Chapter 21

In everyone's eyes, only Shen Qingli, who possessed Xuan Shi cultivation, had not a trace of Hongmeng aura.

But behind her, the Xuan Shan Grand Formation had already closed, meaning there was no one left in the mountain.

The gazes that everyone had fixed on Shen Qingli also shifted away, for they all knew it could not be her.

"Older sister." Shen Jin stepped forward to meet her.

Shen Kuo followed closely behind, asking, "Are you injured?"

Shen Qingli stamped her foot; this scene was vastly different from when she had come out three years ago.

Many fewer people had gathered around, yet no one asked her what inheritance she had obtained.

They cared purely about her as a person, seeing only her, not the "chief senior sister" or the "sect's heavenly pride".

"I'm fine." Shen Qingli spread her arms, showing her family she was well.

"Good that you're alright." Shen Kuo breathed a sigh of relief. "Let's go, we're heading back."

Regarding the upcoming sect grand competition, he had not intended to let Shen Qingli participate, but——

"What do you mean 'go'?" Gu Cihe shouted, "Anyone who enters Xuan Shan must compete for the sect. How could Sect Master Shen not even know this?"

Shen Kuo furrowed his brows, a flash of cold light appearing in the depths of his eyes.

But Shen Qingli reacted even faster!

"Pa!"

She turned around and slapped him!

Just like that, swift and decisive.

Gu Cihe and those beside him, such as Su Chacha, hadn't even reacted before he was struck.

Gu Cihe, clutching his burning, swollen cheek, was dazed by the blow, "You hit me?"

Su Chacha also covered her mouth in surprise, momentarily unable to process what had happened.

"What's wrong with hitting you? By age, my father is your elder; by status, he is your teacher. You dare speak to him like that—getting hit is lenient." Shen Qingli showed no indulgence.

Shen Kuo, however, was stunned; looking at the girl standing before him, he felt an inexplicable warmth in his eyes.

His old father never imagined his daughter would defend him so fiercely.

Compared to this, everything else was utterly unimportant.

"What qualifies you to discipline the junior brother for his lack of respect?"

Bai Li Chongtong stepped forward with a cold sneer, his eyes full of contempt for Shen Qingli.

Zhao Yue, upon seeing the situation here, coldly rebuked, "Shen Qingli, apologize to Cihe!"

Shen Qingli glanced at her, "Are you even qualified to lecture me?"

"You..." Zhao Yue's eyebrows shot up, yet she turned to the Xuan Shan Envoy, "Envoy, look—this wicked girl utterly disregards me, her birth mother; she is clearly fallen to demonry! Please quickly examine her."

The Envoy, who had been pondering who would inherit the Taiyi God Sovereign's legacy, now glanced toward the Bi Yu Sect, his gaze once again falling on Shen Qingli.

Shen Kuo, however, pulled her behind him and said with an icy gaze, "Zhao Yue, you were never qualified to be A Li's mother; this is the verdict of the Heavenly Dao."

"Sect Master Shen's deep love for his daughter is understandable, but A Li's plunge from Xuan Wang realm to Xuan Shi realm is indeed suspicious."

"Taking advantage of today, with the Envoy present, letting him verify will readily dispel the rumors." Bai Ren Shan spoke gently, appearing to mediate, but actually striking at the heart.

The coldness in Shen Kuo's eyes nearly condensed into substance!

But Shen Jin, standing behind, watched Shen Qingli with keen interest.

Shen Qingli also pulled Shen Kuo's hand away again, walked up to him, and looked at Bai Ren Shan, "What the Sect Master says is reasonable. After all..."

Her expression suddenly turned sharp, and her words shifted just as sharply: "Why did I, Shen Qingli, fall from a grand Xuan Wang to a mere Xuan Shi? It is entirely because your Bi Yu Sect, top to bottom, stole my phoenix bones! The result of my birth mother Zhao Yue personally tearing out my phoenix bones!"

