“Five Peaks Mountain, Qingcheng Sect, Xiao Yao Sect, and more than ten other sects have been severely struck one after another. Over five hundred cultivators have died, and more than half of them died from poisoning. Who did this?”

The peak master of Dragon Head Peak, Daoist Cao Gu, looked toward the elder of the Law Enforcement Hall.

The other peak masters also turned their gazes to the elder of the Law Enforcement Hall.

The elder silently took a sip of tea.

This was the reputation they were dealing with.

“Such a despicable act—there’s no way it was done by disciples of our Law Enforcement Hall. Besides, without the sect leader’s order, I wouldn’t dare act like this.”

The senior elder of the Law Enforcement Hall said calmly.

“Then who did it? And with such precision,”

the peak master of Falling Sunset Peak, Daoist Qing Shi, said indifferently, “If they’re dead, they’re dead. They weren’t good people anyway. To dare break Mount Shushan’s rules—might as well be asking to die!”

“The key point is killing so many at once! How much killing karma has been created here?”

The peak master of Little Qiong Peak, Yu Yangzi, shook his head and sighed deeply.

The elder of the Law Enforcement Hall said, “When you’re righteous, you don’t fear false accusations. Mount Shushan didn’t do this;

what is there to fear?”

“The problem is that everyone is saying Mount Shushan did it.”

The deputy sect leader, Wushangzi, helplessly shrugged.

┓( ´∀` )┏

“Maybe it was done by someone with close ties to the Xianxia Sect. Let’s not trouble ourselves with baseless worries. Those who don’t know might think the sky is falling, but it’s just a few small sects.”

Yu Yangzi, the peak master of Little Qiong Peak, leaned back in his seat.

“This concerns Mount Shushan’s reputation!”

Deputy Sect Leader Wushangzi pounded on the table.

“If you ask me, they should be executed. Don’t let outsiders underestimate how sharp Mount Shushan’s sword truly is. They actually think Mount Shushan can’t control Zhongzhou!”

Daoist Qing Shi of Falling Sunset Peak said.

“If we back down today, they’ll go even further tomorrow. I think someone did well to do this on our behalf.”

“But who knows how many innocents will get caught up in this.”

Yu Yangzi said with displeasure, “How do you know there aren’t any innocents among the hundreds of cultivators who died?”

“Afraid of wolves ahead and tigers behind? Then nothing can get done.”

Daoist Qing Shi shot back.

The two peak masters stared each other down.

Soon they were about to erupt into a quarrel.

“............”

Silver Sword Peak.

“Senior brother, senior brother~”

Li Xuanxiao was dazed for a moment, mistaking the voice for Zhao Lu’s. Turning his head, he saw Feng Liuli instead.

Li Xuanxiao patted his own face.

Zhao Lu had already returned to be the Empress.

Now, the only junior sister at Silver Sword Peak was Feng Liuli.

“Senior brother, your move has fallen right into my trap. It’s a snare.”

Feng Liuli proudly pointed at the chessboard.

“Hm.”

Li Xuanxiao smiled and nodded.

“Junior sister, this trap you set is clever. I was careless.”

Feng Liuli blinked, “Senior brother, why do you seem distracted?”

“Am I? Take another look.”

Feng Liuli carefully examined the chessboard, her mouth forming an ‘O’, suddenly realizing.

“Oh, senior brother, this is your pawn in front of the horse. You’re testing me.”

Li Xuanxiao replied, “If you can’t stand someone’s test and immediately reveal your cards, how can you fight others?”

Feng Liuli began capturing pieces one by one, “Senior brother, when have I ever beaten you?”

“In a few more years.”

“Senior brother, I feel that Daoist Qing Shi of Falling Sunset Peak isn’t a match for you in chess.”

Daoist Qing Shi, peak master of Falling Sunset Peak, was skilled in the art of heavenly calculations and deductions.

Li Xuanxiao’s tone grew firmer, “Go back and copy scriptures a hundred times. Don’t ever say that again!”

