Nine Star Hegemon Body Art c1-2048

by Translator: BornToBe; Author: Ordinary Magician (平凡魔术师); Licensed From: 17k

  That was especially true of Han Yunshan and Wei Changhai. They had exchanged blows with Long Chen- no, that was wrong, they hadn’t exchanged blows, they had been beaten like children. As soon as they had attacked, Long Chen had knocked them unconscious with a slap to the face.

  “Little brute, you want to offend your superiors? You’ve slaughtered innocent people, so you need to be brought to the Law Enforcement Hall to receive your punishment!”

  Lu Minghan’s face was ashen with rage. The other person who had come with him was a stern-looking man. With a cold snort, the chain in his hand flew toward Long Chen.

  The chain was like a bolt of lightning. A terrifying pressure descended, one that froze space and made it so none of them could move.

  This was the irresistible pressure of a King. The disciples felt like an invisible hand was wrapped around them, and it was like they would be crushed to death with just a thought.

  Furthermore, what they were enduring was just some aftershocks. Long Chen was the one the pressure was focused upon.

  The chain seemed to fill heaven and earth. It possessed some bizarre law that made it impossible to dodge. Despite knowing he couldn’t block it, Long Chen was just about to go all-out. But suddenly, a large hand caught it.

  “Matters of the disciple trials aren’t for the Law Enforcement Hall to interfere with.” An Elder appeared in front of Long Chen.

  “Li Changfeng!”

  Lu Minghan ground his teeth furiously. He was still infuriated about being suppressed by him last time. He had been unable to retaliate because all the evidence said that he was the one who had been in the wrong.

  Li Changfeng waved a hand, and the person who had sent out the chain immediately felt a powerful force knock him back dozens of steps. That person shouted, “The disciples’ trials are under the purview of the Elder’s Hall, but now someone has broken the rules and willfully slaughtered innocent people. It has exceeded the scope of the Elder’s Hall’s responsibility and must be handled by the Law Enforcement Hall. Today, Long Chen, as well as the killer using the crossbow, must be brought away by us!”

  As expected, no matter where he went, there were always muddied waters. Looking at Lu Minghan clenching his teeth as well that sanctimonious fellow, Long Chen sneered inside.

  His delight in arriving in the Central Plains had diminished a great deal. To him, the Central Plains was a battlefield even crueler than the last. As for the Xuantian Dao Sect, it would very likely just be a starting point.

  “How did he break the rules and slaughter the innocent? Killing those people wasn’t against the rules, but protecting the rules. Long Chen saw that Mu Qingxuan’s hands were tied and she had lost control of the situation, so he had no choice but to quell the uprising. Otherwise, there would have been even greater casualties. There was nothing wrong with Long Chen’s actions.

  “Furthermore, those people weren’t innocent. They failed the trial, and because of their resentment, they wanted to break the rules of the Xuantian Dao Sect’s trial. Each time we hold this trial, it is an opportunity to bring in fresh blood to the Xuantian Dao Sect, and that makes it an important event that decides whether the sect will rise or decline. How could people trying to ruin that important event be called innocent?” said Li Changfeng.

  Although his tone was calm, his words seemed to possess blades, making his opposition unable to say a word in retort. Li Changfeng’s mouth was indeed the sharpest.

  “Even so, Long Chen can’t just kill people of his own discretion; he doesn’t have that authority! If everyone was like that, the Xuantian Dao Sect would become completely chaotic.”

  “He was simply acting in accordance with the situation, and in order to protect the sect, he had no choice but to be vicious. That requires bravery and courage. The Hall Master himself said that his conduct should be rewarded. If someone worked so hard for the sect but was punished instead of being rewarded, don’t you think it would bitterly disappoint the sect’s members?” said Li Changfeng.

  “You… you’re just spouting sophistry, inverting right and wrong!” raged Lu Minghan’s fellow expert. Somehow killing people had become something just and to be rewarded? He was clearly twisting his words!

