Chapter 30: The confrontation in the Sacred Assembly Hal

Chapter 30: The confrontation in the Sacred Assembly Hal Jiang Yun walked out with Mu Shuyuan, his face displaying arrogance and confidence. Meanwhile, Zhang Xinye, who had called him out from the grand hall, was filled with worry and anger.

"The Divine Lord has summoned you to receive your punishment!"

But as she spoke, her body began to be encased in ice, starting from her legs. She cried out in pain as the power of a peak-level Great Saint struck Jiang Yun and Mu Shuyuan, calming the situation. The one who intervened was Zhang Yu, who had secretly followed to protect Zhang Xinye.

Zhang Xinye spoke angrily, "Thank you, Elder Zhang."

Zhang Yu nodded at Zhang Xinye and told Jiang Yun, "Let's go; the Divine Lord is waiting for you."

Jiang Yun glanced at him briefly but paid no heed to those words. He swiftly flew past. Zhang Yu smiled, thinking that something interesting was about to unfold. He healed Zhang Xinye before flying after them.

While flying through the air, Jiang Yun turned to Mu Shuyuan and asked in a cold voice, "Are you sure you still want to follow me?"

Mu Shuyuan smiled and replied firmly, "Of course, Master. I will follow you wherever you go."

Jiang Yun chuckled softly before accelerating further. He flew straight towards the assembly hall where important discussions were held within the Misty Sacred Land. Upon arrival, the disciples guarding the hall looked at Jiang Yun with disapproval and disdain. Over the past three months, rumors had spread about Jiang Yun's heinous actions, including killing fellow disciples in the secret realm, coercion, plundering resources, and more. However, before anyone could act, parts of their bodies began turning to jade without them realizing it. Some cried out in pain, but a massive pressure burst out from within the hall, accompanied by a shout:

"Do not cause trouble! Come in!"

Jiang Yun gave a faint smile and stepped into the assembly hall. Inside, he saw many elders, each at least at the level of Great Saints, along with some true disciples, including Li Xinyuan, and notably, four junior disciples of his, all wrapped in bandages, along with several unfamiliar disciples.

At the top of the hall sat the Divine Lord with an emotionless gaze, while Lin Qingyi stared at him with cold eyes. When Zhang Yu and Zhang Xinye arrived, the Divine Lord spoke, "Alright, let us begin."

Everyone showed their respects except for Jiang Yun, who suddenly created an ice throne, walked over, and sat down, looking at everyone in the hall as if they were mere ants.

The entire room spoke in unison, "Such arrogance!"

Some said, "You won't be able to remain so arrogant for much longer."

Others added, "Your good life will end soon enough."

Some elders lamented, "Such a waste, considering how talented you are."

The Divine Lord ignored Jiang Yun's arrogant demeanor and gestured for everyone to stop talking. Then, he asked Jiang Yun, "Did you order your followers to plunder resources or steal from other disciples?"

Jiang Yun replied simply, "No."

The Divine Lord held up a recording stone and asked, "Are these people under your command?"

Jiang Yun shook his head. "No. I only have one follower left, Mu Shuyuan."

Lin Qingyi interrupted in a cold voice, "Then did you kill disciples of the Misty Sacred Land in the secret realm?"

Jiang Yun answered without hesitation, "No."

Lin Qingyi waved her hand, and three crippled men stepped forward, one of whom spoke in a raspy voice, "Do you still remember me, Jiang Yun? I don't know if you remember me, but what you did to me is always etched in my mind."

Jiang Yun remained calm but asked Lin Qingyi, "Who are these people, Master?"

Lin Qingyi responded coldly, "They are the ones you tried to kill, but Ye Chen saved them just in time."

Jiang Yun replied indifferently, "I'm not sure because I have killed many in the secret realm."

Lin Qingyi, full of anger, displayed images from their memories, showing Jiang Yun smiling and laughing as he tortured the three disciples. She continued, "Do you have any more excuses?"

