I saved the entire sect by playing idly by letting things fall apart.

……

With Zhou Xingyun and the others out of contact, and Ye Qiao also missing, the sect leader of Changming Sect calmly issued orders, instructing everyone to go into seclusion. Before that, they could raise any questions they had.

Qin Fanfan has always given people the impression of being a nice person, which led many of her close associates to immediately bombard her with a barrage of questions.

Ye Qinghan stepped forward without hesitation and asked, "Sect Master, what consequences will our mission failure have?"

"What do the demon and monster races want?" The boy lowered his eyes, bowed respectfully, but his question was somewhat sharp. "And what can we do?"

For a moment, Qin Fanfan wanted to give up and push the blame onto the sect leader of the Sword Sect. He was never used to dealing with this kind of situation, and after suddenly becoming the number one sect, he had to handle many decisions, which he had absolutely no experience with.

Xie Chuxue glanced at them and noticed that after Ye Qinghan finished asking his question, everyone was intently waiting for their answer. After thinking for a moment, he said, "The failure has an impact, but not much, so there's no need to blame yourself too much."

"I think it's pretty clear what the demon and monster races want to do: they want to use some magical artifacts and loopholes in the rules to ascend to immortality."

Originally, they were supposed to keep to themselves, but if they wanted to ascend, it wasn't impossible for them to exploit loopholes; many cultivators throughout history have done just that.

But in fact, while others might not know, Xie Chuxue understood that the cultivation world could not withstand such turmoil. If they tried to exploit loopholes in the rules again, the entire cultivation world might disappear.

To draw their attention, Xie Chuxue exaggerated her words, saying, "It's not time for a major disaster yet, but if something unexpected really happens in the cultivation world, someone will have to take responsibility."

If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up; they will naturally hold it up. If they can't hold it up, then we can only look to those children. After Xie Chuxue finished speaking, she casually pointed to the name of a personal disciple, "Ye Qinghan."

Ye Qinghan was listening attentively to Xie Chuxue's words when he was suddenly called on, and he looked slightly bewildered.

Xie Chuxue patted him on the shoulder and smiled, "The cultivation world is counting on you, good luck!"

Whether Ye Qinghan liked it or not, the final choice was indeed this young man in front of her.

With the titles of sword genius and chosen one of destiny, Ye Qinghan bears far more than others.

As for Ye Qiao...

Xie Chuxue was really unsure. He couldn't even guess where the other person was right now; they were completely an unpredictable factor.

So far, the only one we can catch is Ye Qinghan, a young man with exceptional talent who has always lived up to the title of number one.

Disciples of the righteous path are naturally open, honest, and upright.

Caught off guard by the sudden appointment, Ye Qinghan's thoughts were in disarray. She nodded subconsciously, "Why me?"

Xie Chuxue's expression remained unchanged: "You're special, aren't you?"

He's the chosen one, how could he not be special? Anyone who knows a little about divination can see that Ye Qinghan is extraordinary.

Ye Qinghan was slightly bewildered for a moment. "What about Ye Qiao? She seems to be quite special as well?" Suddenly having the burden placed on his shoulders, even the self-proclaimed extraordinary Ye Qinghan felt somewhat uneasy.

Xie Chuxue smiled and said, "Her fate is uncertain. Heaven has never recognized her."

Chu Xingzhi, not understanding, couldn't help but say, "That senior brother is amazing!"

Song Hansheng's words were ambiguous. It was as if all the chips were being placed on one person. Xie Chuxue had placed all the burden on Ye Qinghan with just a few words. Xie Chuxue had also helped Ye Qiao relieve all the pressure.

Who exactly said that this senior uncle of the Changming Sect is an idiot? He's clearly protecting him like a jerk.

Qin Fanfan couldn't understand what Xie Chuxue was talking about either. After Xie Chuxue took over the conversation, he took the opportunity to name the four chief students: "Si Miaoyan, Song Hansheng, Ye Qinghan, and Qin Huai."

"The four of you will now go into seclusion. The rest of you disciples will return to your respective sects."

To stand out among a group of geniuses and become the chief disciple, they are absolutely outstanding.

After most of the training, all that's left is meditation to break through.

When Qin Fanfan gets serious, she can be quite a person. Her heavy aura silences them for a moment, and they lower their heads in agreement.

After dismissing his trusted followers, he issued another order: "Search the area near the aquatic creatures to see if you can find any trace of Ye Qiao."

"Let's go and see Zhou Xingyun and the others while we're at it."

These people are elusive; we mustn't let them cause us any more trouble.

Only those within the Five Sects knew about this commotion, but the large-scale descent of outer disciples from the mountain did indeed spark some discussion.

"Where are they going? What's going on this time?"

"I'm not sure, but judging from the looks of it, most of those who came out were disciples of the Changming Sect. Perhaps something has happened to the Changming Sect?"

