He let the roars wash over him like waves crashing against an unyielding cliff.
Then he spoke again—
With that same smirk dancing at the corner of his lips.
"Don't act like you're all saints."
His words cut through the outrage like a blade.
"Everyone standing here—every sect elder, every clan heir, every so-called righteous cultivator—has done things they'd rather not admit."
He swept his gaze across the gathered forces, unflinching even in the face of rising hostility.
"And you know it. In the path of cultivation… the weak die, and the strong climb over corpses to reach the top. Don't you dare preach to me about morality when your hands are soaked in blood!"
The crowd quieted for a breath.
Some were caught off guard.
Some flinched—perhaps remembering their own sins.
But just as quickly, the backlash surged like a tidal wave.
"Shameless!"
"That's no justification for what you did!"
"Don't you dare compare your selfishness to our sacrifices!"
