78: Chapter 78 The trial is over!

As soon as the mustache-wearing State Elder finished speaking, another cold-faced old man chimed in.

"Exactly. We cannot place such a massive risk on a child's shoulders."

"Therefore, imprisoning him in the Demon Sealing Prison is the best course of action. We cannot afford to gamble a second time."

The Demon Sealing Prison was a place specifically used by the Celestial Dynasty to detain high-risk Professionals and otherworldly creatures.

It was isolated from the outside world, impregnable, and held the reputation of being a place from which escape was absolutely impossible.

Hearing two State Elders in a row call for Lu Yin's imprisonment, Ye Fenghua and the other two in the hearing seats felt their hearts tighten simultaneously.

At that moment, the most robustly built old man, who had been silent on the far left of the judgment panel, suddenly slapped the table and stood up.

"Absurd!"

His sonorous voice echoed through the courtroom, jolting everyone present.

"Heh, the Demon Sealing Prison?"

"You old fogies, after all these years, you're still so cowardly and afraid of trouble."

"This is a top-tier genius of our Celestial Dynasty. Constant concessions will only make the Abyssal Demons push their luck further."

"What we should be thinking about now is how to help this child, not letting him die by his own people's swords instead of falling at the hands of demons."

Zhao Qianjun, the Commander-in-Chief of the Four Armies, took the opportunity to speak. He glanced at Lu Yin and said, "I agree with Elder Sun."

"To cut down a genius out of fear of demons is like giving up eating for fear of choking."

"Those demons have been watching us for a long time now; we need a sharp blade that can pierce the darkness."

"Not only do we need to train this child, we need to expend the full strength of the nation to cultivate him."

As the four judges stated their positions, everyone's gaze eventually fell upon the old man in the Zhongshan suit sitting in the center.

"Elder Bai, the final decision rests with you."

Zhao Qianjun looked at the old man beside him with burning eyes.

The old man known as Elder Bai scanned the room with eyes as sharp as torches, finally fixing his gaze on Lu Yin.

The entire courtroom was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard; everyone held their breath, waiting for the final verdict.

"Lu Yin," Elder Bai's voice was steady and powerful.

"Your contract with the Abyssal Demon Emperor indeed violates the iron laws of the Celestial Dynasty."

Hearing this, the expressions of Ye Fenghua's trio tightened, while the two State Elders advocating for imprisonment nodded slightly.

"However," Elder Bai's tone shifted, and his voice suddenly rose.

"Your performance during the Tianjing City crisis also proves your loyalty to this land."

He stood up, leaning his hands on the judge's bench. Though his figure was hunched with age, he possessed a natural majesty that awed the entire room.

"After careful consideration, I have decided."

"This matter will be sealed in the military's top-secret archives, and a Special Monitoring Group will be established for round-the-clock surveillance."

This decision left everyone present slightly stunned.

"Old Bai, this is too risky!"

The mustache-wearing State Elder couldn't help but stand up in opposition.

In his view, not executing Lu Yin outright was already an act of immense mercy.

Elder Bai raised a hand to stop him, his gaze as sharp as a knife.

"Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures."

"Rather than being on guard against a potential threat all day, it is better to transform this threat into our sharpest blade."

"Furthermore."

"At his age and level, would you have had the courage to play such a game of chess against an Abyssal Demon Emperor?"

This sentence immediately left the opposing State Elder speechless.

He then turned to Lu Yin, his tone meaningful.

"Child, you were right just now."

"The battle against the Abyss has never been a one-man job. So from now on, you are no longer fighting alone."

Lu Yin's heart jolted; he understood the weight of those words.

"However," Elder Bai's voice became serious again.

"You need to report your situation to the monitoring group regularly. If there is any sign of Abyssal corruption..."

"I will end my own life," Lu Yin interjected calmly, meeting Elder Bai's gaze with determination.

Silence fell over the courtroom; everyone could feel the resolve in the youth's words.

Elder Bai looked deeply at Lu Yin and slowly nodded: "In that case, the trial is over."

The gavel fell, letting out a crisp sound.

With the announcement of the verdict, the atmosphere in the courtroom transformed.

Seeing this, Ye Fenghua and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief, exchanging looks of joy.

"Child!"

As everyone began to depart, Zhao Qianjun walked over with large strides, the five stars on his shoulder epaulettes shining brightly in the sunlight.

Though this Commander-in-Chief of the Four Armies was over fifty, his posture remained as upright as a pine tree.

Zhao Qianjun looked at Lu Yin and spoke slowly.

"I hope you do not fail Elder Bai's decision."

"I am directly responsible for the Special Monitoring Group. Someone will contact you tomorrow."

Lu Yin also looked at Zhao Qianjun and nodded calmly: "I understand."

Zhao Qianjun patted Lu Yin's shoulder with satisfaction, his gaze carrying the approval of an elder, yet also concealing a faint trace of gravity.

"Good. Go back and rest for now."

After Zhao Qianjun left, Ye Fenghua and the others also gathered around.

"Thankfully, it was a false alarm. By the way, the location for your re-examination has been set."

"It's at the illusion tower in Qinghai City. I can take you there now using the military's teleportation array; it'll save a lot of time."

"Alright, then I'll trouble you, Commander Ye." Lu Yin did not refuse.

Ye Fenghua laughed heartily: "No need to be so polite with me. Let's go, the teleportation array is right behind the courtroom."

Just after Lu Yin and the others left, the five State Elders who had previously judged him gathered in a secret room.

Elder Bai spoke first: "Let's talk, everyone. How should we cultivate Lu Yin from now on, and what are our plans if he truly fails?"

At this point, the mustache-wearing State Elder who had wanted to imprison Lu Yin asked with a face full of confusion.

"Old Bai, you should be the one who hates Aiolia the most. Why did you protect that child?"

Elder Bai smiled: "Of course I hate Aiolia, but I cannot lose another family member because of him."

"Lose a family member? What is Lu Yin's relationship to you?"

The four of them were stunned simultaneously.

"Hehe, that child has no relation to me, but he has a relation to my granddaughter."

As Elder Bai's words fell, the mustache-wearing State Elder slammed the table, making the teacups rattle.

"Nonsense! Absolute nonsense!"

He was so angry his mustache was shaking.

"Bai Zhengyuan! You are actually gambling the safety of the entire Celestial Dynasty on the romantic feelings of a younger generation?!"

The other cold-faced old man who had advocated for imprisonment also said in a deep voice.

"Old Bai, you were indeed inconsiderate this time. Your granddaughter is young and doesn't know any better, but how could you be so muddled too?"

Bai Zhengyuan unhurriedly picked up his teacup, blew away the froth, and took a small sip.

"Do you really think I'm the type of person who would sacrifice public duty for private interests?"

He set down the teacup, his gaze suddenly becoming sharp.

"I protected Lu Yin partly because of my granddaughter, but more importantly, I saw hope in that child."

"Hope?" The mustache-wearing elder sneered.

"Back then, when Aiolia led the Abyssal army to invade, our Celestial Dynasty exhausted its Awakening Level experts. Do you want such a tragedy to repeat itself?!"

Bai Zhengyuan scanned the mustache-wearing State Elder with a calm gaze and spoke slowly.

"It is precisely because I remember the tragedy of those years that we need an opportunity to understand the Abyss better!"

"If this child can truly suppress Aiolia and become the Emperor of the Holy Demon Clan, we will have a chance to analyze the essence of the Abyss!"