every one of your Yushu Peak disciples, one sword at a time!"

"Old man, look, look…" Guanglong True Person was so furious he nearly jumped up: "Is this even acceptable?"

"This is the little disciple you've pampered for over a hundred years—now look, she's turning against her own sect!"

Guanglong True Person turned toward the withered old man seated on the lotus platform.

The old man remained calm and unperturbed, showing no surprise whatsoever.

He even smiled and said: "Why would your junior sister want to cut down your disciples? Isn't it because you're trying to destroy her disciple's Dao heart?"

"I didn't!" Guanglong True Person said. "Wuqiong isn't just my disciple—he's my own grandson, old man! I only wanted to kill Xu Kunlun to restore my disciple's Dao heart!"

"Besides, that Xu Kunlun used some kind of dark art—he's already severely injured two of our sect's prodigies!"

"In Hongshi City, he even trampled our sect's honor into the dirt!"

"You know well that Wuqiong is a rare talent—he's the future of our Xiaoyao Immortal Sect!"

"After twenty years of cultivation, his false Golden Core was shattered in an instant!"

"Who am I supposed to appeal to?"

Biyun Immortal sneered: "Hmph… That's because your disciples are incompetent—they were punched right in the arena and had their false Golden Core shattered. You're not even ashamed, but I, as a disciple of the Xiaoyao Immortal Sect, am embarrassed—how dare you go after them?"

"Do you think sending more disciples will let you kill him?"

"No, no…" Guanglong True Person said. "I'm not a petty man. It's simply that this boy has gone too far—he harbors malicious intent!"

"Grand Ancestor, do you believe a Foundation Establishment disciple could shatter Wuqiong's false Golden Core with a single punch?"

"I'm certain something's wrong here!"

All eyes turned to the withered elder on the lotus platform.

The elder's sharp gaze fixed on Zhang Qi: "You—tell me exactly what happened."

"Yes!"

Zhang Qi said: "Grand Ancestor… When I fought that man, I struck first—I used our sect's 【Immortal's Guiding Finger】 technique!"

The Grand Ancestor nodded: "That's fine."

Zhang Qi continued: "He moved quickly—easily dodged my strike—then launched a punch straight at me!"

"I saw the fist coming and tried to defend myself!"

"But for some reason, in that instant, my spiritual sense went chaotic!"

"Then he hit me and sent me flying!"

"And… that was it."

"I believe he used a spiritual sense-disrupting artifact!"

The Grand Ancestor on the lotus platform nodded: "Correct. This situation clearly indicates interference with spiritual sense."

"And you?" the Grand Ancestor asked Wuqiong.

Wuqiong said: "The same happened to me. I thought myself at Foundation Establishment Level Twelve with a false Golden Core, so I showed restraint and let him strike first!"

"He attacked immediately with a lethal move—his punch instantly scrambled my spiritual sense, then slammed into my abdomen!"

"And my false Golden Core shattered."

"Damn it!" Guanglong, heart aching, looked at his grandson: "Grand Ancestor, if this had been fair combat, I'd have let it slide—but this fellow clearly used treachery!"

"And before the match, we clearly agreed: no external artifacts allowed—only one's own spiritual techniques and spells!"

"Isn't this a violation?"

"And he shattered my disciple's false Golden Core!"

"If this can be tolerated, what cannot? I will kill this boy!"

"You dare!" Biyun Immortal drew her sword with a sharp clang: "My disciple Qiao Huizhu shares deep affection with her husband. If not for your two disciples harboring vile intentions, why would they have gone to provoke him?"

"Guanglong, how can you even say this without shame?"

"I won't ask if you kill Xu Kunlun—but if my disciple Qiao Huizhu's Dao heart is shattered, I'll kill Wuqiong first."

"Hmph… Good thing I discovered it early enough to bring you before Master. Otherwise, you'd already have sent someone down the mountain, wouldn't you?"

"Old man, if you're going to handle this, do it fairly and impartially. If not, then stay out of it—I'll handle it myself!"

"You…" The elder above clenched his beard in fury: "Rebellious disciple! How dare you speak to me like that?"

"I've raised you for over a hundred years!"

Biyun pouted angrily: "Then you might as well have let me freeze to death in the snow back then!"

"I…" The elder above was nearly spitting blood: "You—you—you… I never said I'd kill him—"

"You rebellious disciple… rebellious disciple…"

At that moment, the Heartbond Talisman on Biyun's person suddenly flickered.

She angrily pulled it out and activated it.

A message floated out.

"Master, this is Qiao Huizhu. I just underwent the Golden Core heavenly tribulation in the City Lord's mansion—it was the Eight-Nine Tribulation!"

"The City Lord, Murong, wishes to take me as his disciple!"

"I dare not refuse, nor dare to accept—I beg you to come to Hongshi City quickly to rescue me!"

Upon hearing this, Biyun Immortal froze.

The elder seated on the lotus platform suddenly floated down: "What?"

"The Eight-Nine Tribulation?"

"Good disciple, I didn't hear clearly—let me hear it again!"

At that moment, Biyun was also stunned.

She thought she'd misheard, so she replayed the Heartbond Talisman.

The hunched old man suddenly straightened up, his piercing gaze like twin swords sweeping across the hall and locking onto Guanglong Daoist.

The elder said nothing—but those two glares alone made Guanglong flinch.

Guanglong bowed, trying to speak.

But the elder spoke first: "Was it you who bullied my precious disciple?"

Guanglong's face turned pale: "Master, I… I didn't!"

Boom…

The great Nascent Soul disciple Guanglong was kicked straight out of the hall, tumbling and scrambling away.