Chapter 14: The Talisman of Yin and Yang

This woman... He was determined to have her!

He had long heard of the seven candidates for sect leader—only one position remained, and among the six contenders, there was a woman named Azure Cloud. Not only did her strength surpass the others, but the rest were all men, unattractive and unremarkable, while Azure Cloud possessed an extraordinary, ethereal beauty. This was something Zhou Yichen had heard many times before.

From the very beginning, Zhou Yichen secretly marked this “Azure Cloud,” whom he had never met, as someone he needed to recruit to his side. Unlike the other five candidates, Azure Cloud rarely left her residence, avoided crowds, and seldom engaged with others. If she appeared at all, it was always in secluded places, so all rumors about her appearance remained just that—rumors, never confirmed.

But today, upon seeing her in person, she truly lived up to her reputation!

Suppressing the fervor in his heart, Zhou Yichen stepped forward with polite composure. “Senior Azure Cloud, greetings. My father is currently seeking justice for the previous internal selection tournament. A cultivator named Lin Hao showed no mercy during the competition, cruelly killing his fellow disciples. Everyone says my father is acting for the heavens!”

Frankly, saying he was acting for the heavens was an exaggeration. Their actions so far amounted to bullying a young girl. Upon hearing Zhou Yichen’s words, Azure Cloud’s expression remained impassive, though inwardly she felt uncomfortable.

Zhou Yichen, unaware of Azure Cloud’s thoughts, continued without pause. “Senior, you don’t know—Lin Hao even mocked me before, saying my fifth-level Foundation Establishment was nothing but an ant. He threatened to teach me a lesson and take back something that belonged to him. His arrogance was truly outrageous…”

“You’re lying!” As Zhou Yichen spoke passionately, a girl’s voice cut through his words. He was interrupted before he could finish, and the previously arrogant Zhou Yichen was now filled with anger. The speaker was Liu Xiaoxi, who stood blocking the crowd, her cheeks flushed, stomping her feet, fists clenched tightly—her fury was as much from Zhou Yichen’s words as from facing a powerful opponent.

“You accuse me of lying, but do you have any evidence?” Zhou Yichen looked at Liu Xiaoxi, suddenly unconcerned. Though he didn’t know why his father feared her, her strength was clearly inferior to his, and he was, after all, the son of an elder.

“I… You’re just lying.” Liu Xiaoxi was at a loss; she had no evidence. She hadn’t known Lin Hao long and only knew he’d had a minor conflict with Zhou Yichen.

At that moment, Azure Cloud stepped forward, radiating the aura of a candidate for sect leader, her voice as serene as a celestial descendent. “According to Junior Zhou’s claim, do you have any evidence yourself?”

Her words silenced Zhou Yichen. After all, he had made the accusation himself and could hardly contradict himself in front of everyone.

Azure Cloud lent Liu Xiaoxi a hand, ignoring Zhou Yichen. While others in the Clearwind Sect might fear him, as a candidate for sect leader, she did not. She redirected her gaze to Elder Zhou.

“Elder Zhou, I witnessed the competition myself. Death and injury are inevitable in such events, and determining fault is not so simple. There’s no need to rush judgment.” Azure Cloud presented her reasoning, attempting to halt the crowd, her cold gaze betraying nothing of her thoughts.

“I am not rushing, but lives are at stake. Our disciple was killed; as an elder, I owe the others an explanation,” Elder Zhou retorted coldly. He harbored malice toward Azure Cloud; though their seniority differed, both were main candidates for the next sect leader, and rivalry behind the scenes was inevitable.

“Is Lin Hao not also a disciple of our sect? Furthermore, it’s not certain that Lin Hao is even in this room now. Elder Zhou’s reckless intrusion has disrupted the little sister’s father’s recovery. First, it reflects poorly on our hospitality as the Clearwind Sect; second, it may have harmed our guest,” Azure Cloud countered openly, matching Elder Zhou’s status with her own, her momentum undiminished.

“Lin Hao killed his fellow disciple with malicious means; this cannot go unpunished,” Elder Zhou replied, his face darkening with displeasure at Azure Cloud’s obstruction.

“Malicious means? Was Bai Shili’s use of leech-based techniques in the tournament righteous? Did Elder Zhou not see?” Azure Cloud stepped forward—she might appear young, but her flowing azure robes and immaculate presence commanded as much respect as Elder Zhou.

“Everyone saw Bai Shili’s leech techniques. He used them to such an extent that it was either death or severe injury for Lin Hao, aiming to kill with every move. Is such a person worthy of our Clearwind Sect?”

“Right! My father also said Bai Shili used a Yin-Yang Talisman, prompting Lin Hao to strike back so fiercely,” Liu Xiaoxi chimed in, confronting the Zhou family.

