Chapter 48: The Netherworld Palace of Fengdu

Wan Yi never expected that Li Huan would actually dare to make a move against him. Just as he was about to employ the Cloud Sea Steps to dodge, a figure stepped directly in front of him.

Lin Qiaosheng’s face was as dark as a thundercloud. With a wave of his sleeve, he forced Li Huan back and roared angrily, "Audacious! How dare you commit violence right before my eyes? Do you still regard me as the Sect Master?!"

Jolted back to his senses by the powerful impact, Li Huan instantly sobered up, followed immediately by a wave of cold terror. He dropped to his knees and cupped his fists in panic:

"Sect Master, please calm your anger! Your subordinate momentarily lost his composure out of sheer fury. You must not listen to this brat's wild slander. He is clearly framing your subordinate; I beg the Sect Master to investigate this thoroughly!"

Hearing this, Wan Yi let out a cold hmph. "Whether I'm framing you or not will become crystal clear once we investigate! Furthermore, was your attack on me just now truly a moment of lost composure, or were you trying to silence me? Or perhaps you had other motives entirely—that remains to be seen!"

As he spoke, Wan Yi’s eyes flickered with a playful glint, as if he were hinting at something deeper.

Unintentional words often carry weight with a suspicious listener. Lin Qiaosheng’s gaze toward Li Huan now carried a hint of profound meaning.

Seeing this, Li Huan opened his mouth to offer further explanation, but Lin Qiaosheng cut him off entirely.

"Li Huan, did you really think I was completely unaware of the things you usually pull behind the scenes? Considering you’ve been in the sect for many years and have contributed some hard work if not direct merit, I chose not to bicker with you over petty matters. But I never imagined you would become even more brazen, to the point of embezzling the cultivation resources meant for ordinary disciples!"

"Sect Master, your subordinate is wronged! Please do not listen to that brat's nonsense."

"Whether you are wronged or not, I shall know the moment I investigate. However, for the time being, you are hereby stripped of your post as the Elder of the Internal Affairs Hall. Once the facts are brought to light, if you were truly wronged, I will naturally give you a proper explanation!"

A deathly pallor washed over Li Huan’s face. He thought to himself, *Oh no, I'm completely finished!*

Given the things he had been doing, his actions simply could not withstand any real scrutiny. Once everything was brought to light, according to the sect rules, even if he managed to keep his life, he would be stripped of a layer of skin!

As for the matter of embezzling spirit stones, it was indeed true, though he had never dared to touch Wan Yi's share. This wasn't because he was unwilling, but simply because those few low-grade spirit stones Wan Yi received each month were beneath his notice.

The reason Wan Yi brought this up with a mixture of truth and falsehood was because the original owner had personally witnessed Li Huan accepting bribes and tributes from other disciples. Since he had taken over the original owner's body, he had to vent this pent-up grievance for him; otherwise, all those years of hauling nightsoil would have been in vain!

Unreconciled and burning with resentment, Li Huan was dragged away by others, his vicious glare locked onto Wan Yi like a starved wolf waiting to tear someone to shreds.

Wan Yi thought inwardly, *Well, damn it, I’ve made another enemy. This kind of potential hidden danger must never be left unchecked; I need to uproot it at the earliest opportunity!*

Having dealt with Li Huan, Lin Qiaosheng retrieved a storage bag and tossed it to Wan Yi, saying, "Transgressions must be punished, and contributions must naturally be rewarded! Inside are ten thousand top-grade spirit stones and a Feather-Flying Sword. This sword was what I used in my youth, and it has already reached the spirit artifact grade. You must treat it well from now on."

Wan Yi caught the storage bag and hurriedly stepped forward to express his gratitude.

Seeing Wan Yi accept the reward, Lin Qiaosheng sent a voice transmission to Zhou Shuo: "Junior Brother, the Danding Sect's momentum is completely broken now. Henceforth, our Vast Expanse Sect must seize control of the medicinal pill market in the Southern Continent's cultivation world. Now that we have a new pill-refining technique, you must seize this opportunity!"

