I Can Add Points Infinitely - Chapter 36

“Third Brother, there’s no need to be so hasty. I’m fully aware of what I’m doing,” the Seventh Elder replied calmly, unphased by the Third Elder’s aggressive tone.

“I have it on good authority that there’s more to this story. It was Lu E who first attacked Shen Lian, even resorting to a deadly move with the intent to kill him. Shen Lian had no choice but to defend himself, leading to Lu E’s unfortunate death,” the Seventh Elder explained evenly.

“Unfortunate death?” the Third Elder scoffed. “You make it sound like a simple mistake, but you can’t just absolve your disciple with a few words. You must think very highly of yourself.”

“So what do you propose?” the Seventh Elder asked, spreading his hands in a show of helplessness.

“Hand Shen Lian over to me. I will personally interrogate him. If it’s determined that he had no malicious intent, I won’t pursue the matter further,” the Third Elder said coldly.

“That’s impossible!” The Seventh Elder immediately refused, without a moment’s hesitation. There was no way he would hand Shen Lian over. He knew all too well what methods a Golden Core stage cultivator like the Third Elder could use. If Shen Lian were handed over, the best-case scenario would be him becoming crippled, if not worse.

“You refuse? Then you’re openly shielding this boy?” the Third Elder demanded, stepping forward, his voice rising with anger.

“And what if I am?” the Seventh Elder retorted, his own temper flaring as he refused to back down.

“Cough, cough…”

As the two elders appeared ready to engage in a battle right there in the inner sect, the First Elder, who had been standing quietly in the corner, cleared his throat and stepped forward.

Having already spoken with his disciples, he now moved to the center of the room and, after a moment of contemplation, said, “Brothers, this matter concerns the sect’s rules. We cannot handle it lightly.”

“What does Senior Brother suggest?” the Third and Seventh Elders both turned to him.

The First Elder stroked his beard thoughtfully before replying, “In my opinion, we should summon the Sect Leader and let him decide.”

“I have no objections,” the Seventh Elder agreed immediately.

The Third Elder hesitated, clearly unwilling to involve the Sect Leader, but he realized that refusing at this point would make him look guilty. Reluctantly, he agreed as well.

The First Elder led the group, and all the others followed, heading towards the main hall on the mountain peak. The disciples, who had participated in the secret realm trial and were potential witnesses, also followed.

Before long, they arrived at the peak and stopped outside the grand hall. The First Elder approached one of the gatekeepers and exchanged a few quiet words. Soon after, a disciple was sent to report the situation.

Moments later, the great doors of the hall swung open, and the group slowly ascended the steps and entered the hall.

Since Shen Lian had joined the Azure Cloud Sect, even counting the three years before his current life, he had never met the Sect Leader. This was his first time, and he couldn’t help feeling a bit anxious.

Once inside the hall, he stole a glance at the large throne at the front. There sat an elderly man with kind eyes and a gentle demeanor. On the surface, he appeared ordinary, but upon closer inspection, Shen Lian could sense an overwhelming and deep pressure emanating from him, far surpassing that of any other elder.

“Nascent Soul!” Shen Lian instantly realized the man’s cultivation level. As for what level within Nascent Soul, Shen Lian was still too inexperienced to discern.

“What brings you all here with such a commotion?” the Sect Leader asked softly, his voice calm and without a hint of emotion.

“Honored Sect Leader, it’s like this…” The First Elder bowed respectfully and then stepped forward to explain the situation.

“I see,” the Sect Leader nodded slowly after hearing the account. His gaze then drifted down to Shen Lian. “Where is Shen Lian?”

“Disciple Shen Lian, at your service, Sect Leader!” Shen Lian stepped forward and bowed deeply.

The Sect Leader nodded slightly, his expression unreadable. After a moment’s pause, he asked, “Before you entered the secret realm, your cultivation was at the third level of Qi Refinement?”

“Yes, Sect Leader, that is correct,” Shen Lian replied firmly.

“And how did you suddenly advance to the peak of the tenth level?” the Sect Leader inquired.

“Disciple was fortunate to encounter an opportunity in the secret realm. I discovered a spiritual spring that could be easily absorbed without the need for refinement. After absorbing the entire spring, my cultivation advanced to its current level,” Shen Lian explained, his voice steady as he recited the excuse he had prepared.

“Hmm.” The Sect Leader nodded again. In the vast world of cultivation, there were countless rare treasures, and a spiritual spring with such properties was not unheard of. There was no need to delve deeper into this matter.

After a moment of contemplation, the Sect Leader continued, “Shen Lian, can you repeat the move you used to kill Lu E?”

“Yes, Sect Leader,” Shen Lian replied, though he was unsure of the Sect Leader’s intentions.

“Good. Then demonstrate that sword technique once more, with me as your target,” the Sect Leader said calmly.

“What? But…” Shen Lian was taken aback, hesitating as he said, “Sect Leader, that move is quite powerful, and I’m not very good at controlling its strength. It was because of this that I accidentally killed Senior Brother Lu E…”

“Haha… Just attack as you see fit; don’t worry about harming me,” the Sect Leader said with a confident smile.

Shen Lian hesitated for a long time, putting on a show of reluctance, until the Sect Leader urged him several times. Finally, he “reluctantly” agreed.

He steadied himself, and with a flick of his wrist, the Blue Jade Sword appeared in his hand.

The Sect Leader’s eyes gleamed with interest when he saw the spirit sword in Shen Lian’s hand, but he remained unmoved. Then, in an instant, Shen Lian’s sword swung up from a low angle, slashing swiftly with a hint of sword intent woven into the strike.

“Shing!”

For a brief moment, the very space seemed to be sliced apart. A barely visible black line streaked through the air, cutting towards the Sect Leader’s chest.

The Sect Leader’s eyes finally revealed a trace of surprise. With a casual motion, he reached out with two fingers, catching the attack between them.

“Buzz…”

The space trembled slightly, and a moment later, the unusual phenomena vanished, returning the hall to normal as if nothing had happened.

The Sect Leader glanced down at his fingers, noticing two thin sword marks that had cut into them, with blood slowly seeping out. However, a flash of his profound spiritual energy healed the wound instantly, leaving no trace of injury.

‘This is sword intent… No, it’s too weak… It must be a rudimentary form of sword intent,’ the Sect Leader mused, his eyes reflecting understanding.

He paused for a moment before looking back at Shen Lian and asked softly, “When did you learn that move?”

“Reporting to the Sect Leader, I don’t know how it happened. When I faced Senior Brother Lu E’s attack, I just somehow managed to use it in that moment,” Shen Lian replied, putting on a “bewildered” expression and speaking honestly.

“There is great fear between life and death, and in such pressure, one can gain sudden insight. Not bad, you’re quite a promising talent,” the Sect Leader said with a smile, nodding approvingly.

“Senior Brother…” The Third Elder, seeing the Sect Leader’s expression turn to one of praise, grew anxious and couldn’t help but call out.

The Sect Leader turned his gaze toward the Third Elder, his eyes calm and detached. The meaning behind that look was clear only to the Third Elder himself.

Seeing the Sect Leader’s indifferent gaze, the Third Elder immediately felt a chill run down his spine, and he quickly bowed his head, not daring to say another word.