Chapter 47 The Punishment Is for Them
It's happened! The inevitable part of every devotional competition—the team leaders tearing each other apart!
It's important to know that the fierce competition in past spiritual retreats wasn't just among the participants offstage; the rivalry between the team leaders onstage, both overt and covert, was equally exciting.
Unexpectedly, it was Hongqizong who kicked off this fight, with Venerable Chongjue personally getting involved.
The observers peered excitedly, not wanting to miss a single detail.
Those in Class A seats remained unmoved, keeping their eyes down and their minds focused, maintaining a dignified demeanor.
The Dingsheng Sect disciple who was thrown out only managed to utter half a sentence before being silenced, easily manipulated by the Mahayana stage cultivator like a little mouse.
If one's foundation is built to this extent, then one is at the peak of Qi Refining. The leader of the sect must have been terrified, his face ashen and trembling like a leaf.
The gray-robed girl sitting in the center, just as the observers had imagined, was startled by her disciple's loud shout. Her expression froze, and she stopped playing with the jade tablet.
But the next second, her eyes lit up, she raised the jade pendant in her hand, brought it close to her lips, and excitedly shouted, "Found it!"
"Yes, yes! We found them! They were captured by Hongqizong and asked me to rescue them. No wonder we couldn't find them; it was Venerable Chongjue who captured them! We never expected that."
She moved the palm holding the jade pendant to her ear, revealing a smiling face, and said to Venerable Chongjue, "Please release my sect's disciples; they still want to participate in the competition."
The observers were dumbfounded: their own disciple had been captured by the enemy sect and was crying for help, yet they showed neither panic nor anger, but simply happily asked for his release?
The leader of the group became alert: Who was she communicating with? Could it be Venerable Hongyan?
“They cannot be released.” Venerable Chongjue’s expression was as kind as if he were patiently instructing Ji Mingran: “The two of them attacked our sect’s participating disciples. According to the rules, they should be disqualified from participating in the competition.”
"Ah?" Ji Mingran exclaimed, putting down the jade pendant that was resting against his ear, his expression concerned: "Are you alright, missing any limbs?"
Venerable Chongjue: "Let Zhang Chong come up."
The one who was led out was the disciple of Hongqi Sect who had led them to their residence. Unlike his arrogant and haughty demeanor yesterday, he was now bruised and battered, with black eyes and his mouth swollen like a sausage, with conspicuous red handprints around his lips.
It's obvious he was slapped.
The crowd's gazes turned intrigued.
“My disciple Zhang Chong was ambushed by your disciples last night while he was cultivating, and ended up like this. If that were all, it would be fine, but his cultivation was interrupted, causing his spiritual energy to flow backward, making him unable to participate in the competition.” Venerable Chongjue’s tone became more serious. “If this was orchestrated by your sect, Dingsheng Sect should also withdraw from the competition.”
With each word Venerable Chongjue spoke, the two people at his feet trembled slightly. Their reaction to his last sentence was particularly intense; their entire bodies shook violently as soon as he finished speaking.
Upon seeing this, Shen Ting, an elder of the Shen family, revealed undisguised disgust and sneered, "Truly despicable. Those who break the rules should be punished. I agree."
Venerable Chongjue looked around and took in the expressions of the leaders of each participating sect. No one objected.
He looked back with satisfaction at the culprit, the sect leader.
The latter was still sending a message through the jade tablet: "They couldn't answer me, but they seemed to be without missing any limbs."
She then looked at Chongjue and asked, "Venerable Chongjue, why did you suppress them? I asked them how their injuries were, but they couldn't answer me. They were moving around a lot; I wonder if they were injured elsewhere."
"You're asking about them, not my sect's disciples."
Venerable Chongjue raised his eyes, his gaze sharp, his words no longer as gentle as before, "Ignoring the victims and only caring about the perpetrators, is this the attitude of the Dingsheng Sect?"
Clearly, Ji Mingran had only just noticed Zhang Chong, and upon seeing his reaction, he asked, "Is this disciple at the Foundation Establishment stage?"
"Peak of Foundation Establishment".
