Going through this again, how could she possibly fail at the same point?

Laughter spilled from Ling Luo’s eyes as she turned her head toward Rong Xian and the Grand Elder beside her. When she spoke, her words were filled with mocking laughter: “It. Was. Not. Me.”

She pronounced each word distinctly, and San Jian showed no reaction.

“Impossible!” Rong Xian’s face turned red with frustration. “Impossible! Jin Yuan was killed by you! I saw it!”

“Are you questioning San Jian?” Mu Heng Tian gave him a cold look. “Since San Jian did not react, it means Ling Luo didn’t lie. She didn’t kill the person.”

“Sect Master! Elder! I’m not lying, it was her!” Rong Xian hurriedly looked at the Grand Elder beside him.

Mu Heng Tian was looking at him, and so was Hall Master Fan.

All the people of East Island Tian Ji were looking at him.

Yun Shou Xi stood in front of Ling Luo, his expression calm, but his stance and attitude already obvious.

Becoming enemies with East Island Tian Ji would bring Xiao Yao Sect no benefits.

The Grand Elder gritted his teeth and said: “What about how she dared to attack my disciple in front of everyone just now?”

Mu Heng Tian said: “Disrespect toward elders, acting without permission, she must be punished.”

He glanced at Yun Shou Xi and said: “Take her to Black Water Cave to receive water punishment for fifteen days.”

The outcome of San Jian’s questioning was different, but the punishment was the same as before.

Only it had changed from thirty days to fifteen days.

The Sect Master truly disliked her.

Ling Luo laughed mockingly in her heart, allowing the Disciplinary Hall people to take her away.

Yun Shou Xi said: “San Jian’s questioning has produced results, and the Grand Elder’s concern has been resolved. If there’s nothing else, please return early, so as not to delay the disciples’ cultivation and the time to find the real culprit.”

He was unceremoniously asking them to leave the mountain.

Although the Grand Elder harbored resentment, he dared not express it in front of Yun Shou Xi.

With a dark face, he said solemnly: “We’ve imposed too much today. We’ll leave now. Farewell.”

Mu Heng Tian said some perfunctory words, then led people away.

Mu Ya followed at his side, her peripheral vision watching the direction Ling Luo was taken, slightly raising an eyebrow, her expression somewhat gloating.

“Little Ya,” her father suddenly asked as they walked side by side, “when she used Ying Xi’s spirit seed earlier, did you sense it?”

Mu Ya was startled by the question, suppressed her brow, and reluctantly replied: “No.”

“This person’s talent surpasses yours,” Mu Heng Tian said.

Mu Ya felt even more uncomfortable hearing this, coldly snorting.

Mu Heng Tian strolled with her in the night, saying softly: “When I previously heard the hall masters and disciples discussing her, I thought Guardian Xi was just teaching more diligently than with his previous two disciples. Today, I see that Ling Luo is indeed extraordinary. With her aptitude, in two more years, none below Elder rank will be her match.”

“Father, is it right for you to praise someone else in front of your daughter?” Mu Ya said with displeasure.

Mu Heng Tian smiled indulgently, “Father is only reminding you, either surpass her, or make her serve you. In the future, the entire East Island Tian Ji will be yours, and your peers or senior fellow disciples will then become your right and left arms.”

Mu Ya nodded slightly, saying proudly: “Don’t worry, Father, I won’t lose to a country girl like her.”

Mu Heng Tian nodded but glanced in the direction of Black Water Cave.

Song Yuan Yuan waited and waited outside the Disciplinary Hall until her own master came out without seeing Ling Luo.

Hall Master Fan asked him: “What are you doing here?”

“Master, where is Ling Luo?” Song Yuan Yuan asked cautiously.

Hall Master Fan handed him a cup of tea, smiling: “No need to wait. She’s gone to Black Water Cave to serve a fifteen-day punishment before she can come out.”

“What?” Song Yuan Yuan was shocked. “This, why? What mistake did she make to deserve water punishment?”

Hall Master Fan shook his head without answering, passing him to go forward: “Let’s go.”

Song Yuan Yuan caught up, mustering the courage to ask his master again, but still couldn’t get an answer.

Finally, he sent a jade listener transmission to Chang Fei who was at the Outer Court mountain, informing him of Ling Luo’s punishment.

