Fairy, don't be afraid, I, Wang Daqi, am truly an honest man.

"What did you say? I...I don't understand!!"

Yao Datong's face turned deathly pale, his eyes filled with horror.

"Hmph, even now you still want to lie to me??" Wang Daqi scoffed.

"Good, good lad." Yao Datong snorted coldly.

He couldn't understand how a disciple with such low cultivation could see through his hidden killing intent.

But there was no turning back now. He grinned maliciously, "Even without a hand, I can crush you like an ant!!!"

He was, after all, at the ninth level of Qi Refining!

His cultivation level is far superior to Wang Daqi's.

He muttered incantations, and the blood-stained spirit sword, sensing its master's killing intent, suddenly unsheathed itself in mid-air, unleashing a fierce silver light as it slashed towards Wang Daqi like a dragon.

Sword control technique!!!

Even without hands, he can still use a sword!

"Go to hell!" Yao Datong shouted, seemingly insane.

Wang Daqi moved like a ghost across the rooftop, narrowly avoiding the sword's edge, and then casually fired three more Xuan Shui arrows in quick succession.

The water arrows traced eerie arcs in the air, carrying immense weight, and forcefully knocked the spirit sword off course.

"Bang! Bang!!"

Water vapor and sword light swirled in the air.

Taking advantage of the moment when Yao Datong's spiritual energy was disrupted due to his severed hand, Wang Daqi moved closer.

"The second arrow!"

A black water arrow, several times thicker than the previous one, shot out again.

This time, the Xuan Shui Arrow was mixed with a powerful trace of purple energy from within the body.

The next second, it precisely pierced through Yao Datong's protective aura and plunged into his shoulder.

"puff!!"

Yao Datong spat out a mouthful of blood, and the huge impact sent him flying backward, crashing heavily into the ruins.

"Great talent!!"

Just then, two delicate shouts came from afar.

Xu Yan and Jiang Xuerou rushed up the ruins, covered in dust, just in time to witness the astonishing scene of Wang Daqi knocking Yao Datong away.

The two people rushed over quickly.

Xu Yan reacted quickly, immediately stepping in front of Wang Daqi to block him, her eyes fixed on Yao Datong, who was vomiting blood in the ruins, to prevent him from making a last-ditch effort.

Jiang Xuerou, on the other hand, appeared more composed and calm.

With a flick of her jade-like finger, she tossed a "concealment talisman" emitting a faint glow into the air.

As the talisman spontaneously combusted, a layer of ripples, barely visible to the naked eye, rapidly spread out, completely concealing the violent spiritual energy aftershocks left by the intense battle.

Unless a master at the Core Formation stage or above specifically searches for it, outsiders will only think this is a ruin destroyed by centipedes and will not discover the trickery here.

"Daqi, what exactly happened?"

Jiang Xuerou frowned, her gaze sweeping over Yao Datong, who had lost an arm, her tone icy.

"This guy tricked me into going into the cave to rescue Fang Zhong, but after I saw through him, he tried to kill me to silence me."

Wang Daqi calmed the surging spiritual energy within his body and said calmly.

"He's insane!!"

A flash of disgust crossed Jiang Xuerou's eyes. "What kind of time is this? So many people in the mine are on the verge of death, and he, as a steward, instead of thinking about putting out the fire, is actually plotting internal strife and killing each other!"

"Jiang... Jiang Xuerou!"

Amidst the ruins, Yao Datong struggled to lift his head, his face filled with madness and resentment.

He pointed at Wang Daqi, his voice shrill and distorted with pain: "Wang Daqi injured me first!! I'm the steward, he's the disciple, this is insubordination! I want you... I order you to take action against him immediately! Seize this traitor! Otherwise, when the sect punishes you, you two will be in deep trouble!!"

"Order me?" Jiang Xuerou's lips curled into a mocking sneer. "Yao Datong, you should worry about yourself first. Such a huge mess has happened here, Elder Fang Zhong's life is in danger, and as the highest-ranking deacon in charge on site, do you think the sect will let you off the hook? In the sect's eyes, you're already a dead man."

"You...you want to disobey orders?" Yao Datong's pupils contracted.

Jiang Xuerou's eyes flickered, and a cold glint appeared at her fingertips.

In this chaotic mine, killing a severely injured deacon and then handing him over to a monster seems like a quick and easy solution.

However, just as she was about to flick her finger to completely eliminate this hidden danger, a heavy pressure, as heavy as a mountain, suddenly descended from the sky.

"Elder Cheng, you've arrived." Jiang Xuerou's expression changed slightly, and she immediately stopped what she was doing.

A fiery red figure descended from the clouds; it was none other than Cheng Man, an inner sect elder.

