Shui Huanmeng was still pleased with how much her disciple's cultivation had improved while inside the cave realm, thinking it wouldn't be long before they broke through to the eighth layer.
She never expected to hear such explosive news: demonic cultivators had infiltrated the participating sects. This was no trivial matter.
"You have proof?" she asked, her expression turning solemn as she repeatedly confirmed with Chen Jinshu.
"I have both a witness and solid evidence!" Chen Jinshu declared, handing her spiritual beast pouch to her master.
After inspecting the pouch, Shui Huanmeng's face paled slightly. Her lips moved soundlessly, as if she were transmitting a message.
Not far away, the sect leader was in negotiations with several elder representatives from other sects regarding the casualties among their disciples during the cave realm trial. In past years, some losses were expected and accounted for in the agreement. Though the number was slightly higher this time, the other sects couldn't really argue.
But the moment the sect leader received Shui Huanmeng's transmission, his face changed drastically. He immediately rushed to stop the sect elders and disciples who were about to depart.
"Brother Feng, please wait!"
"Fellow Daoist Qingyuan, stay a moment!"
…
He halted all the sects involved in the cave realm operation.
"Is there something else, Sect Leader?" The Feng family elder frowned, clearly displeased.
The sect leader didn't respond directly but instead gave a command to the Golden Core elder guarding the formation: block all exits, allow no one to leave. This was to prevent not only the sect representatives from departing but also to ensure any demonic disciples couldn't escape.
The elders from the Feng family and the other sects all looked at the sect leader of the Xuanming Sect with confusion.
Whoosh whoosh!
Within mere seconds, three elders with powerful Nascent Soul auras appeared, their expressions grim. The visiting elders immediately grew tense, their guard going up.
"Does the Xuanming Sect intend to wage war against us?" one Feng family cultivator growled, face reddening in anger.
Wasn't this basically slapping their sects in the face?
They had shown deference and even sent Golden Core elders as a courtesy, and now they were being humiliated.
"There's no need for alarm, fellow Daoists," the sect leader said calmly. "The Xuanming Sect has no intention of starting a conflict. However, one of our disciples uncovered crucial information within the cave realm that we cannot afford to ignore."
The other sect elders, initially angry, now shifted to confusion at his words.
"What could the Feng family possibly have done to warrant this?" the Feng elder asked, frowning deeply.
"It's not just about your sect," the Xuanming Sect leader replied. "Allow me to summon a few disciples."
He called out a series of names: "Chen Jinshu! Du Yi! Jiang Daoyu! Feng Lingchuan…"
Hearing so many names didn't surprise Chen Jinshu. The cave realm was vast, and the corrupted disciples she encountered were just a fraction of the whole. Before leaving, she had already retrieved the wooden box containing twelve miniature statues of Hell Ghosts from her spiritual herb space. Now, she held it tightly in her hand.
One by one, the named disciples—all Foundation Establishment level or lower—stepped forward. They were all fresh from the cave realm. The elders from the visiting sects quickly turned to question their own disciples about what had happened, and the answers made their hearts sink.
It seemed they might now owe reparations to the Xuanming Sect.
Per the agreement between sects, if any disciple's behavior threatened a sect's reputation or created a major incident, compensation to the Xuanming Sect was required.
"No need for lengthy explanations," the sect leader said. "You'll all understand soon enough."
He opened Chen Jinshu's spiritual beast bag. Instantly, nine disciples were tossed to the center of the gathering. Pale-faced and bound in ropes that sealed their spiritual power, they clearly came from several different sects.
"It's that brat!" cried a Feng elder when he recognized a corrupted disciple wearing their sect robes. He shook his head in disbelief.
"Surely you all recognize your own disciples," the sect leader said.
The spiritual beast bag shattered the moment all the disciples were released. It was never meant to contain so many people—spirit beasts, maybe, but not cultivators—and overloading it had damaged it.
"No need to say more," said the Feng elder. "It is our shame we failed to notice this corruption. This Feng family disciple shall be left to your sect's judgment."
"The same goes for us," echoed the elder from the Chi Yan Sect.
…
The sect leader nodded, satisfied. He then raised his hand and pulled a white jade mirror from his storage ring.
"This is the Mirror of Demon-Revealing. It can detect demonic qi on anyone. I propose that every disciple who entered the cave realm pass through this mirror. Do any of you object?"
The elders, having seen the evidence, no longer showed any signs of protest and silently agreed.
"All disciples, form a line and pass through the mirror," the sect leader announced loudly.
He then instructed the surrounding Golden Core elders to bring back any disciples trying to sneak away. But before they could act, several disciples suddenly leapt into the air, attempting to flee. They knew staying meant death—better to try escaping and cling to the faintest hope.
But they didn't get far. The Nascent Soul cultivators around them weren't there for show. With a single gesture, the sect leader captured them all and flung them to the ground before him.
"My apologies," he said grimly. "It seems even our sect has harbored many demonic disciples. Judging from their tattoos, I fear that organization has resurfaced again!"
He glanced toward the other sect elders, seeking confirmation. The elders frowned and examined the necks and other concealed areas of the corrupted disciples, noting the spiderweb-shaped tattoo—and finally nodded.
"Once we return, we will conduct thorough investigations of our own," the Feng elder stated. "If anything comes to light, we will notify your sect immediately."
With a wave of his hand, he immobilized over a dozen of his own disciples and sent them toward the Mirror of Demon-Revealing. The sect leader activated the mirror. Of the group, one was found tainted with demonic qi and was immediately restrained.
The Feng elder's face darkened as he silently led the rest of his disciples away. One might have been forgivable, but two? And others may have already been slain in the cave realm…
One by one, disciples from other sects stepped forward. Four more corrupted were caught. Even among the Xuanming Sect's own disciples, three were found, each from a different peak.
The respective peak leaders looked visibly unsettled, already planning thorough internal investigations.
Chen Jinshu handed the box containing the twelve Hell Ghost statues to the sect leader before heading back toward her master. Before she left, the sect leader promised to compensate her with a larger spirit beast bag, so that her spirit bird wouldn't be left without a home.
She'd heard rumors the sect leader had one containing a miniature forest—not quite like a spiritual herb realm, but ideal for spirit beasts.
It was a spacious bag, perfect for hosting multiple beasts.