Chapter 46: My Reason Holds the Greatest Weight

Guo Xiaoshan had only just begun his cultivation and had not yet learned much; naturally, he could only understand fragments of the discussion, but even so, he could tell that terms like “smuggler” and “realm traitor” were far from compliments. Bewildered, he nodded, silently committing the words to memory.

Within the side hall to the right, aside from Yu Guo’s half-dismembered corpse, there were several jade tables, stone benches, palace lanterns, and other items. Though their size was immense, they at least looked fitting—this was likely the place where the master of the Crystal Palace entertained guests.

The layout of the Crystal Palace was simple, exuding a grand and unrestrained air. Aside from the spiritual pool at the entrance, which had a restriction to prevent the spiritual liquid from evaporating, there were no other arrays or prohibitions. Judging by the scale, the original owner had little need for such elaborate contrivances.

On the other side, though the pool’s restriction was but a casual measure to keep the spiritual energy from dissipating, for Sima Changfeng and his companions, it was already the work of a true master. Even the formation grandmaster among them was stumped by this ancient restriction; forget breaking it, they could not even devise a strategy to do so in a short time.

As the initial excitement faded, everyone gathered in the main hall. Upon beholding the piles of rare treasures scattered about, they were momentarily stunned, then moved to snatch what they could.

Unexpectedly, a veil of dark water rose, pressing them all immobile. Needless to say, this was Chen Yang’s handiwork.

Chen Yang understood the nature of these cultivators all too well. Without some restraint, even with so many treasures, nothing would remain after they were through.

Seeing the riches before them, resentment naturally arose in the hearts of the crowd, but there was nothing they could do. No matter how they felt toward Chen Yang, none dared show it on their faces.

After a while, the group made their way to the right hall. There, having paid their respects to Chen Yang, they also saw Yu Guo’s corpse.

First came horror, then disbelief, and finally utter despair.

“No ascension, no immortality? Then what’s the point of cultivation?”

An elderly Nascent Soul cultivator, whose lifespan was already near its end, broke down on the spot. His spirit faltered, vital energy drained, and his magic spiraled out of control. His Nascent Soul withered rapidly.

The rest, lost in their own despair, were jolted awake, their expressions changing drastically.

“Brother Liu!”

“Fellow Daoist Liu!”

The spiritual power grew ever more violent, swelling his body grotesquely.

“It’s all a lie, everything’s a lie. Immortality is a lie, ascension is a lie, everything is a lie...”

With a sickening crack, his body exploded, flesh and blood spraying everywhere. Chen Yang frowned slightly and waved a hand to shield himself from the flying gore.

“Senior…”

The voice was full of grief and anger; it belonged to a close friend of the old Nascent Soul cultivator.

Already aggrieved by being blocked from the treasures in the main hall, and with only Sima Changfeng truly acquainted with Chen Yang’s temperament, most had come to believe that Chen Yang was not as fearsome as Sima painted him. After more than a month with no display of anger, they thought him approachable.

Now, in their agitation and confusion, they began to question Chen Yang.

“We’ve labored for you for many years, Senior. Even if we have no accomplishments, we have worked hard. You possess such vast power—why did you stand by as Brother Liu…”

Before he could finish, another spoke bitterly, “How can you be so heartless, Senior?”

Sima Changfeng’s face changed instantly, and he barked, “Mind your words, fellow Daoists!”

But his words were like poking a hornet’s nest. Apart from Shangguan Yun, the others all began to voice their accusations.

Guo Xiaoshan, who had just been feeling sorry for the old man, turned red with anger when he heard them blaming his own master. Leaping in front of Chen Yang, he shouted, “It was his own failing—how can you blame my master? You… you…”

Having no formal education, he could not find the right words, which only made him blush all the more.

Chen Yang was quite pleased. With a radiant smile, he patted his foolish disciple on the shoulder and said softly, “Silly child, what sense is there in reasoning with the dead?”

“Please calm your anger, Senior, please…” Sima Changfeng was alarmed, but before he could finish, a river of blood surged from behind Chen Yang, engulfing the entire hall in an instant.

“Spare us, Senior!”

“Senior, we were wrong!”

“Senior…”

Crimson filled every direction, murderous intent suffused the air. A faint sword light flitted about, and soon the cries faded into silence. When the blood receded, the once-clamorous hall was now eerily quiet and spotless.

Sima Changfeng and Shangguan Yun fell to their knees, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

Chen Yang smiled faintly, his hand resting on the sword Yuan Tu. The killing intent remained, as he chuckled, “Reform, turn over a new leaf? I spoke of it lightly, and yet they truly believed me?”

The two men’s lips quivered, but they could not utter a word. The suffocating murderous aura had utterly broken their courage.

Now, they wanted nothing more than to stay as far from Chen Yang as possible. Immortality, ascension, celestial abodes—none of it mattered anymore. Survival was all they wished for.

Ten fellow Daoists, gone in an instant—completely gone.

Chen Yang laughed, ignoring the two frightened wretches. Taking his disciple by the hand, he left the celestial mansion and began arranging the Great Water-Generating Formation, using the Crystal Palace as the core and the Profound Element Water Controlling Banner as the anchor treasure. With the oceanic abyss as the base, he set out to refine the True Water of Heaven’s Origin.

“Master, wasn’t that… a bit too harsh?”

After a long moment, the foolish boy finally spoke.

“Too harsh? If anything, it was ruthlessly excessive,” Chen Yang said with a slight smile, then asked, “If it were you, what would you have done?”

The foolish boy pondered, then replied uncertainly, “Reason with them?”

Chen Yang nodded. “That’s not impossible. But what if they won’t listen and instead come up with even more crooked arguments to refute you? You saw it just now—I did nothing, yet simply because I didn’t save someone, they turned their resentment on me. Such blame, so unwarranted.”

The boy was struck dumb, sweat breaking out on his brow.

Chen Yang continued as he arranged the formation, “If you can’t out-argue them, they’ll force their twisted reasoning upon you—what then?”

The foolish boy could only break out in a cold sweat.

Chen Yang went on, “If you accept it, you become like them. If you refuse, they’ll call you a demon, a heretic, a…”

“Master, please stop—I know I was wrong.” Guo Xiaoshan was dispirited, wanting to refute but unable to deny the sense in his master’s words.

Chen Yang laughed heartily, gave his silly disciple a flick on the forehead, and said, “Wrong, my foot! Is my reasoning always right?”

“What is the purpose of our cultivation? It is to make our own reasoning the strongest, to keep others’ crooked reasoning from prevailing over ours.”

“You are not wrong, and neither am I. I hope that in the future, you will take your own reasoning and debate with me face to face, not simply admit fault.”