At first, they didn’t know why, but later, they discovered that all the jade listener disciples were discussing this matter:

“I saw people from Xiao Yao Sect arrive. The Xiao Yao Sect Grand Elder’s granddaughter was murdered, and they came to our Tian Ji to find the killer!”

“There have been rumors about Xiao Yao Sect searching for a killer for a long time, but what does that have to do with us?”

“They say the killer infiltrated Tian Ji and is a Tian Ji disciple.”

“No way! Is Xiao Yao Sect taking the opportunity to cause trouble?”

“The Sect Master and Third Sect Master both went to the Disciplinary Hall in the evening. I even saw Hall Master Fan take Ling Luo in…”

“According to an informed source, a certain talented junior sister is the killer Xiao Yao Sect is looking for.”

“Now this junior sister has been confined to Black Water Cave for punishment.”

“Huh? Is she the killer?”

“If she’s not the killer, why would she be confined to Black Water Cave for punishment?”

“…”

The news that Ling Luo killed the Xiao Yao Sect Grand Elder’s granddaughter and was punished spread quietly among all Tian Ji’s disciples. Before the night was over, everyone knew.

Song Yuan Yuan was stunned and went to ask Hall Master Fan: “Master… was it Ling Luo?”

Hall Master Fan finally said: “I used San Jian, and she said no.”

“If she didn’t kill her, then why is she still being punished?” Song Yuan Yuan couldn’t understand.

Hall Master Fan smiled with narrowed eyes, holding his teacup: “Disrespect toward elders, acting without permission.”

“Besides, it was the Sect Master who ordered the punishment.”

Not me.

When Ling Luo was sent into Black Water Cave, she had removed her white and gold embroidered sect robes, and Ying Xi had also been confiscated.

Stars twinkled in the sky, with the moon barely visible.

Black Water Cave was behind the valley in Saha Realm. When the wind blew, one could hear that strange whimpering sound and the surrounding tree branches rustled accordingly.

A sacred spirit bird stood at the top of the tree crown, elegantly grooming its feathers.

Ling Luo glanced at it as she entered, amusement flashing in her eyes.

Inside the cave was pitch black. Only as one went deeper could faint starlight be seen. At the deepest part of the cave was a large cold pond. A small circle of the cave ceiling had been broken, allowing sunlight, moonlight, and starlight to fall onto the center of the cold pond.

The water’s surface was covered with exquisite sleeping lotuses.

Ling Luo was escorted into the cold pond. The water was deep and bone-chillingly cold, making her lower legs tremble. Having been wounded by the binding spirit whip earlier, she was already suffering from the cold injury, and now entering this cold pond was like adding frost to snow.

She bit her lip, not making a sound.

After entering the water, her hands and feet were wrapped and locked by iron chains in the water.

“When the fifteen days of punishment are complete, this divine lock will open by itself.”

That was the last thing the Disciplinary Hall people said as they left.

Ling Luo raised her hand, looking at the slender white chain on her wrist. It had a flow of water moving along it, soft yet resilient—nothing in the world could break it.

She then lowered her head to look at the water’s surface.

The lotus leaves around her were emerald green, the water clear and bright. In a moment, this divine lock would pull her down to the bottom mud, into boundless darkness. At that time, she would see nothing, only feeling the mud and water slowly flowing through her body, unable to make a sound, entering drowning suffocation, repeatedly experiencing the edge between life and death.

This was bad enough, but in the darkness, she would smell the stench of mud, feeling it merge with her bones and blood, disrupting meridians with cold suffering and convulsive pain.

Making her feel as if her body was being completely crushed, becoming a putrid, rotten mud that she could not prevent.

This was one of the four cruel punishments of the Disciplinary Hall—water punishment.

Ling Luo sighed softly, sinking a little more into the water, only her head exposed, her long hair spreading gently in the water.

What was the use of her changing?

Others wouldn’t.

She had used the forbidden technique of symbiotic spirit to transfer San Jian’s perception, escaping its interrogation, yet still couldn’t avoid the water punishment.

Even though Mu Heng Tian knew she wasn’t the killer, he was unwilling to show her mercy.

After her rebirth, she had considered today’s interrogation and began cultivating the art of symbiotic spirit.

Symbiotic spirit could control another living being’s five senses, allowing them to be shared or exchanged.

