Chapter 74

The Punishment Hall was located at the top of a mountain. It was three floors high and was blood-red in color. It was emitting a dense aura of killing intent.

It was unknown whether it was because the killing intent was too heavy, but this place was barren and no vegetation could grow. There was once a disciple who felt that this place was desolate and tried to move some flowers and plants, but they withered after a few days. They tried again and again, but in the end, they could only accept their fate.

Since then, the killing intent here had become even thicker. Some disciples were even unwilling to come close to this place.

Under the guidance of the two Elders, Zi Chen slowly walked up the stone steps. The merciless killing intent assaulted his face, causing Zi Chen to involuntarily shiver.

This was the only Punishment Hall of the Nimbus Martial Ancestor. Even if the Elders made a mistake, they would be punished here.

The two Elders did not speak until they brought Zi Chen to the center of the hall.

The main hall was three stories high, but it was very spacious. It looked as if it was drenched in blood. The killing intent was like a sharp blade, cutting through Zi Chen's will. This was a punishment hall. Some of the more timid disciples who made mistakes could not bear the killing intent and would admit to their mistakes before they could be questioned.

However, Zi Chen did not make a mistake, so he did not think he could admit to it.

Walking into the hall, there were already dozens of people gathered here. As his gaze swept across, Zi Chen saw many familiar faces. Among them were Luo Men, Wang Meng, and many people who survived the Spiritual Herbal Garden. However, the ones he was familiar with, Su Mengyao, Lin Xue, and Miao Kong were not here.

"Zi Chen, are you guilty?"

Suddenly, a cold voice rang out, interrupting Zi Chen's sweeping gaze.

At the top of the hall sat an old man. He was as thin as a match, with only a few strands of white hair remaining. His eyes were deeply sunken into his eye sockets, and his skin was full of wrinkles like chicken skin.

"This should be the Hall Master. I didn't expect to alarm him." Zi Chen thought to himself. He was shocked by the Hall Master's appearance.

The Hall Master was dressed in black, sitting at the top of the hall like a huge black hole. He looked more like a malicious spirit that accidentally broke out of the netherworld, causing fear to rise in people's hearts.

"Zi Chen doesn't know." Zi Chen took a deep breath and tried to remain calm.

"Colluding with an outer sect disciple to kill a fellow disciple, and you still don't know your crime?"

The Palace Master's voice was cold and indifferent, but he did not oppress them with his aura. The murderous intent in his tone made them tremble in fear.

"Hall Master, that day, the Ten Disciples of the Inner Sect were ordered by someone to work together to kill me. If it weren't for my quick wits, I'm afraid I would have died long ago. Killing them was purely an act of self-defense." Zi Chen was neither servile nor overbearing. Rays of silver light appeared around him as he resisted the Hall Master's murderous aura.

"So you admit it?" The Palace Master's voice turned cold.

Zi Chen raised his head and stared at the Hall Master, who looked like a ghost, and said, "It is rumored that the Punishment Hall Master abhors evil as if it were an enemy, and has once beheaded several Core Disciples who had committed serious offenses. If the Hall Master insists on asking this question today, Zi Chen will admit his guilt, but I will absolutely not accept it."

"Hmph, Zi Chen, what do you have to say? I saw you kill Xu Yan with my own eyes. How dare you quibble?"

"That's right. You even stole our spiritual herbs?"

"You even killed Luo Mu and the others."

Just as Zi Chen's voice faded, a disciple beside him could not help but chime in.

"Zi Chen, you don't need to quibble. We've already investigated the matter. Today is the day you die." Chen Feng also walked out and coldly said.

Zi Chen did not even look at them. His calm gaze was fixed on the Hall Master as he said, "Hall Master, it is true that I killed the Nine Disciples, but Xu Yan did not die by my hands. He died in the mouth of a Xiantian giant python. Hundreds of people saw it with their own eyes. They are obviously slandering me."

At this point, Zi Chen did not care anymore. He directly said, "The Ten Disciples of the Inner Sect relied on Chen Feng's support to commit all kinds of crimes. That day, the ten disciples actually wanted to kill me alone. They were truly shameless. Moreover, when they attacked, they said that Chen Feng was jealous of my great talent and was afraid that I would be a threat to him, so he arranged for them to attack me. They also said that after I died and turned into a ghost, I should not look for them, but Chen Feng."

"I was lucky and survived in the end. But I want to ask, Hall Master, if I had died that day, would there be anyone who would seek justice for me?" Zi Chen raised his head, his voice loud and clear.

"Bullshit! You're spouting nonsense and slandering others.

You think I'm jealous of your talent? What kind of talent do you have? "Chen Feng said angrily.

Zi Chen looked at Chen Feng with a hint of mockery in his eyes. "Xu Yan died in the mouth of the giant python, and there were hundreds of people who saw it, but you said that I was the one who killed him. If you can believe such lies, why can't I believe what I heard with my own ears?

The Ten Disciples of the Inner Sect have no enmity with me. Why would they want to kill me, and even put a bounty on my head in the Spiritual Herbal Garden? "

"I reached Xiantian Stage Nine from Xiantian Stage Five in just one year. What kind of talent do you think I have?

If I don't have talent, then what are you? "Zi Chen responded coldly, mocking indifferently.

Gasps could be heard all around. Only now did everyone remember that Zi Chen was still a little fellow in the fifth layer of True Energy a year ago. But after a year, he was already standing at the peak of the True Energy realm, becoming the number one person below the Xiantian realm.

Chen Feng naturally didn't have Zi Chen's talent back then.

