The Sword Immortal, upright and of profound cultivation, had initially intended to kick down the door and confront Yuan Shuo directly, sword at his throat, to list his crimes, make him repent and weep, and then end him himself to uphold justice.
Jian Lin quickly grabbed her master's arm after hearing this, earnestly pleading, "Oh, Master, you're too naive. Yuan Shuo, a person like that, wouldn't feel guilt even when facing me, so how could he feel guilt towards you? He's a shameless scoundrel and will never recognize his mistakes."
The Sword Immortal old man, angered to the point of puffing out his beard and glaring, ultimately couldn't sway his disciple and followed her over the wall into the Daoist temple, quietly making their way towards the main hall.
From the outside, the Daoist temple looked eerie and haunted, but inside, the atmosphere was even more unsettling. Jian Lin hadn't felt this way the last time she was here; it was no different from her memory, just a magnificent, cold, and impersonal Daoist temple.
In less than a month, she returned to find the once magnificent Daoist temple now covered in a layer of gray decay.
"It's because of the formation," the Sword Immortal said, standing in the courtyard with a grave expression. "The Spirit Absorption Formation. Such a heaven-defying and inhumane formation. Using it would lead to this."
"But the Spirit Absorption Formation was used for ten years before, and I lived here for ten years without being in this state at all," Jian Lin raised an objection, as it hadn't been this apparent before.
"You said Yuan Shuo used spirit tablets engraved with your names to replace them, indicating that at that time, he intended to conceal his actions, so he did it secretly, and the effects were slow. Now it seems..." The Sword Immortal sighed, "A man's greed knows no bounds. If one cannot control their desires, they will surely face retribution."
Jian Lin's mind raced, "Master, you mean he didn't use spirit tablets, but instead used..."
"People," the Sword Immortal answered affirmatively, stepping forward slowly, his every step exuding an aura of death. "Actually, what angers me the most is why the Twelve Peak Masters turned a blind eye to Yuan Shuo killing his disciples. Are they all dead?"
Jian Lin remained silent. Guancheng City was in chaos, with various schemes at play. Who would care about Yuan Shuo's madness?
Moreover, when Yuan Shuo colluded with the demon realm, it might have been with the tacit approval of the Twelve Peak Masters. Even if they didn't know at the time, after nearly ten years of gradual erosion, they should have noticed something.
Not a single person voiced opposition or stepped forward to uphold justice, which meant they all tacitly approved of Yuan Shuo's actions.
Not to mention the massacre of the Twelve Peaks. Jian Lin understood the Twelve Peaks' intentions when she discovered that the culprit, Zhan San Dao, was refining ghosts.
The Twelve Peaks had sent their elderly and infirm to the Underworld King to rid themselves of the burden.
As for using Jian Lin to frame the Demon Lord, that was merely an incidental matter.
Jian Lin, the little cannon fodder, was truly the cannon fodder of cannon fodder.
Lost in thought, Jian Lin followed the Sword Immortal's steps to a side door of the main hall. On the vermilion carved lacquer door, a white talisman on black paper was affixed. Jian Lin had never seen it before and curiously asked, "Master, what kind of talisman is this?"
She hadn't seen it last time. What kind of mess was Yuan Shuo up to?
"Soul Suppressing Talisman," the Sword Immortal said, his gaze deep, enunciating each word clearly. "To suppress the wails of evil spirits, to quell the backlash of resentment. Such audacity, to use such a wicked and unorthodox item at the main hall of Chiyan Peak. If that young man Xuan He knew..."
"He'd definitely jump out of his coffin in anger," Jian Lin interjected grimly.
"Yes, my good disciple, step aside and let me remove this ghost talisman to see what treasonous acts are being committed within!"
Jian Lin took two steps back to let him pass. The Sword Immortal extended two fingers, circulating spiritual energy, and drew a seal in the air. Immediately, his Daoist robe billowed without wind. He gathered spiritual energy, shouted, and reached out with his palm.
The seal in the air struck the Soul Suppressing Talisman with a bang. A surge of spiritual energy erupted, causing several explosions. The tightly shut main hall doors were shaken open, and a wave of black energy seeped out. Jian Lin covered her nose, catching a whiff of the stench of decay.
"Who dares to cause trouble at Guancheng Sect!" a voice bellowed from within. A team of disciples in white robes with red trim rushed out. Upon seeing the Sword Immortal, they paused, hesitant to act rashly.
The Sword Immortal's entire demeanor exuded the aura of an otherworldly master. Coupled with the long sword on his back and his ethereal appearance, at first glance, one might mistake him for an elder from another peak, making anyone hesitant to act.
"What exactly is going on?" Yuan Shuo's sycophantic junior disciple emerged. He was the one who had helped seal the formation overnight last time. He scrutinized the Sword Immortal, and after several moments of hesitation, chose to cup his fists and bow, "Senior, may I ask your esteemed name and what brings you to Guancheng Sect?"
"You're polite. I'll grant you a quick end later," the Sword Immortal said domineeringly. "If you want to know my purpose, call that young man Yuan Shuo out."
Another sycophant nearby took offense and shouted, "You old geezer! We called you senior out of politeness, but you dare to call our Peak Master by name. If you want to die, just say so!"
Old geezer? Jian Lin was instantly enraged. Only she could call her master an old geezer; everyone else must kneel and call him ancestor!
With that thought, she could no longer tolerate it. She drew her He Yi Sword and swept it across, striking the clamoring wretch down, leaving him half-dead.