The five sects are not usually so united. If they were to unite, it would usually mean something bad was about to happen in the cultivation world. Seeing that only the Changming Sect sent people down the mountain, they breathed a sigh of relief.

……

On the other side, Ye Qiao was taken to the Demon Clan's main camp along with Meng Liu. She couldn't help but sigh at how high the young master's treatment was, being taken straight to the inner camp.

The pressure of the Nascent Soul stage cultivator easily pressed her to the ground. Ye Qiao was too lazy to resist, so she simply hid behind and sat down on the ground. At this moment, the demons' attention was not on her, but focused entirely on judging Meng Liu's actions.

After the trial ended, it was Ye Qiao's turn.

The two couldn't help but exchange a glance.

Currently, there are two Nascent Soul stage cultivators present, and the rest are generally at the Nascent Soul stage, with several even at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage. Meng Liu is hinting to Ye Qiao whether or not to make a move.

Ye Qiao still wanted to wait a little longer.

There aren't enough people at the Nascent Soul stage.

Whether it will succeed is still uncertain.

According to the original plan, she was supposed to wait a few more days. She was preparing to set up a large spirit-gathering array, and it had to be an upgraded version. The arrays used during the Foundation Establishment stage were all basic arrays, which had no effect on the Nascent Soul stage.

With a continuous flow of spiritual energy, even breaking through from the Nascent Soul stage to the Deity stage is not difficult.

It's too late now. Ye Qiao could sense the heavy malice and scrutiny of these demons. There were two Nascent Soul stage cultivators in the arena, who seemed to be elders. "They've infiltrated here maliciously to incite our young master. It would be best to kill them."

To reiterate, the demon race has a clear hierarchy. No matter how outrageous Meng Liu's actions may be, they cannot defy him. However, it is not so certain for others who are unfortunately involved.

Someone kept scrutinizing her. "Early Nascent Soul stage..." While not common among demons, it was still far too ordinary. Whether she casually took drugs or killed a few people to seize their cultivation, she was only at the Nascent Soul stage. Without special abilities, she had absolutely no reason to exist.

Only those of value can remain in the demon realm, and a cultivator who is only at the early Nascent Soul stage and whose origins are unknown is highly suspicious.

"Just to be on the safe side, I think it's best to interrogate them."

Ye Qiao clicked her tongue twice. Sure enough, she couldn't have too much hope for her luck. Whether following Meng Liu in would lead her to a business partner or into a den of wolves was still unknown. She was already thinking about how likely she was to escape unscathed if she had to fight two Nascent Soul cultivators.

She didn't want to reveal her identity as a cultivator, because once exposed, it would mean having to flee.

The cooperation was naturally null and void, since Meng Liu had no idea he was a cultivator. Even if Meng Liu were unrestrained and wild, he probably wouldn't accept cooperating with a cultivator.

"There's no need for torture," someone waved their hand.

Ye Qiao wasn't too optimistic. Instead, she looked at the person with a gloomy expression. Sure enough, the other person smiled slightly and said, "That's too much of a waste of time. My suggestion is to search the soul."

The demons were much more efficient and clean than the cultivators. Ye Qiao calmly observed them, not particularly afraid.

Soul searching requires someone with a higher level of spiritual awareness to perform it. Anyone with a lower level of awareness will only suffer a backlash. She hadn't expected this group to choose such a radical approach.

When a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator was searching his soul, Ye Qiao almost burst out laughing.

Sure enough, the man's face turned deathly pale in a short while.

Perhaps out of defiance, she then sought out a demon to attempt a soul search on her, resulting in two demonic cultivators being attacked by divine sense and bleeding from all seven orifices.

Ye Qiao remained as if nothing had happened.

They could find someone at the Nascent Soul stage or higher, but it was clear that apart from elders, the Demon Clan didn't have any other Nascent Soul cultivators for the time being, unless it was a Nascent Soul cultivator who took action. However, there was a difference between Nascent Soul cultivators, so Ye Qiao wasn't really afraid.

Seeing several failures in a row, the demons, who had previously been nonchalant, became serious.

Ye Qiao dodged the attack, her Flying Immortal Sword already drawn.

Unfortunately, when the second attack came, she collided head-on with the demonic energy. After being neutralized by the talisman, the whistling demonic energy suddenly dispersed, as if it had been coldly slapped in the face. Ye Qiao seemed expressionless, but she almost vomited.

Demonic energy is truly disgusting; it has a corrosive effect, and for those who absorb spiritual energy, the body's instinctive rejection makes it extremely uncomfortable.

Ye Qiao kept a straight face, trying her best to keep her expression calm, as too much rejection might arouse suspicion about her identity.

"And talismans?"

This is getting weirder and weirder.

Demons have virtually no talismans available, and demon cultivators don't know how to draw them unless they buy them from other cultivators. Talismans are extremely rare among demons.

Ye Qiao also felt that she was not far from being exposed. She lowered her eyes and thought about the route she had taken, preparing to plan her escape.

