When Shui Qingyue's accusation rang out, though the onlookers had heard it before, they were still inwardly shocked.
She angrily recounted the events that had transpired.
When she spoke of how Li Tianjue and others, the chief disciples of the Qingxu Heaven, had used sinister hidden weapons to silence them, the geniuses present who had been ambushed were all stunned and distanced themselves from Li Tianjue and his group.
So they had been ambushed by people from Qingxu Heaven?!
How terrifying!
They never imagined that the paragon of the righteous path, the renowned Qingxu Heaven, would be so ruthless, colluding with demonic sects and harming fellow cultivators!
No one dared to stand beside Li Tianjue and Su Luo; everyone moved away in unison.
Only the Heavenly Maidens of the Six Desires Cult remained unfazed.
Shang Xie Shaoqing quickly hurried over, glanced at Shui Xuanmo, who lay bleeding on the ground, and whispered, "Luoluo, Brother Li, what exactly happened? Why has it escalated to this point?"
What had he missed?
Su Luo clasped her hands behind her back and said indifferently, "No rush, Shang Xie. You'll know soon enough."
"This is what happened. Qingxu Heaven is hypocritical and vicious, colluding with demonic sects. We absolutely cannot let them off."
Shui Qingyue finally finished her indignant speech. Looking at her brother Shui Xuanmo, whose arms had been severed, she felt not only anger but also immense relief that she had escaped quickly yesterday. Otherwise, she too would have suffered the fate of being crippled!
Shui Xuanmo lay collapsed and weak on the ground, his strength sapped by the massive blood loss. "Father! Save your son... Li Tianjue and the others are so cruel! They want to kill me, save... save me!"
"Li Tianjue, do you have anything else to say!?"
Shui Hanyi roared, "Release my son immediately! This sect demands blood for blood!"
"Sect Leader Shui's ability to twist facts is truly masterful. I'm impressed," Li Tianjue finally spoke.
He stood with his hands behind his back, a thousand pairs of eyes fixed on him, yet he remained as calm as a gentle breeze.
He stood there, like a towering pine, unfazed by the blazing sun or the biting wind and snow. His resolute handsome face and steady demeanor remained undisturbed, showing no sign of yielding even when questioned by the sect leader of the Primordial Sacred Land.
Li Tianjue glanced at Su Luo and said lightly, "Bring it out."
"Shui Hanyi, your son has already confessed to everything regarding the Primordial Sacred Land's collusion with the Dark Demonic Ridge. We have recorded it with a Soul Reflection Pearl, and we can display it for everyone now. It will be clear who is colluding with the demonic sects."
With that, Su Luo raised a black pearl – the Soul Reflection Pearl.
What, there was a Soul Reflection Pearl!
The entire venue erupted in an uproar. Shui Hanyi, in particular, trembled, completely taken aback by this move from Qingxu Heaven.
His first thought was, could Xuanmo truly have confessed?
No one present had expected Qingxu Heaven's counterattack to be so swift and effective, and to produce such crucial evidence. If the Soul Reflection Pearl truly recorded the confession of Saint Son Shui Xuanmo, proving that the Primordial Sacred Land had colluded with the Dark Demonic Ridge, it would be an astonishing reversal!
Bei Ming Di's spirits lifted, and he immediately said, "Since there's a Soul Reflection Pearl, then quickly play it for everyone to see!"
Su Luo did not delay and immediately activated the Soul Reflection Pearl.
A beam of light shot out from the pearl, projecting onto the sky, and an image shifted from blurry to clear.
It was a desolate swamp, overgrown with wild grass, shrouded in a light mist. In the distance, grey and black冥火 (Netherfire) flickered, resembling the ancient mining area... no, not the ancient mining area; there weren't this many冥火 in the mining area.
It was the Marsh of Netherfire!
Someone shouted, and then the scene shifted to show Shui Xuanmo, the Saint Son of the Primordial Sacred Land.
A voice asked, "Shui Xuanmo, does the Primordial Sacred Land have any ulterior motives in participating in this Heavenly Talent Competition?"
