Primordial Era: A God-Level Choice, Possessing Zhao Gongming at the Start

Chapter 87 Punishing Disciples and Eliminating Hidden Dangers

Upon hearing Zhao Gongming's punishment of Jin Guangxian, the Shangqing disciples who were watching all sighed in dismay.

To seclude oneself for a thousand years to purify the evil energy within one's body—the punishment seems insignificant; a nap or a good night's sleep would suffice.

In reality, for a cultivator to purify the bloodthirsty aura within themselves, they need to concentrate their energy and spirit, and persevere with supreme magical power, continuously cultivating their character and temperament in order to gradually eliminate it.

This is a process that severely tests one's mental state, and it is ten times more difficult than cultivation.

For someone as unruly as Jin Guangxian, it was like being a mischievous, unstudious elementary school student.

It's like making him study 24/7, and with utmost seriousness, for several years.

As expected, Jin Guangxian's face immediately turned ashen upon hearing this.

He wanted to beg for mercy and ask for a different punishment, but then he remembered how Zhao Gongming had just decisively defeated Huang Quan Daoren.

His heart sank to the bottom, and he dared not have any more hope. He stepped out of the line, dejected.

"Jin Guangxian accepts the order."

Zhao Gongming nodded slightly, his gaze then falling on the Three Immortals.

"Keep a close eye on Jin Guangxian. If you find him slacking off, double the punishment and double the time he spends facing the wall in silence."

"Yes, Senior Brother."

The three immortals, full of energy, nodded cheerfully and gave Jin Guangxian a smug smile, which startled Jin Guangxian so much that he trembled.

Being watched over by the Three Immortal Sisters, the next thousand years will probably be filled with darkness.

After dealing with Jin Guangxian, Zhao Gongming waved his hand and summoned Huangquan Daoren.

With a thought, the golden ropes binding the Yellow Springs Taoist were released, transforming into countless golden lotuses that surged back into the Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner.

Zhao Gongming looked at Huang Quan Daoist with a solemn expression, "Huang Quan, do you confess your crimes?"

"Confess!"

Huangquan Daoist lowered his head, his heart filled with conflict.

He would be resentful if Zhao Gongming defeated him with the help of his master.

However, Zhao Gongming relied on his own spiritual treasure, and even Huang Quan couldn't find anything wrong with that. After all, he had such a powerful master.

"Then do you know where you went wrong?"

Huang Quan honestly replied, "You rely on your seniority and strength to disregard the rules of the Shangqing lineage. I accept the punishment."

Zhao Gongming nodded slightly, "Considering that you haven't been a disciple for long and have shown a good attitude in admitting your mistakes, I will only punish you by making you face the wall for a thousand years."

Huang Quan Dao Ren's eyes lit up slightly; this punishment was much lighter than that of Jin Guangxian.

In the blink of an eye, it was over. Huangquan Daoren cupped his hands to Zhao Gongming and said, "Huangquan obeys."

In the Shangqing Palace, Tongtian stood with his hands behind his back, his whole body exuding a pure and elegant aura.

He looked at Zhao Gongming's punishment and nodded slightly. The punishment was neither too lenient nor too severe; it was just right.

This shows that their eldest disciple is sensible and has not acted recklessly.

But Tongtian always felt that his family's grand gathering of so many disciples from the Shangqing lineage was not simply to deal with Jin Guang's matter; there must be other purposes behind it.

"I'd like to see what he'll do next."

Tongtian patiently continued reading.

At Shangqing Square, Zhao Gongming ordered his men to take away Jin Guangxian and Huangquan Daoren.

Zhao Gongming's demeanor changed drastically. He scanned the disciples of the Shangqing lineage in Shangqing Square, his expression turned solemn, and he slowly spoke.

"Fellow disciples, do you know why I summoned you all for the Shangqing Council meeting as soon as I returned, and why I punished Jin Guangxian and Huangquan Daoren?"

"have no idea"

Many disciples of the Shangqing lineage shook their heads, their faces showing a hint of confusion.

"The reason I did this is because my Shangqing lineage is about to face a great calamity."

