Deep within the Yunmiao Dao Field on Purple Firmament Peak.
In front of a Pill Furnace wreathed in purple Qi, the fire had died down, yet subtle Dao sounds still echoed within the furnace.
Upon the jade seat, the glow of a communication jade Talisman on Immortal Lord Yun Miao's fingertip had just faded, and the wisp of Divine Thought Qi on it dissipated with it.
The Dao Arena was silent, with only the spiritual Immortal Plants in the distance gently swaying in the breeze.
"Senior Brother Sheng Lin... had his Heart-Nature invaded?"
Immortal Lord Yun Miao's brows were tightly furrowed, his face ashen, and his fingertip unconsciously tapped the armrest of the jade seat.
Outside the hall, the sea of clouds unfurled, and ten thousand rays of light shone, yet they could not dispel the gloom in his Heart-Nature.
This news was too shocking.
Saintly Forest Immortal Lord, a Peak Master, with a cultivation base at the Late Stage of Golden Immortal.
He had actually become a Heavenly Devil Puppet without even realizing it.
His first reaction was disbelief, even suspecting whether Han Xuanji had misjudged, or if there was some other hidden reason.
"Without absolute certainty, given this child's Heart-Nature, he would never report it lightly..."
Immortal Lord Yun Miao muttered to himself, his eyes shifting unsteadily.
Han Xuanji possessed double pupils and a calm disposition; he was definitely not someone who spoke carelessly.
More importantly, Han Xuanji's honesty, in this case, added a few more points of credibility.
This matter was too significant, far beyond what a single Peak Master like him could decide.
Immortal Lord Yun Miao took a deep breath, a look of resolve flashing in his eyes.
Better to believe it than not!
Even if it turned out to be a misunderstanding, at most, he, as a Senior Brother, would bear the reputation of "suspecting a fellow Disciple."
But if it were true and he concealed it, the consequences would be unimaginable.
He then took a deep breath, a look of resolve flashing in his eyes, no longer hesitating, and condensed Immortal power on his fingertip, outlining a Talisman in the Void Realm.
The moment the Talisman formed, it transformed into a streak of light, disappearing into the Void Realm, heading directly towards the deepest part of Lingxu Heavenly Palace, towards the Lingxu Palace, which symbolized the Sect's highest authority.
The next moment, his entire figure flickered, having already vanished from his original spot, heading towards Immortal Reverence Yuheng's place of secluded cultivation.
That was a Dao Arena suspended above the Nine Heavens' fierce winds, with an Immortal Palace situated upon it, as if it had existed since ancient times.
The hall was sparsely decorated; only in the center was a mysterious Qi mechanism that constantly generated and destroyed, evolving earth, water, fire, and wind. Immortal Reverence Yuheng's figure sat vaguely within the Chaos.
"Master."
Immortal Lord Yun Miao bowed respectfully outside the hall door.
A calm voice, yet containing supreme majesty, emanated from within:
"Yun Miao, is this matter true?"
Immortal Lord Yun Miao did not hesitate, repeating what Han Xuanji had said, though naturally, he did not mention Han Xuanji.
Even if something happened in the future, he would bear the full responsibility.
"This Disciple would naturally not speak falsely; please, Master, make your decision."
The hall fell into a long silence, with only the faint hum of the Chaos Qi churning and evolving.
After a long while, Immortal Reverence Yuheng's voice slowly sounded, carrying a hint of imperceptible coldness:
"If this is truly the case, then it is indeed a failure of my teaching."
...
Lingxu Palace.
A unique space.
At this moment, on the Dao platform, four indistinct figures sat opposite each other.
Their forms were not clear, as if condensed from the purest Dao principles, their auras vast as a star sea, or ethereal as clouds and smoke.
Immortal Lord Yun Miao's purple-gold communication Talisman now floated before Immortal Reverence Yuheng, its information instantly perceived by the four supreme beings.
An extreme silence enveloped the hall.
After a long time, Immortal Reverence Yuheng spoke:
"What do you think of the matter Yun Miao reported?"
