High Martial Arts: Starting with a Martial Saint Peak Cultivation

After lunch.

Chen Yuan lay on a recliner in the backyard of the mansion, basking in the sun.

The warm sunlight shone on him, and a pot of spiritual tea sat on the small table beside him. The shadowy figure, shrunken to the size of a palm, lay on his stomach snoring.

He was dozing off with his eyes half-closed.

Chen Yuan suddenly sensed a familiar aura entering Dragon Abyss Mountain, heading towards the direction of the Holy Venerable's Mansion.

Lin Mengyao.

"Why is this girl here?" Chen Yuan opened her eyes slightly but did not get up.

really.

Not long after, there was a knock on the gate of the mansion.

Zhao Wenyuan opened the door and quickly led Lin Mengyao through the front yard to the back yard.

"Sir, Miss Lin has arrived."

Chen Yuan nodded, and Zhao Wenyuan tactfully withdrew.

Lin Mengyao was dressed very simply today, in a light blue long dress, with her hair simply tied back.

Instead of her usual lively smile, her face showed a thoughtful expression.

"Teacher Chen."

She walked up to Chen Yuan and called out softly.

Chen Yuan sat up straight and lifted Youying, who was lying on her stomach, and put her aside.

The shadowy figure grunted twice in dissatisfaction.

Then he turned over and went back to sleep.

"What's wrong?" Chen Yuan looked at Lin Mengyao. "Is there something you don't understand about cultivation?"

Lin Mengyao shook her head.

After hesitating for a moment, she bit her lip and said, "Teacher Chen, I... I have something I'd like to ask you."

Seeing her hesitant and awkward manner, Chen Yuan had already guessed seven or eight parts of what was going on.

"Speak."

Lin Mengyao seemed to have made up her mind.

She knew Chen Yuan was straightforward, so she spoke frankly.

"I know that a large part of the reason for the great defeat at the Nutao defense line, which resulted in heavy casualties, was that my great-grandfather underestimated the enemy and advanced recklessly, falling into an ambush."

"The Dragon Martial Division will definitely punish him next. My great-grandfather is old and only recently broke through to Martial Saint. This time, he made a mistake because he was eager to make a contribution..."

"Teacher Chen, I...I would like to ask you to go easy on him and put in a good word for him, so that the punishment can be as light as possible."

She looked at Chen Yuan with pleading in her eyes.

Given Chen Yuan's current strength and status, if he were to speak up, the punishment imposed on his great-grandfather by the Dragon Martial Division would certainly be much lighter.

Chen Yuan remained silent for a moment after listening.

With his current status as the Great Xia National Guardian Saint and Honorary Director of the Dragon Martial Division, if he were to give the word, it wouldn't be a problem to not only give Lin Zuyao a lighter punishment, but even to exempt him from punishment altogether.

But if we really did that, it would chill the hearts of the Great Xia warrior legion and be a disservice to the tens of thousands of warriors who died on the Raging Waves defense line.

But if the punishment is too severe, it will hurt the feelings of the girl in front of me.

And Lin Zuyao felt quite wronged about this matter.

If King Nutao reveals his true cultivation level upon first encountering Lin Zuyao, Lin Zuyao will still be no match for him.

Chen Yuan pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "Mengyao, I understand about this."

"The Dragon Martial Division will hold a special meeting to discuss the punishment. I will take into account the opinions of other elders and set the punishment within a reasonable range."

He neither directly agreed nor refused, but this response gave Lin Mengyao a sense of certainty.

At least Teacher Chen didn't directly refuse, and was willing to get involved in the matter.

Given Chen Yuan's current status, as long as he's willing to speak up, the outcome certainly won't be too bad!

"Thank you, Teacher Chen." Lin Mengyao's eyes were slightly red, and she bowed respectfully.

Chen Yuan waved his hand.

Then, changing the subject, her tone became more relaxed: "Have you had any problems with your cultivation lately?"

Lin Mengyao was stunned for a moment.

I didn't expect Chen Yuan to ask this question suddenly.

However, she quickly realized what she meant and nodded: "Yes."

"Then tell me."

Lin Mengyao composed herself and began to ask questions about cultivation.

Chen Yuan patiently answered her questions one by one, and also pointed out a few techniques for exerting force and details of the circulation of spiritual energy.

