Chapter 351: Severe Punishment, Executing to Rectify the Atmosphere

Di Jiang furrowed his brows tightly; as the number of people in the formation dwindled, the pressure he faced grew greater. If this continued, he feared he too would be unable to escape capture.

His gaze swept left and right, Di Jiang grew increasingly anxious in his heart, and his eyes involuntarily focused on Xi He and Chang Xi.

Among the Heavenly Court members present, only these two had noble status and little martial achievement; if taken hostage, they would be the only ones with a chance to escape.

Qi, together with Tai Yi, Xi He, and Chang Xi, naturally also noticed this, and angrily said:

Nonsense.

Seeking your own death.

Impudent!

Bold!

In an instant, the East Emperor Bell rang again; time and space within the great formation stilled, the flying chains dancing in the air congealed, losing all motion.

Di Jiang was flung backward, blood spraying, his flesh covered in cracks.

A giant hand fell from the sky, tightly grasping Di Jiang; a light squeeze produced continual sounds of bones shattering.

In the next instant, a cry of alarm rose from Hou Tu and others within the formation: 'Elder brother!'

Qi was furious at Di Jiang's boldness, and had no mind to watch this farce any longer; a harsh glint flashed in his eyes as he coldly ordered: 'Heavenly troops and generals, hear my command—seize the rebels with all your might, life or death makes no difference.'

Received!

Jieyin and Zhunti, feeling somewhat reluctant, closed their eyes again, murmuring incantations silently without uttering a sound.

Ying Long and Qiming Chang Geng also held nothing back, plunging into the crowd and striking with ruthless brutality, showing no mercy.

By contrast, the few remaining people on the field were now restricted everywhere; though they wished to fight, they were hindered by the sky-filling dancing chains, and also wary of the opposing side's Heavenly Court status.

In a short time, whether the Ancestral Wu or Hong Yun and Zhen Yuan Zi, they all suffered successive defeats.

Qi wielded the World-Separating White Jade Token and struck heavily at the lone purple-robed Daoist on Hong Yun's side; an unmatched clear light sliced across Tian Ji, passing through the people and sinking into the ground.

Instantly a deep valley appeared on the earth; the purple-robed Daoist's body stiffened in place, and everyone present—whether belonging to the Heavenly Court, the Wu Clan, or Hong Yun and Zhen Yuan Zi—focused their gazes on him.

Only a gentle breeze swept by, and fine specks of light continually flew from the purple-robed Daoist's body; within this slow breeze, his figure gradually vanished.

After the breeze, not a trace of the purple-robed Daoist's aura remained in the formation, not even a true spirit.

Thunder exploded in the sky, blood rain fell scattered, indicating yet another innate divine being had departed the Dao.

Hong Yun's eyes filled with shock and anger, and he cried out mournfully: 'Zi Xu!'

Before he could finish, another clear light arrived, its target being Hong Yun himself.

Zhen Yuan Zi had no time to persuade; he could only grit his teeth and summon the Earth Book, causing the Earth Embryo Membrane to appear once more before everyone, trembling under the clear light of the World-Separating White Jade Token, as if about to collapse.

Qi's brows instantly knit together as he said: 'Heavenly troops and generals, hear my command—set up a sealing formation to block the Dao; the Earth Embryo Membrane is of utmost importance, directly seal its precious Earth Book, and do not damage the Earth Embryo Membrane.'

Received!

Countless inscriptions on the chains shifted, continually entangling the protection formed by the Earth Book, gradually peeling the Earth Embryo Membrane away from the Earth Book.

Within the barrier, Zhen Yuan Zi looked at Hong Yun before him, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes, mixed with a trace of resignation, and he forced a light tone: 'It seems we cannot escape today; I do not know what calamity we have brought upon ourselves, but having fallen into the hands of the Heavenly Court, we likely cannot leave easily.'

Hong Yun's face showed remorse; facing the feigned ease of Zhen Yuan Zi, he spoke softly: 'This time I have dragged you down, Dao brother; since we became acquainted, I have owed you many apologies. The kindness and karmic ties—if there is a next life, I will repay you then.'

Hong Yun reflected that ever since his experiences, he had constantly pulled Zhen Yuan Zi into one vortex after another—whether the former celestial court, today, or even older tribulations.

Whether invited by friends or drawn in by righteousness, he became involved in various matters, outcomes good or bad, but Zhen Yuan Zi always stayed by his side.

He clearly knew Zhen Yuan Zi liked quiet cultivation, yet he inevitably dragged him in; before, there were mostly scares without danger, often with gains, but today he truly fell into peril.

Thinking of this, Hong Yun's face grew ever more guilty, while Zhen Yuan Zi merely felt the Earth Book continually slipping from his grasp, and he chuckled:

'In this life I have already been dragged to this point; in the next life, I dare not associate with you again.'

