After transmigrating into the body of the protagonist's childhood friend, he was targeted by a

Lin Zhixu thought that nothing else would go wrong in the short term, and that things would be peaceful for a while longer.

But God doesn't fulfill people's wishes.

Within just a few days, news of disciples defecting broke out one after another from various sects.

Those people seemed normal on ordinary days, spending their days with their fellow disciples, but suddenly launched an attack one night without any warning.

They might injure people, break the restrictions, or take advantage of the chaos to steal the sect's treasures.

Even worse, before fleeing, they spread heretical doctrines everywhere and recruited people to join them.

Some weak-willed disciples were brainwashed and ran away as well.

For a time, everyone was filled with unease, and everyone felt that something was wrong with each other.

In order to curb the spread of the situation, the leaders of various factions joined forces to urgently develop a purification array.

This formation can cleanse the evil energy that has accumulated on a cultivator's body, forcing it out.

Therefore, everyone, from the elders to the servants, had to undergo purification and baptism to prove their innocence.

After purification, there will be dedicated personnel to comfort and guide those who have been shaken, helping them to solidify their resolve and return to the righteous path.

If the other party is too stubborn and refuses to see the truth, in order to avoid future trouble, they can only perform physical exorcisms.

When Lin Zhixu heard about this, he was squatting in the yard playing with Xiao Hei.

He listened to the system's retelling without expression, and after a long pause, he only uttered two words: "Fine."

The system doesn't understand: [What does "okay" mean?]

Lin Zhixu stood up and dusted off his clothes: [The gist is, Heaven has seen me living too comfortably lately and is urging us to move on with the plot. So let's go. The sooner it's over, the sooner we can have peace of mind.]

System: [...Aren't you going to struggle any longer? Maybe you can still get away with it?]

Lin Zhixu said calmly, "That purification array isn't just for show. The moment its light shines, I can instantly create a black aura around the entire area. Rather than getting caught red-handed, I'd rather choose an opportunity to end this scene myself."

The system thought that made sense. It then whispered, "What about Yu Linzhou? He's still searching everywhere for a way to help you avoid this purification."

Lin Zhixu paused for a moment, a very faint ripple flashing in his eyes.

But it only lasted for a fleeting moment.

He immediately lowered his eyes, his voice very soft: "That's precisely why I must leave. I can't drag him down with me."

So while Yu Linzhou was still engrossed in various ancient books and forbidden techniques, racking his brains to figure out how to get through this purification, Lin Zhixu, along with Xiao Hei, defected without hesitation.

Yu Linzhou: "...?"

Aren't you taking him along?

……

The news of Feng Heng Immortal Venerable's disciple's defection spread quickly, causing an uproar and much discussion among the major sects.

That's Feng Heng Immortal Venerable's disciple. Even he was corrupted by evil energy, so wouldn't they be in even greater danger?

Immediately, discussions arose.

Some say he was corrupted by demonic energy and lost his mind; others say he had harbored ulterior motives all along; still others are heartbroken, saying they had long seen through his evil intentions.

It's hard to tell what's true and what's false.

The Tianheng Sect convened an emergency meeting overnight.

The main hall was brightly lit, and the elders from all the peaks were gathered together, their faces not looking too good.

This matter has become too big of a fuss. The defection of Feng Heng Immortal Venerable's personal disciple is more serious than the defection of an ordinary disciple, and its impact is extremely negative.

Elder Xuanqing slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups clatter. "I knew something was wrong with that child! I tried to take his pulse several times, but he always made excuses to avoid it. Now look what's happened, he's run away!"

As he spoke, his accusations were directed at Yu Linzhou: "And you! As his master, you actually helped him cover it up! Do you know that you're not protecting him, you're harming him!"

"If demonic energy enters the heart and is not cleared away in time, it can lead to qi deviation at best, and wreak havoc on the region at worst. Given that child's temperament, he will surely become a great threat in the future, and the entire cultivation world will be implicated!"

Yu Linzhou sat at the lower end of the table and, unusually, did not retort.

He couldn't understand why this was happening.

This is unlike Lin Zhixu's style.

Although he was indeed affected by demonic energy, it shouldn't have led to his defection, right?

Did something happen without his knowledge?

Yu Linzhou felt nothing but heartache at this thought.

Seeing his appearance, the Grand Elder sighed deeply: "Alright, there's no use talking about this now. The most urgent task is to complete the purification of the remaining disciples. We must not allow a second defector to appear."

Elder Xuanqing glared at him. "You just keep spoiling him!"

The Grand Elder said helplessly, "Tianheng Sect has already become the target of everyone's criticism. We absolutely cannot allow a second traitor to appear. In particular, we must pay close attention to your personal disciples."

He looked around at everyone and continued, "I will personally explain the matter of Lin Zhixu to the various sects. As for how to deal with him, we'll discuss that after we find him. In the meantime, no one is allowed to act on their own."

When he mentioned "acting on his own," his gaze fell on Yu Linzhou.

It was clearly a warning to him.

Yu Linzhou remained silent.

He didn't say a word until the meeting ended.

Others thought he was just disheartened, but they didn't know that he was just worried about Lin Zhixu's safety.

Fortunately, he didn't show it. If everyone had known, they would have been furious and attacked him.

……

Luo Yiyan was practicing her sword when she heard the news.

He remained frozen in his sword-drawing stance, motionless for a long time.

He couldn't hear a word the people next to him were saying.

Lin Zhixu has defected?

How could that be? He was just rescued, how could he have run off there again on his own?

Could it be true, as those people say, that we've been bewitched by evil spirits?

Luo Yiyan lost interest in practicing swordsmanship and walked alone to the edge of the cliff behind the mountain.

The mountain wind howled, making his hair disheveled.

He stared blankly at the sky.

"What exactly do you want?" he asked in a low voice, which was carried away by the wind.

He recalled many years ago when they were still young.

Lin Zhixu was the most opinionated among them, and he was always the one who came up with ideas whenever they encountered a problem.

Many times, although he appeared to be protecting him, it was actually Lin Zhixu who was protecting him.

They were clearly such good friends.

Later, after joining the Tianheng Sect, everything changed. Lin Zhixu seemed to be carrying a huge secret and refused to tell him.

Even so, Luo Yiyan never thought he was a bad person.

"Lin Zhixu, what are you hiding from us?"

No one answered him. Only the churning clouds below the cliff mirrored his chaotic state of mind.

Luo Yiyan gripped the sword hilt tightly, his gaze slowly shifting from confusion to determination.

Whatever Lin Zhixu wanted to do, he wanted to hear the answer from him personally.

They haven't reached the point of severing all ties yet.

At least he absolutely did not believe that Lin Zhixu would willingly fall into evil ways.

He whispered, "Wait until I find you. If you don't give me an explanation, I'll really cut ties with you."

"I'll never speak to you again for the rest of my life..."

Luo Yiyan paused for a moment.

Forget it, a lifetime is too long.

If Lin Zhixu had his reasons, he was willing to mercifully forgive him.

……

Lin Zhixu finally found Li Hanshan's new and old hideouts using the system's navigation.

Although there was nothing in front of him, Lin Zhixu believed that the system would not make a mistake.

He climbed off Xiao Hei's back, took out a stack of lightning-attracting talismans, and lit them.

Several bolts of lightning struck down upon them.

Inside the palace, several demon generals were terrified.

What's going on? Could it be those two killers again?

They haven't had a chance to recover properly, and this time they really can't win!