Half an hour later, Lin Mengyao got up and took her leave, satisfied.

"Teacher Chen, I'll be going now."

"Um."

Lin Mengyao turned and took a few steps, then looked back at Chen Yuan and whispered, "Thank you."

Then he quickly left.

Chen Yuan watched her departing figure and lay back down in the chair.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on his face.

He closed his eyes, but his mind was racing.

What is the appropriate punishment for Lin Zuyao?

Too light won't work, and too heavy won't work either.

This is something I need to think about carefully.

......

Time flies.

In the blink of an eye, half a month has passed.

Chen Yuan continued to live a leisurely life for the past two weeks, and there were no more large-scale riots or emergencies in the Great Xia Kingdom.

Meanwhile, Lin Zuyao's side...

After half a month of rest, his condition has improved considerably.

The news from the Xuzhou military base is that the Thirteenth Elder is able to get out of bed and move around. Although he is not in his peak condition, he can manage his daily life without any problems.

Discussions within the Dragon Martial Division about how to punish Lin Zuyao have been brewing for the past two weeks.

at last.

Two weeks later, at noon, the formal online meeting began.

......

At noon that day, Chen Yuan was lying in the backyard sunbathing.

As usual, Youying lay on his stomach snoring, and a pot of freshly brewed spiritual tea was placed on the small table.

The purple-gold holy deity token at his waist suddenly vibrated.

Chen Yuan picked it up and saw that it was a meeting invitation sent by Zhou Qing.

"Chief Chen, regarding the punishment of Elder Thirteen, Lin Zuyao, please attend the online meeting."

Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow.

coming.

He focused his mind on the Holy Decree, and his consciousness instantly entered a virtual conference room space.

This is an online meeting system used exclusively by the senior management of Longwu Division. It can simulate a real meeting room scene, allowing all participants to appear in the same space with virtual avatars.

Chen Yuan's virtual avatar appeared next to the main seat in the conference room, a seat reserved specifically for the head of the Honor Division.

The meeting room was spacious, with a long table and a dozen chairs around it.

Zhou Qing was already seated in the main seat, his expression unreadable.

The virtual avatars of other elders also appeared one after another.

Third Elder, Fourth Elder, Fifth Elder, Sixth Elder, Seventh Elder, Eighth Elder, Ninth Elder...

One by one, figures coalesced on the chair.

Including Chen Yuan and Zhou Qing, there are thirteen people in total.

All of the Martial Saint-level combatants from the Dragon Martial Division, except for Lin Zuyao, were present.

"Everyone is here."

Zhou Qing glanced at everyone present and spoke in a calm voice.

"The reason for calling this meeting today is to discuss a matter concerning the punishment of Elder Lin Zuyao, the Thirteenth Elder, for underestimating the enemy and advancing recklessly during the Battle of the Raging Waves Cave, which led to the collapse of the defensive line."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone.

"Elders, please feel free to speak your minds."

The meeting room was silent for a few seconds.

Chen Yuan leaned back in his chair without saying a word.

He wanted to hear other people's opinions first.

The Third Elder spoke first. He was an elderly man with gray hair and an upright character.

"Master, Elder Thirteen has indeed made a serious mistake this time. Tens of thousands of soldiers have died, and even more have been wounded. This responsibility is no small matter."

"I suggest removing him from his position as the thirteenth elder, fining him for ten years, and sending him to the General Affairs Department to receive thirty Soul-Suppressing Whips. The Lin family should also pay for the compensation of the soldiers who died in the Battle of the Raging Waves."

These words immediately sparked a buzz of discussion in the conference room.

The Fifth Elder was a middle-aged woman with a relatively gentle personality. She was the one who represented the Dragon Martial Division to congratulate Lin Zuyao when he broke through to the Martial Saint realm.

"Third brother, Elder Lin is also eager to make a contribution. He just broke through to Martial Saint and wants to prove himself. I can understand his feelings."

"Besides, he was seriously injured and almost lost his life. I think we can be lenient and spare him the thirty Soul-Suppressing Whips."

The Seventh Elder shook her head: "Fifth Sister, how can we just let go of the lives of tens of thousands of martial artists with the Soul-Suppressing Whip? What will the parents of those fallen warriors think of us?"