"You're at the peak of Foundation Establishment." Ji Mingran's expression was even more surprised than when he saw the Jin siblings appear. He looked him up and down and blurted out, "You couldn't beat them and ended up like this?"
Zhang Chong's face flushed red, and he said angrily, "The two of them attacked me! Besides, both of them have talismans and magical artifacts!"
“They are good children now and won’t hurt anyone.” Ji Mingran turned his gaze and said, “Why don’t you release them, Venerable Chongjue, so I can ask them carefully?”
"Don't try to change the subject." Guanxiuhe Zhenren on the wall couldn't help but speak up, "You make it sound like Venerable Chongjue is deliberately making things difficult for us. The spiritual pressure released by Venerable Chongjue is just the natural overflow of spiritual pressure from the Mahayana stage. Those who are close by will naturally be affected. As the leader, you can easily dispel such spiritual pressure. They are disciples of the Dingsheng Sect, so you can dispel it for them."
True Master Xiuhe is right; the spiritual pressure that Venerable Chongjue is currently releasing can be neutralized by a Golden Core cultivator.
Everyone present could see that Ji Mingran was not a Golden Core cultivator, and she wasn't even a Foundation Establishment cultivator. How could she possibly save the Jin siblings?
True Man Xiuhe was actually subtly mocking her low cultivation level.
Ji Mingran said with great interest, "Venerable Chongjue couldn't control his spiritual pressure? I must be ignorant. After all, among Mahayana cultivators, I only know my senior brother, who can control his spiritual pressure at will. I thought all Mahayana cultivators could do that."
She sighed leisurely, "So, Venerable Chongjue can't do it."
Xiuhe Zhenren glared: "I had no such intention!"
“Since none of the cultivators present showed any unusual symptoms, I did not notice that the overflowing spiritual pressure was causing trouble for the juniors.” Venerable Chongjue smiled: “It was my oversight.”
The spiritual pressure pressing down on the Jin siblings vanished in an instant, and the Jin siblings were launched out like springs pushed to their limit, instantly rushing in front of Ji Mingran.
The two had been trembling with rage from Hong Qizong's accusations, but were unable to utter a sound due to their suppressed anger. Now that they were finally free, Jin Yu pointed at Ren Chong and said furiously, "It's your dog mouth that can't produce anything ivory. You slandered and insulted our great-grandmother first, and you deserve it!"
What?! Insulting our ancestors?
As soon as the Jin siblings spoke, those who had seen the pig-headed Zhang Chong and believed that the evidence was conclusive, and who supported the Hongqi Sect, began to waver.
Shouldn't they have been hit? They absolutely deserved to be hit!
The Jin family members, who had come to the observation platform to cheer on their young master and young lady, stood up angrily, creating a golden wave of people.
"How dare you insult my ancestors!"
"Even if it is Hong Qizong, my Jin family will not tolerate such humiliation!"
"We'll see about that!"
"It sounds like Hongqi Sect was in the wrong first." In the center of the first-class seats, a woman in a purple dress looked charming and chuckled, covering her mouth. "My Hehuan Sect has been slandered for a long time. If anyone dares to talk nonsense about my disciples, my sect will not let them off easily."
The one speaking was True Person Ziyan from the Ten Cultivations of the Daoist Sect.
Zhang Chong became furious and pointed his index finger at Ji Mingran: "When did I ever mention your ancestors? I was clearly talking about her!"
Jinlu: "She is our great-grandmother!"
The onlookers were shocked: The leader of the Dingsheng Sect looked so young, yet she was actually the great-grandmother of the Jin siblings. Was she really that old? My apologies.
Then Jin Yu added, "In terms of seniority, she is our great-grandmother, our great-great-grandmother!"
The cultivators observing the trial suddenly understood. So that's how it is! She was Venerable Hongyan's junior sister. So their calculations made sense. No wonder Venerable Hongyan asked Great-Grandma to save them when he released them; that's what he meant.
The Jin family member sat down calmly, as if he had never stood up.
This time, the disciples observing the test from the Dingsheng Sect stood up angrily, stirring up waves of blue, green, and black people.
"What! How dare you humiliate our little ancestor!"
