Well, no matter how much he enjoyed appreciating a CG, now was not the time to do so with a peaceful mind.
The elders of every peak in the Hunyuan Sect, and even the sect master himself, had been alerted.
Before the special effects of the 'Purple Qi from the East for thirty thousand miles' had even fully dissipated, several sounds of breaking air exploded in succession across the Back Mountain.
The old man's speed in regaining his senses was truly worthy of his reputation as a crafty old fox.
One moment, he had been dazed below the platform, oblivious to the wine spilling over himself; the next, he had lunged onto the Chenyuan Platform in three steps, firmly gripping Gu Chengming's shoulder. The lines practically tumbled out of his mouth.
“It was this old man who brought him here!”
Hua Daiyi faced the direction of the newcomers from the Main Peak, his voice booming like a great bell and full of vigor as he roared:
“The Abyss Pillar recognizes the person, not the sect! This is the iron rule established by the founding patriarch of the Huntian Gate! As a sect elder, I followed the ancient system to recommend an external genius for the Chenyuan Trial. It is in accordance with the rules and based on the law!”
Gu Chengming silently gave Martial Uncle Hua a thumbs up in his heart. Your reaction is way too fast.
Sect Master Song Heng stood at the front with his hands behind his back, followed by seven or eight elders from various peaks, their expressions as solemn as still water.
Celestial anomalies, Purple Qi from the East, and ancient bells chiming together—this would be considered a grand scene at any time, let alone when that soaring pillar of light had shot directly up from the Chenyuan Platform.
However, when everyone's gaze collectively fell on Gu Chengming on the platform and the Abyss Pillar he had lifted, the scene fell into a dead silence.
Sect Master Song Heng remained silent for a long time before finally speaking. “...Elder Hua, what did you just say?”
“Reporting to the sect master, I followed the ancestral system to recommend—”
“I heard that half of the sentence.” Song Heng raised a hand, decisively cutting off Hua Daiyi's broken-record behavior. “What is going on with this Abyss Pillar?”
Gu Chengming silently placed the Abyss Pillar back onto the platform.
With a muffled 'thud,' the moment the Abyss Pillar settled, the last remaining luster completely vanished. It turned dull and gray, looking as if it had been sucked dry.
Hua Daiyi let out a sudden, violent cough from the side, trying his best to smooth things over for Gu Chengming. “The Abyss Pillar's anomaly was likely caused by the Chenyuan Trial triggering an ancient restriction. The specific reasons still need investigation. What's more important right now is—”
The old man's tone shifted. “According to the ancient teachings of the Huntian Gate, anyone who can completely lift the Abyss Pillar off the platform shall be conferred as the sect's Holy Son. Everyone, you all witnessed the celestial phenomena just now; it cannot be faked!”
As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the elders present became quite colorful.
In all fairness, the fact that Gu Chengming could lift the Abyss Pillar was beyond reproach.
The Chenyuan Platform was not a forbidden area of the Hunyuan Sect. Over the generations, the number of external body cultivators who had come to challenge it was too many to count on both hands.
As a powerful elder of the sect, Hua Daiyi was well within the rules to bring a junior to try his hand.
The problem was that he actually lifted it... This completely changed the nature of the situation.
If 'Holy Son' were merely a fancy title, the Hunyuan Sect would be more than happy to grant it.
Gu Chengming's reputation as a prodigy resonated throughout Great Qian. Giving him the honorary title of the Hunyuan Sect's Holy Son was equivalent to gaining the name of a future top cultivator of Great Qian for free—a guaranteed profitable deal.
But the trouble lay in the fact that the ancient teachings of the Chenyuan Trial explicitly stated that the Holy Son held actual power.
The status was equal to that of a senior elder, allowing him to openly intervene in internal sect affairs and freely allocate manpower and material resources.
This was equivalent to forcibly carving out a large piece of fat from the bowls of the elders present and giving it to an outsider from the Wenjian Sect. Who could possibly agree to that?
Sure enough, the first to jump out and start the attack was the thin Elder Feng.
Elder Feng held deep seniority within the Hunyuan Sect and controlled most of the sect's material allocation and disciple assessment power. He was a pillar of the faction that held actual authority.