Hong Yun was stunned, at a loss, when Zhen Yuan Zi continued: 'Fortunately, I do not regret it; though past experiences held many hardships, they were also wonderfully exciting, and now it seems this too is a form of cultivation.'

Upon hearing this, Hong Yun felt somewhat better, yet he still replied:

'You also know I am a burden, the rope that binds you; given that, how could you easily shake it off? Look—this entanglement will not end in this life; in the next life, too, we shall remain entwined.'

'Such a friend—even if you despise me, I cannot bear to part; in this life I owe you one life, and in the next I must surely repay it.'

As the words fell, Hong Yun and Zhen Yuan Zi glanced at each other, both bursting into laughter; amidst their laughter, the Earth Book and Zhen Yuan Zi lost all connection.

A ray of sunlight shone on Hong Yun and Zhen Yuan Zi; they finally came to their senses, and Zhen Yuan Zi looked around, seeing that the friends who had previously gathered were all pierced through the loquat bone, their primordial spirits and six senses sealed.

The Twelve Ancestral Wu were tightly bound, each wounded; Di Jiang's breath was the weakest, and specially forged steel nails were driven through their joints, rendering them unable to exert any strength.

Qi coldly regarded the two, speaking calmly: 'Look at your laughing faces; it seems you already anticipated your fate. If so, must you still put up a cornered beast's struggle?'

Hong Yun shook his head, speaking calmly:

'We have committed a great error, previously resisted capture, and now the situation is entirely self-inflicted; how could we further trouble Emperor Qi and fellow Daoists?'

'I also have no heart to continue struggling; Emperor Qi, please feel free to seize us. However, since this matter originated with me, I hope Your Majesty will later be magnanimous and spare them.'

'Investigate only me; do not implicate others. I will bear all responsibility and consequences myself.'

A flicker of disdain passed through Qi's eyes as he spoke bluntly: 'The matter of the Earth Embryo Membrane involves vastly many, affecting an incalculable number of beings in the Primordial Wilderness—how could you bear it? Can you bear it?' 'At this moment, wanting to shoulder the blame alone so that I may not implicate others—have you considered how many people are involved should the Earth Embryo Membrane be abnormal?'

'As a cultivator, an innate divine being, have you ever devoted yourself wholeheartedly on the Great Dao? As a fellow Daoist friend, have you ever fallen short toward your friends?'

'Cultivators who do not focus on cultivation but instead roam seeking mountains and visiting friends—this is lax and lawless.'

'Having many friends yet not thinking to advance together with fellow Daoists, instead entangling themselves in one vortex after another, staining themselves with evil karma and dragging friends into predicaments—this is depraved and unjust.'

'Knowing minor righteousness while forgetting the great love for all beings, coveting external things yet lacking meticulous caution, acting rashly without considering consequences—this is self-ignorant folly.'

'Such ignorant recklessness, lax and lawless, depraved and unjust, self-ignorant person—how could they bear the heavenly karma and the wails of all beings?'

Hong Yun heard the words and stood dumbfounded; only when the heavenly troops bound him did he give a bleak smile and say:

'So it is; I truly have harmed others and myself. This tribulation today was long predestined by the past, yet I ultimately fail those Dao friends.'

Zhen Yuan Zi was also firmly bound by the chains, but hearing Hong Yun's words, he looked over with considerable worry, wanting to persuade, only to be cut off by Hong Yun: 'Zhen Yuan Zi Dao friend, you need not persuade me; perhaps it truly should be as you Dao friends previously said—if there is a next life, we had better not become entangled, lest I drag you down again.'

'However, it seems I have committed such a mistake; thereafter I fear there will be no rebirth—how good, how good indeed!'

Hong Yun, having said this, burst into loud laughter; the many heavenly troops and generals merely glanced at him coldly, then, holding talismans, sealed his six senses and turned to approach Zhen Yuan Zi.

Zhen Yuan Zi saw the situation, gave a helpless smile, offered no resistance, and thought: 'Qi's earlier words—could they not also be speaking of me?'

Although he knew his friend was walking on a crossroads, he did not obstruct them in the least; on the contrary, he let the friend ride his horse freely, without any restraint.

Although he knew the earth's fetal membrane greatly affected the wilderness and concerned all beings, he still acted recklessly, putting it on an evil path.

Although he knew he was wrong, he still stubbornly resisted, again and again knowingly committing the offense.

What could Zhen Yuanzi possibly say in his defense? What face could he have to resist? As the final talisman was placed upon his seven apertures, his primordial spirit instantly grew dazed and fell into darkness.

Qi, however, paid no heed to this; at this moment he had already set out with Taiyi and the others on the return journey to the heavenly realm.

In the Heavenly Court, Di Jun and Fuxi never rested; this time the earth's fetal membrane was damaged, severely affecting the wilderness and causing much suffering among beings.

