After descending the mountain, my aloof fiancée became completely devoted to me.

As soon as Zhu Xiaohan finished speaking, Shen Aoxue frowned, her pretty face filled with anxiety. She immediately took half a step forward, raised her hand to support Lin Ping's arm, and could clearly feel his calm and steady breath through her fingertips, but the doubts in her heart grew stronger.

She knew the domineering nature of the Mother-Child Bond Poison, and she was even more aware of what losing half of one's cultivation meant for a top-level martial artist. Yet, Lin Ping before her was upright and imposing, showing no sign of weakness despite a significant drop in his power.

Chi Yao's eyes flashed sharply, her body tensing subtly in alertness. She said coldly, "The work of the Blood Shadow Pavilion?"

"Not only that." Lin Ping said calmly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "Blood Shadow Pavilion doesn't have such meticulous thoughts, nor does it understand the unique poison of Forgetful Valley. There must be someone behind it manipulating things, and Immortal Master Lingyun is the most crucial piece in this game."

Zhu Xiaohan nodded slightly, her expression solemn: "Master is of a proud and upright character, and would never collude with the demonic path to indiscriminately kill innocent people. He must have been deceived and plotted against. The most important thing right now is to find the Blood Spirit Mushroom hidden in the valley. Miss Aoxue's grandfather's old illness has relapsed and his meridians are exhausted. Only the Blood Spirit Mushroom can keep him alive. At the same time, this spiritual object can also quickly replenish your lost cultivation and break the other party's vicious scheme."

Lin Ping's gaze was deep and thoughtful.

Last night, he seemed to be going along with the flow, but in reality, he had already seen through all the traps. The so-called loss of half his cultivation was just a deliberate illusion to lure out all the lurking enemies. But the Blood Spirit Mushroom was indeed a necessity. First, he needed to save Shen Aoxue's grandfather, and second, he needed this spiritual object to completely stabilize his own realm and eliminate future troubles.

"Go find Master Lingyun," Lin Ping declared in a deep voice.

A moment later, the group entered the main courtyard of the Valley of Oblivion.

The pavilion was elegant and surrounded by clouds and mist. An old man in white sat in the stone pavilion. His white hair fell to his shoulders, his face was thin and refined, and he was surrounded by immortal aura. He was none other than Immortal Master Lingyun.

Before Lin Ping and the others could speak, Master Lingyun suddenly raised his eyes, his sharp, sword-like gaze instantly locking onto Lin Ping, and a cold rebuke suddenly rang out!

"Lin Ping! How dare you!"

The deafening shout, carrying a powerful inner force, stirred up a fierce wind, bending all the flowers and plants around the pavilion, and the oppressive aura instantly enveloped the entire courtyard.

Shen Aoxue and Chi Yao's expressions changed drastically, and they instinctively protected Liu Lian beside them.

Zhu Xiaohan quickly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Master, please calm down. There's more to this than meets the eye!"

"A hidden story?" Master Lingyun laughed angrily, abruptly flicking his sleeve, causing the tea on the stone table to shatter and spill. "I personally promised to marry you to him, to help him stabilize his cultivation, resolve the grudges of the martial world, and even paved the way for him! But what did he do? On our wedding night, he abandoned you, choosing to have an affair with another woman to cure his poison!"

"Do you know the rules of the Valley of Forgetfulness? An arranged marriage is a promise made by Heaven! His actions show that he disregards the dignity of the Valley of Forgetfulness and is taking advantage of your devoted love for him!"

The old man's gaze was piercing as he stared intently at Lin Ping. His words were forceful and filled with furious disappointment: "I heard you were a man of great loyalty and integrity, which is why I was willing to help you with all my might. I never expected you to be such a heartless and reckless scoundrel! You hold onto the marriage contract from my Valley of Forgetfulness while entangled with other women. Have you ever shown even a shred of respect? Have you ever cared about Xiao Han's true feelings?"

A barrage of rebukes rained down, each word like thunder, silencing the entire room.

Liu Lian clutched the hem of his clothes, his face turning pale with fright. He lowered his head in shame, knowing that he had caused a great disaster.

Zhu Xiaohan hurriedly pleaded again, her voice earnest: "Master! You've misunderstood Lin Ping! Last night, Liu Lian was poisoned by the 'Mother-Child Bonding Poison,' and he will undoubtedly die within twelve hours. There is no cure for this poison in the world; only the balance of Yin and Yang can save him. Lin Ping was forced into this situation; he had no intention of being disrespectful, and he never looked down on the Valley of Forgetfulness or my disciple!"

