Chapter 401

Chapter 401: Immortal Gate

The Qinyuan Sect was nestled within a vast mountain range.

This range surpassed even the Longfeng Mountain range in grandeur, with peaks rising everywhere, immortal mist shrouding them, and Spirit Beasts running amidst it all, creating an imposing panorama.

When Zhou Luo first arrived at the Immortal Sect, he had only set foot on the mountain within the Outer Sect area and thus hadn’t been able to sense the true, monumental scene inside.

At this moment, within a mountain of the Outer Sect, beneath high mountains and flowing waters, a handsome, straight-backed young man stood with his foot planted on the back of a peer dressed in the Immortal Sect’s attire.

"Li Jun, you really resort to old tricks, don’t you?" The young man chuckled lightly, purposefully applying more force.

A sound of agonized howling escaped the person pinned to the ground; his face contorted viciously, yet he still managed to shout defiantly, "Zhou Changqing, you can protect them for now, but you can’t shield them forever!"

"You, basking in Master Tianshu’s favor, can act arbitrarily. But they are just ordinary people."

"Just you wait. I will definitely make them pay."

As he spat these words, a few disciples huddled together nearby grew visibly distressed, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

They had offended him during a mission and were now facing fierce retribution. If Zhou Changqing hadn’t stepped forward, they would likely have been severely beaten today.

Helplessly, they were merely outer disciples, while their tormentor hailed from the inner sect and was the disciple of a Golden Core master.

Hearing his threatening words now sent renewed waves of terror and dread rippling through them, making them tremble even more.

Hearing these words, Zhou Changqing’s eyes darkened, and the foot pressing Li Jun down pressed down harder.

Within the Qinyuan Sect, disciple rivalries were permitted. Conflict was acceptable as long as it didn’t result in death.

"Aren’t you afraid I might report this to our superiors?" Zhou Changqing’s voice was cold as ice.

Conflict was permissible, but bullying the weak across ranks was strictly forbidden by the sect. However, the Qinyuan Sect actively encouraged sparring among disciples of the same cultivation level.

That was precisely why Zhou Changqing was brazenly stepping on Li Jun without reservation.

Both were at the same cultivation stage: the half-step Foundation Establishment stage.

Whereas the huddled group of outer disciples was only at the eighth level of Qi Refinement.

Should the sect learn of this incident, Li Jun would undoubtedly face punishment.

Faced with the reprimand, the man crushed underfoot managed a twisted smile, "Hmph, do you have any evidence?"

In these times, making life difficult for some outer disciples was child’s play.

He possessed countless ways to cause these people suffering without alerting the sect.

Zhou Changqing’s expression tightened slightly. He lifted his right foot and released the other.

Seeing Zhou Changqing retreat, the man executed a lithe carp flip and stood facing him, showing no trace of humiliation from his earlier predicament.

He understood clearly – in the Immortal Sect, being subdued by the strong was merely mundane reality.

Therefore, he saw no issue his own oppression of the weak.

If there was blame to assign, it lay solely with their inadequate talent and insufficient strength.

"Zhou Changqing, we shall see," he declared.

With that, he turned and prepared to leave.

At the very moment he intended to depart, a flash of murderous intent flickered deep within Zhou Changqing’s eyes. Immediately, spiritual energy surged violently within him, converged into a potent force, and concentrated in his right leg.

He took a deep breath, suddenly lifted, and kicked precisely at a spot on his back corresponding to his chest.

This kick carried immense force and was extremely fast.

Caught off guard, that person had no time to even react; he only felt a heavy force strike him from behind, followed immediately by excruciating pain throughout his entire body.

Under this intense pain, he let out a sharp scream and was sent hurtling backwards; he slammed heavily onto the ground over there, creating a large pit.

"Although I cannot kill you, crippling you is not a problem," murmured Zhou Changqing to himself.

Beside him, those few outer disciples saw this scene and were utterly panicked; one spoke in a trembling voice, "Senior Brother Zhou, we’re sorry, we have dragged you down."

They had long heard that this Senior Brother Zhou was very righteous within the sect, especially hating evil and injustice, and he could not tolerate unfair matters at all.

Therefore, after being targeted by him, they had risked finding him.

And now, seeing that person crippled, they immediately became extremely frantic.

Because crippling a disciple is forbidden even in the Immortal Sect, especially in such a blatant manner.

When this news reached the sect, they would inevitably face punishment.

They regretted it deeply, feeling remorseful for implicating him and full of apologies.

"It’s fine. Since he fears no punishment, there’s no need for me to fear. You all go—this has nothing to do with you today," said Zhou Changqing seriously, gazing at the streak of light tearing across the sky in the distance.

"Senior Brother Zhou, we won’t leave; we can help explain for you," one said with newfound courage.

If they left now, he would truly be unable to clear his name.

However, Zhou Changqing frowned and said coldly, "Don’t make me repeat this. You staying here will only bring more trouble."

They exchanged glances, bowed solemnly to him, and then swiftly departed.

Not long after they left, that beam of light instantly landed on the ground.

A man looked at the person lying on the ground, then glared fiercely at Zhou Changqing, "Zhou Changqing, what are you doing?"

"Nothing much— I just slipped up during a spar," said Zhou Changqing indifferently.

That man’s face darkened; he had already sensed that his junior brother’s meridians inside his body were shattered, and his consciousness sea had suffered damage—unless a Third Level healing potion was applied, he could forget about cultivation for the rest of his life.

But his master could never produce a Third Level spiritual potion for a disciple who had not even achieved Foundation Establishment.

He knew that his junior brother’s life was certainly ruined.

Thinking of this, he raised his head to look at the other and said coldly, "Zhou Changqing, you are ruthless; this time, I wonder if Master Tianshu can protect you."

"Whatever," said Zhou Changqing with a dismissive attitude.

One hour later.

In the inner court of the Qinyuan Sect, at the Judgment Hall.

Zhou Changqing stood calmly and confidently in the center of the great hall; beside him were, naturally, that pair of Senior Brother and junior brother.

However, the junior brother was now unconscious.

Aside from those three, six cultivators in black robes sat solemnly on either side; each had a stern expression and radiated terrifying might, their gazes fixed upon Zhou Changqing as heavy as mountains.

For an ordinary Qi Refinement cultivator, such scrutiny would likely have caused their mind to go into chaos and lose all composure.

But Zhou Changqing remained perfectly calm from start to end, just like Zhou Luo—no matter what he faced, he showed no fear at all.

To the front sat an old man; he wore a black cloak embroidered with the large characters "judgment," and on his noble face were eyes that seemed to penetrate one’s very soul.

"Zhou Changqing, do you admit your guilt!"

His voice thundered, booming and exploding through the hall like crashing waves slamming towards him, aiming to intimidate with authoritative pressure.

Zhou Changqing swayed, fists clenched and lips bitten; though he seemed on the verge of faltering, he held firm.

"I do not admit guilt," he said deliberately, word by word.