Chapter 44

Xu Sa had only heard the term "butt blooming" before, always thinking it was an exaggerated description. It wasn't until this moment that he realized... "butt blooming"? This term was far from accurately describing the situation!

Wei Zhixing looked at Xu Sa's back, unable to find even a single strand of intact skin, as the skin and bones, shattered by the cudgels, continuously oozed pus.

If not for the several times the Punishment Elder had come to his aid, Xu Sa... would have died long ago!

But... Wei Zhixing did not thank this assistance. Reviving Xu Sa was only to make him suffer... not to truly help him!

Xu Sa, lying on the ground in a daze, mumbled incoherently, "Uncle Grandpa, you must avenge me! You must avenge me!"

The Punishment Elder's eyes glared fiercely at Zheng Shi Yi, his true qi surging several times, but each time he was deterred by the Punishment Ancestor's gaze, not daring to act immediately.

The Punishment Elder retracted his gaze and asked Zheng Shi Yi, "The flogging is complete! What about the remaining punishment? Will you impose it or not?"

Before the flogging, the Elder Wei had already issued a stern warning, vowing to make Zheng Shi Yi pay tenfold, even a hundredfold, for his actions. The Punishment Ancestor did not know whether Zheng Shi Yi intended to settle the matter or continue to be defiant.

Feeling the threatening gaze of Wei Zhixing, Zheng Shi Yi merely sneered and said, "Impose it! Why not? That old dog surnamed Wei made me endure three hundred Soul-Extinguishing Cudgels! He only received a hundred iron cudgels! It's far from enough!"

"Good!" The Punishment Elder was greatly invigorated. He hadn't felt this invigorated in a long time. An outer sect disciple, unafraid of the elder's threats, resolutely sought to clear his name.

Not for any other reason! Just for this courage! His future achievements in the martial path would not be easily surpassed by ordinary people!

The Punishment Elder's sleeves fluttered as he strode towards Xu Sa.

Wei Zhixing spread his arms, shielding Xu Sa behind him, and glared at Zheng Shi Yi with an extremely vicious look, threatening him to stop.

The Punishment Elder paused, turning to look at Zheng Shi Yi.

Zheng Shi Yi's eyes glinted with a cold smile as he said, "You once ruled supreme, but now... it's different! Threaten me? Today, I will use you to tell everyone the consequences of framing me!"

"Imposing the punishment! Strip Xu Sa of his cultivation!"

"Good!" The Punishment Elder clapped his hands and shouted.

What a relief! The Punishment Ancestor hadn't felt this relieved in a long time. Since the Ten Great Sects exterminated the Demon Sect, many elders had died in battle. The sect leader, to develop the sect, promoted many new elders, causing the sect to become chaotic.

It had been a long time... a very long time since the sect had seen such a resolute and impressive new talent!

The Elder Wei's eyes blazed with fury, eager to act and kill this fearless young man.

But with the Punishment Elder present, he could only change his previous stance and lower his head, saying, "Zheng Shi Yi, I retract my previous words."

"If you let my grandson go, I, Wei Zhixing, swear on my life that the Xu family will no longer trouble you, ensuring your success in the sect. Additionally, we are willing to compensate you with ten thousand soul stones."

Xu Sa was the family's hope; if his cultivation was stripped, his life would be ruined!

The Elder Wei's current goal was to do everything possible to make Zheng Shi Yi stop.

As for the promises he made, would they still hold true afterward?

"Ten thousand soul stones!"

The surrounding people were stunned, unable to speak.

They worked hard for months, contributing to the sect, and could only obtain a few dozen soul stones.

Throughout their lives, they had no hope of obtaining ten thousand soul stones.

Unexpectedly, to save Xu Sa's life, the Elder Wei offered ten thousand soul stones at once.

Such a sum was enough to drive anyone mad! No matter how much humiliation and torment, ten thousand soul stones were not enough to compensate?

The Punishment Elder paused, also curious, looking at Zheng Shi Yi.

The temptation of ten thousand soul stones, not just for outer sect disciples, but even inner sect disciples, was irresistible.

For a new disciple, it was normal to be unable to resist.

Zheng Shi Yi looked at Wei Zhixing as if he were a fool and sneered, "Ten thousand soul stones? His despicable life isn't even worth that much. Keep it to buy him a coffin!"

The Elder Wei hurriedly said, "Wait, I can give you the ten thousand soul stones right now! Please reconsider!"

Zheng Shi Yi shook his head lightly, "Keep it to buy Xu Sa a coffin..."

"Punishment Elder, please strip his cultivation!"

The Punishment Elder was thinking that if Zheng Shi Yi gave up on punishing Xu Sa due to the ten thousand soul stones, it wouldn't be his fault.

But he didn't expect such an answer. Zheng Shi Yi didn't want the soul stones. What kind of resolve did he have to be able to do this?

The Punishment Elder's gaze towards Zheng Shi Yi changed again.

He waved his sleeve and looked down at the half-dead Xu Sa.