"What!"

The scene erupted in shock!

Gazes toward the Bi Yu Sect up and down all changed!

Gu Cihe immediately retorted, "Nonsense! You claim the phoenix bone on Chacha's body is yours—if you call it, does it answer?"

He had never seen such a scheming, venomous woman! To publicly ruin the sect, the master, and the junior sister's reputation—did he not consider how much harm they would suffer?

Moreover...

Shen Qingli had already detonated the phoenix bone within the junior sister's body using her phoenix soul; the bone now wholly belongs to the junior sister!

He wanted to see how Shen Qingli could still prove that the bone in the junior sister's body is hers, Shen Qingli's!

Shen Qingli saw through his petty thoughts, finding them laughable—yet——

At this moment, Bai Ren Shan had sidestepped the bone‑extraction issue, turning to lighter matters, and still said to the Envoy, "Demonic nature arises easily; demonic cultivators run rampant. Please, Envoy, focus on the proper business; as for our Bi Yu Sect's internal disputes, we will handle them ourselves."

The Envoy nodded, but Shen Qingli sneered, "Sect Master Bai, what are you to me, that you dare ask the Envoy to examine me? Let me say it once more: from beginning to end, I have never joined the Bi Yu Sect!"

Bai Ren Shan did not look at her, only wearing a compassionate expression toward the Envoy, "Because the sect once omitted registering her in the rolls, she... alas, A Li's nature was not like this before; now her temperament has changed drastically, truly worrying."

"Indeed, her temperament has changed greatly." Those who knew Shen Qingli a little felt Bai Ren Shan's words were correct, and were thus led to believe she had truly fallen to demonry.

Seeing the moment was ripe, Shen Qingli no longer bothered with trivialities, but turned to the Envoy, bowing respectfully, "Envoy, to prove my identity, Shen Qingli is willing to undergo a demon examination."

But Shen Qingli also asked the Envoy to decide: since the Bi Yu Sect treats me this way, I have no sectarian ties with them whatsoever! Then, after the demon examination, the Bi Yu Sect must return all resources I once earned for them!

And have the two hundred and six phoenix bones pulled from my body returned, one by one! If they are not returned, please, Envoy, permit me to wage war on my own—life or death makes no difference!

Isn't this supposed to be a demon examination?

It can be done.

The price is blood for blood!

Bai Ren Shan's face shifted slightly, yet he firmly agreed, "Since it is your wish, then so shall it be."

Having spoken, he turned to the crowd, "I have failed to discipline the juniors, causing you to laugh. Though I feel pained, justice lies in the hearts of men; I trust you each have your own judgment."

This seemingly plausible yet actually false explanation is indeed a clever move.

Thus, even those who had originally harbored some doubts about the Bi Yu Sect because of Shen Qingli's resonant plea, now kept silent.

As for the bone-extraction affair, actually all factions have heard of it, but basically everyone heard that Shen Qingli voluntarily offered a phoenix bone, then later regretted it, and with this she severely injured Su Chacha, who had received the phoenix bone, causing quite a stir.

"Pulling out two hundred and six bones, Royal Brother, do you think that's possible?" Zhou Chuanfeng sized up Shen Qingli, "That would mean all the bones in one's body have been pulled out, yet one could still stand so properly?"

"Not exactly standing properly either; her cultivation has plummeted." Zhou Chuanqi had also been observing Shen Qingli, "But if all the bones in her body were gone, she would surely die."

"Then we'll see the result of the demon verification; if Shen Qingli has truly fallen into demonhood, her words cannot be trusted." Zhou Chuanfeng no longer dwelled on it.

Everyone present thought the same!

Demonic cultivators, naturally, cannot be trusted.

And this! Is Bai Ren Shan's scheme.

He naturally would not give Shen Qingli the chance to "prove her innocence."

No matter whether Shen Qingli has fallen into demonhood or not, the result of the demon verification will only be——demonhood!