Chapter 39: The Sect Master's Decision

In the Tianlong Continent, the path of martial arts, whether it be cultivation techniques or martial skills, requires a step-by-step approach, a fact well known to all.

However, at this moment, Liao Yan and everyone present felt a sense of unreality, as if their way of thinking had been completely overturned, all because of the young man named Shen Chen.

The "Nine Cuts of Ethereal Wanderer" is a partial martial skill that has been displayed in the Cloudflow Sect's library for hundreds of years. Liao Yan and the five elders were not unfamiliar with this partial skill.

Firstly, it was because very few disciples had managed to master this partial skill over the past few hundred years. More importantly, there had always been a dispute within the sect regarding the classification of the "Nine Cuts of Ethereal Wanderer."

Since it was a partial skill with only three moves, the Cloudflow Sect's high-ranking officials could not determine the true level of the "Nine Cuts of Ethereal Wanderer." Some believed it was just a human-grade technique with obscure content and limited power, while others thought it was a groundbreaking work, but their speculations could never be verified due to the lack of successful practitioners.

Over time, the consensus among the elders and the sect master was that it was a mid-human-grade technique.

However, one thing remained unchanged: despite the "Nine Cuts of Ethereal Wanderer" being in the Cloudflow Sect's library for a long time, no disciple had ever mastered it, not even the high-ranking officials of the sect.

But now, it seemed that this constraint of the Cloudflow Sect had been broken. Shen Chen's mastery of the extremely difficult "Nine Cuts of Ethereal Wanderer" had already impressed Liao Yan and the elders, but they never expected that this young man was a prodigy. Not only did he master the first move, "Ghostly Cut," but he also, in a moment of crisis, astonishingly comprehended the remaining two moves.

Such talent, even the proud Liao Yan had to admit, was impressive. His Purple Lightning Cloudflow Sword, a high-human-grade technique and the sect's treasure, was already very difficult to master, but when he tried the "Nine Cuts of Ethereal Wanderer" on a whim, he also failed.

"Cough... Actually, it was just a stroke of luck..." Shen Chen felt a bit awkward under the gaze of the elders, who looked at him as if he were a monster, and he coughed dryly.

Shen Chen naturally wouldn't tell these old men that his ability to learn the remaining two moves of the "Nine Cuts of Ethereal Wanderer" in the blink of an eye was entirely due to the mysterious mirror in his mind. That was his greatest secret, which he couldn't easily reveal.

On the contrary, the title of prodigy was something Shen Chen could easily accept. His talent was not weak, and to protect his secret, a false title was not a problem...

"Sect Master, could it be because Shen Chen has already unblocked the head meridians earlier than ordinary martial artists?" At this moment, Chen Fanghao, who knew some of Shen Chen's secrets, frowned slightly.

When Shen Chen came to the library to request cultivation techniques and martial skills, his不合格的融血境二重血气曾让他心软，如今陈放豪细细想来，愈发觉得自己真的看走眼了，这小子的际遇非但不是废柴，反而是一场莫大的机缘。

"Perhaps that's the case. The head meridians are the last hurdle of the Blood Fusion Realm. I really don't know where this kid got his luck to unblock them so early!" Sect Master Liao Yan said with a bitter smile, his eyes filled with envy, even forgetting his own status in his words.

In fact, it wasn't Liao Yan's fault. He had been stuck at the twelfth level of the Blood Fusion Realm for many years, unable to make further progress. The key was that he could never break through the legendary thirteenth meridian—the nine major acupoints in the head!

Without the thirteenth blood meridian, no matter how much spiritual energy he gathered in his dantian, it was useless. He couldn't enter the Bone Forging Realm, and Liao Yan felt that he would probably stop here for the rest of his life.

Now, with such a prodigy suddenly appearing in the sect, how could he not feel envy, jealousy, and resentment?

However, everyone has their own destiny. Some things cannot be obtained by request. As the sect master, Liao Yan was a man who could both take and let go. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Shen Chen with a smile that was not quite a smile, saying, "So, you two are unable to deny the murder of Lin Hai and several fellow disciples?"

"Yes! I did kill them," Shen Chen nodded, though he didn't understand why the sect master suddenly changed the subject.

Shen Chen could sense that the sect master seemed to have no ill intentions towards him. In his words, there was a hint of wanting to exonerate him and Wang Yue.

"Since he admits his guilt, there's nothing more to say. Sect Master, please enforce the law impartially!" However, Xie Zhenhai, who had been holding back, suddenly interjected.

This completely disrupted Liao Yan's original plan and made Shen Chen's heart tighten. He secretly thought this was going to be troublesome.

Xie Zhenhai seemed to have sensed the unfavorable situation. Si Tu Chuan, the One-Eyed Black Tiger, was firmly supporting Si Tu Ya, and from the tone of Sect Master Liao Yan, it seemed he also valued Shen Chen. If this continued, the matter might be minimized.

This was something Xie Zhenhai was extremely unwilling to see. Lin Hai's death left him without a successor in the short term, and he couldn't swallow this.

