Chu Muran, at first sight, was startled and said, "Gao Zhongyuan?" He looked up at Zhang Yan, "Pavilion Master, this is..."

Zhang Yan said solemnly, "I heard that this boy appeared at the foot of the mountain, so I personally went to capture him back."

Daoist Wen coldly glanced at Gao Zhongyuan, snorted, stepped forward, and cupped his hands saying, "Pavilion Master, Gao Zhongyuan secretly stole and cut trees down the mountain, which is intolerable under sect rules. I request the Sect Leader to issue a Dharma Decree for execution as a warning to others."

Gao Zhongyuan shivered involuntarily. He looked around and saw Chu Muran standing aside, clutching at him like a last straw and exclaimed in panic, "Brother Chu, Brother Chu, for the sake of our past acquaintance, please save me."

He was personally brought up the mountain by Chu Muran, often treated like a younger generation. Hearing his plea, Chu Muran couldn’t help but feel conflicted and also stood forward, cupped his hands saying, "Pavilion Master, may I report, while Gao Zhongyuan did err by stealing wood, he has nonetheless cultivated in the sect for many years and has never harmed fellow disciples - the crime is not worthy of death."

Zhang Yan glanced over, calmly saying, "Junior Brother Chu, do you know that after Gao Zhongyuan broke away from the sect, he joined Wang Guangyuan’s sect?"

Chu Muran was shocked, looked at Gao Zhongyuan, seemingly unable to believe it, then his face showed bitterness as he shook his head and sighed deeply, "Heaven’s sins can be defied, one’s own sins cannot be lived through."

According to the sect rules of the Mingcang Sect, if a disciple breaks away, the crime isn’t worthy of death, they are merely captured and detained. But if they secretly join another sect, it is considered betrayal to the master and ancestors; hence, it leads to unavoidable death.

Daoist Wen, however, was burning with anger, charged towards Chu Muran saying, "Brother Chu, is this the good disciple you found for your master?"

Chu Muran hung his head without speaking.

Gao Zhongyuan was greatly frightened, seeing that Chu Daoist couldn’t save him, he bit his teeth and flipped around to kneel, banging his head on the ground till blood splattered, continuously pleaded loudly, "Sect Leader, in a moment of confusion I made a grave mistake. Wang Guangyuan, that old thief, actually has other intentions coming here, I know the ins and outs, and I clear about that old thief’s background. If the Sect Leader spares my life, I’m willing to redeem my sins and reveal everything."

Zhao Ge had been silent all along, suddenly spoke, "When you left, you only had Xuan Guang Cultivation, but now you have reached the Hua Dan Realm; it should be Wang Guangyuan who helped you refine pills. In the end, he did show kindness to you, yet you dare speak such words?"

Gao Zhongyuan’s expression froze, unable to respond.

Daoist Wen cupped his hands towards Zhang Yan saying, "Gao Zhongyuan betrayed his master and abandoned his ancestors, I request the Sect Leader to allow me to execute this traitor and uphold the sect rules."

Zhang Yan said, "Junior Wen, if according to sect rules, how should he be dealt with?"

Daoist Wen said loudly, "He should be beheaded with the Stone Axe, his Divine Soul nailed into the Wind Cave, for a hundred days of wind grinding punishment."

Zhang Yan nodded slightly, saying, "If that’s the case, Junior Brother, you may carry out the sentence on my behalf."

Gao Zhongyuan’s face changed greatly; he stepped back two paces, looked around, seemed to know he couldn’t escape death, and yelled wildly, "My master is Wang Guangyuan, my uncle, Qu Changzhi, are disciples of Ancestor Hui Xuan’s lineage. If you kill me today, you will accompany me to the grave in the future."

Upon this, Chu Daoist’s face drastically changed.

Daoist Wen, however, sneered, "Even if they are so remarkable, they cannot protect you now."

He swung his sleeve, a white smoke rose, within the smoke appeared a thick-bladed Stone Axe, suspended high in the air, then pinched a spell, the axe made a humming sound, fell sharply, striking Gao Zhongyuan’s head fiercely, with a thud, his Heavenly Spirit shattered, fell dead.

Chu Daoist’s mouth opened, wanting to say something but didn’t eventually.

Daoist Wen reached out again, grabbed the Primordial Spirit, took out a talisman paper from his sleeve, slapped it on, then saluted Zhang Yan, leaped forward, and flew to the main hall. He went straight to the back hall, where there was a large well covered with a thick blue-gray stone slab, bound by hundreds of thick iron chains.

He silently recited a spell, then the iron chains unraveled with a clatter, unleashed smoke energy, pushed the stone slab aside, revealing a bottomless hole beneath. From afar, one could feel strands of yin wind emanating from it, chilling to the bone, skin cut as if by a knife.

This was originally the yin energy of an evil spirit in the mountain, lethal poison to cultivators. Shen Baishuang had suppressed it with Great Dharma Power, preventing sect disciples from being harmed, but it’s also used for execution.

Daoist Wen exerted his mana to protect his body, walked up to the well’s edge, took out a spirit nail, jabbed it into Gao Zhongyuan’s Primordial Spirit then threw it down, covered it with the stone slab, and sealed the iron chains with a spell.

After everything was done, he checked again, found no omissions, and returned to the front of the hall, saying, "Pavilion Master, Junior Brother has thrown the traitorous disciple into the Wind Cave; after a hundred days, he will be completely annihilated, ceasing to exist in the world."

Zhang Yan nodded, "Thank you, Junior Brother."

Daoist Wen turned around, loudly saying to the more than two hundred disciples below, "Betraying the master and defecting from the sect leads to such an end; all disciples should keep it in mind."

Below, all disciples were terrified, Gao Zhongyuan was not only beheaded with the Stone Axe but had to suffer a hundred days of torment, without a body, caught in the evil wind, it was as if being devoured by thousands of ants, unspeakable suffering, yet protected by talismanic magic, unable to simply perish at once. Just imagining this makes one shiver.

Chu Muran sighed secretly, today Zhang Yan executed Gao Zhongyuan before the sect disciples; from this moment, there is no room for negotiation with Wang Guangyuan, no way to retreat.

But he worries about another matter in his heart, not to mention the Zhongtai Sect issue, even Ancestor Hui Xuan isn’t an easy character. If provoked, how can the Han Yuan Sect resist?

...

...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations, monthly tickets on qidian.com, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)