"Elder Zhong, please take a seat."
Wen Hongli said slowly.
He was the True Dharma Elder of Kongyuan Mountain, the number two figure of the peak lineage.
Zhong Yin, who held the position of Dignity Elder, was the number four figure.
Although the peak elders did not have a strict hierarchy of status and rank, in terms of actual authority and say, Wen Hongli was greater than Zhong Yin.
As for the situation on Qingchan Peak, it was an exception.
Although Fu Qian was the Martial Elder, the number three figure on Qingchan Peak, his actual authority and influence on Qingchan Peak far exceeded that of Bai Qiming, who was the number two figure.
Under normal circumstances, his power on Qingchan Peak should have been inferior to Bai Qiming, who held the position of True Dharma Elder.
But Fu Qian had been deeply rooted on Qingchan Peak for several hundred years.
Moreover, Chu Chen was not skilled in political maneuvering.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Chu Chen was an extension of Fu Qian's power.
It was precisely on this foundation that Bai Qiming of the Qingchan True Dharma lineage had been locked in a long-term power struggle with Fu Qian of the Qingchan Martial Discipline lineage, engaging in both overt and covert conflict.
Zhong Yin walked to the right side, slightly below Wen Hongli and Bai Qiming, and also sat down.
"Has the murderer been caught?"
Bai Qiming asked directly.
"Not yet."
"Any leads?"
"The person who killed Qin Yue definitely has cultivation above the Passable God Realm."
"Do you need to tell me that?"
Bai Qiming flew into a rage, his innate true energy erupting.
"Wow."
Yue Chi beside Chen Yan whispered with a sigh,
"It really is the first time I've seen that old fox Bai Qiming, who's always smiling, get so angry."
"After all, his only personal disciple was just killed."
Chen Yan said.
"That's not necessarily true. If your senior brother Zhao Bin died, I wouldn't get this furious."
Yue Chi shook his head.
"Is Senior Brother Zhao also a once-in-ten-thousand-years Glazed Pure Body?"
Chen Yan asked again.
Yue Chi was slightly taken aback, then nodded,
"Well, that's true."
Bai Qiming flew into a rage, his innate true energy erupting.
"Elder Bai."
Wen Hongli beside him lightly lifted his eyelids and spoke up to stop him,
"The deed is done. Let's not lose our composure."
Although it sounded like a cold remark, it was indeed the truth.
As the True Dharma Elder of Qingchan Peak, Bai Qiming's reaction was indeed somewhat inappropriate.
Of course, no one knew whether there was an element of "acting" in Bai Qiming's loss of composure.
But no matter what, Qin Yue was absolutely a crucial piece in Bai Qiming's plans to contend with the Qingchan Martial Discipline lineage.
Qin Yue's existence was meant to rival the current Qingchan Chief Disciple, Chu Xiyao, the daughter of Qingchan Peak's Sword Master Elder, Chu Chen.
But now, she was dead.
"Elder Zhong, what is the current situation at Heavenly Summit Mountain?"
Wen Hongli asked.
"Elder Dai Yuze of Wind Ravine Valley has already promised to seal off the ferry ports of Heavenly Summit Mountain."
Zhong Yin said,
"And he has already united with the other four great sects, as well as some other trustworthy sects, to block all routes that could leave Heavenly Summit Mountain. They are currently compiling a list of all cultivators at the Passable God Realm and above who are participating in this Dao Inquiry Assembly."
"Seal the ports, block the roads?"
Bai Qiming said disdainfully,
"Can that really contain a Passable God Realm cultivator?"
"Elder Bai, the most important thing right now is to accurately compile the list of all Passable God Realm cultivators participating in the Dao Inquiry Assembly. As long as we can clarify the list, even if the murderer escapes Heavenly Summit Mountain, capture is only a matter of time."
Zhong Yin retorted.
"Elder Wen, what do you think?"
Bai Qiming no longer paid attention to Zhong Yin and instead asked Wen Hongli beside him.
