These words were truly invaluable, spoken from the heart.
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, strength didn’t guarantee a high position, but holding a post without the requisite power was a surefire way to get yourself killed. Shen Xuance was warning them: don’t be so quick to pick sides. Raising your cultivation level is what truly matters.
They were all intelligent people. How could they fail to grasp the Director’s intent to both protect and guide them?
At that moment, on the Martial Arts Arena, the nineteen prodigies bowed in unison, their expressions solemn as they performed a deep, formal bow.
"We humbly accept Lord Shen’s teachings! Thank you for your guidance!"
Only Chu Bai, who stood amidst the crowd, felt a complex mix of emotions as he cupped his hands in salute.
’Others still need to find a Blessed Land, choose an auspicious time, and meticulously plan their breakthrough...’
’But as for me... in that collapsing world, I used the pressure of the Divine Spirits’ siege to complete this step already.’
He touched the warm Cyan Talisman between his brows, feeling the Foundation Establishment Spiritual Power that already surged like a vast ocean within him, and a small measure of peace settled over him.
’I don’t know if this is a blessing or a curse.’
The atmosphere on the Martial Arts Arena had just turned festive after the Receiving Talisman ceremony, and the prodigies were about to exchange farewells and depart.
WHOOSH—
A mighty gale descended from the heavens without warning, instantly scattering the peaceful, auspicious aura surrounding the Martial Arts Arena.
A chill went down everyone’s spines as they instinctively looked up.
They saw the once-azure clouds in the sky suddenly churn and coalesce into a stretch of dazzling Platinum Auspicious Clouds.
Three figures, clad in pure white law robes and tall crowns, rode the clouds as they tore through the sky, looking down condescendingly upon the Martial Arts Arena.
Not a single ripple of Spiritual Power emanated from them, yet an ingrained, bone-deep coldness and sense of justice they projected created an oppressive weight on everyone’s Divine Soul.
They were Judges from the Merit Department—the body that managed the merits and demerits of Great Zhou Cultivators and meted out punishment in heaven’s name.
The middle-aged Judge in the lead, his gaze as sharp as lightning, instantly locked onto Chu Bai, whose expression remained calm. His voice was as cold as ice, as if he were proclaiming the Celestial Laws themselves:
"Dayuan Prefecture candidate, Chu Bai."
"You are a suspect in the case of ’Foundation Establishment Without Talisman’ in the Cyan Nether Realm, a violation of the laws of Great Zhou. This is a matter of utmost gravity."
"Come with us. The Merit Department will pass its own judgment and ensure you receive a fair verdict."
The moment his voice fell, a dead silence descended upon the Martial Arts Arena.
The few new Cyan Talisman cultivators who had been gathering around Chu Bai, hoping to strike up a conversation, went pale and instinctively took several steps back.
"Foundation Establishment Without Talisman..."
To a Great Zhou Cultivator, the weight of those four words was no less than "treason."
At the edge of the crowd, Wei Chuan, who had always harbored deep-seated jealousy, was completely frozen in place, as if struck by lightning. He stared intently at Chu Bai’s upright figure, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
’Foundation Establishment... He’s actually reached Foundation Establishment?!’
Wei Chuan’s mind reeled. The abyss-like sense of powerlessness he’d felt when facing Chu Bai now finally had a perfectly logical explanation.
No wonder! No wonder his aura felt so terrifying! No wonder I didn’t even dare to try and probe it!
’How is this possible...’
A storm of disbelief raged in Wei Chuan’s heart.
After all, which Great Zhou Cultivator didn’t spend years preparing for their Foundation Establishment breakthrough, cautiously crossing that threshold only under the protection and guidance of the Law Net?
Yet Chu Bai had somehow managed to succeed in a Secret Realm that was both an examination site and a Desolate Land, completely cut off from the Law Net’s aid?!
To defy the heavens outside the protection of the Law Net... such talent and methods were simply terrifying!
For a moment, this shocking revelation washed away most of the jealousy in Wei Chuan’s heart, replacing it with a profound sense of fear.