Zhao Gongming spoke slowly and deliberately, his expression more serious and solemn than ever before.

"What? My Shangqing lineage is about to face a great calamity?"

"How could that be? With the Three Pure Ones guarding Kunlun Mountain, who in the primordial world would dare to act recklessly on Kunlun Mountain?"

"Exactly, even the Demon Emperor Jun, Donghuang Taiyi, and the Twelve Ancestral Witches probably wouldn't dare to make such a boast, would they?"

Zhao Gongming's words were like a ladle of hot water poured directly into a boiling oil pan, creating endless waves.

Every Shangqing disciple's face was filled with astonishment and disbelief.

Even Duobao Daoren and the Three Immortals couldn't understand what their senior brother meant.

The Shangqing lineage is facing imminent disaster; this is not a casual remark.

Inside the Shangqing Palace, Tongtian frowned. "Is my Shangqing lineage facing imminent disaster? Could it be that someone thinks the Four Swords of Zhuxian in my hands are no longer sharp enough?"

If any disciple of the Qing lineage said this, Tongtian would not tolerate it and would have to let him taste the power of the Four Swords of Zhuxian.

It was Zhao Gongming who said this, and Tongtian decided to see what his eldest disciple really meant.

On Shangqing Square, Zhao Gongming waved his hand, signaling everyone to calm down. He looked at everyone and slowly asked a question.

"Before we get to the main topic, I'd like to ask you all a question: what is the most important thing for a lineage, a sect, or a power?"

"Tradition? Sect? The most important thing?"

The disciples were stunned; they hadn't expected Zhao Gongming to ask such a question.

After a moment's thought, they began to offer a variety of opinions.

"Overall strength!"

"Number of disciples."

"It should be a self-contained system of inheritance."

"No, I think it should be the lineage, the power of the sect leader."

But Zhao Gongming shook his head in unison upon hearing these answers.

"What you've said is all important, but it's not the core issue."

Upon hearing Zhao Gongming's question, Wu Yunxian slowly stepped forward.

"The most important thing for a lineage or sect should be its destiny!"

"Yes, that's right, it's luck."

Wu Yunxian's words gave Zhao Gongming a more certain look.

"Fortune, seemingly intangible and elusive, is omnipresent and ubiquitous, and is the most important aspect of a tradition or sect."

"When the lineage's fortune is prosperous, powerful figures will emerge from within it. If its fortune is weak, the lineage will naturally decline in a few years."

The disciples of the Shangqing lineage were all a bit confused, not knowing what Zhao Gongming meant.

Seeing the confusion on everyone's faces, Zhao Gongming casually stretched out his hand and pointed to a tiger demon in the square whose aura of bloodlust was quite strong and whose aura was at the level of a Taiyi Golden Immortal.

"Tell me, what have you been doing since you joined the Kunlun Mountains?"

The tiger demon, its face filled with fear, stammered, "Brother Senior, since joining Kunlun Mountain, I have been cultivating there."

"nonsense!"

Zhao Gongming's face turned cold. "Look at your thick aura of bloodlust. Do you also want to end up like Jin Guangxian, reflecting on your mistakes in seclusion?"

The tiger demon immediately broke out in a cold sweat and dared not speak nonsense anymore. "After I joined Kunlun Mountain, I would go down the mountain every few years to find some blood food to eat."

Zhao Gongming's face revealed an expression of "I knew it," and the next moment, he pointed to a wolf demon at the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm, "And you?"

The wolf demon was unruly, but under Zhao Gongming's oppressive aura, it trembled like a leaf.

"Brother Lin, like Brother Hu, I go down the mountain every few years to find some blood food to eat."

Zhao Gongming continued, "You have already reached a certain level in cultivating the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, and should be absorbing innate spiritual energy and nourishing yourselves with the rosy clouds and dew."

"It's one thing to have committed countless acts of killing before even joining our sect, but to join the Kunlun Shangqing lineage and still have to live like a savage, committing endless acts of killing? Do you even realize the immense karma you've already accumulating on yourselves?"

(End of this chapter)