Jiang Yun calmly responded, "I didn't do it."

Lin Qingyi was furious, and a tremendous pressure immediately enveloped Jiang Yun. However, he remained unaffected. She continued angrily, "Is that so? Did you or did you not steal Ye Chen's Emperor-grade pills?"

Jiang Yun replied flatly, "No."

Suddenly, Li Yudong, Guan Mengyao, and Gu Qingxue shouted in unison, "Liar! We saw it with our own eyes! You attacked Junior Brother Ye Chen, severely injuring him, and then attacked us as well before stealing the Emperor-grade pills."

Amidst the tense silence, Jiang Yun's voice broke through, soft yet clear, "I came here to reveal the truth, not to be falsely accused. What will you do next?"

The Divine Lord looked down with eyes cold as ice, a faint smile hiding an uncertain intention. She merely said, "I hope you have enough evidence to defend yourself, Jiang Yun... because if you don't, this matter won't be resolved easily."

Jiang Yun ignored the accusations, looking at Lin Qingyi, who stared back at him coldly. Suddenly, a massive force struck Jiang Yun from behind, causing everyone in the room to pause for a moment...

At that moment, a man with the cultivation level of a Saint burst into the hall. Everyone turned to look at him in anger. "Who dares to barge in like this?" But when the man removed his hood, everyone fell silent when they saw it was "Gongsun Lei!"

Gongsun Lei immediately shouted, "Ye Chen is a spy from the Blood Demon Holy Land!"

But everyone remained silent and laughed, as if this was a joke. They thought Gongsun Lei had gone mad, and some were angry that he dared to accuse a disciple whom everyone adored and respected, and who was set to become the next Holy Son.

"What happened to you? Have you grown so old that you've lost your mind?"

"I bet he's had his body taken over and has infiltrated here to slander Junior Ye Chen."

"This is the next Holy Son. How could he be a spy?"

Gongsun Lei insisted, "I'm telling the truth! You can search my soul!" But the Divine Holy Lord did not listen and instead exerted a massive pressure, pinning him to the ground, and commanded, "Shut up, Gongsun Lei!"

Gongsun Lei shouted in despair, "Why? Why won't you search my memory?" Suddenly, a powerful force struck Gongsun Lei, sending him flying back. The Divine Holy Lord then ordered loudly, "Take him away and imprison him for ten years of mining!"

Gongsun Lei's heart broke. He had grown up and served the Misty Holy Land for over three thousand years, yet he was treated with such coldness and disrespect by all the disciples, merely because of a young man who had been here for less than three years. Ye Chen smiled inwardly, pleased that his reputation remained pure and unblemished in everyone's eyes. His name was so respected that his words were more credible than even a soul search.

Lin Qingyi continued, "Jiang Yun, I was truly wrong to bring you back that time. I should have let you go that snowy night. From this day forward, remember that you and I are no longer master and disciple..."

Then she turned to Mu Chuyuan and asked, "And you, who will you choose, Jiang Yun or me?"

Mu Chuyuan immediately answered, "I choose the Holy Son."

Lin Qingyi replied coldly, "Good, then neither of you will be my disciples anymore in this lifetime."

Lin Qingyi felt immense sorrow and confusion. She wondered why her disciples had changed so drastically in such a few short years — Jiang Yun, Mu Chuyuan... She had to sever their ties to reduce their punishment from the Divine Holy Lord. Memories from the past, which pained her deeply, flooded her mind.

"Master, when I grow up, I'll be the strongest in the world and protect you."

"Master, try this; I made it myself."

"Master, this is a hairpin I got; I think it suits you very well."

"Master..."

"Master..."

In contrast, Jiang Yun smiled, feeling as though the chains that had long bound the former owner's soul had finally been broken. He was free, and this body was now entirely his. Initially, after leaving the secret realm, he hadn't even intended to return to the Misty Holy Land. But as he prepared to betray the Holy Land, something inside him stopped him. It felt like tightly bound chains, and upon further inspection, he found it was the remaining feelings the original owner had for his master.

