Chapter 132 | The Galgame Martial Saint

Looking at the long string of statuses above his head, Gu Chengming stood in place and fell into a long silence.

He now suspected that if a "non-Daqian female cultivator with a lower rank, poor conduct, and a distaste for pancakes with scallions" stood before him, he could punch her so hard she wouldn't even be able to reincarnate.

It seemed the compatibility between the Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art and the rules of this secret realm was quite high.

Just as he was calculating what kind of ridiculous numbers his stacked damage boost tags could produce if he encountered some unlucky soul looking to rob him, the sound of Xu Huayi clearing her throat came from beside him.

The girl's gaze shifted with great difficulty from the tag "Damage to those who don't like eating pancakes with scallions increased by thirty percent."

Her stalled brain finally resumed functioning, and she couldn't help but ask: "Fellow Daoist Gu... just what kind of anchor object did you visualize?"

The judgment of these traits seemed a bit too detailed.

Even players from the Xianmen of his past life would have to ask, "Which cracked version are you playing? Send me a copy."

Hearing this, Gu Chengming sighed in his heart.

The rules of Tianque clearly stated that one needed an "object with a deep connection."

He couldn't exactly tell her that he was visualizing a cultivation art in his sea of consciousness that was actively volunteering itself, could he?

He had no intention of letting others know about the sentient cultivation arts for now; he needed to find a "physical object" with enough weight and legitimacy to take the blame.

After a moment of deliberation, Gu Chengming gave an answer with a straight face: "It's Director Zhou's saber."

This answer took Xu Huayi quite by surprise.

The Dao Throne rules of Tianque were very clear: the anchor object must have an extremely deep connection and a sufficiently strong obsession with the visualizer.

Usually, such items were either a natal dharma artifact the cultivator had nurtured for decades, a token of love gifted by a lifelong dao companion, or at the very least, a supreme treasure that had saved their life at a critical moment.

But what deep connection could Gu Chengming have with Director Zhou's saber?

Gu Chengming had only been in the Night Guard Division for a short time; although he had many achievements, his rank was far below that of the legendary Director of the Night Guard Division.

At most, their relationship could be seen as superior and subordinate. Could it be that Fellow Daoist Gu slept every night holding Director Zhou's saber? That was simply absurd; even if he said it, she wouldn't—no, wait!

Thinking of Gu Chengming's appearance and his rocket-like promotion speed over the past six months, a dangerous thought emerged in Xu Huayi's mind.

—Could it be that Director Zhou has already subjected Chengming to the casting couch?

Images began to automatically play out in Xu Huayi's mind, uncontrolled.

Inside the dim study of the Night Guard Division's Director, Zhou Qingmu forced Gu Chengming into a corner.

With nowhere to run, his back pressed against the wall, Zhou Qingmu pressed one hand against the wall in a highly oppressive wall-slam, while her other hand tilted Gu Chengming's chin upward.

"Gu Chengming, from now on, your sword belongs to the Night Guard, and you... belong to me. This blade shall be our token."

As the mental imagery reached this point, Xu Huayi couldn't help but swallow hard, her heart filled with envy, jealousy, and a hint of excitement.

Power is truly wonderful; I want to...

"No, no, no!"

Xu Huayi snapped back to her senses, forcibly interrupting her delusions that were rapidly approaching an age-restricted level.

She was a top disciple of the Tianting Sect and an elite of the Imperial Observatory; how could she let her brain be occupied by the cliché plots of mundane romance novels?

Furthermore, she harbored quite a bit of affection for Gu Chengming herself; how could she watch him be "bullied in the workplace" by his superior and feel secretly excited?

Xu Huayi straightened her expression, cleared her throat, and forcibly pulled her thoughts back to reality.

"So it's Director Zhou's saber."

She put on an understanding expression and nodded.

"Director Zhou has held the center for years, slaying the disloyal. Her saber is saturated with the Great Qian National Destiny and laws. No wonder it could derive tags with such a legalistic flavor like damage boosts against the disloyal and unrighteous. That Fellow Daoist Gu can resonate with such a supreme treasure is proof of your sincere heart. Huayi is truly impressed."

"Fellow Daoist Xu overstates it. I am deeply grateful for the Night Guard Division's nurturing, so I was single-minded during the visualization, which led to this result."

The two of them each harbored their own secrets while pretending to be oblivious, tacitly glossing over the topic.

