179: Chapter 179 Colluding with Foreign Enemies? Leng Ning Shuang, Qing Yan, and Others are Thrown into Fallen Soul Cliff

Enveloped in the white light, Xu Ruyu felt an icy force attempting to invade his Sea of Consciousness, seeking to forcibly erase certain memory fragments.

He immediately circulated the "True Explanation of Taixu Source Energy," using Taixu True Qi to protect his Divine Soul, while simultaneously mobilizing that unique "Source Energy Perception" to construct an invisible barrier around the outer layer of his Sea of Consciousness.

Although the power of the Memory-Cleansing Divine Light was formidable, it seemed to primarily target Divine Soul defenses within the "Spiritual Qi system."

Xu Ruyu's Taixu True Qi and Source Energy Perception were fundamentally different from Spiritual Qi, and they actually succeeded in resisting most of the divine light's erosion.

However, the memories concerning today's battle and Leng Ningshuang's public revelation of the "truth" still suffered a slight impact, becoming somewhat blurred and surreal.

After three breaths, the white light gradually dissipated.

The Spirit-Locking Great Array still enveloped the Law Execution Platform area, but the atmosphere within the array had completely changed.

Most of the thousands of Disciples below the platform now looked dazed, their eyes empty.

They looked at one another, seemingly struggling to recall something, yet unable to remember anything at all.

Someone murmured in a low voice, "What... was I just doing?"

"It seems I came to watch a martial demonstration... but who was the duel with?"

"Why do I feel like... I've forgotten something important?"

There was only a sea of confusion.

Only a few inner Sect Core Disciples with stronger Divine Souls could still vaguely remember some fragments—such as Xu Ruyu defeating argumentos a own and the others, that stunning sword strike, or the Sect Master appearing...

But the specific details, especially the words Leng Ningshuang had spoken in public, were as if shrouded in a thick mist, impossible to recall clearly no matter how they tried.

Xiao Nianyin hovered in the air, looking down coldly at everything.

Seeing the blank expressions of the Disciples, a flicker of satisfaction flashed in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced by an even deeper coldness.

"The memories have been cleansed," she spoke slowly, her voice reaching the ears of every Elder. "Next, it is time to deal with those who 'colluded with external enemies'."

Her gaze, like a sharp sword, shot toward the several people at the edge of the Law Execution Platform—

Leng Ningshuang, who remained kneeling on the ground.

Zhao Yan, whose face was pale.

Ning Caihe, standing with sword in hand.

And Qingyan, whose eyes were red and swollen from crying.

"Leng Ningshuang," Xiao Nianyin's voice held no warmth. "As the acknowledged number one of our Sect's current generation, you spoke nonsense in public, slandering the Sect Master's reputation and intending to disrupt the order of the Sect.

This is your first crime."

Leng Ningshuang struggled to lift her head, blood still staining the corners of her mouth.

Looking at the icy figure in the sky, the last glimmer of hope in her eyes was completely extinguished, replaced by the ashen look of death.

"Zhao Yan, Ning Caihe, Qingyan." Xiao Nianyin's gaze swept over the three. "The three of you have been in close contact with Xu Ruyu, and today, in full view of everyone, you cheered for him and questioned the Sect's decisions.

This seat has reason to suspect that you have long been bewitched by external enemies, colluding with them in an attempt to subvert our Sect."

"What?!" Zhao Yan snapped his head up, his eyes filled with disbelief. "Sect Master! This Disciple is innocent! I only..."

"Only what?" Xiao Nianyin interrupted him, her ice-blue eyes showing no ripple of emotion. "Only felt that Xu Ruyu was innocent? Only felt that this seat's handling was unfair?"

Without waiting for Zhao Yan to answer, she continued, "This seat once used the 'Heavenly Secret Deduction Art' to investigate in secret and discovered that Xu Ruyu's fate is bizarre, with countless ties to hostile forces such as the 'Netherworld Cult' of the Western Regions and the 'Heavenly Demon Sect' of the Northern Desolation.

The reason I originally took him as a Disciple was, first, because I valued his talent, and second, because I wanted to secretly investigate his background.

