The enhanced silencing talisman had its range and power amplified to the limit.
And its final effect was—
"BOOM!!!"
"BOOM!!!"
"BOOM!!!"
Several explosions erupted across the city. Within the suppressed, soundless field, they were shockingly clear.
But everyone in the square had just been stunned by Ye Ling's display. The blasts only barely snapped them back to their senses.
"This is bad! The Demonic Cultivators have made their move!"
The City Lord was the first to react. As he shouted a warning, he immediately cast a spell, covering the entire square in a protective barrier.
At the same time, the formations already set up in the square activated, sealing the cultivation of the examinees and spectators alike. It was a precaution against Demonic Cultivators infiltrating the crowd.
Behind Ye Ling, Elder Wang and the others rose to their feet.
"Everyone stay where you are!" Elder Wang shouted. "Anyone who forcibly breaks the seal will be treated as a Demonic Cultivator!"
Examiners were not only responsible for assessment; they were also responsible for protecting the candidates.
The four elders acted at once. Countless talismans flew from their sleeves, layering multiple defensive inscriptions within the City Lord's barrier.
Ye Ling was slightly surprised. When the four joined forces, their combined might was not much weaker than the Nascent Soul City Lord's.
But he quickly understood. If the City Lord truly made a full move, he wouldn't have given the four elders any chance to act.
Even so, the Talisman Dao really did have its strengths.
As long as you had enough resources, fighting above your level was entirely possible.
"Go!"
Ye Ling flicked out several talismans—each imbued with the concept of "All." In an instant, they amplified the four elders' talismans. The entire square was wrapped layer upon layer in glowing inscriptions.
Everything happened too quickly.
The examinees, the spectators—even the hidden Demonic Cultivators—had no time to react before the sealing was complete.
If Blood Edge were still here, he could have shattered it easily. But he had already been frightened away and was now at the border of the Ying Prefecture.
Because Blood Edge had been present earlier, Gui Ying hadn't dared to concentrate too much force here. Only a few minor figures remained—far too weak to stir up real chaos, let alone create the kind of panic they relied on.
Usually, Demonic Cultivators weren't numerous. They exploited mass panic, slaughtering from behind the fleeing crowd.
But think about it—how many people are there in a city?
One person's spit wouldn't kill them, but sheer numbers were enough for self-defense.
In the end, it was always panic that broke the crowd's will and prevented organized resistance.
Today was different.
Because of the examination, most people had already gathered in the square. And because of Ye Ling, everyone had been suppressed at exactly the right moment.
It was as if the heavens themselves were helping them, leaving the Demonic Cultivators no opening at all.
And then—
[??? has generated intense resentment toward the host +145]
[??? has generated intense resentment toward the host +205]
[??? has generated intense resentment toward the host +178]
…
Several bursts of resentment at varying levels instantly told Ye Ling who the moles were.
He didn't know their identities, but he knew exactly where the resentment was coming from.
Without saying a word, he pulled out sealing talismans and flung them directly at those emitting hostility.
Could there be a mistake?
Please. At a time like this, anyone who still dared to resent him was either a Demonic Cultivator's mole—or someone with ill intentions.
In any case, capture first, sort it out later.
Ye Ling moved without giving them any chance to react. Sealing talismans slapped onto their foreheads, and they froze like wooden puppets.
"These people are suspicious," Ye Ling said before the City Lord could question him. "City Lord, I suggest detaining them first and interrogating them afterward."
"This…" The City Lord hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Very well."
He had intended to ask more, but considering Ye Ling's background, he held back.
And when he looked closely at the sealed individuals, their expressions did seem off.
Blended into the crowd, they wouldn't have stood out. But once singled out, something was clearly wrong.
The only thing that gave him pause was that the genius from the Azure Curse Sect was among them.
But there was no time to dwell on that.
The fighting outside had already begun. As one of the city's top combat forces, he had to join it.
"Elder Wang, I leave the evacuation here to you."
Without waiting for a reply, the City Lord shot into the air.
"All cultivators of the Righteous Path Alliance, heed my command!"
As the highest-ranked present, Elder Wang naturally took charge.
With a wave of his hand, the ground at the center of the square split open, revealing a massive passage below.
"Children and women first! The elderly next! The young and able-bodied last!"
Elder Wang barked the order, then turned to Elder Zhang and the others.
"You three guard the four directions with me. Young Friend Ye, stay in the center and provide support."
