“Impossible!” Shan Qing Luo was the first to express her disbelief and frowned, “Where did Senior get this news?”
Bing Yun sighed, “This Queen also thinks there is something strange about this situation, but this news was passed on by Iron Blood Great Emperor himself, and it happened just yesterday.”
Blood was drained from the faces of Su Yan and the others while Ji Yao, who was picking up the broken cup fragments, retracted her hand slightly and accidentally slipped a fingertip over a sharp piece of porcelain, causing blood to ooze out of the cut.
With a Second-Order Emperor Realm cultivation, getting cut by a piece of ordinary porcelain showed just how chaotic her mood was right now.
Slowly getting up, Ji Yao questioned, “Honoured Master, has the matter been confirmed?”
Bing Yun glanced at her and sighed, “This Queen has asked Li Jiao, and Li Jiao has confirmed the authenticity of the news. It seems to be true.”
“I don’t believe it!” Shan Qing Luo shouted, positively fuming, “That old fart Li Jiao must be making irresponsible remarks, I’m going to see him this instant!”
She stood up to leave, but Su Yan grabbed her arm.
“Big Sister!” Shan Qing Luo turned to look at Su Yan.
Su Yan slowly shook her head though and sent her a Divine Sense message, “Did you forget what we were told?”
Shan Qing Luo was startled for a moment but quickly recalled what Yang Kai had said a while ago to them. He told them he was going to the Demon Realm, and he would do so through an unconventional method.
[Was this what he meant?]
What could be a better method to go to the Demon Realm other than this? Becoming demonified and falling to the Demon path was indeed an excellent way to get the Demon Race to accept him.
Shan Qing Luo fell deep into thought after hearing Su Yan’s reminder.
Ji Yao, who was watching from the side, suddenly seemed to have realized something as well.
[No matter what you hear or see, don’t believe it.] Something Yang Kai said to her a few months ago surfaced in her mind and Ji Yao turned to look outside, [Were you referring to the current situation?]
There was a depressing silence in the hall that was only broken by Bing Yun sigh, “Yang Kai is currently missing, and Senior Iron Blood has given the order that everyone from High Heaven Palace is to immediately return to the Northern Territory. The Sect’s gates are to be closed and anyone who defies his orders and leaves the palace without permission will be killed without mercy!”
Shan Qing Luo retorted angrily, “We all have to return to High Heaven Palace? He means to put us under house arrest! How can he do such a thing?”
Bing Yun shook her head though and explained, “Calm yourself. What Senior Iron Blood is doing is not to harm High Heaven Palace, but rather a kind of protection in disguise. It seems that Senior Iron Blood is sending you back to the Sect in consideration for Yang Kai’s contributions before."
Shan Qing Luo sneered, “Should I thank him for it then?”
Whether or not Yang Kai was demonified, his reputation had been completely ruined and it was all because of the battle with Iron Blood Great Emperor, so Shan Qing Luo naturally would have a bias against Zhan Wu Hen.
Su Yan, however, chastised, “Luo’er, watch your words. Honoured Master is right. Senior Iron Blood did indeed do this as a means of protecting High Heaven Palace’s disciples.”
If something like this happened to Yang Kai, any High Heaven Palace disciple still roaming around outside would be suspected and might even be targeted. By then, skirmishes could escalate into a major conflict. If any internal strife occurred, it would only add to the debacle High Heaven Palace was already in. Forcing them all to return to High Heaven Palace and closing the gates was the best strategy at the moment.
Since Su Yan had spoken, Shan Qing Luo did not dare to say more even though she was still angry, but her expression remained irritable.
Bing Yun spoke, “I will inquire more regarding Yang Kai’s situation. Even if he really experienced some kind of cultivation dissonance, there must be a root cause and he may even have the opportunity to set things right. You know how capable he is, so don’t worry too much. For now, gather your High Heaven Palace disciples and prepare to return.”
“Yes!” Su Yan responded and led Xue Yue and Shan Qing Luo out.
“Yao’er…” Bing Yun called.
“Disciple is here,” Ji Yao responded.
“Go to Tiger Roar City and inquire directly from Li Jiao about what happened yesterday.” Bing Yun ordered.
“Yes, I will leave immediately,” Ji Yao planned to go to Tiger Roar City to clarify the situation anyway, so now that she had Bing Yun’s command, she would not delay a moment longer and hurriedly headed over via Space Array.