After questioning Li Yan in detail, all eight people couldn’t help but show moved expressions on their faces. If everything Li Yan said was true, then this disciple’s actions this time were truly too shocking.

Even Gong Chenying’s expression was somewhat dazed. Many of the things Li Yan spoke of were previously unknown to her. After Li Yan had healed her, he had only briefly mentioned some matters without going into detail.

However, Li Yan still left out some things. If they knew that he had also severely injured a second-rank Sky Ox expert and triggered the restrictions on the crimson walls to kill quite a few first-rank demon cultivators, who knows what they would think.

Li Yan originally didn’t want to speak of it, but the matter of Miao Zhengyi and Wang Lang being severely wounded was something that Gan Shi and Gong Chen had both personally experienced. Especially since Wang Lang himself wasn’t dead yet—if he were to awaken, he would definitely speak of the black shadow sneak attack. Moreover, all of this was connected to Gong Chenying abandoning Mei Bucai and the others, so it couldn’t be left unsaid.

“The secret of the Life-and-Death Wheel that Quan Jiuxing and Wang Lang spoke of regarding the Grand Profound Sect’s discovery—this matter ends here. It must not be spread further. Do you understand?”

Elder Peng pondered for a moment, then gave Li Yan a stern instruction with a serious expression.

After pausing briefly, Elder Peng continued speaking.

“Including the deaths of those Foundation Establishment cultivators, apart from Wei Zhiran, you must not mention them to anyone around you, otherwise these three sects will definitely place you on their must-kill list. As for that Wang Lang, even if he awakens, the fact that you could enter the deadly black shadows in the sky—the Ten-Step Court will surely keep this strictly confidential, and may even issue a gag order. Neither the Grand Profound Sect nor the Pure Land Sect will know of this matter. Moreover, that Wang Lang didn’t clearly see whether what ambushed him in the end was human, demon, or some unknown creature.”

Li Yan listened and nodded silently. How could he want to be constantly watched by others, especially three colossal forces? Before reaching Core Formation, he wouldn’t even think of leaving the sect.

After Elder Peng finished speaking, he also glanced at Gong Chenying.

“You as well—do you understand?”

Gong Chenying was still in shock. Suddenly hearing this, she raised her ​stolen content​beautiful head and nodded blankly.

“Mm, after Baili Yuan, Gan Shi, and all the others come out, I will naturally issue a gag order. But you say you can enter those deadly black shadows—how are you certain of this?”

Elder Peng thought briefly, then brought up a question that couldn’t be ignored.

The other elders, after hearing what Li Yan had said, all kept staring at Li Yan without interrupting Elder Peng’s questioning. They all followed Elder Peng’s lead on this journey.

Li Yan had long known this question would come. His face first showed fear and lingering dread. After several breaths, he then stretched out his tongue to lick his lips.

“How would this nephew have the courage to test those deadly black shadows? It was all discovered by accident. When I was swept into the final trial, I began searching for Sixth Senior Sister’s team. After searching for some time, I happened to see Wang Lang strike and send Sixth Senior Sister flying. Seeing that Sixth Senior Sister was about to fall into the endless black shadows, I wanted to intercept her momentum from the side. Who knew the result would be that I had overestimated myself.

Even though Wang Lang was severely wounded, that strike was naturally not something I could block. When I blocked Sixth Senior Sister’s momentum, I was first knocked toward the deadly black shadows behind me. At that time, my back had already touched the edge of the black shadow. Under the intense pain, I threw Sixth Senior Sister out, then channeled all my spiritual power to strike at the ground behind me, using this rebound force to barely escape from that patch of black shadow.

At the time, I thought I would surely die. Who would have thought that after falling to the ground, I discovered that aside from all the clothing on my back and right arm completely disappearing, there was only intense pain before nothing serious happened. That Wang Lang also didn’t notice this action…”

Li Yan said this with even more intense fear on his face.

After hearing Li Yan’s account, Elder Peng and the others couldn’t help but look at his clothing.

“Oh, that outfit is no longer here. Later, when ambushing Wang Lang, I again took the risk of entering the black shadows, and all my clothes were completely corroded away.”

Saying this, Li Yan’s dark face actually grew slightly warm. Fortunately, his complexion was already dark, so it didn’t show.

Elder Peng and the others suddenly understood. Previously, Gong Chenying had only briefly mentioned the matter of her injuries without going unauthorized copyinto detail. Li Yuyin’s alluring beautiful eyes wandered back and forth over Gong Chenying’s body, her face carrying a trace of strange amusement.

From Gong Chenying’s previous brief words and Li Yan’s current description, she sensed some different implications within.

At this moment, Gong Chenying’s expression was somewhat complex. She hadn’t known of this matter before. She only knew that Li Yan had saved her, and at the time, all her attention had been focused on that miraculous pill and the waist ornament.

She truly hadn’t known that Li Yan had once touched those terrifying black shadows to save her. Only now did she recall Li Yan’s tattered robes and his exposed right arm and back. For a moment, her heart stirred with mixed feelings, and she felt inexplicably moved, her nose slightly sour.

“If he didn’t possess the Fractured Poison Body, he would have died then. And I would have been casually killed by that Wang Lang while unconscious, never knowing this had happened. He had already exchanged his life for mine once to save me. Is this fate?

