The Living Immortal finally revealed his ultimate motive after a long period of suspense.
He suspected the Heavenly Demon Valley had tampered with the Moonflower Pearl. His goal was to protect the immortal sects by having Mingyue hand over the Moonflower Pearl to him for safekeeping.
The sect leaders present showed expressions of admiration, inwardly praising the Living Immortal's noble intentions. With the preceding narrative, they now perceived the exotic treasure as a ticking time bomb, extremely dangerous. They marveled at the Living Immortal's spirit of self-sacrifice for the greater good, which further elevated his image in their minds.
Mingyue, however, did not share this sentiment. The Moonflower Pearl was something she had painstakingly obtained. Once it was in her storage bag, it was hers. The idea of handing it over was met with a resounding "impossible!" She was a true miser; taking something from her was akin to taking her life.
Furthermore, the Moonflower Pearl had helped restore her body to its original state after the body swap with Ji Shiyou and stabilized Ji Shiyou's soul. She had experienced its effects firsthand and found no evidence of the tampering the Living Immortal claimed. If the Heavenly Demon Valley had indeed manipulated it, why would the Five Elements Demon Lord and Minghe have fought so desperately for it, even losing their lives? They could have simply kept it from the start.
Therefore, Mingyue placed no trust in the Living Immortal's eloquent pronouncements. Her sole thought was that this Living Immortal was here to rob her. As a miser and an experienced plunderer, Mingyue could not tolerate such a situation. She cared not for the Living Immortal's status within the immortal sects or his cultivation level. In her eyes, he was no different from a bandit. Thus, she pointed at him and shouted, refusing to hand over the Moonflower Pearl.
"Fairy Mingyue, why are you so agitated? I heard that at Furong Peak, you single-handedly held back the Five Elements Demon Lord and broke the Ten Thousand Demons Seal. Yet, your cultivation does not seem high; you are merely a pear blossom tree demon that has recently achieved form. You would struggle to kill even an ordinary demonic cultivator, let alone the Five Elements Demon Lord. Could it be that you are originally from the Heavenly Demon Valley? Perhaps at the foot of Furong Peak, you and the Five Elements Demon Lord staged a play. Your objective was to infiltrate the ranks of the immortal sect disciples and then, using the tampered exotic treasure, sow chaos within the immortal sects to achieve some unspeakable plan. Otherwise, why would this exotic treasure have fallen into your hands? And why are you so resistant to handing it over?"
Despite being pointed at and verbally abused by Mingyue, the Living Immortal remained unruffled. He maintained his serene demeanor, but his words were sharp and incisive, striking at the heart of the matter. His rhetoric sowed seeds of doubt in everyone's minds about Mingyue. Even Nong Qing and her companions began to feel uneasy. They hadn't considered this possibility until the Living Immortal brought it up.
According to the reports from disciples who had returned from their missions, this young girl named Mingyue had displayed immense power at Furong Peak, battling the Five Elements Demon Lord and resisting the ten thousand demons, thereby saving them. These reports painted Mingyue as a being of immense power, akin to a divine entity. However, the Mingyue before them now had a seemingly ordinary cultivation, easily discernible. Could it be that, as the Living Immortal suggested, Mingyue was indeed from the Heavenly Demon Valley and had conspired with the Five Elements Demon Lord to stage a rescue of the immortal sect disciples?
At that moment, all eyes turned to Mingyue, filled with suspicion and doubt. One impatient sect leader had already drawn his artifact, looking eager to act. The Living Immortal fell silent. Sometimes, words should not be spoken incessantly; having said what needed to be said, one must allow time for imagination and fermentation. He smiled kindly at He Lianying and Yong Gaoya. The three exchanged a knowing glance and stepped back a few paces. This left Mingyue isolated in the center of the hall, appearing to stand against everyone.
Mingyue also sensed this shift and the hostility directed at her. Her acute premonition of danger instantly extinguished her earlier agitation. Considering her own meager cultivation, she immediately conceded, shrinking her body and trying to minimize her presence, intending to slip away.
"Demon spy, don't let her escape!" Seeing Mingyue attempting to flee, everyone became even more convinced of her guilt. Someone shouted, and they immediately surrounded Mingyue.
"Everyone, stop! This is the Golden Crow Palace. Have you obtained my permission to fight here? Disperse, or don't blame me for being impolite. I recognize you, but the Golden Crow Fire does not. If you get burned to death, you can only blame yourselves."
Just then, a figure flashed beside Mingyue. Fairy Golden Crow appeared, her face icy as she shielded Mingyue. Golden and purple flames flickered around her as she sternly addressed the surrounding sect leaders and elders.
"Palace Master Golden Crow, what is the meaning of this? You just announced that you no longer recognize this demoness as your sister and that she has no further connection to the Golden Crow Palace. Your current actions are clearly a betrayal of your word, a slap in your own face. Moreover, this demoness undoubtedly has ties to the Heavenly Demon Valley. Immortals and demons are irreconcilable enemies. We must apprehend her today, seize the exotic treasure, and interrogate her severely." The Valley Master of Divine Physician Valley questioned angrily.
"Golden Crow, do not act rashly. This matter concerns the safety of the entire immortal sect. You are also a palace master. You must have a broader perspective. I implore you, do not cause trouble!" Ling Ge pleaded with a seemingly earnest expression.
"All of you, shut up! I don't need you to tell me what to do. Don't waste my breath. Let me tell you, if my sister suffers even a single strand of harm today, I will take all of your lives. Including yours, Ling Ge. The lives of all of you combined are not worth a single hair on my sister's head. For my sister, I am willing to abdicate this position as Palace Master. Do not force me to become an enemy of the entire immortal sect." Fairy Golden Crow's face was filled with ferocity, and the Golden Crow True Fire blazed around her, its scorching aura forcing everyone back a foot.
Mingyue looked at Fairy Golden Crow, who was erupting in fury on her behalf, and felt a warmth spread through her. She had never truly considered Fairy Golden Crow as a sister, nor had she stayed in the Golden Crow Palace for any reason other than to enjoy the palace's treasures and a life of luxury. She never imagined that Fairy Golden Crow would risk offending the entire immortal sect for her, even to the point of relinquishing her position as Palace Master.
Standing behind Fairy Golden Crow, Mingyue felt her bloodline surge. She sensed a familial bond enveloping her, and it seemed as if something within her was changing.
"Fairy Golden Crow, you are protecting this demoness so fiercely. Could it be that you are her accomplice? Otherwise, why would you recognize her as your sister at such a young age? And why would you insist on promoting her to the position of Grand Elder, overriding everyone's objections? All of this indicates that you too must be a spy planted in the immortal sects by the Heavenly Demon Valley, someone sent to receive her. The two of you are working in concert, using the Golden Crow Palace as a base to subvert the entire immortal sect."
Seeing Fairy Golden Crow push back the crowd, everyone looked at the Golden Crow True Fire with fear. The Living Immortal spoke again, his tactics unchanged. This time, however, he targeted Fairy Golden Crow, fanning the flames and stirring up trouble. While his methods were simple, they were effective. Bolstered by his past reputation, he succeeded in turning Mingyue and Fairy Golden Crow into perceived demon spies in everyone's minds.