What she needed to do during San Jian’s questioning was to replace herself with something she controlled through symbiotic spirit for San Jian to judge, at a speed faster than San Jian itself.

When she answered that it wasn’t her, San Jian restrained the sacred spirit bird controlled by a symbiotic spirit. The sacred spirit bird indeed hadn’t killed Jin Yuan, so naturally nothing happened.

This approach was extremely bold.

Because it had to be used under the watchful eyes of Yun Shou Xi and Mu Heng Tian, who were among the most powerful figures in the current cultivation world.

Not to mention that Yun Shou Xi was completely focused on her at that time.

But Ling Luo still succeeded.

Her mastery of the symbiotic spirit art had already surpassed Yun Shou Xi’s.

She just couldn’t practice within the Qing Shi Quarter.

Because the barrier of the Qing Shi Quarter prevented any sacred spirit bird from entering.

Yun Shou Xi seemed quite averse to these birds.

So she secretly left Qing Shi Quarter to practice, while also avoiding Yun Shou Xi’s detection, all for today, so that when Hall Master Fan used San Jian to question her again, she could perfectly avoid San Jian’s ability.

After all, with her current body and power, she didn’t want to undergo water punishment again.

Yet Mu Heng Tian wouldn’t let her go.

The binding spirit whip wound on her back pulled, causing her to suck in a cold breath of air, while at the same time, the divine lock erupted, swiftly pulling her into the water.

Ling Luo sank downward, submerging into that endless dark mud.

Her nostrils were filled with water and mud, all her internal organs convulsing, the cold energy rampaging through every part of her body, hurting so much that she couldn’t help but open her mouth, yet unable to make the slightest sound.

Despite this, her right hand formed a spirit seal.

The sacred spirit bird at the top of the tree crown outside Black Water Cave finished grooming its feathers and flew away.

It flew past the inner court to the outer court, then down the mountain, seeing the vast sea and the long dragon of lights in the city. After such a journey, it came to an inn.

The speed at which Xiao Yao Sect’s people left Tian Ji was remarkably fast.

The Grand Elder feared that if he stayed a moment longer, he wouldn’t be able to resist rushing in to kill Ling Luo.

Rong Xian followed behind the Elder up the stairs, still muttering: “It really was her, I didn’t lie! That day, I returned with Jin Yuan, I saw it with my own eyes!”

“If you returned together, why did she only kill Jin Yuan and not attack you?” the Grand Elder asked gravely.

Rong Xian shrank his neck, “It was raining at the time, I went to get an umbrella for Jin Yuan, and when I came back, I saw…”

The Grand Elder’s face was cold as he slammed the door shut, entering the room.

Left outside, Rong Xian’s face crumpled. A senior brother beside him patted his shoulder, saying: “Go get some sleep. This matter is settled, don’t think too much about it.”

Rong Xian said resentfully: “So it’s just let go because she’s San Xi Zhen Jun’s disciple? A life for a life! Oh, right, there’s also her sister. Ling Luo cares so much about Yu Zhi. If we said we found Yu Zhi’s corpse, she definitely wouldn’t dare lie for Yu Zhi’s sake!”

“Enough, Rong Xian, where would we find a corpse?” The senior brothers grew impatient, pushing him aside as they left.

Rong Xian’s face was full of unwillingness as he pushed open the door and entered the room, only to find the window open, with cold night wind gusting in.

He walked over to close the window when suddenly a blue light flashed rapidly, rushing toward him, startling him into falling backward.

“Ouch—” Rong Xian felt a bite on his neck, a sharp pain. He reached up to touch it but found no blood.

“What was that?”

He muttered, looking up to see a blue sacred spirit bird standing on the window ledge, tilting its head at him.

Seeing it was a sacred spirit bird from Tian Ji, Rong Xian became furious and immediately stood up, waving at it: “Get out, get out, get out! Just seeing you irritates me! Get out!”

He drove away the sacred spirit bird, slamming the window shut.

As Rong Xian turned, a black curse mark flashed briefly on his neck.

The sacred spirit bird flew into the air, gave a mournful cry, and fell to the ground, dying as it coughed blood.

Ling Luo’s connection with it was broken, she lay immersed in the dark mud, her body being crushed, yet smiled inappropriately.