"If it is truly so, then it is not impossible. Calamity arises from the Heart-Nature, and the Heavenly Devil of Freedom... formless and shapeless, is most skilled at eroding the Dao Heart, making it impossible to guard against."
A slightly aged and composed voice interjected; it was Tianji Immortal Venerable, the Chief of the Heavenly Secrets lineage.
"Sheng Lin commands a peak; if his Divine Soul is indeed unwell, it is truly a grave hidden danger.
However... this matter concerns the reputation of a Peak Master, so one must be cautious."
"Hmph, concrete evidence?"
Another voice sounded, Immortal Revered Yu Xuan said:
"By the time concrete evidence can be produced, I fear our Lingxu Heavenly Palace will have already suffered a great calamity.
Have you forgotten the methods of the Heavenly Devil of Freedom?
Subtle and imperceptible, like moistening things without sound, by the time it acts, it is often too late.
Better to investigate mistakenly than to let it go!"
"What Yu Xuan said is not without reason."
The last voice, ethereal as smoke, joined in; it was Immortal Revered Chang Geng of the array lineage.
"Moreover, Yun Miao is a steady person, and his words should not be taken lightly. Perhaps... we could invite the 'Heaven-Illuminating Mirror' for a look?"
As the words "Heaven-Illuminating Mirror" were uttered, the atmosphere in the hall subtly congealed.
That was one of Lingxu Heavenly Palace's treasured Magical Artifacts, capable of illuminating the Origin and seeing through illusion, but using it once came at a considerable cost, and deploying it against a Golden Immortal being could easily be detected.
A moment later, Immortal Revered Yu Xuan's voice sounded again:
"We will join forces to draw a wisp of the 'Heaven-Illuminating Mirror's light, remotely illuminating Saintly Forest Peak.
There is no need to peer into all its secrets; we only need to observe if there is any abnormality in its Luck flow and the Origin of its Divine Soul.
If there are no doubts, this matter will be dropped, and I will personally apologize to Sheng Lin.
But if it is..."
His words were unfinished, but their meaning was clear to all the Venerables present.
The next moment, the four supreme beings simultaneously pointed a finger.
Buzz—!
From the depths of Lingxu Palace, a blue light suddenly erupted, connecting with a supreme, unseen power.
A ray of mirror light, containing the ability to penetrate illusion, was drawn, crossing layers of spatial barriers, silently and imperceptibly descending towards Saintly Forest Peak.
The mirror light descended, and in just an instant, it quietly retracted.
However, at the very moment the mirror light retracted.
"Hmm?!"
"Indeed!"
"What a subtle demonic read!"
Several voices sounded almost simultaneously, with varying degrees of shock.
Under the illumination of the "Heaven-Illuminating Mirror's" light, they clearly saw an extremely faint, almost imperceptible, dark demonic read entwined around Saintly Forest Immortal Lord's Divine Soul deep within Saintly Forest Peak.
That demonic read was like a maggot in the bone, deeply hidden at the bottom of his Heart-Nature, subtly influencing his Heart-Nature and decisions.
Though not completely controlled, it was unequivocally present.
"Outrageous!"
Immortal Reverence Yuheng's voice carried the wrath of thunder, and the surrounding Qi mechanism dissipated.
"This is the demonic read of the Heavenly Devil of Freedom, daring to extend its tentacles to a Peak Master of my Lingxu Heavenly Palace."
Tianji Immortal Venerable's voice also turned cold.
"Fortunately, it was discovered early; the demonic seed is not deep, and he has not yet completely succumbed."
Immortal Reverence Yuheng's voice remained calm, yet carried a bone-chilling coldness,
"The entire Saintly Forest Peak must be investigated."
...
Myriad Phenomena Garden.
Han Xuanji seemed to sense something, raising his eyes to glance in the direction of Saintly Forest Peak, then slowly closing them again.
Within the Immortal Cave, the clouds remained light and the wind gentle. On the small table, a cup of spiritual tea steamed, gradually cooling.