The elders in my clan often said that the waist ornament is one’s life ring, meant to be seen only by the young man who comes singing mountain songs on a boat. These legends were actually true—the mountain songs are love songs of blood and shared destiny…”

For a moment, Gong Chenying’s thoughts flew to her hometown, to the stories her grandmother had often told her as a child—young men and women standing among clear mountains and beautiful waters, seeing through layers of mist, with melodious singing drifting under the stars…

But when several gazes fell upon her, Gong Chenying immediately sobered considerably. Her heart raced as her face flushed with color, and she hurriedly nodded, saying in a barely audible voice:

“Yes, after Junior Brother pushed me out, the back of his robe and his right arm were completely corroded away.”

However, her demeanor in the eyes of the several elders made them smile knowingly. “No wonder this girl only briefly mentioned her battle with Wang Lang and her injuries earlier—it turns out there was this reason. It was truly somewhat difficult to speak of.”

They simultaneously thought of one thing: when Li Yan blocked Gong Chenying’s momentum, the two must have had skin contact. How could an unmarried woman speak of such a thing? No wonder when Li Yan brought up this matter, the girl’s pretty face turned red.

These elders were all shrewd people and wouldn’t continue questioning about this matter. Elder Yi from Four Symbols Peak spoke again.

“Li Yan, when you came into contact with those deadly black shadows, aside from intense pain, did you visit our sitehave any other sensations?”

He regarded this matter as extremely important. In his view, this was even more useful than the three sects’ blue gourds. Who knew if the Life-and-Death Wheel would continue to open next time?

“This lady is also curious. Those deadly black shadows can devour all things—all the sect’s preserved records describe them as such.”

Li Yuyin blinked her large eyes at Li Yan, greatly increasing his pressure.

The others were naturally also very concerned about this, all looking at Li Yan with burning gazes.

At this time, Li Yan’s face showed a bewildered expression. He first shook his head, then seemed to remember something and nodded.

“I recall some things. When I contacted the black shadows, waves of intense pain entered my body and stirred within. The Fractured Poison Body inside me seemed very active, swimming uncontrollably throughout my body. Thinking back now, it seems that wherever it went, the intense pain was immediately relieved considerably.”

How clever Li Yan was—in this matter, he couldn’t appear to know nothing, nor could he appear to understand too much. In the end, he still pushed this matter onto the Fractured Poison Body. Otherwise, knowing nothing yet saying nothing made sense would be unconvincing. These people might very well dissect his intestines when they returned.

When Li Yan spoke these words, Elder Yi and the others nodded as expected. They had previously had some speculation—if there was any secret about Li Yan, it would be the Fractured Poison Body.

“Your Fractured Poison Body is truly remarkable. Not only is it so inconceivable, but even your cultivation level is actually…”

Just as Elder Yi wanted to continue questioning, at this moment, a dazzling five-colored light blazed up from the spherical mountain peak, immediately interrupting the conversation of several people, who all looked through the light barrier toward that direction.

At the same time, the crowds on the surrounding peaks became excited again.

“They’re coming out, they’re coming out! Someone else has come out!”

“I wonder who’s come out this time?”

“It’s been almost half an hour since the last person came out. I wonder if it’s the top three or other teams from behind.”

“The demon cultivators and Pure Land Sect haven’t had a single person come out just now. If there’s still no one this time, it’ll be quite embarrassing.”

Someone said gloatingly.

On the peak where the Wraith Sect stood, Elder Peng had also withdrawn the light barrier, and everyone’s gazes were focused on the center, on that patch of five-colored radiance.

That mass of five-colored light was extremely dazzling. After the brilliance gradually faded, what appeared in everyone’s eyes was a demon cultivator team with numerous members. Leading them were Jin Chuiyan and Wu Wu’an, each followed by over ten first-rank demonic beasts.

However, at this moment, the two demons’ faces were extremely gloomy. As soon as the radiance faded, their gazes immediately looked around. Seeing that there was no one else on the spherical mountain peak, the two demons were stunned, then cast their gazes toward the peak where the Wraith Sect stood, their eyes revealing anger.

What disappointed the two demons was that they didn’t see the person they wanted to see. This made the two demons’ eyes flash with vicious light. They had been transported out first while Baili Yuan and the others hadn’t—it seemed the transportation was indeed in order from low to high rank. Sure enough, the benefits had been taken by the Wraith Sect.

After the two demons glared fiercely at the Wraith Sect’s side once more, they didn’t speak to each other. Each led a team of demon cultivators and flew toward their respective clans. However, while taking flight, the two demons simultaneously dropped a line:

“Whether Baili Yuan of the Wraith Sect has come out yet, Jin has time to exchange pointers again.”

“Wu also wants to spar with Brothers Baili and Gan.”

The two demons spoke and departed directly, Read on Jormuntl though anyone could hear the towering hatred in their words.

“Why did these two demon cultivator teams come out in the same batch? And it seems the Wraith Sect has formed a great grudge with these two demons.”

“To make two demon clans hate them simultaneously, what did Baili Yuan and Gan Shi do to them? Did they kill their close junior relatives?”

“Hey, hey, hey, did you all hear what they meant? They clearly implied that Baili Yuan and Gan Shi of the Wraith Sect seem to still be alive.”

“Right, that’s exactly what they meant. These two demon cultivator teams came out at the same time just now. Did they achieve rankings, or not?”

“In my view, this shouldn’t be a top-three transmission, otherwise how could two teams be transmitted out simultaneously!”

The appearance of the two demon cultivator teams only caused a brief silence in the surroundings, followed by loud discussions.

The Wraith Sect cultivators wore expressions of joy—they had naturally also heard the other layer of meaning in the two demons’ words. As for the sparring talk and such, who among them would take it to heart?

(Chapter End)