Seeing this scene, Xia Jiye’s eyes were filled with deep fear and submission.
As an elder of the Azure Dragon Temple, he had been cultivating the Azure Dragon True Power for many years, and had contemplated the Cliff Dragon Painting countless times.
So now, upon witnessing Guan Xuejiang, who seemed like a living Azure Dragon, the shock in his heart was unimaginable.
At the same time, Guan Xuejiang slowly spoke, "Xia Jiye, do you know your crime?"
Xia Jiye’s face showed a trace of confusion, which was quickly replaced by a look of regret.
He flipped around to kneel on the ground, crying bitterly.
"Disciple knows his crime."
"What is the cause of your crime?" Guan Xuejiang continued to ask.
"Disciple was insatiably greedy, misused the authority of the Transmission Hall for personal gain, acted recklessly, colluded with the Separation Tower, and intended to harm the temple’s disciples, unforgivable crimes."
Xia Jiye confessed all his wrongdoings in detail to the public, and then began continuously kowtowing in apology.
The whole crowd was once again in an uproar.
Especially those close to Xia Jiye, all wore looks of fear.
For Guan Xuejiang’s methods were too incredible.
To think he could rely on his aura alone to make Xia Jiye confess voluntarily.
If this were used on themselves, wouldn’t they be finished?
Only Zhao Ya noticed that Elder Guan Xuejiang’s body was trembling slightly at this moment.
Zhao Ya understood that even though Guan Xuejiang’s cultivation was profound, he was still of mortal flesh.
To bear the immense will accumulated in the Cliff Dragon Painting for a thousand years as a mortal must be an unimaginable pressure.
No wonder Guan Xuejiang possessed such methods, yet seldom used them lightly.
At this moment, Guan Xuejiang suddenly shouted loudly.
"Besides this, have you ever had dealings with the North Canglong?"
His voice was like a great bell, shaking Xia Jiye to his core, who then stared blankly and spoke.
"Disciple has not had any dealings with the North Canglong, though they attempted to recruit me, disciple has maintained some principle and did not agree."
Hearing this, Guan Xuejiang nodded.
The reason he endured such enormous pressure to invoke the will from the Cliff Dragon Painting was to make Xia Jiye confess.
This also served as a deterrent to the other instructor elders.
In this situation, Xia Jiye would be unlikely to lie.
So when he said he had no collusion with the North Canglong, it should be credible.
This made Guan Xuejiang breathe a slight sigh of relief, then instantly dissipated the aura around him.
In an instant, everything returned to calm.
The previously lost-looking Xia Jiye also regained his senses.
Then he collapsed on the ground in utter despair.
He understood that he was finished.
Guan Xuejiang looked at him coldly, then slowly said, "Xia Jiye, as an instructor elder, instead of nurturing talent for the Azure Dragon Temple, you acted recklessly and even attempted to harm temple disciples, such crimes are unforgivable! Shen Yunshen!"
"Here!" Shen Yunshen immediately took a step forward and responded with murderous intent.
"Take him to the front of the Azure Dragon Map and execute him on the spot as a warning to others," Guan Xuejiang said coldly.
"Yes."
Shen Yunshen couldn’t hold back any longer, and upon hearing this immediately stepped forward, grabbed Xia Jiye’s clothes, and dragged him like a dead dog towards the Cliff Dragon Painting.
At this moment, Xia Jiye regained his clarity, then hysterically shouted.
"Elder, I know my mistake, please spare my life!"
But Guan Xuejiang was unmoved.
His intent was not to make a big deal out of this.
But now that Shen Yunshen and Zhao Ya had brought it to this point.
Guan Xuejiang naturally didn’t mind following through and executing Xia Jiye to establish authority.
Seeing that pleading with Guan Xuejiang was in vain, Xia Jiye turned his last hope to Zhao Ya.
"Zhao Ya, I know I was wrong, I’ll never dare again, please speak for me, just let me go this once."
Looking at the tearful, desperately begging Xia Jiye, Zhao Ya only smiled faintly.
"Elder Xia, you are at least an elder, please maintain some dignity."
Hearing these words, Xia Jiye’s entire body stiffened, and then a look of extreme venom flashed in his eyes, about to shout something.
