Chapter 642: Heated Debate
After entering the Spirit Wind Pavilion, Zhang Ruochen summoned Xiao Hei and began to discuss matters together.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Now that we're inside the Liangyi Sect, can you sense the location of that altar?"
"I'll make a calculation first."
Xiao Hei extended two claws and scratched out crooked lines on the ground. All the lines connected together, quickly forming a compass with a diameter of two meters.
"Swoosh—"
A stream of true qi was shot out, and immediately, the compass emitted a white radiance, rising from the ground and slowly rotating.
When it rotated to the third circle, the compass stopped, shooting out a beam of light pointing toward the southwest.
"Southwest direction."
Zhang Ruochen searched through the study and soon found a book from the bookshelf titled *Liangyi Sect Geography and Mountains*.
"The Liangyi Sect is divided into three palaces and seventy-two courtyards. To the southwest of the Longevity Courtyard are, in order, the ** Courtyard, the Demon-Suppressing Courtyard, and the Shangqing Palace."
The ** Courtyard was closest to the Longevity Courtyard, while the Shangqing Palace was the farthest.
Zhang Ruochen pointed his finger at the map and said, "Since the compass points southwest, let's start investigating from the nearest ** Courtyard."
It took him a quarter of an hour to memorize the entire book's contents using his powerful spiritual power. Afterward, he left the Spirit Wind Pavilion, planning to investigate the ** Courtyard first.
Just as he stepped out the door, an outer disciple dressed in a white Daoist robe approached. He looked to be in his early twenties, bowed to Zhang Ruochen, and said, "Senior Brother Lin, the Venerable Lord has ordered you to report to the Purple Cloud Temple immediately."
The Venerable Lord was the master of the Purple Cloud Spirit Mountain, and all outer disciples, inner disciples, and saint-transmitted disciples had to obey his commands.
Zhang Ruochen frowned and said, "Right now?"
"Yes, right now," the outer disciple replied.
"Lead the way."
Zhang Ruochen had no desire to meet the Venerable Lord, but he had no choice. Since he was now a disciple of the Liangyi Sect, he couldn't defy the Venerable Lord's orders.
The investigation of the altar would have to wait for now.
The Purple Cloud Temple was located halfway up the Purple Cloud Spirit Mountain, built from green jade bamboo. The temple was not particularly grand or imposing, nor did it have any special features.
However, as soon as Zhang Ruochen reached the outside of the temple, he felt a powerful oppressive force. It seemed as if a vast saintly might was pressing down on his shoulders.
"That Venerable Lord must be a Half-Saint."
Zhang Ruochen's heart stirred, and he immediately became cautious.
He worked hard to circulate the thin saintly qi within his body, adjusting his aura to make himself appear more arrogant, better fitting Lin Yue's personality.
Entering the Purple Cloud Temple, he saw dozens of people gathered inside. They were all elders of the Purple Cloud Spirit Mountain, most of whom had reached the Fish-Dragon Realm.
In addition, Zhao Han'er, Xu Chen, and the other inner disciples who had returned to the mountain earlier were also standing on both sides of the temple.
At the very front of the temple stood a humanoid stone statue, about two meters tall, wearing a Daoist robe and a sword at its waist, looking solemn and dignified.
The saintly might emanated from that statue.
"Rebellious disciple, when you see the Venerable Lord's statue, why don't you kneel and pay your respects?" An old man in a green Daoist robe, with white hair, widened his eyes and shouted coldly at Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at the white-haired old Daoist, guessing that he was probably Lin Yue's master.
Standing in the center of the temple, Zhang Ruochen remained upright and composed, neither humble nor arrogant. "Aren't you all standing before the Venerable Lord's statue without kneeling either?"
The white-haired old Daoist suddenly stood up, his true qi surging rapidly, forming a swirling, powerful wind around his body. He said coldly, "Will you kneel or not?"
The white-haired old Daoist was very powerful, having reached the seventh transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm.
As his aura exploded, it condensed into layers of surging waves that crushed toward Zhang Ruochen.
"Rumble."
In an instant, the airflow within the entire temple violently shook.
Zhao Han'er, Xu Chen, and the other inner disciples, standing at the edges, were suppressed by the old Daoist's aura, unable to move at all.
One could imagine how terrifying the pressure at the center of that aura must have been for Zhang Ruochen.
If Zhang Ruochen were truly Lin Yue, with only the Great Perfection of the Heavenly Extreme Realm, he would have been unable to withstand the old Daoist's oppressive aura and would have immediately fallen to his knees.
But now, Zhang Ruochen was not afraid of the white-haired old Daoist at all, much less likely to be forced to kneel by his aura.
Standing calmly and leisurely in place, Zhang Ruochen said proudly, "Master, even if you want me to kneel, you should at least give me a reason, shouldn't you?"
Seeing that Zhang Ruochen had effortlessly neutralized his aura, the white-haired old Daoist showed a hint of surprise.
Among the elders of the Purple Cloud Spirit Mountain in the temple, several who had been meditating with their eyes closed now opened them, staring at Lin Yue in astonishment.
Being able to withstand the oppressive aura of a cultivator at the seventh transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm meant that Lin Yue's cultivation had certainly broken through the limits of martial arts and reached the first transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm.
Keep in mind, Lin Yue was only thirty-six years old.
A thirty-six-year-old cultivator at the first transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm was already quite outstanding, which naturally made the elders find it unbelievable.
In the Liangyi Sect, anyone who broke through to the Fish-Dragon Realm before the age of sixty could become a disciple of a Half-Saint and be called a "saint-transmitted disciple."
