176: Is this really the truth?

Mu Wanqing and Xiao Lingxian had only just stepped out of the Pill Pavilion for a few moments, and before they could even head toward the main peak, a sharp whistling sound of something cutting through the air suddenly came from the sky.

Seven figures were seen treading on Flying Swords, landing instantly in front of the two, blocking their path completely.

The man in the lead had a gloomy expression, his eyes staring fiercely at Mu Wanqing and Xiao Lingxian as he shouted angrily, "What audacity! Two little girls actually dare to come to my Qinglan..."

Before the word "Sect" could even leave his mouth, a cold light flashed in Mu Wanqing's eyes, and her mind moved slightly.

The Flying Sword in front of her instantly transformed into a streak of light, its speed reaching the extreme; before anyone could even see its trajectory, a soft "puchi" sound was heard.

The Flying Sword had already pierced through the man's throat, drawing out a spray of fresh blood.

Immediately after, it circled once in the air and returned to Mu Wanqing's side, rotating gently around her body as if it were seeking credit for its deed.

The other six Disciples of the Qinglan Sect were momentarily stunned; they looked at one another, their eyes filled with utter disbelief.

They were shocked both by the strength of the two women before them and by their lack of martial ethics; before their Senior Brother could even finish his harsh words, these two had suddenly struck to harm him.

It was truly too shameless.

Mu Wanqing finally shifted her gaze toward the others and spoke her first words: "It is your turn."

Just as the Flying Sword aimed once more at another person's brow, a steady and majestic voice suddenly entered their ears: "Does Fellow Daoist truly think my Qinglan Sect has no one left?"

As the voice fell, everyone looked up to see a figure standing in mid-air out of thin air; it was a middle-aged man wearing a long purple robe with a crystal-clear jade pendant tied at his waist.

It was none other than the Sect Master of Qinglan Sect, Chu Yichen!

Chu Yichen gently waved his sleeve, and an invisible force instantly spread out, accurately intercepting the path of the Flying Sword. The Flying Sword was as if it had hit a wall of bronze and iron, unable to advance even a fraction further, only able to buzz in place.

"To think it is actually an earth-rank magic treasure."

Chu Yichen asked curiously, "Which Sect do you two actually come from? Why have you come to my Qinglan Sect to cause trouble?"

With his sleeves fluttering, the pressure of a Golden Core Cultivator was released without reservation. Seeing this, the other six people hurriedly bowed in greeting: "Sect Master!"

He curiously sized up the two women before him; their appearance and temperament were by no means that of ordinary Cultivators. The girl in the yellow dress had struck with an Earth Rank Flying Sword, a type of Magic Treasure of which even he possessed only one.

While the other woman in red had not revealed a Magic Treasure, she faintly exuded a pure yet domineering aura.

The reason Chu Yichen had not fought to the death immediately was his concern about provoking Disciples of great Sects; if he rashly killed the two, it was highly likely that two Golden Core Cultivators would be the ones coming next time.

If possible, Chu Yichen still wanted to have a situation where neither side interfered with the other.

Mu Wanqing's eyes were icy. "Dao Seeking Sect!"

"Dao Seeking Sect?" Chu Yichen narrowed his eyes slightly, his brow furrowing as he thought rapidly.

He had managed the Qinglan Sect in the Flame Continent for decades and knew the Sect powers of every province like the back of his hand, yet he had never heard the name "Dao Seeking Sect."

Could it be a Sect from another province?

"My Qinglan Sect has had no dealings or involvement with you two. You two have rashly broken into my Sect today and killed my Sect's Disciples and Elders; why is there a need to be so aggressive?" Even for a Sect he had never heard of, Chu Yichen was still unwilling to take the initiative to provoke them.

Just like that Biyun City, he had never laid a hand on the commoners in that city, yet that man named Shu had repeatedly come looking for trouble.

If he hadn't held back before, did he really think he could have returned alive?

Hearing this, the coldness in Mu Wanqing's eyes grew even deeper: "Does what heinous acts your Qinglan Sect has done even need me to say more? Using the lives of commoners to Cultivate evil techniques and tricking them here to act as Spiritual Qi containers—such wicked deeds deserve to be punished by everyone!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Yichen gave a light laugh: "So you two are here for those mere Mortals."

