39: Punishment in the Disciplinary Hall

The Discipline Hall was located on one side of the Qingxuan Sect's main peak. Its architectural style was cold, harsh, and filled with a killing intent, built entirely from massive black stones. Before one even drew near, an invisible pressure washed over them. Two ferocious stone beasts stood guard at the entrance, adding a few more layers of solemnity.

The deacon leading the way didn't say a word. He led Wen Youyi to a dim grand hall and gestured for him to enter on his own.

Wen Youyi took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart. He straightened his robes and stepped into the hall.

The interior of the grand hall was vast but dimly lit, with only a few Everburning Lamps flickering with a faint yellow glow. Seated directly at the front were three old men in black robes with stern expressions. Their auras were as deep as the sea; they were clearly Elders of the Foundation Establishment Stage! Several Discipline Hall deacons stood strictly on either side, their auras sharp and fierce.

In the center of the hall stood two others. One was Chen Jian, whose face was gloomy with a faint, cold smile playing on his lips. The other was a young Disciple in brocade robes with an arrogant gaze. Wen Youyi recognized him as someone from the Five Elements Courtyard team named Jin Hao.

A joint trial? They even found a "victim" and an "eyewitness"?

Wen Youyi sneered inwardly, but his face became increasingly respectful. He stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Outer Sect Disciple Wen Youyi greets the Elders."

The horse-faced Elder in the center didn't even lift his eyelids. His voice was as cold as freezing iron: "Wen Youyi, do you confess to your crimes?"

"This Disciple does not know what he is guilty of. Please enlighten me, Elder." Wen Youyi's tone was fearful, but his eyes were clear and calm.

"Hmph!" Beside him, Chen Jian couldn't help but speak up. He pointed at Wen Youyi and said sternly, "Elder, please judge clearly! In the Ancient Ruins, this boy was ruthless. First, while I was fighting a Yao Beast, he launched a sneak attack on me and snatched the 'starlight moss' that was about to be mine! Later, he used a sinister Talisman to injure my fellow Junior Brother, leaving him severely wounded! How are such actions any different from the Demonic Path? I ask the Elder to punish him severely!"

Jin Hao also took a step forward and cupped his hands. "Elder, what Senior Brother Chen says is true. I also saw it with my own eyes. This boy acts deviously, disregards the friendship between fellow Disciples, and snatches the Opportunities of others with ruthless methods. This is truly not the behavior of a Disciple of the Righteous Path."

The two of them worked in tandem, immediately pinning several heavy labels on him: "sneaking attacking a fellow Disciple," "snatching Opportunities," and "ruthless methods." In this Discipline Hall, if the charges were proven true, the punishment would range from having one's cultivation crippled and being expelled from the Sect to being killed on the spot!

Pressure weighed down on Wen Youyi like a mountain.

The three Elders above had gazes like lightning, locking onto Wen Youyi as they waited for his defense. The entire hall was so silent that one could hear a pin drop.

Thoughts whirled through Wen Youyi's mind. He knew he couldn't be stubborn right now, nor could he completely deny everything (since the other party dared to accuse him, they must have prepared something). His face showed just the right amount of "grievance" and "indignation," and his voice even trembled slightly:

"Elder, please judge clearly! What Senior Brother Chen and Senior Brother Jin have said is vastly different from the facts!"

He raised his head, looking at Chen Jian with a "stubborn" gaze. "Senior Brother Chen, the Ancient Ruins are a dangerous place where Opportunities are taken by those with the ability. You say I snatched your 'starlight moss,' but may I ask if you picked that starlight moss with your own hands? Was there any mark of yours on it? At that time, you were in a bitter battle with a Lava Lizard. We were passing by and saw that the guardian Yao Beast had already been alerted, so we stepped in to kill it and gathered the ownerless starlight moss. How can you call that snatching?"

Without waiting for Chen Jian to retort, he looked at Jin Hao, his tone filled with "grief and indignation." "As for what Senior Brother Jin said about 'using a sinister Talisman,' that is even more nonsensical! At the time in the fragment depression, Senior Brother Chen and several Senior Brothers from the Five Elements Courtyard surrounded and attacked us without a word, wanting to kill us! My cultivation is low, so to protect myself, I had to use a one-time Magical Artifact I didn't recognize that I had happened to obtain in a Secret Realm previously (he characterized the crimson bead as a Magical Artifact). I only wanted to hinder the enemy so I could escape; I had no intention of hurting anyone! If we are talking about disregarding the friendship between fellow Disciples and being the first to strike with lethal intent, who was it?!"