  “I think that’s enough. This matter can be handled by the Elder’s Hall on its own. There’s no need for the Law Enforcement Hall to waste the effort. If you dislike this, you can go register a complaint at the Xuantian Tower instead of shouting here and ruining the image of the sect. Leave now, and don’t disturb the trial’s process again, or we’ll be the ones to register a complaint,” said Li Changfeng coldly. Now his words contained no courtesy at all. He was expelling them like two dogs.

  In truth, Li Changfeng’s arrival here was set up by the Hall Master. The Law Enforcement Hall’s hands had stretched too far in the past few years. It dissatisfied the Hall Master, and he was no longer planning on enduring it.

  “Good! Li Changfeng, just you wait! And you Long Chen, pray you don’t land in my hands, otherwise… hehe.” Lu Minghan glared at Long Chen.

  Long Chen smiled and said, “Hurry up and fuck off. Threats won’t show your dignity; instead, it’ll just expose your idiocy and treachery. For a Law Enforcement Elder to be so petty as to threaten a disciple of the Dao Sect for personal reasons, you really are trash. I wonder, what kind of place is the Law Enforcement Hall for it to raise such a tyrannical and selfish blockhead like you? If people like you were to enforce the law, well, I don’t believe you wouldn’t harbor any selfish intentions. You’d frame and entrap people if it was to your benefit. How are you supposed to carry out the law fairly?”

  Long Chen’s words were even less courteous than Li Changfeng’s. They were like slaps in the face.

  “Long Chen! Let’s just wait and see then!” Lu Minghan ground his teeth. He had no choice but to leave with the other Law Enforcement Elder.

  Once the two of them left, Li Changfeng looked over everyone, and his gaze landed on Long Chen in the end.

  “Take care of how far you go,” warned Li Changfeng.

  “Many thanks for the reminder, Elder.”

  Long Chen bowed slightly. He understood what he meant. He was telling him not to overstep.

  As long as he didn’t go too far, the Elder’s Hall would protect him. But once he went too far, he would have exposed an opening to the Law Enforcement Hall, and then it would be troublesome.

  Long Chen now realized something. He was being used in a competition of strength between the Law Enforcement Hall and the Elder Hall. He had become the Elder’s Hall’s weapon.

  But he didn’t mind. When joining a tangled and complicated power, you had to choose a side. Wanting to offend no one was a fool’s dream.

  The most important thing was to choose the right supporter. Having completely destroyed his bridges with Lu Minghan, the Elder Hall was the best choice.

  Furthermore, through the characters of Li Changfeng and Lu Minghan, he was almost sure that the Elder Hall was much friendlier than the Law Enforcement Hall.

  “The trial is to continue. If anyone else dares to wildly make accusations, they’ll be executed immediately,” said Li Changfeng before vanishing from their sight.

  Those disciples that had failed didn’t dare to make a sound. Their indignation was completely quelled.

  Mu Qingxuan finally had a chance to say, “The disciples that failed the trial have two options. You can return to your old sect, or you can stay in the Xuantian Dao Sect.”

  “We can stay?” They were delighted and surprised.

  “Yes, but if you do, you will not have the status or treatment of disciples. You’ll be workers who are paid with cultivation resources. The bad news is that those resources will be very limited, and your room for growth will be minimal. It might be better for you to return to your original sect and be a tyrant there. The good news is that as long as you stay in the Central Plains, anything is possible. So ask yourselves if you’re willing to bet your lives on a chance.

 
“That’s all. Someone will come to get you in a bit. As for whether you want to stay or leave, think carefully. Your fates will be in your own hands.”

  Mu Qingxuan led away the people who had passed. Amongst the disciples who had failed, the ones who had been spoiled didn’t want to stay as workers. They felt it to be too embarrassing, and it would be better to return to their old homes and live out a glorious life.

  It was the ones who had come from poorer origins that wished to stay behind. Even if they returned, they wouldn’t be able to become tyrants at their level.

  “Congratulations on passing. Follow me. Welcome to the Xuantian Dao Sect,” said Mu Qingxuan.

