Chapter 37: Dispute

When Shen Chen left the stone chamber, Wang Yue had already been waiting outside the cave for a long time, his face anxious, clearly having heard the commotion inside.

"Brother, are you alright? If you hadn't come out, I was about to rush in!" Wang Yue's smile was more like a grimace, his concern evident.

Earlier, the cave had emitted low, rumbling sounds, making Wang Yue extremely nervous. However, thinking of Shen Chen breaking through his bottleneck inside, he feared that rushing in rashly might ruin everything, so he could only pace back and forth outside the cave, his heart burning with worry.

Seeing Shen Chen emerge unscathed, Wang Yue finally let out a long sigh of relief.

"What could happen to me? I just went through some hardship..." Shen Chen said lightly, but in fact, he had suffered greatly, almost losing his life.

If it weren't for the timely intervention of the mysterious mirror in his mind, he might not have made it out alive.

Fortunately, everything turned out to be a close call, and now, reflecting on it, Shen Chen felt elated. Not only had his cultivation and strength greatly increased, but he had also unexpectedly obtained a powerful cultivation technique, the "Spiritual Condensation Inquiry Technique," from the mysterious mirror.

Moreover, he had managed to master the last two techniques of the "Nine Shadows Slash" in a very short time and even discovered the essence of combining the techniques.

No matter how one looked at it, this trip to Eagle Sorrow Creek had been a huge gain, despite the constant dangers.

However, Shen Chen knew that the "Spiritual Condensation Inquiry Technique" must be kept secret for now. He couldn't even tell its level, and revealing such an unknown technique in this unfamiliar sect could invite disaster!

Therefore, to be safe, Shen Chen didn't plan to tell even Wang Yue, fearing that the latter might accidentally leak the information.

"Let's go, we should return to the sect!" After successfully breaking through, Shen Chen didn't want to stay any longer and left Eagle Sorrow Creek with Wang Yue.

As for their mission here, it now seemed insignificant. The reward of a few Body Tempering Pills was no longer appealing to Shen Chen, who had better ways to obtain them.

"Brother, I can sense that your aura has become much stronger. You must be more than just at the initial Blood Fusion stage, right?" On the way back, Wang Yue asked curiously, noting how Shen Chen had changed since leaving the cave.

Wang Yue even felt a subtle pressure, which came not just from the difference in cultivation levels.

"Yes, I'm at the peak of the Blood Fusion stage, the same as you!" Shen Chen nodded, nonchalantly.

"Wow... Brother, you're amazing!"

Wang Yue's eyes widened in disbelief, but he soon calmed down. Since meeting Shen Chen, his brother had always defied expectations. First, he defeated the inner sect disciple Liu Yong with just a first-level Blood Fusion strength, then fought to a draw with the already famous inner sect disciple Lin Hai, and a few hours ago, even killed him. Now, his cultivation had soared in a blink.

Wang Yue found Shen Chen increasingly inscrutable. He sensed that this small Flowing Cloud Sect might soon be too small for Shen Chen, who needed a broader sky...

...

When Shen Chen and Wang Yue returned to Cloudy Peak and approached the main hall, the courtyard was already filled with inner sect disciples.

The atmosphere in the courtyard was strange, with many inner sect disciples whispering. When they saw Shen Chen and Wang Yue, some of them stared at them as if they were monsters.

Their eyes were filled with shock, disbelief, pity, or even schadenfreude.

"Did I guess right? Are those who fled back trying to frame us?" Wang Yue looked around, his face tense and his expression grim.

The sudden gathering of so many inner sect disciples and their varied reactions clearly indicated something had happened, and Wang Yue had a bad feeling.

"It shouldn't be that bad," Shen Chen frowned, wondering if his judgment had been off.

He soon spotted some familiar figures in the crowd and nodded to Wang Yue, "Look, I recognize those few. Go ask them!"

Wang Yue nodded and strode over to the direction Shen Chen pointed.

"Hu San, tell me the truth! Did you and the others distort the facts and frame Brother Shen Chen and me in front of the elders?!"

"Senior Brother Wang Yue, you're wrong! We didn't have the nerve to do that!"

"That's right, we told the truth, nothing but the truth."

"Hmph! Who are you fooling? If you hadn't lied, why would the atmosphere be so strange? It seems we need to get serious for you to tell the truth. Are you itching for a beating...?"

A moment later, the sound of an argument reached Shen Chen, who hurried over.

When Shen Chen arrived, Wang Yue was holding the collar of an inner sect disciple named Hu San, his fist ready to strike.

Hu San had been one of Lin Hai's followers and participated in the ambush. Seeing Hu San's distress and lack of deliberate concealment, Shen Chen stopped Wang Yue, "Wait, let him explain first!"

"Thank you, Senior Brother Shen Chen, thank you! I'm not lying!"

Hu San broke free from Wang Yue and hurried to Shen Chen, his face grim. "To be honest, Senior Brother Shen Chen, we all reported the situation in Eagle Sorrow Creek truthfully. I swear, if I said anything to harm you, may I be struck by lightning!"