His opposition was not entirely without logic, and his calculations were straightforward. Currently, the Hunyuan Sect's seal was unstable, and the hidden danger of the Dao Plague had not been completely eradicated. The sect was in a turbulent period.
At this critical juncture, suddenly parachuting in an external disciple to be the Holy Son—and the type with real power who could directly interfere in internal affairs—wasn't that just adding fuel to the already chaotic fire?
Furthermore, the Abyss Pillar's current state was clearly abnormal. The inscriptions were completely black; no matter how one looked at it, it didn't seem like a normal pass of the 'Chenyuan Trial.'
What if this kid had used some shady, unorthodox methods?
Elder Feng cleared his throat and unhurriedly began his assault.
“Elder Hua.”
He didn't target Gu Chengming directly but faced Hua Daiyi. “The Chenyuan Platform is a critical location of the sect. Without the joint approval of the sect master and at least three elders, no external cultivator may enter without permission. May I ask, Elder Hua, when you brought this person in, did you follow the procedure and obtain authorization?”
Hua Daiyi's brows shot up. “Elder Feng, you also said 'joint approval.' But the Chenyuan Platform has always been open to the public. When generations of external body cultivators came to challenge it, when did they ever need joint—”
“That was for cases of failure.”
Elder Feng cut him off unceremoniously. “Since no one ever succeeded, there was naturally no dispute. But the current situation is different. The Abyss Pillar was lifted, the celestial phenomena changed, and the entire sect was shaken. It is only reasonable to trace the procedural justice after the fact.”
Having said that, he turned to face Sect Master Song Heng and cupped his hands. “Sect Master, according to Sect Rule Thirty-Seven, any matter involving major changes to the sect's inheritance must be approved by a vote of the elder council to take effect. The matter of the Abyss Pillar concerns the position of the Holy Son; it should follow the formal agenda, rather than being decided privately by a single elder in the Back Mountain at night.”
Hua Daiyi's face turned ashen, and he laughed in anger. “You are just twisting logic—”
“Elder Hua.” Elder Feng's tone remained steady. “I am merely discussing the facts. Your act of leading an outsider into the Back Mountain at night and unauthorizedly activating the Chenyuan Platform has procedural flaws, regardless of the final result. If this matter is not clarified, where will the sect's authority lie in the future?”
It had to be admitted that the 'shame hat' Elder Feng placed on him was well-founded and logically tight, making it impossible to find fault in the short term.
Gu Chengming stood to the side with his hands behind his back, listening quietly, his internal emotions quite subtle.
Elder Feng, your ability to label others is truly fast and accurate.
If I didn't know better, I'd think the one who just unlocked the 'labeling' CG was you.
Hua Daiyi was completely blocked by Elder Feng's use of the sect rules, his face flushing red, looking as if he were about to explode.
Beside them, another burly man, Elder Zhao, seized the opportunity and immediately stepped forward to agree:
“Elder Feng is right! The rules of the Chenyuan Trial are fixed, but the sect's order is alive. It is true that little friend Gu has outstanding talent, but he is ultimately a Third Realm disciple of the Wenjian Sect. Letting him become our Holy Son and interfere in internal affairs... forget about us, the Wenjian Sect likely wouldn't be happy either.”
Gu Chengming thought to himself, Don't say that. My master might actually be quite happy to hear it.
However, Sect Master Shen would likely have a headache for a while.
For a time, the opposing voices calling for procedural accountability rose one after another.
Hua Daiyi alone could not argue against the seven or eight voices on the other side. The veins on his forehead pulsed faintly, and he was on the verge of losing control.
Meanwhile, Sect Master Song Heng still stood in place with his hands behind his back, saying nothing, though his frown grew deeper and deeper.
The two sides argued with flying spittle for a full fifteen minutes, going back and forth over those few points.
Hua Daiyi insisted that the ancient founding teachings outweighed all sect rules, while Elder Feng and the others held fast to the idea that procedural justice could not be discarded. Just as the argument reached a fever pitch, the detailed information panel for the new CG finally popped up in Gu Chengming's vision.
