Chapter 493: 492. Chapter 487: Return One

492. Chapter 487: Return One's Own Method Against Oneself

Upon hearing Ding Huan's admission, Zhong Di reached out and seized the image crystal ball activated by Min Yuan, then extracted two Dao rhythms, fixing them in the void with forbidden runes.

Because they were imprisoned in the void, those around could clearly sense the fluctuations of these two Dao rhythms.

After doing this, Zhong Di did not stop—he again extracted two Dao rhythms each from the images provided by Mi Zhong and Chu Xingren, fixing them in the void with forbidden runes.

"Everyone sees: the six Dao rhythm fluctuations I extracted come from three different image crystal balls.

In truth, there are only two types of Dao rhythm fluctuations: one is spatial law fluctuation, the other is water-element law fluctuation.

After comparison, the two law fluctuations on the Immortal Court square match exactly with the two law fluctuations in the crystal balls provided by Mi Zhangqi and Chu Zhangqi.

According to the fusion of Division Law Article 380,009 and Court Law Article 19,321.

When evidence Dao rhythms cannot be determined, if two or more Dao rhythm fluctuations in the uncertain Dao rhythm images match those in already confirmed valid Dao rhythm fluctuations,

then the uncertain Dao rhythm images may be deemed valid evidence and treated as authentic imagery.

And since the image crystal ball on the Immortal Court square has been personally acknowledged by Ding Luguan as genuine and valid, the crystal ball images provided by Mi Zhangqi and Chu Zhangqi are authentic and may serve as valid evidence."

The cultivators in the Treasure Hall were greatly invigorated—this was how laws should be applied.

Look at the previous law application: although Ding Huan won, everyone merely presented crystal ball images and fixed evidence—there was zero challenge.

But Zhong Di, with one move, declared crystal images that could not possibly be evidence as valid—truly worthy of the one who crafted the Nine Courts Immortal Laws.

Ding Huan silently marveled—Zhong Di was truly a formidable figure.

Zhong Di's method was simple: Crystal A was confirmed valid; Crystals B and C were uncertain.

Zhong Di extracted two law fluctuations from Crystal A, then extracted two each from Crystals B and C.

If the law fluctuations in Crystals B and C matched those extracted from Crystal A, then Crystals B and C were proven valid.

The key was, this was explicitly supported by law.

Even if other law officials knew they could do the same as Zhong Di, none had the ability to do it.

Zhong Di's tactic was less about thoroughly understanding the Nine Courts Immortal Laws and more about his absolute mastery over spatial and water-element laws—so profound he could extract their Dao rhythms.

Clearly, the spatial law Dao rhythm and water-element law Dao rhythm Zhong Di extracted were flawed.

Any cultivator's surrounding space carries Dao rhythm fluctuations—not only their own, but also fluctuations inherent in the heavens and earth.

Zhong Di did indeed extract two Dao rhythms from each of the three crystal balls, but what he extracted were the heavenly-earth Dao rhythm fluctuations present at the moment the images were recorded.

In other words, these Dao rhythm fluctuations had nothing to do with the cultivators within the images.

You could immediately extract identical spatial and water-element law fluctuations from the space right before you.

But he simply used his ability to overpower you.

Go ahead—try extracting them yourself.

Such law fluctuations—even an Immortal Emperor cannot extract.

It gives you the feeling of being strangled without being killed: I'm just making things up, but if you have the ability, extract two law fluctuations yourself and make up your own lies.

Seeing Ding Huan's expression unchanged, Lou Wushang Emperor chuckled inwardly—Zhong Di was indeed Zhong Di.

"Ding Luguan, do you have any new evidence proving Zhong Di's evidence invalid?" Lou Wushang Emperor's tone was gentle—on the surface, he sided with Ding Huan.

Ding Huan smiled as he gazed at the three crystal balls, then reached out and grabbed twice at each crystal image.

Six Dao rhythms were pulled from the void, forming three pairs.

The six Dao rhythms were fixed in the void; each pair contained one spatial law and one fire-element law.

Clearly, among these three pairs, only two were identical.

The identical Dao rhythms were those extracted from the crystal images provided by Chu Xingren and Mi Zhong—indicating they came from the same person.

The different ones were those extracted from Min Yuan's crystal image—the same one Ding Huan had watched for job postings on the Immortal Court square.

Seeing Ding Huan's action, not only Zhong Di but everyone else stared wide-eyed, utterly disbelief.

To casually extract Dao rhythms?

Zhong Di could do it—he was an Immortal Emperor, a being who had studied heavenly laws for countless years.

But Ding Huan was only a Great Yi Immortal—how could he possibly do this?

Lou Wushang Emperor nearly stood up again, his eyes gleaming—Ding Huan kept shattering his understanding again and again.

If only I had kept Ding Huan last time—but it's not too late now.

Zhong Di's eyes narrowed slightly—he had not expected Ding Huan to dismantle him using the exact same method.

He could only extract spatial and water-element Dao rhythms; he could not extract any other type.

If Ding Huan now extracted even one more, he would lose.

