The master and disciple proceeded one after the other, leaving the shallow beach and walking on the surface of the water, where the waves were slightly calmer. Tianxuan led the way, dressed in luxurious robes that trailed on the ground, emanating supreme dignity, while Jiang Li followed behind with a clear and elegant demeanor. Despite being a disciple, he did not show any hint of clinging to his master but had an impressive aura of his own.

Jiang Li had come a long way, ascending to a fifth-rank. The myriad experiences and the Dao Fruit had brought him invaluable benefits, now making him quite capable.

When they were about a mile away from the shallow beach, an invisible barrier was set up. Tianxuan parted her lips to speak in a calm and unhurried manner, "The Sect Leader's disciple truly has inherited his strategic foresight. Earlier, when Elder Kaixiang used his Divine Skills to investigate, the first ones he chose to check were myself and Yun Jiuye. However, he didn't detect anything unusual, which shows that he was well-prepared."

"Whether his plan succeeds or fails, Elder Kaixiang will pursue this matter, and the eldest was naturally prepared for this, which is not surprising," replied Jiang Li. "What surprised me was the other responses. He might have been prepared to give up on Fifth Brother a long time ago."

"Mm," Tianxuan nodded slightly.

Then, as if speaking offhandedly, she said, "However, with Yun Jiuye's Realm, it's unlikely that he could have managed everything perfectly. Perhaps, he has left some trace behind."

"Causality,"

As Tianxuan turned around, her bright eyes from beneath the light veil fell upon Jiang Li, "Disciple, you should also be at the Realm where you can observe causality. Share your opinion."

Jiang Li: "..."

Isn't this change of topic a bit too abrupt?

And how does she know that I've touched upon this Realm?

[A moment's thought had Jiang Li recalling how he used causality to return to his true self. In that instant, he grasped the marriage line between Tianxuan and himself and followed it back to his body. But this action also caused the originally hidden marriage line to reappear, which meant...]

[Someone had doubts.]

As the text and a flash of insight appeared in his mind, Jiang Li felt a tightening in his heart.

If someone had doubts, it means that someone might be exposed.

"This..." Jiang Li pondered for a moment as if recalling a certain sensation, then responded, "Please forgive your disciple's dullness. I am still far from observing causality and can only touch the threshold. If it were not for a breakthrough during my ascension that allowed me a vague sense of the causality with my master, I might not have been able to complete the ascension."

"Is that so?"

Tianxuan's gaze lingered on Jiang Li's face as if trying to see through his heart, and she nonchalantly added, "Our master-disciple relationship is connected by Qi Shu, and we inherit from the same lineage. It's not surprising to have this connection."

"Is it the master-disciple connection through Qi Shu? I always felt it was a bit strange," Jiang Li said with a frown.

"What else could there be?" Tianxuan stated indifferently.

So, it is the master-disciple connection through Qi Shu; there's no other possibility!

Jiang Li agreed, well aware that what his master says is right. He then turned to the matter at hand, "Has the master detected any oversight on Yun Jiuye's part?"

"Unfortunately, I haven't spotted any oversight," Tianxuan shook her head, and then with a gentle wave of her hand, tiny stars materialized in front of her, continuously rotating to form a Star Map. "I have been calculating Yun Jiuye's actions in secret, but so far, there has been no result."

She spoke of regret, but there was no hint of it in her voice.

Because no result was in itself the biggest cause for suspicion.

Today, there are quite a few methods in the world to shield oneself from Tianxuan's Divination. The simplest is to use a Second Grade Daoist Artifact to Suppress one's Qi Shu.

Although it's commonly known that Divination fails to read those who have reached the level of third grade, once one has attained the level of third or second grade, common knowledge is not very effective. Many Second Grade Daoist Artifacts possess Divine Skills related to the Heavenly Mechanism, which could cause significant interference.

However, these are methods that only the powerful can use, and Yun Jiuye, being fifth-rank, doesn't count as powerful.

"Either Yun Jiuye is under the protection of a Great Venerable, but even if he secretly joined the Devil God Sect without possessing the Dao Fruit of a demon, ghost, and monster, he wouldn't be entitled to such protection. Or, perhaps, there is someone else whose expertise in Yi Dao is at least equal to mine, shielding him."

Tianxuan gently manipulated the nebula and said, "But even if it's the Sect Leader, his proficiency in Yi Dao shouldn't surpass mine. For many years, it has been I who have held the "Dragon Armor Divine Chapter" and the Wordless Heavenly Scripture, not him."

