"Why did Meng Cao kill Jiang Yan?" Song Wen asked. Le Liang replied, "Meng Cao is notorious for his lustful nature, and Jiang Yan was renowned for her unparalleled beauty. He had long coveted her. Previously, Jiang Lu's constant presence had thwarted his advances, but Jiang Lu's absence on a mission provided Meng Cao with the opportunity he had been waiting for." "He lured Jiang Yan to his cabin under false pretenses, intending to take advantage of her. But Jiang Yan, fiercely independent, refused to submit. In a fit of rage, Meng Cao struck her, unintentionally killing her." "Meng Cao's cabin was protected by a formation laid by Meng Lengyu, making it impossible for Golden Core cultivators to detect what transpired inside. It was Senior Zi Yun of the Liangyi Sect, while patrolling nearby, who noticed something amiss and exposed the truth." "What about Meng Cao?" Song Wen asked. "Senior Zi Yun didn't execute him, did she?" With the great war between humans and demons raging, Zi Yun might have taken such drastic action to maintain unity among the cultivator forces. "Senior Zi Yun is from an external sect," Le Liang explained, "so she couldn't directly interfere in our Wu Ji Sect's internal affairs. She sealed Meng Cao's spiritual energy and locked him in his own cabin, awaiting the return of Demon Lord Yin Shuo and Demon Sovereign Ye Hua to decide his fate." Song Wen said, "Meng Cao's audacity is truly boundless! Even if he didn't know about the Demon Sovereign's personal promise to protect Jiang Yan, how could he think Jiang Lu would spare him upon his return?" Le Liang replied, "Initially, Meng Cao likely didn't intend to kill Jiang Yan; he merely wanted to defile her. As long as she remained alive, with Meng Lengyu backing him, Jiang Lu wouldn't have dared to touch him." Song Wen slowly shook his head, sighing with a hint of resignation. He seemed to lament both the senselessness of Jiang Yan's death and the folly of Jiang Lu's perilous journey to Fangzhudao. "What are the other Golden Core elders saying?" Song Wen asked. "Most of the Golden Core elders are taking a wait-and-see approach," Le Liang answered. "They're likely waiting for the Demon Sovereign and Jiang Lu to return. When they do, the Demon Sovereign will undoubtedly have to answer to Jiang Lu. As for the Foundation Establishment cultivators, they weren't aware of the Demon Sovereign's promise and are furious about what happened. When Senior Zi Yun forcibly broke through the formation protecting Meng Cao's cabin and revealed the truth, it ignited widespread outrage. If not for Senior Zi Yun's intervention, Meng Cao might have been beaten to death on the spot." "This matter is beyond our jurisdiction," Song Wen said. "We can only await the return of the Demon Lord and Demon Sovereign to handle it personally." A hint of unease flickered across Le Liang's face. "Jiang Yan and Meng Cao both belong to our Alchemy Hall. I fear the Demon Sovereign might hold me responsible for negligence in overseeing my subordinates." Song Wen turned to glance at Le Liang. He had wondered why the Hall Master seemed so concerned about Jiang Yan's fate, but now he understood—his anxiety stemmed from fear for himself. "Hall Master, rest assured, this incident has nothing to do with you," Song Wen said. "Moreover, with the war effort at its peak, the Demon Sovereign needs our services more than ever. He won't punish you." "Let's hope so," Le Liang replied, his worry still lingering. After parting ways with Le Liang, Song Wen, who hadn't built a wooden hut, found an empty patch of ground and sat down cross-legged to meditate and regulate his breathing. His chosen spot wasn't far from Meng Cao's hut, and he couldn't help but cast occasional glances at it. A crowd of Wu Ji Sect disciples still surrounded the hut. Meng Cao's actions had crossed a line for these disciples. Many of them had dao companions or children. They risked their lives on the front lines for the sake of the Human Race, but if the safety of their families at home couldn't be guaranteed, who would willingly charge into battle and sacrifice themselves for the sect? This was why these disciples of the demonic path had taken the unprecedented step of speaking out for Jiang Yan, a woman who would normally have nothing to do with them. Perhaps fearing that Meng Cao would be beaten to death, after Zi Yun forcibly broke through the Formation set up by Meng Lengyu, someone immediately erected a new Third-Tier defensive Formation in its place. This new Formation lacked the ability to block Spirit Sense. Song Wen easily penetrated it with his own, discovering Meng Cao huddled on the floor inside the wooden hut, bound by chains and with his Dantian sealed. Despite his predicament, Meng Cao showed little fear. Perhaps he firmly believed that when Meng Lengyu returned, she would, as always, clean up this mess for him. An hour later, ten figures appeared above Yangning Island: Yin Shuo and the other four Nascent Soul cultivators, along with five Golden Core cultivators. Having learned from Song Wen that the Demon Race had recently produced two Fourth-Tier mermen, there was no longer any need to continue the mission to hunt Third-Tier demon beasts. To avoid unnecessary casualties, the three major factions recalled their Golden Core cultivators. However, not all of them made it back. Of the nine Golden Core cultivators initially dispatched, three had perished. The Wu Ji Sect had also lost one: Jiang Lu. Needing to discuss strategies for dealing with the Demon Race, Yin Shuo and Ye Hua glanced briefly at the Wu Ji Sect's encampment but paid it no further attention. They joined the other Nascent Soul cultivators and headed toward the flattened mountain peak. Only Meng Lengyu flew toward the Wu Ji Sect's encampment. Thıs content belongs to 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡~𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚~𝙣𝙚𝙩 At that moment, the dozens of Foundation Establishment Stage disciples surrounding Meng Cao's wooden hut suddenly knelt in unison. "We implore Demon Sovereign Ye Hua and Demon Lord Yin Shuo to uphold justice for Jiang Yan and severely punish Meng Cao!" The dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators shouted in unison, their voices booming like thunderclaps that pierced the heavens. Meng Lengyu staggered violently in mid-air, nearly plummeting from the sky. For dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators to simultaneously demand severe punishment, Meng Cao's transgression must have been a grievous one, worthy of both divine and human wrath. Remembering her son's past behavior and the "Jiang Yan" mentioned by the crowd, Meng Lengyu instantly guessed what Meng Cao had done. She urgently accelerated toward Meng Cao's wooden hut. However, someone moved even faster: Ye Hua. With a flash, he appeared before the kneeling cultivators. "Rise and speak," he commanded. The Foundation Establishment cultivators dared not disobey and quickly stood. "Explain exactly what happened, in detail," Ye Hua ordered. A male cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment recounted the events meticulously. "Where is Jiang Yan's body?" Ye Hua asked, his tone icy. "This subordinate has it, Demon Sovereign," Le Liang, who had been waiting nearby, quickly replied. As soon as he finished speaking, a black Corpse Coffin materialized out of thin air and landed before Ye Hua. With a wave of his hand, the coffin lid slid open effortlessly. Jiang Yan's corpse lay before him. Her death was gruesome. The left side of her face was a bloody mess, and her neck was completely twisted, as if she had been struck across the face with a palm strike. Ye Hua's expression darkened like a thundercloud. "Did Meng Cao do this?" "Yes," Le Liang confirmed. A palpable aura of killing intent erupted from Ye Hua, solidifying into a suffocating presence that instantly froze the surrounding air, making it so heavy that the cultivators gasped for breath. Ye Hua turned his gaze toward Meng Cao's wooden hut, his eyes as sharp as blades. 📖Read (RDC) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c1096. [+2] 🔑Early Access at $5. ✍Translated (6) Series, (4.1K+) Chapters, (5.8M+) Words.