Faced with the Merit Department’s summons, Chu Bai showed no resistance. He simply straightened his sleeves with a calm expression and prepared to step forward.
Just then, a figure in vermilion robes suddenly stepped forward, blocking Chu Bai’s path.
"One moment."
Shen Xuance offered a cupped-fist salute. Though he was facing Judges from the Merit Department, as the Director of the Examination Department, his bearing was in no way inferior.
"Judges."
Shen Xuance’s voice was steady, neither obsequious nor arrogant. "This Celestial Examination was conducted under the supervision of my Examination Department. As for the various incidents that occurred within the Cyan Nether Realm—whether they were pragmatic responses to an emergency or deliberate violations—I, as the chief examiner for Dayuan Prefecture, am more aware of the facts than anyone."
"If you insist on an inquiry, then you can question me as well."
With that, Shen Xuance flicked his wide sleeve, gestured for Chu Bai to follow, and then made an inviting gesture toward the three figures in the sky.
"If you would be so kind as to lead the way, Judges."
The three Merit Department Judges, who had arrived riding the clouds, were genuine Foundation Establishment Cultivators with frigid auras. Yet, facing Shen Xuance, their cold, stern faces showed no trace of arrogance.
After all, they were merely Junior Eighth Grade Law Judges. Shen Xuance, on the other hand, was the Director of the Dayuan Prefecture’s Examination Department, holding the power to grant the Cyan Talisman. In both Status and Cultivation, he was a man of high rank and significant authority, far surpassing them.
The lead Judge shifted slightly, withdrawing some of the oppressive aura he had directed at Wei Chuan and the others. He saluted Shen Xuance, and while his tone remained professional, it now carried a hint of respect:
"Lord Shen, you exaggerate."
"If Lord Shen is willing to accompany us, that would be for the best." The Judge gestured for them to follow and said gravely, "As it happens, our Director is also extremely concerned about the Cyan Nether Realm case. He gave specific instructions that if Lord Shen were present, we were to invite you to the Merit Department’s main hall to discuss the matter."
Hearing this, Shen Xuance’s eyes narrowed slightly before he gave a placid smile and waved his great sleeve. "Since Director Zhao has extended an invitation, then of course I will comply."
With that, he glanced at Chu Bai behind him and gave a slight nod. "Let’s go."
Chu Bai’s expression was serene. He straightened his robes and, under countless gazes—some worried, some gloating, some filled with uncertain shock—he took a single step, landing steadily upon the Platinum Auspicious Cloud that pulsed with the faint pressure of a Decree.
"Rise—"
The Judge barked a command, and the cloud beneath their feet transformed into a streak of light. It carried them soaring into the sky, and in the blink of an eye, they had left the Examination Department’s Martial Arts Plaza, heading toward the most solemn and imposing black palace in all of Dayuan Prefecture.
High above the clouds, a fierce wind whipped against their faces.
Chu Bai stood with his hands clasped behind his back, appearing to gaze down at the bustling scenery of Dayuan Prefecture, but his mind was, in fact, as clear as a flawless mirror.
Though this trip was nominally an "interrogation," and he was about to face the notoriously strict Merit Department, he felt not a shred of fear.
He knew perfectly well that today’s trial would be no simple matter of sentencing by the letter of the law.
On one side, there was the ironclad law against Foundation Establishment Without Talisman and the immense loss from the destruction of a Spirit Realm.
On the other, there was the immense Merit gained from saving thousands of talented individuals, the glorious achievement of slaying three Evil Gods, and the fact that he was a peerless prodigy whom neither Dayuan Prefecture nor even Qingzhou Prefecture would be willing to discard lightly.
’The law is rigid, but people are flexible.’
Chu Bai glanced out of the corner of his eye at the composed Shen Xuance beside him, then thought of Hee Wenyan, who had departed with a rather ambiguous attitude.
’The outcome of this trial probably won’t be decided by laws in an open court, but rather... behind the screen.’
’It will be the result of a power play, an operational outcome born from negotiations and an exchange of interests between various factions.’
’As for what that result will be... that’s hard to say.’

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