40: Chapter 40 The Sect Master emerges from seclusion, who dares to touch my people!

Just as that pitch-black ghost claw, capable of tearing through space, was about to touch Su Yun's heart.

"Presumptuous!"

A cold shout, like ten-thousand-year-old profound ice yet carrying supreme majesty, exploded in everyone's ears like a thunderclap from the heavens!

Before the voice had even faded, a white figure appeared before Su Yun without any warning.

The figure was slender and graceful, wearing a palace dress with dark ice lotus patterns that fluttered in the violent winds, her three thousand silver hairs moving even without a breeze.

It was none other than the Sect Master of the Mysterious Maiden Sect, Leng Hanshuang!

She didn't even spare a glance back at Su Yun, simply facing that world-destroying claw and slowly raising her fair, jade-like right hand.

"Buzz—"

A crystal-clear ice wall appeared out of thin air in front of her.

The ice wall looked as thin as a cicada's wing, as if it would shatter at a single touch.

However, when Li Changfeng's ghost claw—which condensed all his life and Divine Soul, its power infinitely close to a Soul Transformation strike—slammed fiercely into the ice wall.

"Clang—!!!"

A deafening sound of metal clashing echoed through the clouds!

That terrifying power, capable of tearing through mountains and rivers, failed to leave even a single trace on the ice wall!

Instead, Li Changfeng's incredibly hard ghost claw was shattered inch by inch by a terrifying counter-shock force!

"Pfft—"

Li Changfeng sprayed another mouthful of black blood, his entire body flying backward like a kite with its string cut.

He crashed heavily onto the edge of the Dao Discussion Platform, smashing a large pit into the hard stone slabs.

The entire field fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone stared dumbfounded at this dramatic scene, unable to say a word for a long time.

"It's... it's the Sect Master!"

"The Sect Master has emerged from seclusion!"

"Heavens! The Sect Master actually intervened personally!"

After a brief silence, the crowd erupted into even more intense exclamations and discussions than before.

All the Disciples of the Mysterious Maiden Sect looked at that white figure with eyes full of fanatical worship and awe.

That was the pillar of the Mysterious Maiden Sect, one of the top experts in the Southern Region!

Leng Hanshuang ignored the crowd's reaction. After blocking that fatal blow, she slowly turned around to look at Su Yun behind her.

In those Phoenix eyes that were originally so cold they lacked any emotion, there was now unconcealed concern and lingering fear.

"Are you all right?" Her cold voice carried a hint of heartache and trembling.

"I'm fine." Su Yun shook his head, but his heart was blossoming with joy.

Damn, how could this feeling of being protected by my own woman feel so good?

Especially when this woman was a Soul Transformation Stage powerhouse who was incredibly cold to outsiders but as gentle as water towards him.

This sense of contrast was simply perfect!

"It's good that you're fine." Leng Hanshuang breathed a sigh of relief, then turned around to look at the dying Li Changfeng once more.

The trace of tenderness on her face vanished without a trace, replaced by bone-chilling coldness and unconcealed Killing Intent.

"Li Changfeng."

Step by step, she walked toward Li Changfeng. With every step she took, a thick layer of frost formed over the entire Dao Discussion Platform.

"As an Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall, you were supposed to be the upholder of the Sect's rules. Now, in a Life-and-death battle, you have openly violated the rules, consumed forbidden medicine, and intended to harm a fellow Disciple."

"Do you admit your guilt?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was like an icicle, stabbing fiercely into everyone's hearts.

"Hehe... Hahaha..."

However, facing Leng Hanshuang's questioning, the exhausted Li Changfeng suddenly let out a burst of mad and venomous laughter.

"Admit guilt? What guilt do I have?!"

His eyes were blood-red as he stared fixedly at Su Yun, who was protected behind Leng Hanshuang, and roared.

"I only regret! I only regret not being able to kill this little beast with my own hands to avenge my grandson!"

"Stubborn and incorrigible!"

A cold light flashed in Leng Hanshuang's eyes. With a wave of her jade hand, an icicle shot out instantly, directly piercing through Li Changfeng's other leg.

"Ah—!" Li Changfeng let out a miserable scream.