【CG/Weaving a Thousand Warm Hats Together with You】
【Weaving a Thousand Warm Hats Together with You: Catalyzed and evolved after the 《Unfettered Freedom Art》 absorbed the ancient power of the Abyss Pillar, with the 《Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art》 and the 《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 jointly opening the court. Effect: Can pull the target into a brief illusion called the 'Hat Trial Court.' The two judges, who are incarnations of the techniques, will identify crimes for the target based on their respective principles. For each item passed, they will weave a shame hat and personally place it on the target's head, finally administering a profound punishment with a 'copper-headed belt.' After leaving the illusion, the target will not remember the specific details, but the heart of repentance and sense of awe will remain permanently. Time spent in the outside world is only a single breath.】
【Note: Little friend, today the sky is clear and the air is fresh—perfect for sitting down with you to weave a few hats for those who have lost their way.】
Gu Chengming looked at the borderline ridiculous description on the panel, his expression becoming increasingly subtle.
Holy shit, an Unlimited Tsukuyomi: Copper-Headed Belt Edition?!
In this current situation where everyone was throwing labels and 'hats' around, this effect seemed almost absurdly appropriate.
He let out a soft breath and finally broke his own silence.
“Seniors.”
Gu Chengming's clear voice wasn't loud, yet it steadily suppressed the clamor in the area.
The surroundings instantly fell quiet, and all gazes gathered on him.
“This junior has a few questions I would like to ask Elder Feng.”
Hearing this, Elder Feng narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharp. “Little friend Gu, please speak.”
Gu Chengming stepped forward casually. “Elder Feng just said the procedure for the Chenyuan Trial was flawed. This junior would like to ask: when the founding patriarch of the Huntian Gate left the Chenyuan Trial, did he ever explicitly write in the ancient teachings that 'one must have the joint authorization of the elders to enter'?”
Elder Feng was at a loss for words.
The ancient teachings naturally didn't have such bureaucratically heavy terms. The original text of the Chenyuan Trial was written in black and white: 'All who arrive here may try.' There were no thresholds at all.
The so-called authorization was merely a regulatory patch added by later generations for managing the sect's restricted areas, targeting the management of the site rather than the trial itself.
“The ancient teachings and sect rules run in parallel without conflict—” Elder Feng tried to use wordplay to bypass this trap.
“Then this junior asks again.” Gu Chengming's speaking speed was steady but pressing, giving the other party no room to breathe or regroup. “Elder Feng said the Abyss Pillar was damaged and suspected it was due to abnormal means. May I ask, Elder Feng, have you personally seen a scene of someone normally passing the Chenyuan Trial?!”
“No one has passed since the sect was founded, so there is naturally no reference.”
“Since there is no reference, on what basis does Elder Feng claim that the damage to the Abyss Pillar is 'abnormal'?!”
Elder Feng's expression changed drastically, his brows knitting together. “This—”
“And one more thing.” Gu Chengming took another step forward, staring directly into Elder Feng's eyes as he questioned loudly:
“Elder Feng, you repeatedly say that external cultivators are not fit to be the Holy Son of the Hunyuan Sect. Then why has the Hunyuan Sect been opening the Chenyuan Platform to the outside world with such fanfare for thousands of years?!”
The moment the words fell, his aura soared to its peak.
At the same time, the effect of 【Multiplayer CG/Weaving a Thousand Warm Hats Together with You】 roared into activation!
Elder Feng felt the world spin before his eyes as heaven and earth overturned.
By the time his vision refocused, the sect master was gone, and his colleagues from the council were gone too.
In their place was a dark, cramped secret room. In the center of the room sat a long wooden table, behind which sat two figures of vastly different styles.
The green-robed girl on the left was upright and polite, with a bamboo slip at her waist. Her clear eyes watched him silently, exuding a noble qi that would make any petty person tremble.
The woman on the right, with her collar slightly open, sat with her legs crossed, lazily shaking half a flask of strong wine in her hand as she tilted her head to study him with a casual and bold air.
On the green brick floor in front of the wooden table lay a pile of blank, small caps.
Before Elder Feng could open his mouth to figure out what kind of illusion this was, the green-robed girl had already spread out the bamboo slip before her.
“Elder surnamed Feng.”
The voice of the 《Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art》 was unhurried, like a morning bell or an evening drum.