"So you two have come to exorcise demons and eliminate evil, but do you truly think those people were all lured here by my Qinglan Sect's flowery words?"

He took a step forward, retracting most of his Golden Core Cultivator pressure, and spoke in a leisurely tone: "It's not that I tricked them into being Spiritual Qi containers, but rather that they took the initiative to seek out the Qinglan Sect themselves. Do you two really think they didn't know there was a problem with the Cultivation Techniques they were practicing?"

"What did you say?" Mu Wanqing's pupils shrank slightly, the coldness on her face instantly replaced by a look of surprise.

Xiao Lingxian did not speak, looking at the man before her with vigilance.

Seeing this, Chu Yichen raised his hand and pointed at a Qinglan Sect Elder standing closest behind him:

"His name is Luo Xu, born in Luoxia Village, three hundred miles north of Qinglan Mountain. Five years ago, two Rogue Cultivators at the third level of Qi Refining passed through the village and took a fancy to his daughter, who had just turned sixteen and was not yet married. Not only did they want to snatch her away, but they also wanted to burn down his house."

He paused and continued: "At that time, Luo Xu was just a Mortal who couldn't even sense Spiritual Qi. With no other way out, he heard that the Qinglan Sect could allow people to Cultivate quickly, so he walked for three days and nights to reach the mountain gate.

He knelt at the mountain gate for an entire day and night, begging me to take him as a Disciple. Even though I stated clearly that the Sect's Cultivation Techniques require squeezing one's own blood and essence to raise one's Realm, he didn't care at all, saying only that being able to personally kill those two beasts would be enough."

Before his voice had finished, Chu Yichen pointed to a burly Disciple on the other side: "And him, named Ma Qiang, used to be a coachman in the Biyun City area.

His wife ran off with a Cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refining, and that Cultivator even found him an eyesore, breaking one of his legs and forcing him into hiding. Later, he heard that the Qinglan Sect doesn't care about one's background and that as long as one is willing to Cultivate, one can seek revenge, so he found his way here himself.

He was even more direct than Luo Xu; on his first day in the Sect, he asked me, 'Is there a way for me to reach the seventh level of Qi Refining within three years, even if the Cultivation Technique is evil, I'm not afraid.'"

Speaking to this point, Chu Yichen's voice deepened a bit, "I dare not say that all Disciples of the Qinglan Sect are aware of the Cultivation Techniques they practice, but at least half of them are like Luo Xu and Ma Qiang, coming with obsessions and desires that could not be fulfilled."

It's not that they don't know the price of the Cultivation Technique, but compared to what they have lost, this small price is nothing in their eyes. Do you two know why this is?"

The Spiritual Qi circulating within Mu Wanqing's body stagnated slightly as she thought again of those withered bones in the Pill Pavilion, her expression shifting.

But soon, she steadied her mind again, her gaze returning to its icy state.

"You think I will believe your nonsense? Even if there truly are such people, what about those helpless withered bones in the Pill Pavilion? What about those fellow villagers tricked here by Lin Yan and the others? Did they also actively beg you to extract their Spiritual Qi?"

The smile on Chu Yichen's face faded slightly, but he did not directly refute her, only sighing softly: "Some things may not be as they seem. If you two are willing to calm your hearts, perhaps you can see a different truth."

"Since you two don't believe these two, then let me show you someone you are more familiar with."

The moment his words fell, two streaks of spiritual power enveloped the figures of Lin Yan and the other seven, racing from afar and stopping steadily in mid-air, landing right in front of Mu Wanqing and the others.

Lin Yan and the others were pale, clearly not yet recovered from the horrific sights in the Pill Pavilion.

Chu Yichen looked at them, then turned to speak to Mu Wanqing and the other: "The eight of them were also in the Pill Pavilion just now and have seen the 'truth' of my Qinglan Sect with their own eyes. Today, I leave my word here: if you wish to withdraw from the Qinglan Sect, my Qinglan Sect will absolutely not stop you."