"Forced into a corner?" Master Lingyun glanced coldly at Zhu Xiaohan, his brows furrowed, filled with heartache. "Silly girl! If he truly respected and cherished you, he would have found a way out even in dire straits! In the end, he never valued this marriage contract, never considered you his only one! And you're still making excuses for him, utterly foolish!"

He knew his disciple was aloof and stubborn, but once she fell in love, she would be devoted to him. Now, seeing Zhu Xiaohan pleading so humbly, he felt both angry and heartbroken.

Immortal Master Lingyun suddenly raised his hand, and a flash of spiritual light appeared at his fingertips. A blood-red Ganoderma lucidum, brimming with spiritual energy, floated out, which was the treasure that everyone had been searching for.

But the next second, he suddenly swung his arm!

Snapped!

He slammed the blood-red lingzhi onto the stone table, where it rolled to the ground, covered in dust.

"I'd rather discard this Blood Spirit Mushroom and leave it in the mud of the valley than give him even a fraction of it!" Immortal Master Lingyun's gaze was icy as he looked at Lin Ping. "You indulged in your personal feelings, insulted my valley rules, and betrayed my disciple! Take your lovers and get out of Forgetful Valley! From this day forward, Forgetful Valley severs all ties with you!"

Lin Ping remained standing in place, his expression calm, without the slightest hint of anger.

He understood Master Lingyun's protective heart towards his disciple and was also aware of the other party's upright and unyielding nature. All his anger stemmed from his eagerness to protect his daughter and was by no means the work of evil.

He was about to speak, calmly explaining all the conspiracies and schemes of the previous night, and clearing up the misunderstanding.

Boom!

Suddenly, earth-shattering footsteps echoed outside the gates of the Valley of Oblivion!

A dense swarm of black-clad warriors poured in, each exuding a chilling aura, their eyes filled with bloodthirsty glints, and all wearing blood-red phantom tokens at their waists—these were the Blood Shadow Pavilion's assassins!

At the front of the crowd, dozens of martial arts masters stepped through the air, their imposing aura overwhelming, and the swirling winds completely blocked the entire courtyard, sealing off any escape route!

The leader, a man in black robes, wore a mask and exuded a terrifying aura. His cultivation was unfathomable. He was none other than the Blood Shadow Pavilion Master, who had been hiding behind the scenes and orchestrating the entire deadly scheme!

He stood suspended in mid-air, looking down at the crowd in the courtyard, his arrogant laughter echoing through the valley.

"Hahaha! Lin Ping! This is truly heaven's help!"

"I heard that you sacrificed half of your cultivation to cure the poison, and now your strength has greatly diminished. Furthermore, you have been expelled from your sect by Immortal Master Lingyun and cut off from all external support!"

"Today, Lingyun Mountain's Valley of Forgetfulness offers no hope of a turnaround; it is your final resting place!"

The group of grandmasters and powerful figures all circulated their inner energy, their fierce killing intent weaving into a net, locking onto Lin Ping's vital points, and their overwhelming pressure crushed the entire scene.

Shen Aoxue instantly shielded Liu Lian behind her, while Chi Yao drew her sword, its blade gleaming coldly, her expression extremely wary.

Zhu Xiaohan stood beside Lin Ping, her spiritual energy surging around her, ready to fight.

Master Lingyun frowned slightly, looking at the large group of experts who had suddenly surrounded him. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and he instantly realized that things were not simple.

Lin Ping remained standing in place, his posture as upright as a pine tree. Facing the overwhelming killing intent, his face showed no sign of panic.

He slowly raised his eyes, and from the depths of his dark eyes, the previously restrained sharpness suddenly burst forth, a chilling light that looked down upon the world sweeping across the entire scene.

Half of his cultivation?

Cutting off our own fighting strength?

Others might believe it, but do these sycophantic demons really think they've got you cornered now?

Lin Ping's lips slowly curled into a cold, arrogant smile. He spoke softly, his clear, cool voice resonating throughout the room: "A bunch of clowns hiding in the shadows, daring to try and snatch food from the tiger's mouth with a clumsy game of chess?"

"Since you went to such lengths to force me to show weakness and plot to kill me."

"Then today, I will seize the opportunity and slaughter all enemies in this Valley of Forgetfulness! Let the entire martial world see clearly who the true prey is!"

A tremendous fighting spirit erupted, and the long-dormant peak power was ready to be unleashed. An overwhelming and earth-shattering counterattack was about to begin!