All eyes turned to him.
Jiang Chen frowned. "You killed him?"
This was not a good sign.
The opportunity hadn't even appeared, and someone was already dead.
It meant the competition ahead would be brutally bloody.
The Celestial Secret Realm's unique properties made it an island of human nature — ethics, morality, law... none of humanity's rules applied here.
In the outside world, in any nation with functioning laws, murder brought consequences. A powerful cultivator could destroy countless lives with a flick of his fingers, but almost none who wished to live in the light would do so.
Because even for cultivators, killing carried a price.
That was why the evil cults and rogue practitioners were treated like rats crossing the road — despised, hunted, forced underground.
But in the Celestial Secret Realm, all those restraints vanished.
Here, nothing one did could be witnessed. Nothing required accountability.
Anything was possible.
Those who committed atrocities often concealed their faces; those who plotted treachery hid their names.
A great Confucian scholar of the Twilight Drum Academy had once said: human nature cannot be tested in darkness — because human nature is the darkness itself.
The man in the merchant's hat looked stricken: "It wasn't me!"
He had a flat nose and a dark complexion — already unfortunate-looking. With his face twisted in distress, he became genuinely frightening.
It made sense.
Most had heard the scream and rushed to the main hall in rapid succession. The four who arrived after probably hadn't witnessed how Tian Yong died. They had merely surrounded the richly hatted man, but none had made a move.
"Wasn't it you?" The woman in the northeast corner said coldly: "I heard the sound and arrived in fewer than three breaths. You were already standing over Tian Yong's body. Could you be faster than me?"
"Seven breaths."
"Five breaths."
"Six breaths."
The other three called out their times. They had come from the front hall, the back hall, and the red jade archway respectively.
"You all saw me arrive," Jiang Chen said, meeting their gazes.
The richly hatted man's expression worsened: "Of course I was faster than you — I turned around the moment I heard the scream and he was already dead!"
"Even more interesting," the woman sneered. "Could it be he died from looking at your face?"
"You!"
The merchant-hatted cultivator was indeed unfortunate in appearance, and the insult sent him into a rage. "Believe what you want. I didn't kill him. But if you're looking for trouble, bring it on!"
"Lian Que, don't be so hasty. Tell us what happened," a mature-faced cultivator interjected.
He apparently knew the merchant-hatted man, though the relationship was not close.
Though his words offered Lian Que some cover, his body had not shifted from its blocking position.
Standing before Jiang Chen was a figure in a long cowl — someone who had been exploring the same direction, arriving just after Jiang Chen.
When Jiang Chen appeared, the cowled man silently sidestepped, maintaining a respectful distance.
He now added: "Yes, do tell — how did you kill Tian Yong, the young master of the Tian clan from Daze Prefecture? I hear they're a wealthy family. He must have had some interesting treasures on him."
His voice was chillingly devoid of warmth.
Lian Que glared at him, but he was no fool — he didn't want to provoke a coordinated attack.
Suppressing his anger, he explained: "I was searching the back hall for the opportunity when it occurred to me that the main hall hadn't been thoroughly examined. Others might have looked, but I wouldn't feel at ease unless I checked myself. So I came back.
I ran into Tian Yong here — he'd just returned too. We talked briefly, exchanged intelligence. I didn't want to search with him watching, so I decided to head to the back hall instead. That's when I heard his scream. I turned around and he was dead.
I hadn't even had time to examine the cause of death when you all came rushing in!"
"If what you say is true — then who could have killed Tian Yong instantly, without Lian Que noticing? Below the Soaring Dragon realm, is anyone that strong?" the woman pressed.
"Perhaps. But he's not in this Dragon Palace," the mature-faced cultivator said. "And if it were him, he wouldn't hide."
The woman's expression froze — she knew who he meant. "Since Wang Yiwu isn't here, then obviously Lian Que is lying. What — is the Four Seas Trade Association going to protect a member of the Lian clan?"
The mature-faced cultivator shook his head: "I simply think that with the opportunity still unrevealed, there's no need for us to kill each other. Of course, if Lian Que chose to strike early, we might as well eliminate him from the competition."
Eliminate him, of course, meant only one thing.
The Four Seas merchant who had spoken in Lian Que's defense was now the first to show killing intent!
The cowled cultivator seconded with a cold voice: "Agreed."
The woman in the northeast corner took two steps closer.
Whether or not Lian Que was the killer, one fewer competitor meant better odds for the rest.
Moreover, the Chiyang Lian clan was enormously prestigious, and Lian Que was clearly formidable.
Removing such a rival early was an unambiguous advantage.
"The opportunity hasn't even appeared and you're already ready to kill — isn't that a bit hasty?" Jiang Chen stepped further into the hall.
For one, he didn't believe Lian Que was the killer. For another, the three were forming a tacit alliance. If they were allowed to eliminate Lian Que now, they would grow bold and do the same to the others — one by one.
That was extremely unfavorable for someone standing alone.
"It could be poison," said the tall man standing at the main entrance.
He had been silent until now.
"Why not examine Tian Yong's body first and determine the cause of death before making any decisions?"
"Then," the mature-faced cultivator said, "who is skilled in forensic examination?"
Qi had a flourishing economy, and the trade associations wielded considerable power. The two largest — the Treasures Alliance and the Four Seas Trade Association — each possessed martial forces rivaling those of ordinary noble houses.
The Four Seas man, Zhao Fangyuan, had no reason to fear Lian Que. But with Jiang Chen and the tall man both opposing him, even a united three-on-three was all they could muster. He reluctantly stood down.
"I'll do it," the tall man said. "I'm Ji Xiu of the Eastern King Valley. I've studied forensic techniques."
The Eastern King Valley was a world-renowned medical sect — his background was credible. As an independent sect, the Eastern King Valley served no nation, ensuring relative impartiality.
Lian Que glared at Zhao Fangyuan with murderous intensity, but he stepped aside to let Ji Xiu approach.
Jiang Chen had no objections. Tian Yong's cause of death was critical — it concerned everyone's survival.
If it was poison, they needed to know which toxin to guard against.
If it was a brute-force killing, they needed to know the identity of the killer — another cultivator from their group, or a hidden danger within the Dragon Palace itself.
Even if Lian Que was the murderer, they needed to eliminate that threat.
As Ji Xiu walked to Tian Yong's body, crouched down, and prepared to begin his examination —
The world changed.