"What?!"
Leng Xingzhi's face contorted with anger at his junior sister's words, his voice turning sharp as the air around him warped.
"No, I didn't do anything."
Chu Xiyin's legs weakened. If the matter of her pursuing disciples from the Cultivation Academy was confirmed, their Xuanxin Sect would surely face retribution.
"Didn't do anything?" Chu Lingwei chuckled lightly. "Why don't you summon your tracking spirit butterflies? Then the truth will be known."
Chu Xiyin took a heavy step back. Thinking of the spirit butterfly lying in her storage bag, a murderous intent surged within her. This spirit butterfly could no longer be kept.
Chu Xu's face turned ashen. Chu Xiyin was the Sect Master's eldest daughter, and he had placed great hopes on her. He never expected she would bring such immense trouble to their Xuanxin Sect.
Chu Lingwei crossed her arms, her voice firm and dismissive.
Leng Xingzhi sent a surge of spiritual energy towards Chu Xiyin's spirit beast bag. A wisp of black smoke rapidly flew out, and simultaneously, a venomous creature hurtled towards Chu Lingwei and her group.
"Yes, that's it! That's what stole our spirit herbs."
After spitting out the venom, the black smoke immediately darted back into Chu Xiyin's spirit beast bag. A disciple who had lost spirit herbs, with keen eyes, saw the black mist they detested appear and immediately shouted.
The sudden appearance of the crawling creature and its swift return to the spirit beast bag had happened without Chu Xiyin's consent.
By the time Chu Xiyin realized what was happening, everyone present from the various sects had noticed.
"Chu Xu, what do you have to say for yourself now?" Lei Hongyang roared. Now that the thief who stole spirit herbs had been caught, he wanted to see what further excuses Chu Xu could offer.
"Indeed, the Xuanxin Sect stole our spirit herbs from the Joyous Union Sect, and they must return double." The head of the Joyous Union Sect snorted coldly, his demeanor indicating his stance without any outward anger.
"To dare pursue disciples of our Cultivation Academy, the Cultivation Academy will investigate this matter to the end," Leng Xingzhi stated icily. The Xuanxin Sect, it seemed, no longer had a reason to exist.
Chu Xu listened to their conversation, nearly spitting up a mouthful of blood. What exactly had Chu Xiyin done in the secret realm to provoke all these sects to seek trouble with them?
"Xiyin, is what they are saying true?"
At this moment, even if it were true, they could not admit it. Chu Xu's question carried a veiled warning.
As long as they denied it, these sects would be unable to do anything to them.
After all, the life-and-death encounters within the secret realm were something they had tacitly agreed not to pursue.
Chu Xiyin was not foolish. She immediately knelt on the ground, her eyes filled with grievance. "Elder Chu, it's not like that at all. They have misunderstood me."
"Do you dare say that the loss of our spirit herbs has nothing to do with you?" Ye Tianling glared at Chu Xiyin. He had never felt so stifled.
"Yes, the loss of your spirit herbs has absolutely nothing to do with me." Chu Xiyin, appearing as if she had been wronged, stood up and faced the disciples of the various sects. "I, Chu Xiyin, dare to swear on my Dao Heart that I was not aware of your spirit herbs being stolen." httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
The Dao Heart, for a cultivator, was the foundation that supported their path to the Great Dao.
To violate one's Dao Heart would lead to the birth of inner demons, a major obstacle to achieving the Great Dao.
Therefore, for cultivators, swearing on their Dao Heart was the most taboo act.
Chu Xiyin's willingness to swear on her Dao Heart indicated her clear conscience.
This, in turn, sowed doubt in the hearts of all the elders and the disciples who had lost spirit herbs from the various sects.
Seeing Chu Xiyin swear on her Dao Heart, Chu Lingwei smiled faintly. Chu Xiyin was not lying.
The spirit beast she had implanted within Chu Xiyin's contracted barrier was a demonic beast that required high-grade spirit herbs to survive.
This demonic beast was one of the beasts in the spirit beast bag gifted by their third senior brother. It did not belong to the category of spirit beasts, and even if it contracted with a human cultivator, it would not entirely obey their commands.
Its greatest skill was its ability to escape the confines of the spirit bag and easily steal spirit herbs within ten paces, even those belonging to their owners.
This had originally been a gift from their third senior brother to relieve his boredom, but unexpectedly, it had proven to be of great use.
She truly had to thank her third senior brother for gifting her so many peculiar spirit beasts and demonic beasts.
"However, it was clearly your divine beast that stole their spirit herbs. Why don't you dare admit it?" Chu Lingwei would not let go of this opportunity, shattering the silence.
Chu Xiyin glared at Chu Lingwei. If she hadn't been looking for a divine beast, she would have died long ago.
"I dare to swear on my Dao Heart that if the matter of stealing spirit herbs has anything to do with me, may I never advance further." Having already sworn once, Chu Xiyin felt no psychological pressure to swear again.
"You are twisting the concept," Chu Lingwei countered unhurriedly after Chu Xiyin finished her oath. "Your oath only states that you did not order your divine beast to steal everyone's spirit herbs, but it does not mean you were unaware."
"You..." Chu Xiyin's mind exploded. She drew her sword and pointed it directly at Chu Lingwei.
This woman was truly a jinx.
"So, you're getting angry out of shame? It seems I wasn't wrong." Chu Lingwei smiled. So impatient. It seemed that everything she had experienced in the secret realm had greatly impacted her.
"The matter of stealing spirit herbs has absolutely nothing to do with me." Chu Xiyin intended to exploit the loophole; the theft of spirit herbs was not her instruction, but she had indeed not prevented it.
Mei Ji's eyes flashed upon hearing Chu Lingwei's words. "Chu Xiyin, it is your divine beast. It stole our spirit herbs, is that not your responsibility? Do you take us all for fools?"
"To think the Xuanxin Sect is one of the five great sects, yet they engage in such despicable acts." Lei Hongyang gloated. With the Xuanxin Sect facing such an incident, their reputation was ruined.
Of course, he had to step on them.
"Lei Hongyang, before the matter is clarified, you dare to slander our Xuanxin Sect? I, Chu Xu, will not forgive you lightly." Chu Xu was enraged, his cold gaze sweeping towards Chu Lingwei. Several times now, she had been the one to stir up others' suspicions.
"Chu Xu, are you trying to threaten my junior sister?"
Leng Xingzhi chuckled lightly. No one had ever dared to bully his people in front of him.
"This seat merely believes that without evidence, one should not speak carelessly." Chu Xu was already lamenting internally, weary of being besieged by the various sects.
Now, he could only hope that the situation would not worsen and, at the same time, hope that reinforcements from the sect would arrive soon.
"This is clearly using the strong to bully the weak, and the powerful to oppress the feeble." Chu Lingwei stood beside Leng Xingzhi, looking back at Chu Xu. In her memory, this man had always secretly aided Chu Chang.
"You..." Chu Xu was surprised that a mere Spirit Wheel realm disciple dared to openly contradict him.
"Isn't it?" Chu Lingwei gave Chu Xu a disdainful look. "The elders of the Divine Concealment Sect and the Joyous Union Sect have their doubts, which you dare not answer directly. Yet now, you issue a warning to me, a mere junior disciple, simply because you are of a higher cultivation level and are trying to intimidate me?"
Chu Xu's face flushed and paled as he listened to Chu Lingwei's words.