She looked at the mess before her, her brows furrowed, clearly shocked by the devastation of the mining area.

"Elder Cheng! Elder Cheng, save me!!!!"

Yao Datong, as if seeing a lifeline, scrambled to his feet and wailed, "Wang Daqi... that brat Wang Daqi holds a grudge against me, so he ambushed me and broke my hand! Please, elders, do justice for me!!!"

Xu Yan's palms immediately sweated with nervousness. She leaned closer to Wang Daqi and whispered in a trembling voice, "This is terrible! If Elder Cheng Man believes Yao Datong's lies, we..."

"Don't worry." Wang Daqi patted Xu Yan's hand, looking calm and composed. "I already reported the situation here to Elder Cheng via the communication talisman."

Sure enough, Cheng Man gave Yao Datong a cold look, her eyes full of disgust.

"Yao Datong, I already knew about the situation before I came. You neglected your duties, harmed your fellow disciples, and tried to frame others."

"No...no! Elder Cheng, please let me explain!!"

Cheng Man didn't give him a chance to say anything. She pressed her right hand down in the air, and a burst of crimson fire energy instantly pierced through Yao Datong's dantian.

With a "crack," that was the sound of the Qi Sea shattering.

"ah!!!!!"

Yao Datong let out a desperate scream, and his spiritual power drained away like a tide, instantly transforming him from a high-ranking deacon into a ruddy-faced... cripple.

"Strip him of his cultivation, take him away and imprison him! After this chaos is quelled, send him to the Hall of Law Enforcement for public execution!!"

Cheng Man coldly gave the order, then looked at Wang Daqi with a hint of admiration in her eyes, "Wang Daqi, you did a very good job. Now, everyone listen to my command, all disciples prepare to rescue people!!"

Actually.

Cheng Man's decisive decision to dismiss Yao Datong was indeed based solely on Wang Daqi's side of the story.

But in the eyes of this Golden Core Elder, the truth often does not depend on complicated evidence, but on the judgment of "people".

From their previous interactions, Cheng Man knew that Wang Daqi was an honest and straightforward person who didn't lie.

Since this honest man says that you, Yao Datong, have malicious intentions, even if it's not true, you, the steward who plunged the mining area into chaos, should give an explanation.

This is the logic of the strong!

She doesn't need any so-called evidence; she only trusts her own judgment.

Yao Datong was dragged down by his two disciples like a dead dog. His pitiful screams echoed above the mine, but they did not arouse any sympathy.

"Great talent," Cheng Man withdrew her gaze, her tone softening slightly. Pointing to the mine shaft ahead, which resembled the maw of a giant beast, she said, "Most of the disciples inside the mine are in trouble now, and Elder Fang Zhong is also out of contact. I'm leading a group in, but the terrain is complicated, and I need someone familiar with the area to lead the way. Are you available? If you were injured in the battle earlier, it's alright; I'll find someone else."

Wang Daqi's heart stirred slightly.

Following a Golden Core elder into the cave is infinitely safer than wandering around on your own.

Moreover, although the number of ordinary centipedes was astonishing, according to his observation, most of them were at the Qi Refining level, with only a few armored centipedes being particularly troublesome.

With Cheng Man in charge, this mission was not only safe, but also became an excellent opportunity to make a name for oneself.

"Elder, I'm fine. Please lead the way." Wang Daqi cupped his hands and agreed sincerely.

"Okay, thank you for your help!" Cheng Man nodded approvingly.

"Let's go in together." Xu Yan stepped forward, gripping her weapon tightly, her eyes resolute.

"That's right, more people means more strength."

Jiang Xuerou nodded slightly and stepped forward.

"Okay, everyone, follow me and do our best to save lives."

Cheng Man turned around and looked behind her.

Besides Wang Daqi and his two companions, she was followed by a well-trained team.

These people were all array-based disciples she had brought from the inner sect; they were all female cultivators, each one of them displaying heroic bearing.

Among them were three female cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage. Their expressions were solemn, clearly indicating that they were the backbone of this team.

The remaining dozen or so Qi Refining disciples were all at the late stage of Qi Refining, their spiritual energy was condensed, and the hand seals they were forming were not revealed.

Wang Daqi glanced at it and was secretly surprised.

These are not ordinary mining apprentices.

Rather, they are elite troops skilled in coordinated battle formations.

While he might not be considered top-tier in one-on-one combat, if he were to form an array, even experts in the late Foundation Establishment stage would likely have to avoid his sharp edge.

"Set off!!!"

At Cheng Man's command, the group transformed into streaks of light and, guided by Wang Daqi, rushed toward the mine entrance, enduring the nauseating stench.