  The huge stone gate slowly opened, the sound shaking their eardrums. Incredibly dense spiritual qi crashed over them.

  Chapter 1012 Inner Sect Trial

  The spiritual qi was like a sea pouring over them. All their pores opened and greedily absorbed it.

  Long Chen was shocked to find that the spiritual qi in the Xuantian Dao Sect wasn’t just dense; it also seemed to contain something he had never felt before. He was unable to describe it.

  Seeing this huge gate open before them, the hundred thousand disciples were incomparably excited. They followed Mu Qingxuan inside. As for the disciples outside, they could only watch as those figures disappeared within the sect. Then the thick gate closed tightly.

  Long Chen and the others followed Mu Qingxuan along a long path. The sides of the paths were lined with ancient trees thrumming with vitality.

  Dozens of miles in, a plaza appeared. The plaza was huge, several times bigger than the entire branch sect of the Eastern Wasteland. It was also much grander.

  At the center was a huge statue of a man. It was simple and majestic, seeming like a god overlooking the sky.

  They were surprised that the sea of people they had expected to see inside never appeared. Instead, there was only a single, long-haired man in the plaza. He stood there like a javelin planted in the ground, patiently waiting for them to get closer.

  His expression was icy, and faint runes were revolving in his eyes. Standing there, he gave off a dark feeling despite not having any of his aura leak.

  “Greetings, senior apprentice-brother Su Mo.” Mu Qingxuan bowed slightly.

  “It’s been hard on you junior apprentice-sister Qingxuan. Leave the rest to me.” The man called Su Mo returned the bow. His tone was refined and courteous, but also felt a bit icy. A faint killing intent pervaded the air around him.

  “This is a true expert.” Long Chen’s pupils shrank. He sensed immense pressure from this person, a pressure that was even greater than what he felt from the Elders.

  Although Long Chen couldn’t sense his aura, he was able to sense the Foundation Forging realm’s spiritual fluctuations. However, the reason why Long Chen felt that this man had to be incredibly powerful was because of the killing intent resting within the depths of his soul.

  He had to be an expert who had slaughtered countless people. His killing intent permeated every single one of his cells. Even when he spoke calmly, his killing intent leaked out.

  Mu Qingxuan said, “Then I’ll leave it up to you. I’ll take my leave.”

  After saying that, she waved her hand and left them all blankly standing there.

  Su Mo looked over them and shook his head. A fleeting emotion flashed in his eyes for too short of a time to see clearly, but Long Chen knew it was a kind of pity.

  However, when Su Mo’s gaze swept over the Dragonblood Legion, his eyes brightened slightly. His gaze suddenly stopped on Long Chen, and his eyes were like sharp blades that could see through his heart.

  Despite his electric gaze, Long Chen simply looked back at him without revealing the slightest emotion.

  Su Mo’s icy mouth curled into a smile. He nodded slightly. “Not bad, there are at least a few decent ones.”

  Everyone was startled, not understanding what he was saying. But the pressure they felt from him made it so they didn’t dare to ask.

  “Let me introduce myself. I am Su Mo, a disciple from the previous generation. Ten years ago, I stood here just like you. Looking at you, I remember countless faces full of anticipation and hope. However, now that ten years have passed and I stand here once more, the majority of those people have been buried beneath the ground,” said Su Mo.

  Ignoring their shocked expressions, he continued, “First, let me congratulate you. You’ve passed the initial trials and become a disciple of the Xuantian Dao Sect. Some of you relied on your talent to pass, and some relied on luck. But either way, those are still your strengths and there’s nothing wrong about either. However, this is just the first step. The trials you’ve passed are for the outer sect, so right now, you are outer sect disciples. My mission is to lead you to the next trial, the trial for the inner sect.”

  “The inner sect trial!” All the disciples were excited, especially those disciples who were more talented. They almost couldn’t wait.

  Looking at those excited expressions, the pity in Su Mo’s eyes increased. “Inner sect disciples are treated a hundred times better than outer sect disciples. But meat pies don’t fall from the sky. And even if they did, you’d need the power to receive them. Without that power, if you force it, the result is that you’ll be smashed apart by that meat pie.”