“The Chenyuan Trial is a legacy of the founding patriarch of the Huntian Gate; its status ranks above the sect rules of later generations. You used additional items from later generations to obstruct the execution of the ancient system. This is insubordination and Usurping Ancient Systems.”
Having said that, she raised her hand, picked up a blank hat from the table, and gestured toward Elder Feng.
As soon as her voice fell, four characters in thick ink suddenly appeared on the surface of the hat—
“Usurping Ancient Systems”!
Elder Feng was stunned on the spot.
“Wait, hold on! When did I ever usurp—”
“Splat.” The hat was already firmly placed on his head.
Elder Feng reached up to take it off, but the hat wouldn't budge an inch, as if it had taken root in his scalp.
“You—”
The 《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 on the right shook her wine flask.
“The sect seal has been broken for decades. You, Elder Feng, hold the power over material allocation, yet you never added a single cent of funding for the seal's wear and tear, leading to the long-term postponement of repairs. You cannot escape blame for the Dao Plague leakage.”
She also picked up a blank hat. “Dereliction of Duty.” A golden light flashed on the surface of the hat, and four large characters appeared: “Vegetating in Office.”
“Absurd! When did I ever neglect the seal—” Elder Feng bristled, about to argue by citing classics.
“Splat.” The second hat was placed on top.
The two hats were stacked together, crooked and slanted, looking as ridiculous as a clown on a stage.
“Who on earth are you two? Are you even listening to what I'm saying?!”
The two judges collectively looked up at him. Then, they collectively looked back down and continued flipping through the bamboo slips.
“Third item.” Zhou Rites flipped to the next page. “Elder Feng opposed an external cultivator serving as the Holy Son. On the surface, he cited sect rules, but in reality, he was protecting his own monopoly over material allocation. This is self-interest disguised as public duty.”
“Fourth item.” The Wine Sword Art followed up seamlessly, the two of them in perfect sync. “Elder Feng coerced his colleagues in the elder council to join the opposition, bullying the few with the many and marginalizing dissenters.”
Holding a hat, she tilted her head and thought seriously for a moment about what words to write, then waved her hand grandly.
“Forming cliques for private gain, Anti-cultivator element!”
Elder Feng's eyes bulged. “What do you mean by 'Anti-cultivator element'?! What kind of cultivation world crime is that?!”
“Splat.” The third hat was placed on top. The three hats stacked into a wobbling pagoda.
“No, you two wait—”
“Fifth item.”
“Can you at least let me finish my sentence—”
“At the critical juncture of the sect's survival, Elder Feng did not think of solving the Dao Plague but instead wasted his energy on power struggles.” Zhou Rites closed the bamboo slip, her tone as heavy as iron.
“This is a disregard for the greater good.”
The Wine Sword Art followed immediately, with a flick of her wrist. “Big Bully!”
Elder Feng's mouth opened and closed, then closed and opened again, looking like a fat-headed fish deprived of oxygen.
“Big Bully? How did I become a Big Bully? Isn't this labeling a bit too haphazard?!”
No one paid attention to his protest.
The two judges had already risen from behind the table, each holding a copper-headed belt that flickered with a dark, cold light.
Elder Feng's pupils shrank, and his voice cracked. “You... what do you intend to do?”
The Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art nodded slightly, her demeanor still upright and polite. “Executing the sentence according to the law.”
The Cangxian Wine Sword Art tilted her head back to gulp down a mouthful of strong wine, wiped the wine stains from the corner of her mouth, and smiled quite brightly. “Don't panic, old timer. It'll be over soon.”
The next moment, Elder Feng's body was tied to a pillar.
The sounds of the copper-headed belt cracking against a body and Elder Feng's screams were endless.
...
At the same time, on the Chenyuan Platform.
In the eyes of others, from the moment Gu Chengming's forceful questioning left his mouth to the moment Elder Feng reacted, only a single breath of time had passed.
But in that short breath, Elder Feng's body suddenly stiffened.
His eyes were hollow and vacant, his lips slightly moving as if he were silently muttering something. He looked as if his three souls and seven spirits had been sucked out on the spot.
Elder Zhao, sitting nearby, noticed the anomaly and was about to speak to call him.
Elder Feng snapped back to his senses.
But the color of his entire face had changed.