Now that the Heavenly Court rules the wilderness, as its supreme beings, they naturally cannot afford to relax.

Even compared to Qi and Taiyi, who went to seize Red Yun and the Twelve Ancestor Witches, Di Jun and Fuxi are even more exhausted.

Every trifling matter must be carefully weighed by them, whether it is the present salvation of beings or the later restoration of the wilderness's vitality; they must consider it.

Edict after edict was issued and then broadcast throughout the wilderness, awing all tribes, commanding them to make no extra movements, to allocate supplies, so as to lessen casualties.

In troubled times, severe measures are required; now that the wilderness is in chaos, the Heavenly Court must above all restrain the tribes, lest they take this chance to ravage heaven and earth.

Otherwise, the human misfortunes after the great disaster would probably exceed the loss this heavenly disaster inflicts upon the wilderness's beings.

Di Jun lightly pressed his forehead, feeling a headache; facing the message from Qi, he directly replied: "This matter is extremely heinous; handle it severely. The Twelve Ancestor Witches, eager to save people, may be understood, but while the death penalty may be waived, they cannot escape punishment."

"Punishment: break their tendons and bones, shatter their flesh and limbs, bind them to a bronze pillar; each day they suffer eighty-one thunderbolts, every ten days five hundred piercing-heart arrows, endure the pain of sun and moon eclipses, the agony of being pecked by crows and birds, until the end of a yuan meeting."

"Red Yun, Zhen Yuanzi and their followers: their hearts are tainted with desire, they greedily covet treasure, have caused great calamity; even after the Heavenly Court's order they did not relent, knowingly committing the offense, scorning heavenly authority, their crime is increased by one degree; punish them by execution to rectify the mores!"

"Zhen Yuanzi, who holds the Earth Book, knows his duty well, yet he has not acted; repeated errors, his guilt remains deep, requiring extra punishment, to be punished together with the Wu Clan, then to undergo corrective execution."

"Jieyin and Zhunti, although they have schemes, they are also victims; they feel fear, yet they do not seek heavenly protection, instead they undertake risky deeds."

"This disaster is not related to them, nor is it what they wished, yet they must still be punished: ten blows, a fine, ten thousand zhang of cinnabar clouds, a thousand bottles of spiritual dew, ten thousand golden flowers."

"If they cannot pay the fine, it may be exchanged for thirty blows, to warn others."

Di Jun wrote each stroke with great force, revealing his present ill humor and the severity of his punishment; even Fuxi was greatly shocked.

Seeing that the order had not yet taken effect, Fuxi hurriedly urged: "Di Jun, those involved this time are all quasi-sages and those of the Mixed Yuan Dao realm, among whom there are many innate divinities; if the punishment is so harsh, the impact will surely be too great."

"Especially Red Yun and Zhen Yuanzi; these two are renowned in the wilderness, both are pillars of the Mystic Gate, the cornerstone of gods and men."

"The Twelve Ancestor Witches are likewise; the Wu Clan now upon the wilderness earth has an influence so vast that none under heaven surpasses it."

"To punish them on a bronze pillar is already excessive, especially with such harsh means; their original intention was also to rescue Jieyin and Zhunti, so it is inevitably going to attract criticism."

"Moreover, do not forget that the Wu Clan is the other main character in our chosen great calamity; their strength is originally far inferior to the Heavenly Court, and if they undergo this tribulation, how could they have any chance of revival?"

Di Jun, however, shook his head to reject Fuxi's advice, merely speaking calmly: "If the means are not harsh enough, how would those innate divinities and cultivators put these myriad beings in their eyes?"

"Those who follow the Way of the Gods shepherd all beings on behalf of heaven and earth, and cultivators seek transcendence; but look at the wilderness now—where are the free and compassionate exemplars among today's cultivators and divine persons?"

"Heavenly authority must not be offended; if we let this slide lightly this time, then if similar events happen again later, how shall we conduct ourselves?"

"Those who later inherit the Heavenly Court's ambition—how should they deal with it? This is a precedent; naturally everything should be handled severely, to correct the improper customs of the wilderness."

"If we make our methods a bit harsher, later generations will have it easier; a little leniency will let them feel gratitude and enjoy the reputation of tolerance."

"The path the Heavenly Court now walks is to open up a grand boulevard for posterity; its width, straightness, flatness—all lie in our single thought."

"Rather than let later generations be constrained by today's affairs, it is better for us to bear some infamy, so that those who come after may have it easier."

"Now we, as the Heavenly Court's sovereigns, even sages dare not slight; all our honor comes from the beings."

"If we do not open a way for the beings, who would show them even a shred of pity?"

PS: This chapter is truly hard to write; after New Year's I will return to my hometown, focus on typing, starting next month I will write 6000 characters a day, at least 6000! I want to challenge my own limits!

Everyone who has monthly tickets and rewards, just come; I will accept them all! (End of chapter)