From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 260 The Immortal Sect's Predicament: Xiao Yao Turns the Tide

Although the light from the recording stone dispelled the black wind's lies, it failed to completely dispel the gloom that shrouded the Immortal Gate.

Although people's accusations have turned to Heifeng, the seeds of doubt in their eyes as they look at me do not seem to have been completely eradicated.

I could feel their scrutinizing gazes, like fine needles pricking my back.

I had no time to pay attention to those stares; I had to strike while the iron was hot and completely crush the enemy's plot.

I began running around the Immortal Sect like a tireless spinning top, desperately collecting more evidence in an attempt to clear the sect's name.

I carefully reviewed and examined every record and every clue, afraid of missing any detail.

However, my efforts were like a stone thrown into an abyss, without creating even a ripple.

I found that the evidence I possessed was being manipulated by an invisible hand, constantly disappearing or being altered.

The once clear handwriting became blurred and illegible, and the once complete evidence became fragmented.

I felt a deep sense of powerlessness, like a bottomless black hole that was swallowing my hope.

I feel deeply exhausted, not only physically, but also mentally.

I felt like I was groping in the dark, unable to see the road ahead.

The people around me, those who once had expectations of me, now have complicated feelings.

I could feel their whispers, like countless mosquitoes buzzing around my ears, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. I could only feel the oppressive atmosphere in the air.

A feeling of loneliness and despair washed over me like a tide.

I felt like a lost soul abandoned in the wilderness, the road ahead shrouded in mist, endless darkness behind me, and only endless emptiness in my heart.

Just then, a familiar voice called out to me, "Xiao Yao, wait a minute."

I stopped and turned around, and saw Ziyun walking hurriedly towards me, her face showing a hint of anxiety.

"Xiao Yao, are you alright? I heard..." She hesitated, her eyes filled with worry.

I forced myself to stay awake and wanted to tell her I was okay, but the words caught in my throat and I couldn't make a sound.

I tried to force a smile to reassure her, but I found that my smile looked worse than a grimace.

Ziyun seemed to sense my exhaustion. She grasped my hand tightly and said, "Xiao Yao, don't panic. Let's think of a solution together!"

Just then, a cold voice came from afar: "Xiao Yao, come with me."

I looked up and saw Elder Xuan standing not far away, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

Without hesitation, I followed Elder Xuan, but a sense of unease rose in my heart.

Ziyun's worried gaze was like a faint ray of light, trying to illuminate the gloom in my heart, but the surrounding air remained heavy, making it hard for me to breathe.

I nodded at her with difficulty as a response, but my throat felt like it was blocked, and I couldn't make a sound.

I followed Elder Xuan to a secluded courtyard. He had his back to me, and his voice, though steady, carried a hint of unspoken heaviness. “Xiao Yao, this matter is more complicated than we anticipated.”

My heart sank, and I had a vague sense of foreboding.

“Within the Immortal Sect, voices of instability have begun to emerge.” Elder Xuan slowly turned around. His eyes were as deep as an ancient well, revealing no emotion, but I could sense a hint of repression from his tightly pursed lips.

“Some disciples have begun to doubt your innocence and the fairness of the immortal sect.”

His words struck my heart like a heavy hammer.

I originally thought that everything would get better once Black Wind's lies were proven true, but I never expected that things would be far more complicated than I imagined.

Once the seeds of rumors are sown, they are very difficult to eradicate completely.

A wave of helplessness washed over me, and it felt as if a huge rock was pressing on my chest, making it hard to breathe.

I clenched my fists tightly, my nails digging deep into my palms, the pain keeping me sane.

I cannot fall; I must not let the enemy's plot succeed.

I took a deep breath and tried to keep my voice calm. "Elder, I will do my best to prove my innocence."

"It's not just you." Elder Xuan looked at me, his tone even more serious, "but also the innocence of the Immortal Sect."

I understand what he means. This time, I'm not just doing this for myself, but also for the reputation of the entire Immortal Sect.

I felt the burden on my shoulders was heavier, and I was more clearly aware of the pressure around me.

I forced myself to calm down and started thinking of a solution.

Just then, I saw Mingyue walking towards me from a distance. She passed by me without looking at me or even glancing at me.

My heart ached, and I wanted to call out to her and explain, but she walked straight past me, leaving me with a cold, indifferent back view.

She used to be an ally who supported me and was willing to speak up for me, but now she ignores me.

My sense of frustration intensified, as if another boulder was pressing down on my chest.

The atmosphere in the courtyard grew increasingly tense, as if the air itself had frozen.

The pressure around me felt like an invisible cage, suffocating me.

I tried to take deep breaths to shake off the oppressive feeling.

At this moment, Elder Xuan suddenly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of weariness I had never heard before, "Xiao Yao, come with me, there are some people who want to see you."

No sooner had he finished speaking than I saw several disciples of the immortal sect emerge from the shadows. Their faces held a hint of hostility. I recognized the one in the lead; he was the sect leader's newly accepted disciple...