“Yin-Yang Talisman?!” The crowd was stunned; such a vicious artifact was even more detested than leech techniques. Its use was intolerable not only for Clearwind Sect but for any sect.

Azure Cloud was taken aback as well. She’d noticed Lin Hao’s strength plummet after the match, suspecting the leech technique, but had not anticipated the involvement of a Yin-Yang Talisman.

“If what the young sister says is true, Bai Shili deserves death,” Azure Cloud seized the moment, leaving Elder Zhou with no way out.

“This girl is an outsider; should the affairs of our sect be decided by someone not of our ranks?” Elder Zhou said coldly, though inwardly he was ready to concede—he did not want the matter of the Yin-Yang Talisman exposed.

“In any case, let’s let this matter rest for now,” said Qi Changlong, who, seeing an ally at last, stepped forward to support Azure Cloud.

As tensions reached a peak, an aged, authoritative voice echoed through the hall, “Elder Zhou, in my judgment, Lin Hao has done no wrong. Let this matter be laid to rest.”

Everyone in the Clearwind Sect turned to the source of the voice, bowing in respect. The disciples knelt, “Greetings, Sect Leader.”

The Sect Leader of Clearwind Sect, hair and beard white, dressed in simple white robes, appeared serene, resembling a fisherman from the mountains. But suspended in midair, surrounded by currents of spiritual energy, his cultivation suppressed all present, marking him unmistakably as the leader.

“Yes, Sect Leader,” Elder Zhou replied, gritting his teeth and bowing his head. Though unwilling, he could not defy the leader’s command.

“Sect Leader!” Azure Cloud’s demeanor changed instantly, her earlier aloofness replaced by affectionate respect. She called out softly.

“Mm.” The Sect Leader appeared before Azure Cloud in a flash, startling everyone. He tenderly patted her head, then his expression grew serious. “Disciples of Clearwind Sect, listen well: Bai Shili, though one of our own, used a Yin-Yang Talisman, violating sect rules. From now on, his name is struck from the Clearwind Sect. Lin Hao acted in self-defense and is largely innocent; this matter will not be pursued further.” With that, he departed, taking Azure Cloud with him toward the mountain peak.

Elder Zhou and Zhou Yichen were furious, their faces grim, yet both secretly worried that their role in providing the Yin-Yang Talisman had been discovered by the Sect Leader. They could only let Lin Hao go for now and leave in frustration.

Liu Xiaoxi, standing outside the door, finally relaxed, letting her hand fall and breathing a sigh of relief.

...

On the mountain, Zhou Yichen’s face was filled with grievance as he looked at his father. “Father, I cannot accept this.”

“It’s nothing. We’ll let them go this time. Soon, all those who cross us will pay. That old man’s era is nearly over,” Elder Zhou replied with a cold sneer, his demeanor chilling.

“Oh? What do you mean by that, Father?” Zhou Yichen asked, still unaware of his father’s intentions.

A shocking conspiracy was about to unfold within the Clearwind Sect...

After everyone had left, Liu Xiaoxi finally exhaled in relief. Still wary, she did not immediately return inside. Instead, she checked her surroundings to ensure no one remained nearby before hurriedly opening the door and entering the room.

Lin Hao sat on the bed, legs crossed, eyes closed, healing his wounds.

Liu Baxian watched Lin Hao with a complex expression, worry flickering in his eyes.

Seeing Liu Xiaoxi enter, Liu Baxian asked, “Has everything been resolved outside?”

“Yes, for now, everything is settled. They’ve all left. The Sect Leader himself gave orders: no one is to trouble Lin Hao anymore. It seems the Clearwind Sect’s leader is quite reasonable,” Liu Xiaoxi replied.

Hearing this, Liu Baxian nodded. He had split off a sliver of his consciousness to observe outside and was already aware of the events.

If not for his inconvenient status, he wouldn’t have left his daughter alone to face the crowd, especially when Elder Zhou dared raise a hand against her.

Liu Baxian had nearly lost his self-control and intervened.

Fortunately, someone else stepped forward to protect his daughter.

Now, Liu Baxian harbored deep resentment toward Elder Zhou.

At that moment, Lin Hao opened his eyes and let out a breath.

Liu Baxian and Liu Xiaoxi stepped forward, asking, “How are you feeling? Are you all right?”

“I’m feeling better, but what was that talisman? It knocked me straight from Foundation Establishment to Qi Refining—it was terrifying!” Lin Hao asked Liu Baxian.

“If my guess is correct, you were struck by a Yin-Yang Talisman,” Liu Baxian answered.

“Yin-Yang Talisman? What is that?” Lin Hao asked.