Chapter 16

First came the sword pattern, then the phoenix pattern.

Shen Qingli's whole body was suffused with purple light that tightly enveloped her.

Cry!

In the heavens, the purple sword shadow likewise shifted, turning into purple phoenix light, as if a phoenix brandished a sword.

The disciples of various sects present in Xuan Mountain were all shaken, for that phoenix shadow was lifelike, wrapped in the majestic aura of the heavenly phoenix, as if a true divine beast phoenix had descended here.

Bai Li Chongtong instinctively blurted, "How is it a phoenix again?"

"Yeah, could it be that this inheritance is again related to the phoenix?" Gu Cihe involuntarily thought of Shen Qingli, yet felt quite annoyed.

"If the eldest senior sister were well, she ought to obtain this inheritance, right?" Su Chacha said with a sigh, her face showing guilt, "It's all my fault."

"How can this be your fault?" Gu Cihe coaxed heartbrokenly, "Junior sister, don't blame yourself for everything. It's Shen Qingli who has a problem with her state of mind!"

If she hadn't resisted, the sect would have long since helped her recover! She could still compete for this opportunity this time, and her cultivation would surely advance. All we can say is that she simply doesn't deserve this opportunity.

Su Chacha looked up at Pei Jianshu and asked, "Eldest senior brother, is that so?"

Pei Jianshu nodded with a complex expression, "Not bad; perhaps this is precisely meant to make up for her opportunity."

The words "to make up" made Su Chacha's heart jump; she immediately bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes, "It's all because my resolve is weak that I went into demonic deviation."

"You're young, and what you have isn't truly demonic deviation; if you really fell into demonry, it would be for life." Gu Cihe explained seriously.

Su Chacha suddenly understood, "Then everyone says the eldest senior sister fell into demonic deviation, so she…"

"She has truly gone into demonry! Otherwise, how could she dare act that way toward the master?" Gu Cihe's face was cold, "Even if she hasn't yet fallen into demonry, she's practically there."

These words once again brought to Pei Jianshu's mind those eyes flashing with purple cold light, like a demon god's! He instantly clenched his cuffs and hurriedly said, "Let's go, let's head over first."

The group immediately rushed toward where the purple light emanated.

Along the way there were only people, and the closer to the mountain's interior, the more numerous they became.

When Pei Jianshu landed with his fellow disciples, ahead already stood disciples of the Wan Jian Sect and imperial princes of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

The numbers each of the three major forces could bring were roughly the same—about twenty or thirty each—gathering at the front to form a contingent of nearly a hundred, drawing countless gazes.

"Look, the chief elder brother of the Biyu Sect, Pei Jianshu, has also come!"

"Are the three major forces about to start fighting over it? What business do we have then…"

"Shh! A great inheritance inherently possesses spirituality; it need not necessarily choose a disciple of the three major forces."

Although most people know that when the younger generation of the three major forces is present, there's nothing for us to do, yet with a great opportunity ahead, who knows?

Even if the chance is only one in ten thousand, once they truly seize it, they could soar to great heights! Becoming the new generation of heaven's pride on the Xuanti Continent, and they could even thereby bring abundant cultivation resources to their sect, lifting the whole sect up a level.

This is precisely why each sect places great importance on the sect grand competition every session.

Take the Biyu Sect, for example: having failed to win first place in the sect grand competition for three consecutive sessions, it actually shows a trend of slipping out of the three major forces' camp.

It was the emergence of Shen Qingli out of nowhere that won back dignity for the Biyu Sect, three years ago…

At just thirteen years old, Shen Qingli swept aside the heavenly pride of countless forces; she not only obtained the inheritance of the Fire Phoenix Fairy through absolute talent, but also seized a top-three finish in the sect grand competition with absolute strength—after which no one mocked the Biyu Sect for being in name only.

Thus, over these past three years, all cultivation resources of the Biyu Sect, from the highest grand elders down to the outer disciples, have in fact been those won back by Shen Qingli three years ago.

Yet at this very moment, not a single one of the twenty-eight Biyu Sect disciples standing here feels gratitude for Shen Qingli's contributions, nor do they realize that without her, the sect would not be able to obtain this inheritance before them.