His gaze made me uneasy, and a sense of foreboding arose within me.

Elder Xuan led me to the Immortal Sect Square, where many disciples had already gathered. Hei Feng stood in the center of the crowd, looking smug.

Standing next to him was an unfamiliar man, his head down, shoulders hunched, looking timid.

My heart sank suddenly and an ominous premonition came over me.

"Xiao Yao, you've finally arrived." Hei Feng's voice was sharp and piercing, like a blade cutting through my eardrums. "This senior brother can testify that you are the mastermind behind spreading rumors!"

The man raised his head, his eyes flickering, and said in a trembling voice, "I...I personally witnessed Xiao Yao instructing others to spread rumors and tarnish the reputation of the immortal sect..."

His words were like a bucket of cold water poured over my head, chilling me to the bone.

I was so angry that I was trembling all over, my vision went black, and I almost couldn't stand up.

The disciples around me began to whisper among themselves, and their suspicious gazes were once again directed at me, like sharp thorns piercing my heart.

"You're talking nonsense!" I roared, my voice trembling with rage. "I've never done such a thing!"

"Facts speak louder than words." Black Wind sneered, his eyes filled with malice. "What else do you have to say?"

I bit my lip tightly, my nails digging deep into my palms, the pain keeping me sane.

I can't let myself be defeated like this; I must find a way to fight back!

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down.

I looked around at the doubtful, mocking, and indifferent eyes, and a burning anger ignited in my heart.

"Do you really believe him?" My voice trembled, yet it was full of strength. "Do you really think I would do something so damaging to the immortal sect?"

The surrounding disciples fell silent; their

Seeing a glimmer of hope, I continued, "If I really did it, why would I go to the trouble of exposing Black Wind's lies? What benefit would I gain from doing so?"

My question was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples.

The surrounding disciples began to whisper among themselves.

Just then, I noticed that the man's eyes were darting around, and his hands were tightly gripping the hem of his clothes, as if he was trying his best to hide something.

A thought flashed through my mind.

I pointed at the man and asked in an icy tone, "You, lift your head and look at me!"

The man suddenly raised his head, and I stared intently into his eyes, saying each word clearly, "Who sent you?"

The man trembled violently when I questioned him sharply. His already pale face turned even more ashen, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. He hurriedly looked away, unable to meet my gaze.

"I...I..." he stammered, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time, his eyes darting around like a startled hare.

His unusual behavior further confirmed my suspicions.

I sneered, my gaze sharp as a knife, shooting straight at Black Wind. "Black Wind, you went to great lengths to find a lousy actor just to frame me?"

"I...I don't know what you're talking about!" Black Wind's smile froze on his face.

"Don't know?" I pressed on relentlessly, each step feeling like stepping on a sore spot. "You think you can get away with it by finding a scapegoat? You've underestimated my eyesight, and you've underestimated the wisdom of the masses!"

I turned around and faced the disciples who had once doubted me, my voice firm and resolute, “Fellow disciples, I, Xiao Yao, would never do anything to damage the reputation of the immortal sect. Rumors stop with the wise. Please open your eyes and don’t be deceived by villains!”

My words, like a sharp sword, pierced through the fog that shrouded everyone's hearts.

They began to whisper among themselves, discussing the matter, and many people's initially skeptical gazes began to turn into doubt and scrutiny.

I stared intently at the man with his head down; he was trembling all over, like a leaf falling in the wind.

I demanded again in a stern voice, "Who instructed you to frame me? Tell me! I'm giving you one last chance!"

The man suddenly raised his head, and I saw a trace of despair, a trace of powerlessness, and a trace of helplessness in his eyes.

"You won't talk? No problem, I have ways to make you talk!" A cold smile curled at the corner of my lips.

I kicked Black Wind hard in the back of the knee, and he fell to his knees with a wail.

I bent down, leaned close to his ear, and said in a voice only the two of us could hear, "You think I don't know what you've done? You think you've covered your tracks perfectly? Black Wind, your tricks end here."

I could feel Black Wind's body tremble violently.

"Xiao Yao, are you alright?" Zi Yun's voice was full of concern. She quickly walked to my side, took my hand, and her warm palm gave me a sense of strength.

"I'm fine." I gave her a relieved smile, and the weariness and depression in my heart seemed to disappear at that moment.

"Xiao Yao, you're amazing!" Zi Yun exclaimed excitedly. "I knew you were being framed!"

The disciples around me also cast friendly glances at me. They began to greet me and praise my courage and wit. I could feel the goodwill emanating from them, which was completely different from the indifference and suspicion they had shown before. The tense atmosphere in the air finally eased.

But I know this is not the end; the real enemy is still lurking in the shadows.

"This matter is not over yet..." I murmured to myself, looking at the gradually darkening sky in the distance.

Elder Xuan walked to my side, patted my shoulder, and said in a weary but firm voice, “Xiao Yao, come with me.”