"The demoness has escaped!"

Liu Xiling rushed out of the hall. Immediately, a righteous martial artist also shouted fiercely.

As his words fell, most people looked outside the hall, their faces somewhat gloomy.

"Damn it! Ling Chen let her escape! This kid is indeed colluding with the Demon Cult!"

An Elder of the Sky Void Palace also roared.

Instantly, all eyes in the hall locked onto Ling Chen.

"Everyone, listen to me! This matter isn't as simple as you think. There's another truth to it!"

Ling Chen's face darkened. "I saw with my own eyes Senior Xu Feihong being killed by Shentu Yan. He was the one who ambushed Senior Xu."

"Enough!"

The moment he finished speaking, Xu Ruoyan's sharp voice suddenly rang out.

"Even now, you're still defending that demoness?!"

Undisguised disappointment flickered in Xu Ruoyan's beautiful eyes. "Ling Chen, you should know how much I trust you, yet you recklessly trample on the trust I placed in you! You constantly speak of the irreconcilable feud of avenging my father, yet you personally let my father's murderer go. Ling Chen, you know full well how much I like you. For you, I would even disregard my own life, give up everything for you! But what about you? I, Xu Ruoyan, swear to the heavens here that in this life, I will kill that demoness Liu Xiling and avenge my father!"

Xu Ruoyan's voice was trembling at first, but by the end, it had become utterly ice-cold and ruthless, filled with hatred.

Hearing her words, Ling Chen could only smile bitterly. He knew that no matter what he said now, she wouldn't believe him. To Xu Ruoyan, Xu Feihong was her loving father; the feud for a father's murder was absolutely irreconcilable.

Suddenly, Xu Ruoyan took out a contract written in black and white from her ring. Under her extremely cold gaze, she flung the contract from her hand.

"This is our betrothal agreement."

A layer of frost seemed to cover Xu Ruoyan's pretty face, her voice carrying a bone-chilling coldness. The next moment, WHOOSH! She suddenly swung her Cloud and Water Sword, slashing it through the air more than ten times. The paper contract was instantly diced into tiny shreds that scattered.

"Ling Chen, our relationship, like this paper contract, is hereby severed. From now on, all ties between us are broken."

The myriad pieces of paper drifted down, fluttering about like snowflakes in winter.

Ling Chen reached out his hand, and a shred of paper landed in his palm. A faint, pale smile touched his lips.

Although he and Xu Ruoyan had experienced conflict before, it had never reached such a resolute stage. It seemed this time, Xu Ruoyan had truly steeled her heart to sever all ties with him.

Having shredded the betrothal agreement, Xu Ruoyan resolutely walked past Ling Chen's side and left the hall with the people from the Sky Void Palace.

A bitter taste filled Ling Chen's heart. Why was she so unwilling to believe me? Or perhaps... she doesn't like me as much as I thought. If you truly love someone, you should trust them completely.

Ling Chen felt utterly dejected, as if he had suffered a devastating blow.

"Seize this rebellious disciple!"

Shentu Yan clutched his chest as he staggered up from the ground, pointing at Ling Chen and roaring.

Two Elders from the Divine Intent Sect pinned Ling Chen down and then bound him.

Ling Chen did not resist. His eyes were somewhat vacant, and he allowed the two to restrain him.

In the hall, every gaze fixed on Ling Chen was filled with disgust. In their view, Ling Chen is finished. To actually collude with the Demon Cult... if this charge is confirmed, he'll become an object of contempt for everyone in the Righteous Martial World.

「Wind Country, Divine Intent Sect.」

In the imposing great hall, nearly all the Elders and True Disciples of the Divine Intent Sect had gathered. They stood on either side of the hall, their expressions grave.

Nie Wu Xiang, Shangguan Qiushui, Xiao Muyu, Ling Yin, and other young disciples were also present. However, at this moment, their gazes were all focused on the center of the great hall.

There, in the center, a figure knelt with hands bound. It was, indeed, Ling Chen.

Ling Chen's eyes were lifeless, his face dirty and haggard. The air of the Martial World's foremost prodigy he once possessed was entirely gone.

"Esteemed Elders, in the Human Emperor's Underground Palace, Ling Chen was bewitched by the demoness Liu Xiling. He indirectly caused the death of Palace Master Xu Feihong, did not shrink from treacherously attacking me, your Sect Leader, and single-handedly let the murderous demoness escape. How do you propose we deal with him?"

Shentu Yan, seated in the Sect Leader's chair, glanced at Ling Chen kneeling below and spoke indifferently.

"This matter demands severe punishment!"

The speaker was Vice-sect Leader Ye Nantian. He stared at Ling Chen, his eyes filled with coldness. "You must understand, the reason our Divine Intent Sect's strength has been greatly diminished, causing us to lose our position as the hegemon of the Martial World, is entirely due to that demoness Liu Xiling. Even our previous Sect Leader, Ling Tianyu, was treacherously killed by this demoness. To think that such an irreconcilable enemy was released by this brat, Ling Chen! This boy colludes with the Demon Cult; his actions are treasonous and utterly defiant! I propose we cripple his martial arts, expel him from the Sect, announce his transgressions to the entire Martial World, and cast this renegade disciple out from the Righteous Path!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of many in the great hall changed abruptly.

Crippling his martial arts and announcing it to the Martial World... that means Ling Chen's life would be over. He'd be reduced to a complete cripple, a good-for-nothing, and he'd be condemned by the entire Righteous Martial World.

Shangguan Qiushui seethed with silent fury. That bastard! He wants to use this chance to drive Ling Chen to his death. Ye Nantian has wanted Ling Chen dead for a long time. Now that such a perfect opportunity has presented itself, he definitely won't let it pass.

Ling Yin's pretty face had lost all its usual vivacity, replaced by a cold, hard expression. Her beautiful eyes, sharp and fierce, stared fixedly at Ye Nantian. If he dares to lay a hand on Brother Ling Chen, I'll fight him to the death!

Xiao Muyu was also extremely worried about Ling Chen. The Great Elder and our Master are here. They will never stand by and watch Ling Chen be forced into a desperate situation. Letting Liu Xiling go might be true, but colluding with the Demon Cult? That's definitely a trumped-up charge!

"Vice Sect Master Ye, I beg to differ."

At this moment, it was Great Elder Shangguan Hong who spoke up for Ling Chen. He glanced at Ling Chen, sighed, and then began, "Ling Chen is a peerless genius, the likes of whom our Divine Intent Sect hasn't seen in centuries. His fundamental nature isn't bad, and he is the son of our former Sect Leader. He was merely momentarily unwary and fell for that demoness Liu Xiling's scheme. For now, let us strip him of his True Disciple status and sentence him to face the wall in reflection for one year, as a warning to others."

"Absolutely not!"

Hardly had Shangguan Hong's voice faded when a Purple-robed Elder immediately retorted, "Ling Chen's actions are treasonous, and he has committed insubordination! Not only did he injure the Sect Leader, but he also released the demoness. His crimes deserve death! Sparing his life is already an immense act of mercy. His martial arts must be crippled! Otherwise, if this boy is allowed to develop, even if he doesn't rebel today, he will inevitably betray the Sect and join the Demon Cult in the future. He will become a Little Demon, a grave threat to our Righteous Martial World!"

"Indeed."

"If he isn't punished severely, it will surely lead to endless future calamities..."

Many Elders nodded in agreement.