Chen Yan believed he had absolutely nothing in common with these so-called "heaven's chosen" from minor sects.
Each one was arrogant, each one proclaimed themselves to be the best under heaven.
They even looked down upon the core disciples of the Five Great Sects, even the personal disciples of the peaks, even the Chief Disciples.
Let him pay his own bill.
Consider it a small lesson from Chen Yan. After all, from now on, it was highly likely he would never have any further interaction with Ye Xiu.
Walking along Xuanyuan Street, Chen Yan began to organize his thoughts based on the current information.
Qin Yue's death.
This matter, truth be told, was neither too big nor too small.
The biggest problem at the moment lay in Huo Mu's involvement.
The entire Heavenly Summit Mountain was sealed by a barrier, and even the elders and disciples of the other four great sects were under the control of the Kongshan Sect.
Currently, the Kongshan Sect had deployed a total of five Myriad Transformations Realm cultivators on Heavenly Summit Mountain.
Among them, Kongyuan Mountain's True Dharma Elder Wen Hongli was a late-stage Myriad Transformations Realm powerhouse who had already mastered over seven thousand strands of innate true energy.
Chen Yan did not believe Qin Yue's death would alarm Huo Mu.
He believed Huo Mu was merely using Qin Yue's death as a pretext to extend his reach onto Heavenly Summit Mountain.
As for Huo Mu's goal, what could it be?
Chen Yan didn't know, but someone would know.
For example, Yuanhua Mountain's Dignity Elder, He Furen.
"Junior Brother Chen."
Just then, a very gentle voice suddenly came from the side and slightly ahead of Chen Yan.
Chen Yan raised his head and looked in the direction of the voice, finding that the person standing there was none other than Lin Xinyang.
"What a coincidence, Senior Brother Lin."
Chen Yan smiled and performed a respectful bow with cupped fists:
"I thought you would be accompanying Elder He."
Although Chen Yan showed absolutely no sign of it in his expression or tone, at this very moment, he was indeed wary of Lin Xinyang.
Hearing this, Lin Xinyang revealed a bitter smile, then shook his head:
"What could a Martial Spring Realm cultivator like me possibly help with in matters concerning my master?"
"So, Senior Brother Lin is currently..."
Chen Yan asked.
"I came specifically to find you."
Lin Xinyang said.
"To find me?"
Chen Yan was slightly taken aback.
"Yes."
Lin Xinyang said:
"I am currently suspecting that the last person Qin Yue saw was not you, but me."
...
Chen Yan followed behind Lin Xinyang, walking from Xuanyuan Street all the way to the edge of an uninhabited forest.
Every single tree in this forest, if moved down from Heavenly Summit Mountain, would be worth hundreds or even thousands of high-grade spirit stones.
They were all quite rare spiritual materials.
"Senior Brother Lin, what do you mean when you say the last person Qin Yue saw was you?"
Chen Yan asked.
"I saw her on the afternoon before she disappeared."
Lin Xinyang said:
"At that time, I saw her looking flustered and panicked, so I stopped her and asked what was wrong. She told me..."
Lin Xinyang paused for a moment.
"She said what?"
Chen Yan asked.
"I didn't take Junior Sister Qin's words completely seriously either, but she said there seemed to be something wrong with the Purple Mansion Kongshan Art."
Lin Xinyang said.
Chen Yan's heart gave two sudden, heavy thumps.
Could it be that Lin Xinyang suspected *him* of killing Qin Yue?
No, he couldn't have done it. In the eyes of the world, his current cultivation was merely at the early stage of the Martial Spring Realm.
His actual cultivation was only at the late stage of the Martial Spring Realm.
But if suspicion were to fall on him, it probably wouldn't just be him under suspicion, but everyone associated with his interests.
Who was associated with his interests?
Lin Qifeng, Yue Chi, Zhong Yin, Liu Yantang...
In other words, the entire lineage of the Sect Leader's direct disciples.
"Junior Sister Qin said there was something wrong with the Purple Mansion Kongshan Art?"
Chen Yan forced himself to appear as calm as possible and asked Lin Xinyang this.
"I didn't quite understand it clearly. She said something about the true energy circulation method of the Purple Mansion Kongshan Art being very strange."
Lin Xinyang said:
"Then, she asked me to circulate the Kongshan Art for one complete cycle, wanting to prove to me what she was saying."
"And then?"
Chen Yan asked.
"I did as Junior Sister Qin asked and circulated the Kongshan Art for one cycle. As a result, her reaction became even stranger."
"Oh?"
"She said my true energy circulation method was also very strange."
Lin Xinyang revealed an extremely complex expression:
"I don't know. I don't know what's truly strange—my true energy circulation method, or Junior Sister Qin."
"Probably Junior Sister Qin. She was indeed acting very strange yesterday."
Chen Yan said.
"I'm just curious about the sequence of events. Did she meet me first, or did she go to find you first?"
Lin Xinyang asked.
"Probably came to find me first."
Chen Yan replied:
"After all, she didn't mention anything to me about Senior Brother Lin's true energy circulation method being strange."
Lin Xinyang was momentarily speechless.
"That is indeed true."
He then said:
"I wonder what plans Junior Brother Chen currently has?"
Chen Yan shook his head:
"I don't know. Heavenly Summit Mountain is now completely in chaos. Who knows what plans one could possibly have?"
"Does Junior Brother Chen not know yet?"
Lin Xinyang said:
"Although Heavenly Summit Mountain is completely sealed by Elder Wen's barrier, the Dao Inquiry Assembly is still to proceed as normal, including the Heavenly Summit Mountain Dao Inquiry."
"Proceed as normal, under these circumstances?"
Chen Yan frowned.
"Correct. This is the unanimous opinion of my master, Elder Wen, and the other four great sects."
Lin Xinyang said.
"Then, what are Senior Brother Lin's current arrangements?"
Chen Yan asked.
"I want to continue investigating the cause of Qin Yue's death."
Lin Xinyang answered.
"Investigate the cause of Junior Sister Qin's death?"
Chen Yan was puzzled:
"Isn't Elder He already handling this matter? Moreover, the person who killed Junior Sister Qin should be a cultivator at the Spirit Connection Realm or above. As for Senior Brother Lin..."
Lin Xinyang just shook his head:
"My master won't be able to find out. Or rather, the focus of his trip here isn't on Junior Sister Qin's death at all."
He Furen didn't come because of Junior Sister Qin's death?
This was also within Chen Yan's original expectations. If it were just Qin Yue's death, it truly wouldn't be enough to alarm the Supreme Imperial Law Elder.
This Dignity Elder of Yuanhua Mountain definitely had another purpose for this trip.
But...
"Why, Senior Brother Lin, are you telling me all this?"
Chen Yan asked.
"I haven't told you anything."
Lin Xinyang said:
"It's just some inferences I've made based on my understanding of my master."
"Then why does Senior Brother Lin want to investigate the cause of Qin Yue's death?"
Chen Yan pressed further.
"Did you see the manner of Junior Sister Qin's death?"
Lin Xinyang didn't answer Chen Yan's question but instead asked him one.
"I did."
"What did you feel?"
"...Very tragic."
"Exactly."
Lin Xinyang nodded:
"From that moment on, I made up my mind. I must seek justice for Junior Sister Qin Yue."
Looking at Lin Xinyang, Chen Yan suddenly remembered the words Lin Qifeng had once spoken in Kongyuan Hall.
He said Lin Xinyang's character was weak and cowardly, unfit for great tasks.
But that was only one side.
People have two sides.
It was precisely because Lin Xinyang was soft-hearted and indecisive.
That he would, unexpectedly, place such great importance and persistence on certain matters.