"I think Third Brother makes a good point. Those who should be dismissed should be dismissed, and those who should be punished should be punished. Otherwise, who will take the discipline of the Dragon Martial Division seriously in the future?"

The Eighth Elder interjected, "Dismissal is appropriate, but isn't thirty Soul-Suppressing Whips too harsh?"

"Moreover, the fall of the Raging Waves Cave defense line is not entirely the fault of the Thirteenth Elder. If the Raging Waves King had revealed his true strength from the beginning, the Thirteenth Elder still wouldn't have been able to stop him."

"Then reduce it to ten lashes, but the dismissal remains the same."

"I think we should dismiss him first, and deal with the matter of the Soul-Suppressing Whip after Elder Thirteen has recovered..."

The meeting room erupted in a cacophony of conflicting opinions.

The Third Elder, Seventh Elder, Tenth Elder, and Eleventh Elder were biased towards severe punishment.

The Fifth Elder, Eighth Elder, and Twelfth Elder were inclined to give a lighter sentence.

The Fourth Elder and Ning Yutang held a neutral stance, believing that punishment was warranted, but not too severe.

Chen Yuan listened quietly without saying a word.

He noted that four elders favored severe punishment, three favored leniency, and four were in the middle.

Including Zhou Qing, who hasn't yet expressed his opinion, and himself, there are a total of thirteen people.

Currently, the faction advocating for severe punishment seems to have the upper hand.

The discussion lasted for almost the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, but no conclusion was reached.

Zhou Qing listened to everyone's opinions.

He cleared his throat, ready to give a summary.

"I have heard everyone's opinions, and overall, most elders believe that we should..."

He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence.

His gaze unconsciously drifted to Chen Yuan, who was stretching his neck.

Because from the start of the meeting until now, this honorary chief has not uttered a single word.

Zhou Qing's heart skipped a beat.

Director Chen... has something on his mind?

He quickly changed the subject: "Chief Chen, do you have any opinions?"

The meeting room fell silent instantly.

All eyes were on Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan spoke slowly, his tone calm.

"The great defeat of the Fury Waves defense line was indeed caused by the Thirteenth Elder's underestimation of the enemy and his reckless advance."

"But I think the Eighth Elder is right. If the Raging Wave King had shown his true strength from the beginning, the Thirteenth Elder would still have been no match for him, and the situation of the Raging Wave defense line would still be very bad."

"I think punishment is acceptable, but it shouldn't be too severe. After all, we can't blame Elder Thirteen entirely."

In just a few words, he remained impartial and unbiased.

There was neither cover-up nor calls for violence.

The meeting room fell silent again.

Everyone began to reconsider their wording.

Chief Chen spoke up, and his attitude was very clear: it couldn't be too harsh!

Those who previously supported severe punishment should think carefully.

The Third Elder opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately remained silent.

Although he is upright, he is not stupid.

Who would dare disrespect Chief Chen?

The tenth and eleventh elders exchanged a glance and then fell silent.

And just then...

A figure suddenly stood up.

The Ninth Elder had a square face, thick eyebrows, and big eyes; he looked like a kind and honest person.

At that moment, his face was beaming with smiles, and his voice was so loud that it shook the entire conference room.

"Director Chen is absolutely right!"

He slammed his fist on the table, his face full of righteous indignation.

"I was just saying that although the thirteenth prince made a mistake, it's not entirely his fault. We can't put all the blame for the fall of the raging tide defense line on him!"

"Moreover, he himself was seriously injured and almost lost his life. This lesson should be profound enough!"

"I think it's better to be lenient! It shouldn't be too harsh!"

He spoke with great enthusiasm, spittle flying everywhere.

It was as if he wasn't among those who had just supported severe punishment.

The entire conference room was deathly silent.

The Third Elder's lips twitched twice, and the Fifth Elder's eyes widened.

That's a really fast change of expression!

Ning Yutang couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "Ninth Elder, that's not what you just said..."

The Ninth Elder remained calm and composed, his face radiating righteousness: "I was just throwing out a preliminary idea to get everyone to share their opinions first, and then I would summarize!"

"Now that Chief Chen has pointed out the direction, I naturally give my full support!"

As he spoke, he gave Chen Yuan a fawning smile.