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The Northern Divine Mountain's Sea of Innocence.

When the Hermit Emperor said it might still be possible to save Xue Mo, everyone was visibly shocked.

Zhao Qianhe and Aunt Ling looked the most surprised at all. They started pleadingly at the Hermit Emperor, their eyes expectant and full of hope. Even Xue Yang's eyes contained a complex mix of emotions, and he quivered slightly.

"I can't explain it to you now. I have to see the Master of the Stars you're talking about and tell him the method myself."

"I'll go drag that kid over." Zhao Qianhe gathered her sleeves and headed to the door, only for Xue Yang to stop her.

"What is it this time?"

Instead of responding to her question, Xue Yang turned towards the Hermit Emperor. "How certain are you that this will work?"

"I can't make any promises. I saw this method in an ancient text, but testing it requires the Master of the Stars," said the Hermit Emperor flatly.

Everyone fell silent, but although no one spoke, Xue Yang, Xuan Ji, and Bi'an were busily discussing the matter through divine sense transmissions.

In the blink of an eye, two hours passed.

"Qianhe, go fetch Ye Zichen," said Xue Yang. Apparently, they'd reached their conclusion. Zhao Qianhe nodded forcefully, then burst forth and top speed, only to bump into an equally frantic Xue Beibei.

The impact knocked Xue Beibei to the floor. She rubbed her nose, and her eyes welled with unshelled tears.

"Ah! Beibei!" Zhao Qianhe hurriedly helped Xue Beibei up.

Xue Beibei rubbed her aching nose a few times, then stopped, disregarding the pain, and rushed up to Xue Yang. "Dad, Big Sister Murong said the demons' Holy Maiden came looking for Ye Zichen."

"What!" Xuan Ji shouted, while Bi'an arched his brows. Aunt Ling, who sat directly by Xue Mo's bedside clutching her hand, looked up, her pupils furiously constricted. Xue Yang deeply furrowed his brows.

Even Zhao Qianhe stopped in her tracks, pausing instead of rushing directly to Ye Zichen.

"Xuan Ji, isn't Heavenly God City under your direct management? How could a demon show up in the middle of the city, much less find Ye Zichen?" shouted Xue Yang.

"I didn't receive any news of this," said Xuan Ji. She frowned.

The atmosphere instantly tensed up. The sudden appearance of the Holy Maiden, combined with the fact that Xuan Ji had gotten no word of her arrival and the fact that she'd gone straight for Ye Zichen didn't bode well.

It was obvious to all of them why the Holy Maiden would seek Ye Zichen out now of all times!

"Is Heavenly God City under Xuan Ji's jurisdiction? Certainly not entirely," said Bi'an, still leaning against the window. He laughed flatly, "Don't forget; Heavenly God City is still, at the end of the day, Zhou Wu's home turf."

"Zhou Wu." Xue Yang knit his brows.

Xuan Ji sent out a constant stream of transmissions. Her jade transmission slip flashed non-stop, and each time it lit up, her frown deepened.

Finally, she put it away and turned to the others. "It seems my people have been replaced, and the Shen Family is now truly in control of Heavenly God City."

"See? Was I right or was I right?" snorted Bi'an.

At a time like this, for the Shen Family to send their people to take over Xuan Ji's subordinates positions could only mean...

Everyone tightly furrowed their brows. "It seems Zhou Wu already doesn't trust you anymore."

"Has he ever trusted you?" said Bi'an. He was usually a man of few words, but this time, he had a lot to say. "He only trusts himself. He's never even trusted the Shen, Bai, and Yuchi families. He's the selfish type, only out for his own interests."

"Dad, Murong Xue asked me what she should do next," pouted Xue Beibei.

Xue Yang grimaced, looked at the others, then cupped his hands at the Hermit Emperor.

"Hermit Emperor, I humbly request that you take care of my daughter in my absence. We have to pay a visit to Heavenly God City in person."

….

Jiang Wei stood in the doorway looking at the Holy Maiden and the ashen-faced, explosively furious Ye Zichen. One look and he knew she'd let the cat out of the bag already.

Now that he thought about it, it was ridiculous. He'd known from the start that they couldn't keep this under wraps forever.

If they lied well and really committed to the deception, they could delay the inevitable for a while. If they performed badly, things would fall apart quickly, like a paper bag in a fireplace. One way or another, the truth would come out sooner or later.

That was why he'd refused to participate in their scheme. His pride couldn't bear lies.

However, Jiang Yong had moved him, so even though Jiang Wei knew this was a bad idea, he decisively plunged in anyway.

Not long ago, even though he'd executed the lies Jiang Yong had taught him perfectly, he'd been in poor spirits. Rather, he'd been actively downcast.

He'd been afraid, afraid that his lies would get exposed.

When he first saw the Holy Maiden, his heart tensed up, and he rushed forward without so much as bothering to inform the others. As he chased after her, his nerves were taut and his heart was on tenterhooks.

But when he actually entered the Upheaval Alliance and saw his fears realized...

He felt an inexplicable sense of relief.

Their lie had been exposed.

It happened a lot faster than they'd anticipated, but now, he no longer needed to worry about how he'd feel when the time came. He'd always known they couldn't keep this hidden forever.

But he couldn't help but feel it was ridiculous…

Why did he let Jiang Yong brainwash him into participating in this scheme?

But then he recalled why: it was because he, too, wanted to protect Ye Zichen. He didn't want Ye Zichen to throw himself to his death.

From Ye Zichen's obvious fury, Jiang Wei could tell that he'd learned of Xue Mo's injuries. Furthermore, with the Holy Maiden around, it would be difficult for Jiang Wei to prevent Ye Zichen from leaving and doing something stupid.

How long will it take for Xue Yang to get here?

As he wondered this, Jiang Wei silently spread his divine awareness. He had to hold Ye Zichen back with all his might, retaining him until Xue Yang got here.

"Brother Ye." At that moment, Jiang Yong and the others came rushing in after Jiang Wei.

When they saw the Holy Maiden standing beside Ye Zichen, their expressions shifted dramatically.

"You're all here." Flames had already started blazing around Ye Zichen, and if you looked closely, you could see silvery streaks of lightning dancing within them. The temperature inside had skyrocketed, and the air crackled with electricity. His towering, terrifying fury was readily apparent.

Sensing his unusual state, Xiao Yumei rushed in from outside. When she saw the Skyspan Academy students in front and the demons' Holy Maiden beside Ye Zichen, her eyes flashed. She rushed right up to Ye Zichen's side. Seeing this, the Holy Maiden knowingly stepped aside to make room for her.

"Zichen." Xiao Yumei, who had gone right up to Ye Zichen's side, couldn't help but call out to him. He patted her on the shoulder to indicate that he was alright.

Next, he looked at Jiang Wei and the others, his expression cold and distant...

"Did Xue Mo go explore a hidden land? Why is the Holy Maiden telling me something else entirely?" He pointed to the robed woman beside him, then faced his friends. "Tell me, which of you should I believe?"