Very soon, under the watchful eyes of the others, Elder Qian withdrew his Divine Consciousness.
At once, Wei He looked at him as the glimmer of hope in his eyes intensified.
"Duan Ling Tian's Innate Spiritual Root is indeed the blue Spiritual Root…" Elder Qian glanced at Wei He when he sensed his eyes on him. His eyes turned cold instantly as he snarled. "Wei He! You slandering the Black Turtle Sanctum's Enforcement Elder Guo Xiong is equivalent to blaspheming our Saint Land Enforcement Hall's sanctity! Follow me to the Saint Land Enforcement Hall immediately and accept your punishment!"
The moment Elder Qian's words left his mouth, Wei He was terrified.
"Elder Qian, I'm merely upset because of my direct disciple's death. I wasn't thinking clearly. Please show mercy, Elder Qian! Please show mercy!" In the next instant, Wei He kept begging for mercy from Elder Qian. He no longer cared about Duan Ling Tian.
If he went to the Saint Land Enforcement Hall, he would be flayed even if he was not killed.
"Hurmph!" Elder Qian completely ignored Wei He's begging. After he snorted, he waved his big hands as a vast energy pressed down on Wei He and restrained him.
After restraining Wei He, Elder Qian lifted him up with one hand like an eagle carrying a little chick.
"Elder Guo Xiong, the Saint Land Enforcement Hall will deal with the matter of Wei He slandering you!" Elder Qian looked at Guo Xiong. After he finished speaking, he brought Wei He who had turned pale away in just a blink of an eye.
"Duan Ling Tian, I can't believe you actually possess a blue Innate Spiritual Root." After Elder Qian brought Wei He away, Meng Jin looked at Duan Ling Tian and sighed emotionally. "I was curious about Elder Guo Xiong's verdict. He seemed to be protecting you. As it turns out, you have a blue Innate Spiritual Root. That's why you're given special treatment according to the Fire Worship Sect's unspoken rule."
"Thank you for leading me here earlier, Elder Meng Jin!" Duan Ling Tian nodded at Meng Jin. Although he was not fond of Zhang Ji, Meng Jin's direct disciple, he acknowledged that Meng Jin was a decent person.
At the very least, Meng Jin would not unreasonably side with someone who was in the wrong. This could be seen from the way Meng Jin spoke during their journey here.
"I still have some matters to attend to so I'll take my leave first, Elder Guo Xiong, Duan Ling Tian!" Soon after, Meng Jin bade farewell and left Duan Ling Tian and Guo Xiong alone in the palace.
Actually, Guo Xiong had requested for Meng Jin to leave through Voice Transmission since there was something he wanted to speak to Duan Ling Tian about privately.
"Duan Ling Tian, you will head to our Four Symbols Sanctums' First Mine for your service in a month. Have you prepared for it?" Guo Xiong asked as he looked at Duan Ling Tian.
"I've prepared long ago," Duan Ling Tian smiled nonchalantly as he said, "Speaking of, thank you, Elder Guo Xiong. Otherwise, I would've been sentenced to death two months ago."
"Don't thank me… You know very well it's all because of your blue Innate Spiritual Root that you managed to survive! If your innate talent is not the blue Innate Spiritual Root but just the yellow Innate Spiritual Root as rumored, I wouldn't have been able to protect you!" Guo Xiong said, "Perhaps, at that time, we would be here as well. Just that our situation would be reversed with Wei He."
"Wei He?" Duan Ling Tian narrowed his eyes as it turned cold. He asked, "Elder Guo Xiong, what kind of punishment will be given to Wei He for slandering you and blaspheming the Saint Land Enforcement Hall? Would he be sentenced to death by the Saint Land Enforcement Hall?"
"No, it won't be to the extent where he'll be sentenced to death." Guo Xiong shook his head. His eyes flashed coldly as well as soon as Wei He was mentioned. "However, even if they don't kill him, he'll be flayed at least! Blaspheming the Saint Land Enforcement Hall is not a minor crime. Not only that, but Elder Qian promised me earlier that the Saint Land Enforcement Hall would deal with this matter. Based on his words, I'm certain Wei He's punishment wouldn't be light."
"He wouldn't be sentenced to death?" Duan Ling Tian was slightly disappointed when he heard this.
It was apparent Wei He was trying to get him killed today. If he still possessed a yellow Innate Spiritual Root, he would have died because of Wei He.
Duan Ling Tian had always believed in the saying, 'An eye for an eye'.
It was only natural that he felt disappointed when he heard that Wei He would not be sentenced to death by the Saint Land Enforcement Hall.
"Why? Do you really wish for him to die?" Duan Ling Tian did not bother to conceal his disappointment so it was easy for Guo Xiong to see through his thoughts.
"Don't tell me you don't wish him dead for slandering you, Elder Guo Xiong?" Duan Ling Tian asked in return.
"In my opinion, even if he doesn't die, he'll be flayed. This is enough to quell my anger. Naturally, I'll feel a lot better if he's sentenced to death!" When Duan Ling Tian heard the first half of Guo Xiong's words, he felt slightly disappointed. However, when he heard the final part of his sentence, he realized Guo Xiong felt the same way he did.