Everyone clearly saw that in the image, Shui Xuanmo said with a blank expression, "Of course. We have an astonishing plan. Although the Primordial Sacred Land is one of the six great powers, we have been suppressed by Qingxu Heaven for years, and we can no longer tolerate it. This time, we not only plan to eliminate Li Tianjue but also the geniuses of other sects including the Longevity Palace and the Six Desires Cult..."
Listening to Shui Xuanmo's confession, everyone in the Sun Moon Square was shocked and enraged, cursing loudly.
"He confessed! He really confessed!"
"It's actually the Primordial Sacred Land colluding with the demonic sects, how despicable! They framed Qingxu Heaven!"
"Truly, one cannot judge a person by their appearance. Even the righteous path has such scum..."
The four emperors were also greatly shocked by the rapid turn of events.
"What is going on, Sect Leader Shui?!"
Bei Ming Di stared at Shui Hanyi with a grim expression. "Qingxu Heaven has presented evidence, and it turns out you were the ones who falsely accused them! I never expected the Primordial Sacred Land to collude with demonic sects and harm fellow cultivators. It's utterly outrageous!"
Tian Yan Di snorted, "What a classic case of the guilty party filing a complaint first. I thought Qingxu Heaven was the one committing evil, but who would have thought... it's actually your Primordial Sacred Land. Sect Leader Shui, do you have anything else to say?"
The crowd buzzed with discussion, the tide of opinion turning. The two elders of Qingxu Heaven felt greatly comforted and laughed heartily.
"As I said, it must have been Tianjue and Su Ya'er who discovered the Primordial Sacred Land's scheme. As expected."
"Soul Reflection Pearl, a truly wonderful thing! Otherwise, Qingxu Heaven would have been unable to defend itself this time."
Shui Xuanmo, who was slumped on the ground, was stunned. Did he actually say that?!
With a surge of strength he didn't know he had, he struggled to his feet and vehemently denied, "No, that's not what I said, it's fake! They forced me, forced me to say it, it's not true..."
Su Luo clasped her hands and said, "If it weren't true, could you have recounted it in such detail and clarity?"
"No... Su Luo, Li Tianjue, you've harmed me!"
Shui Xuanmo finally understood why he vaguely remembered something upon waking, but dismissed it as a dream. He didn't know why he had said those things, and his only thought was to never admit it.
Shui Qingyue rushed forward to support her brother, pointing at Su Luo and the others, and shouting, "Haven't you harmed my brother enough? You clearly forced him to say it, and now you claim it's evidence! You chopped off my brother's hands, and we will not let your Qingxu Heaven off."
Shui Xuanmo mustered all his strength and roared hoarsely, "Qingxu Heaven forced me to say this, they tortured me, cut off my hands, they are so cruel, I... I had no choice... Pfft!"
He suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, swaying precariously.
Shui Qingyue cried out in alarm, supporting him as she wept and wailed, "Brother, brother, you must hold on! Father—"
From the seating area, Shui Hanyi's eyes turned bloodshot. He roared and opened his arms, flying forward.
He quickly produced a silver pill and administered it to Shui Xuanmo, then placed his hand on his back, channeling spiritual energy. After confirming that Shui Xuanmo was out of immediate danger, he turned towards the crowd, his rage ablaze.
A powerful pressure emanated from Shui Hanyi, making everyone feel as if their bones were about to be crushed.
Everyone retreated further, and even the geniuses from Qingxu Heaven, Six Desires Cult, and Longevity Palace felt a great threat, quickly activating their powers to resist.
This was the might of a sect leader!
Terrifying methods, unparalleled cultivation, and an absolute refusal to be underestimated.
Shui Hanyi's gaze was grim. He swept his eyes across the entire venue and said word by word, "The Primordial Sacred Land has absolutely not colluded with any demonic sects. What my son said earlier was entirely due to torture and coercion by people from Qingxu Heaven, and it cannot be trusted. This sect now asks only one question: Who injured my son like this? Step forward!"