Chapter 81

In the passage where Sha, the deputy sect master, and a few others were located, the few people in the passage were looking at the former deputy sect master, Sha Yi, with peculiar expressions.

This time, in the same passage as the deputy sect master, there were two high-ranking members of the Qingyun Sect. Among them, the one with the highest status was an elder, precisely the Jing Elder who had opened the secret realm with Ding Qi. The remaining one was a hall master, and there was also an ordinary disciple.

Including Sha Yi, there were four people in total.

At this moment, the deputy sect master was eagerly feeling the wall of a section of the passage.

"Elder Sha, what are you doing now?" the elder asked with a peculiar expression.

However, the deputy sect master ignored the question from the people beside him. He continued to feel the wall with an eager look.

Seeing that the deputy sect master had no intention of answering, the expressions of the few people in Sha Yi's group became quite peculiar as they exchanged glances. They couldn't understand what the deputy sect master was doing.

At this moment, Sha Yi paid no attention to the peculiar expressions on everyone's faces. Soon, after feeling the wall for a while, the deputy sect master's face showed a hint of joy, and he pressed a certain spot on the wall with force.

Following the deputy sect master's action, the entire wall emitted a rumbling sound.

The three people beside the deputy sect master, upon hearing the rumbling sound, all showed strange expressions on their faces.

"Mechanism"

These two words flashed through the minds of the three people simultaneously.

While this thought was turning in their minds, a hidden door opened from the wall.

Behind this wall, it was actually hollow.

Seeing the stone door that had opened and the room behind it, and connecting it to Sha Yi's previous actions, it seemed that the deputy sect master had known about this hidden door beforehand.

Seeing this, the two high-ranking members of the Qingyun Sect showed expressions of surprise. However, they then seemed to think of something, and their expressions turned rather unpleasant.

"Elder Sha, how did you know there was a hidden door here?" the hall master of the Qingyun Sect asked him.

He was quite familiar with the former deputy sect master and naturally knew that Sha Yi did not understand the art of mechanisms. Yet, he had accurately found a hidden door that ordinary people would never notice.

"Elder Sha, do you know something about this underground palace?" the Jing Elder asked the deputy sect master with a difficult expression.

Clearly not proficient in the art of mechanisms, Sha Yi could discover this hidden door. The only explanation was that the deputy sect master, unlike them who knew nothing about the underground palace, had known about it all along.

Realizing this, the Jing Elder's expression became increasingly difficult. Although he did not know what Sha Yi intended to do, since he had concealed his knowledge of the underground palace and secretly opened this hidden door, he must have had some ulterior motive.

This made the Jing Elder feel a chill.

Thinking to this point, the Jing Elder's expression changed several times. "Elder Sha, regarding your knowledge of the underground palace, I must report it to the sect. Before the sect makes a decision, I cannot allow you to continue what you are doing."

Saying this, the Jing Elder glanced at the door opened by the deputy sect master.

The hall master, after understanding the problem with Sha Yi, also stood beside the Jing Elder, clearly sharing the same thought.

Even the disciple looked at Sha Yi with caution, intending to report the deputy sect master's abnormal behavior to the sect.

Seeing the attitudes of these people, Sha Yi looked at the three people opposite him, remained silent for a while, and then sighed deeply.

...

"Jing Elder, do you remember twenty years ago, when you went to Xuanyang to carry out a mission and were ambushed by the Tianquan Sect, surrounded by three elders of the Tianquan Sect? Who risked his life to save you from there?" Sha Yi looked at the Jing Elder and said calmly.

Then, Sha Yi turned his gaze to the hall master and continued, "Hall Master Tian, thirteen years ago, you were severely injured and fell off a cliff. Do you still remember who, despite the opposition of the entire sect, went alone into the valley below the cliff and, without rest for three days and nights, saved you when you were on the brink of death?"

"And you, Jiang Run. When you were on a mission and your contributions were claimed by someone else, who helped you get justice and returned your credit to you?" the deputy sect master looked at the Qingyun Sect disciple with a cold expression.

By this point, the deputy sect master was clearly angry.

As Sha Yi recounted the past, the three people he mentioned gradually showed expressions of shame, looking as if they could not lift their heads, and fell silent.

After a long silence, the Jing Elder raised his head, his face showing shame, and finally said, "We indeed owe Elder Sha a great deal for what happened back then. However, now, Sect Master Zuo has governed the entire sect in an orderly manner, and the sect is thriving, more prosperous than it has been in decades. Now, the entire sect is united, and we cannot... watch as Elder Sha splits the sect again."

