Cultivation, everyone has their secrets!

A slightly hunched figure had appeared there at some point.

He wore a gray robe, had white hair, and a withered face. He was leaning on a black wooden cane.

He walked into the hall step by step, tapping his cane on the black jade floor.

"Please calm down, Master."

The Sixth Elder stopped a short distance from Wang Lang and bowed slightly to Chu Yuan on the high seat:

"Elder Wang has managed the treasury for three hundred years, working diligently and keeping clear accounts. This time... perhaps the sect leader has misremembered."

He raised his head, his cloudy old eyes looking at Chu Yuan, his tone calm:

"Furthermore, the entry and exit of the storeroom has always been decided by the elders. As for the items mentioned by the leader... I and the elders have no recollection of them. The ledgers are here, each item clearly verifiable."

Chu Yuan leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest.

A thought flickered in his mind, and a golden glint quietly passed through his eyes.

[Target: Ancient Dust]

[Cultivation Level: Mid-stage Tribulation Transcending]

[Fate's trajectory: On the surface, it's pleading for Wang Lang, but in reality, it's using the elders' collective decision as leverage to pressure the cult leader and test his reaction. If the cult leader backs down, it confirms the treasury is safe and weakens the cult leader's authority...]

Mid-stage of Tribulation Transcending?

Another one hiding their cultivation level?

Chu Yuan clicked his tongue inwardly.

That old fox has been hiding his true colors well.

In the original owner's memories, the Sixth Elder was always at the early stage of the Tribulation Transcending Realm. He usually didn't show off and often dozed off during meetings.

I didn't expect him to be the sixth oldest.

Chu Yuan did not respond to Gu Chen's words.

His gaze shifted to Wang Lang, a half-smile playing on his lips:

Elder Wang.

Wang Lang quickly lowered his head:

"Your subordinate is here!"

"What do you think...?"

Chu Yuan's tone was light and casual:

"With the Sixth Elder backing you up, you think I wouldn't dare kill you?"

Wang Lang froze.

He looked up abruptly, a flicker of panic crossing his eyes:

"I had absolutely no such intention!"

Gu Chen frowned slightly and said in a deep voice:

"Master, these words..."

"Sixth Elder."

Chu Yuan interrupted him, still looking at Wang Lang, his tone calm:

"According to the sect's rules, what is the punishment for embezzling resources from the treasury?"

Gu Chen paused for a moment, then slowly said:

"According to the law... he should be executed."

"Oh. But the Sixth Elder pleaded on my behalf..."

Chu Yuan nodded, finally turning his gaze to Gu Chen, and smiled:

"The death penalty may be spared, but punishment is inevitable. Canceling his cultivation and expelling him from the Xuantian Sect—what does the Sixth Elder think?"

Wang Lang's pupils shrank sharply, and his face turned deathly pale.

Abandon cultivation?

Then all those centuries of cultivation he's spent have been for nothing!

Without his cultivation, the people he's offended over the years could tear him apart alive!

"Master! I'm innocent! I'm innocent!"

Wang Lang knelt down with a thud, his voice shrill and stern:

"The accounts are clear, and all items in the storeroom are recorded! The leader cannot fabricate accusations out of thin air..."

"Stain?"

Chu Yuan raised an eyebrow, leaned forward slightly, and his gaze turned cold:

"I say you were greedy, and that's it. Do you need proof?"

He paused, then said coldly:

"Or do you think my words are less effective than your few tattered account books?"

Wang Lang knelt on the ground, trembling all over.

He gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, and bloodshot eyes.

It’s over.

It's all over.

The cult leader is determined to get rid of him!

So what if the Six Elders are here?

The cult leader doesn't buy into that at all!

He abruptly looked up, the last vestiges of reason in his eyes completely overwhelmed by fear, and roared hoarsely:

"Chu Yuan! What are you pretending for!"

"You think I don't know?! You've long since gone mad and lost all your cultivation! You're nothing but a cripple now! What are you doing putting on airs like a sect leader with me!"

His face was contorted in a ferocious grimace as he pointed at Chu Yuan, spitting as he spoke.

"You killed those three Golden Core elders using the Immortal-Slaying Blade! And a pre-set Spirit-Imprisoning Array! You couldn't use a single drop of your own spiritual power! Otherwise, why would you have climbed those steps?! You could have flown up here!"