As he suspected, Ding Huan could extract only spatial and fire-element Dao rhythms—he could not extract a third type.

After fixing the Dao rhythms, Ding Huan stepped forward and said: "According to Court Law Article 19,321 and Division Law Article 380,008 fused together:

When evidence Dao rhythms cannot be determined, if two or more Dao rhythm fluctuations in the uncertain Dao rhythm images do not match those in already confirmed valid Dao rhythm fluctuations,

then the uncertain Dao rhythm images may be deemed invalid evidence.

The image crystal ball on the Immortal Court square has been personally acknowledged by me as genuine and valid; therefore, the crystal ball images provided by Mi Zhong and Chu Xingren are invalid evidence."

The elders of the Immortal Court Treasure Hall all silently gasped—it was truly returning one's own method against oneself.

Using Zhong Di's own law application to strike Zhong Di in the face.

The crux of this law application lay not in one's understanding of the Nine Courts Immortal Laws, but in one's own comprehension of heavenly-earth laws.

For Ding Huan, with such low cultivation, to extract Dao rhythms was terrifying.

But it was not over—Ding Huan did not let Lou Wushang Emperor recover before speaking again:

"My law application is based on Court Law Article 19,321 and Division Law Article 380,008, which rank higher than Zhong Di's Court Law Article 19,321 and Division Law Article 380,009.

According to Sub-law Article 1,412,300, lower-numbered laws take precedence.

Therefore, this case shall be decided by my law application: Mi Zhong and Chu Xingren's crystal balls are false crystal balls and deemed invalid evidence."

Mi Zhong and Chu Xingren forged evidence; according to the law, they deserve execution without pardon. This, I humbly submit for Your Majesty's judgment!

Everyone exchanged uneasy glances—this…

Cold sweat beaded on Mi Zhong and Chu Xingren's foreheads.

They knew Wu Chang Dadi intended to protect them, but under these circumstances, how could he?

Wu Chang Dadi could not possibly oppose the Nine Courts Divine Law in public.

The others looked at Ding Huan with quiet admiration—no wonder he was the First Law Official; even Chong Dadi, the very architect of the law, had been brought down?

Wu Chang Dadi turned to Chong Dadi, deeply troubled—he had not anticipated that even Chong Dadi's intervention had failed to remove Ding Huan; this was problematic.

After seeing Ding Huan grasp the Dao-essence of spatial law and fire law, Chong Dadi knew Ding Huan's claim to remove the forbidden marks from his body was plausible.

He was now weighing how best to handle this matter.

First, he absolutely could not aid Ding Huan against Wu Chang Dadi—his life hung in Wu Chang Dadi's hands.

Second, he could not directly eliminate Ding Huan—doing so would harm him.

Chong Dadi furrowed his brows tightly, unable to devise a better solution.

Seeing Chong Dadi's expression, Wu Chang Dadi guessed that Chong Dadi had no way to resolve Ding Huan's issue.

Bu Yue, the sycophant, stepped forward promptly: "Your Majesty, Magistrate Mi and Magistrate Chu acted only to uncover the culprit behind the destruction of the Immortal Rice—circumstances mitigate their guilt."

Ding Huan spoke coolly: "So you mean sentiment outweighs the Nine Courts Divine Law? If so, why bother setting up the Nine Courts Divine Law here at all? Why not just let you decide?"

"The Nine Courts Divine Law could be abolished entirely—after all, sentiment mitigates guilt."

The crowd murmured anxiously—if the loophole of "sentiment mitigates guilt" opened, the Nine Courts Divine Law would collapse, the Immortal Court's authority would vanish, and its cohesion would instantly disintegrate.

Even Wu Chang Dadi dared not open that loophole—if he dared, he would not have wasted so much time here.

Bu Yue dared not let Ding Huan seize this opening: "Though I said sentiment mitigates guilt, I do not mean to exempt the two magistrates from punishment, for the Nine Courts Divine Law still has a higher statute above it."

"That statute grants the Heavenly Emperor the authority to nullify any specific law."

After speaking, Bu Yue hurried forward and bowed: "Your Majesty, in order not to disappoint the loyal officials of the Immortal Court, I implore Your Majesty to establish laws."

Ding Huan silently nodded—he knew this fellow was aware of the statute.

His spiritual sense swept over the others and found only a few were not surprised; most stared at Bu Yue in astonishment.

Clearly, most did not know the statute existed; those who did were likely aligned with Wu Chang Dadi.

Even those few who knew the statute existed probably only knew of its existence, not its content.

Ding Huan said nothing—he waited for Wu Chang Dadi to exercise his privilege, for otherwise, the aftermath would be far too unfavorable to him.

His reason for insisting on executing Mi Zhong and Chu Xingren according to law was precisely to force Wu Chang Dadi to invoke the statute.

Only after that privilege was spent could he act.

Wu Chang Dadi sighed and said: "Ding Luguan, you explain the statute."

Ding Huan knew Wu Chang Dadi was testing whether he knew of the statute—he stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty, since this statute was proposed by the Immortal Chancellor, let the Immortal Chancellor explain it to all."