After seeing Ling Chen nod, Xu Feihong also breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled faintly as he closed his eyes, his breath expiring.

"Shentu Yan, you despicable scoundrel!" Ling Chen's face darkened as he shouted sharply.

"Heh, a despicable scoundrel? Winner takes all; this is merely a tactic. Boy, you should learn something." Shentu Yan merely sneered. This time, he had received both the Void Emperor's royal decree and the Breaking Sky Spirit Liquid in one fell swoop. It was a bountiful harvest. With these two items, his dreams of dominating the Martial World were no longer far-fetched.

"Someone like you also dreams of dominating the Martial World?" Ling Chen's expression darkened further. If such a treacherous person obtained the martial arts from the Void Emperor's royal decree and the Breaking Sky Spirit Liquid from the cauldron, the consequences would be unthinkable.

At that very moment, several figures burst into the palace, among them Xu Ruoyan. Besides Xu Ruoyan, there were Feng Piaoliu, the Great Elder of the Sky Void Palace, and several righteous martial artists.

"Father!"

"Palace Master!"

When Xu Ruoyan and the others saw Xu Feihong's corpse, they could not help but exclaim.

"That nefarious Demonic Woman! She actually connived to murder Sect Leader Xu Feihong! Her crimes are truly monstrous!" Seeing Xu Ruoyan and the others arrive, Shentu Yan suddenly adopted a righteous tone, pointing at Liu Xiling and harshly condemning her.

"You killed my father?" Xu Ruoyan darted to Xu Feihong's side. Finding him completely lifeless, she glared at Liu Xiling with eyes full of hatred.

However, Liu Xiling had no intention of answering her question. She knew that even if she denied it now, no one would believe her.

"My mother didn't kill him!" Ling Chen stepped in front of Liu Xiling, his gaze intensely dark. "Elder Xu was ambushed by Shentu Yan! He was poisoned with Shentu Yan's Heavenly Shadow Poison and then murdered!"

"What?" Feng Piaoliu and the others found this hard to believe. After all, who was Shentu Yan? He was renowned in the Martial World as a man of righteousness and benevolence. Ling Chen's accusation that Shentu Yan was the killer was undoubtedly difficult for them to accept.

"Ling Chen, how can you slander me with such baseless accusations just because this demon woman is your mother?" Shentu Yan remained calm and composed. "Everyone in the Martial World knows that only a handful of people can concoct the Heavenly Shadow Poison, and this Saintess is one of them. I don't even know the method for creating Heavenly Shadow Poison, so how could I possibly poison Brother Xu?"

"Moreover, Palace Master Xu Feihong and I are both leaders of the Righteous Martial World. How could I possibly harm him?" Shentu Yan delivered these words without batting an eye. Coupled with his usual upright demeanor, no one suspected him in the slightest.

"Ling Chen, is it really as you say? Are you lying to me?" Xu Ruoyan lifted her head and looked directly at Ling Chen, her voice turning slightly colder.

"How could I possibly lie to you…" Ling Chen gave a bitter smile, then met Xu Ruoyan's gaze. "Don't you trust me?"

Hearing Ling Chen's words, Xu Ruoyan felt torn. She had always trusted Ling Chen implicitly, but this incident sowed seeds of doubt. The person who killed her father was Ling Chen's mother. Would Ling Chen truly accuse his own mother?

"Miss Xu, don't listen to his nonsense!" Just then, more people burst in from outside the hall. One of them, a purple-robed elder, pointed at Ling Chen and suddenly shouted, "We saw it with our own eyes! This Ling Chen was colluding with Xia Ji of the Saint Witch Religion! They plotted together and snatched the Demi-Saint Heart from us! Back then, we suspected he was in league with the Demon Cult, and it turns out our suspicions were true!"

He suddenly pointed to his empty right sleeve and yelled, "This severed hand of mine! He cut it off because I stumbled upon their treacherous dealings!"

"What? Such a thing happened?"

"Outrageous! Utterly outrageous! To think that Ling Chen, the champion of the Martial Arts Tournament and the strongest genius of the younger generation, actually colluded with the Demon Cult!"

"It's understandable, I suppose. After all, his mother is the Saintess of the Saint Witch Religion. I reckon he's wanted to join the Demon Way for a long time but was forced to feign righteousness because he never had the chance."

"Could Palace Master Xu Feihong's death also be related to him?"

Instantly, discussions erupted, and most people began to view Ling Chen with suspicion.

Hmph, you little brat! This is what you get for thwarting my plans! the purple-robed elder sneered inwardly. He was the elder whose right hand had been destroyed by the Demi-Saint Heart in the Blood General's Tomb. That incident had nothing to do with Ling Chen. However, Ling Chen later protected Xia Yunxin and drove the five of them away. They had harbored a grudge ever since and seized this opportunity to viciously stab Ling Chen in the back. This blow, however, was devastatingly effective.

At this, Xu Ruoyan drew the Cloud and Water Sword from her waist, its tip pointed at Ling Chen and Liu Xiling. "Ling Chen, if you truly have nothing to do with this, then step aside! The Fellow Martial Artists here will naturally take this demon woman's life and avenge my father!"

Hearing this, Ling Chen's heart sank. Standing behind him was the mother who had raised him. Moreover, he now knew Liu Xiling had not fallen to the Demon Way; she had been secretly protecting him all along. Under such circumstances, how could he possibly step aside?

However, just then, a delicate hand suddenly pressed against Ling Chen's back. A sudden burst of force erupted, sending him flying.

A stream of True Qi, like a sharp awl, pierced his internal organs, forcing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.

Ling Chen looked back in disbelief. It was Liu Xiling who had attacked him.

"You naive boy, so easy to manipulate." A slight smile touched the corners of Liu Xiling's lips. "Just a few sentimental lies, and you went to such lengths to protect me. What a foolish child."

Glancing at Ling Chen, Liu Xiling withdrew her gaze and sneered, "That's right. I killed Xu Feihong. If you want revenge, come and get it—if you're capable enough."

WHOOSH!

The moment she finished speaking, Liu Xiling's figure flashed. She launched a palm strike through the air toward the entrance of the Inner Hall, simultaneously darting towards the doorway.

She's saying this deliberately to protect me. Ling Chen slammed a fist on the ground, rage consuming him. Liu Xiling was intentionally distancing herself from him, taking all the blame solely to keep him uninvolved. He was furious at his own helplessness.

"The demon woman wants to run! Stop her!" Watching Liu Xiling rush out of the hall, Shentu Yan suddenly shouted sternly.

"Don't let her escape! Quick, form a perimeter!"

The others also unleashed their True Qi, their eyes glinting fiercely.

"She murdered Palace Master Xu! She cannot be allowed to leave alive! Blood for blood!"

"Kill!"