The winner was decided in an instant on the fighting stage. The blue light representing Wuya Peak lit up at the edge of the arena, and Gu Suihan's name appeared in the air. The monks who won the bet and all the disciples of Wuya Peak began to cheer. Shen Qingmang stood on the fighting stage and looked at Gu Suihan silently amid the noisy crowd, his eyes full of confusion.
Hao Xin struggled to get up from the ground and looked at Shen Qingmang with an aggrieved tone. "Master, Senior Brother...he broke the rules!"
"Why?" Shen Qingmang asked softly.
Hao Xin said: "I know you definitely don't believe it, but he really..."
She raised a hand to stop him. "I saw it. I was asking Sui Han why he used the forbidden technique."
Gu Sui Han supported his body with the Qionglin Sword and said nothing.
Shen Qingmang took a few steps forward, his eyes red and his voice furious. "I'm asking you why, Sui Han? You've always been the most obedient child. How could this happen..."
"Master, I..." Gu Sui Han had just said a few words when he spat out a mouthful of blood. The Qionglin Sword fell to the ground with a "bang". Shen Qingmang and Hao Xin hurriedly reached out to help him.
"What happened, Qingmang? If you want to reminisce about the past, let's go back to the stage and do it. Look, Sui Han is so tired that he is even vomiting blood." The leader flew to the competition stage and asked with concern.
Shen Qingmang stroked Gu Suihan's back with his hand and looked around, only to find that no one wanted to raise any objections, not even the sect leader asked about the forbidden technique.
In other words, she was the only one who saw, at that moment just now, because of the angle, that Gu Sui Han used the forbidden technique on Hao Xin and extracted the spiritual power from Hao Xin's body.
The nature of this forbidden technique is far more serious than Hao Xin's previous behavior of absorbing other people's gathered spiritual energy. The latter is just a bit opportunistic, but the former will harm the other person's body and will also backfire on oneself.
It’s just a competition, why is Gu Sui Han doing this?
"Master..." Gu Suihan grabbed her hand and said tremblingly, "We can't, we can't be like before."
Shen Qingmang's body shook violently as if he had been electrocuted.
In the sect competition in the previous life, Hao Xin won the championship. Before she went into seclusion, she asked Gu Sui Han to change the plot, so he had to win this victory even if he had to use any means.
So that's why, but...
"Master." Hao Xin looked at her eagerly. "Since you've seen it, go tell the headmaster."
"I..." Shen Qingmang struggled.
"Master, do you favor the eldest brother so much that you disregard right and wrong?" Hao Xin looked at her steadily.
"Qingmang, what's wrong? What are you talking about with them?" The headmaster asked her again. He was holding a small tripod in his hand, ready to award it to the winner of the competition.
"Hold on to your senior brother." Shen Qingmang said to Hao Xin, letting go of Gu Suihan and walking up to the headmaster. "Headmaster, Qiongju is requesting arbitration."
"What?" The headmaster was stunned. "You have objections to the result of the competition?"
"Qiong Ju suspects..." Shen Qingmang paused and spoke with difficulty, "He suspects that Gu Suihan used a forbidden technique and requested that the image ball be used to restore the image of the last move."
"Have you thought this through?" the headmaster said seriously. "Once such an accusation is made, even if you, the eldest disciple, win fairly, you will be viewed with suspicion."
"Master, didn't you see it just now?"
The headmaster shook his head. "No."
"But Qiongju saw it." Shen Qingmang took a deep breath. "Please ask the headmaster to arbitrate."
The headmaster turned around and said something to the elders of Wendao Peak. They all looked towards the fighting stage. One of them reached out and took back several photo balls hanging in the air. Discussions broke out in the stands.
Although no one could hear what they said on the stage, the fact that the leader did not present the awards immediately showed that there was something fishy about the competition, and the act of checking the photo balls further proved this point.
Shen Qingmang turned around and fed Gu Suihan two pills. He swallowed them obediently and said, "Master, don't worry. It's just a backlash."
"Big Brother, you're clearly outmatched, so why do you insist on fighting me?" Hao Xin looked at him in confusion. "You narrowly won those two matches against Wuxing Peak and Wuwei Peak. Ah Si said you looked pale, and I don't know what was wiping from your lips. Why are you so stubborn? If you really like that tripod, I'll give it to you."
"Sorry." Gu Sui Han only said these two words.
Shen Qingmang was about to say something when the headmaster called her name. She hurried over and saw several elders gathered around a photo ball, pointing and talking.
"It's right here."
"Yes, his lips moved, and he was muttering a spell."
"It's the Soul Transfer Technique... 'The earth turns, the waves roar, the city empties, the mountains surge.' This is the spell that activates it, and the lip movements are correct."
"This spiritual energy fluctuation... is so subtle that it's hard to see unless you look closely."
The old men looked at each other, their faces heavy.
Elder Li Su first noticed Shen Qingmang and shouted, "Qiong Ju, look at the good disciples you taught, they actually used forbidden techniques! What did you usually teach them? If it weren't for the master's unique vision, we would have been deceived by your disciples!"
Several elders looked embarrassed. The sect leader coughed lightly and said, "Well... Li Su, you came too late and didn't hear it. It was Master Qiongju who first requested arbitration, otherwise the tripod would have been awarded to Gu Suihan."
Elder Lisu was stunned and blurted out: "Then why did you say that?"
Elder Wujiu said, "Upholding justice is the duty of every cultivator in Taichu. No one should protect anyone. Master Qiongju has acted properly. Master Lisu, please be careful with your words."
Shen Qingmang nodded to him silently.
Elder Wujiu turned to the Sect Leader. "Sect Leader, this matter is now clear. Gu Suihan violated the rules by using forbidden techniques. His eligibility for the championship should be revoked, and his bid for Haoxin will be postponed. Furthermore, using forbidden techniques is a serious offense. The Discipline Hall will impose penalties on him as a warning to others."
"Master Wujiu," Shen Qingmang said, "This matter is my fault. Qiongju over-bullied his disciple, forcing him to resort to unjust means to win the championship. I beg you not to punish Qiongju's disciple. It's my fault for not teaching him strictly and for his laziness. I will take full responsibility for this matter."
Li Su snorted coldly. "You're going to take the blame? It's your disciple who should be punished. You've just come out of seclusion and recovered, and you're being tortured? Are you trying to use this self-torture trick to soften Elder Wujiu and the Sect Master?"
Shen Qingmang looked at him in surprise. "Elder Li Su is concerned about me?"
Li Su's face suddenly showed an expression as if he had swallowed a fly.
Shen Qingmang smiled faintly and bowed deeply to the headmaster. "Qiongju has failed to live up to Master's teachings. The forbidden techniques Sui Han learned also came from Qiongju. While the original intention of teaching was to warn disciples against forbidden techniques, it also planted hidden dangers. The blame lies with me, not my disciple."
The headmaster sighed. "Qingmang, why are you taking the blame on yourself? According to what you're saying, I also taught you and your senior brothers and sisters about the forbidden technique, so I'm guilty too? Which elder recognized the spell just now? Does that mean he also knew about the forbidden technique, so he's guilty too?"
Shen Qingmang quickly denied it. "Of course not."
"Then don't take the responsibility. This child is..."
Yun Xuzhou didn't finish his words as he stared blankly at his most beloved little disciple kneeling down.
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