Hearing this, the sect master looked deeply at the Jing Elder, then smiled and shook his head, saying, "This time, I entered the underground palace just to retrieve something from this hidden door, which has nothing to do with the sect or Zuo Yang. No matter what you think now, as long as you can turn a blind eye to what I am doing and not interfere with me opening this hidden door and taking what I want, the favors you owe me from the past will be considered repaid."

Hearing that what Sha Yi was doing had nothing to do with Zuo Yang or the sect, the Jing Elder visibly relaxed.

After some thought, the Jing Elder sighed deeply, laughed bitterly, and finally said with a helpless expression, "Since what Elder Sha is doing now will not harm the sect, I can rest assured. However, Elder Sha must promise that after leaving the passage and reuniting with the others, you will inform the sect of what you know about the underground palace to help the sect leave safely. We can temporarily not stop what you are about to do."

"Alright." Hearing the Jing Elder's decision, the deputy sect master hesitated slightly but ultimately agreed.

Seeing that the Jing Elder, who was in charge, had made a decision, the other two, who still had expressions of shame, naturally had no objections.

Behind the hidden door opened by Sha Yi was a small compartment, not very large, only about ten feet long and wide enough for a few people to enter. The compartment was empty, with nothing inside.

Upon entering, seeing the empty room, Sha Yi's face did not show any disappointment.

The room was empty, but the only peculiar thing was a stone carving on the wall behind the hidden door, depicting flowers, birds, fish, and insects, vivid and intricate.

The deputy sect master looked at the stone carving and smiled.

Carefully examining the stone carving, Sha Yi's gaze lingered on a certain spot. The deputy sect master frowned, then, as if making a decision, suddenly bit his tongue, and no one knew what he was about to do.

Next, a mouthful of essence blood spurted from Sha Yi's mouth, splashing onto the stone carving, staining a section of the wall red.

Even though the Jing Elder and the other three had decided not to stop Sha Yi after entering the room, seeing him suddenly harm himself, they still showed expressions of surprise and looked at the deputy sect master with confusion.

After spitting out the essence blood, the deputy sect master stared at the wall, as if expecting something.

However, something incredible happened. The essence blood that Sha Yi had spurted onto the wall seemed to come alive, forming strange blood lines that twisted and crawled toward a certain spot on the stone carving. Eventually, the blood gathered at one place, which was precisely where Sha Yi had been staring from the beginning.

There, there was an inconspicuous insect carving.

After all of Sha Yi's essence blood gathered on the insect carving, it was quickly absorbed. Then, a faint, mysterious rune appeared on the insect carving, flashed briefly, and disappeared into the insect's body.

Subsequently, with a 'click,' the insect carving fell from the wall, landing on the ground and spinning a few times before stopping at the deputy sect master's feet.

This insect carving, about the size of a thumb, moved on its own. The rock surface of the insect immediately cracked, and soon a layer of rubble fell off, revealing a small, translucent insect inside. Then, a pair of wings extended from the insect and began to vibrate, circling Sha Yi twice.

This insect was not a stone carving at all but a living creature.

This thing, embedded in the stone carving for who knows how many years, was a living creature. Now, stimulated by the essence blood Sha Yi had just spurted, it had come to life again.

This small, thumb-sized insect had a translucent body but a fierce appearance. With just a slight flutter of its wings, a strange, hissing wind swept through the entire chamber.

Seeing the small, thumb-sized insect dancing around him, Sha Yi's face showed wild joy. "The things recorded in the notes left by my ancestors are indeed true."

"With this, I, Sha, will no longer be an ordinary person but a true cultivator." Saying this, he greedily looked at the translucent flying insect before him and laughed maniacally.

Seeing this, the Jing Elder and the other three showed expressions of bewilderment.

"Elder Sha, what is this strange insect? And what did you mean by 'cultivator'?" Hall Master Tian asked Sha Yi with a peculiar look.

"Dead people don't need to know these things." Sha Yi glanced coldly at the three and said slowly.

Saying this, Sha Yi pointed at the three, and the strange insect beside him, as if understanding his intention, flew toward them at a speed that seemed like teleportation.

Before the three could react, it pierced through their temples one after another.

This seemingly light insect instantly pierced through their heads.

The three bodies, still showing expressions of confusion, fell straight to the ground.

These three, who had been momentarily lenient and turned a blind eye to the deputy sect master's actions, ultimately cost themselves their lives.

"Hmph, truly the weakness of women," Sha Yi looked at the three bodies on the ground and said coldly.

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