Transform into ancestral tablets and create a supreme immortal clan.

Gu Zongyi is the most outstanding among the younger generation of the Gu family.

He had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage before he was thirty years old.

He is now at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

In the eyes of the elders of the Gu family, Gu Zongyi has a very high chance of forming his core in the future.

Even more hopeful than Gu Hanjiang, an elder who had reached the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment.

In the world of cultivation, countless cultivators, even with the aid of the Golden Core, spend their entire lives only to reach the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment stage.

I could never get over that hurdle, not even until I died!

Gu Hanjiang has always taken good care of this younger generation of the family, and even occasionally gives them some cultivation resources.

He genuinely liked this junior!

However, Ni Xingzhou wanted him to personally take action to destroy Gu Zongyi in accordance with the orthodox sect's rules.

The hatred in Gu Hanjiang's heart surged up suddenly, almost uncontrollable.

As Gu Hanjiang's roar echoed through the cave on Tianquan Peak, news of Ni Xingzhou's refusal to plead with the Gu family had already quietly spread throughout Qixing Mountain.

Deep within the dungeon of the torture chamber, in a cold and damp stone room, Gu Zongyi huddled in a corner, his severed arm already roughly treated.

However, with his dantian sealed, he lost all his cultivation and was now no different from an ordinary person.

His eyes were filled with resentment and bitterness, but even more so with hope for his family's rescue.

He was the pride of heaven, the hope for the future of his family, and he didn't want to be a good-for-nothing.

"Senior Brother Zongyi."

Outside the prison gate, a figure dressed in the uniform of a law enforcement officer quietly arrived, lowering his voice: "I am Gu Mingxuan from a collateral branch of the Gu family, here on the orders of the family head."

Gu Zongyi looked up abruptly, hope igniting in his eyes: "Has the patriarch made any arrangements?"

Gu Mingxuan looked around to make sure no one was listening, then quickly took out a jade slip from his sleeve: "The patriarch has sent you a message, insisting that you deny practicing any demonic arts, and that the bone banner was obtained by chance and that you have never practiced it."

"As for harming fellow disciples, it can be claimed that they were influenced by inner demons and acted in a moment of confusion. The patriarch is mobilizing all his resources to exert pressure and ensure that the punishment hall deals with them leniently."

"That bastard, the Reversible Boat..." Gu Zongyi gritted his teeth.

"The family has already made arrangements." A cold glint flashed in Gu Mingxuan's eyes.

"A mere head of the Punishment Hall, even if he is a direct disciple of the head of Tianquan Peak, is only at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage."

With a Golden Core cultivator as their ancestor, how could the Gu family allow him to act recklessly?

Gu Zongyi took a deep breath, gripped the jade slip tightly, and calmed himself down a bit.

The next morning, in the main hall of the Seven Star Mountain Punishment Hall.

Ni Xingzhou sat in the main seat, with a pile of files on the jade table in front of him.

Twelve executioners stood on either side, all with solemn expressions.

The palace doors suddenly opened, and three figures entered together.

The leader had white hair and beard, but a ruddy complexion. He wore a purple robe embroidered with a golden alchemy furnace pattern and was none other than Gu Yunsong, the patriarch of the Gu family's Golden Elixir Cultivation lineage.

They are both Golden Core cultivators from Seven Star Mountain!

Behind him were two people, one of whom was Gu Hanshan, the eldest elder of the Gu family.

The other person is Gu Lingfeng, the head of the Gu family.

As the three stepped into the hall, the solemn atmosphere suddenly became heavy.

"Master Ni, I have come uninvited and apologize for disturbing you." Gu Yunsong's voice was calm, yet it carried an air of authority that came from someone who had long held a high position.

Ni Xingzhou rose and bowed respectfully: "The presence of Senior Uncle Gu is an honor to our humble abode. May I ask what brings you here, Senior Uncle?"

Gu Yunsong got straight to the point: "I've come for my good-for-nothing grandson, Gu Zongyi."

He walked into the hall and glanced at the stewards on both sides: "Master Ni, I have already heard about Zong Yi's matter."

He did indeed make a mistake this time and deserves to be punished.

However, considering his past contributions to the sect and that this is his first offense, could he be given a lighter sentence?

