Chapter 201: Chapter 201: Shedding All Pretenses
Lu Sangjiu was disgusted by Bai Heng’s sanctimonious appearance. She sneered, "What exactly are you voting on?"
"I have done nothing wrong. Will all of you only be satisfied if you force me to destroy myself here today?"
"Since you all claim to have a clear conscience, how about you let me use a Memory Stone to record your true colors while you vote? We can let everyone in the Cultivation World have a look."
"You all claim this is for the good of the world, after all. So let’s see if the people of the world will be eternally grateful to you, shall we?"
Everyone fell silent... They knew full well that while they claimed it was for the greater good, forcing an innocent young woman like Lu Sangjiu to destroy her own future would make them lose face if anyone else found out.
Someone, angered, decided to drop the pretense and revealed their ugly true colors.
"Such a sharp tongue. You stubbornly refuse to sacrifice your personal interests. Could it be you really are a Demon Cultivator spy?"
The others reacted quickly and chimed in, "Exactly. If she were truly a disciple of an Immortal Gate, how could she not understand the meaning of the greater good?"
"If you continue to be so unreasonable, we’ll have no choice but to deal with you as a Demon Cultivator spy!"
Lu Sangjiu finally couldn’t help but laugh out loud. "So what you’re saying is, today I either choose to destroy my own future, or you’ll deal with me as a Demon Cultivator spy?"
"Just great. You’ve all really opened my eyes today!"
If everyone had been maintaining some semblance of a facade before, they had now torn away all pretense.
Aside from Sword Bu Gui, a few others who still possessed a conscience couldn’t help but speak up for Lu Sangjiu. "Everyone... we are all from reputable sects. Isn’t this going a bit too far?"
The moment someone spoke, Bai Heng cut in coldly, "One person versus the world. You should all understand which carries more weight."
"Besides, Lu Sangjiu hasn’t been fully cleared of suspicion as a Demon Cultivator spy. In a matter of such great principle, it is better to kill an innocent than to let a guilty one go free."
These few were clearly easily swayed. They exchanged glances, saw the resolute attitude of the others, and fell silent in resignation.
The situation was decided.
The corner of Bai Heng’s lips curled up, his eyes filled with scorn as he looked at Lu Sangjiu. "I’ll let you keep a shred of dignity. Break the bond yourself. Otherwise... you might not even be able to keep your life."
Sword Bu Gui’s expression was grim. But with the vast majority now on Bai Heng’s side, his objections were utterly useless.
He alone couldn’t possibly stand against so many Divinity Transformation experts. A physical confrontation was out of the question!
It had been a long time since he’d felt so powerless. For a moment, his heart grew cold as he saw for the first time that these so-called Immortal Gates were filled with such despicable, self-serving people!
Sword Bu Gui said no more, and Lu Sangjiu completely understood.
’Even if he kept arguing, it wouldn’t change anything. Besides, they weren’t that close. There was no need for him to risk his life for her.’
In fact, she was already trying to figure out a way to stall for a little more time. Perhaps an opportunity would present itself.
But what she didn’t expect was that Xie Ningyuan, who had been standing beside her silently all this time, suddenly laughed.
It was a soft laugh, one that seemed to hold a myriad of complex emotions, the most obvious of which... was scorn.
The laugh was so abrupt that everyone’s gaze couldn’t help but fall upon him.
Even though he had been standing by Lu Sangjiu’s side, he had almost no presence. Many people were only just now noticing him.
Someone asked at once, displeased, "Who are you? What are you laughing at?"
Lu Sangjiu nervously tugged on Xie Ningyuan’s sleeve and warned, "Don’t be reckless."
’I see it now,’ she thought. ’I completely overestimated these people’s sense of shame.’
’If Xie Ningyuan acts rashly and insists on helping me now, they’ll probably just find an excuse to kill him too.’
However, she couldn’t stop Xie Ningyuan. He didn’t even look at her, merely lifting his gaze to the person who had spoken.
"Of course I’m laughing at you... Thank you for showing me that all those who act selfishly under the banner of the greater good look just like you."
"Thinking about it now, my past struggles, my confusion, and my bewilderment were all just a joke."
After speaking, a hint of pity flickered across his expression as he said softly, "This world... is truly rotten."
The others were confused by his words, but Lu Sangjiu had a bad feeling.
’Those lines... they make him sound way too much like a villain! What on earth is Xie Ningyuan trying to do?’
She couldn’t worry about anything else. She just gripped his sleeve tightly. "Xie Ningyuan! Do you remember what I told you?"
Xie Ningyuan turned his head slightly to look at her. Lu Sangjiu looked him in the eye and repeated, "You don’t have to help me. I can handle this myself!"
He let out a soft laugh. "You’re clearly at the end of your rope, yet you’re still trying to play the hero?"
He paused, then glanced at the others. "Tsk, what a stark contrast to these people."
’The so-called reputable sects all wore such ugly masks, while Lu Sangjiu, practically a Demon Cultivator in their eyes, was the one showing kindness... How ironic.’
’I really want to let those who believe Immortal Cultivators are good and Demon Cultivators are evil see this scene with their own eyes.’
The crowd was thoroughly infuriated by Xie Ningyuan’s blatant and veiled mockery. Someone roared in anger, "Ignorant junior, how dare you act so insolently here! I will teach you a lesson today!"
The words had barely faded when that person thrust a palm strike toward Xie Ningyuan!
Lu Sangjiu hadn’t expected them to attack so suddenly. She hurriedly tried to pull Xie Ningyuan back to dodge, but then she saw... at some point, Xie Ningyuan had closed his eyes.
Before she could react, she felt a powerful surge of Spiritual Energy erupt from Xie Ningyuan’s body, as if it had shattered some kind of shackles!
The power was so immense that he didn’t even need to retaliate. The incoming strike was simply obliterated by the wave of Spiritual Energy, vanishing without a trace.
Lu Sangjiu’s eyes filled with shock. ’Isn’t he supposed to be unable to use his power freely? Does he have a death wish?!’
The others were also aghast. Nearly everyone shot to their feet instinctively. "You... Who in the world are you?"
Xie Ningyuan didn’t speak. He simply raised a hand and removed the mask from his face, revealing his true appearance to everyone.
Someone recognized him immediately, their voice filled with astonishment. "You’re... the Buddha Son of the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect, Jichen?"
As soon as this name was spoken, even those who hadn’t recognized him immediately put the pieces together.
But this answer was so far beyond their expectations. Wasn’t the Buddha Son said to have remained in the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect, not making a public appearance for several hundred years?
How could he be disguised as a Golden Core Stage disciple, hanging around with Lu Sangjiu?
But Xie Ningyuan did not deny it. With an indifferent expression, he answered nonchalantly, "These days... I still prefer it when people call me Xie. Ning. Yuan."
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