"You're nothing but a paper tiger! An empty shell! A useless person!"

The roar subsided.

The main hall was deathly silent.

Youyue's hand was already on the hilt of the curved sword, her eyes as cold as frost.

Li Tu, far away in the Ghostly Palace, widened his eyes.

That bastard really dares to say that!

The figure in the black robe beside him paused slightly, then shook his head helplessly.

A fleeting hint of surprise flashed in the depths of Gu Chen's eyes, quickly followed by a bitter smile.

I wish I hadn't come!

The next second—

"presumptuous!"

Gu Chen suddenly turned around and flicked his sleeve!

A surge of immense spiritual power erupted like a torrent, slamming into Wang Lang's chest!

"puff--!"

Before Wang Lang could even scream, he was sent flying like a broken sack, crashing heavily against a pillar in the palace before sliding to the ground.

He coughed up a mouthful of blood, a large dent appeared in his chest, his breath instantly weakened to the extreme, and his eyes were filled with disbelief and blankness.

Gu Chen withdrew his hand, his face grim, and bowed to Chu Yuan:

"Master, please forgive me! This scoundrel has spouted nonsense and slandered you, deserving of death! I acted rashly in a moment of anger; please punish me, Master!"

Chu Yuan sat on the high seat, quietly watching all of this.

This old guy is testing me!

"Sixth Elder."

Chu Yuan slowly stood up and walked slowly to Gu Chen:

"You're trying to clean house with this slap..."

He paused, his gaze falling on Gu Chen's face, a barely perceptible golden glint flashing in his eyes:

"Or... do I want to test it myself to see if I'm really a cripple?"

Gu Chen's body stiffened slightly.

He raised his head and met Chu Yuan's gaze.

Those eyes were deep and calm, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

But Gu Chen felt as if he had been completely seen through.

From cultivation to mind, he was completely naked.

impossible……

His secret method for concealing his cultivation level was recorded in an ancient fragment, which even a peak Tribulation Transcending cultivator might not be able to see through at a glance!

If Chu Yuan were truly a cripple, how could he possess such keen insight?

But if he weren't a cripple, it probably wouldn't work either.

Gu Chen had fought against Chu Yuan in the past.

Even with his early-stage Tribulation Transcending strength, the sect leader couldn't see through him.

unless......

The cult leader has made a breakthrough!

After transcending the tribulation... could one become an immortal?

Gu Chen's mind raced, but his expression grew even more respectful:

"You jest, Master. How could I dare to disrespect you? This madman's words have tarnished your reputation and he deserves to die. I am merely giving him a slight punishment on your behalf."

"oh."

Chu Yuan nodded, seemingly accepting this explanation.

He leaned back and tapped the armrest lightly with his fingers.

"The Sixth Elder felt that what Wang Lang had just said... that his true form had suffered a qi deviation and lost all his cultivation, and that he killed people using the Immortal-Slaying Blade and the Spirit-Imprisoning Array, was more believable..."

His gaze swept over Gu Chen, then over the dying Wang Lang on the ground, his tone tinged with amusement:

"Or is it more believable that I'm just too lazy to fly, prefer walking, and when it comes to killing, I just happen to like using a knife, and might as well set up a formation beforehand for fun?"

Gu Chen: "..."

How was he supposed to answer that?

The former?

That would be tantamount to admitting that you doubt the cult leader.

The latter?

That's ridiculous!

Who would believe that!

If I were to say these words myself, wouldn't that be equivalent to the elders saying them?

Before reporting to the Grand Elder, Gu Chen did not dare to speak directly.

Gu Chen was speechless for a moment, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Looks like he still won't admit it...

Chu Yuan smiled:

"Sixth Elder, you've been hiding your cultivation level for several hundred years, haven't you? Mid-stage Tribulation Transcending, not bad. What, are you planning to give me a surprise someday?"

Gu Chen trembled violently!

His concealment of his cultivation level...

Does the cult leader really know?!

How is that possible?!

He looked up abruptly, his eyes finally revealing a look of horror that he could no longer suppress.

Chu Yuan, however, acted as if he hadn't seen it and continued slowly:

"Don't worry, I have no interest in pursuing this. Everyone has their secrets when it comes to cultivation."