At this moment, Shen Yunshen, feeling a bit irked by the noise, directly dislocated his jaw.
"Ya is not wrong. Even as an elder of the Azure Dragon Temple, do you not have even a shred of dignity?"
Saying this, Shen Yunshen dragged the mumbling, mute Xia Jiye to the Azure Dragon Map.
"Farewell!"
With these words, Shen Yunshen struck down without hesitation.
A crisp crack echoed.
Xia Jiye’s head exploded like a watermelon.
Brain matter mixed with blood splattered far away, even staining a section of the cliff wall red.
The entire scene fell silent.
Many people wore expressions of fear.
Especially those who were on good terms with Xia Jiye, their hearts pained, faces pale.
Shen Yunshen merely clapped his hands lightly, then nonchalantly spoke to Guan Xuejiang.
"Elder, the task is complete."
"Good." Guan Xuejiang nodded, then surveyed the entire scene.
No one dared to meet his gaze, all lowering their heads to avoid it.
"Disperse."
With that, Guan Xuejiang decisively turned and left.
As he left, those present exchanged glances, then also slowly departed.
The events of today left many people in shock.
Some keen-minded individuals vaguely sensed that the long-dormant Azure Dragon Temple seemed poised for some changes.
Xia Jiye’s death was far from the end; it might just be the beginning.
In the crowd, Gui Xuanqing looked at Zhao Ya in the distance, mustering courage, about to speak to him.
But at that moment, he saw the fearsome Elder Shen Yunshen walk to Zhao Ya’s side, smiling as he spoke to him.
Seeing this scene, the courage he had just gathered quickly dissipated. Gui Xuanqing shrank back, ultimately choosing to leave.
Previously, although Shen Yunshen was renowned among the elders, he held little prestige among the disciples.
Some even thought he was just a scruffy middle-aged man idling away his time, drinking at the Sect Contribution Department.
But after today’s event, the disciples realized Shen Yunshen’s immense strength and ruthless methods.
The fact that he killed Xia Jiye, the Instructor Elder, without hesitation was fearsome indeed.
However, at this moment, the Shen Yunshen feared by disciples like a tiger was smiling and conversing with Zhao Ya.
"Ya, today we really owe it to you, or else that scoundrel Xia Jiye might have escaped."
Zhao Ya also smiled, "No need to be formal. This matter was related to me, so it was only right for me to step in."
Shen Yunshen was a bit excited, "I always thought the Grand Elder was a bit too soft, always hesitant. I never expected today he’d be so decisive, especially those few questions; they were a delight to hear."
Zhao Ya felt a stirring within but said nothing, simply glancing back at the Cliff Dragon Painting with its serpentine lines, then politely declined Shen Yunshen’s invitation for a drink, turning back to his small courtyard.
Although Zhao Ya was currently working in the outer sect, he hadn’t given up his lodging here.
After returning, Zhao Ya rested for a while, then began to leaf through the book given to him by Guo Luming.
He ended up reading for the majority of the day.
When evening drew near, Zhao Ya rose, ate a simple meal, and began his rigorous daily training routine.
An hour later, with a light sweat on his forehead, Zhao Ya completed his practice and looked up at the hazy moonlight.
At this time, the sky was already dark, and footsteps outside were growing sparse.
With a quick push off the ground, Zhao Ya became a shadow, soaring out of the small courtyard straight for the Cliff Dragon Painting.
By now, Xia Jiye’s body was gone from the cliff, leaving only a stark patch of blood, silently telling what had occurred.
Zhao Ya stood before the Cliff Dragon Painting, looking up.
He saw the majority of the Azure Dragon’s body submerged in darkness, silent yet exuding a powerful sense of oppression.
Zhao Ya took a deep breath, recalling the insight from earlier in the day, then reached out to lightly touch the cliff.
He then channeled the Azure Dragon True Power from his Dantian along the Hand Taiyin Lung Meridian to his palm.
As the True Power pulsed, it connected with the cliff’s Azure Dragon.
Boom!
Zhao Ya felt a tremendous shock throughout his body, and suddenly he entered a mystical realm.