As expected, within less than a month of infiltrating our Sect, he broke into the Hall of Power Transmission and stole our Sect's core Legacy—the Elder on duty at the Hall of Power Transmission can testify to this."

As soon as she finished speaking, a withered Elder in purple robes stepped out from the Elders' seating area and bowed, saying, "Reporting to the Sect Master, late one night half a month ago, the Restrictions on the third floor of the Hall of Power Transmission were indeed triggered.

Upon investigation, three Jade Slips were missing, one of which... was the Legacy Jade Slip containing the fragmented sword manual of 'One Sword of Emotional Heaven'."

As these words were spoken, the faces of all the Elders on and off the platform who still retained some memory changed!

Stealing a Legacy Jade Slip was a capital offense in any Sect!

Not to mention it was the ultimate technique of the Ancestral Master, the "One Sword of Emotional Heaven"!

"So that's how it is..." an Elder murmured. "No wonder this boy could perform such a sword technique with only a Qi Refinement Stage cultivation..."

"It was actually stolen! He deserves ten thousand deaths!"

"The Sect Master is far-sighted to have endured until now..."

With just a few words from Xiao Nianyin, public opinion was completely reversed.

Listening to all this, Xu Ruyu's heart turned cold.

He stole a Cultivation Technique? Damn it, this was too much bullying.

Who didn't know that the Hehuan Sect's supreme Legacy, the "One Sword of Emotional Heaven," had long been lost? How could there still be a Legacy Jade Slip containing its fragmented manual in the so-called Hall of Power Transmission?

This was clearly blatant bullying and a frame-up!

Indeed, Lady Qingli was right; once someone's cultivation reaches the heavens, they embark on an inhuman path, imposing everything with their own will.

He looked at the figure in the sky, the "Revered Master" who had once shared intimacy with him and shown her vulnerable side, now so calmly and heartlessly weaving a web to pin him down completely.

Was he disappointed? Perhaps.

But more than that, it was a bone-chilling clarity—he finally saw the cruelty of this world and how fragile the so-called "Revered Master-Disciple bond" was in the face of interest and power.

"Therefore," Xiao Nianyin's voice rang out again, drawing everyone's attention back, "the four individuals—Leng Ningshuang, Zhao Yan, Ning Caihe, and Qingyan—are guilty of colluding with external enemies, with conclusive evidence.

This seat sentences you to be imprisoned in the 'Soul-Falling Cliff' Forbidden Ground for ten years as a warning to others."

"Soul-Falling Cliff?!"

This time, even some of the Elders couldn't help but cry out in alarm!

Soul-Falling Cliff was one of the most terrifying Forbidden Grounds of the Hehuan Sect!

Located beneath the ten-thousand-fathom abyss of the Sect's back mountain, it was filled with howling yin winds and pervasive Evil Qi all year round.

At the bottom of the cliff, there was naturally formed "Soul-Devouring Miasma," which could erode a Cultivator's Divine Soul and wear down their cultivation.

Never mind ten years; even three to five years would be enough to completely waste a Golden Core Cultivator's cultivation and damage their Divine Soul!

"Sect Master! You must not!"

An anxious female voice suddenly rang out.

From the Elders' seating, a woman in a light pink dress, with a charming appearance but a face full of anxiety, flew out. It was Qingyan's Master—Fifth Elder Hua Xunhuan!

Hua Xunhuan was Xiao Nianyin's Senior Sister. Although her cultivation was not as high as Xiao Nianyin's, she was a very senior member with good relations within the Sect.

At this moment, she couldn't care about etiquette and flew directly in front of Xiao Nianyin, bowing and saying urgently, "Sect Master! Qingyan is a simple-minded child; it's absolutely impossible for her to collude with external enemies!

She was only close to Xu Ruyu and spoke up to defend him in a moment of confusion!

I beg the Sect Master to consider her youth and ignorance and show leniency!"

"Youth and ignorance?" Xiao Nianyin looked at Hua Xunhuan, her gaze still icy. "Fifth Senior Sister, Qingyan is already over twenty years old and has a Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation.

At this age and cultivation, what is there to talk about regarding youth and ignorance? Everyone is equal before the Sect's laws.

If I show leniency just because she is your Disciple, how will I command the respect of the masses in the future?"