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nEditor: Sahloknir

nThe young girl kneeling on the ground looked at Shi Qing incredulously with a pale face and trembling lips. “Sh-Shizun…”

nShi Qing glanced at her, radiating the authority of one at the Amalgamation stage. Even though his cultivation was built through pills, it was still enough to intimidate his little Nascent Soul stage disciple into silence.

nIn a split second, the immortal in white waved his sleeve and transported her away.

nQiao Lingyu, who had been sent to the foot of the mountain, wiped her tears before walking towards a small wooden hut in the distance.

nQing Jian Peak was famous for its ideal cultivation environment. As the eldest disciple of this peak, Rong Jue should have been living with his junior martial siblings on the essence-rich Qing Jian Peak. However, he was sent by his Shizun to the foot of the mountain, where there was little essence in the air, when he was a teenager.

nLiving in this small wooden hut, he had a harder time cultivating than any of his junior martial siblings due to this.

nQiao Lingyu couldn’t understand why Shizun was always so harsh to Da-shixiong. He had already brought much honour to Qing Jian Peak, even as a child. It was also Da-shixiong who took time out to teach the rest of them patiently while Shizun went into closed-door cultivation, as he often did.

nBut respecting one’s teachers was an integral part of the cultivation world. No matter how many doubts were in Qiao Lingyu’s heart, she would not dare to question her Shizun. She could only sob quietly on the way to Rong Jue’s residence.

nIt was hard to believe that a disciple on the cusp of reaching the Void Refining stage was staying in such a humble wooden hut. Inside, a handsome but pale man was lying on the bed with a bloodied abdomen. At his bedside was a youth of about 17 to 18 years old, who was carefully preventing his cultivation from dissipating.

nQiao Lingyu’s gaze fell on the weakened Rong Jue whose eyes were closed.

nWith his sword eyebrows and well-defined features, Rong Jue could be considered a rare beauty, even in the cultivation world where there was no lack of beautiful people. This, along with the faint smile that seemed to always be present on his face and his impressive cultivation for his age made Rong Jue the center of attention wherever he went.

nBut now, such an exceptional Da-shixiong could only lie here and wait for death.

nQiao Lingyu could no longer hold back her sorrow as she thought of this. She lowered her head and continued to sob, as if she had done something wrong.

nHer second Shixiong, who was doing his best to protect Rong Jue, saw her in this state. He grit his teeth, “Is Shizun still unwilling to heal Da-shixiong?”

nQiao Lingyu shook her head and choked out, “Shizun said that Da-shixiong’s loss disgraced Qing Jian Peak. He won’t heal him or allow us to help him either. If we do, Shizun said that we would be expelled from the sect.”

nHer second Shixiong’s face also paled.

nNormally in the cultivation world, disciples would only be expelled from their sects if they committed a grievous error. It would become a stain on their reputation, preventing any other immortal sect from accepting them for the rest of their life.

nBut Da-shixiong would die if he wasn’t treated soon!

nHe muttered, “Is Shizun…really this cruel?”

nHe was related to Shi Qing through his mother’s family, and he had been sent to study at Qing Jian Peak as a child. He could very clearly sense that Shizun favoured him the most among his students, which he thought was because they were related.

nHe had always admired his Shizun. Even though he knew that his Shizun was harsh to his Shixiong, he thought it was because Shizun was a strict teacher. But this time Shizun was obviously after Shixiong’s life!

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nThe youth once again grit his teeth and got up fiercely, “I’ll go and ask Shizun for an explanation!”

nRong Jue, who seemed to be asleep because his eyes were closed, slowly opened them. His tone was indifferent. “Don’t go.”

nQiao Lingyu cried out and ran to his bedside, feeling joy and worry in equal measure. “Da-shixiong, you’re awake!”

nWith difficulty, Rong Jue moved his fingers and said to his equally hopeful Shidi, “Don’t waste your efforts. Shizun isn’t going to change his mind.”

n“That can’t be. Da-shixiong shouldn’t be so pessimistic. Shizun is just frustrated that he lost face. You’re Shizun’s best disciple, so he’ll definitely come help you once he’s cooled off.” Qiao Lingyu tried to comfort Rong Jue, “You’re almost at the Void Refining stage now, there’s no way Shizun will give up on you.”

nA Void Refining stage disciple was definitely rare, even in Chi Yun Sect, the number one immortal sect in the world.

nRong Jue’s pale face, however, showed a touch of mockery.

nOf course Shizun could give up on him.

nWho else would the concealed spiritual energy in Rong Jue’s body preventing him from healing have come from?

nThat distant immortal with a faint smile was nothing more than a hypocrite.

nBut why would he do such a thing?

nHas Rong Jue not been obedient and respectful enough for all these years?

nRong Jue’s originally staunchly righteous beliefs began to crumble, as a mass of dark energy surrounded his heart.

nThe other two didn’t notice, but the eyes of the man who was once favoured by heaven gradually turned pitch black.

nThe other bloodline hidden in Rong Jue’s body took the opportunity to invade his very foundation.

nIt greedily consumed everything.

