Chapter 38

Lu Ming stood at the door, feeling anxious and uneasy, unable to see what was happening inside. He increasingly believed that Zheng Shiyi would succeed in his challenge.

By then, if they were charged with verified injustice, everyone would be completely ruined.

Elder Wei looked at Lu Ming's worried expression and a cold smile appeared on his face: "Little Lu, you're still too young. This is not just any place, it's the Three Gates Hall! You can rest assured..."

Lu Ming's face showed a bit of embarrassment; he had overestimated Zheng Shiyi... This was the Three Gates Hall!

Elder Wei raised his hand and gently patted Lu Ming's shoulder, consoling him in a low voice: "Don't worry... I've had the gravity adjusted to the difficulty level for a Ninth Stage Qi Wheel Realm warrior to challenge..."

"At this level of gravity, even a peak Ninth Stage Qi Wheel Realm warrior, or even a Ninth Stage Foundation Establishment Realm warrior, cannot succeed."

Elder Wei grew more and more pleased as he spoke: "Not to mention this new disciple, whose cultivation is at most at the Sixth Stage Qi Wheel Realm. How could he possibly succeed?"

"Also, the gravity challenge is very draining for the challenger. Those who enter to challenge usually prepare plenty of medicinal pills in advance to restore their bodies."

"That kid went in empty-handed, clearly without any medicinal pills. Without the help of medicinal pills to repair his body, it's even more impossible for him to come out."

After hearing these words, Lu Ming's heart, which had been on edge, finally relaxed...

He clasped his hands and smiled at Elder Wei: "Elder Wei, I owe you a lot this time. If there's anything I can do in the future, I will do my best."

Elder Wei shook his head and laughed with satisfaction: "Little Lu... you're overthinking it. This is just a small effort. A disciple like him, who is arrogant and doesn't understand the rules, should be taught a lesson to remember."

"Rumble!"

The tightly closed stone door suddenly opened, and a figure with a pale face and panting breath emerged from the long passage.

"He came out!"

The people outside the stone door were stunned for a moment, then turned their heads to the incense burner on the command platform.

The incense in the burner seemed to have burned out, with no trace of a spark visible.

"Whoosh!"

A gentle breeze blew, scattering the ash left from the burned incense.

A red spark appeared from above.

"The incense hasn't burned out!"

"That means he succeeded in the challenge!"

Realizing this, the people looked at Zheng Shiyi with surprise and disbelief.

Though they didn't know which stage of the Qi Wheel Realm the gravity challenge Elder Wei had set for Zheng Shiyi was, their intuition told them that, given Zheng Shiyi's momentum in passing the Blade Qi Gate, the difficulty of the gravity challenge set by Elder Wei wouldn't be low.

At least it would be at the Fourth Stage Qi Wheel Realm, right?

Don't underestimate the Fourth Stage Qi Wheel Realm gravity challenge. According to the records of the Three Gates Hall, those who could pass this stage were at least at the Eighth Stage Qi Wheel Realm.

This guy was a new disciple, at most at the Sixth Stage Qi Wheel Realm. For him, the Fourth Stage Qi Wheel Realm gravity challenge was already an impossible task.

But... this guy was just that extraordinary! He came out within the specified time, repeatedly shattering the deeply ingrained common knowledge of everyone.

The member who opened the gravity challenge on the command platform collapsed to the ground, his lips trembling uncontrollably: "He actually passed... he actually passed..."

Others might not know which stage of the Qi Wheel Realm the gravity challenge Zheng Shiyi passed was, but he knew! It was set to the Ninth Stage Qi Wheel Realm under Elder Wei's supervision.

Even if he made a mistake in the adjustment, could Elder Wei's eyes be wrong?

It must have been the Ninth Stage Qi Wheel Realm gravity challenge!

Once, a Qi Spring Realm disciple wanted to test the strength of the Eighth Stage Qi Wheel Realm gravity. He never came out. When the relevant personnel found him, he had already exploded into pieces, scattered around...

That was just the Eighth Stage, which could cause a Spirit Wheel Realm disciple to explode. What about the Ninth Stage? No one knew how powerful it was!

How... did he do it? That kid didn't have any medicinal herbs when he went in!

Elder Wei, not far from him, turned a liver color.

He had clearly instructed his subordinates to set the gravity challenge to the Ninth Stage Qi Wheel Realm. How could this guy still come out?

The Ninth Stage Qi Wheel Realm gravity challenge could cause a Qi Spring Realm disciple to explode. Not to mention the Ninth Stage Qi Wheel Realm gravity challenge!

It was impossible to succeed!

"The damn thing must have adjusted the gravity back when I left! To defy my orders, he must be tired of living!"

Elder Wei clenched his fist and glared fiercely at the operator.

The operator, feeling Elder Wei's murderous gaze, his already pale face turned even more ashen. His fingers trembled as he pointed to the needle representing the gravity stage: "Ninth Stage."