"However, it won't be easy for me to get him a death sentence. If he isn't at the Saint Celestial Stage or above, it would definitely be impossible for him to withstand the punishment from the Saint Land Enforcement Hall! Unfortunately, as a Saint Land Bronze Flame Elder, he's at the Saint Celestial Stage." Guo Xiong sighed. A hint of regret could be heard in his voice.
"Elder Guo Xiong!" However, Duan Ling Tian's eyes brightened suddenly as he asked, "If I'm not mistaken, the matter of Wei He lodging a report against you and asking the Saint Land Enforcement Hall to reinvestigate the matter has not spread out, right?"
"Yes." Guo Xiong nodded. "Usually, the Saint Land Enforcement Hall won't spread this kind of news. After all, the Enforcement Hall is uncertain whether I'm guilty or not. If I am, the sanctity of the Saint Land Enforcement Hall would be tarnished if news of it spreads out!"
"It's just as I thought." Duan Ling Tian nodded. His eyes flashed coldly as he asked, "However, if the news of how Wei He slandered you and blasphemed the Saint Land Enforcement Hall today spreads out, what would happen? Since news of this won't tarnish the sanctity of the Saint Land Enforcement Hall, the Saint Land Enforcement Hall won't investigate the source of the news, right?"
"Theoretically, you're right. However, if news spreads out, the Saint Land Enforcement Hall will suffer from pressure as well. If Wei He's punishment is too light, it won't be able to show that the sanctity of the Saint Land Enforcement Hall is inviolable!" Guo Xiong answered Duan Ling Tian.
However, when he finished speaking, his eyes brightened up immediately as he stared at Duan Ling Tian intently. "You mean… We should spread this news and let the Saint Land Enforcement Hall kill Wei He to protect the Saint Land Enforcement Hall's sanctity out of pressure?!"
"Not me, but you!" Duan Ling Tian shook his head. "I'm merely an ordinary Black Turtle Sanctum's disciple so I daren't spread this news for fear of offending the Saint Land Enforcement Hall. However, as the Black Turtle Sanctum's Enforcement Elder who was appointed by the Saint Land Enforcement Hall, even if you spread this news, the Saint Land Enforcement Hall won't blame you at all, Elder Guo Xiong! Not only that, but if you do so, the Saint Land Enforcement Hall will only think that you're spreading this news out of revenge because of Wei He slandering you!" Duan Ling Tian's words were flawless.
"Duan Ling Tian, you seemed to have everything planned out!" Guo Xiong was stunned by Duan Ling Tian's words. When he regained his senses, he stared at Duan Ling Tian intently. "However, how are you so sure that I'll do as you say and spread this news to pressure the Saint Land Enforcement Hall to kill Wei He?"
"I'm not certain." Duan Ling Tian shook his head. "I'm merely giving you a suggestion, Elder Guo Xiong. As for whether you choose to spread this news or not, it's all up to you! Just like you, although I want him dead, his death would not affect me at all. I, Duan Ling Tian, dare to offend his master, Li An, why would I be afraid of him?" Duan Ling Tian smiled mockingly when he reached the end of his sentence.
"Duan Ling Tian, previously, I thought it was unwise for you to oppose Li An since it seems like you're overestimating yourself. However, right now, why do I suddenly feel that you might be the one who ends up having the last laugh?" Guo Xiong stared at Duan Ling Tian again. He was calm outwardly, but in actual truth, a tempestuous storm had been set off in his heart.
This method of forcing the Saint Land Enforcement Hall to kill Wei He that Duan Ling Tian came up with showed how meticulous he was, unlike other people.
At the very least, Guo Xiong had never thought of this before.
"You flatter me, Elder Guo Xiong. I'm merely an ordinary Black Turtle Sanctum's disciple. How can I possibly fight with Li An? He's our Black Turtle Sanctum's First Silver Flame Elder after all!" Duan Ling Tian smiled humbly but his words were said without sincerity.
Naturally, Guo Xiong could see the insincerity of Duan Ling Tian's words, but he did not point them out.
Guo Xiong smiled indifferently before he said, "Duan Ling Tian, I intend to recommend you to Lord Sanctum Leader as a direct disciple. Duan Ling Tian. If Lord Sanctum Leader agrees to take you as his direct disciple, you won't be punished at all if he recommends you to become a Saint Land disciple. However, when I went to look for Lord Sanctum Leader two months ago, I was told he was at a critical juncture in his closed-door cultivation. For this reason, I didn't interrupt him. Up until now, he has yet to come out."
Guo Xiong continued to add, "If Lord Sanctum Leader still hasn't come out of his closed-door cultivation in a month, I'll have no choice but to personally send you to the First Mine in our Four Symbols Sanctums. However, don't worry, I'll recommend you to Lord Sanctum Leader as soon as he comes out of his closed-door cultivation."
Duan Ling Tian widened his eyes when he heard Guo Xiong's words.
Lord Sanctum Leader was actually in closed-door cultivation?
He instantly dismissed the idea of watching him casting the Divine Ability, the Black Turtle's Barrier.