After the crowd dispersed, Zhou Tong scampered over to Wan Yi's side with a face full of excitement. "Little Yi-yi, Sect Master Uncle rewarded you with so many spirit stones!"

Wan Yi smiled slightly and asked softly, "Do you want them?"

Zhou Tong shook her head. "I'm not lacking in spirit stones. You should keep them safe and use them slowly in the future."

Looking at the perceptive and considerate young girl, a wave of warmth washed over Wan Yi. He reached into his storage bag, retrieved the Feather-Flying Sword, and handed it to Zhou Tong:

"Here, I'm giving this to you. I use a spear; I have no use for this sword. You are a sword cultivator, and this sword will better manifest its value by your side."

The Feather-Flying Sword was, after all, a spirit artifact. It would be a lie to say Zhou Tong wasn't tempted.

She took the Feather-Flying Sword, turned it over a few times to play with it in her hands, and asked timidly, "Are you really willing to give this to me?"

Wan Yi nodded with a smile. "With our relationship, what's mine is yours anyway. What do you mean by willing or not? If you like it, just take it."

Hearing this, Zhou Tong’s delicate face flushed red. She spat out softly, "Pfft! Shameless! I have nothing to do with you!"

Though she said that, her hands quickly tucked the Feather-Flying Sword away, as if she feared he might take it back the next second.

Meanwhile, in the Underworld, Fengdu, Netherworld Palace!

Behind a desk, a handsome man dressed in a white sheer robe sat barefoot with his dark hair draped loosely over his shoulders. With a lazy expression, he held an ink brush, moving it swiftly across the rice paper before him.

In front of the desk, Yan Wuji stood respectfully with his head lowered, not daring to even draw a breath too loudly.

After a long while, the man put down his brush, leaned forward, and gently blew on the paper before him.

Once the ink was thoroughly dried, he picked up the rice paper with both hands, spread it out toward Yan Wuji, and asked with a smile, "Wuji, take a look at my calligraphy. How is it?"

Hearing this, Yan Wuji hurriedly raised his head to look, only to see four characters—*When matters are urgent, approach them with calm deliberation*—leaping off the paper.

A heavy thump echoed in Yan Wuji's chest the moment he deciphered those words.

Yet, on the surface, he betrayed no emotion, saying respectfully, "Your Majesty’s calligraphy has already merged with the profound intent of heaven and earth. This subordinate’s learning is shallow, and I am unable to describe it adequately."

The man in white smiled noncommittally, set the paper down, and sighed, "You, too, have learned how to flatter these days."

With that, he couldn't help but shake his head.

Yet, the smile vanished from his face in an instant. His gaze turned piercingly sharp as he stared at Yan Wuji and asked, "Then do you know why I had you look at these four characters?"

Yan Wuji’s throat bobbed as he forcefully swallowed back the words that had already reached his lips. He thought to himself, *Surely I haven't guessed right? If this really is the case, how am I supposed to answer to Wan Yi?! I'm going to be in deep trouble this time!*

Seeing that he remained silent, the man in white did not show anger. With a light sigh, he continued, "You are far too impetuous in your dealings. Although that little fellow has extraordinary traits, his wings are still unformed. If you provide him with too much backing right now, what will happen if he grows complacent? Furthermore, there are no impenetrable walls in this world. You allocated a hundred Tribulation-stage ghost cultivators under his command to help him slay Emperor-realm cultivators—how long do you think you can keep this hidden? Once the news leaks out and those fellows in the mortal realm realize our Underworld was involved, what do you think the consequences will be?"

Yan Wuji’s expression shifted drastically upon hearing this, and he blurted out, "Would they dare to attack the Underworld?"

The man in white rolled up his sleeves and, while grinding ink, chuckled, "When it concerns their own survival, what would they not dare to do?"

Yan Wuji said anxiously, "Your Majesty, our Underworld has the Heavenly Dao Merit Monument suppressing our fortune. Those Emperor-realm cultivators coming here would be utterly useless. Besides, with Wan Yi around, however many come will simply die. Furthermore, wasn't our goal to flush them all out and wipe them out? I was just fretting over how to force them to show themselves; if they appear on their own accord, doesn't that play right into our hands?"

To be continued...