"Dongfang Hongwu..."
Chen Yi's lips trembled as things spiraled toward the worst-case scenario.
He had figured out many things, yet a flicker of doubt also arose.
For instance, the fact that Tang Qingshan and his wife were alive and had become members of the Dark Association could only mean one thing: they were saved by Dongfang Hongwu.
This was because that operation had been orchestrated by him, with the Dark Association carrying it out.
What he couldn't comprehend was why Dongfang Hongwu had become Xingyuan.
However, these were questions he couldn't voice at the moment. His heart felt as though it had plummeted from heaven to hell.
Everything had been meticulously planned: to eliminate Hao Tian, Ye Cangtian, and others, thereby clearing the path within the Hidden Group.
Yet, in the end, all his elaborate schemes were futile, and he had walked straight into their trap.
The most ironic part was that he, the wielder of the executioner's blade, had now become a foolish pig offering his head on a platter!
"My reputation of a lifetime is ruined here!"
"Ye Cangtian, you are very good!"
After a long silence, Chen Yi sighed to the heavens. He weakly raised his hand and gave Ye Cangtian a thumbs-up.
This time, he had lost without any defense, and he lost convincingly, accepting defeat wholeheartedly!
"I merely employed a bit of cleverness; you are the truly remarkable one!"
"If I hadn't known you were under Kong Ling's command, and then used Kong Ling's death to shatter your state of mind, it would have been very difficult to expose your true colors!"
Ye Cangtian waved his hand, speaking calmly.
"En?"
Hearing Ye Cangtian's words, Chen Yi's eyes darted around, and he immediately understood.
Indeed, after learning of Kong Ling's death, he had become agitated, neglecting to put sufficient contingency plans in place or conduct thorough investigations.
Of course, the most crucial point was that he had always believed that he and Hao Tian were equally suspected in the eyes of the other party.
But he had never expected that the other party had already guessed he was the traitor, which was another flaw.
And the biggest flaw in the entire affair was his disconnection from the Dark Association for many years, leaving him unaware of the situation within the Dark Ruins, leading him to foolishly believe Xingyuan was an ally...
Musing thus, Chen Yi glanced at Ye Cangtian and said lightly, "If that's the case, then Elder Kong Ling wasn't killed in the Light Ruins, but by your hands, correct?"
"You are correct."
Ye Cangtian nodded. With the situation as it was, he felt the other party had the right to know the truth.
"Very well, one last question."
As he spoke, Chen Yi looked at Ye Cangtian and asked calmly, "When did you determine I was the traitor?"
"I had a feeling for a very long time, but after all, you are a Heaven-tier expert. Such matters require absolute certainty, so I continued to observe you in secret."
"Until the appearance of Wang Qisheng and Tan Xiuwei. The two, vying for the position of Dragon Leader within the Dragon Group, employed vastly different methods, but Wang Qisheng was willing to go to any lengths."
"And the person behind him was you..."
Ye Cangtian stated that he could understand the desire to contend for the position of Dragon Leader, but resorting to assassination for it was going too far.
After all, both sides were from Chinese factions.
However, if this person were a traitor, then everything would logically fall into place.
Speaking of this, Ye Cangtian continued, "After that incident, I was basically certain you were the traitor. Furthermore, Hao Tian approached me alone during that operation, and it was only then that I had no further worries."
"Alas!"
"One misstep leads to total defeat! I have nothing more to say."
Chen Yi sighed deeply. In the current situation, complaining about others was of no use.
Musing, he turned to look at Dongfang Hongwu and asked, "Dongfang Hongwu, when did you infiltrate the Dark Association?"
"It was just an accidental opportunity, nothing worth mentioning, though it happened a very, very long time ago," Dongfang Hongwu replied with a faint smile.
"Alright."
Upon hearing this answer, although Chen Yi was dissatisfied, he had nothing else to say.
He slowly surveyed his surroundings, took a deep breath, understanding that what he had to face, he couldn't avoid.
Therefore, he spoke, "If I die, I'm afraid no one will be able to stop your annexation of the Dark Association. However, I will not die easily. Who among you will fight me? Or shall we all go at it together?"
"Hmph!"
Ye Cangtian let out a cold snort and was about to step forward when Hao Tian stopped him.
"A traitor like him isn't worthy of a one-on-one duel with us. Let's just attack him all at once."