His previous assured and composed manner of directing the world had vanished, replaced by a face full of an indescribable guilty conscience.
He instinctively shrunk his neck and touched the top of his head, his movements as suspicious as a thief who had just stolen a chicken, seemingly checking if any unwanted objects had appeared there.
What was even weirder was his back. Elder Feng felt waves of heat across his spine, as if he had just been soundly whipped thousands of times by something heavy. Although there was no pain, the tangible feeling of having 'been beaten' was clearly beyond logic.
He didn't remember what he had experienced in that moment, but he believed for no reason that he had indeed done something wrong and very much wanted to admit his mistake.
“Elder Feng?” Elder Zhao lowered his voice to remind him. “What's wrong with you?”
Elder Feng opened his mouth, but the fourth reason for opposition he had already drafted in his mind was now stuck firmly in his throat; he couldn't get a single word out.
“...It's nothing.” He spat out two words dryly and sat back down in his chair, not saying another word.
Elder Zhao's brow furrowed into a deep frown, sensing that something was very wrong with Old Feng's state.
However, before he could think further, Gu Chengming's gaze had already shifted to him.
“Elder Zhao.”
Gu Chengming's tone was steady as he continued his assault. “Elder Zhao said just now that granting this junior the position of Holy Son would affect the relations between the two sects. This junior would like to ask—this junior's acts of risking my life to enter the old pavilion, bringing out Senior Shen Yuanbai's seal records, and saving dozens of Hunyuan Sect disciples with a single sword strike... are these actions also 'affecting the relations between the two sects'?!”
As soon as these words were spoken, Elder Zhao's heart shook.
Elder Zhao's treatment in the illusion was practically identical to Elder Feng's.
The only difference was that because his crimes were so clear and obvious, the two judges were extremely efficient in handling the case.
Zhou Rites glanced at the bamboo slip and decided on the spot: “Receiving a great favor and not thinking of repaying it, but instead obstructing the benefactor. This is being Ungrateful!”
Label applied.
The Wine Sword Art didn't even get up from her chair, casually tossing a hat. “Returning a favor with enmity after being saved by an external disciple... a pure Ingrate.” Another label applied.
Elder Zhao's mind was a mess as he desperately tried to organize his words. “You two, at least let me—”
“Execute the sentence.”
The copper-headed belt came whistling with the sound of breaking wind.
Inside the council hall, Elder Zhao also experienced a brief moment of being lost in thought.
By the time his consciousness returned, this broad-shouldered and portly Fourth Realm body-cultivation expert felt his back burning hot, and his legs were even slightly weak.
Having lost the memory of the illusion, his heart was flooded with shame, and his gaze toward Gu Chengming held a few more hints of fear.
But he didn't even know why he was afraid... Elder Zhao swallowed hard and obediently sat back in his original spot, looking at his nose and his heart, completely silenced.
Now, the elders present who had not yet been affected finally sensed something was wrong and began to look at each other.
First, Old Feng was silenced by a single question, and now even Old Zhao was in the same state.
The process of their 'illness' was exactly the same: dazed, guilty, shrinking their necks, touching their backs, and collective silence.
“Is Old Feng possessed?” an elder sitting at the far end whispered. “He got scared by a single question from a Third Realm junior?”
“Old Zhao too. Usually, his voice is louder than anyone's; why is he like a frost-bitten eggplant today?”
Gu Chengming didn't give them much time to discuss the case.
He turned slightly, aiming at the third elder who had spoken rudely—the one who had confidently claimed that the Abyss Pillar 'clearly had a problem.'
“This senior.”
“This junior asks: you repeatedly said that the Abyss Pillar being lifted was suspected to be due to abnormal means. May I ask, have you personally investigated the Abyss Pillar?! Do you have even a shred of evidence to support your groundless slander?!”
This time, the process within the illusion was even more brief and brutal.
Zhou Rites didn't even bother flipping the bamboo slip, speaking coldly: “No evidence, baseless fabrication, slandering a fellow Daoist.” Hat applied.
The Wine Sword Art let out a long yawn. “Spreading rumors and causing trouble; looks like a spy sent by the Longevity Sect.”
“A spy?! What spy?! I've shed blood for the sect; how did I become a spy—” Hat applied.