His words avoided the main points and focused on the trivial, turning "snatching" into "picking up ownerless items" and "active assault" into "forced self-defense." Furthermore, he counterattacked by pointing out the fact that Chen Jian and the Five Elements Courtyard were the ones who initiated the ambush!

"You're talking nonsense!" Chen Jian's face turned ashen with rage. "It was clearly you..."

"Enough!"

The horse-faced Elder in the center slammed his hand down on the armrest of his chair. The pressure of the Foundation Establishment Stage instantly filled the hall, silencing both Chen Jian and Jin Hao.

The Elder's cold gaze swept over the three of them. "In the Ancient Ruins, disputes are inevitable. Since each of you has your own story, it is difficult to clarify the truth."

His tone shifted as he stared at Wen Youyi like a hawk. "However, your cultivation is low, yet you gained much in the Ancient Ruins, and your cultivation has progressed by leaps and bounds. According to Chen Jian and Jin Hao, you used an object of great power and unknown origin. This seat asks you: where did these Opportunities and methods come from? Are you involved with the Demonic Path? Or did you obtain something you shouldn't have?"

The hidden dagger was finally revealed!

This was the real killing move! They suspected he had obtained a great treasure or was colluding with the Demonic Path! This was the fundamental reason the Discipline Hall had summoned him! Chen Jian and Jin Hao were merely the pawns used to deliver the blow!

Wen Youyi's heart constricted sharply, knowing the most critical moment had arrived. His face showed an expression of "realization" and "relief." He hurriedly pulled a Jade Slip and several Talismans of the Blazing Sun Sect from his chest (actually taking them from his Storage Pouch) and presented them with both hands.

"Reporting to the Elder! This Disciple did indeed have some encounters in the Ancient Ruins. In an underground fissure, I discovered the remains of an Ancient Cultivator Senior. Beside him, he left behind this Jade Slip recording a certain Breath-Concealing Combined Attack Technique, as well as some Spirit Stones and Talismans (he attributed part of his gains to the Ancient Cultivator's legacy). My cultivation increased because of the Spirit Stones and Medicinal Pills left by the Ancient Cultivator, and because I was lucky enough to find a few drops of 'jade marrow spirit milk' in a hidden location (he proactively told part of the truth to gain trust; although jade marrow spirit milk was precious, it wasn't unique). As for that powerful Magical Artifact, I picked it up next to the body of a Blazing Sun Sect Disciple (he shifted the blame to the Blazing Sun Sect, who couldn't testify). I didn't know exactly what it was and only risked using it in a moment of crisis."

His explanation was half-true and half-false. He completely hid the star core fragments and the "Star Domain," rationalized his other gains as the legacy of an Ancient Cultivator and luck, and pushed the source of the explosive onto the Blazing Sun Sect. Logically, it was almost airtight.

A deacon stepped forward to take the Jade Slip and Talismans. After checking them, he nodded to the Elder. "The Jade Slip is indeed an ancient object, containing a shallow combined attack and breath-concealing method. The Talismans are standard issue for the Blazing Sun Sect."

The horse-faced Elder's Divine Sense swept over Wen Youyi, confirming that the spiritual power in his body was upright and peaceful with no Demonic Path aura. His expression softened slightly. While the Ancient Cultivator's legacy and jade marrow spirit milk were enough to make one envious, they were not impossible to find in the Ancient Ruins. As for the explosive, blaming it on a dead Blazing Sun Sect Disciple meant there was no witness to prove otherwise.

"It seems your luck is quite good," the horse-faced Elder said indifferently. "However, you were also at fault in the disputes of the Ancient Ruins. You are sentenced to one month of confinement in the Ding Zi Courtyard to reflect on your mistakes, and your Sect allowance for next month will be docked as punishment. Do any of you have any objections?"

This punishment was trivial, clearly a case of a heavy threat resulting in a light blow.

Chen Jian and Jin Hao were filled with resentment, but they didn't dare to contradict the Elder's decision.

A heavy stone lifted from Wen Youyi's heart. He hurriedly bowed. "This Disciple accepts the punishment. Thank you, Elder, for your clear judgment!"

He knew that this hurdle had temporarily been passed. But this questioning by the Discipline Hall also served as a warning—they were already being watched by many people, and they had to become powerful faster!

Carrying the Discipline Hall's punishment order, Wen Youyi walked calmly out of the grand hall under the venomous gazes of Chen Jian and the others.

The sunlight was a bit dazzling.

He knew that this month of confinement would be a crucial period for them to lie low, digest their gains, and undergo a transformation.

(End of Chapter)