199: Chapter 199 Confess? Confess to you, my foot!

The rift in time and space was dark and deep, with surges of Chaos Qi, as if connecting to an unknowable, ancient era.

The vast pressure pouring out from the rift felt like a tangible mountain, weighing heavily upon the hearts of every member of the Hehuan Sect.

Disciples with weaker cultivation had already prostrated themselves on the ground, trembling, having lost even the courage to look up.

Even Elders at the Nascent Soul Stage like Kumu and Youming felt their Divine Soul waver and their spiritual consciousness dim, as if facing the majestic might of Heaven itself, unable to muster the slightest thought of resistance.

This was the true foundation of the Hehuan Sect, established eight thousand years ago!

It was a wisp of true spirit from the Ancestral Masters of past generations—those who were exceptionally talented and had eventually achieved Ascension, merged with the Dao, or left behind an indelible mark!

It was the ultimate safeguard for the Sect's survival!

Granny Jingxu and the other four Grand Elders were withered and on the verge of death, yet their murky eyes burned with fanatical hope.

They had succeeded!

At the cost of burning their own lives, they had finally communicated with the mark of the Ancestral Master, which had been sleeping deep within the Forbidden Ground and the river of time!

As long as the Ancestral Master's true spirit descended, even if it were only a projection, it would be enough to suppress this unpredictable Little Girl and wash away the shame the Sect suffered today!

"Respectfully welcoming... the Ancestral Master... to descend...!"

Granny Jingxu used her last ounce of strength to shout, her voice weak but filled with endless devotion and anticipation.

All the high-ranking members of the Hehuan Sect who were still barely standing subconsciously held their breath, their gazes locked tightly on the figure stepping out from the rift in time and space, which was becoming clearer by the moment.

The first thing to step out was a foot wearing an ancient cloud-patterned boot.

Immediately after came the hem of a wide robe embroidered with patterns of the sun, moon, stars, mountains, and rivers.

Then, a figure shrouded in hazy, clear light completely crossed the boundaries of time and space, standing in the Void Realm above the Law Execution Platform of the Hehuan Sect.

This person looked to be around forty years old, with a refined appearance, three wisps of a long beard flowing over his chest, wearing a high crown, and holding a white jade horsetail whisk. The rhythm of the Dao swirled around him, surrounded by clear Qi, exuding the aura of an immortal.

His eyes, in particular, seemed to contain the birth and death of stars when they opened and closed. His indifferent gaze swept across those below, and everyone touched by it could not help but feel infinite awe.

"Th-this is..." Elder Kumu trembled violently, his lips quivering, almost fainting. "It's... it's the one recorded in the ancient texts, who achieved Ascension three thousand years ago through the 'Mortal World Dao of Heart Tempering'... Ancestral Master Mubai! It's Ancestral Master Li Mubai!"

"It really is Ancestral Master Mubai! My heavens! The Ancestral Master's true spirit has truly returned!"

"Greetings to Ancestral Master Mubai! We, your junior Disciples, respectfully welcome your presence!"

The few oldest Grand Elders who recognized the figure, along with some core Elders well-versed in the secret history of the Sect, were moved to tears, bowing prostrate with choked voices, filled with the wild joy of finding hope in a desperate situation.

Ancestral Master Li Mubai was one of the top-ranked cultivators in the history of the Hehuan Sect to have achieved Ascension, and the "Mortal World Dao of Heart Tempering" he left behind was still one of the core Legacies of the Sect!

With a wisp of his true spirit projection present, what was there to fear from that Little Girl?

Even Xiao Nianyin, whose aura was weak and whose expression was complex, felt a slight, imperceptible ripple in her ice-blue eyes when she saw this "Ancestral Master Mubai."

Li Mubai—this name was too brilliant in the history of the Hehuan Sect.

Li Mubai's spiritual projection seemed to have just awakened from a long slumber, his eyes slightly dazed, but they quickly returned to a deep, undisturbed calm.

His gaze swept over Granny Jingxu and the others below, who were suffering from the backlash of the Summoning the Ancestor ritual, then over the strangely-auraed Xiao Nianyin, and finally over the terrified and awestruck descendants in the distance. At last, his line of sight landed in a corner of the Law Execution Platform, on the snow-haired Little Girl who was standing with her hands on her hips, tilting her little head, and looking him over with an expression that clearly said, "Is that it?"

Li Mubai's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

With the perception of this wisp of true spirit mark left behind after his Ascension, he could naturally sense the abnormal fluctuations in the Laws of Heaven and Earth, as well as a strange "implication" emanating from the Little Girl below that made him feel inexplicably familiar yet vaguely palpitating.

This implication... it seemed to have some connection to a figure in the depths of his memories, one so distant it was almost forgotten? But how could that be?

"Your unworthy junior Disciples kowtow and beseech Ancestral Master Mubai!"

Granny Jingxu, disregarding her fading life, struggled to touch her head to the ground, her voice shrill.

"A powerful enemy has invaded our Sect, humiliated our Sect Master, and destroyed our Dao field. We beg the Ancestral Master to take action, suppress and kill this fiend, and rectify the orthodoxy of our Hehuan Sect!"

Following Granny Jingxu's accusation, the other Elders also tearfully complained, adding their own embellishments as they recounted the Little Girl's "evil deeds"—how she "defeated the Sect Master with one finger," "subdued ten thousand swords with one sword," and "spoke wildly, blaspheming the Ancestral Master." Every word was filled with blood and grievance.

Li Mubai listened quietly, his face devoid of joy or sorrow. Only when his gaze fell upon the Little Girl did the trace of inquiry and gravity in his eyes deepen.

After everyone finished speaking, he slowly opened his mouth. His voice was like the clashing of jade, clear and distant, carrying an indifference that looked down upon the Mortal World:

"So that is how it is. Crossing the boundary to disturb my Sect's lineage and harming my juniors—such actions deserve death."

He gently flicked the white jade horsetail whisk in his hand, and thousands of silver threads moved without wind, pointing at the Little Girl: "Little friend, regardless of where you come from or what you rely on, you must give me an explanation for today's events."

His tone was flat, yet it contained unquestionable majesty and the intent of judgment, as if his golden words had already determined life and death.

Around the Law Execution Platform, everyone from the Hehuan Sect was invigorated upon hearing this, their gazes toward the Little Girl filled with the pleasure and cruelty of impending vengeance.

Ancestral Master Mubai has spoken!

This little demoness's death date has arrived!

Xu Ruyu's heart could not help but jump into his throat.

Although he knew the Little Girl was mysterious and powerful, this "Ancestral Master Mubai" was, after all, a legendary figure who had achieved Ascension. Even if it were just a wisp of a true spirit projection, his might far exceeded that of Xiao Nianyin from before.

Lady Qingli gripped his hand tightly, her palms sweating.

However, when faced with this "Ancestral Master Mubai" who possessed the aura of an immortal, the Little Girl's reaction made the jaws of everyone expecting a heaven-shaking battle nearly drop to the ground.

She showed not a shred of fear; instead, she picked her ear with her pinky finger, then flicked it in Li Mubai's direction in an extremely vulgar manner, her little face full of impatience and disgust:

"An explanation? I'll give you an explanation, you big fool!"