Law Hall, Law Enforcement Elder Ke Yizong stood at the entrance on Wukang Mountain.

Following the lead of a Wukang Mountain disciple, Xiang Laner carefully followed, seeming very cautious.

Standing in front of the hall, the guiding disciple reported, "Elder, the person has arrived."

Without needing a reminder, Elder Ke, who sat behind the desk, had already fixated his gaze on Xiang Laner. Her cautious and uneasy demeanor was understandable, and her beauty made him realize why Bian Weikang was so infatuated with her.

"Greetings to the elder," Xiang Laner bowed slightly as a sign of respect.

Elder Ke waved his hand, dismissing the disciple. Once it was just the two of them left in the hall, he finally spoke, "Are you sure that you truly wish to stay by Bian Weikang's side forever?"

Although Xiang Laner seemed a bit nervous, she replied with dignity, "This heart can be seen by heaven and earth."

Elder Ke nodded slightly, "Good, it's rare to see true lovers. I am willing to support you by offering you a chance to become a disciple of Wukang Mountain. Do you want it?"

Xiang Laner looked up in surprise, paused for quite a while before affirming, "Yes."

In fact, even if he hadn't mentioned it, she already knew what this was about; an insider had already informed her in advance.

Elder Ke, "There will be a grand event in Shengshen Continent called the 'Sky Rain Meteor Conference.' Have you heard of it?"

Xiang Laner, a bit puzzled, still earnestly replied, "I have recently heard my lord mention it."

Elder Ke, "Good to know. As per the rules, Wukang Mountain must send five disciples to participate in the conference, and this is an opportunity for you. Would you like to join Wukang Mountain and become a Wukang Mountain disciple?"

Xiang Laner was stunned on the spot, her expression gradually turning bitter as if she understood something, and she nodded, "I wish to join Wukang Mountain and become a disciple."

Elder Ke hummed, "Think carefully. The world is vast, and there are many places you can go. If you don't want to join Wukang Mountain, that's fine too, no one will force you."

Xiang Laner smiled with difficulty, "I am willing to join Wukang Mountain, willing to represent Wukang Mountain as a disciple in the 'Sky Rain Meteor Conference.'"

Elder Ke, "When the list of participants is announced later, Weikang will be surprised to see your name on it. How will you explain?"

Xiang Laner sadly lowered her head, "I will tell him I signed up voluntarily, without any coercion."

"A smart person. Alright then, join my sect. Let's skip the formalities." After Elder Ke finished speaking, he flicked a finger, sending a burst of air towards a small hanging bronze bell, which chimed crisply with a "ding."

Immediately, a disciple entered upon hearing the sound.

"She has taken me as her master, take her to Elder Yin to go through the entry formalities."

"Yes."

Without even the basic formality of a disciple greeting their master, Elder Ke directly had someone take Xiang Laner away.

The stunned Xiang Laner, just stepping outside, saw two familiar faces waiting in the corridor, none other than Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang.

"Hey, Miss Xiang, what brings you here?" Wu Jinliang asked curiously.

They were both baffled, not knowing why they had been summoned here, and upon seeing Xiang Laner, they had a bad feeling.

Xiang Laner nodded slightly in greeting, not saying a word, her complexion was not good.

The disciple who called Shi Chun and the others over began to summon them, "Let's go."

They hurriedly followed, occasionally looking back at Xiang Laner's departing figure.

Inside the hall, upon seeing the highly seated Ke Yizong, Shi Chun and the others quickly paid their respects in unison, "Greetings to Elder Ke."

This time Elder Ke didn't dismiss the disciples, not even bothering with beating around the bush, he went straight to the point, "At the 'Sky Rain Meteor Conference' in Shengshen Continent, I intend to nominate you two to represent Wukang Mountain. Are you willing?"

"What?" Wu Jinliang cried out in surprise.

Shi Chun was also stunned, doubting whether he had heard wrong. Recalling Xiang Laner's expression from before, he felt something was amiss and hastily said, "Elder Ke must be joking. Not only are we burdened with crimes, but we also are not Wukang Mountain disciples; there is no reason for us to attend the conference."

Elder Ke, "It's simple. You can now take me as your master, and naturally, you will have the reason to participate. And let me be clear, I don't want to beat around the bush with you either. After you killed our disciple Wei Bian, Wukang Mountain was originally going to punish you leniently. Despite this, you repeatedly failed to mend your ways and even fled without authorization. Later on, you repeatedly beat up Wukang Mountain disciples. With all these serious crimes, I've not had the time to formally inquire into them. Today, since I've called you here, it's time to settle the accounts. You should know what this 'Law Hall' is for, and your crimes, just based on the murder of a disciple of our sect, warrant an immediate execution!"

Wu Jinliang cried out again, "It was Wei Bian who first commanded someone to assassinate us; we were only defending ourselves."

