27: Camp intrigue: Elders provoke conflict

The morning dew of the Azure Dragon Camp still clung to the corners of the tents, but the center of the Training Grounds was already crowded. White Cloud Sect Disciples were carrying a stretcher covered with a white cloth. Elder Zhao stood beside the stretcher, his withered fingers gripping a Copper Pipe. The sparks in the tobacco bowl flickered, making the malice in his eyes appear even heavier. A layer of Pale Golden True Essence, almost corporeal, swirled around him, carrying a pressure like mountains collapsing—this was the mark of the Tenth Level of the Innate Realm, just one step away from the Gang Qi Realm, making him a top combatant in the entire Qingmeng Mountain camp.

"Move aside, everyone, move aside!" The White Cloud Sect Disciples pushed away the onlookers, revealing the body on the stretcher—it was Zhao Lei. The clothes on his chest were ripped, and several deep, bone-visible claw marks crisscrossed, with flesh turned outward. It certainly looked like he had been injured by a Vicious Beast. But Lin Yang, standing on the periphery of the crowd, clearly remembered that this was a disguise he had deliberately created on the body using a wolf claw.

"Lin Yang!" Elder Zhao suddenly spun around, knocking the Copper Pipe against the ground. The moment the sparks flew, the bluestone slab beneath his feet shattered. "Although the claw marks on my son's body look like the work of a Vicious Beast, the fist print over his heart clearly bears the trace of Chaos True Essence! Do you dare deny that you killed him?"

Lin Yang slowly stepped out of the crowd, bloodstains still clinging to the cuffs of his Dark-colored Tight-fitting Suit. "Elder Zhao must be joking. Yesterday in the Vicious Beast Valley, your son colluded with Lin Dongliu to lure a pack of Red-eyed Wolves to attack me. When I fought back desperately, he was accidentally scratched by the Wolf King, which led to this..." He paused deliberately, his gaze sweeping over the claw marks on Zhao Lei's body. "These injuries match the claw prints of the Red-Eyed Wolf exactly. The Hunters in the camp can testify."

"Nonsense!" a Disciple behind Elder Zhao roared. "How could a Red-Eyed Wolf's claw marks be that deep? You clearly tore him open with True Essence!"

"Oh?" Lin Yang raised an eyebrow. "Then I wonder if this Junior Brother can explain why his Protective True Essence suddenly collapsed? If he hadn't lured the wolves to attack me, how would he have been targeted by the Wolf King?"

These words struck a vital point. Zhao Lei was at the Houtian Ninth Layer; ordinary Vicious Beasts couldn't harm him at all. He could only be severely injured when his True Essence was depleted or his Protective True Essence collapsed. The onlookers immediately began discussing, and their gazes toward Elder Zhao held a touch of suspicion.

Elder Zhao's face alternated between green and white, and the pipe in his palm creaked as he clenched it. "Stop quibbling! My son died by your hand, and you must pay with your life! Either hand over the Treasure you obtained in the Ruins, or..." He changed his tone, his voice suddenly rising. The True Essence pressure of the Tenth Level of the Innate Realm descended like dark clouds, forcing the surrounding Disciples below the Xiantian Realm to kneel. "...I, as the Trial Steward, will revoke the Lin Family's qualification to participate in the Sect Selection!"

The crowd instantly fell silent. The Sect Selection was the Lin Family's only chance to rise, and Elder Zhao using this threat clearly meant he was certain Lin Yang wouldn't dare gamble.

"What if I say no?" The Chaos True Essence within Lin Yang began to circulate, repairing the Hidden Injuries left by last night's fierce battle. He knew he had to force his way through this obstacle today.

"Then I shall take it myself!" Elder Zhao suddenly erupted. The True Essence of the Tenth Level of the Innate Realm surged out like a tide, blowing away the tents at the edge of the Training Grounds, sending canvas fragments flying everywhere. He formed his right hand into a palm, and the Pale Golden True Essence condensed into a three-inch-thick palm shadow, heading straight for Lin Yang's heart. It was so fast that only an afterimage remained—the condensation level of high-level Innate True Essence far surpassed that of low-level. This palm strike seemed slow but sealed off all angles of evasion.

Lin Yang was already prepared. He tapped his left toe on the ground, retreating ten meters, while simultaneously condensing Metal Element True Essence in his right fist. Sharp Metal Sword Qi sliced towards Elder Zhao's wrist like a thin blade. With a crisp 'clang,' the Sword Qi was shattered by the palm shadow. Lin Yang felt his arm go numb and his Qi and Blood surge—the gap between the Innate Third-Layer and the tenth level was an insurmountable chasm. The opponent's True Essence was not only profound but also carried a refined dominance honed through long tempering.

