"It's utterly fabricated! If we're really talking about evidence, isn't the Azure Cloud Parallel Art evidence? Aren't the cultivation methods and martial techniques you just gave them evidence, Junior Grand-Uncle? Those are the ironclad proofs, set in stone—what does flipping through a few old registers amount to? Everyone knows those disciple rosters and sect records are incomplete and full of gaps. How can that possibly count as evidence?" Xin Yi'an fumed.

"Kill the donkey once the grinding's done—nothing hard to understand about that." Wei Zhao looked utterly indifferent. He had long anticipated this day would come and could muster no anger over it. His state of mind was much like being bitten by an ant: if it truly annoyed him, he would at most reach out and crush it, so why would he burn with rage over it?

Of course, judged purely by the current balance of power, there was no such gulf between them. But in terms of his true essence, creatures like Chen Dongcheng really were no more than ants in his eyes.

"Junior Grand-Uncle, he isn't just bluffing—he's about to bring men here any moment. You'd better think of something fast!" Seeing Wei Zhao like this only made Xin Yi'an more frantic.

"Let him come. I'm trapped here anyway and can't get out—what's there to think of?" Wei Zhao was taking it philosophically.

"..." Xin Yi'an had no words. He now had a strong feeling that he'd backed the wrong horse. True, the situation was genuinely hard to handle, but couldn't the man at least come up with some countermeasure? What kind of attitude was this, smashing the pot since it was already cracked?

Xin Yi'an stamped his feet in anxiety, but Wei Zhao maintained the air of a dead pig that fears no boiling water. There was no help for it—Xin Yi'an could only hurry away. By his reckoning, Chen Dongcheng would soon arrive with his men, and if they saw him tipping off Wei Zhao, the first to die would not be Wei Zhao but Xin Yi'an himself.

Before long, a crowd came surging up to the rear mountain cliff, led naturally by Chen Dongcheng. Behind him, apart from the assembled Golden Core elders, was another group of black-robed disciples in distinctive attire—the elite enforcers of the Law Enforcement Hall.

"Wei Zhao, after extensive verification by the investigation team, you are not the ancient grand-uncle of our North Island Cangwu Sect at all. Speak—what unspeakable purpose did you have in impersonating the grand-uncle and infiltrating our North Island Cangwu Sect?" Chen Dongcheng demanded aggressively.

As he spoke, he could not resist stealing a few extra glances at Qiu Lingshan and Ying Ziyu. He had waited a long time for this day.

Wei Zhao, on hearing this, regarded him unhurriedly and said mildly, "You just said it's unspeakable—so what is there for me to say?"

"So that means you admit you impersonated the grand-uncle?" Chen Dongcheng sneered.

"Heh, how have I admitted anything? Isn't this whole matter decided by a single word from you, Vice Sect Master Chen? You initiated the investigation, and every member who took part was your man. From beginning to end, you alone call the shots—so as long as you're happy, that's all that matters." Wei Zhao smiled a half-smile.

Chen Dongcheng was taken aback. Wei Zhao's reaction had greatly exceeded his expectations. Even Qiu Lingshan and the others at Wei Zhao's side showed not the slightest trace of worry—they simply watched the spectacle unfold at their leisure.

Watching the spectacle? Did these people think this was some kind of joke?

"As a charlatan, to remain composed after being exposed to your face—even if it's only surface composure—is rather admirable," Chen Dongcheng said with the smile of one who held victory in his grasp. Then, wasting no more words, he gave the order: "Enforcers, hear my command—seize this charlatan who impersonated our sect's grand-uncle. If he dares resist, kill without mercy!"

The moment the words fell, the enforcers instantly surrounded Wei Zhao and his companions on all sides, while the Golden Core elders who had come with Chen Dongcheng each guarded a position of their own. Thanks to the One Step to Heaven Formation, they had no fear of Wei Zhao escaping, but to avoid unnecessary casualties, they would also join forces to strike if need be.

A great battle was on the verge of erupting. Xin Yi'an, trailing behind, felt his heart leap into his throat. There was nothing he could do in this situation—let alone lend Wei Zhao a hand, he did not even dare step forward to utter a single word. He could only watch helplessly.

"Are you certain you want to arrest me?" Wei Zhao did not even glance at the crowd, fixing his gaze on Chen Dongcheng with perfect composure.

"Absolutely." Chen Dongcheng now looked at him as one looks at a dead man. This time, not only had the Law Enforcement Hall turned out in full force, but more than half the Golden Core upper echelon had been gathered as well. Unless Wei Zhao was a Nascent Soul old monster, there was no chance of him surviving.

"Very well, then let the purge of the sect begin." Wei Zhao nodded.

"Oh? So you've accepted your fate?" Chen Dongcheng was momentarily surprised. He had assumed Wei Zhao would put up some desperate struggle, never expecting him to resign himself so easily.

"Accepted my fate?" Wei Zhao could not help but laugh, then said with deep meaning, "That phrase doesn't quite suit me—because the one who needs purging is not me."

As he spoke, an invisible giant hand suddenly appeared above Chen Dongcheng's head. It gave him not the slightest chance to react; his entire primordial spirit was seized in an instant and then directly confined within the jade pendant's space.

The whole process took barely half a second. The crowd had not even registered what had happened before they saw Chen Dongcheng collapse to the ground, eyes vacant and motionless, as though his soul had been hooked away.

"Sect Master Chen! Sect Master Chen!" Several Golden Core elders on closer terms with him rushed over at once, but no matter how they called, it was futile. Chen Dongcheng's primordial spirit was gone; his body had become that of a vegetable.

At this, everyone was scared witless. The entire crowd, including all the Golden Core elders, hastily retreated a good distance, staring at Wei Zhao in shock and bewilderment. They did not know what method Wei Zhao had just used, but one thing was certain: Chen Dongcheng's condition was unquestionably Wei Zhao's doing.

Originally, in their minds, this ancient grand-uncle Wei Zhao carried no real weight—after all, on the surface he was merely a Foundation Establishment consummation expert, nothing more. Who could have imagined that such a Foundation Establishment consummation cultivator would so effortlessly dispose of Chen Dongcheng!

Though Chen Dongcheng's strength as vice sect master was far from outstanding, he was at least a mid-stage Golden Core expert. Within the entire sect, those truly capable of beating him could be counted on one hand. And apart from the Grand Elder Chen Jiu, even the strongest Golden Core consummation expert, Sect Master Hong Zijun, could never have disposed of Chen Dongcheng so effortlessly.

Wei Zhao's move overturned everyone's understanding entirely!

"Anyone else want to give it a try?" Wei Zhao smiled faintly and slowly swept his gaze across the crowd. Every person his eyes fell upon scrambled backward desperately, terrified that a careless misstep would leave them following in Chen Dongcheng's wake. (To be continued.)