"Ahem, now that the rules for the third phase of Tianque are completely clear, we obviously can't follow the plan we discussed before."

Xu Huayi coughed, shifting the topic somewhat stiffly, her eyes darting around.

"The spatial distortion within the secret realm is extremely severe; ordinary compasses and route maps are completely useless here. To regroup with the main forces from the Sitian Office and the Honglu Temple, relying on luck alone is unrealistic."

Gu Chengming nodded in agreement.

They had walked for over an hour and hadn't seen a single shadow of the Daqian team, only encountering the ill-intentioned Yu Bao.

"However, fortunately, we have an anchor."

Xu Huayi raised her hand, pointing to the layer of clouds above that seemed empty but actually hidden the entire Burial Sword Tomb.

"Although the positions of the Dao Throne Wonders in Tianque are erratic, there is an extremely strong mutual attraction and karmic connection between wonders. As long as we confirm the location of one wonder, we can use array deduction to roughly locate the coordinates of other surrounding wonders."

"Before entering the secret realm, the Daqian team set several core exploration targets. If everyone gets separated, they will definitely prioritize gathering at these targets."

Xu Huayi took out a silk scroll from her sleeve and spread it out on the basalt ground.

"According to the records, there is a high probability that another Dao Throne Wonder exists near the Burial Sword Tomb... This wonder is called the 'Zhou Shrine'."

"Zhou Shrine?" Gu Chengming repeated the name.

"Correct."

Xu Huayi's fingertip tapped a blank spot on the silk, tracing several deduction trajectories with spiritual energy.

"The Zhou Shrine is dedicated to a great powerhouse from ancient times named the 'Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying True Monarch'. Rumor has it that this True Monarch entered the dao through ritual, deduced the laws of heaven and humanity during his life, and established extremely strict rules. After his fall, his remaining obsession and Dao Throne insights intertwined to form this wonder within Tianque."

Listening to Xu Huayi's explanation, Gu Chengming felt quite a strange sensation.

He recalled how the Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art had uncharacteristically volunteered itself, saying "try me" when he was preparing his anchor object.

Zhou Rites had suddenly become so proactive, even being able to perfectly accept the massive Dao Throne rules of Tianque and spawn a wall of damage boost tags. Now it seemed it wasn't some "high compatibility in logic," but rather a homecoming.

Gu Chengming took a deep breath, quickly connecting these clues in his mind.

If the Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying True Monarch truly shared the same source as the Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art, or even had a deep connection with Zhou Qingmu, then the true purpose of this Director Zhou—who had disguised herself as Shen Jinghong to join the team—was likely not to gather intelligence at all, but to head straight for the core inheritance within this Zhou Shrine.

"I see," Gu Chengming murmured softly.

"What did Fellow Daoist Gu say?" Xu Huayi was busy deducing the direction and hadn't heard clearly.

"Nothing."

Gu Chengming retracted his thoughts and looked at Xu Huayi. "How is the deduction going? Roughly where is this Zhou Shrine located?"

"Southeast."

Xu Huayi put away her judge's pen and stood up, pointing toward the end of the basalt plain.

"Using the Burial Sword Tomb above your head as an array anchor made the deduction very smooth. The aura of the Zhou Shrine is extremely massive; as long as we follow this direction, we can reach the outskirts in half a day at most. I suspect our fellow Daqian comrades are also likely converging there right now."

Gu Chengming nodded, his gaze shifting toward the dim horizon in the southeast.

The various factions of Daqian each had their own hidden agendas, the rogue and peripheral cultivators were watching like hawks, and there was a Fifth Realm great cultivator disguised as a senior banner playing the pig to eat the tiger.

And the place they were about to go was likely the confluence of all these undercurrents.

"Since the direction is set, let's move out." Gu Chengming adjusted his sleeves and set off.

...

The heavenly change and the rules of Dao Throne manifestation descended upon the Daqian group in the same manner.

Chu Heng of the Daqian Sitian Office was the first to complete his visualization.

He held the dragon-seeking compass that had accompanied him for decades, and two lines of golden text quickly appeared above his head:

【Spiritual energy recovery speed doubles when at a leyline node】, 【Array construction speed increased by thirty percent】.

It was quite standard and suited his identity.

Afterward, the rest of the Daqian group obtained their own tags one after another, mostly related to their own natal dharma artifacts or cultivation arts. While there were occasional peculiarities, they generally stayed within the framework of common sense.