The Divine Holy Lord spoke in a tone devoid of emotion, "Jiang Yun, for the crimes of killing or harming fellow disciples, stealing resources, and various forms of coercion, you will be stripped of your status as the Holy Son from this moment forward. Your cultivation will be abolished, and you will be imprisoned in the Misty Holy Land's dungeon until your death."

The verdict stunned everyone. Some of the elders wanted to say something, but the pressure from the Divine Holy Lord was overwhelming. Many disciples and elders felt satisfied, while Ye Chen laughed wildly in his heart. Lin Qingyi was shocked by the severity of the punishment; she wanted to say something, but the Divine Holy Lord stopped her before she could speak.

Zhang Xinye, Guan Mengyao, Gu Qingxue, and Li Yudong all looked on with eyes devoid of sympathy. Hearing everything, Gongsun Lei laughed.

"You're just like me, kid. The world has abandoned us. I hate this world. I hate myself for being born so weak! Ha ha ha!" He laughed at the cruelty of reality while everyone looked down on his actions.

Jiang Yun smiled slightly and said, "Do you want to follow me? To change this world."

Gongsun Lei laughed, "We're about to die in agony. How would I find the time to follow you?"

Jiang Yun replied, "No, our time has just begun. No, it hasn't even started yet." Then he immediately used a soul-searching technique on Gongsun Lei.

Gongsun Lei laughed madly, "Ha ha ha! Very well, Young Master, I will follow you, no matter which hell we end up in."

Everyone in the conference hall was stunned by the actions of Jiang Yun and Gongsun Lei, but most of them paid little attention, thinking it was merely their last desperate struggle. Suddenly, a memory from Gongsun Lei's mind appeared — an image of him sneaking into a brothel. Everyone in the room began to laugh.

"An esteemed elder sneaking into a brothel like that!"

But the laughter stopped immediately when they saw what happened in the room, which was filled with demon cultivators. They saw a man who resembled Ye Chen among the demons.

"Isn't that Ye Chen? Why is he with demon cultivators?" The whispers among the disciples grew louder, but before their questions could be answered, a fierce battle broke out. Gongsun Lei fought against the five demon cultivators who were trying to protect Ye Chen from being attacked. The scene displayed Gongsun Lei's bravery in defending the Misty Holy Land against Ye Chen's collusion with the demons.

When the scene ended, Lin Qingyi, Zhang Xinye, Gu Qingxue, Guan Mengyao, Li Yudong, and the other disciples were all stunned. Li Yudong quickly spoke, "This must be fake, right, Junior Brother Ye Chen?"

Ye Chen stood still without showing any reaction, but inside, his heart was raging. He replied to Li Yudong, "Of course, Senior Brother. These two have conspired to create this fake image to clear themselves of wrongdoing and to put the blame on me instead."

Lin Qingyi couldn't say anything. She felt pain deep in her heart, which seemed to be breaking apart, along with some change happening within her. The temperature in the room gradually dropped without anyone noticing. Other disciples started shouting, "This must be fake! Junior Brother Ye Chen could never be part of the Blood Demon Sacred Land! He is a good person; he has taught many junior disciples and has helped you before, Jiang Yun!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yun spoke up, "Whether it's true or not, we can just check it directly from the person himself, can't we, Master?"

Lin Qingyi was shocked. "Why does he still call me Master? What should I do?" she thought to herself as the temperature in the room continued to drop. Zhang Xinye spoke up, "Soul searching is too dangerous! Do you want to harm Junior Brother Ye Chen, you bastard?" But she suddenly felt her arm was turning into jade. She shouted, "Mu Chuyuan, what are you trying to do?"

