Chapter 44 The Deposed Crown Prince

"Wait. Who said you can leave?"

The boisterous atmosphere immediately became frozen after the cold voice resounded. Xiao Chen looked at the jade platform and said placidly, "I wonder what command you have for me, Elder?"

The rest had also turned their stern gazes to First Elder. He looked grave and stern. His might was on full display despite not being angry. He said coolly, "Putting aside the origin of your swordsmanship, where did your Lv 7 Qi Refining Realm cultivation come from? Speak!"

Everyone trembled while Second Elder frowned. Sure enough, what he was most worried about previously had finally come.

Xiao Chen replied, "I trained hard and practiced diligently. Don't tell me that it's wrong?"

Discussions sprang up among the crowd. They had neglected the most important issue in this whole affair. It had not been half a year since Xiao Chen entered the sect so logically, it was impossible for him to obtain the technique for Qi Refining Realm. So where had his cultivation come from?

First Elder sneered. "How capable! You actually learned cultivation method in secret. Do you know your crime?" He turned to look at Fourth Elder beside him. "Recite the rules of our sect!"

Fourth Elder raised his head. "First Elder, this child is intelligent and gifted. Why don't we just let it go..."

Luo Shangyan gripped her hands so hard that her palms were sweating. Her complexion, which had recovered some color earlier, paled again. She suddenly fell to her knees. "I'm the one who secretly taught him the cultivation method. Please punish me..." Toward the end of her sentence, her voice became so quiet that it was almost inaudible.

Seeing this, Xiao Chen immediately pulled her to her feet. He looked at the jade platform and said in a cold and fearless voice, "I'm the one who asked it of her. This has nothing to do with her. If you want to punish someone, just punish me!"

Mo Yu, who was standing on the sidelines, kept laughing coldly as he watched. First Elder scoffed. "Hehe! You two are pretty capable, aren't you? Luo Shangyan, as the Sect Leader's disciple, you deliberately violated the rules and your crime is trifold! Since the Sect Leader isn't here today, I'll punish you on his behalf!"

The crowd below the platform shuddered after hearing these words. Seeing as Xiao Chen had defeated the three men from the Violet Manor and avenged Three Pure Sect, many of them began pleading for him. "We implore you to merciful, First Elder! He's the one who defeated the person earlier!" With one of them taking the lead, more followed suit.

Li Muxue had also stepped out of the crowd to say, "First Elder, please consider the fact that..." Before she could finish her words, someone interrupted her.

In the many years since First Elder took the helm of the punishments, no one had ever dared to plea for leniency in front of him. He concealed his anger at seeing so many people pleading for him to be merciful and looked coldly at Li Muxue. "Princess, we've already resisted Ouyang Yu on your behalf. I suppose it's not your place to interfere in the private affairs of Three Pure Sect?"

Everyone immediately turned to look at Li Muxue after hearing his words, all wearing looks of astonishment. Could she be a Princess of the Wang Dynasty of the Nine Provinces? Unlike small vassal countries like Qi, Yan, and Zhao, the Wang Dynasty of the Nine Provinces was the only major dynasty of the Human World.

Li Muxue did not try to speak anymore. Just then, Bai Ying suddenly laughed. "How strict indeed! You're always saying that the aptitude of the disciples of our Three Pure Sect is inferior to other sects, but now that we finally found a good one after much difficulty, you're calling for blood and murder. Don't you think you're being a walking contradiction? Or is there something that you're worried about?"

Second Elder shot her a glare. "Junior Sister! Don't talk to Senior Brother like this!"

First Elder snorted. "What? Can he belittle the rules of the sect just because he has a great aptitude?"

Bai Ying waved her hand. "I don't want to argue with you. In short, don't dream about expelling him from the sect. If worse comes to worst, I'll accept him as my Pro-disciple. You can consider it as me passing the cultivation method to him in advance. That should be fine, right?"

"Hehe. Third Elder, are you treating the rules of our sect as child's play?"

Bai Ying chuckled, "I don't know if he has gone against the rules of the sect. I on;y know that rules are dead while humans are living. This child has an incredible aptitude. It might not necessarily be impossible for us to send him to pursue his cultivation in the Violet Manor next year."

The moment these words left her mouth, Mo Yu's expression changed drastically. "The list of disciples entering the Violet Manor has long been determined! I'm so close to attaining Foundation Building Realm! What do you mean, saying that you'll send him to the Violet Manor?"

Bai Ying cast him an indifferent glance. "Even a crown prince can be deposed. If you wish to go, then you must race ahead of him to attain the Foundation Building Realm.