Feng Liuli immediately covered her mouth, realizing she had spoken out of turn, but it was already too late.

Seeing her senior brother’s face grow cold, Feng Liuli pouted and slipped away.

Li Xuanxiao gazed into the distance, muttering to himself.

“So this move is a pawn in front of the horse? Luring me out? Or did I just happen to encounter a big fish?”

“..........”

A fox-faced man sat under an apple tree, chewing on a blade of grass.

His fingers formed a hand seal as he waited for Xiao Ran to pass by.

This was the last one.

Once this was done, the trial would be over.

Come to think of it, it was a little hard to part with.

He heard that Mount Shushan had already cleaned up the trash that ambushed the Xianxia Sect and framed Tian Sha Hall.

Looks like Mount Shushan wasn’t completely useless after all;

they even had such thunderous methods. They couldn’t be careless.

The fox-faced man couldn’t help but think of Li Xuanxiao and Lu Ziyin again.

“Swish~”

“Robber mercenaries and cultivators who have been staring at me for days, are you sure you won’t make a move? I won’t have time to play with you later.”

The fox-faced man suddenly spoke to himself.

No sooner had he finished speaking than the sound of magical instruments slicing through the air echoed in the forest.

“Puff puff!!”

The fox-faced man flicked his folding fan.

In moments, three male cultivators were killed by the fox-faced man.

Only one female cultivator remained.

“..........”

At this moment.

Silver Sword Peak, under a thatched cottage.

Li Xuanxiao nodded.

These four mercenary bandits were deliberately lured to the fox-faced man to test his strength.

These four mercenaries often carried out such raids, and their strength was not weak.

Preliminary judgment: the opponent’s strength was above Golden Core, possibly Nascent Soul, maybe Divine Transformation, perhaps Fusion, Tribulation Crossing unknown...

In short, terrifying. He needed to be careful.

At this moment, the fox-faced man approached the female cultivator.

The female cultivator begged, “Please don’t kill me! I’ll do anything you want. Please spare me!”

She deliberately pulled down her chest clothes.

The fox-faced man smiled, “Sister, here’s some good news and some bad news. Which one do you want to hear first? Answer right, and there’s a surprise~”

The female cultivator was stunned, her throat moving.

“Good... good news.”

“I don’t kill women!” the fox-faced man said.

A smile blossomed on the woman’s face, overjoyed beyond belief.

At this point, there was still a chance to live.

Truly unexpected—thank the heavens!!!

“There’s still the bad news.”

“What is it?”

The fox-faced man grinned, “I don’t distinguish between men and women.”

Female cultivator: .........

Li Xuanxiao, who was eavesdropping: (⊙o⊙)…

Good! No way to refute that.

Too strict.

No wonder his methods were so clever.

Li Xuanxiao felt he was somewhat similar to the fox-faced man.

But at least he was more straightforward and honorable.

His longsword did not kill the old or the young.

But he still had one hundred and eight short swords.

After finishing off the ants, the fox-faced man lay back down under the apple tree, waiting for Xiao Ran.

Li Xuanxiao also got ready.

It was time to test his own results and adapt to the situation.

Whether the opponent was bait or careless, he could not let them go easily.

Li Xuanxiao tapped his forehead with his finger.

Come on, let me see your plan. Let me see what you’re going to do.

A war without gunpowder seemed about to begin.

“Plop~”

At that moment, an apple fell from the tree.

The fox-faced man caught it casually.

He looked at the apple with a hint of meaning, suddenly blurting out:

“Why do apples always fall down?”

Li Xuanxiao: (O_o)??

He had calculated hundreds of possibilities but had never considered this.

The fox-faced man stared at the apple, continuing to ponder.

“Ah, this is a strange question, but quite interesting.

Why do things in this world fall down without spell control...”

The fox-faced man felt that the chessboard in his heart stirred faintly.

It seemed he had discovered the principle of this world.

Li Xuanxiao’s eyes widened.

Damn!!

Act quickly!

This is becoming a god through physics.

If he figures this out, what then?

He would have found his own Great Dao, right?