"Then what about the current situation? The atmosphere here suggests we won't have an easy time when we go in," Shen Chen pointed to the main hall's door, amused.

"Well..." Hu San hesitated.

"Speak!"

Shen Chen's gaze turned cold, staring at Hu San and the others.

Hu San shivered, perhaps remembering the scenes in Eagle Sorrow Creek, and quickly said, "We told everything, but the elders... have different opinions. Elders Xiao and Lu believe that although you two were forced, you shouldn't have killed so many fellow disciples and should be punished. Elders Situ and the others disagree. They are arguing inside right now..."

"I see." Shen Chen understood. He had overlooked this point. Lin Hai was the personal disciple of the ruthless Xiao Zhenhai. Even with a justifiable reason, Xiao Zhenhai wouldn't let it go easily.

Moreover, Shen Chen had killed more than just Lin Hai. It wasn't surprising that other sect leaders wanted to punish him and Wang Yue.

With this knowledge, Shen Chen wasn't too afraid. He called Wang Yue and walked toward the main hall.

As Shen Chen and Wang Yue left, the inner sect disciples in the courtyard looked at them with mixed expressions, each harboring their own thoughts.

"They're going to have a tough time in there, aren't they?"

"I think they'll be expelled from the Flowing Cloud Sect."

"Right, killing fellow disciples is a major taboo in our sect. Even with a reason, they still killed people!"

"Hehe, you're underestimating it. Lin Hai and Song Wu were the personal disciples of Elders Xiao and Lu, respectively. Just these two deaths are enough to get them in trouble. We'll wait and see the show..."

...

In the main hall of Cloudy Peak, the atmosphere was tense. Four of the five elders of the Flowing Cloud Sect were divided into two groups, arguing heatedly.

"Little Situ, don't go too far. That boy Shen Chen killed my personal disciple. If we let him off, where will my face be? Absolutely not!" A sixty-year-old man with a beard and a fierce expression shouted, his eyes blazing.

With blood-red hair and a murderous aura, this was Lin Hai's master, one of the five elders of the Flowing Cloud Sect, known as the Blood-Handed Rogue, Xiao Zhenhai.

Xiao Zhenhai was notorious for his ruthlessness. He had killed countless people and beasts. Now, his personal disciple had been killed by a boy who had only been in the sect for a few months. While he was angry at Lin Hai's incompetence, he was also furious.

After all, Lin Hai was his personal disciple, known throughout the sect. Shen Chen and Wang Yue killing him was a direct affront to Xiao Zhenhai's dignity.

"Right, killing fellow disciples is a major taboo. Those two must be punished severely!"

On the other side, the green-faced wolf Lu Hao, with a fiery temper, stood with Xiao Zhenhai. His favored inner sect disciple, Song Wu, had also been killed by Shen Chen, damaging his reputation.

"Hmph! Don't try to twist the facts. Your precious disciples led the attack. They were killed because they were inferior. If this gets out, how will the Flowing Cloud Sect maintain its standing in Luo Yun City?!" Situ Ya said, displeased.

To be honest, when she heard that Shen Chen had killed the already famous Lin Hai, she was shocked and disbelieving.

However, this only made her more determined to protect Shen Chen. She had always valued him, and now, with his astonishing feat, his talent was undeniable. She couldn't let these two old men ruin him.

"Enough, enough, calm down. I've informed the sect leader and Elder Wang. Let's wait for everyone to arrive before making a decision!"

The Blood-Soaked Lion, Chen Fanghao, stepped forward to mediate. He had been more inclined toward Situ Ya, partly because her stance was more convincing, but mainly because Shen Chen's actions had deeply impressed him.

Chen Fanghao never imagined that the sixth-level Blood Fusion disciple, Lin Hai, who ranked fifth among inner sect disciples, would be killed by an unknown disciple.

It was too unbelievable.

Chen Fanghao vaguely remembered Shen Chen's name. When he guarded the scripture hall, Shen Chen had come to request a cultivation technique. His unusual "second-level Blood Fusion" strength had left an impression on Chen Fanghao.

At the time, Shen Chen's situation was unprecedented. Though he had the name of a second-level Blood Fusion, his true strength was at the first level. Chen Fanghao thought the boy wouldn't amount to much and didn't pay much attention. Later, he even let Shen Chen into the scripture hall to take a technique, which disappointed him.

However, today, Chen Fanghao had to admit he had misjudged Shen Chen. The boy was not just an ordinary disciple but likely a rare gem!

Out of respect for talent and their past encounter, Chen Fanghao spoke up to protect Shen Chen, though not as openly as Situ Ya...

"Elders, we're back!"

Just as the situation was becoming more heated, Shen Chen and Wang Yue entered.

As soon as Shen Chen entered, he sensed the intense tension. Situ Ya waved him over, and he hurried to her side.

"Shen Chen, Wang Yue, do you know your crimes?!"

Seeing Situ Ya immediately bring them to her side, clearly intent on protecting them, Xiao Zhenhai and Lu Hao's faces darkened, and they shouted in unison.

Their eyes were already blazing, ready to give the two boys a taste of their wrath.