Chapter 43

Elder, between elders, normally... they should give each other face and show consideration.

How severe would the punishment from the Punishment Ancestor be for Xu Sa? To everyone, Elder Wei Zhixing was still a key point.

Elder Wei Zhixing felt the special gazes of the crowd, and more helplessness welled up in his heart. The Punishment Ancestor was different from other elders; he belonged to the conservative faction, which was vastly different from many newly promoted elders.

To put it nicely, that's called following the rules! To put it bluntly, that's called being a stubborn old man!

Unfortunately, these stubborn old men's combat power far exceeded that of the newly promoted elders! And their seniority meant that even the Sect Master had to give them face.

Elder Wei Zhixing secretly sighed, bowed to the Punishment Ancestor, and said with utmost respect, "Ancestor, please consider the decades I have served the Three Gates Hall and spare my grandson this time!"

"He is our Xu family's genius, our pride."

"As long as you spare him, I am willing to represent our Xu family to apologize to Zheng Shi Yi and compensate him with soul stones."

The disciples of the Three Gates Hall also bowed to the Punishment Ancestor and pleaded, "Punishment Ancestor, please spare Xu Sa."

Seeing Elder Wei Zhixing and the others' performance, Xu Sa's uneasy heart was somewhat relieved. Such humble and pitiful pleading was enough to give the Punishment Ancestor face and a way out.

The Punishment Ancestor, having found a way out, should not be too harsh.

Xu Sa's lips curled into a cold smile, his eyes scanning Zheng Shi Yi with disdain. He secretly decided that after this matter was over, he would give the other a good lesson.

Zheng Shi Yi sneered. This person, accustomed to arrogance and recklessness in a certain environment, really believed he could ignore everything with confidence! Xu Sa wasn't stupid! It was just that... he was too used to doing things based on past experiences! He believed too much that the powerful Elder Wei Zhixing could help him resolve everything!

But it was a pity... Zheng Shi Yi glanced at the Punishment Ancestor and knew that this Ancestor was not the type to give face to anyone.

At this moment, Zheng Shi Yi felt that Xu Sa was somewhat pitiful, being so arrogant and self-forgetful that he was truly pitiful! He said with a smile, "Do you think you still have a chance? Haven't you realized that next year's today will be your memorial day?"

"Delusional! You're talking about yourself." Xu Sa raised his head with extreme confidence. With so many people pleading for him, he wasn't afraid that the Punishment Ancestor would cause him trouble?

Xu Sa decided that he would show his strength today! He would use this incident to establish his authority among the outer disciples, ensuring that no one would dare to resist when he forcibly took something in the future!

The Punishment Ancestor glanced at Elder Wei, who wanted to plead, and said very calmly, "Three hundred Soul-Extinguishing Rods represent something you should understand. When you chose to give him three hundred Soul-Extinguishing Rods instead of one hundred or two hundred, you should have been prepared. Even if the Sect Master were here, he could not plead for mercy..."

Zheng Shi Yi suddenly realized that he might have been deceived? There seemed to be other factors in the Punishment Ancestor's words, so he couldn't help but ask, "Is there a difference between these three numbers of Soul-Extinguishing Rods?"

"Yes." The Punishment Ancestor nodded and explained.

"Those who have endured one hundred Soul-Extinguishing Rods, the Three Gates Hall must ensure fairness and justice, and clear the name of the challenger."

"Those who have endured two hundred Soul-Extinguishing Rods, the Sect Master will personally clear the name of the challenger! However, whether all those who framed the challenger can be punished depends on the Sect Master's decision."

"Those who have endured three hundred Soul-Extinguishing Rods, neither the Sect Master nor the Three Gates Hall can interfere with the challenger's right to clear his name! The challenger has more power than the Sect Master here!"

"My appearance is precisely because you have endured three hundred Soul-Extinguishing Rods! With me here, even the Sect Master's presence is useless."

Enduring three hundred Soul-Extinguishing Rods means you can kill anyone you want!

But are three hundred Soul-Extinguishing Rods so easy to endure?

The Soul-Extinguishing Rods extinguish the soul; one strike can make even the soul tremble, let alone the skin and flesh!

If one strike can do this, what about three hundred?

Wouldn't it kill the person?

Only now did Zheng Shi Yi realize that Elder Wei had intended to kill him during the Three Gates challenge! He had used underhanded tactics to harm him!

"I said, every time I passed a gate and came out, everyone looked at me as if I were a monster."

"Turns out you wanted to kill me during the challenge! You are truly vicious! I have no grudge against you, at most I didn't listen to your advice and insisted on challenging the Three Gates, and you treated me like this!"

"Since that's the case, I have no reason to hold back!"

Zheng Shi Yi's eyes glinted with cold light. He had no grudge against Elder Wei, and whether he passed the Three Gates or not made no difference to him.

It was one thing for him to obstruct him, but he never expected him to use such means against him.

Fortunately, he had endured it; otherwise, he would have died inside, foolishly thinking it was due to his lack of strength.