  As expected, the trial for the inner sect was much more difficult. Although Wang Mang had refused to tell Long Chen anything on the journey here from the Eastern Wasteland because it was forbidden according to the rules, just from his tone, Long Chen had been able to guess a few things.

  Su Mo continued, “To put it in an ugly way, outer sect disciples are just some high-grade workers. They help the sect handle many complicated things, but they’re much better than the ordinary workers. They not only get greater rewards, but they have a set amount of time reserved for cultivation and also have limited access to some cultivation regions. However, outer sect disciples are unable to completely focus on rapidly cultivating because they have to work to get their cultivation resources. Only inner sect disciples get free resources regardless of what they contribute to the sect. If those free resources aren’t enough, they can accomplish missions for more points and exchange those for resources. Certain cultivation regions are open to them all-year-round…”

  “He’s probably about to get to the bad part.” Long Chen sighed inside. Now that the benefits had been described, it was time for the other side of things.

  As if cooperating with him, Su Mo said, “However, let me say it again: if you want to eat the meat pie, you need the power to do so. You also need courage, as well as… luck. That’s because the inner sect trial is completely different from the outer sect trial. The outer sect trial was just a game for children with little danger, while the inner sect trial is… true battle.”

  The two words ‘true battle’ struck like hammers in their hearts. When said in Su Mo’s dark and gloomy voice, it caused them all to feel a chill. When Su Mo said these two words, they were full of bloodiness.

  “The inner sect trial takes place on a bloody battlefield. Life is like a fragile flower there that can wither in an instant. The sect had me explain this to you so that you know that this trial is very cruel, and very bloody. The chances of losing your life are extremely high. It’s a battlefield only true experts can survive, so carefully consider whether you want to attempt it. Although outer sect disciples have worse treatment, if your display is outstanding, you will still have a chance to enter the inner sect. But if you fail the inner sect trial, you won’t have any chance at all.”

  His words resounded in their minds. The treatment that inner sect disciples received had filled them with anticipation, but now it was like a bucket of ice water had been poured over their heads.

  “If you want to become an inner sect disciple, the first thing you’ll need to do is to be prepared to give up your life. If you can’t do that, then the chances of you surviving in the trial are less than one in a thousand. As your senior apprenti
ce-brother, I’ve seen many of my companions fall. I’ve seen their powerless struggle in the face of death. Once you enter that battlefield, don’t vainly think that the people by your side will be able to save you. If people try to save you, they’ll be placing themselves in danger and cutting their own chances of surviving. So, I am very bluntly advising all of you not to try it without thinking it over. Consider it carefully,” warned Su Mo.

  The air was tense, and it was like a stone was pressing against their hearts. They were deathly silent, and some people were almost unable to breathe.

  They were facing the excitement of being an inner sect disciple, as well as the threat of death. They struggled over this decision.

  Long Chen sighed. Su Mo was being kind. These greenhouse flowers would definitely die in droves once they entered a true battlefield.

  That couldn’t be blamed on them. The only ones that could be blamed were their sects that didn’t understand that people couldn’t be pampered. Now their disciples had a difficult decision before them.

  “I’ve said everything I have to say. As for what you choose, it’s up to you. If you want to participate in the inner sect trial, advance forward. If you don’t want to, retreat,” said Su Mo.

  Following his words, the majority of people stepped forward. Only a few stepped back. Those people were the weakest, as well as the smartest. They felt content just being outer sect disciples.

  The majority of those who retreated were rank three Celestials. Many of them were those who had bitterly struggled to the end on the Xuantian Staircase and only passed because of luck. Just that rudimentary trial had made them powerless, so they had no hope at all for the next one.

  The absolute majority advanced, while a small portion retreated. There was also a small portion that were still hesitating. Their talent was not bad, and they were stronger than average.

  They were unwilling to give up, but then thinking of how difficult the Xuantian Staircase had been to climb. The next trial would be even crueler and more difficult.