"This..." Elder Wei's fierce gaze froze, "He actually didn't make a mistake. He actually passed the Ninth Stage gravity challenge!"

Just a moment ago, he had confidently assured Lu Ming that Zheng Shiyi couldn't come out, making Lu Ming feel even more favorably towards him. Who would have thought... that Zheng Shiyi would burst out right after he said it.

This guy was giving him a hard slap in front of Lu Ming!

"Elder Wei... prepare the third challenge..." Zheng Shiyi wiped the sweat from his forehead, his steps unsteady as if he could fall at any moment, but... this unsteady gait... exuded a terrifying aura, as if telling everyone: he would keep moving forward, but... he would never fall!

"Brat... I said you couldn't do it! You insisted on doing it! From the look on your face, I can tell you hate me too! Elder Wei's face darkened, secretly deciding: 'I only wanted to build some rapport with Lu Ming! Now! I must kill you! If I don't, I'm not Wei Zhixing!'

Lu Ming secretly glanced at Wei Zhixing, cursing in his heart. This old man promised me he would kill Zheng Shiyi! How did he come out? Ninth Stage gravity? If I believe you again, I'm a pig!

How could I be so stupid! Lu Ming couldn't afford to complain about Wei Zhixing and quickly ran to Zheng Shiyi, cursing himself nonstop. I knew things wouldn't be as simple as I thought. Since this kid could pass the Blade Qi Gate, he's not just anyone. He would definitely pass the gravity challenge!

"Thank goodness! Thank goodness we didn't really reach the third challenge! If he really completed all three, it would be... a real big trouble!"

"I must stop him from challenging the third gate!"

Lu Ming ran quickly and soon reached Zheng Shiyi. Knowing that Zheng Shiyi wouldn't be intimidated by threats, he spoke in a friendly tone: "Young man, I admit... you are much stronger than I imagined..."

Zheng Shiyi watched Lu Ming warily, preventing him from suddenly launching a surprise attack, which would violate the rules of the sect. If he really killed him, the punishment the sect would impose on the attacker would be meaningless to him.

"I also believe you can pass the third challenge... but... the significance of passing the third challenge is not great. Can you really kill the person you accused? At most, you can beat him up..."

"But... that has no meaning. You can't really kill him, or you will offend the people behind him."

"Let's settle this privately. If you go back now, I, as the captain of the Enforcement Hall, guarantee that no one will come to trouble you within our surveillance range."

"Seeing how determined you were in these two challenges, you must have suffered a lot. The Enforcement Hall will give you ten soul stones as compensation. What do you think?"

Lu Ming looked at Zheng Shiyi with sincerity, no longer showing his previous arrogance.

If Zheng Shiyi really passed all three challenges, the higher-ups would investigate the entire incident, and the things they did would be exposed.

At that time, as the captain of the Enforcement Hall, he would be in serious trouble.

Zheng Shiyi wanted to laugh, but the fatigue from passing the second challenge left him with little energy to laugh. His lips twitched slightly: "Ten soul stones! You are really generous! I come from a small place, but I... am not a beggar."

Lu Ming was slightly stunned, his eyes suddenly brightening. He quickly smiled and said: "Yes, yes, yes! I was not thoughtful enough! If ten soul stones are too little, I can give fifty, even a hundred!"

"Give so much!"

The crowd couldn't help but exclaim in surprise when they heard Lu Ming offer Zheng Shiyi so many soul stones.

They worked hard for months, contributing to the sect, and could only get a dozen soul stones at most.

Lu Ming said that if Zheng Shiyi stopped challenging the third gate, he would get a hundred soul stones.

That's a hundred soul stones!

Of course, the most important thing... wasn't the hundred soul stones... but the fact that the Enforcement Hall was bowing to Zheng Shiyi!

Everyone looked at Zheng Shiyi with envy, wishing they could speak for him and say he wouldn't challenge the third gate.

Zheng Shiyi remained extremely calm. Young people have their pride, their passion, and their unique dignity!

"A hundred soul stones... do you think my dignity is worth only a hundred soul stones? Don't say a hundred, even if you give me ten thousand, a hundred thousand! It's useless! It's too late... from the moment you tried to harm me, you should have thought about this..."

Lu Ming's face instantly darkened, his voice squeezed out through his teeth: "So your meaning is to make me your mortal enemy?"

"Mortal enemy?" Zheng Shiyi looked at him with a hint of amusement, "You knew I was framed, yet you still locked me in the cell. From that moment on, we became mortal enemies."

"Talking about this now, don't you think you are being childish?"

Lu Ming clenched his fists, his face cold and grim.

A hundred soul stones, though not much, was a significant amount for outer sect disciples. Anyone else would have backed down upon hearing this amount.

But this kid not only didn't back down, but was determined to