On the contrary, the Great Zhou Dynasty's eldest prince, Zhou Chuanqi, still remembers Shen Qingli and at this moment bluntly asks, "Why hasn't Shen Qingli come?"

"Why bring up that rebel, Your Highness?" Gu Cihe wore a grim expression, "Someone with such a problematic nature—only our Biyu Sect's mercy spared her from being chased down and killed, and even gave her the chance to enter Xuan Mountain."

"So you're saying she's no longer a disciple of your Biyu Sect?" Zhou Chuanqi seized the point.

Pei Jianshu blurted out a denial, "She is."

"Really?" Zhou Chuanqi's eyes gleamed with an odd light, "When we just entered, the elders in my family said that Patriarch Bai has already applied to the Xuan Mountain emissaries for an appraisal of Shen Qingli's spiritual roots."

Pei Jianshu froze!

All around, an uproar erupted!

As everyone knows, once a sect makes such a request to the Xuan Mountain emissaries, it usually means they have deemed the sect's disciple to have fallen into demonry, beyond salvation, reaching the point where extermination is required.

Shen Qingli—she has actually fallen into demonry?

At this moment, not only Pei Jianshu but even Su Chacha was greatly surprised, yet simultaneously thrilled—she knew Shen Qingli had no chance of a comeback.

Unless her master, Shen Qingli's mother, powerfully protects her!

But will Zhao Yue protect Shen Qingli?

She will not; at this moment she has already sentenced Shen Qingli to death.

"Saintess?"

Having just finished exchanging pleasantries with someone, Bai Renshan turned his head and saw the resolve in Zhao Yue's eyes, somewhat inexplicably.

Zhao Yue had already come to her senses, "Sect master, you also saw just now—it's not that I refuse to apologize; her attitude is simply defiant."

Bai Renshan showed an understanding expression, "It's also hard on you; I will explain this to the grand elders."

Until today, he and Su Zongzong shared the same view, believing Shen Qingli was still useful.

But now it seems that even if Shen Qingli obtained the method to reforge her foundation from Shen Kuo, it would amount to nothing.

Otherwise, how could it be that by the time of the sect grand competition, her cultivation not only failed to advance but actually dropped to the Xuan Shi realm?

"The various abnormalities she displayed earlier were mostly to prevent our Biyu Sect from revoking her qualification to enter Xuan Mountain," Bai Renshan sighed ruefully, "I always thought that child was frank, never expecting her to have so many ulterior motives."

Zhao Yue snorted coldly, "I've long said her intentions are improper. She not only wants this qualification, but also fears punishment. Yet we must not let her succeed; otherwise, with her young age already harboring deviant thoughts, disaster will surely arise in the future."

"Now that Peak Master Shen insists on protecting her, even the grand elders can't dissuade him; I fear that even if we wanted to discipline her, we couldn't." Bai Renshan rubbed his brow, feeling quite at a loss.

Before Su Zongzong left the mountain, neither he nor Zhao Yue expected that Shen Kuo, who had once given up so readily, would now vigorously support Shen Qingli.

"Then we'll just wait until Shen Kuo is absent and dispose of her." Zhao Yue said dismissively, "If the sect encounters trouble, will he not return according to the oath he swore back then? By the time he rushes over, that calamity will have already made no waves—what could he do then?"

Bai Renshan looked surprised, "What do you mean…"

Zhao Yue hesitated no longer, "Sect master, this calamity has already sprouted demonic roots; it absolutely cannot be kept!"

Bai Renshan stared in shock—he never expected Zhao Yue to be so decisive! After all, she is his own daughter.

"Rather than wait for her to fall into demonic deviation and cause endless trouble, it's better to eradicate her early." Zhao Yue does not allow any impurity under her holy light. Since she has given that wicked girl multiple chances and the wicked girl doesn't know how to cherish them, there's no need to keep her. Moreover...

"The Sect Leader also thinks so, right?" Zhao Yue calmly looked at Bai Ren Shan. "The Sect Leader has already publicly said she went into demonic deviation, so there must have been preparations already, right?"