The rat spoke with such certainty that the crested ibis clan chief was half - convinced.
Yaohua pretended to be deceived. She took a shocked step back, then kicked at the rat while screaming, "You lied to me! My master would never do this to me. He once endured the punishment of the immortal realm for me and almost lost his life. Even now, he still suffers from the after - effects of that punishment. How could he possibly want to harm me?"
The crested ibis clan chief twitched the corner of his eye. Recalling all the troubles Yaohua had caused in the past, he completely believed what the white rat had said.
The God of Chongming never tolerated any flaws. With such a rebellious disciple, it was quite normal for him to secretly want to poison her.
Just then, someone rushed in and reported in a hurry, "Clan chief, something's wrong! The God of Chongming is coming!"
Before the words faded, a figure in white robes appeared gracefully.
Chongming was dressed in white robes and wore a golden crown. His pupils were filled with coldness.
That merciless look brought an intense sense of oppression, causing the crested ibis clan chief's heart to skip a beat.
He said stiffly, "Your Excellency never meddles in mundane matters. Why have you trespassed into our clan today?"
"Trespassed?" Chongming raised his eyebrows slightly. "My disciple was taken away by you without any reason. Shouldn't I come?"
His gaze was calm, but everyone present felt as if their necks were being choked, and it was difficult to breathe.
A man and a sword, both usually lofty and spotless.
Now, the god - king came with his sword in hand, and there was still warm blood on it.
The faint smell of blood sent a chill down the crested ibis clan chief's spine, right up to the top of his head.
Previously, he dared to show off in front of Chongming because he thought he was in the right, and he knew that Chongming was always indifferent to worldly affairs and wouldn't argue with him.
But now, the God of Chongming seemed very strange and even dangerous to him.
He stammered, "But I heard that Your Excellency has already severed ties with Yaohua. And I didn't ask her to pay with her life. I just asked her to repent here for a few days. Is that not okay?"
Chongming looked at Yaohua.
For some reason, the red - clad girl didn't smile warmly and call him "master" as she used to when she saw him.
Instead, there was still anger on her face. Her forehead was bruised and purple, and her body was covered in blood.
Was she blaming him for coming too late and letting her suffer so much?
He pursed his lips uneasily. His heart ached dully, and the aura around him became even more chilling and terrifying.
The crested ibis clan chief gritted his teeth and said, "Yaohua is just repenting here. If you can't even bear this, you're being unfair to Xilan. I won't let you take her away today!"
Yaohua lowered her eyes and said softly, "Master, you should leave first. Don't worry about me."
She had to create an image of being disheartened to match the white rat's confession so that the clan chief and the others would let down their guard.
Then she could stay in the clan and let the system collect some demonic energy. Her master was always intelligent and knew that her real cultivation was very high. He would surely understand what she meant when he heard her words.
She was full of confidence.
Chongming's pupils shrank slightly. This man, who was always aloof and indifferent, felt a rare moment of mental blankness.
The girl's disappointed eyes, the wounds and blood on her body, and her stubborn tone all stabbed at his heart like silver needles.
The crested ibis clan chief couldn't help but take two steps back. His tone became respectful. "Your Excellency, I think the chief Yaohua came here voluntarily to atone for her sins. If you insist on taking her away, you'll be going against the will of both sides and making our clan lose face. Are you trying to break with our clan..."
Before he could finish his words, a sword light suddenly flashed, like a rainstorm with a hurricane, knocking the fragile pear blossoms off the tree.
What a spectacular sword strike!
Everyone present was cut and bruised and couldn't move. In just a short moment, the raging sword energy sealed their acupoints and left wounds on their bodies.
"Bang!"
The powerful aura forced them to lean forward, and their heads hit the ground heavily.
Chongming took the girl's hand and left without hesitation. Only his words lingered in the dead - silent air for a long time, "Then, let's break with them!"
Yaohua hadn't reacted yet. She stared blankly at her master's back, and her heartbeat was deafening.
Just as the two were about to leave, a figure suddenly appeared.
The divine envoy Tu Yang's eyes were filled with compassion, and there was a faint sigh in her words. "Chongming, you've overstepped your bounds."
Chongming's eyebrows shot up sharply, full of confusion. "Overstepped my bounds? Is it overstepping my bounds to save my own disciple?"
"But you're a god of the immortal realm, representing the immortal realm." Tu Yang landed lightly on the ground, avoiding his gaze.
She said calmly, "The crested ibises have always been on good terms with the immortal realm. They even have a token bestowed by the god - lord, which can exempt them from the death penalty. If you want to break with the crested ibises, you'll have to give up your position as a god of the immortal realm."
Yaohua was shocked.
So the crested ibises had such a life - saving trump card. No wonder the god - lord favored them even after seeing the evidence.
Did Tu Yang mean that if Chongming didn't obey the order, he would be directly stripped of his godly position?
How could she let her master be implicated because of her?
Chongming was also clearly a bit surprised.
The crested ibis clan chief and the others breathed a sigh of relief. They changed their previous cowering appearance and said proudly with a smile, "Please, Your Excellency!"
As he spoke, he was about to grab Yaohua back.
Chongming tightened his grip on Yaohua's wrist. His expression was cold and determined.
At this time, the system said weakly, "Miss, although it's really cool that Chongming is risking everything to save you, look at me. I'm waiting for you to save my life!"
Yaohua woke up from the beautiful dream like a start. She suddenly broke free from his hand. "It's just right that the divine envoy is here. I didn't want to go back with him anyway."
She staggered back, but her expression was extremely firm. "A life for a life is only fair. It was our Phoenix clan that wronged the crested ibises first! Although the god - lord spared my brother's life, I'm willing to atone for his sins here!"
These words were so impassioned that everyone was stunned.
The crested ibis clan chief stared at her with his eyes wide open, disregarding his own image. There was actually a rare ripple in his heart, which had been eroded by demonic energy.
He laughed out loud several times. He thought Yaohua was stupid and ridiculous, but at the same time, he felt that he himself, who had been driven into madness by the loss of his daughter, was extremely pathetic.
He grabbed Yaohua's neck and said ferociously, "Chongming, I thought you'd lived in vain for so many years. You're not as sensible as your little disciple! She killed my daughter. I can torture her however I want!"
Chongming couldn't help but roar, "Yaohua, are you crazy?"
Yaohua's face turned red from being choked. She was out of breath and said with difficulty, "I...voluntarily...atone for my sins..."
"All causes and effects in the world have their own fates." Tu Yang said calmly. "Chongming, turn back. Don't fall into obsession."
Chongming stood still. There was a rare look of pain and confusion in his eyes. All he could see was the shocking wounds on the girl's body and her determined eyes.
The crested ibis clan members had quietly surrounded them. Tu Yang noticed the increasingly terrifying aura around him. She frowned slightly and waved her divine power to create a barrier to trap him.
But there was still a faint uneasiness in her heart.
Even when he endured the most severe punishment and his legs were crippled, the God of Chongming had never been so irrational!