Lonemoon was absolutely disgusted by these audacious bandits. These people were clearly here for the Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit. They didn’t really care how the three elders had died—they just wanted to use them as an excuse to make things difficult for the Blackheaven Sect.

　　“Fellow Daoist, you need to show proof for what you’re asserting,” Lonemoon said. “You expect us to believe that you brought your treasure into the mystic realm just because you said so?”

　　“When the three elders asked our sect master for permission, a lot of our disciples were present.”

　　“All of whom are from your Xuan Yuan Family. They’re not fit to be witnesses. Even if someone really had brought the Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit out, how are you going to prove that it belonged to your Xuan Yuan Family and was not originally from the mystic realm?”

　　“What a joke,” the man scoffed. “Everybody in the Upper Azure World knows that my Xuan Yuan Family is home to many alchemists. The only Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit in the world belongs to my family—it is one of the treasures of our heritage.”

　　Holy shit, are they saying that any Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit automatically belongs to the Xuan Yuan Family?

　　The man turned around to face Yi Qing and said, “Fellow Daoist, there are indeed many treasures you could come across in the mystic realm that are free for the taking, but the Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit is definitely not one of them. It has a rightful owner. Please return it to us, Fellow Daoist!”

　　“I did not take anything that belongs to you,” Yi Qing said firmly as he stepped forward. “I did kill Qing Yi, but that was only because he attempted to kill us and take our treasure.”

　　“You didn’t take it? The Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit was with our three elders. If you hadn’t taken it, who did? Do you dare to let me search your soul to see if you have seen the Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit?”

　　“You…” Lonemoon was furious. Soul-searching was an exceedingly depraved method. The user would have access to all of a person’s memories, but this would have a grave effect on the person’s soul. That person would definitely end up a paralytic, at best. What difference was this from saying he wanted to kill Yi Qing?

　　“Or…” The man swept his gaze across the crowd before he continued, “Do you really want me to turn this place into a bloodbath so that I can take my time to look for the treasure that rightfully belongs to my family?” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he released a suppressive force from his body once again. The people he had brought with him also began to take out their weapons.

　　The people of the Blackheaven Sect began to panic and even Xi Qiu and Yu Yang turned to look at Yi Qing suspiciously.

　　Now Lonemoon was hopping mad—this was the first time he had ever felt this indignant. The Xuan Yuan Family did not come with good intentions and it was clear that they were not about to let the Blackheaven Sect off that easily. They were only using the Vegetation Spirit as an excuse to find trouble with them.

　　They did not even care whether Yi Qing had the Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit with him. All they needed was an excuse. As long as Lonemoon, Yi Qing and Shen Ying insisted that they did not have the Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit, they would destroy the Blackheaven Sect. Then, not only would they be able to avenge their three elders, they would also be able to flaunt their power in the Lower Realm. If the three of them admitted that they had the Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit, that would still be a pleasant surprise to them.

　　And as it turns out, they really did have a Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit.

　　Everyone who was present understood what the Xuan Yuan Family was up to. However, the Blackheaven Sect stood no chance of defending themselves against an aristocratic family from the Upper World as the Blackheaven Sect was so much weaker compared to them. Besides that, there were so many low-ranking disciples of the Blackheaven Sect around—no matter how the battle turned out, they would still stand to lose hundreds of men.

　　“I did find a Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit in the mystic realm.” Yi Qing’s expression darkened. He understood what the Xuan Yuan Family was up to as well. As he walked past the crowd, he continued, “But it is not the one that the Xuan Yuan Family brought into the mystic realm.”

　　As soon as he had spoken, the few Traveling Immortals on the lotus flower became dumbfounded.

　　On the other hand, everybody in the Blackheaven Sect seemed to burst with anger. All of them turned to face Yi Qing with hostile expressions, especially the disciples who did not yet understand the truth. Voices of doubt sounded from all around.

　　“That’s impossible, he really took it?”

　　“No wonder the people of the Upper Azure World are so angry.”

　　“Isn’t he a Sword Cultivator? What does he want that pill-refining monster for?”

　　“Who wouldn’t want a treasure of that grade? He entered the mystic realm at the Nascent Soul stage, yet came out at the Soul Formation stage. Who would believe that he’s not holding on to any treasure?”

　　“Eh, how did my Blackheaven Sect produce such a person?”

　　The more Lonemoon heard, the angrier he became. All he wanted was to rush into the crowd and shut all of them up.

　　Even a hall master turned against them and began to persuade Yi Qing, “Supremacy Yi Qing. If you really took their Vegetation Spirit, why don’t you just return it to them? Why must you involve the entire sect?”

　　“Shut up!” Lonemoon’s heart stilled. He turned to glare at that hall master. How could he say something like that? When the three Traveling Immortals came up to Blackheaven Sect, Yi Qing had been a mere Nascent Soul cultivator. He would not have had the chance to go if the people from their sect had not been so useless. To think that the three of them had fought so hard to come home with so many spirit herbs in tow and had even given everything they had found to the sect. Now, in the face of trouble, these people were willing to give up Yi Qing’s life to save their own?

　　Do you all have any sense of shame?

　　What’s more, the Xuan Yuan Family was clearly stirring trouble. How could they blame everything on Yi Qing? He was just unlucky to have been caught in the eyes of those three elders just before they had died.

　　“This… I wasn’t the one who said this. It’s the Upper World’s…” The hall master stepped back reluctantly, refusing to give up that line of thought.

　　“Lonemoon…” Yu Yang frowned and stepped forward. “You can’t blame them. This concerns the whole sect. We need to keep the bigger picture in mind.”

　　“Senior Brother?” Lonemoon could not believe his ears. His eyes widened as he asked, “Even you think that way?”

　　Yu Yang looked at the crowd above them, floating on the lotus flower. He lowered his voice and replied, “You should understand that protecting the sect should be our priority. The truth isn’t important!”

　　Not important!

　　Lonemoon hesitated. Suddenly, he understood something. He opened his eyes even wider and turned to look at all the hall masters standing behind him. Everyone took a step back and even Xi Qiu turned away.

　　So they’ve made up their minds?

　　The Upper Azure World had given the command. To save their sect, they wanted to give Yi Qing up! Was it really better to sacrifice one person than to see the entire sect be destroyed?

　　His eyes kept widening. He suddenly felt like a stranger in the sect which he had been a part of for hundreds of years.

　　But despite all this, Yi Qing’s expression remained calm. He seemed to have expected this outcome. This was precisely the reason he chose to remain an itinerant cultivator and refused to join a sect. A place with so many people was ironically devoid of heart.

　　Without any regard for the crowd that was furiously whispering behind him, he said, “I saw the Vegetation Spirit grow in the ancient mystic realm and it does not belong to your Xuan Yuan Family.”

　　“What a joke!” A Traveling Immortal laughed coldly. “Who else could the Thousand Leaves Vegetation Spirit belong to but my family?”

　　“It belongs to me!” A female voice replied as soon as he had finished asking the question.

　　The Traveling Immortal hesitated before he searched the ground below him. A few seconds passed before his eyes landed on the woman beside Yi Qing. Her hand was raised. His troubled heart suddenly fell quiet.

　　A mortal?

　　“Who are you?”

　　“I’m his master,” Shen Ying replied, pointing to Yi Qing. It was rare for her to identify herself this way. “Let me correct you: Chef- I mean, my disciple only killed one out of three of your people. He killed the one who ate the wrong medicine… Yes, the one in the right-hand side mirror. I killed the other two.”And I was paid to do so.