Zi Chen's eyes turned cold as he said, "If you want to kill someone, then you have to be prepared to be killed. They have evil intentions, so they deserve to die."

"You're talking nonsense. I hope the Hall Master will uphold justice. There are dozens of people here who can testify against Zi Chen. As for being jealous of his talent, it's just a rumor. As a Xiantian Stage warrior, why would I care about a Xiantian Stage warrior?" Chen Feng was furious. He turned to the Hall Master and bowed, asking for justice.

"Hmph, they're just a bunch of despicable people who only talk about justice. If we can believe their words, we might as well find a bunch of animals. Although animals don't know how to speak, they definitely won't do things that go against their will," Zi Chen said coldly.

For today's matter, he had to show a strong attitude. Otherwise, he wouldn't have any chance.

The Hall Master glanced down and didn't say a word.

"Zi Chen, you don't need to quibble. We all know what kind of person you are. You colluded with people from the outer sect to kill the ten disciples of the inner sect in order to steal the elixirs."

"That's right. You killed a lot of disciples in the valley. Did they also want to kill you? You've been quibbling all this time?"

"You're vicious and merciless. Not only did you steal our elixirs, but you also wanted to silence us. If we didn't run fast enough, we would have died in your hands already. We wouldn't be able to testify against you here."

"You're just a devil in a mask of kindness. The Nimbus Martial Ancestor is really a misfortune for the sect to have a piece of trash like you."

The others all spoke, wanting to kill Zi Chen. Their words were vicious.

"Zi Chen, you keep saying that you only killed people to protect yourself. Do you have any witnesses? You personally killed so many disciples in the valley. Was that also self-defense?" The Hall Master suddenly spoke, his cold eyes looking at Zi Chen.

Zi Chen felt a wave of killing intent rushing towards him. He couldn't help but take a few steps back. The silver light around his body showed signs of dissipating. He was shocked. The Hall Master's strength was indeed terrifying.

"Hall Master, he doesn't have any witnesses. What we said is the truth. In front of the truth, no one will defend him."

"We're standing on the side of justice." A disciple spoke.

"If you don't have any witnesses, who can prove that what you said is true? Do you think I should believe them, or your one-sided story?" The Hall Master asked coldly.

The disciples sneered, as if they could already see the scene of the Hall Master personally killing Zi Chen.

"Hmph!" Chen Feng coldly snorted and retreated.

The scene was powerless against Zi Chen. Moreover, the Hall Master was famous for killing people without batting an eye. Once he determined that Zi Chen was a villain, he would definitely kill him on the spot.

"I can testify for him." Suddenly, a clear and cold voice sounded from outside the hall.

"I can also testify that Zi Chen is innocent." Another clear voice sounded.

Footsteps sounded, and two beautiful figures appeared. Su Mengyao was dressed in white. She had a slender figure, and her beautiful face looked straight at Zi Chen in the hall.

Lin Xue's legs were straight, and her skin was like jade. Her jade feet stepped on the ground, making clattering sounds.

"It's you guys?"

Seeing Lin Xue and Su Mengyao, Chen Feng's face changed. He didn't understand why the two would appear. He had already arranged for people to restrain them.

"If it's not us, then who is it? Don't tell me it's those trash you sent?

Chen Feng, I used to think that you were a petty person with a good heart, but I didn't expect you to be so despicable. Zi Chen had no enmity with you, but you tried to kill him time and time again. This is the actions of a despicable person. It is the misfortune of the Nimbus Martial Ancestor that a person like you is the Nimbus Martial Ancestor's Sect Master. "Su Mengyao said coldly as soon as she came up.

"You!" Chen Feng was furious, and his face was very ugly. This was the first time Su Mengyao spoke to him in such a tone.

"You are simply a despicable person."

Lin Xue also said coldly, "In the Spiritual Herbal Garden, you ordered the ten inner disciples to kill Zi Chen, and now you found a bunch of despicable people like you to testify. You are all jackals of the same tribe."

The sudden appearance of these two people was out of everyone's expectations. Everyone looked at each other and wanted to refute.

"Don't speak. I feel disgusted just by hearing your voices. You are using righteousness as an excuse to do shady things." Su Mengyao's words made everyone speechless.

"In the Spiritual Herbal Garden, if it wasn't for Zi Chen, you would have died many times. Now you are trying to harm him. You are a bunch of heartless people." Lin Xue also scolded.

No one said a word, and they didn't know how to refute.

"The Nimbus Martial Ancestor is a sect, and it has its rules. This is not your home, and you can't do whatever you want.

The Punishment Palace is the most sacred and just place of the Nimbus Martial Ancestor. You will be severely punished for lying here. "

Su Mengyao's voice was cold, and her words made everyone's heart tremble. Some of the more timid people's faces changed.

"Several elders have died here. You are on your own now." Su Mengyao warned again.

Everyone lowered their heads and stopped talking.

Turning her head, Su Mengyao looked at the Palace Leader and said with a smile, "Palace Leader, I'm sure you know what's right and wrong."

The Palace Leader's face trembled, and he said coldly, "Someone, take them away and interrogate them. If they are lying, execute them immediately."

The Palace Leader's voice was cold, and a murderous aura was emitted. At that moment, the entire palace felt like it had fallen into an ice cellar. The murderous aura spread out, as if the God of Death had arrived.

The surviving disciples were all despicable and cowardly. A few of them even fell to the ground, their faces filled with fear. They crawled to the center of the hall and cried, "Palace Master, please spare me. I was bewitched by Chen Feng and was momentarily blinded by greed. That's why I slandered Zi Chen."

"Zi Chen, please forgive us. We are innocent. We were ordered by Chen Feng."