At this moment, Zheng Shi Yi clenched his fists, the joints cracking.

Elder Wei knew that pleading to the Punishment Ancestor was useless and quickly turned his gaze to Zheng Shi Yi. Sensing the killing intent in Zheng Shi Yi's eyes, he understood the anger of this young man.

Faced with such intense anger, lowly pleading was useless!

Elder Wei decided to take a desperate gamble! To use threats! Perhaps, only threats could still be effective!

He looked at Zheng Shi Yi with venomous eyes and threatened, "Zheng Shi Yi, I know you are very angry and want to kill my grandson right now."

"But I want to tell you that my Xu family has many disciples in the sect and holds great power! If Xu Sa is injured today, I will make you pay tenfold!"

"We won't kill you easily! If you escape the sect, we will definitely catch you back!"

Whether to punish or not, Zheng Shi Yi had the final say! As long as the Punishment Ancestor didn't interfere, there was a chance to prevent Zheng Shi Yi from acting.

Zheng Shi Yi's lips curled into a cold smile, "Are you threatening me again?"

"I have been set up by you and nearly killed countless times. Do I still fear you doing it one more time?"

"Xu Sa must die today!"

His eyes were filled with surging killing intent.

At this moment, Xu Sa fully realized the severity of the situation. The Punishment Ancestor seemed to handle things differently from the Law Enforcement Hall and other elders!

Now it wasn't up to the Punishment Ancestor or his great-uncle, but to this person who had been framed by him multiple times and yet survived.

"Thud!"

Xu Sa knelt on the ground, trembling and pleading with Zheng Shi Yi, "Zheng Shi Yi, please, if you spare me, the past... I..."

"What do you mean by 'I'?" A hint of amusement flashed across Zheng Shi Yi's face, and he smiled, "Didn't you say that even if I begged on my knees, it would be useless?"

"Then I will return your words to you!"

"Even if you beg on the ground and make a hole, it will be useless! I will kill you anyway!"

Xu Sa tried to plead again, but Zheng Shi Yi waved his arm and roared, "Drag him away and beat him with one hundred rods!"

Elder Wei glared at the people around, but no one dared to step forward.

The Punishment Ancestor glared at the people around and said, "Are you treating me as a decoration? Drag him away and beat him!"

The two people trembled, looking at each other. Elder Wei kept glaring at them, but they finally stepped forward and dragged Xu Sa away.

Offending Elder Wei meant being punished later.

Disobeying the Punishment Ancestor? This old man might directly kill them on the spot! He was an Ancestor whom even the Sect Master had to give face to!

"Zheng Shi Yi, you dare to treat me like this, you will not have a good end! I will have my older brothers kill you!"

Xu Sa howled at Zheng Shi Yi while wailing to Elder Wei, "Great-uncle, save me, save me!"

Elder Wei glared at Zheng Shi Yi with venomous eyes, wanting to threaten him again, but Zheng Shi Yi turned his gaze to the rod-bearers and shouted, "Beat him! Beat him hard!"

The two people hesitated, not daring to act, but the Punishment Ancestor's slow voice carried a hint of cold killing intent, "Do you want to die?"

"We will beat him..."

The two people no longer hesitated, swinging the iron rods and striking Xu Sa's buttocks.

"Thud!"

"Thud!"

The iron rods, heavy as a thousand pounds, struck Xu Sa's buttocks, making them seem to bloom with pain, causing him to howl in agony.

"Ah... It hurts so much! Damn, it hurts so much! Zheng Shi Yi, you dare to hit me!"

"I will never let this go!"

"Ah..."

The heavy iron rods were raised and struck again and again, the rod-bearers changing, but Zheng Shi Yi ensured that Xu Sa received full-force strikes with each rod.

The sound of bones breaking mixed with pig-like screams echoed throughout the space.

The people around were silent, no one daring to step forward, while Elder Wei glared at Zheng Shi Yi with murderous intent.

"He has fainted! Should we still punish him?"

The rod-bearers stopped and asked Zheng Shi Yi.

The Punishment Ancestor flicked his finger, sending a pill into Xu Sa's mouth. The person who had fainted from the beating opened his eyes again, waking up weakly.

Zheng Shi Yi sneered, "This is just the first appetizer, of course, we should punish him!"

"Ah? Zheng Shi Yi, you have already beaten me unconscious, and you still beat me! I will never let this go!"

"Ah, Grandfather Wing, please don't beat me! I will call you grandfather, okay?"

"Thud!"

Each time the iron rod fell, everyone felt as if it was striking them, their bodies involuntarily twitching.

They watched as Xu Sa, beaten unconscious several times, was revived by the Punishment Ancestor and then beaten again.

Xu Sa... is finished! Lu Ming felt a chill run down his spine. He had helped Xu Sa so much, and now Xu Sa was finished! What about him? This Zheng Shi Yi doesn't seem to be the type to forget grudges!

"Grandson, you have suffered!" Elder Wei quickly ran to Xu Sa.

Xu Sa's face was ashen, blood flowing from the corners of his mouth, his lips almost bitten off.