Though he said this, Hao Tian was actually concerned about Ye Cangtian being at a disadvantage.
After all, Ye Cangtian hadn't reached the Heaven-tier for very long, and a one-on-one fight might not be enough against Chen Yi.
And he himself wasn't Chen Yi's match. In that case, they couldn't possibly let Dongfang Hongwu handle this personally, as it would make them seem utterly incompetent!
Hearing Hao Tian's words, Ye Cangtian smiled faintly and said, "Senior, rest assured, he is no match for me!"
As he spoke, Ye Cangtian took another step forward, his gaze falling upon Chen Yi. He said lightly, "Chen Yi, you actually don't have to die. As long as you turn back from your wrong path and confess everything, I can give you a chance!"
Indeed, although Chen Yi was a traitor and had committed countless crimes, he was still a Heaven-tier expert. If he could mend his ways, it would be of great significance to the Hidden Group.
Most importantly, Chen Yi's belief in the Dark Association's demise meant he had no longer any anchor.
"Hmph!"
Chen Yi snorted coldly and said, "Ye Cangtian, don't waste your efforts. You want me to surrender? That's impossible! I live as a member of the Dark Association and die as a ghost of the Dark Association!"
Chen Yi had defected from the Hidden Group, and now he was expected to betray them again. He had truly had enough of this back and forth.
Moreover, whether in the Dark Association or the Hidden Group, he could not obtain true control.
Since that was the case, it would be more satisfying to fight a glorious battle.
"Heh heh, it's hard to imagine such words of loyalty coming from a traitor's mouth!"
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian revealed a look of contemptuous amusement.
"Hmph, words are useless, let's fight!"
Chen Yi's old face flushed red, and upon hearing these words, he wished he could burrow into the ground.
The next moment, he let out a cold snort, drew his three-foot shining sword, and said, "Ye Cangtian, the first time I fought you, if it weren't for the Medicine Sage, you would have already died by my sword.
Today, let's see if you can keep your life under my sword!"
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian also recalled the battle at the entrance of the Medicine King Valley. He smiled slightly and said, "That time, I was no match for you, but it's absolutely impossible for you to kill me! I said I don't do things I'm not sure of!"
"En?"
Chen Yi momentarily lowered his long sword, his eyes filled with curiosity.
He replayed the scene in his mind, and he didn't feel that Ye Cangtian had any other escape route at the time!
Musing, he asked, "Ye Cangtian, at that time, you only had the useless Long Xuefeng by your side. How could you be so confident?"
"Of course I was. And I can tell you!"
"But in exchange, you must hand over the moles you've planted within the Hidden Group and the Imperial Dragon Villa!"
Ye Cangtian nodded. Prompted by Xingyuan, he felt that merely eliminating Chen Yi was not enough; all of Chen Yi's planted moles should be unearthed.
This was the only way to resolve all hidden dangers.
"Hmph! Do you think that's possible?"
Chen Yi glanced at Ye Cangtian, his eyes filled with disdain.
He would rather die in battle than return to the Hidden Group, so how could he cooperate with Ye Cangtian's intentions?
"Possible."
Ye Cangtian nodded lightly and said, "Life extinguished is like a lamp going out. No matter how vast the force you've built, after your death, it will have nothing to do with you, don't you agree?"
"You speak the truth."
Chen Yi smiled calmly, his expression instantly turning ferocious as he continued, "But I don't want you to have an easy time, nor do I want the Hidden Group to have an easy time!"
As his words fell, Hao Tian, Dongfang Hongwu, and the others' expressions darkened, their eyes filled with killing intent.
The situation had reached this point, yet Chen Yi remained obstinate. He was truly detestable.
On the other hand, Ye Cangtian remained composed. He continued, "How about this? To ensure fairness, I'll add a huge secret. What do you say?"
"What secret?" Chen Yi asked subconsciously.
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian slowly said, "Do you want to know why the Guangming Hall has been consistently attacking the Chinese Ruins and the Dark Ruins? Do you want to know what shocking secrets are hidden behind it?"
"En?"
At his words, Chen Yi's ferocious expression instantly softened, and his eyes were filled with confusion.
According to his investigations, the Guangming Hall should have been searching for some treasure, but for what specific purpose, or what function the treasure possessed, he truly didn't know!
Similarly, he was also filled with curiosity about this matter.