The others stood there, petrified, "He actually refused, that's ten thousand soul stones!"

The Elder Wei was so angry his lungs almost burst! Zheng Shi Yi was just a young upstart. Even if he had the courage to defy him, what could he do?

Hearing such a temptation, he would surely give in. But... he was like a stone in a latrine, both foul and hard, refusing again!

"Zheng Shi Yi! You will regret this!"

Wei Zhixing glared at Zheng Shi Yi and hurriedly stepped forward to block the Punishment Elder.

The Punishment Elder, however, sidestepped him and, before he could shout "No," struck Xu Sa's dantian with a palm.

"Boom!"

Xu Sa's body, like a deflated ball, instantly collapsed.

The sounds of broken bones and tendons continuously came from his body.

His round face gradually became uneven and rough, looking as if he had aged by several decades.

Cultivation could change a cultivator's aura, temperament, and physique. Once the cultivation was stripped, these changes would also disappear.

"Ah..." After a sharp scream, Xu Sa fell unconscious.

"Grandson!" The Elder Wei gripped Xu Sa's shoulder, shaking him.

He looked up at Zheng Shi Yi, his eyes filled with murderous intent, "You have stripped my grandson of his cultivation today, and I, Wei Zhixing, will surely..."

The Punishment Elder's eyes gleamed with excitement as he asked Zheng Shi Yi, "Will you impose the remaining punishment?"

"Imposing it! Why not!" Zheng Shi Yi raised his arm and responded, "He made me enter the Demon Blood Cave, forcing me to pass three trials."

"Each of these trials almost cost me my life!"

"For such a person who harmed me, I have no reason to show mercy!"

"Punishment Elder, please carry out the remaining punishments!"

The Punishment Elder felt as if he had been transported back to his youthful days, full of passion and vigor, by Zheng Shi Yi's resolute aura.

He turned to look at Xu Sa... everyone knew what the outcome would be.

The Elder Wei's face turned pale. With his cultivation stripped, the Xu family's resources could at least ensure his future survival, and his talent was good, so his descendants might still have talented children.

But if his life was taken, it would be over completely!

At this moment... Wei Zhixing, no longer fierce, knelt before Zheng Shi Yi, pitifully pleading, "Zheng Shi Yi, it was all my grandson's fault."

"Please, for my sake, spare his life. I beg you."

Zheng Shi Yi's lips curled with coldness, "Do you think I will let him go?"

The Punishment Elder understood and, avoiding the Elder Wei's obstruction, raised his palm high, "Xu Sa has committed numerous evils. I declare that he is expelled from the Xuanming Sect!"

"Expelled from the sect!"

Everyone was stunned, standing there in shock.

Xu Sa represented the Xu family, and regardless of how powerful his family was, just the status of his family's disciples in the Xuanming Sect was very high.

His second brother was among the top ten on the outer sect's ranking list.

His elder brother was thriving in the inner sect, serving as an examiner for the outer sect disciples to become inner sect disciples.

No matter how much anyone hated Xu Sa, for their future, they would choose not to offend him.

This young man, after being bullied by Xu Sa, not only sought justice but also insisted on imposing all the punishments on Xu Sa.

One hundred cudgels, stripping his cultivation, expelling him from the sect, and executing him.

Leave some room for the future, so you can meet again on good terms!

No one expected Zheng Shi Yi to give no room at all.

"Boom!"

The Punishment Elder struck Xu Sa with a powerful palm, turning him into a pile of flesh.

The splattered blood covered the Elder Wei, who spat out blood in anger, "Puh..."

"Zheng Shi Yi! I will never let you live!"

The Elder Wei's eyes turned red, his body emitting a freezing cold aura, his teeth grinding, showing his complete fury.

This young man punishing his grandson was one thing, but he never expected him to kill him right in front of him!

He slowly stood up, the surrounding people stepping back, sighing and looking at Zheng Shi Yi, thinking he was finished.

Zheng Shi Yi, however, turned his gaze to where Lu Ming and the enforcement team stood.

"What is he going to do?" The crowd turned their heads in confusion.

Lu Ming kept retreating.

From the moment Zheng Shi Yi passed the Blade Qi trial, he had a premonition that things would not go well. The Elder Wei had been saying that Zheng Shi Yi had no chance of passing the three trials, so he chose the hardest ones, the Gravity Trial and the Soul-Extinguishing Cudgels.

Now, that young man not only passed the three trials but also summoned the Punishment Elder.

With the Elder Wei supporting him, Xu Sa had become a pile of flesh. Although Lu Ming was not the mastermind, he was Xu Sa's accomplice.

This young man had long harbored resentment towards him. Now, if he wanted to cause trouble, it would only take a word.

As he kept retreating, he collided with the three people standing behind him, who were still in shock.

He realized that escape was impossible! Xu Sa was already dead, and if he were to take all the blame, offending the Xu family would be better than being killed by Zheng Shi Yi now.

Thud!

Lu Ming immediately knelt on the ground, pleading, "Zheng Shi Yi, this is all..."