"Right! If the Sect Master is unwilling to punish these two boys, then please allow me, Lu Hao, to leave the Cloudflow Sect. My chosen disciple was killed, and I, the Green-Faced Wolf, have no face to stay in the Cloudflow Sect anymore!" Lu Hao also stepped forward to apply pressure.

His fiery temper and blunt words not only made Liao Yan and Si Tu Chuan change their expressions, but even Xie Zhenhai, who was on the same side, felt a chill and secretly cursed this old fool for being too impulsive!

However, since Lu Hao had already said that, Xie Zhenhai had no choice but to follow suit, saying, "I agree with Elder Lu. If Shen Chen and Wang Yue are not punished, I am willing to leave the Cloudflow Sect!"

After Xie Zhenhai's statement, the atmosphere in the main hall of Yunlan Peak became noticeably tense.

Whether it was Xie Zhenhai, the Blood-Handed Mad Slaughterer, or Lu Hao, the Green-Faced Wolf, both had extremely high prestige in the Cloudflow Sect. With their formidable cultivation at the eleventh level of the Blood Fusion Realm, their departure would be a significant loss to the sect.

"Are the two of you threatening the Sect Master?" Si Tu Chuan, who had been silent, finally spoke up.

His face was dark, and he looked unfriendly. As the eldest and strongest of the five elders, Si Tu Chuan had always strongly supported Sect Master Liao Yan. He naturally disapproved of their coercive words.

Faced with Si Tu Chuan's cold gaze, Lu Hao and Xie Zhenhai both felt a bit guilty and remained silent.

Their previous words were out of anger. They had spent most of their lives in the Cloudflow Sect and could not easily sever their ties with it. They had only said those things to put pressure on the sect master.

"Two elders, you have gone too far. Speak clearly, what do you really want? It is absolutely impossible to expel Shen Chen and Wang Yue and remove their cultivation. You can find other ways!" Liao Yan's eyes showed a hint of anger, but he suppressed it and said thoughtfully.

As the saying goes, even a bodhisattva has a temper. As the sect master, Liao Yan valued the overall situation of the sect, but he would not easily compromise. Moreover, he knew that the two elders' words were not sincere.

Seeing that he had a way out, Xie Zhenhai and Lu Hao naturally wouldn't be stubborn. They didn't want the situation to get out of control.

Elder Xie Zhenhai led the way, saying solemnly, "Sect Master, you are right. We were too impulsive. We will follow your decision."

Xie Zhenhai spoke before Lu Hao to prevent the latter's fiery temper from ruining things, but that was unnecessary.

Lu Hao, after saying "leave the sect," immediately regretted it. He immediately nodded, "I will follow the Sect Master's decision."

"Damn, two old foxes!" Beside Si Tu Ya, Shen Chen, seeing the two elders suddenly lose their temper, not only felt no joy but secretly cursed them.

These two old men were too cunning. Shen Chen knew that if they continued to argue, he and Wang Yue would be safer. In front of so many people, Shen Chen believed that the sect master would not show weakness!

Now, with the two old foxes suddenly retracting their sharpness, the problem naturally fell on Liao Yan. According to Shen Chen's speculation, even if the sect master wanted to protect him and Wang Yue, he would not be able to do so too obviously out of respect for the two elders.

In this case, the ones who would suffer would be him and Wang Yue. Shen Chen really wanted to beat those two old foxes.

"Ha ha ha! It's rare to see two elders who understand the greater good. Very well, you two can rest assured. Although Shen Chen and Wang Yue had their reasons, they still have the blood of fellow disciples on their hands. I will give you a satisfactory resolution."

Sure enough, after Xie Zhenhai and Lu Hao backed down, Sect Master Liao Yan stroked his beard and laughed heartily.

Then, he turned his gaze to Shen Chen and Wang Yue with a sinister smile and said sternly, "Do you two know your faults?!"

"This... Alright, I admit we did kill people!" Shen Chen was caught off guard but didn't admit to being right or wrong, only stating the facts.

"I also admit to killing people!" Wang Yue, confused by the situation, could only follow Shen Chen's lead.

"Good! Since you know your faults, there's nothing more to say," Liao Yan said confidently, smiling meaningfully. "I see that your talents are not bad. To compensate for the loss of the two elders, I have decided to choose you two as the personal disciples of Elders Xie and Lu!"

"What?!" Xie Zhenhai and Lu Hao were shocked. When Liao Yan said the previous sentence, they secretly rejoiced, thinking he was going to take severe action, but they never expected this outcome.

This made the faces of the two elders even uglier than liver, and they almost couldn't believe their ears.

In the surroundings, not only Shen Chen and Wang Yue, but even Si Tu Chuan, Si Tu Ya, Chen Fanghao, and the sect's officials were stunned into silence.

"This..."

"This..."

"..."

...

Such a decision was too unexpected, leaving everyone speechless, looking at each other with a sense of unreality.

A moment ago, the two elders were determined to punish Shen Chen and Wang Yue severely, but now, Sect Master Liao Yan had chosen them as the personal disciples of the two elders. This sounded like pushing the two young men into a fire pit.