He was worried that Ye Ling lacked experience. Besides, Ye Ling's cultivation was the lowest among them, so keeping him in the center was the safest arrangement.
"Yes!"
Elder Zhang and the others immediately flew off to their assigned positions.
"Go."
Ye Ling didn't waste words. He flicked several talismans toward the elders.
"Take these. Focus on them and you'll understand their effects."
He hadn't drawn high-powered offensive talismans. Those would drain him too much before the real fighting began. Instead, he had prepared amplification talismans to strengthen the elders.
To be honest, he had looked down on the Righteous Path Alliance before. Leng Qingqiu had left him with a rather poor impression.
But the City Lord's decisiveness and the elders' swift actions had made him reevaluate the organization.
At the very least, these people genuinely wanted to protect their territory. They weren't just enjoying their positions.
That was why he was willing to support them with his talismans.
It was just a pity the City Lord had left too quickly. Otherwise, Ye Ling would have given him a few for protection as well.
Hope he's alright.
"Many thanks, Young Friend!"
The elders' voices of gratitude carried from afar.
At that moment, a commotion broke out below the platform.
"Envoy Leng, please take the child and leave immediately."
"No. I need to see Examiner Ye."
"This isn't the time to trouble Examiner Ye. Please move quickly."
"Really, it's fine. Let them go first."
Hearing Leng Qingqiu's voice, Ye Ling walked over.
"What's going on?"
"Ah… Examiner Ye."
The Righteous Path Alliance cultivator in charge of evacuation looked at Ye Ling with visible guilt, as if he had failed at his duty.
He had been completely stunned by Ye Ling's earlier display. More importantly, from the day he joined the Alliance, he had learned that during a Demonic Cultivator invasion, the biggest enemy wasn't the Demonic Cultivators—it was the panicked crowd.
He could guarantee that this evacuation would go down in Alliance history. He had never seen a crowd this composed.
Luck had played a part, yes—but without Ye Ling's strength and control, none of this would have happened.
He genuinely admired him.
"You go on," Ye Ling said. "I'll handle it."
He patted the young cultivator on the shoulder.
"Don't worry. I've got this."
He wasn't blind. He could see the admiration in the young man's eyes. Even if he couldn't, the sheer amount of Emotion Points the man had contributed was reason enough to encourage him.
"Yes!"
The young cultivator straightened like he'd been injected with energy and rushed back into the crowd, carefully separating women, children, and the elderly while preventing anyone from exploiting the chaos.
"What did you need from me?"
Ye Ling looked at Leng Qingqiu, who was holding Eve, and suddenly felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
It was like a disaster film where the protagonist's wife and child rush over for a farewell before the final battle.
"Eve—"
Leng Qingqiu leaned close to his ear, lowering her voice.
"She's smelled nearly a hundred Demonic Cultivators. And there's one especially terrifying presence hidden among them. You have to be careful."
Eve's identity was sensitive, especially right now. She had to speak cautiously.
"Um… aren't you a little too close?"
The faint fragrance from Leng Qingqiu caught Ye Ling off guard.
He also noticed the looks people nearby were giving them.
Leng Qingqiu, how exactly are you going to compensate me for this?
Feeling that his reputation was taking damage, Ye Ling stepped back half a pace.
"At a time like this—"
Leng Qingqiu moved forward again, eyes sharp.
"I don't even care anymore. What are you worried about?"
"Please."
Ye Ling placed a hand lightly on her shoulder and whispered, "Could you at least not stand this close to me while dressed like a man?"
He was straight, very straight.
He was absolutely not getting involved in anything that looked like swordplay.
What if the cute guys around here misunderstood?
He wouldn't dare go into a public restroom alone ever again.
"…"
Only then did Leng Qingqiu realize the situation.
She instinctively glanced around, and her face flushed bright red.
The men nearby wore knowing smiles. The women, on the other hand, looked strangely excited, as if anticipating what would happen next.
"But now isn't the time for this!"
Leng Qingqiu grabbed Ye Ling's hand and pulled him toward the back of the stage.
"Hey! That makes it look even worse!"
Ye Ling protested loudly, but his feet followed without resistance.
As the two disappeared backstage, the crowd watched with lingering interest.
But the brief uproar had completely swept away the heavy atmosphere that had hung over them.
Even their steps grew lighter and faster as they continued evacuating.