42: Sect, there's going to be an earthquake

"Why?" Duanmu Lei frowned slightly.

"Ye Tianhong, Hall Master, as the Internal Affairs Hall Master, is the guardian of the Sect's etiquette and rules, yet he disregards Sect regulations and arbitrarily suppressed the award ceremony. This is the first point."

Chu Tian looked up, meeting Duanmu Lei's eyes, and said, "Back then, Duanmu Saint Ancestor left an ancestral instruction: high-ranking members within the Sect must fully support the Cultivation of younger Disciples and must not arbitrarily abuse their power to suppress them. Only by allowing talented Disciples to stand out can the Sect prosper from generation to generation, for thousands of years."

"However, the Sect Master, under the guise of the Sect's greater good, attempted to gouge out my Heavenly Dao Eye to curry favor with the Cihang Holy Sect. This is a blatant trampling of the Sect's interests, a disregard for ancestral instructions, and a detriment to the internal unity of the Sect. This is the second point."

"Duanmu Saint Ancestor, having been suppressed within the Sect in his youth, specifically left this ancestral instruction after becoming Sect Master and leading the Sect out of adversity, stating that no one shall violate it."

"As the Saint of the Sect, though young, Chu Tian is unwilling to associate with those who lack the bearing of a strong individual and defy ancestral instructions."

"These awards and honors, I find them dirty. I don't want them."

Chu Tian's voice was not loud, but Duanmu Lei, a high-ranking member of the Sect, had personally come. Eternal Heaven Hall was already silent, and Chu Tian's words at this moment resonated like thunder, clearly reaching the ears of many Disciples.

At this moment, inside Eternal Heaven Hall, many Disciples were stunned.

The sheer volume of information in Chu Tian's words made it difficult for them to process all at once.

The Sect Master wants to gouge out the Little Holy Son's divine eye to curry favor with the Cihang Holy Sect?

For them, who had grown up in the Saint Heaven Sect's territory and then joined the Sect, this was like a bolt from the blue!

"Chu Tian, how dare you humiliate my father and mock the Sect Master like this? Do you know this is a grave offense?"

Ye Feng's hair stood on end. His father had been slandered in such a way, and upon hearing this, he could no longer tolerate it. He roared, instantly appearing before Chu Tian, and slapped Chu Tian's face.

"As your elder brother, I will teach you today how to know your place, understand etiquette, and show filial respect to your elders."

"How audacious!"

The smile vanished from Duanmu Lei's face, which turned somewhat gloomy. With a casual wave of his hand, a streak of green light flashed, and the Dao of rules fluctuated. Ye Feng immediately spat out blood and was sent flying.

"Ye Feng, how dare you strike the Sect's Saint in front of me? Do you truly believe that I, the Deputy Hall Master of the Internal Affairs Hall, cannot deal with you, the Sect Master's son and the Young Lord of the Duanmu Family?" Duanmu Lei's words were icy.

The Internal Affairs Hall is responsible for rewards, punishments, and the establishment of Sect etiquette and order. The Sect's Saint is the face of the Sect. Ye Feng dared to strike Chu Tian in front of him, with so many people watching. This was not striking Chu Tian; it was slapping his face.

Ye Feng spat blood, staining his white robe, his hair disheveled, looking extremely disheveled and no longer possessing his valiant aura. Upon hearing Duanmu Lei's icy words, his face turned even paler. He immediately clasped his fists and said, "Uncle Lei, please forgive me. Your nephew was momentarily overcome with anger and acted irrationally."

"But Chu Tian, he slandered the Sect Master and defied the Internal Affairs Hall's orders. This is also a serious crime. Furthermore, he inexplicably injured his cousin Ye Wu earlier. This is a serious crime."

"Please, Uncle Lei, first apprehend Chu Tian to uphold the Sect Master's prestige. Otherwise, once this matter spreads, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Chu Tian smiled indifferently, and calmly said, "Every word I have spoken is entirely factual and can withstand investigation. If a single word is slanderous, I will voluntarily resign from the position of Saint."

