All gazes converged upon the scene.

Jiang Wang furrowed his brow and inquired, “You killed him?”

This was not a favorable turn of events. With the true opportunity yet to manifest, death had already claimed a life. This portended a bloody and fierce contest to follow!

The peculiar nature of the Heavenly Mansion Secret Realm transformed it into an island of human nature, a place where ethics, morality, and law—all the constraints of the human world—held no sway. In the mundane realm, any law-abiding nation would see a killer brought to justice. Extraordinary cultivators could extinguish countless lives with a mere flick of their fingers, yet almost none who wished to dwell in the light of day would do so. For even cultivators of the extraordinary realms faced consequences for their actions. Hence, those of the demonic cults and deviant paths became like rats of the street, reviled by all, never seeing the light of day.

However, within the confines of the Heavenly Mansion Secret Realm, all restraints of reality ceased to exist. For here, no one would bear witness to one’s deeds, and no responsibility would need be borne. Thus, anything and everything was possible. Those who perpetrated wickedness often concealed their faces, and those who plotted treachery often hid their names.

A great scholar of the Dusk Drum Academy once remarked—human nature, when shrouded in darkness, is fundamentally untestable, for human nature *is* the darkness itself.

The cultivator adorned with the noble hat displayed an ugly countenance. “Not I!”

This individual possessed a flat nose and a dark complexion, already naturally unsightly. With his face contorted in ugliness, he was beyond mere description as “ugly.” A touch of terror now clung to his features.

So it was. Likely, all present had rushed towards the main hall upon hearing the commotion, arriving in succession. Among the four who arrived later, none had likely witnessed Tian Yong’s demise personally. Hence, while they vaguely surrounded the noble-hatted man, no one had made a move.

“Not you?” the woman positioned in the northeast corner asked in a cold voice. “I rushed over upon hearing the sound, in less than three breaths’ time, and you were already standing beside Tian Yong’s corpse. Could it be you are swifter than I?”

“Seven breaths.”

“Five breaths.”

“Six breaths.”

The other three reported their respective times. Some had rushed back from the front hall, others from the back, and some had even ventured to the red jade archway in search of further clues.

“You all saw me rush over,” Jiang Wang stated, facing the gazes of several individuals.

The noble-hatted man’s expression turned even more unpleasant. “Naturally, I was faster than you, for upon hearing the sound and turning my head, he was already dead!”

“Then that is all the more interesting.” The woman scoffed. “Could it be you frightened him to death with your ugliness?”

“You!”

The noble-hatted cultivator, indeed lacking in decorum, was enraged by the words. “Believe it or not, as you will. In any case, the person was not killed by me. But if you all wish to seek trouble, feel free to come!”

“Lian Que, first do not be so quick to anger. Explain the sequence of events.” An old and weathered-faced cultivator spoke. He likely knew the noble-hatted cultivator, though their relationship was probably not particularly close. While his words seemed to help Lian Que escape his predicament, his body remained positioned to block Lian Que’s path of retreat.

Standing before Jiang Wang was a man wearing a long cloak. He must have come from the same direction as Jiang Wang, but after him. Upon Jiang Wang’s appearance, he had silently shifted to the side, maintaining a cautious vigilance.

At this moment, he also spoke, “Indeed, tell us how you killed Tian Yong. The Young Master of the Tian family from Great Marsh County, he must have carried quite a few treasures on his person, correct?” His voice was inexplicably **yin** and cold, devoid of human warmth.

Lian Que glared at him angrily but was not foolish. He had no desire to provoke a surrounding attack from the crowd. Enduring his temper, he explained, “I was originally going to the back hall to search for opportunities. However, I suddenly reconsidered, thinking the main hall had not been thoroughly examined. Although others had undoubtedly searched it, one feels more at ease doing it oneself. So I turned back. I happened to meet Tian Yong inside the hall; he had also just returned. We conversed for a few sentences, exchanging some information. I did not wish to search for clues in his presence, so I decided to return to the back hall. It was then that I suddenly heard his miserable scream. I turned my head and saw he was already dead. I had not yet had time to investigate the cause of death when you all arrived!”

