Generally speaking, this type of hostility should only be possessed by those who had short tempers and merciless personalities, but all of Ice Heart Valley’s disciples cultivated Ice Attribute Secret Arts, which focused on maintaining pure, emotionless states, so how could such people be here?
Not only that, these women all wore cold, grim expressions and gave off prickly auras that forced others to keep their distance.
These women walked straight to the ice peak before arriving in front of a certain cave mansion.
The lead woman looked around and asked, “Is this the place?”
One of her subordinates immediately replied, “It’s here.”
The lead woman nodded and suddenly yelled, “Outer Island disciple Qing Ya!”
This sound was not too loud, but it still spread out a great distance.
When Yang Kai heard this, his expression immediately became pleased. This was nothing less than someone sending him a pillow when he was feeling sleepy. He was worried he would not be able to find Qing Ya’s cave mansion, but now, a group had shown up and called Qing Ya out.
However… this group of women seemed to have ill intentions! Yang Kai frowned slightly and did not immediately reveal himself, remaining hidden nearby, observing in secret.
Three breaths after the woman shouted, a thin barrier outside the cave mansion split open a gap and from inside a woman wearing a white dress and possessing a solemn aura walked out.
Qing Ya! Yang Kai raised his brow as he noticed something was wrong.
Qing Ya’s aura was somewhat unsteady and her face was pale, as if she had recently suffered a serious injury!
She was fine when they returned to Pure Ice Island a few days ago, so how could she have suddenly become injured? And looking at her, it was not because she made a mistake in her cultivation. On the contrary, it looked like… she was beaten!
Yang Kai was quite confused.
On the other side, after Qing Ya exited her cave mansion and saw the face and robes of the person who summoned her, she could not help becoming even paler.
She seemed to recognize the leader of this group.
“So, it is Senior Sister Bing Die, does Senior Sister have some matter to discuss with me?” Qing Ya tried to keep her expression calm, but the trembling in her voice betrayed her inner tension.
By now, many Ice Heart Valley disciples who lived on this ice peak had been alarmed by Bing Die’s shout and came out to see what was happening.
After seeing this scene though, many showed looks of fear.
“It’s Senior Sister Bing Die of the Law Enforcement Hall! How could she be here? And why is she looking for Junior Sister Qing Ya?”
“This is bad, Junior Sister Qing Ya must have made some kind of terrible mistake, right? Why else would this disaster have appeared?”
“Impossible, Qing Ya has always fulfilled her duties to the Sect diligently and even seems to have earned great merit recently. How could she have committed a mistake?”
“That may not be so. I heard a Senior Sister from the Inner Island say that somehow, a few days ago, Junior Sister Qing Ya deeply angered Great Elder.”
“I also heard about that. It seems that a Senior Sister named Zhou Yun Xuan also injured her at that time.”
“Impossible, Junior Sister Qing Ya has an exceptionally good relationship with Su Yan. With Su Yan backing her, who would dare beat her?”
…..
In short order, and one after another, every single disciple on this ice peak came out from their cave mansions and began standing around watching from afar.
Even with all the whispers going around her, the lead woman named Bing Die remained unmoved, simply staring at Qing Ya indifferently for a moment before shouting in a low tone, “Qing Ya, as an Ice Heart Valley disciple who has received much care from the Sect, not only do you not understand how to show gratitude, you actually dared colluded with outsiders to shake the foundation of my Ice Heart Valley! By order of the Elder Council, Qing Ya, we are to have your cultivation crippled and from today forward, expelled from Ice Heart Valley. You are to never set foot on Pure Ice Island again!”
Bing Die’s few words stirred up an uproar from the crowd, with all the onlooking disciples calling out in shock. Many women covered their mouths with their hands as they directed looks of disbelief and sympathy towards Qing Ya.
Having one’s cultivation crippled and being expelled from Ice Heart Valley was the harshest punishment the Sect could make. This was a fate even worse than outright executing a person.
Death ended everything in an instant, but if one was crippled and then expelled from Ice Heart Valley, that person would carry an inescapable trauma for the rest of their life, a stain that could never be erased.
Qing Ya’s tender body trembled as her eyes filled with horror and her already pale face turned pure white. Shivering violently, she called out haltingly, “Senior Sister Bing Die, what is this all about?”
Collaborating with outsiders to shake the foundation of Ice Heart Valley was no casual charge. Since Qing Ya had entered Ice Heart Valley, she had never done anything to endanger the Sect, and some time ago, because she had found Yang Kai and brought him back to Pure Ice Island, she even earned the Valley Master’s praise, so how could she suddenly fall into this situation?
Bing Die’s sudden visit and announcement was a shock too great for her to immediately accept.
“What your sin is, you know in your heart!” Bing Die glared at Qing Ya indifferently, not showing any intention to explain, “Are you going to cripple yourself or do you want Senior Sister to do it? Let me say this first, if you do it yourself, things will be easier, but if you force Senior Sister to take action, you won’t be spared any pain!”
“Senior Sister Bing Die!” Qing Ya grit her teeth and a fierce light of resistance appeared in her horrified eyes, “Junior Sister has never done anything to endanger the Sect, and has never colluded with outsiders to shake the foundation of Ice Heart Valley. Junior Sister refuses to accept such charges without knowing their basis, I want to see the Elders or Valley Master!”
Qing Ya naturally would not just stand by and accept being accused of such a great crime; however, after some quick thinking, she had a vague guess as to why this was happening.