Ni Xingzhou remained expressionless: "Uncle-Master, the evidence of Gu Zongyi's harm to his fellow disciples is conclusive, and it is also a fact that he privately forged demonic artifacts."

According to the sect's rules, his cultivation should be abolished and he should be expelled from the sect.

If the circumstances are serious, the penalty could even be death.

Gu Hanshan stepped forward, his voice slightly urgent: "Sect Master Ni, Zong Yi was, after all, the personal disciple of the head of Yuheng Peak. If he is punished too severely, it may damage the sect's reputation."

Besides, who can guarantee that the demonic bone banner wasn't planted by someone else?

"The origins of this young man, Nanshan Yu, are unknown, and his rise to prominence is sudden; there may well be something fishy about it."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of several stewards in the hall changed slightly.

Nanshan Yu has recently gained fame within the sect, especially for the story of severing Gu Zongyi's right arm with a single sword strike, which has become a hot topic.

A cold glint flashed in Ni Xingzhou's eyes: "Gu Hanshan, are you questioning the Criminal Hall's investigation?"

This is Qixing Mountain, not your ancient family's territory.

"I wouldn't dare," Gu Hanshan hurriedly replied. "I only hope that the Punishment Hall can conduct a thorough investigation and not be swayed by biased information."

Gu Lingfeng chimed in, "Master Ni, the Gu family is willing to offer a 'Condensing Essence Pill' and a top-grade spiritual artifact as compensation in exchange for leniency towards Zong Yi."

The Gu family will personally go to apologize to the victimized disciple and ensure their satisfaction.

Condensing Essence Pill is an auxiliary pill for Foundation Establishment cultivators to break through to the Golden Core realm. Although it is far inferior to Condensing Golden Pill, it is still very precious and equally rare.

The Gu family's gesture this time can be described as extremely generous.

A soft gasp filled the hall, and several deacons exchanged glances, clearly wavering.

After a moment of silence, Ni Xingzhou suddenly asked, "Do the three of you know how Gu Zongyi harmed the sect's disciples?"

Gu Yunsong frowned slightly: "It's nothing more than a misunderstanding. In any case, there's no danger to our lives right now."

Ni Xingzhou's voice was calm, yet every word was clear: "Three months ago, the Nan Shan Yu brothers were ambushed with a demonic soul-devouring curse, damaging their souls and nearly causing their Dao foundation to collapse."

If Nanshan Yu hadn't discovered this in time and found a secret method to save him, he would have already been annihilated.

He stood up and stepped down from the main seat: "At the time, the criminal investigation department conducted various investigations, but to no avail, and they did not know who was responsible for the injury."

On that day, Gu Zongyi also received the mission to investigate the "Blood Corpse of Shangshan", but he was the only one who was safe and sound, and was not affected by the evil magic in the slightest.

The disciples from the sect who accompanied them were either dead or injured, or suffered from memory loss and could not recall the cause and effect of their events.

Now, Gu Zongyi has practiced such demonic arts and is proficient in them, a skill that took him far more than a day to acquire.

"Uncle-Master Gu, could you please tell the officers of the Punishment Hall why this is?"

The three men, including Gu Yunsong, had slightly somber expressions.

Ni Xingzhou continued, "More importantly, after a thorough investigation by the Punishment Hall, it was found that in the past ten years, a total of seven disciples in Seven Star Mountain have died or gone missing under mysterious circumstances."

All three of them had close contact with Gu Zongyi.

"If this hadn't come to light, who knows how many more fellow disciples would have fallen victim to his cruelty."

He paused, his gaze sharp as lightning: "Do the three of you believe that such actions can be offset by a single pill or a magical artifact?"

Gu Hanshan's face turned ashen: "Is the rebellious Hall Master determined to make things difficult for my Gu family?"

"I act solely in accordance with the rules and regulations of the sect."

Ni Xingzhou stood firm: "Gu Zongyi's crimes are undeniable, and he should be severely punished according to the law. If he can be spared because of his family's power, what will become of the sect's authority? How will the other disciples view this?"

Gu Yunsong gave Ni Xingzhou a deep look: "Sect Leader Ni, I understand your insistence. But matters of the sect are not always black and white."

The Gu family served Qixing Mountain for three hundred years, and thirty-seven members of the family died in battle for the sect.

Isn't this affection enough to buy a chance for redemption?