Chapter 128: The Catastrophe That Destroyed the Sect (Part Four)

"Master, I..." Jiang Ping's face paled abruptly under Yun Shuilin's questioning. Having been in the sect for over a decade, she knew that Yun Shuilin had always treated her with genuine kindness. Even with her own malicious and duplicitous nature, she could not help but feel a sudden, suffocating sense of discomfort when faced with the mentor who had doted on her for so many years. For a moment, she was left speechless.

"Heh! What a heartless, ungrateful wretch! Peak Master Lei, your judgment was right all along. Eleven years ago, you suspected her background was obscure and her behavior strange, and you wanted to purge her. How laughable it is that I risked my life to protect her and turned against you instead. I never imagined that this girl would be the one to bring a catastrophe of annihilation upon our sect. I am the one who truly deserves to die; I was not only blind in my eyes but blind in my heart! Hahahaha!" Yun Shuilin stared at her intensely, enunciating every word. By the end, she burst into loud, hollow laughter, her voice filled with profound sorrow and self-mockery.

"Heh heh, my dear fairy, I believe you are blaming the wrong person. The one who truly brought this ruin upon your sect should be my Ninth Sister, not this Lady Jiang." Ji Shengrui chuckled at the sight, actually stepping in to rescue Jiang Ping from her awkward predicament.

"You call Ji Mo 'Ninth Sister' with every breath, yet your actions are crueler than those of her sworn enemies. With a heart as malicious as yours, it is no wonder you find favor in my ungrateful disciple. You two are truly a perfect match!" Yun Shuilin shifted her gaze to Ji Shengrui, retorting with a cold sneer.

At this moment, she was consumed by a fury that bordered on madness. Knowing that today's disaster was inevitable, she no longer cared about Ji Shengrui's origins, status, or his terrifying power. Speaking without restraint, every word she uttered was sharp as a blade.

"Uncle Chimu, Uncle Heiyan, these people talk too much. Do it. Let us finish this quickly so we can head home." Ji Shengrui’s face darkened. Born into nobility and gifted with extraordinary talent, when had anyone ever dared to berate and accuse him to his face? A surge of intense murderous intent welled up in his heart!

"Heh, kill us then! Even if the Moon-Gazing Sect is wiped out today, I do not believe someone like you will meet a good end. If someone as vicious as you can ascend to the supreme Dao, then heaven is truly blind!" Yun Shuilin remained fearless, hurling insults. Beside her, Ji Mo almost couldn't help but clap.

She realized that apart from her master, Lei Wei, she knew little of the temperaments of the other peak masters. Seeing Yun Shuilin’s performance at this life-or-death juncture, she couldn't help but admire her. As soon as Yun Shuilin finished speaking, the other peak masters, along with the Supreme Elder of the Spirit Sword Peak, stepped forward in unison, standing in a row beside her and glaring coldly at Ji Shengrui.

None of them said a word, but the expressions on their faces clearly conveyed a single message: if we live, we live together; if we die, we die together. Even if the Moon-Gazing Sect were to be utterly destroyed, there was not a single coward among them.

"Heh heh, what a display of loyalty, what firm bonds of brotherhood. I don't quite believe it. Listen well, all disciples of the Moon-Gazing Sect: whoever among you can personally harvest the life of a fellow disciple, I will spare your life." Ji Shengrui gave a sinister laugh, his voice booming across every corner of the sect as his gaze swept over the various peaks.

Lei Wei, the five peak masters, and Leng Fengyang finally turned pale. Ji Shengrui’s words were truly soul-crushing. With over ten thousand disciples in the inner and outer sects—nearly half of whom had already been slaughtered by the Scorpion Daoist while possessing Jiang Ping—there were still thousands left. These people were already terrified by the sudden turn of events, and now, being incited by Ji Shengrui...

"Ji Shengrui, you devil! If I do not die today, I will surely exterminate your entire Ji clan in the future!" Ji Mo roared in fury, no longer able to contain herself.

"Ninth Sister, weren't you very confident in your sect? Why are you so easily provoked to anger by a single sentence? If they cannot withstand such a simple lure and incitement, how can you expect them to be loyal to your sect?" Ji Shengrui remained unfazed, his thick eyebrows arched in a mocking expression.

Ji Mo felt her breath hitch, finding herself once again without a retort. In these few moments, screams of slaughter were already rising from various peaks. The darkest flaws of human nature were being laid bare. No matter how strictly the Moon-Gazing Sect had selected its disciples, it could not guarantee that all ten thousand of them would face an insurmountable enemy without fear of death.

Ji Mo closed her eyes slightly, consulting with the White Jade Flood Dragon Whip to see if there was any way, at any cost, to slay Ji Shengrui. But before they could reach a conclusion, Ji Shengrui’s voice rang out again: "Ninth Sister, if you agree to one thing, I might consider sparing your sect."

"What is it? Tell me," Ji Mo said, suppressing her murderous intent and looking up. Though she had the heart to command the dragon soul to kill Ji Shengrui at any cost, she had no confidence in the success rate. Someone like Ji Shengrui surely possessed protective treasures, not to mention the two unfathomable elders at his side. If there was any other way to preserve the sect, Ji Mo was willing to try.

"Heh heh, my request is simple. Just tell me the secret of Blue Moon Lake. If that secret is valuable enough to us, I might consider letting your sect go," Ji Shengrui said with a chuckle.

At these words, Leng Fengyang’s cold, stern face flickered slightly. Fortunately, Ji Shengrui and his entourage were focused entirely on Ji Mo, and no one noticed his reaction.

"I am afraid I must disappoint you, Crown Prince Ji. Although I fell into Blue Moon Lake, when I regained consciousness, I was already in a desolate wasteland. I wandered that wasteland for many years, which was also when I happened to meet you. As for the secret of Blue Moon Lake, I truly do not know it. If you don't believe me, feel free to dive into the lake and find out for yourself," Ji Mo said calmly. Upon hearing her words, Leng Fengyang let out a subtle, relieved sigh.

"Ninth Sister, it seems the Moon-Gazing Sect does not hold as much weight in your heart as I thought. Then again, compared to a heaven-sent opportunity, what is a mere sect that raised you?" Ji Shengrui’s brows lifted, and a faint smile played on his lips, as if he were not at all surprised by her choice.

Ji Mo remained as calm as water, though a trace of guilt inevitably flickered in her heart. She looked toward Lei Wei and the others, only to see their eyes filled with relief and approval. It was clear that they knew something of the secret of Blue Moon Lake themselves, and in their hearts, they believed the secret was far more important than the survival of the sect.