Chapter 1071: A Clear Conscience
Chapter 1071: A Clear Conscience
The "All Things Are Like Me" characteristic field had already spread across the area, and Transmitter Jiang could sense that Zhou and the others were not lying.
Now, it was his turn to find the truth hard to accept.
He was, of course, aware of the disturbance at the Immortal Alliance headquarters five years ago. But the incident had been quickly quelled, the only consequence being a reshuffling of the Transmitters responsible for administration. There had been no casualties.
As his primary duty was to maintain the safety and stability of the Xuanhuang Realm, he hadn't intervened at the time.
From his perspective, as long as the Immortal Alliance continued to function smoothly, it made no real difference who was at the helm.
After all, that bunch in the Transmitter Council were all more or less cut from the same cloth.
However, if remnants of the Xuantian Sect had infiltrated the Transmitter Council and were secretly plotting to endanger the Xuanhuang Realm...
Then the nature of the matter was entirely different.
"I will get to the bottom of this," he vowed, his expression grim as he looked at Zhou, Huang, and Wei.
"Time is of the essence. Please, return with me to the Immortal Alliance headquarters."
With that, Jiang turned to the immortal puppet, Li Fan. "You should come with us as well. Had it not been for your warning, I fear I would have remained completely in the dark."
It was merely a puppet body, so Li Fan, naturally fearless, agreed at once.
With a light wave of his hand, Transmitter Jiang manifested a spatial passage leading directly to the Immortal Alliance headquarters and stepped through it first.
Sensing the long-absent yet familiar aura on the other side of the passage, Transmitter Zhou and the other two wore complicated expressions.
After taking a deep breath, they filed through in succession.
No sooner had the immortal puppet Li Fan arrived at the Immortal Alliance headquarters than he heard three deep, resonant chimes tolling from the horizon.
"The Transmitter's Great Bell. Three tolls, and the sound carries across the entire Xuanhuang Realm. Regardless of where they are, or their personal inclinations, any Transmitter who hears the summons must return to the headquarters within a day."
"It's been a long time since I've heard it," Transmitter Wei remarked, a hint of emotion in his voice.
Zhou and Huang's eyes held a similar, wistful sentiment.
The Immortal Alliance headquarters went into lockdown; entry was permitted, but no one was allowed to leave.
Within the deepest reaches of the Immortal Alliance headquarters, a circular council chamber materialized out of thin air.
One after another, Transmitters arrived in the chamber, their expressions solemn.
Though they were unaware of Jiang's reasons for convening the assembly, the tolling of the Great Bell signified that an event of great consequence was unfolding.
As the number of attendees grew, a low murmur of discussion started to ripple through the chamber.
"Huh? Is that Hua? She's here too? Ever since she lost herself in that little paradise world she built, I don't think I've seen her in over a thousand years."
"Never mind Hua. Even Zhou and the others—the exiled ones—are back."
"When was the last time we had a gathering this... eventful?"
...
Once all the surviving Transmitters in the Xuanhuang Realm had gathered, the assembly officially commenced.
Including Transmitter Jiang, there were twenty-eight of them in total.
With the immortal puppet Li Fan also in attendance, the total number of participants rose to twenty-nine.
Li Fan surreptitiously glanced at Transmitter Feng—the man possessed by Mo Rubin.
Strangely, the man showed no trace of fear.
Even upon seeing Li Fan, he betrayed no hint of panic or surprise, offering only a slight nod of acknowledgment.
*Interesting,* Li Fan sneered inwardly, returning the nod.
Transmitter Jiang was concise, explaining to the assembly the possibility that a Law King from the Xuantian Sect had infiltrated their ranks.
His words immediately sent a wave of shock and disbelief through the assembly.
"The Xuantian Sect? Weren't they wiped out long before our time? How can their ghosts still be haunting us after all these years?"
"Possession... without triggering the Heavenly Venerate's wards? Isn't that a little far-fetched?"
"Interesting... most interesting indeed. What an ideal little toy," one of them rasped with a dry chuckle.
The reactions from the assembly were varied.
Then, with all eyes upon him, Transmitter Zhou produced the small puppet Li Fan had given him—a figurine constantly channeling the techniques of the Xuantian Sect.
Hummm...
The instant the figurine appeared, it reacted.
As if alive, its eyes snapped open and stared intently at four individuals in the chamber, one after another, Transmitter Feng among them.
*It only reacted to three of them before. Has another one been possessed in such a short time?* Zhou thought, a mixture of shock and fury rising within him.
"Everyone, here is the proof!" Zhou declared, his voice ringing out as he briefly explained the principles behind the puppet's function.
All eyes in the chamber locked onto Feng and the other three.
Transmitter Jiang's expression darkened. "You..."
Before Jiang could finish his question, Feng cut him off. "I object to Zhou's claim."
"A cultivation technique, in itself, proves nothing."
"The techniques of the Xuantian Sect are a legacy from the Immortal Realm. I was fortunate enough to acquire a few of their scrolls, and as a passionate cultivator, I couldn't resist practicing them. What is improper about that?"
"After some time, I discovered they were truly extraordinary, so I shared the rest of the techniques with my brethren."
"Is that also a crime?"
Feng's voice rang with conviction.
He scanned the chamber, his gaze burning like a torch, utterly devoid of the embarrassment one would expect from having a conspiracy exposed. "My brothers, I ask you to look into your own hearts. If an immortal technique were laid before you, could you truly resist the impulse to cultivate it?"
"I suspect very few among you could."
His words plunged the chamber into an eerie silence.
After a moment of contemplation, the assembled Transmitters had to admit that Feng had a point.
Indeed, what crime is there in a cultivation technique?
Can one be condemned solely based on the technique they practice?
If so, then few of the Transmitters present could claim to be completely innocent.
Even Transmitter Jiang found himself lost in thought.
"As for the accusation of being possessed by a fiend from the Xuantian Sect with the intent to harm the Alliance..."
After a brief silence, Transmitter Feng continued his impassioned speech. "I am willing to voluntarily submit to the scrutiny of the Transmitter's Oath to demonstrate that I have not forgotten my original convictions!"
He declared with unwavering resolve.
"I am willing as well."
"My heart will never change."
The other three Transmitters from whom the Xuantian Sect's aura had been detected also spoke up, their voices ringing with righteous conviction.
Li Fan exchanged a glance with Transmitter Zhou and the others, a sudden sense of foreboding washing over him.
But the arrow was already nocked; there was no turning back now.
Presided over by Jiang, the scrutiny of the Transmitter's Oath officially began.
Within the circular chamber, all the Transmitters closed their eyes slightly, muttering incantations under their breath.
In the void above them, the spectral figures of countless martyred Transmitters, pioneers who had fallen in battle, seemed to materialize.
They were numberless, a dense host that seemed to fill the entire chamber.
Transmitter Feng stood tall in the center of the chamber, facing the gazes of the numberless apparitions, utterly unflinching.
"I am Transmitter Feng."
"My original conviction—to save the Xuanhuang Realm from its plight—has never wavered."
"It is true now, and it will remain true hereafter."
He first delivered his summary, then continued to speak with eloquence and passion, pouring out the thoughts from his heart.
(End of this chapter)
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