"Is this the news you’ve been waiting for all along? Did you already guess it?" Pei Yan leaned back in his chair, gazing up at the beams of the ceiling, his eyes wandering as he contemplated and inquired.

"I guessed it. This matter could only have been done internally by the Immortal Palace, but I didn’t expect it to be Peach Blossom Spring." Lin Junzhao said and then turned to Mei Simiao, "Tell us about the detailed information you’ve gathered."

Mei Simiao nodded at these words and waved his hand at the cola Zhao Yuanhu handed over, smiling as he said, "This thing is too much for my age, I can’t get used to it. Is there any herbal tea? Iced red tea will do too."

Pei Yan got up, took a bottle of iced red tea from his spatial ring, unscrewed the lid, and handed it to Mei Simiao personally. Mei Simiao thanked him, took it, and downed more than half the bottle in gulps, then thumped the bottle on the table, exhaled, and said with emotion, "It’s too tragic."

Everyone exchanged looks, none interrupting, waiting for the rest of the story. After a while, Mei Simiao, regaining his strength, slowly said, "This time, the Immortal Palace—or rather, Spirit Lord Lin, Lin Ruxue—acted swiftly and decisively. From the information I’ve gathered, Lin Ruxue didn’t even use any sect strength from the Six Mansions of the Immortal Palace; instead, a hidden force took action. After the competition, they first sealed off the Luocheng Immortal Palace, captured, interrogated, and purged everything in a single day. Then, leveraging the momentum, they led several major sects through spatial teleportation to the Peach Blossom Spring sect location, giving no chance for defense, directly sealing the sect. Lin Ruxue personally came out to capture those who dared to resist, kill without mercy. In desperation, some from Peach Blossom Spring wanted to fight to the death, but it resulted in a bloodbath there."

Saying this, Mei Simiao shook the half-empty drink bottle, smiling bitterly, "Ah, as far as my past information goes, Peach Blossom Spring was known in the Daoist Realm for its indifference to worldly matters and disdain for fame and fortune. Its members favored elegance, were free-spirited and untethered, with the loosest and most free atmosphere among the Six Mansions. But such a tranquil paradise became Asura Hell overnight, most of its disciples unwittingly dragged into this great war, ending in death or capture! For the dead, as long as their souls remain, they’ll be detained and interrogated in the Immortal Palace. The living will undergo a series of checks; proving their innocence and surviving to the end is uncertain. Even if cleared, no other sects will dare to take in a remnant of a sect exterminated by the Lord of the Plane. Their future is doomed to be lonely spirits, no hope for the future. A sect is thus erased and vanished."

After Mei Simiao finished speaking, the room fell silent. Though none had witnessed this blood battle firsthand, the hints in Mei Simiao’s words made everyone feel its deadly aura. It truly was a world where the law of the jungle was enforced to the extreme. Previously, Pei Yan had mocked the other planes for being sluggish with internal traitor issues, but now it seemed once action was taken, they would rather execute a thousand wrongly than miss one. Compared to their ruthlessness, the investigation office seemed insignificant.

"Phew~." Pei Yan casually accepted the cola from Zhao Yuanhu, opened it, took a sip, and after a long burp, asked in a daze, "Director Mei, according to you, if Peach Blossom Spring was truly so detached from worldly matters, could they have been framed?"

"That’s one way to put it," Mei Simiao relaxed on the chair, shrugged at Pei Yan’s suggestion, and said helplessly, "Initially, others in the Immortal Palace also raised similar objections, but the evidence collected shows Peach Blossom Spring has issues or rather some of their members are linked with Xue Sha; it’s irrefutable, the evidence is substantial. As for being indifferent to worldly concerns, I can only say the less people seem concerned on the surface, the more they crave internally! Human desires are too complex; even a thousand-year-old cultivator cannot escape it."

After hearing Mei Simiao’s explanation, Pei Yan thoughtfully nodded and then asked, "Big sister, can you now talk about the connection between the thing used in the Xue Sha competition and this matter?"

Lin Junzhao, whom Pei Yan called big sister, chuckled and explained, "Alright, there’s no need to hide it anymore. The thing Nero used against Lin Daozi was simple: it was Candle Dragon’s Power of Origin! But this Power of Origin is slightly different from the Power of Origin within you. The Power of Origin within you has merged with your bodies. Although it will eventually enhance as your strength improves, it is currently limited by your own strength, unable to exert its full power. Meanwhile, the Power of Origin shot by Nero was extracted directly from Candle Dragon, pure and unmixed with any other origin forces. This power isn’t limited by Nero’s strength, and when used, it’s as if Candle Dragon himself punishes Lin Daozi. Does this explanation make it clear to you?"

"Understood!" Lin Junzhao’s detailed explanation clarified Pei Yan’s confusion, allowing him to grasp the key issue as he inquired, "But how is this related to Peach Blossom Spring?"

"Ah, this force is equivalent to Candle Dragon himself taking action; it’s not something Nero can easily control. For it to be successfully unleashed, it requires...," Lin Junzhao paused, and Pei Yan softly interjected, "Guidance?"

Lin Junzhao nodded with a smile, "Yes, guidance! Establishing a connection between this force and the target, Lin Daozi, requires guidance. This guidance requires knowing some very core information about Lin Daozi, like witchcraft releasing magic, needs to gather Lin Daozi’s source energy, Qi Blood, even his hair. The requirements for successful release are quite strict. Therefore, there were no rules set for this in the previous competition because it’s assumed no Master of Origin would stoop to personally scheming against a contestant, nor did anyone think someone could meet such conditions. But Candle Dragon achieved both, which is why Lin Ruxue is so furious."

Then Lin Ruxue turned to Mei Simiao and asked, "To do such a thing, it must be someone very close to Lin Daozi, are these people from Peach Blossom Spring?"

Mei Simiao chuckled and nodded, "You guessed right. The first captured by the Immortal Palace were Lin Daozi’s attendants, since the atmosphere within Peach Blossom Spring suits Lin Daozi’s temperament. His attendants and maids are mostly disciples of Peach Blossom Spring, and those at issue were among the most trusted by Lin Daozi. Although two committed suicide in guilt after learning of Lin Daozi’s defeat, their souls hadn’t yet dispersed and were caught by the searchers just in time."