Although the Sixth elder's words were very quiet, Ri Guang had now reached Qi refining, stage 6 after all, and could hear what he said.
'He knows about me? He also knows I am a Human pill?'
Ri Guang thought to himself: 'Could it be… he also knows about the Human Pill Slave Brand in my dantian?
Ri Guang could be 90% certain that the Sixth elder knew a lot about the Human Pill and the Human Pill Slave Brand.
It should be known that the secret of him being a Human pill seemed to be known only to himself. Even if the Sect master had seen him, he would not have recognized it.
But the Sixth elder only needed to look at him to recognize he was a Human pill, which not only surprised him but also made him suspect that the Sixth elder was related to those evil cultivators.
At this moment, the Sixth elder's gaze toward him was filled with greed, as if in the next second, he would be eaten whole by the Sixth elder.
"You say you were the one who killed LeeXiao?" the Sixth elder asked.
Ri Guang nodded slightly.
"Hahaha…" the Sixth elder suddenly laughed loudly: "Even if you ambushed him, the difference between Qi refining, stage 2 and stage 7 is still immense."
"Ri Guang, I advise you not to lie. Was it LanYue who killed LeeXiao? If you tell the truth, not only will I not blame you, but on the contrary, I can even take you in as my disciple."
ChenYa was startled to hear this, cupping his hands toward the Sixth elder and hurriedly saying: "Master, what do you mean? Why…"
"When I do things, do I need you to interfere?" the Sixth elder interrupted ChenYa's words.
Although he was very angry and confused, this was his master, and also the master of the Law Enforcement Hall; therefore, he could only shut his mouth.
Ri Guang frowned; he knew very well that the Sixth elder certainly had no good intentions in taking him as a disciple.
He took a deep breath, then said: "Sixth elder, I am telling the truth. I have actually liked senior sister LanYue for a long time, but she was already the senior brother's cultivation partner, so I was jealous of him."
"I used wine to get him drunk, intending to act, but I didn't expect that he wouldn't get drunk; instead, he wanted to… do that thing with me."
At the mention of this, both the Sixth elder and ChenYa did not show too much emotion, treating it as a normal occurrence.
Ri Guang continued: "But I don't know why, when he was in dual cultivation with me, suddenly, his cultivation transferred to my body, and then… he lost all his cultivation."
"In a fit of rage, I beat him to death, then burned his corpse, thinking no one would find him. But in the end…"
"But I think I am not guilty. Within the sect, it is said that disciples can fight to compete for a cultivation partner; he and I were only fighting to win over senior sister."
After saying this, Ri Guang sighed, as if what he did, though perfect, had been discovered.
"You are lying!" ChenYa shouted, then turned toward the Sixth elder again, hurriedly accusing: "Master, I feel that he is an evil cultivator. Before, he clearly had no cultivation, then suddenly increased to Qi refining, stage 2; he is definitely using an evil cultivator's cultivation technique."
"Besides, how could there be a case where during dual cultivation, the cultivation of the stronger person is passed to the weaker one? Master, we should use torture to force him to tell the truth. Not just him, but LanYue as well."
The Sixth elder stroked his chin, his eyes staring intently at Ri Guang, a greedy smile appearing on his face, as if he had understood something.
He smiled and said: "Interesting… truly interesting… it seems I need to learn more about you."
"Master?!" ChenYa was startled, not understanding what the Sixth elder meant.
Ri Guang, kneeling on the ground, also shivered with fear, feeling as if he were being stared at by a greedy monster, which was extremely uncomfortable.
The Sixth elder said: "Since you have cultivation, then from now on, follow me."
"Master?! Then what about LeeXiao?" ChenYa shouted angrily.
The Sixth elder frowned and said: "Are you talking back to me?"
ChenYa also realized he had lost control, hurriedly kneeling on one knee and bowing his head: "I am sorry, Master. I… I just wanted to demand justice for senior brother."
"Huh!" the Sixth elder snorted with disdain.
But at this moment, Ri Guang spoke up: "Thank you for the Sixth elder's kindness. But my aptitude is extremely poor, not suitable for cultivation; it was only a bit of serendipity that allowed me to breakthrough to this realm."
"If I follow the Sixth elder, I fear it will only waste your time and resources, therefore, I… UGH!!!"
BAM!
The Sixth elder's pressure crashed down like a mountain, not giving him a chance to breathe. The air around him thickened, every inch of his flesh feeling as if it were being crushed.
CRACK!!!
A dry, piercing sound rang out. Ri Guang's knee bones shattered in an instant, the force pulling his entire body to slam hard against the stone floor.
The spot where he knelt immediately dented, with crooked cracks spreading in all directions like a spider web. The pain tore straight into his marrow, making his vision go dark.
Ri Guang gritted his teeth, a fishy taste rising in his throat. He forcefully spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, the red streak splashing onto the cold stone floor.
His two hands trembled as they pushed against the ground, ten fingers almost digging into the cracks, trying not to let himself collapse entirely. But under that pressure, every breath was like being suffocated.
"Allowing you to be my disciple is your good fortune, yet you are so foolish, not knowing what is good for you," the Sixth elder said; although his voice was still very indifferent, it now carried a terrifying coldness.