"Since the first on the Earth Ranking can make any request to the Sect, then for the sake of the Sect's impartiality, I hereby request Uncle Lei to submit a request to the Elder Council of the Sect, asking the Law Enforcement Hall, the Internal Affairs Hall, and the Hall of Justice to jointly investigate this matter and uncover the truth."

"Let's see if I, Chu Tian, am slandering Hall Master Ye Tianhong, Hall Master, and our esteemed Sect Master."

"Chu Tian, you..."

Ye Feng's face grew even paler. He had just received a message from his father, Ye Tianxiong, urging him to return to the Sect urgently, so he didn't know much about the recent events within the Sect. Seeing Chu Tian's aggressive words, how could he dare to agree?

Duanmu Lei was silent, then said, "I will report the Little Holy Son's request to the Elder Council truthfully, in accordance with Sect regulations."

What happened last night was a top secret within the Sect, but Duanmu Lei, as a high-ranking member of the Sect, was present at the time and naturally understood.

The three top Families, in fact, generally maintained a neutral stance on this matter, subtly leaning towards the Duanmu Family.

After all, this was an issue that should not have been discussed in the first place.

Their attendance at the meeting, neither supporting nor opposing, inherently represented an attitude.

Of course, it was only a slight leaning.

The information was restricted to high-ranking Sect members and classified as top secret. They had thought the matter would end there.

But who would have thought that Chu Tian would be so assertive, not only re-entering the top of the Earth Ranking the next day, shaking the entire Sect and forcing Ye Tianhong, Hall Master to hold an award ceremony, but also openly bringing the matter to light in front of so many people, allowing the entire Sect to discuss it.

Duanmu Lei could imagine the immense shock that would be caused when such a matter spread and was discussed by hundreds of thousands of Disciples in the Sect.

However, Chu Tian was targeting Ye Tianxiong and the Duanmu Family, and he was acting in accordance with Sect regulations. The first on the Earth Ranking could make any request to the Sect, and the Sect had to fulfill it. As a member of the Duanmu Family and the Deputy Hall Master of the Internal Affairs Hall, he naturally would not openly oppose Chu Tian for the sake of the Chu Family, going against public opinion.

Duanmu Lei looked at Chu Tian, his calm eyes filled with shock, awe, and other emotions.

Chu Tian's strong and domineering performance truly refreshed his impression of the Chu Family members, as the Chu Family's rules had always prioritized maintaining the Sect's stability and unity.

Chu Tian's conduct was almost the opposite of Chu Tian King's, mercilessly tearing away the facade of harmony between the two founding Families and exposing the conflict between the Chu Family and the Duanmu Family to everyone in the Sect.

"Uncle Lei, your nephew has other matters to attend to, so I'll be taking my leave."

Chu Tian's expression was calm, as if he had just said some insignificant words. He clasped his fists in greeting, then turned and left.

Hui Mei gasped, for he was of noble birth and not foolish, so he naturally understood the immense impact Chu Tian's words would cause.

He admitted that he was already quite lawless, but he would never dare to act so recklessly within the Cihang Holy Sect.

Compared to Chu Tian, his actions were as childish as a child's game.

Therefore, he stood obediently behind Chu Tian the entire time, not daring to interrupt.

Seeing Chu Tian leave, he hurriedly caught up, scratching his head and sighing, "Big Brother, why doesn't my Cihang Holy Sect have such rules? Otherwise, I would definitely rush to the top of the Earth Ranking and demand to be engaged to my cousin."

"The Sect is about to experience an earthquake," Duanmu Lei muttered to himself, then flew towards the Internal Affairs Hall.

In the sky, the twilight sun was like blood, its light like a blood-red ribbon, spread across the various peaks of the mountain gate, as if reminding everyone of the impending storm.