He was applying pressure on Wen Hongli.
In this current situation, it was Bai Qiming who had lost a disciple. To some extent, they had to accommodate Bai Qiming's wishes to show appeasement.
"Discuss it with the other four great sects, then activate the barrier."
Wen Hongli said.
"Elder Wen!"
Yue Chi stepped forward, cupping his hands in salute,
"If we activate the barrier, it would be no different from announcing Qin Yue's death to the world, causing panic and unnecessary discussion among the cultivators from all over Chenping Continent gathered at Heavenly Summit Mountain. The damage to our Kongshan Sect's prestige would be significant."
"What damage to prestige?"
At that moment, the cultivator dressed in a dark black daoist robe who had been sitting beside Bai Qiming and Wen Hongli the whole time spoke up.
"Elder He, what is your esteemed opinion?"
Wen Hongli asked.
Sure enough!
Chen Yan thought to himself.
This cultivator dressed in a dark black daoist robe, looking around fifty years old, was indeed Yuanhua Mountain's Dignity Elder, He Furen.
"Apprehend the true culprit, execute them immediately in the central square of Heavenly Summit Mountain, as a warning to others."
He Furen said,
"Then send people to raze the sect the true culprit belongs to, letting everyone under heaven see the consequences of provoking a cultivator of our Kongshan Sect."
"That would likely be undignified."
Wen Hongli shook his head.
"They've already ridden roughshod over our Kongshan Sect, and Elder Wen is still talking about dignity?"
Bai Qiming said loudly,
"Today it's Qin Yue who died, tomorrow it could be Li Haowen, it could be Chen Yan, it could be Chu Xiyao!
"At that time, will Elder Wen still talk about dignity?"
When Chu Xiyao's name came out of Bai Qiming's mouth, Chen Yan always felt a strange sensation.
Thinking of this, Chen Yan turned his head to look at Chu Xiyao, who was standing beside the Qingchan Peak elders.
He saw that this aloof young woman in her white robes merely lowered her head slightly, showing no emotional fluctuation in response to Bai Qiming's words.
"Elder Bai, do not be too extreme!"
Wen Hongli finally raised his voice as well.
For a moment, the atmosphere between Bai Qiming and Wen Hongli instantly turned cold.
"What are you two elders doing? It's just a difference of opinion. Don't make the atmosphere too tense."
He Furen beside them said with a smile,
"How about we just follow my method?"
"Elder He, this is Heavenly Summit Mountain."
Wen Hongli shook his head,
"Lingxiao Temple, Mirage Palace, Star Heaven Sect, Wind Ravine Valley—these four great sects and the many other sects of Chenping Continent are all watching our Kongshan Sect's every move. We cannot act recklessly."
"Why not?"
He Furen continued smiling. Whether it was because He Furen had once wanted to kill him, Chen Yan felt extremely uncomfortable with He Furen's smile.
"What needs to be investigated isn't just those Passable God Realm cultivators of ordinary origins. The Passable God Realm cultivators from the other four great sects are also suspects. Not a single one can be omitted."
He Furen said.
"Elder He!"
Upon hearing this, Zhong Yin couldn't help but stand up, eyes wide,
"Don't talk nonsense! Investigating the Passable God Realm cultivators of the other four great sects means investigating the elders of the other four great sects. We have no right to do that!"
"How do we not?"
He Furen smiled and shook his head, then gently swept his palm through the air. A simple, ancient, and imposing token appeared in his palm.
In the Kongshan Sect, under normal circumstances, tokens only had four characters.
The tokens of outer sect disciples read 'Kongshan Outer Court'. For inner sect disciples, such as those of Mingxiao Peak, it read 'Kongshan Mingxiao'.
Chen Yan's token read 'Kongyuan Chief Seat'. Fu Qian's token read 'Qingchan Martial Discipline'.
But this simple, ancient, and imposing wooden token in He Furen's hand was different.
This token was divided into two columns, engraved with eight large characters—
Kongshan Upholds Law, Supreme Holds Authority.