Those who broke through to the Fish-Dragon Realm after sixty showed limited potential, with a lifetime of achievements that were capped, and they could at most be appointed as "Green Robe Elders."
All the elders in the temple were the lowest-ranking elders—Green Robe Elders.
Originally, they had planned to punish Lin Yue, even to the point of crippling his cultivation and expelling him from the sect.
But now, Lin Yue, at only thirty-six years old, had broken through to the Fish-Dragon Realm. He could immediately become a saint-transmitted disciple, with a status and position even higher than theirs.
Except for the Venerable Lord himself, who would dare to punish him?
Zhao Yibing's face also changed color. He had never expected that Lin Yue's cultivation had already reached the Fish-Dragon Realm.
All the elders in the temple now knew that Lin Yue's cultivation had reached the Fish-Dragon Realm, but the inner disciples were still unaware.
Xu Chen had always looked down on Lin Yue. Knowing that the elders were about to punish him, he naturally wouldn't miss the chance to kick him while he was down.
Xu Chen stepped forward and said coldly, "Lin Yue, you are an inner disciple of the Liangyi Sect, yet you bowed to the tyranny of a heretical cultivator, kneeling and begging for mercy, losing all face for the Liangyi Sect."
"Now, when your master orders you to kneel and pay respects to the Venerable Lord's statue, you refuse. In your eyes, is the Venerable Lord inferior to a heretical cultivator? A coward like you, who fears death, is unworthy of being a disciple of the Liangyi Sect!"
The reason all the elders had gathered in the Purple Cloud Temple was that Zhao Yibing had invited them, specifically to deal with Lin Yue.
Zhao Yibing had done this because he wanted to shift all the blame for losing the treasure-seeking compass onto "Lin Yue."
Zhao Yibing thought to himself, *Since I've already offended Lin Yue, I must take this opportunity to expel him from the sect completely, never giving him the chance to become a saint-transmitted disciple.*
If Lin Yue became a saint-transmitted disciple, how could there be any place for Zhao Yibing in the Liangyi Sect?
With a righteous and stern expression, Zhao Yibing said, "Lin Yue, kneeling to a heretical cultivator is one thing—I can't be bothered with a spineless coward like you. But you also betrayed me, causing the treasure-seeking compass to be taken by that heretical cultivator. Do you know that the treasure-seeking compass is a precious treasure of the Purple Cloud Spirit Mountain? Elders, what punishment do you think Lin Yue deserves?"
One elder, with a hooked nose, said coldly, "Lin Yue has not only disgraced the Liangyi Sect but also betrayed his senior sect members. The lightest punishment would be to break his legs, cripple his cultivation, and expel him from the sect."
The inner disciples, led by Xu Chen, secretly smiled.
As long as Lin Yue was expelled from the sect, they would have a chance to become the senior brother of the inner disciples and openly pursue the junior sister.
Zhang Ruochen had only just arrived at the Liangyi Sect. How could he be willing to be expelled like this?
The white-haired old Daoist said in a deep voice, "Lin Yue, do you have anything to say?"
"Of course, I have something to say."
Zhang Ruochen's gaze fixed on Zhao Yibing. "Uncle Zhao, you keep saying that I knelt to a heretical cultivator and that I betrayed you, causing the loss of the treasure-seeking compass. But have you mentioned the reason? Who was it that put everyone in danger?"
"What reason?"
Zhao Yibing's heart wavered, but he still forced himself to stay calm.
Zhang Ruochen laughed loudly. "That day in Qingyun Commandery City, Uncle Zhao used the treasure-seeking compass and detected the presence of a sacred stone nearby. Greed took hold of you, and you wanted to seize the sacred stone. In the end, you provoked a powerful heretical cultivator. Am I right?"
Zhao Yibing clenched his teeth. "So what? That heretical cultivator's sacred stone was of dubious origin. Why couldn't I take it?"
"Not take it—rob it."
Zhang Ruochen sneered. "A dignified Green Robe Elder of the Liangyi Sect, yet you act like a bandit, robbing a heretical cultivator's sacred stone. If this gets out, won't the Liangyi Sect lose all face?"
Hearing Zhang Ruochen's words, the elders present furrowed their brows, looking at Zhao Yibing with some disgust.
Zhang Ruochen continued, "The heretical expert Uncle Zhao provoked was extremely powerful. Even Luo Shi, the fourth-ranked assassin of the Blood Cloud Sect, was defeated by him. Uncle Zhao was severely injured by a single move, losing his combat ability."
Everyone in the temple gasped in shock.
Luo Shi, the fourth-ranked assassin of the Blood Cloud Sect, was a notorious heretical expert. Most of the elders present had heard of his name.
"That heretical expert actually defeated Luo Shi? With such strength, how did you all escape with your lives?" A relatively senior Green Robe Elder asked.
Zhang Ruochen sighed. "Uncle Zhao wanted to rob his sacred stone, which naturally enraged him. He declared that he would kill all of us. To save everyone's lives, I had no choice but to kneel and beg him."
"Of course, I know that a man's knees are worth more than gold, and that integrity is more important than life itself. It would be better to die than to kneel. But as the senior inner disciple of the Purple Cloud Spirit Mountain, was I supposed to stand by and watch my junior brothers and sisters, dragged down by Uncle Zhao's actions, all die at the hands of a heretical cultivator?"
"Uncle Zhao has lived most of his life and can afford to disregard his own life. But these junior brothers and sisters are still young, with long paths ahead of them. I would rather suffer some humiliation myself than see them die."
Zhang Ruochen let out a long sigh and looked toward the dozen or so inner disciples standing not far away, showing a somewhat sorrowful expression.