Nie Rong's face sank as he drew out the jade token of his identity as an elder of Wuxiang Sect, holding it up before their eyes.
"Ye Nantian, open your eyes and take a good look. See clearly which so-called nameless sect this elder belongs to!"
Ye Nantian's expression tightened for a moment before he sneered. "You think by waving around a fake jade token, I would believe your lies? Fool. Before lying, you should at least check your strength to see if you're qualified to call yourself an elder of Wuxiang Sect!"
It was common knowledge that to become an elder of Wuxiang Sect, one had to be at least at early Nascent Soul. At this moment, Nie Rong's revealed cultivation was only Golden Core. Naturally, Ye Nantian did not believe him.
"Ye Daoyou, he truly is Elder Nie of Wuxiang Sect. He left the sect many years ago and has only just returned."
A streak of light approached. Yu Zhenyan arrived belatedly. Hearing Ye Nantian's disrespectful words toward Nie Rong, she was startled and rushed over to explain.
Nie Rong's face eased slightly at her arrival, since she had spoken in his defense. "Yu family girl, why are you out here following such a blind brat?"
Seeing Ye Nantian shaken by his supposed identity, Nie Rong took the chance to strike back at him with ridicule. If other Ye family elders or ancestors had come, he would be more cautious. But since it was only Ye Nantian with a few attendants, he felt no fear at all.
Zhou Lili, frightened, whispered, "Elder Nie, enough. Don't make this worse…"
Nie Rong smiled faintly, sending a sound transmission: "Don't worry. Just watch me scare them into opening Duanya Mountain's exit for us."
Looking at his confidence, Zhou Lili felt uneasy.
This newcomer from the Yu family… it seemed she was colluding with the Ye family!
"You!" For the first time being cursed as blind, Ye Nantian gritted his teeth. His gaze caught the identity jade that Nie Rong was about to put away. Suddenly, he flicked out a wind blade and snatched it.
Caught unprepared, Nie Rong's face changed briefly before he steadied himself and shouted, "Ye Nantian, haven't you looked enough? With the Yu girl here as witness, what more do you want?"
Yu Zhenyan blinked, not fully grasping his intent.
Ye Nantian clenched the token in his left hand and crushed it.
Everyone present was stunned by this action.
Yu Zhenyan's eyes widened. "This identity token was fake?"
Nie Rong coughed lightly, his eyes shifting away.
Zhou Lili cried out indignantly, "So what if you destroyed Elder Nie's identity token? Does that mean you can simply claim it was fake? Are you trying to provoke Wuxiang Sect?!"
Those present all cast her strange looks.
From the treetop, Meng Xiangxiang whispered, "Physician Zhou, I heard that Wuxiang Sect elder tokens are forged from Ten-Thousand-Year Purple Profound Ice. They cannot be destroyed by ordinary spiritual power…"
Zhou Lili froze, then her face filled with disbelief. "Then this token…"
It really was fake.
Nie Rong avoided her gaze, muttering, "I lost my real token long ago when I left Wuxiang Sect…"
If he truly had the genuine token, he would have shown it the moment he met Yao Ranran, not waited until now.
Zhou Lili was both speechless and angry. At last she understood why everyone called him a fraud!
"But what does it matter if the token is fake? With the Yu girl here, why would I need some token at all?" Nie Rong snorted coldly and straightened his back with false pride.
Ye Nantian shifted his gaze to Yu Zhenyan, a ruthless glint flickering in his eyes.
Through sound transmission, he spoke to her. "Yu Daoyou, when I came here I already checked the surroundings of Duanya Mountain. This so-called elder has no companions. Since the jade token is fake, why should we treat him as genuine?"
Yu Zhenyan's gaze slid toward the Zhu Chi Fruit tree under Meng Xiangxiang's feet. Her heart stirred.
"Ye Daoyou, you are right. Elder Nie had a huge falling-out with Sect Master Han. Where he went after leaving Wuxiang Sect, how could I, a mere junior disciple, possibly know?"
Before the interests of her family, what the sect could offer her was far too little.
The Xing family, Ye family, and Yuchi family together were the three great aristocratic clans of Central Domain. As Xing Rui's only daughter, Yu Zhenyan naturally placed family first.
While the two secretly exchanged words, Zhou Lili grew uneasy.
"Elder Nie, I don't think these two are right. With something as important as a supreme-grade spirit vein, would they really give it up so easily?"
Yu Zhenyan could be dismissed, since she had not yet reached Golden Core. But Ye Nantian was already at late Golden Core.
Zhou Lili doubted Nie Rong could scare them away so easily. Hearing her words, Nie Rong suddenly connected the dots. Could the appearance of both Yu and Ye families here mean that Ye, Yu, and even the Xing family were moving together in secret?
"Elder Nie, Ye Daoyou was young and reckless in misjudging you. Let me offer you an apology." Yu Zhenyan suddenly stepped forward with a face full of contrition, breaking Nie Rong's thoughts.
Zhou Lili backed away warily. That fraud Nie wasn't reliable. Better to prepare for her own survival.
Nie Rong laughed heartily, full of himself. "As long as you know your mistake. I am an elder, after all. I won't bother to argue with juniors like you—"
"Ah!"
Before he could finish, a faint green light streaked across his vision and stabbed into both eyes.
Yu Zhenyan shouted sharply, "Damned loose cultivator! How dare you pretend to be an elder of Wuxiang Sect. That face of yours is clearly altered by disguise!"
Terrified, Zhou Lili dove headlong, abandoning Nie Rong without hesitation, and leapt into the crack in the ground.
Nie Rong was only blinded, but if she stayed here, she would die for sure!
Before falling, she shouted upward, "Brat Meng, run!"
Meng Xiangxiang froze. Were Fairy Sister's friends always this… united?
Didn't she run away a little too fast?
With his eyes blinded, Nie Rong could not react before Ye Nantian's spirit treasure came whistling down, missing his chest by only an inch.
After slashing Nie Rong with her jade dagger, Yu Zhenyan showed no hesitation. She barked to her attendants, "Kill his companions at once!"
Meng Xiangxiang, still stunned, felt Yu Zhenyan's cold, killing gaze lock onto him.
At once, the surrounding attendants surged toward him, blades, spears, and talismans flaring with light, all seeking his life.
Although the mortal wound on Meng Xiangxiang's body had been healed by Yao Ranran, his strength had not yet recovered. Transforming into his ghostly form would not be so easy.
"Go!"
At that critical moment, a gust of wind—both firm and gentle—swept him into the ground fissure, sparing him from the Foundation Establishment followers' attacks.
As he fell into the crevice, Meng Xiangxiang finally understood why Zhou Lili had fled so fast. Their cultivation was too low. Staying here meant instant death, or worse, becoming a burden to Nie Rong.
"Where do you think you're going!"
Yu Zhenyan no longer cared about Nie Rong. She dove after Meng Xiangxiang into the underground rift.