Hearing Jian Lin's words, the trembling young disciples were speechless.
Seeing their uselessness, the Sword Immortal was furious at their lack of composure and fearlessness, so unlike cultivators.
The old man took two steps forward and said with disappointment, "What are you still hesitating for? Your master wants to kill you, and none of the other peak lords from the Twelve Peaks have any intention of saving you. Do you still want to stay in Guanlan Sect? Is that empty reputation of the foremost immortal sect more important than your lives?"
A male cultivator sobbed, knelt down, and kowtowed fiercely before the Sword Immortal, "Senior, my family spent all their savings to send me to Guanlan Sect. If I leave the mountain, I will be letting down my parents and my family. I... I would rather die in Guanlan Sect."
The Sword Immortal's movements stiffened, and a flicker of pain crossed his eyes. What did cultivation and the path of immortality truly mean to these people?
"Fine, then I shall fulfill your wish! I will send you to your death in Guanlan Sect!"
The old man was enraged and raised his sword to strike.
Jian Lin quickly stopped him, "Master, Master, calm down! This young disciple is a victim. If you want to kill someone, why not kill those lackeys who aided and abetted the evil? They are the ones who truly deserve to die!"
Jian Lin understood the male cultivator very well. She herself had been sent to the sect by her parents with all their savings. Even after her parents died, her original self could not overcome her inner struggle to give up cultivation.
She even risked contact with demonic energy rather than abandon the path of cultivation and seek a new life down the mountain.
Stopped by Jian Lin, the Sword Immortal found a chair and sat down, sulking silently, with no inclination to act.
Seeing this, Jian Lin was relieved. She walked back to the group of disciples, her gaze sweeping over each of them, and said sincerely, "As I said, I won't interfere with those who wish to die in Guanlan Sect. For those who want to leave, I will help you. Yuan Shuo is dead, and the peak lords of the Twelve Peaks will arrive soon. If you don't want to be caught in another storm, hurry and leave while you have the chance."
A female cultivator's eyes sharpened. She wiped away her tears with her sleeve and looked at Jian Lin, saying, "Lin Jian, we've met before. That day, when Miss Jin was holding a martial arts competition for marriage with Senior Brother Hao Jun, your brother won."
Jian Lin had returned with the Sword Immortal without using any illusionary techniques on her appearance, so it was normal for this female cultivator to recognize her.
She nodded in agreement and continued, "You see, since this female cultivator can recognize me, the rest of you should understand that I'm not lying. Miss Jin's husband is my brother. If you go, someone will be there to meet you. I'm not just making up stories to fool you."
That female cultivator stood up, cupped her fists, and bowed to the Sword Immortal and Jian Lin, "Thank you both for saving my life. I'm leaving! If there's a chance in the future, come to Jinlin Sect to find me. I will repay your kindness in any way I can!"
With that, she turned and ran out of the great hall, being the first to leave. Others seemed to gain courage, and apart from those who were determined to stay in Guanlan Sect, the other disciples left one after another.
At the same time, the news of Yuan Shuo's death spread, causing chaos on the peak of Chiyan.
Amidst the chaos, elders from the other Twelve Peaks arrived and used their spiritual power to amplify their voices, shouting, "Who dares to cause trouble in our Guanlan Sect? Show yourselves immediately and state your names!"
The Sword Immortal snorted coldly, slammed his chair, and gritted his teeth, "They've finally arrived. I want to see who they are. Facing a demon like Yuan Shuo, what else can they say? My good disciple, call them in. I want to confront them face-to-face!"
"Yes!" Jian Lin responded, walking with her chin held high to the entrance of the great hall. The elders standing at the forefront said, "Sword Immortal Gui Xu Daoist is here. You juniors, why don't you come in and kowtow to my master immediately!"
Jian Lin, a frail young woman with a Golden Core cultivation, was insignificant. Her announcing the Sword Immortal's name at the entrance lacked any persuasive power.
"Who are you, an unknown rogue cultivator, daring to cause trouble in our Guanlan Sect?" An elder stepped forward, pointing at Jian Lin's nose, "Hurry down and admit your mistake and repent, and our Guanlan Sect will spare your life!"
"Such arrogance! How dare you disrespect my disciple?" The Sword Immortal's amplified voice boomed from within the great hall. His profound cultivation was enough to shatter the eardrums of every elder. "Do you not understand what it means to respect your elders and teachers? Gui Xu Daoist is here. You juniors, why don't you come in and kowtow?"
As the Sword Immortal's voice echoed, the elders staggered back. They exchanged glances, their eyes filled with surprise. With such profound cultivation, could it truly be Sword Immortal Gui Xu Daoist?
It felt good to have someone backing her. Jian Lin put her hands on her hips and said arrogantly, "You old geezers, you truly have eyes but cannot see Mount Tai. You dare to spare my life or not? I think you are not far from death. Hurry in and kowtow to my master!"
Seeing Jian Lin's confidence, coupled with the immense power displayed by the voice from earlier, the elders no longer dared to doubt. They scrambled to enter the main hall.
Inside the main hall, the scene was a mess, with bloodstains everywhere. After the formation spirit disappeared, Yuan Shuo's body reverted to its original form, casually discarded by the Sword Immortal in the center of the ruined formation.
He sat before the formation, guarding the evidence of his crimes, ready to hold the elders accountable.