"The Dingsheng Sect will not swallow this insult!"
Just you wait!
In the first-class seats, Jin Yu was still angrily complaining to Ji Mingran: "We know they upset you. Later, when we went out to cultivate, we saw this person slandering you. We told him to shut up, but he kept talking, so we hit him."
"You're talking nonsense. I only said that her cultivation level is low and she suffers from a leg ailment. Every word I said is true. There's not a trace of slander in it." Ren Chong retorted, not forgetting to put Ji Ming on the fire to roast.
Everyone present knew about Ji Mingran's cultivation level and leg ailment, but discussing it in private was one thing, and having it exposed in public was quite another. Once the veil of secrecy was lifted, who could remain calm?
The person being talked about remained calm and composed, sitting firmly in her seat as if she weren't the one being talked about.
Her young apprentices and grand-apprentices couldn't stand it and raised their hands to strike: "You!"
But his raised hand was frozen in place. Jin Yu's neck veins bulged, and he gritted his teeth to hold on, preventing himself from kneeling down again.
Ji Mingran glanced at Jin Yu's hand raised in mid-air and sighed from the bottom of his heart: "My Senior Brother Sanyang is busy cracking the secret realm and improving his cultivation level. He doesn't have a moment to spare. Venerable Chongjue is also at the Mahayana realm, but he is still dealing with the trivial matters of his junior disciples fighting and playing around."
It's true that people of the same kind have different fates.
She concluded, "I'm quite free."
Pfft!
Uncontrollable laughter echoed from the observation platform.
While the cultivators on the observation platform suppressed their laughter, they couldn't help but marvel at the audacity of the Dingsheng Sect's leader in provoking the Mahayana cultivators. The Hehuan Sect's Master Ziyan frequently scrutinized Ji Mingran.
"As the presiding judge of the competition, it is my duty to maintain order." Venerable Chongjue's expression had returned to a pleasant one. "I just hope they don't act rashly."
Seeing Jin Yu lower his arm, Ji Mingran nodded in agreement, saying, "Indeed, Si Zheng should maintain order in the competition. Since he has admitted that he spoke ill of us and provoked our disciples first, and the fault does not lie with our sect, I think they can go back to the competition now."
Venerable Chongjue stared at Ji Mingran without uttering a sound.
"Disrespectful to elders." Shen Ting, an elder of the Shen family, was very displeased with Ji Mingran. His face darkened. "No matter what, it is an ironclad rule that participating disciples must not intentionally injure others before the competition begins. If we let him off lightly today, others will follow suit and come up with all sorts of dubious reasons. Wouldn't that be ridiculous?"
Ji Mingran gazed into the distance, ignoring everything, as if waiting for Venerable Chongjue to speak.
"Gentlemen," a man in his forties, dressed in a moon-white robe with meticulously combed hair and beard, said slowly, "My Shen family's Word-Reading Pearl can discern the truth from falsehood in people's words. The disciple of Dingsheng Sect did not lie." After speaking, a lustrous white pearl that glowed with fluorescence appeared in his palm. "Since you have both made mistakes, why don't you both take a step back and not pursue the matter further?"
The Word-Reading Pearl is a treasured artifact of the Zhu family. The spiritual competition is fiercely contested by various sects, easily leading to trouble. Therefore, the leader of the Zhu family team must bring this pearl to the competition to prevent any family member from suffering unjust accusations.
Zhu Shengli, the leader of the Zhu family, had previously thought it was absurd that Dingsheng Sect would send such an incompetent person as the leader. However, seeing that Ji Mingran could handle the situation, he decided to step forward after careful consideration.
After all, Zhu Shibai, the heir of the Zhu family, is in the Dingsheng Sect and is participating in this spiritual cultivation competition. If the Dingsheng Sect is bullied in public, it will not only embarrass the Dingsheng Sect, but also implicate Zhu Shibai and the entire Zhu family.
Shen Shengli glanced at Shen Ting across from him, feeling dissatisfied. Even though the Shen family were also participants in the Dingsheng Sect's trials, she was actually siding with the Hongqi Sect; it was incredibly short-sighted, showing no consideration for the family's long-term interests.