Yes, theoretically it was so.

"The Yin Talisman Scripture," Jiang Li picked up the conversation, "if the Sect Leader had cultivated the Yin Talisman Scripture, or even if Yun Jiuye had cultivated it, what then?"

The grand thought in Ling Wujue's Sea of Consciousness was something Jiang Li had never forgotten, and the only ones capable of reforming Ling Wujue were but a few.

Among them, the most likely was Yun Jiuye.

Back then, when Ling Wujue forcibly cultivated the Jiuli Saber Scripture and fell into madness, it was Yun Jiuye who saved him, and afterwards helped him overcome the threshold. Ling Wujue had since been utterly loyal to Yun Jiuye. If someone who had cultivated the Yin Talisman Scripture had taken action at that time, the Jiuli Saber Scripture would naturally have succeeded easily.

"Do you suspect Ji Jiji?"

Tianxuan thought of this family member who had disappeared from the Ji Family's records.

Ji Jiji had been killed over two hundred years ago, but he had previously separated a part of his Divine Soul, using a Ginsengfruit as a body, and left that Cave Heaven Blessed Land; though his body died, his soul survived completely.

Given the characteristics of the Ginsengfruit, even if Ji Jiji didn't cultivate, he might still be alive now, let alone considering his profound Realm, daring to covet the Heavenly Dao; how could he not continue to cultivate?

Tianxuan's voice grew tense, "If it's him, indeed he would be above your teacher, plus the Yin Talisman Scripture deceives both heaven and mankind, having methods to shield against Echange Skill is not strange."

"Even if you think carefully, there is indeed a great possibility that the Sect Leader is Ji Jiji."

"Also?" Jiang Li noticed a blind spot.

"The other possible person is the Great Venerable," Tianxuan explained, "Ji Jiji died over two hundred years ago, while the Great Venerable emerged almost two hundred years ago. Moreover, the Feng family was supposed to be exterminated but suddenly a descendant appeared. However, today, your teacher has ruled out the Great Venerable as a suspect."

"The Great Venerable has made an Oath of Heaven with someone, while Ji Jiji had completely severed ties with the Ji Family years ago, the Qi Shu of the Ji Family already broken. If the Great Venerable were him, he should not have the ability to take an oath."

At this, Tianxuan and Jiang Li locked gazes, their eyes glimmering as if they could draw Jiang Li in, "He has violated an oath today, Heaven has sent a warning, Heavenly Thunder strikes him; tell me, with whom did he make an oath?"

It should be me...

Jiang Li was tempted to boast, but if he did, he would likely be the one struck by lightning.

At the same time, he couldn't help but suspect: 'Could my dear elder brother truly be the Great Venerable?'

One was the strongest under the heavens, the other a royal affiliated son-in-law. Aside from shamelessness, they really had nothing in common.

But if they weren't the same person, why would the Great Venerable be struck by lightning today?

Previously, the Great Venerable had suddenly appeared and stirred up trouble. Though Jiang wasn't at the scene, he heard the Great Venerable's provoking speech through enhanced hearing and clearly understood why the Great Venerable was struck by lightning.

It's not that I'm being narcissistic, Jiang thought. He couldn't think of anyone else but himself who could have caused the Great Venerable to be struck by lightning.

While pondering, Jiang Li and Tianxuan continued to look at each other, and from this woman's eyes, he saw a kind of suspicion.

Perhaps Tianxuan had already figured out who had made the oath with the Feng family.

After all, Jiang Li had previously been able to enter Wushan directly and was even given the Fuxi Bloodline by the Great Venerable using the Demon Refining Pot. Tianxuan... no, Gongsun Yuanxi had been involved in this whole experience, even paying a price for it; how could she fail to guess the situation?

'My secrets are nearly all exposed before this woman,' Jiang Li sighed internally. Then, in all seriousness, he said, "That would have to be a mysterious and unfathomable, a peerless individual with unpredictable powers of ghosts and gods, else how could they make an Oath of Heaven with one as powerful as the Great Venerable?"

Even with Tianxuan's experience, she was taken aback by these startling words.

"Heh," Tianxuan said with a half-smile, "The one who could make a pact with the Great Venerable, that troublemaker, is surely also a troublemaker, not some peerless individual."

Yet even as troublemakers go, speaking of the Great Venerable, Tianxuan seemed like she would have him struck by lightning alive. But when mentioning this one, there was an indescribable feeling in her heart.

It seemed there were indeed differences among troublemakers.

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