Until it was Jiang Yun's turn.

Jiang Yun stood on the edge of the crowd with a normal expression. The rules required the anchor object to have an extremely deep connection and obsession. If he allowed his mind to visualize freely, his deepest obsession would surely point to his true sect and master.

If he were to visualize those dark, shameful dharma artifacts, tags like 【Damage to righteous cultivators increased by thirty percent】 might jump out above his head on the spot.

Thus, he could only desperately recall every moment of his years as a "Taihao Gate disciple," concentrating all his focus on the standard Taihao Gate clear heart jade pendant at his waist, constantly brainwashing himself: I am a righteous Daqian cultivator, I slay demons, and I am incorruptible.

After a long while, the rules of Tianque finally managed to capture the disguise he forcibly projected, condensing a slightly dim line of text above his head: 【Damage to those with weak mental fortitude increased by ten percent】.

Seeing this line, Jiang Yun let out a long sigh of relief.

Although it was a solitary entry and seemed mediocre or even a bit like a bully, it at least looked righteous enough, perfectly fitting the "clearing out small fry" style of a prestigious sect disciple.

Jiang Yun wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and just as he was about to put on a regretful expression to exchange pleasantries with those around him, his peripheral vision caught "Shen Jinghong."

This Third Realm senior banner of the Night Guard Division had been lazily leaning against a withered stone pillar since the Dao Throne rules descended.

She even had the leisure to pull out a handful of melon seeds from her pocket and snack on them with great interest, lacking any sense of urgency in the face of the heavenly rules.

Seeing that everyone had mostly finished their visualization, Shen Jinghong finally brushed off the melon seed shells, casually hugged her saber hilt, and without even fully closing her eyes, completed the visualization just like that.

Immediately after, three lines of tags were branded into the air.

【Ignores all protective techniques of the Fourth Realm and below】

【Damage to those with bad karma and wicked hearts increased by thirty percent】

【Fifty percent chance of guaranteed decapitation for those who attempt to escape】

When these three lines were fully displayed before everyone, their expressions became quite subtle.

Ma Xiao, the old vice commander of the Fourth Realm who had lived on the edge of a blade for years, pretended not to see anything. The compass in Chu Heng's hand fell to the ground with a clatter, his mouth slightly agape. The folding fan in Lu Mingzhang's hand froze in mid-air, his expression shifting repeatedly.

And in the crowd, Jiang Yun, who had been secretly rejoicing over his successful deception, now felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

He stared fixedly at the second and third tags above Shen Jinghong's head.

【Damage to those with bad karma and wicked hearts increased by thirty percent】

【Fifty percent chance of guaranteed decapitation for those who attempt to escape】

As a spy, he naturally had a wicked heart, and as a member of the Longevity Sect, he certainly had no shortage of bad karma.

The most fatal part was that he had already practiced in his mind countless times to immediately turn around and use an escape technique the moment he had a chance.

Now, the rules of Tianque were clearly telling him: the moment you dare to turn and run, your head will automatically leave your shoulders.

Jiang Yun felt his knees go weak, and the last shred of hope in his heart vanished into smoke.

Should I just defect?

Is it too late to defect now?

...

The wind in the southeast was much gentler than on the snowfields. The hard, smooth basalt ground beneath their feet gradually underwent some changes as they moved forward.

Traces of artificial carving began to appear in the cracks of the basalt; ancient blue bricks replaced the primitive minerals, paving a wide but dilapidated corridor.

Looking far down the corridor, a towering building sat quietly under the dim sky.

That building didn't have the strange, jagged, or aggressive look of other wonders in Tianque; instead, it exuded an extremely dignified, even rigid solemnity.

With upturned eaves and painted rafters, blue tiles and white walls, two stone tomb-guarding beasts that were mostly weathered stood before the main gate. Several thick dragon-coiled pillars stood on either side of the stone steps.

If one ignored the desolate and eerie environment of the secret realm, this place looked exactly like an ancestral shrine built by a century-old clan with deep heritage in the mortal world.

This was the Zhou Shrine.

The Dao Throne Wonder left behind by the Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying True Monarch.

At the end of the corridor, about a hundred yards from the main gate of the Zhou Shrine, stood several dilapidated stone tablets.

Within the uneven ruins behind the tablets, several human figures were currently lurking.

This group was dressed in uniform moon-white daoist robes, with cloud patterns embroidered on the sleeves and collars, and high-quality dharma swords hanging at their waists.