“Yes,” said the Hehuan Sect’s Master Ziyan, sitting next to Zhu Shengli, “Why should Venerable Chongjue interfere in the foolishness between his junior disciples? It’s not good to make people think that the older ones are bullying the younger ones.”
“It’s wrong to speak rudely, but it’s even more wrong to resort to violence. Dingsheng Sect should give Hongqi Sect an explanation.” Xiuhe Zhenren insisted, “Otherwise, how can the Spiritual Cultivation Competition be fair?”
Ji Mingran withdrew her gaze, a hint of anxiety flashing in her dark eyes. She simply asked directly, "You want an explanation from us, so what exactly do you want?"
"Let the disciples who are participating in the test resolve their own squabbles." Venerable Chongjue finally spoke, calling out to his disciple, "Yingyang, as the leader of the Hongqi Sect's participating disciples, you shall make the decision."
Ji Mingran's eyes darted around, looking at the person standing near the cloud ladder. No wonder he hadn't left yet; it turned out he still had important duties to attend to.
Meng Yingyang's gaze met hers. In fact, ever since Ji Mingran appeared on the observation platform, his eyes had never left her.
Just a year ago, she was only at the Qi Refining stage, far inferior to him. But he knew she was more than that. At least, she could keep up with him and follow behind him.
But the person who should have been following behind was now seated in the highest rank, on equal footing with the sect's powerful figures, engaging in a power struggle with them, and exchanging blows with his master with ease and without any fear. Even after his master spoke, the other powerful figures looked down at him from afar with their gazes, looking down at him from a high place.
Suddenly, Meng Yingyang felt that she was out of reach.
But how can that be?
His fingers curled up under his sleeve, and he sighed softly.
Even if it's despicable, he'll drag her down, at least to his level.
Putting his master's earnest teachings aside, Meng Yingyang remained calm, his gaze fixed on Ji Mingran, and said clearly, "The leader of the Dingsheng Sect will take the place of the two of them in the test."
Venerable Chongjue's smile froze slightly, and his gaze unconsciously glanced at Meng Yingyang, but he quickly responded, "As the leader of the team, you must have extraordinary qualities that are respected by the entire sect. It is fair for you to calculate the score for the two of them. My Hongqi Sect has already made enough concessions."
The cultivators were in an uproar.
What a Mahayana stage! To be able to utter such grand words without batting an eye—what a thick skin!
For someone in the Qi Refining stage to participate in the competition, this is unprecedented since the Spiritual Cultivation Grand Competition began. It's utterly ridiculous!
Moreover, with one Qi Refining cultivator replacing two Foundation Establishment cultivators, the Peak Prosperity Sect is essentially out of the competition!
"Okay." Ji Mingran stood up, his tone casual: "That's fine."
ah? ? ?
The cultivators were dumbfounded.
He lowered his head and transmitted his voice through magic: "I believe that she is only at the Qi Refining stage. Using one to replace two Foundation Establishment stages is better than simply forcing them to withdraw from the competition..."
"Acting on your own initiative!"
Venerable Chongjue's furious voice reverberated in Meng Yingyang's mind, almost causing his spiritual power to reverse.
But suddenly, a cry came from below the viewing platform, like heavenly string music, melodious and beautiful.
The phoenix's cry heralds the opening of the secret realm.
How could the secret realm open earlier than he expected? There was no time to waste, so Venerable Chongjue had no choice but to withdraw his telepathic message and solemnly said, "Yingyang, go quickly."
Meng Yingyang bowed his head, paid his respects to Venerable Chongjue, and took his leave. With a flash of sword light, he appeared in the canyon image projected by the projection stone.
Those leading their teams sighed inwardly, "What amazing sword control technique! No wonder he lingered here as a participating disciple, not afraid of missing the competition."
What should the leader of the Dingsheng Sect, who had just agreed to the exchange for the competition, do? By the time she leaves, it will be too late.
Just then, another projection stone displayed a cheerful, smiling girl's face.
Why does it look so familiar?
All the cultivators turned their heads in unison.
Ji Mingran was nowhere to be seen in the top-class seats of the Dingsheng Sect.
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