"The Xiantian Realm is nothing but an ant before this old man!" Elder Zhao pressed his advantage relentlessly, his palm shadows descending like a net, each strike accompanied by a sharp whistle that tore the air. Lin Yang was forced to retreat repeatedly, relying only on the early warning ability of the chaos star core to barely dodge. His occasional counterattacks were like stones sinking into the ocean, completely unable to break the opponent's True Essence defense.

But his recovery power startled Elder Zhao. Whenever a palm strike grazed his body and left a wound, Chaos True Essence would immediately surge forth, instantly stopping the bleeding and healing it, as if it could never be exhausted. Beside Zhao Lei's corpse, Liu Qingluan clenched Liu Hongluan's hand, her knuckles white—she clearly remembered that when the Young Master returned last night, the wound on his back was deep enough to see bone, yet now he was able to dodge nimbly.

"What's going on with this kid's True Essence? Can't he be killed?"

"I heard he has the chaos star core, which allows him to absorb energy and restore himself..."

Amidst the discussions, Lin Yang was forced to the edge of the Training Grounds, his back hitting the Flagpole where the White Cloud Sect's Banner was planted. A killing intent flashed in Elder Zhao's eyes. The True Essence in his palm became even more condensed, faintly revealing the sharpness of Protective Aura. "Since you refuse to hand it over, I will cripple you and then personally search the Lin Family!"

Just as the palm shadow was about to strike him, a clear, cold voice, like ice beads falling onto a jade plate, rang out: "Is Elder Zhao attempting private revenge?"

Su Qingyue's figure stepped through the morning light and landed in front of Lin Yang. Her white dress hem fluttered in the True Essence flow, and the crescent moon token at her waist glowed with a soft silver light. Behind her followed five Star Moon Sect Disciples, each with a hand on their sword hilt, their Aura imposing.

"Saintess Su?" Elder Zhao's palm strike halted mid-air, his face grim. "This is a private matter between my White Cloud Sect and the Lin Family. Must the Star Moon Sect interfere?"

"During the trial period, private feuds and revenge are strictly prohibited. This is a rule established by all Sects." Su Qingyue took a roll of Parchment from her sleeve and unfurled it. "This is a Secret Letter retrieved from Lin Dongliu's possession. It states that Elder Zhao instructed your son to 'absolutely seize the Chaos Supreme Treasure from Lin Yang' and that the Lin Family's assets would be split by thirty percent upon success. It seems your son's death was due to failing to seize the Treasure and being killed instead, correct?"

The handwriting on the Parchment belonged to Zhao Lei, and there was a small 'Lei' Seal at the signature. The onlookers burst into an uproar, their gazes towards Elder Zhao filled with contempt—so Zhao Lei had set an ambush first and was killed afterward; it wasn't "injury by a Vicious Beast" at all.

Elder Zhao's face turned the color of pig liver, and his pipe clattered onto the ground. "You... you are fabricating evidence!"

"Whether it's fabricated or not, checking it with the Elders of all Sects will reveal the truth," Su Qingyue said clearly, turning sideways to shield Lin Yang. "Lin Yang is someone the Star Moon Sect values. Anyone who tries to touch him today must first ask the sword in my hand!"

The prestige of the Star Moon Sect stood firm. Although Elder Zhao was at the Tenth Level of the Innate Realm, he dared not openly make an enemy of them. He glared fiercely at Lin Yang, and after a long moment, squeezed a sentence through gritted teeth: "Fine, very well! We shall see about this!" With that, he flicked his sleeve and slunk away with the White Cloud Sect Disciples, forgetting even to take Zhao Lei's body.

Lin Yang watched Elder Zhao's retreating figure, secretly letting out a sigh of relief. The old injuries on his back were aggravated by the recent fierce fighting, causing a dull ache, but the Chaos True Essence was rapidly repairing them, allowing his breathing to stabilize gradually. Su Qingyue handed him a Jade Bottle. "Inside is 'Moonlight Powder,' which can stabilize True Essence. Elder Zhao will not let this go. Be extra careful during the Selection Ceremony three days from now."

Lin Yang took the Jade Bottle, feeling the slight coolness of the container on his fingertips, and understood. Although Zhao Lei's death was an act of self-defense, it ultimately became Elder Zhao's excuse to make trouble. And Su Qingyue's public support, while seemingly rescuing him, also completely pushed him to stand opposite the White Cloud Sect.

He looked up at the High Platform in the center of the camp, where the Banners of various Sects were hung. The Star Moon Sect's Silver Moon Banner flapped loudly in the wind. The chaos star core gently vibrated in his Sea of Consciousness, as if reminding him that the true storm was just beginning. But he clenched his fists, without the slightest fear in his eyes—since he couldn't hide, he would punch his way out to survival.