"This Seat asks you once more: where did that Blood-Burning Demonic Pill come from?!"

Leng Hanshuang's voice was so cold it seemed like it could drop ice shards.

"My Mysterious Maiden Sect strictly forbids Disciples from practicing Demonic Techniques, and it is even more impossible to have such Demonic Path forbidden medicine! Are you in league with Demonic Path evildoers?!"

This heavy accusation shocked everyone.

Colluding with the Demonic Path? That was a capital crime that would involve one's entire clan!

"Colluding? Hahaha..."

Li Changfeng laughed even more crazily, a weird light flickering in his eyes.

"Leng Hanshuang, don't celebrate too early! Before long, you... your entire Mysterious Maiden Sect will come down to be buried with me!"

"You... all of you will die! Hahaha..."

While he was laughing maniacally, his laughter suddenly came to a screeching halt.

His whole body jerked violently, and black blood flowed simultaneously from his seven orifices.

Extreme pain and horror appeared on his face, as if he had seen something unbelievable.

He reached out a trembling hand, pointing in a certain direction, his mouth opening as if he wanted to say something.

But in the end, he couldn't utter a single word. His head slumped to the side, and he lost all signs of life.

He was dead.

Just like that, he died bizarrely in front of everyone.

Leng Hanshuang's brow furrowed sharply. Her figure flickered, and she instantly appeared beside Li Changfeng's corpse.

Sweeping her Divine Sense over him, her expression instantly became extremely unsightly.

"His Divine Soul is completely destroyed... it's a potent poison."

She reached out and lightly brushed Li Changfeng's neck; her fingertips were stained with a faint trace of powder.

She brought the powder to her nose and gave it a light sniff.

"This is... Medicine King Valley's 'Soul-Severing Powder'?" A trace of doubt flashed in Leng Hanshuang's eyes.

And at that moment, Su Yun, who was nearby, suddenly spoke up.

"Sect Master, look at the back of his neck."

Hearing this, Leng Hanshuang brushed aside Li Changfeng's messy hair.

At the back of his neck, in an extremely hidden spot, there was a tiny, bizarre mark branded there, composed of a Pill Furnace and poisonous herbs.

Upon seeing this mark, Leng Hanshuang's pupils suddenly constricted!

"Medicine King Valley's... Death Soldier Mark?!"

Her voice was filled with shock and anger, "Li Changfeng was actually a death soldier planted in my Mysterious Maiden Sect by Medicine King Valley?!"

This news was like a heavy bomb, leaving everyone present completely stunned.

An Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall was actually a death soldier from a rival Sect?

This was simply a massive scandal!

"Medicine King Valley... Mo Fan..." Killing Intent exploded in Leng Hanshuang's eyes.

She understood everything in an instant.

Why Mo Fan would come to offer medicine so coincidentally after her cold poison flared up following her failed attempt to break through her Realm!

It turned out that all of this was done with Li Changfeng acting as an inside agent!

He didn't just want to have her; he also wanted to... subvert the entire Mysterious Maiden Sect!

However, the fact that Li Changfeng possessed a forbidden medicine truly left Leng Hanshuang deeply puzzled.

Since Medicine King Valley was a major Sect of the Righteous Path, if they were discovered privately refining forbidden medicine, they would surely face condemnation from the Righteous Path.

They had no reason to do such a thing!

This matter was truly strange, but the fact that Medicine King Valley actually dared to hide it from her and privately arrange for an undercover agent in the Mysterious Maiden Sect could not be let go just like that!

"Good! What a Medicine King Valley!" Leng Hanshuang became more indignant the more she thought about it, "Pass down my command! From this day forward..."

However, before she could finish her sentence.

An Inner Sect Disciple flew over on a sword in a panic from a distance and landed directly on the Dao Discussion Platform.

"Reporting to the Sect Master!" The Disciple knelt on the ground, his voice sounding somewhat sharp due to agitation.

"Outside the mountain gate... outside the mountain gate, Her Majesty the Empress of the Wu Zhou Empire is leading her honor guard to pay a visit!"

"What?!"

Leng Hanshuang was taken aback, the Killing Intent on her face instantly replaced by bewilderment.

"Wushuang? Why is she here?"