Meng Liu's expression also froze slightly. He couldn't see Ye Qiao's face at all from behind, but he knew it must be very ugly.

Ye Qiao calmly tapped the Flying Immortal Sword at her waist, ready to take action if things went wrong.

Just then, the Unseen Lord slowly floated out from within the domain.

The atmosphere inside the hall was tense and the colors were dark. A black sword spirit floated silently into the air, almost unnoticed. Meng Liu couldn't help but twitch his nose when he smelled that strangely familiar scent.

Looking up, I saw the boy with his cheeks puffed out, looking furious.

"Calm down, calm down." Meng Liu's lips twitched. Seeing that the sword spirit was almost scared out of its wits, he reached out and grabbed Bujianjun.

Where are you going?

He lowered his voice extremely, but Jun still heard him. The other person even asked, "What's the point of you going out?"

Jun looked at him strangely and said, "I know these old men!!"

He truly knew them; they had existed for at least a thousand years. Each sword spirit had lived for at least a thousand years before finally developing sentience.

The fact that they were there during that time does not mean they had no impression of it.

Blade & Soul has a good memory.

As he said before, the Demon Realm is a place with a clear hierarchy, and the swords of successive Demon Lords have a certain degree of decision-making power.

Ye Qiao may not understand what the Demon Lord's sword means.

Generally speaking, the swords that have followed the Demon Lord throughout the ages serve as tokens of authority.

Some of the older demon elders even recognize swords. He remembers every elder, some of whom he even watched grow up. Although Jun Zong has only been in human form for three years, equivalent to a three-year-old baby, this does not affect his good memory.

"Do you know them?"

How did you meet?

Meng Liu couldn't understand it. For a moment, he even doubted Ye Qiao's identity, but the sword spirit's words completely stunned him.

"Yes, I know them. I watched them grow up," Jun said quietly.

"Who are you?" He was taken aback by Bujianjun's tone, which sounded like he was talking to a junior.

When the reply came, he said, "Your great-great-grandfather."

Meng Liu couldn't recognize it for a simple reason: a sword is a sword, and a stick is a stick. He did know about the Demon Lord's sword, and he could even feel a familiarity with its aura, instinctively drawn to it.

But who the hell would have thought that this sword would turn into a stick to disguise itself?

While Meng Liu was still confused, Bu Jianjun rushed out. He hated dealing with the demons and was even more afraid that these people would recognize him, but it seemed that if he didn't come out soon, his sword master would take action directly!

No.

He wasn't stupid; he knew what it meant for a cultivator to take action in the Demon Realm.

Since that's the case, I might as well let myself come out.

If you are certain that the demons here are familiar with him, or at least have heard of him, then things will be much easier.

The sword spirit materialized, and countless black threads spread out at that moment; the demon race's attack methods always had similarities.

The silk thread suddenly transformed into a small sword shadow, colliding with the elder's attack. In an instant, several streams of demonic energy were intercepted by the sword.

Ye Qiao was slightly taken aback, her hand clenching as she prepared to draw her sword. She hadn't expected Jun to rush forward. She thought he would use the Flying Immortal Sword, since it was more intimidating within the Demon Clan. If all else failed, she was prepared to fight Meng Liu directly within the Demon Clan.

But it seems things have really taken a turn for the better.

And the developments took an unexpected turn.

"No, no!"

The sword spirit's voice was clear, and his dark eyes gradually filled with darkness. The moment he made his move, all attacks stopped in front of him, motionless.

It was too strenuous for someone at the Nascent Soul stage to handle it, but it was demonic energy he was familiar with, and it was from the Demon Realm, which was like a fish in water for Bujianjun.

Ye Qiao loosened her grip on the Flying Immortal Sword slightly and tilted her head: "Steal the bamboo shoots?"

She was extremely surprised and exclaimed twice, "You're so accomplished?"

It can block attacks from Nascent Soul stage cultivators.

I almost fell to the ground when I didn't see you.

Sure enough, no matter how many times I hear it, I still feel sorry for the sword master's naming ability.

Jun puffed out his cheeks, ignoring Ye Qiao's words, and then expressionlessly cut off the demonic energy. A heavy killing intent spread throughout the hall. Even though he had been under Ye Qiao's wing for a long time, he had followed so many Demon Lords, and even after only three years, the bloody aura of the Path of Slaughter was still hard to conceal.

Cut off? Cut off?

Many people stood up, their composed expressions vanishing as they stared intently at the sword spirit.

"Who are you?"

The aura emanating from this black sword spirit was very familiar; it was a unique aura that not only Meng Liu could sense, but all demons could also feel.

While it makes people feel naturally close to it, one can also sense a chilling pressure.

As all attacks were shattered, Bujianjun's voice was light and cheerful, "Hmm. It's this late already. Still haven't guessed?"

"The Ninth Demon Lord, probably a former sword spirit?" The boy thought for a moment, then flashed a bright smile. "Among the demons, who do you think I am?"