Liu Lie had no personal grudge against Ling Xiao. His animosity was purely driven by jealousy!
He felt Ling Xiao had gained far too many treasures, which fueled his relentless slander.
There was another reason: Liu Lie clearly had a crush on Dantai Lingzi.
But Dantai Lingzi seemed more interested in Ling Xiao, which left a bitter taste in his mouth. How could he pass up any chance to smear Ling Xiao?
“You’re just spouting nonsense!”
Shangguan Lei couldn’t hold back any longer. Though he was nominally part of Demon Flame Heavenly Venerable’s faction, if he didn’t speak up for Ling Xiao in this situation, what kind of friend would he be?
Ling Xiao had treated him well, and he couldn’t stay silent.
“Shangguan Lei! Watch your words!” Elder Jin said coldly.
“No need to intimidate a disciple, Elder Jin. Shangguan Lei, if you have a different perspective, feel free to share. Don’t be afraid,” Sect Leader Chang Yueying said with a smile.
She genuinely wanted to uncover the truth.
“Reporting to the Sect Leader, in the first stage, Ling Xiao defeated the Black-Winged Great Peng, securing its martial soul for Junior Brother Zhao Zhi, effectively saving many trial disciples’ lives.
In the second stage, if not for his strength in overcoming numerous monsters, no one might have passed.
In the third stage, Ling Xiao found ideal cultivation grounds for me, Leng Hao, and Dai Yuling, leading to significant breakthroughs in our cultivation.
And finally, without him, we couldn’t have entered the fourth stage!”
What!
The earlier claims only caused frowns and confusion, as Shangguan Lei’s account differed greatly from others’.
But at the mention of the fourth stage, everyone was stunned.
“You said you entered the fourth stage?” Chang Yueying asked in astonishment.
“Yes, the trial results should be recorded. You can verify it.”
Each disciple’s exit from the Moonlight Pagoda generated a performance report, so there was no way to fake it.
“Quick, bring Shangguan Lei’s results!” Chang Yueying urged.
“Final results: Entered the fourth stage! Obtained 1,200 Moonlight Points! Received one Immortal Treasure and one top-grade Gold Martial Art. Cultivation broke through to the late seventh Mortal Realm!”
My heavens!
Hearing Chang Yueying read these results, everyone was shocked.
When Shangguan Lei entered the Moonlight Pagoda, his cultivation was only at the fourth Mortal Realm! Yet he obtained an Immortal Treasure, a top-grade Gold Martial Art, and surpassed the Moonlight Point records of both Chang Yueying and Demon Flame Heavenly Venerable.
Impossible!
That was the first thought for many.
Shangguan Lei wasn’t a genius, nor was he particularly strong. How could he achieve this?
“Master, seize Shangguan Lei! He’s colluded with Ling Xiao, Dai Yuling, and Leng Hao to harm other trial disciples. His words are lies! If he hadn’t sabotaged others, how could he have such results?” Bai Feifei shouted.
“Yes, exactly. I noticed Shangguan Lei was close to Ling Xiao. They’re in cahoots!” Liu Lie chimed in.
“We can testify!” Ming Tian, Situ Jun, and other eliminated disciples stepped forward, pointing fingers at Shangguan Lei.
“Shangguan Lei, what else do you have to say?” Elder Jin demanded furiously.
“Every word I said is true!” Shangguan Lei declared loudly.
“Still stubborn at this point? Seize his Immortal Treasure and top-grade Gold Martial Art, and lock him in the Enforcement Hall until the tower-climbing ceremony ends for collective punishment!” Elder Jin barked.
“It’s a misunderstanding, it must be!” Shangguan Lei’s master cried out.
But it was futile. A mere Half-Step Heavenly Venerable’s words carried no weight.
“Master, don’t worry. The truth will clear my name. I’ll be fine!” Shangguan Lei believed that once Ling Xiao emerged, everything would be revealed. He would never betray Ling Xiao.
“Take him away!”
…
With Liu Lie eliminated and Shangguan Lei imprisoned, only six remained in the Moonlight Pagoda: Ling Xiao, Dai Yuling, Leng Hao, Dantai Lingzi, Wu Yang, and Qin Wu.
“Who would’ve thought Shangguan Lei already broke the record set by Demon Flame Heavenly Venerable and Sect Leader Chang Yueying, earning 1,200 Moonlight Points, gaining so many treasures, and reaching the late seventh Mortal Realm? Incredible. I wonder how the others will fare?”
“Hmph, Shangguan Lei colluded with Ling Xiao, Dai Yuling, and Leng Hao. They’re heinous. No matter how good their results, what’s the point? Thankfully, there are three others. At this rate, they’ll likely break records too.”
“Heinous? People can say whatever they want. The truth won’t be clear until the end. Let’s wait and see.”
Not all Moonlight Sect disciples were one-sided.
Especially the outer disciples, nearly all believed Ling Xiao was innocent and stood firmly by him.
After all, Ling Xiao was still an outer disciple.
If he truly won first place in the tower-climbing ceremony, all outer disciples would receive generous sect rewards.
That was far more than just superficial glory.
However, the Supreme Sect Leader, Elder Jin, and Demon Flame Heavenly Venerable had different thoughts.
No matter what, they hoped Ling Xiao would be eliminated soon. His unexpected entry into the fourth stage was unthinkable.
In contrast, Golden Light Heavenly Venerable, Guanghan Heavenly Venerable, and Yang Danlin were relieved and proud of Ling Xiao.
Honestly, his progress was astonishing, far exceeding their expectations.
They initially thought reaching the third stage would be a miracle, ensuring sect support whether he joined the inner sect or stayed in the outer sect.
But now, it was a mix of joy and worry.
Ling Xiao’s achievements were extraordinary, but his infamy had also piled up.
Though they believed he was slandered out of jealousy, without evidence, they couldn’t prove it.
Shangguan Lei likely told the truth but was imprisoned, his Immortal Treasure and top-grade Gold Martial Art confiscated.
“Sect Leader, I propose giving the Immortal Treasure and top-grade Gold Martial Art to Ming Tian! He’s a rare prodigy, sabotaged by Ling Xiao to this state. He deserves compensation,” Elder Jin suddenly suggested.
“What about my dear disciple?” the Supreme Sect Leader said, displeased.
Immortal Treasures were rare even among inner sect elders in the Moonlight Sect, making them highly valuable. How could the Supreme Sect Leader easily let Elder Jin’s grand-disciple have it?