Most of these elders were once exceptionally talented cultivators. Some of the best had the fortune to enter the Sword Immortal's cave during their secret realm cultivation and received a few words of guidance from him.
Now they held high positions, but upon seeing the Sword Immortal, they immediately knelt obediently. The remaining elders had no further doubts and also knelt to pay their respects to the Sword Immortal.
The elders knelt on the ground, while the Sword Immortal sat firmly on his chair, showing no intention of letting them rise.
"Since you all know who I am, I have no need for pleasantries," the Sword Immortal said, taking a deep breath. "Do you know what formation this is behind me?"
The elders knelt on the ground, looking at each other, none daring to answer.
The Sword Immortal's patience ran out. He pointed at a familiar face and said, "You, I remember you. You have kowtowed to me before, so I am considered your master. If your master asks you a question, do you dare not answer?"
That elder, knowing he was in the wrong, lowered his head and feigned ignorance, "Senior, I dare not not answer, but I do not know what this is."
"Liar!" The Sword Immortal was enraged. He stood up, grabbed his chair, and smashed it onto the elder. He then walked up to him and said through gritted teeth, "Tell me the truth or not? If you don't, I will cleanse the house for Guanlan Sect and send you to reincarnation."
The elder trembled with fear. The Sword Immortal was a great senior; his reputation, cultivation, and status were top-tier. Who in the cultivation world feared him?
What would happen if he killed him? No one would dare to hold him accountable.
The elder took a deep breath, steadied his voice, and replied, "Reporting to Senior, I know. It is the Spirit Absorption Array."
"Very well. What about the others? Do you all know this is the Spirit Absorption Array?" the Sword Immortal continued to ask.
The elders remained silent, not daring to speak.
The Sword Immortal was utterly despairing. What a bunch of trash! Not only did they commit evil, but they also lacked the courage to face their actions. He truly wanted to kill them all in one go!
"From now on, if I ask a question and anyone doesn't speak up, I will send them to reincarnation," the Sword Immortal said coldly.
The elder at the very front finally couldn't bear it any longer. He was the head of the elders, and everyone respected him. It was time for him to speak.
He raised his head and said humbly, "Senior, we will speak. We will all speak. Please do not be angry."
"Alright then, tell me, how long have you known about this Spirit Absorption Array?" the Sword Immortal asked calmly, with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance.
"Initially, the other peak lords did not know about this matter. By the time we found out, Xuan He was already dead, and the formation was complete. Yuan Shuo threatened us, saying that if any of us dared to reveal it, he would use the curse given by the demon realm to ensure we died without a complete corpse."
Another elder added, "At first, we didn't believe him. After six elders sacrificed themselves consecutively, we had to re-examine the matter."
"Furthermore, Yuan Shuo promised that he would only target thirteen disciples who had not yet graduated, and he would only absorb their spiritual energy, not take their lives, so..."
Jian Lin sighed. So the elders backed down.
Compared to thirteen insignificant young disciples, the six elders who had died consecutively exerted far greater deterrence than their own responsibilities and conscience, so they chose to ignore it.
"There's no need for so many explanations," the Sword Immortal interrupted coldly. "I only know that you were all aware of the Spirit Absorption Array and allowed this wicked formation to exist in Guanlan Sect for over a decade. You not only lack the heart of a cultivator but are also a bunch of useless fools."
The elders lowered their heads in silence. The Sword Immortal was right to scold them.
After the scolding, the Sword Immortal took a deep breath and continued, "Alright, let's not talk about the Spirit Absorption Array. After Yuan Shuo transformed into a monster and began directly devouring the lives of young disciples, the situation became so severe. Why did you still stand by and do nothing?"
The elders remained silent. This time, it wasn't that they didn't want to speak, but they dared not speak out about their cowardice and selfishness.
They all knew when Hao Jun died.
Hao Jun held a special status. After his death, it was the elders who jointly appeased the human emperor, preventing the matter from escalating.
Behind closed doors, they passed the buck, and no one dared to confront Yuan Shuo, the madman, for fear of harming themselves.
Their spirits had been broken. Maintaining their noble and esteemed status was paramount. They did not want to expose the ugliness of Chiyan Peak, as it would bring shame upon all of them in the immortal realm.
More importantly, with the immortal-demon war about to break out, they were using the name of the foremost immortal sect to rally all the immortal sects. If this matter were leaked, the morale of the immortal sects would be scattered.
If the immortal-demon war could not be fought, how could they legitimately and secretly complete the God Sealing Array?
The Sword Immortal also realized this. He was truly disappointed and did not want to ask another question. He prepared to finish off these great sinners and then go kill the other peak lords.
They wanted to ascend to godhood, did they? Heh, not a single one of them would succeed. He would make them all die!
The Sword Immortal was furious. Wielding the Ming Yan Sword, and about to unleash a powerful attack, Jian Lin sensed that something was wrong and quickly stopped the old man, "Master, please calm down. This matter should be punished by the Heavenly Dao. You shouldn't intervene, otherwise, otherwise..."
The greatest sin of these elders was their inaction. They had not directly participated in the evil deeds.
Even the God Sealing Array originated from the demon realm; they were merely riding the tide and preparing to take a share of the spoils.
If the Sword Immortal killed them, then the Sword Immortal himself would become a great sinner, and the old man would be completely unable to ascend to godhood!