Judging by this outfit alone, one could tell they were not rogue cultivators living on the edge of a blade, but hailed from a righteous sect with substantial heritage.

The leader was a fair-faced, middle-aged cultivator with a three-strand beard named Zhao Qingshi. He was an inner sect elder of the "Qingyuan Sect," a famous righteous sect in the south. Currently, he was waving a jade-bone folding fan, leisurely lecturing the young disciples beside him.

"Remember this clearly: if anyone follows the Dao Throne guidance here later, remember not to strike to kill immediately."

Zhao Qingshi closed his fan and tapped it lightly against his palm. "Our Qingyuan Sect is a righteous sect; our conduct must naturally be distinguished from those demonic outcasts. Although the rules of Tianque are cruel, and killing others allows one to seize all their opportunities, killing everyone you meet not only goes against the harmony of heaven but also easily invites desperate counterattacks."

A young disciple asked humbly, "Elder Zhao, since we aren't killing them, why did we set up this 'Heaven-Net Sealing Array' at the entrance of the Zhou Shrine?"

"This is the way of survival your master wants to teach you."

Zhao Qingshi stroked his long beard, a profound smile appearing on his face. "Even a cornered rabbit will bite. If we try to take someone's entire fortune, they will surely fight for their life. Even if we win, we might lose men. But if we only trap them without taking their lives, and only require them to leave one dharma treasure or a recently obtained opportunity as a 'toll,' what do you think will happen?"

The young disciple thought for a moment, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

"The other party will weigh the pros and cons. To save their life and the majority of their fortune, they will likely choose to pay to avoid disaster and obediently hand over the goods!"

"A teachable student."

Zhao Qingshi nodded with satisfaction and reopened his fan. "This is the mercy of our righteous sect. We leave them a way out; this is called the heaven's virtue of loving life. We set up a checkpoint here to block the dangers that might follow them and collect a small fee for our hard work—this is a fair trade. Once they hand over the items and leave safely, not only will they not harbor a grudge, they might even be grateful that our Qingyuan Sect leaves room for others. This way, we can win without shedding blood, accumulating wealth at the gate of this Zhou Shrine until we are overflowing with riches."

After hearing this grand theory, the surrounding disciples all showed expressions of admiration, bowing and praising Elder Zhao for his foresight, calling him a true model of the righteous path.

Just as this group of Qingyuan Sect cultivators was flattering one another and feeling moved by their own virtue, steady footsteps echoed from the blue-brick corridor ahead.

Zhao Qingshi's gaze sharpened, and he raised a hand in a gesture. The surrounding disciples immediately stopped talking, hiding in the shadows of the ruins, their fingers gripping the array plate's core.

The newcomers were, naturally, Gu Chengming and Xu Huayi.

The two followed their senses all the way here. Just as they stepped into the wide plaza before the Zhou Shrine, the previously calm blue-brick ground suddenly lit up with intersecting lines of spiritual energy.

A hemispherical golden light barrier rose from the ground like an overturned bowl, trapping the two firmly inside.

The moment the barrier formed, several figures stepped out from behind the ruins.

Zhao Qingshi fanned himself with his folding fan, stepping out from behind a stone tablet with a composed gait.

A warm smile was plastered on his face, as if he were an elder welcoming guests into his home, as he bowed toward the two inside the array.

"Fellow Daoists, please wait."

Zhao Qingshi's voice was gentle and resonant, filled with a sense of righteousness.

"The Zhou Shrine ahead is the resting place of an ancient True Monarch. It is filled with unpredictable dangers and layers of restrictions. We of the Qingyuan Sect empathize with our fellow daoists' difficult cultivation, so we have set up a barrier here. First, to serve as a checkpoint for everyone, and second, to prevent ill-intentioned individuals from disturbing the True Monarch's peace."

Standing inside the array, Xu Huayi's gaze swept over the golden light barrier and then at the hypocritical cultivators outside.

With her expertise in arrays, this mere "Heaven-Net Sealing Array" was full of flaws, but she wasn't in a hurry to act. She simply spun her judge's pen half a turn between her fingers, coldly watching the other party's performance.

"Qingyuan Sect?" Xu Huayi's tone held a hint of mockery. "That large sect from the south that claims to be 'pure and upright'? What, has your Qingyuan Sect changed professions to become highwaymen, setting up checkpoints to collect tolls?"

