After being jilted by the saintess at the beginning, why is she crying?

The atmosphere in the hall became heavy again.

The elders who had been preparing to leave sat back down in their chairs, their eyes scanning back and forth between Lin Fengmian and Elder Xiao. Some were gloating, some were watching coldly, and some looked worried.

Lin Fengmian stood in the center of the hall, his face calm and composed, showing no sign of panic.

His gaze swept subtly over the elders who had jumped out to object, memorizing their faces one by one.

Elder Li, Elder Xiao, and those few who chimed in...

He memorized them all, one by one.

A gentleman takes his revenge, even after ten years.

He has plenty of time.

As for the current turmoil—

Lin Fengmian's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile.

With the Supreme Elder's immunity from death in his hand, he's really not afraid of these people causing any trouble.

……

Meanwhile, at the highest point of the Hehuan Sect.

Inside that palace, shrouded in mist and perpetually covered in ice and snow.

A pristine white figure sat gracefully on a jade couch, her beautiful eyes slightly lowered, observing everything in the council hall through a shimmering water mirror in front of her.

When Elder Xiao stepped forward and launched a sharp attack on Lin Fengmian, a ripple suddenly appeared in his usually calm eyes.

The ripples were faint, yet they were real.

Like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples.

She looked at the figure in green robes reflected in the water mirror, watched him being surrounded and humiliated in public, and a strange sense of irritation welled up in her heart.

The irritation came without reason, yet it was so real that she couldn't ignore it.

She clearly didn't want to get involved in these trivial matters.

She secluded herself for a century, detached from worldly affairs, leaving all sect matters to Honglian.

Even if the sky were to fall, it wouldn't be her place as the Supreme Elder to worry about it.

But when she saw those people surrounding and attacking Lin Fengmian, a surge of anger rose involuntarily in her heart.

The anger was mild, yet it was enough to make her lose her usual composure.

"This is truly... the fault of a split soul."

Her red lips parted slightly, her voice clear and bright, yet tinged with a hint of helplessness.

She raised her hand and gently pressed it against those proud peaks.

Through the thin fabric of her clothes, she could clearly feel the beating of her heart in her chest.

It was a few minutes faster than usual.

That fragment of soul, having spent so much time with Lin Fengmian, had already fallen deeply in love with him.

Although the fragmented soul has now returned to its original body, that feeling remains, like a brand, etched into her soul.

It affected her mind and stirred her emotions.

She took a deep breath, suppressing her agitation, and was about to look away—

In the water mirror, Elder Xiao became more and more agitated as he spoke, his voice growing louder and louder, and he even began to list all of Lin Fengmian's "misdeeds" since he joined the sect.

His aura was unconsciously released.

The pressure of a Foundation Establishment Grand Perfection cultivator, like an invisible tide, swept over Lin Fengmian.

Lin Fengmian remained motionless, his expression unchanged, and even a faint smile played on his lips.

That smile, in Elder Xiao's eyes, was nothing short of a blatant provocation.

He snorted coldly, his imposing aura intensifying.

Elder Xiao.

A clear, cold voice rang out.

Xiao Fenghuang stepped forward and stood in front of Lin Fengmian.

She was still wearing that light blue dress, but her gentle and graceful face now held a hint of coldness.

Her spiritual power was released suddenly, colliding with Elder Xiao's oppressive aura in mid-air, producing a silent roar.

Both were at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment, and their spiritual power clashed, resulting in a draw.

"When did it become your place to discipline the elders of my Snow Bamboo Peak?" Xiao Fenghuang stared directly at Elder Xiao, his voice not loud, but carrying a chilling aura.

"I, Xiao, have no say in the affairs of the people of Snow Bamboo Peak," Elder Xiao sneered, not giving an inch. "However, this boy's disruption of the sect and his influence on the Holy Maiden are no longer just my personal grudges, but a matter of great importance concerning the sect's reputation!"

"you--!"

Xiao Fenghuang's face turned cold, and he was about to say something else—

"presumptuous."

A voice suddenly rang out in the council hall.

The sound was not loud; in fact, it was very faint.

But right next to Elder Xiao's ears, it was like a thunderclap!

"boom--!"

Elder Xiao felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and every pore on his body was screaming!

His face turned deathly pale instantly, and cold sweat poured down his back.

He tried to speak, but found that his throat was being gripped by an invisible hand, and he couldn't utter a single word.

He tried to move, but found his body stiff as a stone sculpture, unable to lift even a finger.

This aura...

It's the Supreme Elder!

Elder Xiao had only this one thought left in his mind.

The Supreme Elder... actually spoke up himself?!

In the hall, although the other elders did not feel it as strongly as Elder Xiao, they still sensed the faint but powerful pressure.

The oppressive aura wasn't directed at them; it was only slightly leaked out, yet it was enough to terrify them.

Everyone's gaze was involuntarily drawn to the dome of the hall.

It was as if one could see the palace shrouded in mist and clouds, and the figure as white as snow, through the thick stone wall.

Elder Xiao stood frozen in place, cold sweat streaming down his forehead, his back already soaked through.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found his throat so dry that he couldn't make a sound.

He was filled with fear and a trace of resentment.

But in the face of that absolute power, all resentment seemed laughable.

He finally realized—

That kid named Lin Fengmian is not to be messed with.

At least, as long as the Supreme Elder is protecting him, he cannot be harmed.

He lowered his head, slowly backed away, and sat back in his seat, not daring to utter another word.

In the hall, the other elders also composed themselves and dared not say another word.

Lin Fengmian stood in the center of the hall, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips.

really.

This get-out-of-jail-free card is indeed very useful.

……

The highest point of the Hehuan Sect.

In that snow-covered palace.

The Supreme Elder withdrew his oppressive aura, but a strange feeling welled up in his heart.

She looked down at her hands, those hands that were as white as jade and untouched by any dust, and now they were trembling slightly.

It wasn't fear, nor was it exhaustion.

Instead, it was... annoyance.

Anger at oneself.

"Why would I... get involved in something like this?"

She murmured to herself, her voice clear yet tinged with confusion.

She clearly didn't want to get involved.

She secluded herself for a century, detached from worldly affairs, all in order to sever her seven emotions and six desires and recover from her injuries as soon as possible.

But just now—

Seeing those people besieging Lin Fengmian, a surge of anger inexplicably rose in her heart.

That anger compelled her to take action, to threaten.

Although she only released a slight amount of pressure, it already went against her centuries of cultivation.

"It's all because of the split soul."

She bit her lip, and a rare hint of annoyance appeared on her delicate face.