Demon Sword Sect's Undercover-Chapter 759 - 758 Expelled from the Sect

In the anxious wait of thousands of cultivators, the confrontation and exchange of interests among the Masters silently took place, and a resolution emerged after an hour.

Hou Niao, having rested briefly, finally stood up. He was also curious about what awaited him.

Everything was perfect except that he had not obtained the Masters’ consent before issuing the challenge, nor had he signed a life-and-death agreement.

Looking back, it was impossible to do so under those circumstances; the Masters could tacitly consent, but they couldn’t truly support it, so there was no life-and-death agreement. From the moment he issued the challenge, this was an inevitable outcome.

The weaker party wanting to turn the tables must be prepared to face retribution.

At least, this was no sneak attack, no assassination—it was an overt challenge under the public eye, a battle agreed upon by both parties.

He wasn’t overly concerned about his life’s safety, as with thousands of cultivators present, such a scenario was unlikely. But after today, it was uncertain; accidents could happen at any moment, and one must never underestimate the depth of a Prince Manor.

Similarly, since everyone was present, they couldn’t simply let him off; otherwise, the Quanzhen Sect would never have peace.

Master Xu stepped forward, as the Mansion Master of Sikong Mansion and the enforcer of Quanzhen Sect’s house rules. Generally, in such cases, it was often he who made the announcements. It was unknown what he felt about his sect members committing infractions.

Raising his voice, he actually didn’t know what impact this result would bring.

"Valor discerns the bold, refinement sharpens the weapon. Reward and punishment are unequivocal, facing death for a chance at rebirth...

Today, at Sikong Mansion, Hou Niao challenged the True Inheritors, not individuals, but the rules!

Our Quanzhen Sect moves with the times, never deceiving ourselves or others. Since even ordinary disciples in the sect have the power to overturn a True Inheritor, then there is a flaw in the rules. To know this and change is the greatest of virtues!"

All cultivators sensed something, awaiting an incredible outcome, an outcome they had never envisioned.

"The Quanzhen Council of Thirteen has decided as follows: all previous titles of True Disciples are nullified, effective immediately and until the Shan Sect annual meeting in ten years. All disciples of the Connecting Heaven rank in Quanzhen Sect may participate, regardless of background, position, or personal relationships...

Only the sword will decide!"

After a brief silence, thousands erupted into deafening cheers!

Changed, so utterly changed! Nine True Inheritors all dismissed, everyone had a chance now, as long as they were capable!

Though time was tight, hope was still abundant, at least there was an opportunity to strive, and no life would be left with regrets.

Watching thousands of disciples unable to contain their ecstasy below, the Masters felt a mix of emotions. The power they had held for thousands of years was suddenly lost, and it was foreseeable that it could never be reclaimed.

Yet they still did so, because only by doing so could they maximize the morale, bind the collective will, and ensure that Shan Sect Quanzhen was a united whole in the face of great worldly changes, rather than a mob of disunity.

If this could be achieved through the death of one person, then perhaps it wasn’t entirely unacceptable?

The man was already dead, and to linger on that would be foolish. True leadership was about turning bad situations into good, a test of the leaders’ magnanimity and foresight. Fortunately, among the thirteen Masters, the majority were broad-minded and insightful.

Waiting for the disciples’ emotions to settle, he pressed his hands down, returning the scene to calm; after the rewards, came the punishments, but he didn’t know if this punishment might undermine the achievements they’d made.

There was no room to evade, the matters of today needed to be lucidly resolved,

"Offering tribute to the ruler is courteous, rewarding and punishing without self-interest. Do not blame if it seems biased, it only maintains the proper order...

All thirteen Masters of Quanzhen, failing to stop, supervise, or control properly, are all fined a century’s salary; two from Sikong Mansion double that!"

With this, the place fell silent. Since the Masters were fining themselves, the real culprits feared a cold fate; but rules were rules, this reasoning was logical and justified. Such insubordination in any Daoist order must be suppressed; otherwise, the internal regulations of the sect would become worthless.

"Hou Niao of Sikong Mansion, brave and fierce, failing to see the big picture, recklessly inciting conflict, harming his fellow sect members, blatantly violating Quanzhen’s third law against fratricide; ninth law against privately arranging duels; fifteenth law against harming sect unity; twenty-first law against secret collusion...

Being an officer of Sikong Mansion, knowledgeable of the laws yet breaking them, his crime is increased by one degree. Therefore, by the consensus of all Masters, the punishment is as follows..."

All ears were pitched, this was the fate of a sacrificial lamb, the consequence of displaying one’s brilliance. That’s why many powerful yet unknown cultivators chose to remain hidden, freewёbnoνel-com

But progress in the Cultivation World cannot be without these sacrificial lambs, tragic heroes, invoking sighs of despair.

Master Xu, gathering his energy, declared, "In this battle, Hou Niao bears seventy percent of the guilt, Duan Wuqian thirty percent. The duel was fair, the outcome natural.

The Dao is flawless, but the sword has gaps. Therefore, I announce: he is stripped of his Purple Mansion Sword Seed, expelled from the sect, as a warning to others!"

The struggle of the Dao is faultless, but the sword must be wielded wisely, as the Masters believed.

Thousands of faces showed complex expressions, both unexpected yet reasonable.

In any Daoist order, rules are paramount. If rules change too frequently, cohesion is lost; Shan Sect Quanzhen has never been lax in this respect through its thousand-year history.

Were it a private matter, a different setting, or with a different Daoist order and not under such public scrutiny, there might be room for personal feelings, for compromise, for delay, to reduce major issues to minor, minor issues to none. But not now, with thousands of eyes watching, how could laws be bent?

This was why no one was willing to stand out; regardless of the outcome, no one could extricate themselves.

This was the most perilous moment. Should anyone clamor for action, it could spark a wildfire, waiting for the first shout.

Wang Mian felt his senior brother had seized the first kill on the stage, so wasn’t it fair for him to be the first to shout from below? Just as he was about to speak, a hand rested on his shoulder, and Fang Yazi’s calm voice reached his ears,

"Don’t let your senior brother’s efforts be in vain!"

They were Hou Niao’s closest friends; many were waiting for their signal; but there were also those untethered, acting on a whim.

In the utter silence that could have been broken by any impulsive act, Hou Niao spoke aptly,

"Disciple Hou Niao, accepts the punishment."

This statement extinguished the rebellious spirits of many like-minded individuals. Indeed, upon rational reflection, one could see that the Masters’ punishments, though harsh, were within the rules.

The struggle of the Dao was faultless; thus, life should not be taken; but the Quanzhen Sect didn’t arm you to harm your fellow disciples, thus, retracted the sword.

It was fair!