“If what you say is true, then who could have instantly killed Tian Yong in such a short time, and furthermore, escaped your detection, Lian Que? Below the Dragon Ascension realm, is there such a powerful individual?” the woman from before questioned.

“Perhaps there is. But he is not within this Dragon Palace. And if it were him, he would not be skulking and hiding,” the old and weathered-faced cultivator said.

The woman’s expression choked. She knew who this person was referring to. She immediately retorted, “Since Wang Yiwu is not present, then obviously Lian Que is lying. How now, Zhao Fangyuan? Does your Four Seas Chamber of Commerce still intend to protect the Lian family’s people?”

The old and weathered-faced cultivator shook his head. “I merely feel that since the opportunities have not yet appeared, there is no need for us to engage in a fight to the death. Of course, if Lian Que chose to kill someone early, we would not mind being the first to eliminate him from the competition.” To eliminate him from the competition, of course, there was only one method: killing him.

This cultivator from the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce, who seemed to be speaking in Lian Que’s defense, was simultaneously the first to display killing intent towards him!

The cultivator wearing the long cloak echoed in a **yin** voice, “Precisely so.”

The female cultivator in the northeast corner also subtly advanced two steps.

Indeed, regardless of whether he was guilty or not, with each competitor eliminated, one’s own chances increased. Especially considering the esteemed background of the Red Sun Lian family and Lian Que’s extraordinary strength. Eliminating such an opponent early was undoubtedly a good thing for those still in the competition.

“The opportunities have not even appeared, and everyone is already engaging in killing? Is this not perhaps too hasty?” Jiang Wang stepped a few paces towards the center of the hall. Firstly, he disagreed with the judgment that Lian Que was necessarily the killer. Secondly, these three individuals were vaguely forming a small group. If they were allowed to kill Lian Que at this juncture, then having tasted blood, they were likely to follow suit and successively eliminate others. This was extremely unfavorable to him, being alone here, and thus he had to intervene.

“Perhaps he was poisoned,” the tall man standing at the entrance of the main hall said. He had been silent until this point. “Let us first examine Tian Yong’s corpse to determine the cause of death. Making a decision afterward would not be too late.”

“Then,” Zhao Fangyuan said, “who is skilled in examining corpses?” Qi Country’s commerce was developed, and the power of the chamber of commerce could not be underestimated. The two largest chamber of commerce, the Gather Treasures Chamber of Commerce and the Four Seas Alliance, both possessed formidable strength not inferior to established families.

Zhao Fangyuan, hailing from the Four Seas Alliance, naturally did not fear Lian Que. However, with Jiang Wang and the tall man both expressing opposition, even if the remaining three joined forces, it would be a three-against-three situation. Therefore, he had to reluctantly yield.

“I will,” the tall man said. “I am Ji Xiu of East King Valley. I have researched techniques for examining corpses.” East King Valley was a world-renowned sect of the medical path, and such an origin indeed instilled confidence. Simultaneously, East King Valley was an independent sect, belonging to no single country, thus holding a relatively neutral position.

Lian Que glared fiercely at Zhao Fangyuan, adopting a posture that suggested he would immediately resort to a life-and-death struggle if there was any further disagreement. However, his feet still moved to clear a path, allowing Ji Xiu to approach and examine the body.

Jiang Wang himself had no issue with this. The cause of Tian Yong’s death was of great importance, related to everyone’s personal safety. If it was poisoning, they needed to know the nature of the poison to defend against it. If he was killed by a strong individual, they needed to identify the opponent. Was it a cultivator who had entered with them, or a hidden danger within the Dragon Palace? Even if he was simply killed by Lian Que, they still needed to eliminate this dangerous element.

And just as Ji Xiu walked to the front of Tian Yong’s corpse, squatted down, and was about to begin the examination…

A sudden change occurred!