"This sect is no ordinary mortal realm; one wrong move means life or death. If handing over this gourd can spare me a tribulation, then I have no choice but to hand it over..."
Meng Hao felt a pang of reluctance, but there was nothing he could do. As he pondered in silence late at night, a cold, distant voice suddenly drifted into his sealed cave abode from the outside.
"I am Shangguan Song, bearing Senior Brother Wang’s decree. Meng Hao, open your cave abode immediately and kneel to welcome me."
The voice was incredibly sinister, causing the temperature inside the cave abode to instantly plummet into an icy chill. Meng Hao’s eyes flashed. He raised his head, his expression showing no surprise whatsoever; he had clearly anticipated that someone would come.
"It is inconvenient at this late hour. Senior Brother, if you have something to say, please speak directly."
Meng Hao was silent for a moment before he spoke slowly, his voice carrying outside the cave abode.
"How presumptuous!"
A cold snort echoed outside the cave abode, clearly conveying deep displeasure.
Meng Hao said nothing, maintaining his silence.
"It matters not if you refuse to come out. I shall deliver Senior Brother Wang’s oral decree: Meng Hao, as an outer sect disciple, your cultivation heart is unstable, you have disrupted the public area of the low-level disciples, your fellow disciples are filled with complaints, and your disposition is vicious. However, considering your young age, the death penalty shall be waived. Hand over your jade treasure, destroy your own cultivation, sever one arm and one leg, and be expelled from the sect. From this day forth, you are no longer a disciple of the Reliance Sect."
The cold voice fell upon Meng Hao’s ears, each word of the latter part landing with heavy finality. His expression grew increasingly grim with every word until, finally, Meng Hao raised his head, his eyes burning with fury.
"Can Senior Brother Wang’s decree override the sect rules?"
Meng Hao suppressed his anger and spoke in a low, deep voice.
"Senior Brother Wang’s oral decree *is* the sect rules. Tomorrow morning is the day of elixir distribution. You will stand in the plaza, kowtow to apologize to Lu Hong, and await your punishment."
The person outside the cave abode completely disregarded Meng Hao’s thoughts. Having spoken, he flicked his sleeve and turned to leave.
Meng Hao remained silent as time slipped away. By dawn the next day, his eyes were bloodshot, yet he could not think of a single way out. Clearly, the other party was not just after the jade gourd; they ruthlessly wanted to destroy him, merely cloaking their malice in a veneer of benevolence. To have his cultivation destroyed, his limbs severed, and then be cast out of the sect into the desolate wilderness—he would have absolutely no chance of survival.
"What should I do...?"
Meng Hao clenched his fists, the veins in his bloodshot eyes bulging. A profound sense of his own weakness surged in his mind, igniting an unprecedented yearning for strength. Only by becoming strong could he avoid such humiliation. He fell into a long silence.
"Is there really only one path left... to flee?"
Meng Hao raised his head, determination flashing in his eyes. He stood up and walked toward the exit of his cave abode. But just as he stepped outside, his footsteps suddenly halted, and a look of hesitation crossed his face.
"No, that's not right..."
Meng Hao lowered his head in silent contemplation, a look of resolve gradually filling his eyes. Turning around, he returned to his cave abode, sat down cross-legged, and closed his eyes without another word.
Early the next morning, Meng Hao opened his bloodshot eyes. He had not cultivated at all during the night, spending the entire time lost in thought. Yet, with his meager cultivation, he could think of no way out, save for betraying the Reliance Sect and fleeing. But Meng Hao knew his adversaries would have anticipated such a move. The moment he fled, he would surely meet his demise, and even in death, he would carry the brand of a traitor.
The chime of bells echoed from outside. The day of pill distribution had arrived. Meng Hao knew that even if he refused to go, even if he hid inside his cave, he could not escape the calamity that awaited him.
"The strong prey on the weak. All of this is because my cultivation is too weak. But I do not regret my actions. A man in this world must draw the line somewhere; when things become intolerable, he must stand his ground!"
Meng Hao let out a soft, quiet sigh. He had been pushed to the brink, with no path of retreat. Yet, at this very moment, a strange calm washed over him. He stood up, tidied his robes, took one last look around his cave, and then silently opened the main door to gaze out at the blue sky and the vast sea.
After a long moment, Meng Hao stepped outside. He had only walked a few paces when he felt a gaze upon him. Turning his head toward the trees behind him, he saw a figure emerge, staring back at him with cold eyes.
"You didn't run. You're not entirely foolish."
The man spoke the moment he appeared. Meng Hao recognized him instantly as Shangguan Song from the day before. He had not left at all, but had been lurking nearby.
Moreover, Meng Hao had seen this man before; he was one of Wang Tengfei's followers whom he had noticed earlier on the East Peak. His ancestor was a sect elder. Clearly, he had spent the night waiting for Meng Hao to make a run for it. Had Meng Hao fled and betrayed the sect, he would have been left with no hope of survival.
Meng Hao turned and walked toward the Outer Sect.
Shangguan Song sneered, a mocking glint flashing in his eyes. Indeed, he had stayed behind last night, having secretly consulted his ancestor, Shangguan Tu. If Meng Hao had attempted to flee under the cover of darkness, he would have fallen right into Shangguan Song's hands, and his death would have been agonizingly miserable.
Shangguan Song trailed behind Meng Hao as they walked. Whenever groups of Outer Sect disciples passed by, their expressions shifted, as if they had long anticipated this. Far from showing any pity, most of them looked at Meng Hao with sheer mockery.
Before long, Meng Hao reached the Outer Sect plaza, where the light of nine pillars swirled. The surrounding Outer Sect disciples had already gathered. In the distance, Meng Hao immediately spotted a white-robed man surrounded by a crowd: Wang Tengfei.
He stood there bathed in sunlight, his white robes looking whiter than snow, his long hair draped over his shoulders. He looked like an immortal stepped out of a painting—flawless and perfect, naturally drawing people to him like a favored child of heaven.
He was currently speaking gently with the disciples around him. No matter their cultivation level, he was full of amiability, sometimes nodding, sometimes offering guidance on cultivation, causing all the surrounding disciples to look at him with reverence.
Especially the female disciples, who seemed to gaze at him with infatuation, as if they wished they could stand by Wang Tengfei's side forever. In their eyes, Wang Tengfei's every move filled them with fervent adoration.
Even the sect elders who had arrived on the high platform smiled as they looked at Wang Tengfei, their expressions full of admiration.
It could be said that wherever Wang Tengfei was, no matter what he did, he would always be the indispensable center. He was handsome, gentle, and perfect. In this place, in the blink of an eye, he transformed into a dazzling light that seared Meng Hao's eyes, leaving him numb as he clenched his fists.
When all the disciples had arrived, the pill distribution concluded. From beginning to end, the amiable and friendly Wang Tengfei did not spare Meng Hao a single glance. Even though he knew Meng Hao was watching him, he remained as before—like an elephant being gazed at by an ant, he would not lower his head to acknowledge it.
Only when the pill refinement concluded did the aura of the nine surrounding pillars gradually dissipate, and Wang Tengfei’s gentle voice rang out, instantly filling the surroundings.
“Take it out.”
The two words were incredibly simple, but the moment they were uttered, everyone around was stunned. Following his line of sight, they immediately noticed Wang Tengfei’s gaze, calmly fixed on Meng Hao among the crowd.