Mu Chuyuan did not answer but instead reached out to grab Ye Chen's head. Ye Chen tried to escape but couldn't because his legs had turned to jade. Long Xichao tried to help him, but he couldn't do anything as he felt the Emperor's power intensely watching over the place. Everyone wanted to help Ye Chen, but the extreme cold radiating from Lin Qingyi's body rendered them unable to move. Some of the stronger elders were reluctant to take action.

Suddenly, Ye Chen was dragged to kneel before Jiang Yun. Jiang Yun held his head firmly. Li Xinyuan tried to intervene, but Mu Chuyuan created a jade sword to cut her down. She quickly used her Star Mirror to counter, causing a fierce clash, but Li Xinyuan was the one who was sent flying instead.

The Divine Lord looked at the entire scene with a cold, indifferent gaze, showing no emotion.

Ye Chen could feel the power emanating from Jiang Yun's hand that was gripping his head. He struggled to break free but was powerless. He began to feel his soul being searched, and the secrets he tried so hard to conceal were being slowly revealed.

Mu Chuyuan shouted, "The truth will soon be revealed! All of you, watch closely!" Many disciples held their breath, focusing on the memories that were about to appear from Ye Chen's mind.

Suddenly, a memory of Ye Chen in the Blood Demon Sacred Land appeared. He was talking with the leaders of the demons about plans to destroy the Misty Sacred Land. There were plans for a massacre in the Black Tortoise City, a plot to impersonate Jiang Yun's follower to steal resources and frame Jiang Yun, or to impersonate Jiang Yun to kill and torture the disciples of the Misty Sacred Land in a secret realm, or even to manipulate demonic cultivators to attack Zhang Xinye, Li Yudong, Gu Qingxue, and Guan Mengyao, only to step in and save them later. There was also a scheme to hire the Dark Hall to assassinate Jiang Yun and reveal the layout of the Misty Sacred Land, or to have demon cultivators impersonate Jiang Yun to attack himself, as well as possessing a ring containing an Emperor-level spirit that aided Ye Chen in various incidents, among many other schemes. The disciples were stunned, and gasps of shock filled the air.

"What on earth is happening here?"

"How is this possible? Are these real memories?"

"You bastard! Ye Chen, I will kill you!"

"My brother... I've finally found someone involved in your murder."

"My friends, today I will send this bastard to ensure you rest in peace."

Ye Chen quickly shouted, "No! These are fake memories! They have tampered with my memories!"

But no one believed him anymore. Everyone was filled with a mix of emotions—anger, confusion, suspicion, shock—and they became even more startled as the hall grew colder and began to freeze over, the cold so intense it could kill. Lin Qingyi turned to look at the Holy God, her voice trembling, "Uncle... is this true?"

But suddenly, Lin Qingyi's entire body was encased in ice, emitting a powerful spiritual aura so intense that some disciples in the room died instantly without even knowing how they had perished.

The Holy God smiled and waved his hand, and suddenly, a pattern formed on Lin Qingyi's body, and she disappeared with the pattern, with no one knowing where she had gone.

The Holy God smiled and laughed in a way no one had ever seen before and created a formation that only he and Jiang Yun could see. "I never thought the outcome would be this good. Even though she was already a genius of an unparalleled level, you've enabled my niece to awaken her legendary body and the ancestral bloodline of the Immortal Emperor Lin family. Well then, as a reward, let's choose how you'll die so that my niece can have a smoother cultivation path."

Jiang Yun smiled, his aura of a peak Emperor-level cultivator radiating outward. "You want me to choose how I die? Your words sound ridiculous. Do you think you have the right to decide my fate?"

The Holy God was greatly surprised but quickly calmed down, releasing his own peak Emperor-level power. "A peak Emperor-level at 19 years old... such terrifying talent, but whether I can do it or not, let my actions answer for my words."

The two looked at each other. Jiang Yun laughed and said, "If you can't kill me today, the consequences will affect you all, and the world will remember your mistake."

The power of the two clashed fiercely, causing cracks to form in the pattern.

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