The Sect Master knew why Song Wanning was here the moment she appeared, but being questioned by her in front of so many people, he still felt he was losing face.

His face darkened. "We will discuss this matter later. Can’t you see I’m discussing the matter of the Demon Cultivators?"

The Sect Master hoped Song Wanning would have the sense not to question him at a time like this.

But who was Song Wanning?

She gave a cold snort and said with a sneer, "Hah. The other great sects and factions are holding a council. I don’t see what that has to do with our Heavenly Inquiry Sect."

Her words hit their mark, a sharp jab to the Sect Master’s fragile, sensitive heart.

What he cared about most right now was the Sect’s demotion. Everyone present was once his peer, and being ignored by them was already agonizing. Now, Song Wanning had just brutally ripped away his last fig leaf.

He instantly grew furious.

But Song Wanning possessed a Peak Nascent Soul Cultivation. The Sect still had to rely on her...

A thousand thoughts raced through the Sect Master’s mind, his expression shifting rapidly.

Finally, he said in a placating tone, "I’ll explain this to you later, alright?"

Seeing him act this way, the other sect masters couldn’t help but exchange glances. ’Serves him right,’ they thought.

"Bai Yang’s fate is unknown, and you want me to wait?"

Song Wanning’s expression instantly turned ugly.

"Sect Master, you’ve gone too far!!!"

"For the Sect’s sake, I’ve been performing Alchemy day and night in the camp, not daring to take a single break, terrified our disciples would die from their grievous wounds."

"But what about you? After Bai Yang disappeared, not only did you refuse to inform me, you even forbade others from telling me. What are your true intentions?"

Her eyes reddened with anger, her face a mask of utter disappointment.

At the same time, she made no attempt to be discreet, projecting her voice to every corner of the camp.

"It’s not like that..."

The Sect Master tried to explain, his eyes darting around as he spoke. "I heard you were in seclusion and thought it best not to disturb you... Besides, I specifically sent people to look for Bai Yang. I didn’t just abandon him."

"Hah, right. You sent a few people to make a token search before they returned. That counts as ’looking,’ does it?"

Song Wanning sneered. "Besides, I was in seclusion for Alchemy, not for Cultivation. So what if I was interrupted? The worst that could happen is the loss of some Elixir Pills!"

"It’s clear to me you deliberately kept this from me!"

Her tone was heavy with disappointment. "I’ve dedicated myself wholeheartedly to the Sect, but all you can think about is using me. Is there truly not a shred of human decency left in this Sect?"

Her aggrieved accusation reached the ears of the Heavenly Inquiry Sect disciples, instantly striking a chord with them.

Song Wanning might not have been fighting on the front lines, but she had saved countless disciples. They all owed their lives to the Elixir Pills she refined. And yet, when something happened to Bai Yang, the Sect Master had actually forbidden anyone from telling her.

’If it were me, I’d go crazy, too, right?’

’It’s just too disheartening.’

"What the Sect Master did was really out of line!"

"Yeah, I think the Sect Master has changed. He’s not fit for this position anymore..."

"Shh, don’t talk nonsense!"

"Sigh, I wonder how Bai Yang is doing. Grandmaster Song must be worried sick. If something really happened to Bai Yang, how could Grandmaster Song bear it?"

Just as everyone was lamenting, Bai Yang and Ye Chuxue stepped into the camp.

The disciple who spotted them stared blankly for a moment, then burst with excitement.

"Bai Yang is back! He’s okay!!!"

A disciple shouted joyfully.

Everyone quickly gathered around, their faces alight with pleasant surprise.

Bai Yang found himself surrounded. Seeing everyone’s worried expressions, he was deeply moved.

But along with feeling touched, he was also a little confused. ’Isn’t everyone’s reaction a bit too intense?’

Just then, his master’s voice suddenly rang in his ears.

"Bai Yang disappeared, his fate unknown, and you dared to hide it from me as if I were a fool. You have disappointed me beyond measure."

"As of today, I will voluntarily leave the Sect! From this day forward, the Heavenly Inquiry Sect and I have nothing to do with each other!"

The moment these words were spoken, the entire camp fell silent for an instant, before an uproar erupted from the crowd.

Even the sect masters from the other sects were stunned.

’She’s going to voluntarily leave the Sect just like that?’

’Surely it’s not that serious!’

But no one said a word, all of them just watching the drama unfold.

"Junior Sister Song, what nonsense are you spouting?"

The Sect Master’s face turned green with anger, and his heart trembled.

Song Wanning was the Cultivator most likely to advance to the Divinity Transformation stage. If she left the Heavenly Inquiry Sect, what would they do?

He cast aside his pride and quickly began to placate her.

Outside the tent, the disciples were also stunned.

"Grandmaster Song is really going to leave the Heavenly Inquiry Sect? No!"

"Hiss... To do all this for a single disciple... isn’t Grandmaster Song being a bit too..." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

The disciples burst into discussion. Bai Yang stood in the crowd, seemingly deaf to the world around him.

He could only hear one thing: his master was going to leave the Sect for his sake!

’So, his master hadn’t known about his disappearance at all?’

’It turns out Master cares about me this much!!!!’

Wild joy erupted in Bai Yang’s heart, the elation of recovering something he thought he had lost.

’Master still loves me!’

’I knew it.’

Bai Yang joyfully ran towards the tent.

Behind him, Ye Chuxue clenched her fists tightly, a sense of powerlessness rising within her.

There had always been an insurmountable obstacle between her and Bai Yang: Song Wanning.

Even though they loved each other deeply, Bai Yang was unwilling to give up Song Wanning for her.

At first, Ye Chuxue had thought of backing out, of parting ways with Bai Yang for good.

But now, she had changed her mind!

She was going to snatch Bai Yang back.

...

Inside the tent, the Heavenly Inquiry Sect’s Sect Master and several elders were still trying to earnestly persuade Song Wanning.

Whether it was her Cultivation or her skill in Alchemy, her departure would be an immense loss to the Heavenly Inquiry Sect.

They couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

"Junior Sister Song, you’re a pillar of our Sect! You can’t be so impulsive!"

"The Sect Master was wrong in this matter, but he was also thinking of the safety of the Sect’s disciples. Please don’t be angry anymore."

"We’ll go find Bai Yang right now! Please, don’t do anything rash!"

"..."

As they tried to placate her, they also chided the Sect Master for his actions.

The Sect Master’s face burned with shame; he felt as if he had nowhere to hide.

The looks from his old friends beside him made him feel both awkward and helpless. Who would have thought that he, a magnificent Sect Master, would one day fall into such a state?

There was a time when his glory seemed limitless.

’When exactly did it start? When did he begin to lose his standing?’

"I’m not being unreasonable, but his actions were simply too outrageous!"

Song Wanning was still furiously voicing her discontent.

The Second Elder’s mouth twitched. She had to admire Song Wanning’s acting skills.

’She’s making a big fuss about her disciple Bai Yang, but in reality, she’d rather waste time here than go out and search for him...’

’A moment’s thought was all it took to see how much she truly cared.’

She narrowed her eyes slightly. ’And that idiot Bai Yang... rejecting such a good master, only to get himself tangled up with Ye Chuxue.’