Chapter 1823: Protector and Convict

Li Luo's soft voice resounded throughout the starry sky and entered everyone's ears, sending a chill down everyone's spines. Yan Changsheng and Su Ying's eyes shrunk. Although Li Luo's statement was absurd, they couldn't help but recoil back by a single step, their eyes filled with surprise and doubt as they looked at Ling Shu.

The red-robed lady's expression turned steely green as she furiously glared at Li Luo while gritting her teeth. "What sort of nonsense are you harping on about? I am one of the Void Resonance's Six Sons, so how could I be a convict? What happened with the devil seed was only because that woman happened to enter the sect's Devil Prison. That is where countless Grand Devil Kings were judged and executed, so it contains a lot of remnant corruption. As a result, she was corrupted and produced a seed.

"I have followed the Sect Master's order to protect the spatial fog resonance and have done so while enduring excruciating loneliness. I kept my promise and never dared to relax, managing to last until your arrival today. How dare you slander me with those words."

Ling Shu was becoming increasingly agitated, and her expression warped into one filled with fury. At the same time, the crack between her eyebrows emitted a spiritual light. If one were to look closer, they would see a Divine Fruit within, giving off tremendous pressure.

"I won't forgive you for angering me, even though you're the New Sect Master," she declared.

When Yan Changsheng and Su Ying witnessed Ling Shu's outburst, they began to trust her a little more. They were very familiar with her and knew that she had always been a little eccentric and unpredictable, capable of doing anything once provoked.

Yan Changsheng on the other hand was much more measured. He asked, "Li Luo, do you have any reason for that accusation?"

Even though Ling Shu's reaction was within expectations, he also knew that Li Luo wouldn't shoot his mouth off. There must have been a reason for his words and thus he had asked him to clarify things.

Li Luo calmly watched the furiously prancing Ling Shu as he explained, "It just seemed like you were extraordinarily anxious to see me remove the spatial fog resonance from the throne."

Ling Shu took a deep breath as she coldly replied, "I've waited for countless years, so why wouldn't I be excited for this to end? You have no idea how terrifying the long, lonely years have been. There is no way you would utter such ignorant words if you did."

She shook her head, her eyes filled with disappointment. She then turned towards Yan Changsheng and Su Ying and spoke her mind. "It's a tragedy that someone like him has become the Sacred Void Resonance Sect's New Sect Master. You can continue speculating all you want, but I will not bother acknowledging your accusations."

After saying that, she turned away with a frigid expression. Yan Changsheng and Su Ying glanced at each other.

Before they could speak up, Li Luo's light sigh echoed out. "Stop acting. When I came into contact with the spatial fog resonance, it told me everything."

Those words caused the atmosphere to stagnate. Yan Changsheng and Su Ying's hearts were filled with turbulent emotions, and unconcealable grief and disbelief filled their eyes as they looked at Ling Shu.

They weren't at all suspicious of Li Luo's claim, as there was no reason for him to lie about this. In fact, deep down in their hearts, they had their own suspicions when they realized that something about Ling Shu seemed amiss.

Ling Shu, who had been walking off huffily, suddenly froze in her tracks, akin to a stone statue. A suffocating silence filled the air in the Palace of Stars.

Su Ying's eyes welled up with redness as she broke the tense peace. "Li Luo, what exactly did the spatial fog resonance tell you?"

Li Luo regretfully answered, "Seniors, the companion you two once knew had probably already changed by the time the Sacred Void Resonance Sect was destroyed. The individual who survived was no longer Ling Shu of the Void Resonance's Six Sons, but a servant of the Dark Sect Master, consumed by fear of her demonic power."

Yan Changsheng and Su Ying's bodies trembled involuntarily.

"Ling Shu, why? You were an unparalleled genius that even the Sect Master had praised. Everyone knew you were proud of that, so why did you give it all up and submit?!" asked Yan Changsheng, his voice gloomy.

Ling Shu suddenly let out a chuckle, unable to hide her sadness. She then slowly turned her head, revealing that her bright eyes had become pitch black. Her aura also started to turn much more twisted and gloomy.

She explained, "Why? The only reason you can ask me that question is because you weren't there when the Sacred Void Resonance Sect was destroyed. You never saw the terrifying thing that emerged from the Sect Master's body. With a single gesture from it, the accumulated foundation and power of the Sacred Void Resonance Sect was wiped away. I bet you would've felt even more frightened than me. The fusion of the Sect Master and Origin of Absolute Corruption, a being not even the Sect Master could suppress... that was truly the most horrifying creature in existence."

Ling Shu's pupils trembled at the mere recollection of that memory, which she had once sealed away. That day, she had witnessed countless Heavenly Emperors be vaporized into dust, their magnificent Authorities being casually devoured. In the end, that thing stood before her.

Ling Shu was so frightened that her Divine Fruit was on the verge of collapse. All of the pride she once possessed was trampled to pieces while she bawled and grovelled before the creature. She didn't know if she was crying because of her weakness, or the fact that this holy land had been ruined.

However, what she did know was that she had lost everything, including her own life. That creature ended up implanting a devil mark on her.

After which, the Sect Master used the last recesses of strength to activate her spatial fog resonance, enveloping the Sacred Void Resonance Sect and hiding it from time itself. The terrifying existence was then sealed within the black coffin, and Ling Shu was imprisoned within the sect's ruins. It was as Li Luo had said—she was no guardian, she was a convict.

However, Ling Shu knew that the terrifying creature would one day return to the world, and without the Sect Master, no one could possibly stop its advance.

Su Ying hoarsely said, "Ling Shu, the Dark Sect Master is not invincible. Everyone is searching for a strand of hope. Can you join us and resist it? Break off the shackles of fear around your heart!"

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"You cannot win. Even the Sect Master and Origin of Absolute Corruption failed to stop it, so how could you?" said Ling Shu as she shook her head, her voice becoming increasingly calmer.

Then her aura became icy and inhuman as she continued, "The only reason I have remained here is to obtain the spatial fog resonance for it. However, I cannot approach the Sect Master's throne, so I have to get the New Sect Master to retrieve it. I had originally not planned to do anything to any of you, leaving once I obtained it. Unfortunately... getting rid of the three of you is the better plan."