The Sword Immortal glanced at her and nodded with satisfaction. He hadn't taught this rebellious disciple in vain; she had some conscience.
The people of Chiyan Peak, seeing their disciple injured, and those impulsive and reckless ones couldn't hold back. They drew their swords and charged forward, intending to teach this inexplicable senior a lesson.
The Sword Immortal, without even drawing his sword, flicked his sleeve and dealt with the group in two moves. The disciples writhed on the ground in pain, and the scene became chaotic.
Yuan Shuo's main sycophant saw this and stopped the disciples who were about to attack again, saying shrewdly, "Senior, please calm yourself. I will go and fetch the Peak Master."
The Sword Immortal snorted coldly, his attitude arrogant, and urged in a cold voice, "Tell him to hurry. If he's late, don't blame me for forcing my way in."
However, before the main sycophant could even enter, an unexpected event occurred inside the main hall. A terrifying wail echoed out, mixed with pitiful cries.
"Master, save me! Master, save me!"
"Master, I am your disciple!"
The main sycophant's face changed. He gritted his teeth and exclaimed, "Why can't he control himself again? The intervals between episodes are getting shorter!"
The Sword Immortal's expression shifted. He tapped his toes and rushed in, kicking the sycophant to the ground, and walked directly into the main hall.
At the front of the main hall, all the doors were tightly shut and covered with black cloth to block the sunlight. Even though it was broad daylight outside, it was pitch black inside, and nothing could be seen.
The Sword Immortal's rage surged. He drew his Ming Yan Sword and swept it, cleaving open all eight main hall doors. Bright sunlight poured in, revealing a dilapidated formation in the center of the hall. A monstrous, swollen creature, neither human nor beast, was grabbing a disciple and preparing to put it in its mouth. Several other disciples were bound by ropes, trembling.
The Sword Immortal acted decisively, severing the monster's arm with one hand and shouting, "Yuan Shuo! You great traitor, villain, and scoundrel! Today, I shall purge the sect in place of your master, Xuan He, and uphold justice!"
The monster let out a pained scream, clutching its severed arm. Its form flickered several times, and it suddenly reverted to Yuan Shuo's appearance.
His eyes were bloodshot, his face ashen, neither human nor ghost. His gaze was vacant, and he weakly whispered, "Who are you? Who are you..."
Seeing him in this state, the Sword Immortal understood. Yuan Shuo had been cultivating using the Spirit Absorption Formation and was ultimately backfired upon, becoming a dying man.
The Sword Immortal couldn't help but feel pity. He stepped forward and said to him, "Your master, Xuan He, kowtowed to me, so I am, to some extent, your grand-master. For your master's sake, I will grant you a swift end. Yuan Shuo, I hope you learn from this life's lesson, repent in the underworld, and beg for reincarnation to become an upright and kind person."
Yuan Shuo listlessly raised his head. He had lost an arm, and blood flowed everywhere. Coupled with his weakness and numbness, the Sword Immortal didn't pay him much mind.
But Jian Lin was different. She tightly gripped the He Yi Sword, vigilantly observing the surroundings. She was searching for the formation spirit, the true owner of the Spirit Absorption Formation.
With the formation here, the formation spirit was likely not dead. It was also a formidable entity, and one could not be careless.
Jian Lin had been tense, so the moment Yuan Shuo's expression changed and he moved with a venomous gaze, she immediately noticed!
"Master, be careful!" Jian Lin shouted, rushing forward to block Yuan Shuo's attack. He seemed to have become a beast, attacking with all four limbs, his contortions resembling those of a zombie.
Yuan Shuo was sent flying, crashing against the wall with a thud. His mouth hung open, as if controlled by another soul, and he shouted, "Hungry, hungry, I want to eat, I want to eat."
Jian Lin was startled and recognized the familiar tone. She said to her master, "Master, that's the formation spirit! It has possessed Yuan Shuo!"
At this point, the Sword Immortal could no longer tolerate it. He drew his Ming Yan Sword, its brilliance exploding, breaking through the roof of the main hall and reaching the heavens. With one strike, he pierced Yuan Shuo's body, pinning him and the formation spirit to the wall.
Yuan Shuo's face was already deathly pale, but with the support of the formation spirit, he was still unyielding. "Hungry, hungry, let me eat! I want to eat!"
"Good disciple, it's your turn to act," the Sword Immortal stepped back and said with a concentrated voice, "Send that evil entity back to nothingness."
Jian Lin nodded solemnly, held her breath, and drew the He Yi Sword. She unleashed her ultimate move with all her might. Silver-white light filled the entire hall. The formation spirit let out a piercing scream and, amidst its unwillingness and resentment, dissipated into nothingness.
Silence returned to the hall. The disciples who had narrowly escaped death looked at them with fear or admiration. Having gone through such a ordeal, they were unable to speak.
The Sword Immortal turned to look at them, his breath catching. He didn't know what to say. Logically, these victims, without Yuan Shuo as their master, could be taken in by other Peak Masters.
But what difference did it make? The death of one Yuan Shuo didn't mean Guancheng Sect was clean.
Jian Lin saw her master's dilemma. She walked up to the disciples and sincerely advised, "If you are reluctant to give up your identity at Guancheng Sect, then continue to linger here in a state of semi-existence. If you wish to live, stay away from conflict. I will show you a way: go to Jinlin Sect in Daliang City, mention the name Lin Jian of the rogue cultivators, and Miss Jin will take you in."