The so-called collusion with outsiders she had committed was nothing more than her contacting Yang Kai.
Yang Kai had come to Pure Ice Island because of her.
As for shaking the foundation of Ice Heart Valley, to put it simply, this was probably related to Su Yan’s cultivation. Su Yan had always been regarded by Ran Yun Ting as the future pillar of Ice Heart Valley, so bringing about a negative consequence to her cultivation was akin to shaking the foundation of Ice Heart Valley.
However, looking at it from a different perspective, this action probably had a completely different purpose.
The Law Enforcement Hall was most likely dispatched here because it received some kind of order from Ran Yun Ting.
“You may not see any of the Elders or the Valley Master. Today, the decision rests solely with me! I will give you ten breaths to think it over carefully!” Bing Die remained unmoved as she continued to stare at Qing Ya coldly.
All blood drained from Qing Ya’s face as she felt her heart breaking in two.
She was nothing more than a Second-Order Saint King, how could she resist the will of the Law Enforcement Hall?
If she really tried to resist, today, this place would become where her bones were buried. Qing Ya had heard about the methods used by the Senior Sisters of the Law Enforcement Hall.
Qing Ya smiled mirthlessly as a cold wind blew past her, but it was her heart that truly felt cold.
When she had first entered Ice Heart Valley, she was still filled with joy as she secretly thanked the Heavens she had met Ran Yun Ting, such a noble character, at the most difficult time in her life. After entering the Sect, she had been scrupulously about fulfilling her duties and responsibilities as a disciple, never once disobeying an order from the Sect.
She never relied on Su Yan’s identity and status to seek some kind of advantage for herself; even though she was more than capable of doing so.
She wanted to rely on her own efforts and step by step, strengthen herself, not so she could stand on the same level as Su Yan, but at least to the point where she wouldn’t disgrace herself. No matter what, the two of them had both come from the same homeland and joined Ice Heart Valley at the same time, but now Su Yan’s cultivation was soaring. So, if Qing Ya fell too far behind, others would only make irresponsible comments behind her back.
A few days ago, Ran Yun Ting had reprimanded her mercilessly and she had been injured by a Senior Sister named Zhou Yun Xuan, but even so, Qing Ya did not utter any complaints and simply returned to the Outer Island to enter retreat.
She knew that her actions at the time were indeed a bit reckless and not someone else’s fault.
But today, the charges levelled against her by Bing Die were like a bolt of lightning striking her, leaving her completely disheartened.
Great Elder intended to kill her ruthlessly!
She was just a small Outer Island disciple with no status to speak of, but just because she was an acquaintance with Yang Kai, Great Elder wasn’t willing to forgive her? Moreover, she was being accused of such heinous crimes.
Colluding with outsiders, shaking Ice Heart Valley’s foundation…
Qing Ya’s beautiful eyes gradually dimmed, and the look of resistance in her eyes gradually disappeared.
“You have three breaths left!” Bing Die said coldly.
Qing Ya brushed her hair back behind her ear, elegantly bowed to Bing Die, and said softly, “Senior Sister Bing Die, Junior Sister has a request she must trouble you with.”
Bing Die frowned slightly for a moment before nodding, “Speak.”
“Please do not let Su Yan know about today’s affairs. If she asks about me in the future, tell her that I have simply gone out for life experience.”
“Don’t concern yourself with Su Yan, Great Elder will give her an explanation,” Bing Die sneered, “Did you think you could survive by mentioning Su Yan’s name? The Law Enforcement Hall treats all impartially, even Su Yan. Nothing you say will stop what happens here today.”
She apparently thought that Qing Ya had ulterior motives and was trying to use Su Yan’s status to make them back down.
“Junior Sister had no such intentions,” Qing Ya smiled bitterly.
“Your time is up, your decision!” Bing Die issued an ultimatum.
“Senior Sister, please!” Qing Ya slowly closed her eyes.
Reaching her current cultivation was a long and tortuous path, so Qing Ya did not have the heart to simply destroy it all herself.
“As you wish!” A cold light flashed across Bing Die’s eyes as she lifted her palm and pressed it towards Qing Ya.
A blast of ice-cold energy flew out from the palm of her hand, one that contained great destructive power.
Exclamations sounded all around as countless Ice Heart Valley disciples watched.
Many people frowned secretly and showed reluctant expressions on their faces.
Their strength was not weak so they could naturally tell that Bing Die’s palm wasn’t meant to simply cripple Qing Ya’s cultivation, it was intended to kill her!
Even if Qing Ya managed to survive somehow, she would be seriously wounded, and may even be worse off than an ordinary mortal in the future, unable to take care of herself.
Sighing to themselves, many turned their heads, unwilling to witness such a cruel scene.
Bing Die’s eyes were frigid, seemingly containing no emotions a normal person should, only coldness.
“Hm?” Suddenly, Bing Die exclaimed.
Just as her palm was about to hit Qing Ya, in a flash, a new figure appeared in front of her.
This figure lifted his hand carelessly and seemingly lightly pushed it out.
In the next moment, Bing Die’s beautiful face paled as she felt a terrifying force fly towards her, one that not only scattered her attack but also shattered the Saint Qi defence around her body.
Like a paper kite with a broken thread, Bing Die was sent through the air as she coughed up blood without any ability to resist.
With a thud, Bing Die landed heavily on the snow and slid back a few dozen metres before finally coming to a stop.