He smiled, a wicked smile: "Hahahaha… Daring to resist my orders, then… I must strictly punish you."
The voice was both wicked and carried a hint of effeminacy, like the eunuchs of old ringing piercingly, making Ri Guang tremble. He tried to force himself up, but the pressure on him was too horrific, almost as if it was about to crush him.
The Sixth elder waved his hand, and the members of the Law Enforcement Hall immediately went outside.
ChenYa looked at the Sixth elder, wanting to say something, but in the end could only swallow the words he wanted to speak, bowing in greeting before walking out.
Krit!
The sound of the two wooden doors rang out, then slammed shut.
BAM!
As the wooden doors of the Law Enforcement Hall's main hall closed, the metallic bolt clicked "kleng kleng" as if sealing off Ri Guang's path to life.
He remained kneeling on the cold stone floor, both knees shattered, the pain stabbing straight into his brain. Fresh blood dripped from the corners of his mouth, merging into the spider-web-like cracks beneath his body.
The Sixth elder stood before him, white sleeves hanging down, his gaze burning with a distorted intensity. He took a light breath, as if savoring the scent of blood.
"Human pill…" the Sixth elder muttered, the smile on his lips gradually lengthening. "How long have I been stuck at Foundation Establishment, stage seven? While others breakthrough, I am trapped at this realm like a chained dog."
Ri Guang trembled as he pushed both hands against the ground, his fingernails clawing hard into the stone floor. Only one thought remained in his head: 'Must leave here.'
But the pressure still pressed tightly onto his spine, making it difficult for him to even lift his head.
"Do you know?" the Sixth elder took another step forward, his voice getting lower and more revolting. "A Human pill like you… is the most wonderful thing in this world."
"Your blood, your meat, even your… spiritual power. With just one refining session, I can leap over that bottleneck. Although I don't know why a Human pill like you possesses cultivation, that only proves your value is immense."
Ri Guang gritted his teeth, forcing down his fear: "Sixth… elder… this is the… Law Enforcement Hall… you dare…"
"Law Enforcement Hall?" the Sixth elder burst out laughing, the laughter echoing in the empty hall. "Hahahaha… Here, I… am the law."
He waved his hand.
WHOONG!!!
A sound like a tolling bell rang out, and a black bronze tripod appeared in mid-air, its body covered in patterns like crawling tree roots, emitting a cold and dark aura.
The lid of the tripod flipped open, and inside was a deep, bottomless darkness, like the mouth of a hungry beast breathing out horrific heat.
Ri Guang felt a chill down his spine. His heart pounded wildly. He wanted to call the System, wanted to do anything, but his throat only produced a raspy breath.
This time, he truly could not escape.
The Sixth elder looked at him as if looking at a delicious dish, smiling as he said: "Don't struggle. It only hurts a little… then you will 'transform' into something useful."
He flicked his fingers.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Strands of spiritual power like chains shot out from his sleeves, wrapping around Ri Guang's shoulders, back, and neck.
They tightened, dragging him across the stone floor. Broken bones rubbed against each other, making his vision go dark; he couldn't help but spit out another mouthful of blood.
"Cough…!" Ri Guang hissed, his two hands trying to hold on. His ten fingers dug into the cracks, flesh breaking into blood. He pulled and crawled at the same time, like a beast being dragged into a slaughterhouse.
LanYue's face appeared in his mind. If he disappeared here, what would happen to her?
"You still have the strength to resist? How interesting… hahahaha," the Sixth elder narrowed his eyes, his smile becoming even more twisted. "The more you struggle, the more I like it."
The strand of spiritual power yanked hard.
Ri Guang was pulled up from the ground, his body suspended in the air, then dragged straight toward the mouth of the tripod. The heat and the stench of metallic blood hit his face, making him feel nauseous to the extreme.
'Will I die here?' he thought to himself, filled with despair and exhaustion.
At the very moment the Sixth elder's spiritual power was about to pull him completely inside…
BOOM!!!
The hall doors were violently smashed open. Shattered wood shot inward like rain, fragments spinning and flying across the stone floor. A powerful gust of wind swept through, blowing away the dust and Ri Guang's hair.
Light from the outside flooded in.
Amidst the hazy screen of dust, a graceful figure stepped inside. A jade-green dress swayed gently, her slender waist tilting with every step, as if the place she was entering was not the Law Enforcement Hall but a night banquet.
A voice rang out, lazy and wanton, yet carrying a type of pressure that made the entire hall seem to turn cold by half: "Eh ~"
Ri Guang's eyes widened; seeing that silhouette, he immediately recognized who it was. He knew that person, having seen her a few times before.
The Second elder of the Hehuan Sect, Mu Qingyao.
She tilted her head, the corners of her lips curling up, her gaze glancing over the black bronze tripod and then stopping on his suspended body.
The Sixth elder's expression changed, his sleeves trembling slightly: "Second… Second elder?!"
Mu Qingyao took another step; a piece of wood flying toward her suddenly stopped as if hitting an invisible wall, then fell to the ground.
She smiled faintly, her eyes like thin blades. She spoke with a smile, her voice cold and arrogant to the extreme.
"It seems the Sixth elder wants to eat alone."