The reason the Jade Creation Pill was so precious was that it not only healed physical injuries—it also numbed pain.
In life-and-death situations, what often proved fatal to a cultivator was not the wounds, but the debilitating mental backlash and physiological effects brought on by the pain itself.
The Immortal-grade Jade Creation Pill could nearly block out all pain completely.
Even the agony of Ten Thousand Swords Piercing the Heart was reduced to a mere sting, easily ignored.
Li Qingran gazed at the soft jade-green light surrounding her body. She gently pinched her wrist with her left hand, eyes lowered.
She knew—without realizing it—she had again received a great kindness from that senior.
But at this point, she had no idea how she could ever repay the mountains of debt she owed him.
"Senior... Qingran..."
[It matters not. Just a pill. Handle the matter at hand first.]
A voice, distant yet close, drifted gently into her ears—one only she could hear.
---
"Qingran, are you satisfied with this sect master's ruling?"
Wu Duantian looked down at her. Out of the corner of her eye, Li Qingran saw Yun Zimo being dragged away by two disciplinary disciples, about to be taken to face punishment.
Indeed...
Even the pain of having one's eyes gouged, tongue ripped out, and ears filled with molten iron could hardly compare to the suffering she had endured.
If it weren't for her senior's intervention, Wu Duantian might have handed out a mere slap on the wrist, especially for Elder Qingxuan's sake.
She should press further.
But the thought of the senior who stood behind her, silently watching and protecting... somehow made her heart soften.
"Sect Master Wu is wise and just. This junior naturally accepts the ruling with respect."
She bowed deeply—a clear sign she was satisfied.
---
[Wait.]
A calm but cold voice rang out across the sky.
[Qingran may be satisfied. But I am not.]
Wu Duantian's smile froze on his face.
His hand, still stroking his beard, stiffened awkwardly mid-motion. He didn't know whether to raise it or put it down.
He could only cautiously address the void:
"Er... then, how would Your Excellency prefer this be handled?"
---
"Punish him. Right here, right now!"
Chen Huaian sat cross-legged on his sofa, one hand aggressively petting the cat's head, the other slamming the voice-transmission talisman as he shouted:
"How do I know if you're really punishing him in that 'Hall of Justice' or just faking it? I can't see squat! Seeing is believing, hearing is deceiving."
There was a pause. Then, the ethereal voice responded:
[Justice must not be hidden from kin. Law spares not for love. If punishment is not witnessed, it cannot serve as warning.]
[Therefore, the sentence shall be carried out immediately.]
Li Qingran froze in surprise. Then a trace of warmth welled in her heart.
That senior, who seemed so holy and untouchable, clearly loathed such gruesome sights.
He wasn't forcing this because he enjoyed cruelty—but because he was afraid that those who had hurt her would escape true punishment.
---
Wu Duantian breathed a sigh of relief.
He had feared the mysterious senior would demand something like expelling Yun Zimo from the sect or simply executing him on the spot.
Though Wu was the sect master, expelling a core disciple would require lengthy consultation—especially since Yun Zimo was Qingxuan's personal disciple.
"No problem. We'll do it now."
Wu Duantian gave a subtle glance to the two disciplinary disciples.
In truth, he usually brought all disciples to visit the Cliff of Repentance each month to view the punished—a symbolic deterrent.
But if the senior wanted public punishment now, so be it. At worst, Elder Qingxuan would lose some face. Not his problem.
---
Yun Zimo was dragged back into the center of the square.
One disciple held him still, the other took out a hooking tool.
For cultivators with strong regeneration, there was no need to sterilize it with fire.
A shrill, gut-wrenching scream tore through the air. Many disciples looked away in horror.
In the square, Yun Zimo now lay tongueless, his blood-filled eye sockets glaring at the sky as he let out garbled howls.
"The iron must be heated on-site. It'll take some time," Wu Duantian said, though clearly addressing not Li Qingran—but the mysterious senior behind her.
All eyes turned to Li Qingran, as if she now represented the senior's will.
Zhang Hanxiao kept pretending to be unconscious. Lu Changtian and Xiao Yifeng, faces pale, dared not speak up.
They positioned themselves to shield Mu Baishuang from seeing Yun Zimo's mangled body.
---
With so many staring at her, Li Qingran became flustered.
The senior hadn't spoken again, and she dared not speak on his behalf.
She simply hugged her Suxian Sword, lowering her head to stare silently at the ants crawling across the ground.
---
[Qingran, what do you think?]
The voice came again—warm, sudden, gentle.
Li Qingran's face flushed red.
She stiffened for a moment, then forced herself to respond calmly:
"This junior believes... it is enough."
---
Elder Qingxuan grunted with a dark expression.
Wu Duantian, however, wore the smile of a peacemaker and straightened his beard.
He squinted at the timing, then seized the opportunity.
Looking toward the void behind Li Qingran, he bowed slightly and said:
"Old man that I am, I have an impolite request. Since Your Excellency could restore Li Qingran's dantian... might I ask you to help my personal disciple as well?"
He gently pushed Zhao Lingtian forward, face full of sorrow.
"This child is bright, humble, kind-hearted—a rare talent. Yet he was crippled by a demonic cultivator. I... I cannot bear to see him waste away like this..."
---
Li Qingran lifted her head.
The blush faded from her face.
Now, her autumn-colored eyes grew cold as frozen jade.
Mixed Origin Heaven-Mending Pill.
Now she finally understood how precious that miracle pill from her senior was.
To obtain such a god-tier elixir must have taken immense effort.
And Wu Duantian had the gall to ask for one so casually?
Was he trying to leverage her to pressure the senior?
---
Meanwhile, Chen Huaian's phone buzzed with a prompt:
[Sect Master Wu Duantian has requested a gift of: "Mixed Origin Heaven-Mending Pill." Please make your choice carefully. Each option may lead to vastly different outcomes.]
① Flat Refusal: "You dare? Scram—"
② Diplomatic Delay: "This matter can wait. Let us first deal with the present."
③ Grant the Request: "Very well. Such a trifle is nothing to me. You may have one." (Will lose one Heaven-Mending Pill. If unavailable, 1,000,000¥ or 100 Spirit Crystals will be auto-deducted to forcibly purchase.)
④ Use a Voice Transmission Talisman for a custom response.
---
Chen Huaian nearly clicked one without hesitation—
But then his finger froze mid-air, eyes narrowing.
Something felt... off.