“Execute the sentence.”
The copper-headed belt struck for the third time.
In the council hall, the third elder followed in the footsteps of the first two at light speed. After a moment of daze, he completely wilted.
Now, the remaining elders really couldn't sit still.
One or two could be explained as 'guilty conscience,' but after three elders were successively named and questioned by Gu Chengming, they all showed the same expression.
Dazed, guilty, and collectively silenced—how could there be such a coincidence in the world?
A few of the older elders quickly exchanged a round of glances.
One of them, the white-haired Elder Qian, narrowed his old eyes, his gaze repeatedly scanning Gu Chengming, his expression thoughtful.
“A sharp wake-up call...?” he murmured to himself in a low voice.
The elder beside him didn't hear clearly. “Senior Brother Qian, what did you just say?”
Elder Qian shook his head slightly and didn't answer.
But in his heart, he had already deduced a startling guess.
The founding patriarch of the Huntian Gate was rumored to have created a rather strange teaching method specifically for rectifying the sect's atmosphere, in addition to leaving behind the Chenyuan Trial.
That method didn't harm one's foundation or destroy one's cultivation, but it could make someone feel a sense of repentance from their very bones.
There were only eight characters recorded in the sect's ancient books regarding this: 'The Patriarch's Shout makes all evils repent.'
Could it be that this Prodigy Gu...
Elder Qian looked at Gu Chengming deeply once more, his gaze now carrying a hint of the awe one would have for a reincarnation of the founding patriarch.
He could pull out the Abyss Pillar and could even use the ancient secret method with ease. Maybe he really was the direct disciple personally designated by the patriarch across generations!
Gu Chengming naturally didn't know that in the eyes of these old men, he had already been imagined as the direct successor of the Hunyuan Sect's founding patriarch.
He was just silently calculating the current situation in his heart.
The three most active troublemakers were all silenced, and the attitudes of the remaining elders had visibly wavered.
The elders who hadn't been named each had their own little calculations—
The fate of the opposition was clearly laid out before them. If they were stubborn and jumped out, only to be questioned by this kid in public and then mysteriously become guilty, beaten quails, what then?
With their old bones, they couldn't afford to gamble with their dignity.
Sect Master Song Heng sat steadily in his seat, taking in the scene before him.
He also didn't know what kind of divine power Gu Chengming had used, but he saw clearly that the opposition from Elder Feng, Elder Zhao, and the others had been completely extinguished. Furthermore, they were willing and showed no signs of being coerced by force, which was very interesting.
“Everyone.” Song Heng spoke at the right time, his tone as steady as a mountain. “Regarding the position of the Holy Son, is there anyone else who wishes to share their views?”
The hall was as silent as a grave.
Elder Feng stared fixedly at his knees; Elder Zhao's right hand was unconsciously rubbing his back; the third elder held his teacup with a pale face, completely unaware that tea had spilled all over the table.
Song Heng looked around and nodded in satisfaction.
“Since there are no objections—”
“Elder Hua.” He turned to Hua Daiyi at the end of the seating, his tone switching back to the dignity of official business. “According to the ancient teachings of the Huntian Gate, the one who passes the Chenyuan Trial shall immediately be conferred as the Holy Son. You shall read the original text of the ancient system.”
Hua Daiyi shot up from his seat, his movements so agile he almost sent his wine flask flying.
“You got it!”
The old man cleared his throat and recited the original ancient teachings of the Huntian Gate with full vigor. In that high-pitched voice, the joy of a petty person getting his way was impossible to hide.
Gu Chengming stood with his hands behind his back, looking as calm as a passing cloud.
Inside his Sea of Consciousness, however, the chat group of the techniques had already completely exploded.
【《Hundred Bones Resonating》 cheered joyfully: It's done! Emperor Gu has ascended! This Emperor said so—who else but you is fit for the throne of the Heavenly Emperor!】
【《Cangxian Wine Sword Art》 contentedly put away the copper-headed belt, humming an unknown little tune: Not bad, not bad.】
【The 《Zhou Rites Heavenly Rectifying Art》 closed the bamboo slip, her expression normal.】
Gu Chengming's expression was subtle.
The methods of the older generation are indeed useful.
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