nRighteous, kindness, compassion, warmth—

nRong Jue’s other hand that was hidden under the blanket clenched into a fist as he slowly closed his eyes.

n“You two should head back. Since Shizun has made his stance clear, you shouldn’t invoke his wrath.”

nHis Shidi was still reluctant. “But if we don’t do something soon, Shixiong’s cultivation will…”

n“My cultivation is almost gone as it is. There’s no point in delaying the inevitable. I am no better than a mortal now, so you shouldn’t go against Shizun for my sake. Go back, I know what I’m doing.”

nRong Jue’ words made his Shimei tear up even more.

nHis Shidi still wanted to say more, but the man on the bed sternly rebuked them. “What, my younger martial siblings will no longer listen to me now that I’m crippled?”

nRong Jue has always been kind and gentle. He’s never used this kind of cold and mocking tone with them. The two were a little scared to be honest, but they didn’t take offense. They thought Da-shixiong was acting this way to avoid implicating them.

nNot knowing what to do, the two could only leave the place with lowered heads in the end.

nIt was only after they left that Rong Jue slowly opened his eyes.

nHis eyes were a light brown colour that shone with sincerity. He treated everyone courteously regardless of status.

nDue to his gentlemanly demeanour, many of his Shijie and Shimei wanted to become his cultivation partner. However, Rong Jue had always devoted himself towards the Dao, he tactfully and gently rejected them all.

nBut now, the pair of eyes that had always contained warmth and kindness were dark and sunken, as if they had fallen into an abyss.

nRong Jue struggled to sit up, using his right index finger to make a hand sign before touching his abdominal injury. Expressionlessly, he plunged deep into the wound.

nHow could it not hurt to reopen the injury? However, Rong Jue remained impassive. Only his paling and sweating face betrayed how much pain he was in.

nSlender fingertips trailed along the blood to his abdomen as he used all the spiritual energy he had left to probe around his body. Finally, he traced the source destroying his cultivation to his dantian. He tried to approach it.

nAs soon as that pale white spiritual energy came into contact with his, it brutally destroyed it.

n“Ahhh-”

nEven Rong Jue couldn’t help but make a sound as his last portion of spiritual energy was destroyed. With a bloodless face, he slowly removed his hand from the wound.

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nShizun…

nIt seemed like he was determined to cripple Rong Jue this time as well.

nEver since his cultivation was destroyed, there wasn’t a moment when Rong Jue wasn’t in pain.

nIt felt like someone was using a knife to scrape off pieces of flesh from his body while he was alive, even going as far as to chip into his bones.

nFrom the time he was hit with that hidden move until now, Rong Jue’s eyes may have been closed, but he was always awake.

nAwake and suffering in agony.

nAwake and reliving the first half of his life.

nHis admiration towards Shizun was worn away by endless, cold dismissal.

nHis excitement after managing to break through to a new stage was also met with merciless rejection.

nIt seemed like Shizun despised him more the harder he worked.

nEveryone knew that Immortal Shi Qing of Qing Jian Peak had three disciples, with the eldest one being the most outstanding.

nHowever, his younger martial siblings on Qing Jian Peak all received gentle smiles from Shizun, and even occasional guidance when he was in a good mood.

nThere was none of that for Rong Jue.

nInstead, there was admonishment, disgust and all kinds of attempts to trample him into the dirt.

nThe Rong Jue from before would have thought:

nWhy is Shizun doing this to me?

nAm I just unable to understand his well-intentioned actions?

nIs Shizun just more strict with me because I’m the most talented?

nBut when he was struck by that hidden move while going all out against his opponent, when all of his cultivation crumbled…

nThe words he had once used to comfort himself became a joke.

nWhat a devious tactic.

nRong Jue lowered his eyes, the self-ridicule on his face growing more and more pronounced.

nHe exhausted every method, but he was still unable to extract this spiritual energy. It seemed like this trace of Shi Qing would follow him to his grave.

nNaturally, that high and lofty Immortal could take his life with a mere thought.

nEven if Rong Jue knew who harmed him, what could he do?

nWho would people believe—a cripple or a cultivator at the Amalgamation stage?

nAll of the Chi Yun Sect elders, including the Sect Master, had watched Shi Qing grow up and owed favours to that now ascended cultivator. How could they not know how Shi Qing had treated Rong Jue over the years?

nIt was just that Rong Jue wasn’t as important as Shi Qing to them, so they turned a blind eye.

nThis so-called immortal sect was no better than the demonic cultivators they despised so much.

nNo, it was even more despicable.

nAt least the Demon World would never hide their evil deeds. The immortal sect wore a mask of benevolence, but it allowed Shi Qing to ruin his own disciple’s cultivation.

nRong Jue could clearly sense a hidden malice within him, guiding his thoughts towards the demonic cultivation he had once despised with all his being.

nBut he didn’t mind.

nWhy would he?

nOn the bed, the handsome yet pale man with dark eyes slowly lifted his blood-soaked hand and quietly stared at the vivid crimson colour.

nThe righteous faction couldn’t tolerate him.

nSo what was stopping him from turning to the other side?

nNow that his cultivation was destroyed, he could no longer practice immortal cultivation.

nHowever, demonic cultivation was another story.

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