Being exposed to his face, Zhao Qingshi didn't show the slightest hint of anger.

He had cultivated for many years; his skin was already as thick as a fortress.

"Fellow Daoist overstates it. How can you call it a toll?"

Zhao Qingshi closed his fan and retorted righteously, "Tianque is full of dangers. We of the Qingyuan Sect have spent a great deal of manpower, resources, and spirit stones to maintain this array. We do not covet all the opportunities you carry; we only ask that you leave behind one dharma treasure or opportunity as a subsidy for our array's consumption. As long as you leave an item, we will absolutely not make things difficult and will let you through immediately."

He paused, his tone becoming earnest. "You are both young talents with bright futures ahead. Do not damage the harmony or risk your lives for mere external possessions. This is called sacrificing the small to save the large, and it is also a trial of character on the path of cultivation. Our Qingyuan Sect is willing to play the villain to help you complete this trial of 'letting go.' It truly comes from a place of good intentions."

Listening to this ridiculous speech that twisted black into white and described robbery as charity, Xu Huayi almost laughed from anger.

She had finally seen it. When it came to being thick-skinned and shameless, these hypocrites wearing the skin of the righteous path were even more disgusting than demon cultivators who wrote the word "rob" on their foreheads.

She tilted her head toward Gu Chengming beside her. "Fellow Daoist Gu, can you listen to this kind of twisted logic?"

"There's no other way."

Gu Chengming sighed, his gaze passing through the golden light barrier to land on Zhao Qingshi, who still wore a hypocritical smile.

"Elder Zhao, was it?" Gu Chengming's voice was steady, showing no anger. "You mean to say that if we don't leave a toll, we won't be able to cross this threshold today?"

Zhao Qingshi looked at the handsome young cultivator inside the array. With his early Fourth Realm cultivation, he could naturally see the spiritual energy fluctuations on Gu Chengming, who was merely a junior who had recently entered the Third Realm.

With such a disparity in strength and the support of the array, Zhao Qingshi believed victory was assured.

"You are a sensible man."

Zhao Qingshi reopened his fan, his smile becoming even more amiable. "Pay to avoid disaster; harmony brings wealth. As long as you are willing to cooperate, our Qingyuan Sect is still willing to make you a friend."

Looking at Zhao Qingshi, who spoke of bandit logic as if it were a grand cause, Gu Chengming thought there truly was no other way.

He sighed, straightened his sleeves that had been ruffled by the wind, and spoke slowly: "Setting up checkpoints to seize items by force and treating the lives of fellow daoists as grass—this is called being unkind."

Gu Chengming's voice was calm, lacking any of the panic one would expect from someone trapped.

Outside the array, Zhao Qingshi's brow furrowed as he prepared to retort, but the other party's speaking speed suddenly quickened, each word carrying weight:

"Committing foul acts in the name of the righteous path and ruining the reputation of your sect—this is called being unrighteous! Using twisted logic, lacking a sense of shame, and attempting to hide greed with clever words—this is called being disrespectful! Misjudging the situation, provoking trouble, and being arrogantly self-important without knowing it—this is called being unwise!"

This series of labels was pinned on so fluently that not only was Zhao Qingshi stunned, but even the Qingyuan Sect disciples hiding behind the ruins were left dazed.

Only Xu Huayi, who seemed to have realized something, had a slight twitch at the corner of her eye as she looked at Gu Chengming with a subtle expression.

—Is there even a 'labeling for damage boosts' phase before the battle starts?

After finalizing the crimes of being "unkind, unrighteous, disrespectful, and unwise," Gu Chengming paused for a moment. He raised his eyes, calmly staring at Zhao Qingshi, and threw out the final and most lethal question:

"I'll give you one last chance to turn over a new leaf. Fellow Daoist, do you like eating pancakes with scallions?"

The entire field fell into dead silence.

The hypocritical smile on Zhao Qingshi's face completely froze. He even suspected his ears had been damaged by the astral winds of Tianque.

The earlier grand principles at least sounded like the final struggle of a righteous sword cultivator before death. What was this last sentence about? Pancakes with scallions? At the entrance of a Dao Throne Wonder in the middle of nowhere, you're asking me if I like to eat mundane food?

"Absurd!"

Zhao Qingshi finally laughed from anger, his jade-bone folding fan snapping shut as he pointed it at Gu Chengming.

He thought he had truly hit bad luck today, running into a fool whose brain was full of water.