Her words were carefree and indifferent yet blue veins were protruding on Mo Yu's face. He clenched his fists so tightly that his bones creaked. "Bai Ying, you better not force me..."

"Presumptuous!" Second Elder suddenly bellowed, causing countless disciples below the platform to jump in fright. Mo Yu had actually dared to address an Elder by name.

Bai Ying gave a cold laugh. "Force you? If you're the one who went up for the last round, then I would've to carry the chamber pot for the man for three months! If worse comes to worst, I might even need to serve him!"

Mo Yu's knuckles creaked as he said solemnly, "Fine..." With a shift of his body, he walked out of the public square.

By now, First Elder's expression was so dark that it was unsightly. Bai Ying could not bring herself to bother about understanding him. She looked down and said, "From today onward, Xiao Chen is a disciple of my Full Moon Peak! Who's unsatisfied with this can come up and talk to me!"

No one said anything. Even though this Elder had the worst cultivation among the five, no one had actually seen her fight. They only knew that she had invented a set of cultivation methods called the "Singing of the Wind and the Moon". It was rumored to be extraordinary.

Moreover, many people here had been bullied by Mo Yu for a long time. Now that someone who could rival him had shown up after much difficulty, they were feeling more overjoyed than unsatisfied.

First Elder said solemnly, "Junior Sister, I don't think it's up to you alone to dictate what happens in Three Pure Sect?"

Bai Ying spread out her hands. "Oh? Then we'll decide with a vote between the Elders." She turned to look at Second Elder. "You support me, right, Senior Brother? I'll take your silence as agreement."

She turned to Fifth Elder. "Fifth Junior Brother, you lost our bet last time and still owe me a favor. I'll take that you're agreeing as well." Then, she turned to look at Luo Shangyan. "Since the Sect Leader isn't around, Shangyan will vote in his place."

Finally, she turned to look at First Elder. "It's now four-against-two. Is there anything else you want to say? Nothing? Then I'll consider that you agree as well. Five-against-one. Pass!"

The disciples below the platform were dumbstruck. Even though she was an Elder, the saying that all women were unreasonable still rang true. When it came to a war of words, Bai Ying was undoubtedly peerless.

"Hmph!" First Elder snorted in anger and then stormed off in a huff.

"Tch." Bai Ying sneered. She then turned to look at Xiao Chen. "Xiao Chen, from today onward you've been promoted from an Outer Disciple to a disciple of my Full Moon Peak. Are you willing?"

"I'm willing!"

"Good. We'll just do without the Apprenticing Ceremony and the rest since it's so troublesome. Sigh! I'm so sleepy. I'll go back and take a nap first." With that, Bai Ying disappeared out of sight.

Xiao Chen was stupefied. It took him a moment before understanding that even though Bai Ying seemed eccentric, she was actually a shrewd person. During the test in the forest the last time, he had called her his master out of nowhere. He suspected that she had already found out that he had a master then. She was simply making things easier for him by forgoing the Apprenticing Ceremony.

Xiao Chen smiled, feeling touched. To be honest, there was some similarity between her and his master in terms of their appearance. Otherwise, he would not have become so absent-minded as to call her his master. As for the Violet Manor matter that she mentioned earlier, it seemed that there was only one place on that list. He planned to ask about it next time.

Cheng Ying walked over to him, laughing. "Congratulations, Junior Brother Xiao."

Xiao Chen nodded with a smile. "Thank you. I'll send Senior Sister Luo back first." He then looked at Luo Shangyan. "Senior Sister Luo, let's go."

The wind-swept Li Muxue looked gorgeous with her fine black hair dancing in the air. Watching their retreating figures, layers upon layers of ripples appeared in her pupils. Xiao Chen's every expression when he used all of his strength to unleash the Dragon-beheading Art was carved deep into her mind.

At this moment, Mo Yu stood for a long time atop the summit of a cliff. He looked dissatisfied, with an ice-cold murderous intention peeking through his pupils.

The incident today had instilled a profound sense of defeat in him. It was not because he had lost to Xu Hao. It was only logical as Xu Hao's cultivation was higher than his. Rather, he was dissatisfied because he had lost to Xiao Chen.

In Three Pure Sect, he was like a prodigy and a crown prince high up on his pedestal. The disciple entering the Violet Manor had long been decided to be him. There was no suspense at all. However, Bai Ying had actually said in front of everyone that she wanted to send Xiao Chen to the Violet Manor.

Like what she said, even a crown prince could be deposed. Right now, Mo Yu felt that he was one such deposed crown prince. It was both pitiful and pathetic. He said gloomily, "Xiao Chen, I won't let you get what you wish..."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..." Just then, a voice that carried a hint of sneering suddenly resounded from behind him.