322: Lonely and sad, questioning

"What?"

"You're saying that insidious villain is among us? How is that possible?"

The burly man's face showed a hint of disbelief. He had been troubled by this matter for a long time.

He had wanted to get rid of the person responsible for a while now, but he could never find the mastermind, who was hidden very deeply.

Yet, Cang Lanwing was now saying that the true culprit was among their nine Palace Lords. How could this answer not shock him?

He scanned the other seven with a slight suspicion, mixed with a hint of scrutiny.

He noticed that everyone's expressions showed a touch of surprise, a look as if they wanted to speak but held back.

He then turned to Cang Lanwing and pressed, "Since you dare to make such a definitive statement, you must have some conjectures and certainty, right?"

"Speak your mind! If such a person truly exists among us, I, Kuang Tieshan, will be the first to tear him to shreds!"

Seeing the burly man's reaction, Cang Lanwing and Duan Tianlie were not too surprised; instead, they nodded to each other.

Kuang Tieshan was the most short-tempered among the nine Palace Lords, but he was fiercely loyal to the Domain Lord and possessed formidable strength, which could provide great assistance to their current plan.

Cang Lanwing waved his hand slightly, signaling the other party not to be impatient. His gaze swept over the Palace Lords, lingering for a moment on the pale middle-aged man who had shown little reaction throughout, before he slowly said:

"This person is skilled at manipulating people's hearts and always acts without leaving a trace. If not for an accidental opportunity, I truly would have struggled to find any clues."

"He began his schemes a long time ago. This matter of the evil cultivation technique might just be his final step."

"Although I don't know his ultimate goal, the Domain Lord had long instructed me to thoroughly investigate this matter. Only now can I finally confirm who it is!"

"Who is it?"

Upon hearing this, Kuang Tieshan was the first to lose his patience and urged eagerly.

The other Palace Lords also had varied expressions, but they were equally curious about the answer.

At this point, Cang Lanwing naturally had no need to hide anything further. His eyes blazed as he suddenly looked towards the pale middle-aged man who had arrived last.

"Am I right, Gu Jueshang?"

These words carried a hint of mockery and a chilling killing intent.

The others, seeing this, also frowned and looked at Gu Jueshang, who wore a faint smile, seemingly waiting for his reply.

Gu Jueshang's origin was mysterious; he was the last to be promoted to the position of Palace Lord, so the others didn't know much about him.

They only knew that he had an aloof personality and never socialized, yet the continents under his command had almost never experienced unrest. Even the Domain Lord himself had praised him highly.

Gu Jueshang, with his somewhat pale complexion, seemed unsurprised by this outcome. He chuckled lightly and said to Cang Lanwing:

"Palace Master Cang, I have no grievances with you. Why are you suddenly targeting me today?"

"Could it be that I have offended Palace Master Cang in some way? If so, I apologize to Palace Master Cang in advance."

After speaking, he even bowed and clasped his fists directly towards Cang Lanwing, putting on a complete act.

Gu Jueshang's actions, however, caused a hint of solemnity to flash in everyone's eyes, giving them a deeper understanding.

As a Palace Lord, commanding so many continents, he was a being second only to one person and above tens of thousands, which had cultivated in him an air of superiority.

Therefore, if it were them, they would absolutely not be able to act as he did, capable of bending and stretching.

Often, such people are the most dangerous kind; no one knows what thoughts they harbor in their hearts.

They are more like venomous snakes hidden in the dark, ready to strike at any moment, choosing people to devour.

Cang Lanwing and Duan Tianlie exchanged glances, terrifying auras emanating from their bodies, firmly enveloping the other party.

The former sneered, then said in a deep voice, "Gu Jueshang, at this point, you don't need to keep up the pretense, do you? I feel tired just watching you."

Gu Jueshang shook his head slightly and said indifferently, "Palace Master Cang, your words are mistaken. If it truly were me, why would I come to this meeting? Moreover, I can even open up my mind and allow you all to investigate."

This statement was clearly something Cang Lanwing had not anticipated. The other party's action could almost be said to expose most of his weaknesses to everyone, which was a great taboo in the cultivation world.

If someone were to act at this moment, they could certainly inflict heavy damage, which would be fatal.

Even Kuang Tieshan, upon hearing the other party's words, hesitated, unsure what to do.

After all, for the other party to be able to do this required not only courage but also openness. If the matter of the evil cultivation technique was truly related to him, it would certainly be difficult to hide.

The reactions of the other Palace Lords were similar. For a moment, the atmosphere in the field was extremely strange.

Cang Lanwing and Duan Tianlie exchanged glances again, both seeing the solemnity in each other's eyes, but this matter had to be thoroughly investigated, no matter what.

So he said to Gu Jueshang in a deep voice, "Then open your mind. If it truly isn't you, I will give you an explanation!"

"Palace Master Cang, you overstate it."

Gu Jueshang seemed completely unconcerned about this. He then opened his mind in front of everyone, immediately becoming riddled with weaknesses. If someone were to launch an attack at this moment, they could even kill him with a single blow.

Cang Lanwing, Duan Tianlie, and the other six Palace Lords no longer hesitated. They extended a wisp of divine sense, entering the other party's Sea of Consciousness and body to begin their investigation.

Immediately, Gu Jueshang's basic information was known to everyone. His cultivation was similar to theirs, all at the peak of the Immortal Monarch Realm, which was within expectations.

There were also some relatively superficial details. If they wanted to know more, they would need to delve deeper into the Sea of Consciousness.

But without deep-seated hatred, they didn't want to offend such a powerful expert for no reason.

Their main goal was to detect any content or aura related to the evil cultivation technique, but after a thorough investigation, they found absolutely nothing.

After a long while, Gu Jueshang looked at Cang Lanwing again and smiled, "Palace Master Cang, do you still believe I am the true culprit? If there are any other areas where I need to cooperate, I will certainly not refuse."

Kuang Tieshan stepped forward and interjected, "No need. This matter should have nothing to do with you."

"Fellow Daoist Cang, next time, without concrete evidence, don't make such a big fuss, lest you damage our harmony."

Cang Lanwing's eyes held a complex emotion, but deep down, he still didn't believe he had wrongly accused someone. He looked at the casually chatting Gu Jueshang with a solemn expression, always feeling that something was missing.

But if the evil cultivation technique was spread by the other party, he must have wanted to gain some benefit from it, and would inevitably be tainted with some aura.

However, the other party had gone to this extent, willing to open his mind for them to investigate. Could he still propose entering the deepest, most core part of the Sea of Consciousness?

But even he, if he were to honestly ask himself, couldn't do that. After all, everyone's secrets are hidden deep within their Sea of Consciousness, and no one wants to expose them to others.

To achieve this much was already the limit one could do without absolute proof to incriminate the other party.

He took a deep breath and could only shake his head helplessly, looking at the other party with reluctance.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck his mind. He cursed himself for being negligent, and a confident smile reappeared on his face.

He was heard praising Gu Jueshang, "Your methods are excellent, you almost pulled off a complete deception!"