He thought he had a fat sheep to squeeze, but it turned out to be a delusional madman.

"Stubborn and full of nonsense!" Zhao Qingshi snorted.

"Since you refuse the face I give you and prefer the hard way, then this elder will teach you a lesson on behalf of your elders on how to learn to bow your head in Tianque!"

Before his voice could fade, the spiritual energy of his early Fourth Realm cultivation erupted. He was about to raise his hand to form a hand seal.

However, Gu Chengming inside the array did not give him that chance.

Gu Chengming's gaze swept over him, quickly confirming the feedback from the Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art in his sea of consciousness.

Excellent. A non-Daqian cultivator, lower rank than himself, unkind, unrighteous, disrespectful, unwise, and with a distaste for pancakes with scallions.

"In that case."

Gu Chengming looked at Zhao Qingshi, who was preparing to strike, his tone carrying a hint of sincere regret.

"You'll have to cultivate that habit in your next life."

The moment his words fell, Gu Chengming did not draw his sword. He simply raised his right hand, pressing his fingers together like a blade, and casually pointed toward Zhao Qingshi through that shimmering golden light barrier.

There was no grand momentum, nor any brilliant sword light.

There was only a strand of righteous qi, so pure it reached an extreme, frantically amplified by countless "laws and rituals," bursting forth from his fingertip.

Crack—

The "Heaven-Net Sealing Array," claimed to be able to trap cultivators of the same rank, was as fragile as a sheet of wet window paper before this finger.

The golden light barrier didn't even last half a breath before it exploded into a shower of spiritual energy sparks with a crisp shattering sound.

The sneer on Zhao Qingshi's face didn't even have time to fade before the aftershock of that finger strike slammed squarely into his chest.

Thump—

With a dull thud, Zhao Qingshi felt as if he had been hit head-on by an invisible ten-thousand-pound hammer. The moon-white daoist robe on his chest instantly shredded, and his protective dharma treasure turned to powder before its light could even flicker.

He couldn't even let out a scream as his body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, drawing a long arc in the air before slamming heavily into the tall, wordless stone tablet behind him.

The stone tablet shattered, spider-web cracks spreading across it.

Zhao Qingshi slid to the ground among the rubble, coughing up blood. After a couple of twitches, he went completely still. His bones were shattered, and his aura was incredibly faint, leaving him on the brink of death.

It all happened too fast. From Gu Chengming pointing his finger to the array shattering and the Fourth Realm Qingyuan Sect elder being one-shotted—it took less than a blink of an eye.

The Qingyuan Sect disciples hidden in the ruins had no time to react.

They stared blankly at the unconscious Zhao Qingshi lying in the rubble, their minds completely blank.

It wasn't until Gu Chengming withdrew his finger that the Dao Throne rules of Tianque were triggered again due to the massive spiritual energy consumption.

Above the basalt plaza, the air distorted slightly.

Then, under the terrified gazes of the Qingyuan Sect disciples, golden Dao Throne tags began to manifest one after another above Gu Chengming's head.

【Damage to non-Daqian cultivators increased by thirty percent】

【Damage to those with a lower official rank than oneself increased by thirty percent】

【Damage to the unkind and unfilial increased by thirty percent】

【Damage to the disloyal and unrighteous increased by thirty percent】

【Damage to the disrespectful and unwise increased by thirty percent】

【Damage to those who don't like eating pancakes with scallions increased by thirty percent】

...

Clatter.

Someone's array plate was the first to fall onto the blue bricks.

Immediately after, as if triggering a chain reaction, the remaining disciples' legs went weak. They all knelt on the ground with a series of thuds, shaking like sieves as they cried out for mercy from the senior.

Standing beside Gu Chengming, Xu Huayi looked at the wall of tags that was nearly obscuring her vision, then at the righteous disciples kneeling in terror. She silently tucked her judge's pen back into her sleeve.

Looking at the trembling Qingyuan Sect disciples, Gu Chengming leisurely withdrew his finger.

He had a thought; that finger strike had relied purely on righteous qi and physical strength without even drawing a sword. If he didn't say a few lines that his old friend would love, it would be a waste of this perfect atmosphere for showing off.

Thus, Gu Chengming brushed off non-existent dust from his sleeves and placed his hands behind his back, slightly tilting his chin up.

He looked at the group of terrified cultivators and, with a tone of disdain for all living things—three parts cold and seven parts arrogant—he added softly: