The Recording Stone’s Revelation

Seeing the Sect Master personally vouch for Lin Mo, the relief that coursed through them was not entirely pure. Mu Qingli held Lin Mo close, resting his head upon her shoulder, a gesture that stirred a hint of strangeness in the onlookers. The Sect Master was, after all, aware of Lin Mo’s gender. To embrace Lin Mo in such a manner hardly seemed appropriate.

‘Could it be that, besides Ruyan, the Sect Master also…?’

Ji Xue couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of trepidation.

On the other side, Qiu Yue was experiencing a moment of profound shock, a sensation rarely felt.

It wasn’t because Mu Qingli had descended from the heavens to support Lin Mo; this was precisely the effect Qiu Yue desired. She had no intention of allowing the Xuan Nv Sect’s unfavorable evaluation of him to persist. Her objective was to provoke the Xuan Nv Sect’s high-ranking officials into taking action against Lin Mo. This would, in turn, give the people behind her an even stronger reason to intervene.

Ji Xue, however, breathed a sigh of relief, especially when she saw Mu Qingli. ‘Could it be that… if that’s the case, she’s merely protecting her disciple…?’

‘My opponent… and the Sect Master.’

This was a rare occasion for Qiu Yue.

What truly astonished her was the power Lin Mo had just wielded.

Indeed, the secret art Yan Lingyun had employed was precisely one Qiu Yue had given her. The moment this secret art was unleashed, its immense power was naturally understood by Qiu Yue.

Even Qiu Yue herself could only watch with wide eyes, yet what about Lin Mo?

‘Without even using spiritual energy, how had he resolved it with such ease?’

‘He had effortlessly neutralized the attack without even mobilizing his spiritual energy!’

‘What exactly was the technique behind that?’

‘Qiu Yue had only clearly glimpsed Lin Mo’s hand, swirling like flowing water, seemingly gentle, yet returning the attack in kind.’

It was simply inconceivable!

‘Body techniques?’

‘But could body techniques achieve such a degree of mastery?’

‘Where on earth did he learn these?’

‘It couldn’t be Yang Po Po, could it?’

‘Impossible.’

Unable to find an answer, Qiu Yue’s brows furrowed deeply.

Beyond pondering Lin Mo’s incredible techniques, her thoughts were consumed by the woman embracing Lin Mo, Mu Qingli, who refused to let go.

‘She actually dared to embrace my Lin Mo in public… and the Sect Master.’

Ji Xue had never yearned for power so intensely.

She yearned to tear Mu Qingli limb from limb!

More than the failure of her own schemes, she detested seeing what she considered ‘hers’ being paraded by others.

And Qiu Yue was not the only one in a frenzy.

Qing You was equally agitated!

At this moment, she hovered outside the Hall of Clarity, pleading with Xian Chengyue.

“Pavilion Master, why did you let her in? And not me? Now Mu Qingli has ruined—”

“Silence,” Xian Chengyue commanded, remaining seated atop the high platform. She didn’t even glance Qing You’s way, her mind coldly rejecting the plea within their shared spiritual sea.

“But—”

“I instructed you to scheme in the shadows, but when did I ever permit you to endanger Lin Wan’er’s life?” The spiritual transmission, like a colossal iron hammer, brutally struck Qing You’s spiritual core. “You dare employ such venomous methods? Do you truly believe the sect’s precepts cannot touch you?”

“I cherish talent above all else; how could I allow that wretch to act on her own accord!”

“So, you fail to scrutinize your subordinates and then shirk responsibility? How is it that you’ve been so willful for so long, yet now you forbid others from being willful? You forbid others from rising? Standing outside and watching is enough for you!”

Xian Chengyue’s tone was resolute, leaving no room for negotiation.

“Master!”

“Now you remember I’m your master? Let me tell you, if you dare take one step into the Hall of Clarity, I’ll spank you!”

These words completely silenced Qing You.

She could only stand outside, watching anxiously, along with the other elders.

Meanwhile, on the martial arts arena…

Lin Mo, without a trace of reluctance, gently extracted himself from the warm embrace. Standing up, he immediately cupped his hands towards Mu Qingli and said, “Master, please recall Yan Lingyun. Her testimony concerns the true mastermind.”

Lin Mo’s swift departure caused a flicker of disappointment in Mu Qingli’s eyes, but with all eyes on her, she showed no outward reaction. Her slender finger merely tapped the armrest of her throne, seemingly without care.

Crack!

The profound ice that had frozen the Host of the Bing-Domain instantly shattered with a resounding crack! As crystalline shards cascaded down, the old woman stumbled back half a step before regaining her footing.

Her throat worked as if to unleash a furious reprimand, but her gaze swept around, failing to find Qing You. She could only swallow her discontent.

Yan Lingyun, who had been sent away, was returned to the arena. Her face was pale, her lips tinged blue, and her left arm’s bones were starkly exposed. Cold sweat streamed incessantly down her face. A white glow flickered around her. A medicinal pill shot through the air, and a warm surge of its power began to spread throughout her body. The wounds were slowly healing.

Only then did some color return to Yan Lingyun’s face.

Lin Mo stepped forward. Yan Lingyun stood up, still trembling with residual fear, shuffling her feet nervously. This face, seemingly so kind, possessed methods far more ruthless than her own.

She never wanted to endure that again.

She could no longer bear the agony she had just experienced.

“You… you… what do you want to do?”

“Speak again, the words you left unsaid earlier.”

Lin Mo, with azure tendrils of spiritual energy swirling around him, slowly advanced towards Yan Lingyun.

“I-I’ll talk! I’ll talk! Don’t come any closer! Don’t come any closer!”

Yan Lingyun, her usual ferocity gone, was now like a kitten with its fangs pulled. “It… it was Senior Sister Qiu Yue who told me to make these magic treasures! She gave me these magic treasures! She told me to ambush you during the martial arts practice!”

The moment these words left her lips, countless gazes—some horrified, some enraged, some incredulous—pierced Qiu Yue like cold nails, pinning her in place!

That fairy who was usually gentle and quiet, patiently answering everyone’s questions, never even frowning in annoyance—the guide who had assisted countless fellow disciples, the knowledgeable, talented, and unassuming young mistress of the Qiu family?

‘The hidden chill finally shattered abruptly.’

‘Behind that seemingly sweet and unassuming facade, such terrifying cunning lay concealed!’

‘At this moment, her gentle mask faltered. Who could have imagined that behind that seemingly sweet and unassuming face, she would plot to assassinate Lin Wan’er on the arena?’

She was the mastermind who instructed Yan Lingyun to ambush Lin Wan’er with a hidden weapon’s killing blow!

Qiu Yue! Her face still wore that sweet, innocent smile, but the more one looked, the more jarring it seemed. ‘Trying to frame me, are you?’

“Qiu Yue! You, you despicable and shameless woman, you still want to pin all the blame on me! You gave me these hidden weapons! It was you! It was you! It was you! It was you!”

Yan Lingyun shrieked, “Nonsense!”

Hearing Qiu Yue’s words, Yan Lingyun instantly snapped. “I suffered such grave injuries for you, didn’t you already know that?”

Qiu Yue yelled, “You shut up! Who do you think you are!”

“I wondered why some of my treasures went missing; I’ve been looking for them recently. I never thought… they’d end up in your hands.”

“You!!” Yan Lingyun’s eyes nearly burst from their sockets. “The Soul-Devouring Yin Sand and Soul-Corroding Needles were clearly given to me by you! How dare you accuse me of theft now?!”

Qiu Yue didn’t even spare Yan Lingyun a glance, walking directly to within three feet of Lin Mo. Tears welled in her eyes, trembling like a madwoman’s wails. “I have always lived a life free of contention, why would I bother to set a trap to harm you?” Her slender fingers clenched tightly onto the edge of her sleeve, her voice laced with a tremor of profound grievance. “This is nothing but the ramblings of someone unwilling to take responsibility!”

Qiu Yue gazed at Lin Mo with pitiful, tear-filled eyes, as if conveying immense injustice. ‘Besides, what motive would I have to harm you?’

She dared not reveal her resentment towards Lin Mo, which was her true motive. No one would find any animosity between her and Lin Wan’er. After all, only traces of her and Lin Mo existed.

Lin Mo smiled, but it was a cold, chilling smile.

“If a thorough investigation were truly conducted, your words would be riddled with holes. Don’t you realize that? Leaving aside everything else, just on the matter of theft, do you think it’s possible? You, who possess a storage ring, how could she steal things and place them inside? Did she somehow infiltrate your lodging place? Did you happen to take them out to air them, and then forget to put them back? Or were you planning to steal these dangerous items, took them out, and simply forgot to put them away? As a young mistress of a prominent family, your storage ring must contain many more valuable treasures than these. Why would you specifically take out these harmful items and ‘accidentally’ lose them?”

Qiu Yue grew somewhat annoyed. Wiping away the tears that had welled in her eyes with a handkerchief, she spoke with a slightly sterner, exasperated tone, unable to tolerate Lin Mo’s unreasonable badgering.

“Is there truly no such possibility? A sharp weapon can harm, but it can also save. It all depends on the user, doesn’t it? I use them for self-defense; is that wrong? Disciple Lin, I don’t know why you harbor such prejudice against me, but you shouldn’t slander me so viciously!”

However, Lin Mo knew Qiu Yue would eventually reveal her true colors; it would only take a small crack in her resolve.

He turned to Yan Lingyun and asked, “How did Qiu Yue instruct you to attack me?”

Hearing this, Yan Lingyun’s eyes lit up, as if she had found a breakthrough. She immediately spoke loudly, “Qiu Yue gave me a secret technique manual and hidden weapons, intending for me to hide my strength during the martial arts practice and ambush Lin Wan’er afterward. She promised to elevate my obscure family into a prominent clan! I only agreed because I could rely on the Qiu family!”

“Is that so?” Qiu Yue, instead of growing angry, smiled. “Then can I also say that the two of you conspired to slander me, with the aim of ruining my reputation, striking me down, and consequently making me lose focus on the martial arts practice? After all, as the Sect Master’s personal disciple, Disciple Lin ultimately ended up in the Bing-Domain. Feeling discontent, wouldn’t regaining the title of the Jia-Domain’s top spot from me be the best and fastest way? Failing to challenge me directly, you then resort to slandering me?”

Qiu Yue continued to defend herself. Yet, no matter how flawlessly Qiu Yue responded, Lin Mo’s smile never faltered.

Qiu Yue sensed a flicker of unease.

Lin Mo’s storage ring flashed, and a crystal-clear stone flowed into his palm.

At this moment, the unsettling premonition exploded in Qiu Yue’s mind.

“Do you know? Ever since my cultivation plummeted, I developed a small habit: every day, I record whether anyone has entered my room. After all, people like Lu Ping’an always came to bully me. To prevent you from framing me, I placed a ‘recording stone’ in my small house in the Bing-Domain every day. You should be clearer than I am about its function, shouldn’t you? It records everything that happens within a certain range. Even with obstructions, if there’s even a tiny crack, it can slip through and capture everything.”

Qiu Yue’s pupils constricted, a rare terror surfacing in her azure eyes, though she quickly regained her composure.

‘This is merely him trying to bluff me! Otherwise, he could have produced this item much earlier, informed the Host, and had me expelled from the Hall of Clarity. Why wait until now?’

“If that’s the case, then display it properly. Let everyone see clearly, see—”

Before Qiu Yue could finish, Lin Mo raised the recording stone high, and a projection instantly appeared before everyone.

The image began with a person’s long hair; through a gap in which the faces of two individuals were clearly recorded: Li Xin and Lu Ping’an.

And then, in their conversation:

“If… if… that’s the case, will it leave behind traces that are difficult to deal with?”

That night, the conversation between Lu Ping’an and Li Xin gravely implicated Senior Sister Qiu.

Qiu Yue, who had meticulously maintained her placid expression, suddenly lifted her head, her gaze piercing Lin Mo with a bone-chilling coldness. In this instant, she truly realized she had underestimated the man she thought she controlled.

Lin Mo maintained his smile, for Qiu Yue would never understand the immense sacrifice made.

Indeed, that night, what Li Xin had left for herself was not only the needles forged from spiritual energy, but also the recording stone hidden beneath her hair.

That night, Li Xin had deliberately sat by his bed, stroking his hair. This was to direct Lu Ping’an’s attention solely to his neck, rather than to look beneath his hair.

‘How to make Lu Ping’an change her mind, become disillusioned with Qiu Yue, and still not resent Li Xin?’

The simplest method was for Li Xin and Lu Ping’an to be caught together during the act, transforming the accomplice into an identical victim.

In this way, Lin Mo would simply be a meticulously cunning individual. And Li Xin would merely be a little sister caught committing a crime with a friend.

It was Li Xin’s idea.

Indeed, for the sake of a friend, this recording stone was ultimately placed there.

Even just a few short sentences were enough to condemn.

But this was not enough.

There was still room for sophistry.

To deliver the fatal blow that would crush Qiu Yue’s spirit, more was needed.

If there wasn’t a moment that caused Qiu Yue to lose focus or panic, she would quickly manage to rationalize everything.

Lin Mo couldn’t help but admire Qiu Yue’s ability to rationalize; she was truly adept at convincing others, including herself.

Therefore, as long as a moment of distraction could be created, the fatal attack could be launched!

And Lin Mo was responsible for making it concrete.

He had gone to such lengths.

The recording stone could display these images, causing Qiu Yue’s previous words to be dismissed.

These were merely the preliminaries.

The final, devastating blow to crush Qiu Yue’s spirit still needed to be delivered.

If there wasn’t a moment that caused Qiu Yue to lose focus or panic, she would quickly manage to rationalize everything.

And Lin Mo’s job was to make it happen.

Lin Mo stepped forward, leaning into Qiu Yue’s ear.

“She lied to you. In truth, your involvement was just part of the act. Do you know why? Because she doesn’t actually like you; she just enjoys toying with people she dislikes.”

Of course, this was merely Lin Mo’s fabrication. In reality, he was the one who had suffered terribly, nearly instantly killed by Zhao Miaozhi. He had only truly awakened his spiritual consciousness after that.

But this didn’t prevent Lin Mo from posturing. Sometimes, it was necessary to bluff. Why would he feel foolish and timid in front of someone like Qiu Yue?

See? At this moment, Qiu Yue was indeed caught off guard.

What truly caused Qiu Yue to snap was:

“You… you can’t possibly dislike me! You love me, you like me, you’re afraid!”

A clear slap resounded through the martial arts arena, instantly silencing the entire crowd, who had been loudly discussing the projected images.

A bright red palm print blossomed on Qiu Yue’s cheek.

“You’re truly narcissistic. Why would I like you?” Lin Mo’s voice, clear as falling ice shards, curved into a nearly cruel sneer. “Stop flattering yourself. Those times I acted close to you were merely to secure a path to survival. But now…”

He stepped closer, his eyes, which had once captivated Qiu Yue, now held only piercing mockery. “I might as well tell you now: the people I love are Ji Xue, Yang Po Po, Ruyan, Mu Qingli. You simply don’t have a place among them. Not even Yan Lingyun does. Can you please stop appearing in my sight? You disgust me.”

To kill a person, one need only nod their head. Yet, Lin Mo had perfectly employed a method to kill the heart.

Qiu Yue staggered backward, her eyes, which had always held schemes and sweet smiles, now resembled withered remnants swept by a gale, their light extinguished, utterly hollow.

Lin Mo’s words exploded in her soul, one after another, pounding her spiritual core into turmoil, her vision darkening.

“Pfft—!” No longer able to suppress the tumultuous qi and blood, a scorching, sweet gush erupted from her throat, transforming into a gruesome arrow of blood that splattered onto the cold arena floor.