The cultivators who had been thrown out and restrained were filled with fear rather than anger. Some of them kept shouting about their merits, how many Evil Spirit Race members they had killed, and how many comrades they had saved.
Some cultivators wanted to stand up and vouch for their comrades, claiming they were not traitors. However, they held back, remembering Yi Tianyun's words: if he were wrong, he would leave immediately.
With such harsh words, what more could they say? Especially since Yi Tianyun had just saved everyone, they owed him their lives.
In this situation, how could they dare to speak up?
"Would you prefer to perform the soul search, or should I?" Yi Tianyun asked, looking at Yue Ming and the others.
"Please, let the master do it..."
They looked at their comrades, feeling reluctant to perform a soul search, especially on a general. They almost wanted to shout that the general couldn't be a traitor! But under the pressure and Yi Tianyun's vow, they chose to stay silent.
As long as the resistance wasn't too strong, a soul search wouldn't be a big problem.
"Alright, since you want me to do it, I will."
Yi Tianyun walked straight to the traitors, waved his hand, and they were suspended in the air. He then performed a soul search from a distance, projecting their memories as images.
"After this, I will give you a reincarnation-level treasure and grant you freedom!"
"As long as you report all the details to me regularly, you will gain freedom, and treasures will be plentiful!"
"The Evil Spirit Divine Realm has sent a general, a God Monarch-level lord. Do you think you can escape? Surrender to us, and you'll gain more benefits. Understand?"
Images emerged from their minds one by one. Those who had wanted to refute Yi Tianyun now stayed silent, not daring to say another word.
A soul search doesn't lie. The images of their betrayal were clear, even for the general.
They believed there was no hope of resisting or escaping, so they chose to betray their comrades out of greed and fear.
The more they watched, the colder their hearts became, especially Yue Ming, who felt half frozen inside. If Yi Tianyun hadn't arrived in time, they would have been completely annihilated.
"It's laughable. You think surrendering to them will save you? Once they've used you, they'll make you slaves again and torture you! Freedom and benefits from the Evil Spirit Race? They're the most ruthless, would they be so generous?"
Yi Tianyun's scornful words made them see the futility of betrayal. Many cultivators naively believed the Evil Spirit Race would keep their promises, only to realize it was all lies.
Unless they swore an oath, their promises were meaningless. And would the Evil Spirit Race swear an oath? They never did.
Yi Tianyun had seen through everything long ago, but cultivators still fell for it repeatedly. Ultimately, it was despair that drove them to betray their comrades for survival.
"These traitors are yours to deal with. Handle them as you see fit." Yi Tianyun waved his hand, and they fell to the ground, the soul search complete.
As they slowly woke up, they saw their former comrades staring at them with cold, murderous eyes. Nearly everyone had such a look, ready to kill them on the spot.
"General Qi, I can't believe you betrayed us! We went through countless hardships together, and you..."
The other generals were red-eyed with anger, feeling it was all in vain. They had thought they would share weal and woe, only to be betrayed.
"Please, let me explain, I..."
But explanations were useless. No one would accept their excuses. The penalty for betrayal was death!
They were soon hacked to death by their former comrades, who still felt angry and saddened even after the killings.
They had regarded their comrades as partners in life and death, only to be sold out for money and freedom.
After venting their anger, they looked at Yi Tianyun with admiration. They didn't know how he identified the traitors, but none of them were wrong.
"Thank you, Master, for finding the traitors!"
One by one, they knelt again, feeling guilty for doubting Yi Tianyun.
"Don't worry about it. Everyone makes their own choices, and theirs was betrayal. I hope none of you will ever join the Evil Spirit Race!" Yi Tianyun said solemnly, "They are selfish and treacherous, never keeping their promises even to their own kind. How can they be trusted by outsiders?"
His words weren't baseless. The Evil Spirit Race was known for its selfishness, and anyone cooperating with them was a fool.
They all nodded. None of them would betray, and they were now loyal to Yue Ming and Yi Tianyun.
This incident made them wholeheartedly obedient to Yi Tianyun.
"While they are still unaware and haven't sent more reinforcements, let's launch a full-scale attack and root out the Evil Spirit Race from the Mortal Domain!" Yi Tianyun said sternly.
"Yes!"
They roared in unison, their morale soaring. With Yi Tianyun leading them, they felt invincible.
Seeing their high spirits, Yi Tianyun was very satisfied.
"Master, how did you discover the traitors?" Yue Ming asked curiously.
"Well, I just observed them," Yi Tianyun smiled.
"Observed them?" Yue Ming was puzzled. She couldn't tell at all, each one seemed well-disguised.
"Yes, I just observed," Yi Tianyun laughed. "Don't overthink it. Let's prepare for the battle to eradicate the Evil Spirit Race!"
"Okay!" Yue Ming didn't question further, trusting Yi Tianyun completely.
Yi Tianyun wasn't lying. He had observed them, and the Eye of Insight clearly showed their loyalty and favorability.
These traitors had no loyalty to him, even after he saved their lives. It was evident they were traitors.