Elder Ke, "Who saw Wei Bian command the assassination? Guess how many saw you kill Wei Bian? Here in Wukang Mountain, our word is law. Even if you take this matter to the Heavenly Court, it would be handled by the local authority. Do you think the office of Sheng Province would listen to you or me? Besides, you don't even have the chance to appeal to the Heavenly Court. I'll ask you both one more time. Do you choose to be executed on the spot, or join Wukang Mountain to participate in the 'Sky Rain Meteor Conference' and redeem your crimes through meritorious deeds? The choice is yours; I will not force you!"

Wu Jinliang bared his teeth.

Shi Chun's mouth twitched.

The two of them now understood what it meant to be overbearing.

Wu Jinliang suddenly turned his head and asked, "Chun Tian, that 'Sky Rain Meteor Conference' must be really exciting. I kind of want to go and see the world. What do you think?"

"I have the same intention," Shi Chun nodded in agreement, then bowed to Elder Ke and said, "I wish to be apprenticed to Elder Ke."

Wu Jinliang also made a bowing gesture and said, "I hope Elder Ke will grant this favor."

Still, no formal apprenticeship ritual was necessary. Elder Ke waved his hand and said, "Take them to Elder Yin to go through the entrance procedure. Inform the Punishment Court that they no longer need to do menial labor. Assign two people to watch over them around the clock until you send them off. If there are any signs of escape, there is no need to report it, nor show mercy, they can be executed on the spot!

Forget it, to be cautious, they don't need to go back to the Punishment Court. Send them straight to jail; it's quiet there. Provide them with basic necessities and try to meet their needs as much as possible."

These words made Shi Chun and his companion feel a chill in their hearts.

Once they took action, they really didn't want to talk things through, and they had no room to resist even a little bit.

"Yes," the disciple accepted the command and took them away on the spot.

The two then met Yin Huixin, who was responsible for the affairs of new disciples.

After going through the necessary procedures, Shi Chun and his friend were hastily made disciples of Wukang Mountain and then locked up in the familiar jail.

What should they do? They could only hope that someone from the Demon Path would come to rescue them. But recalling the encounter with Xiang Laner at the Law Hall made them feel uneasy.

Fortunately, the promise of Elder Ke was still honored. The belongings Wu Jinliang wanted from the Punishment Court were promptly brought over.

Shi Chun knew his cultivation was at a critical point of breakthrough, therefore he was eager, albeit ruefully. If Wu Jinliang's cultivation surpassed his, his position as Master would feel somewhat lacking.

To not disturb Wu Jinliang's cultivation, Shi Chun proactively asked to be confined in the neighboring cell.

Their weapons left over from the Anle Building were requested, and disciples from Wukang Mountain managed to find them. Their requests for food and drink were also met as much as possible. Yet, the two couldn't find any joy, feeling as though they were enjoying their last meal.

Fortunately, the next day, Xiang Laner came to visit them under the pretext of checking on her benefactor.

Shi Chun was startled upon learning they were indeed listed as disciples of Wukang Mountain for the conference. "How could this be such a coincidence? Could it be that all three of us have been exposed?"

"I've already grasped the details. It has nothing to do with being exposed. It's that Elder Ke causing trouble. He's been against my joining Wukang Mountain..." Xiang Laner recounted the entire sequence of Elder Ke's meddling, indicating that even Bian Jixiong was frustrated to the extreme but found it difficult to change the names once they were reported.

Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang were stunned, realizing that they simply fell out of favor and were being used as scapegoats.

"That old fossil, don't fall into my hands!" Wu Jinliang cursed, his reverence for his newly sworn master instantly gone.

Shi Chun said, "This 'Sky Rain Meteor Conference' is too dangerous. We can't afford to play this game. We must leave Wukang Mountain immediately, tell your people to get us out."

Xiang Laner shook her head, "If we had escaped earlier, we would've only offended Wukang Mountain. Now that our names have been reported to the authorities of Sheng Province, if we flee now, we'll become criminals of the Heavenly Court. Are you sure you want to be pursued by the Heavenly Court for the rest of your lives?"

"..." Shi Chun and his companion were speechless.

"My superiors are already aware of the situation and have told us to go to the conference without worry. They will arrange for someone to assist us secretly, so we won't face any danger at the conference. Just treat it as a trip to relax, to see the world, have some fun and then come back."

Xiang Laner primarily came to reassure them, fearing that in their desperation, they might threaten to expose everything if they weren't rescued. She was concerned that they might actually do something rash out of despair.

It couldn't be helped; the two really could do the unthinkable. They hadn't been at Wukang Mountain long, but they had already caused a few disturbances. Anyone would be uneasy.

Upon hearing that people from the Demon Path would escort them, Shi Chun and his friend immediately relaxed and even smiled.

Wu Jinliang cheerfully said, "Chun Tian, it'll be good to go out and about. It's pretty boring to be always locked up."

In any case, the two were settled and no longer worried. Instead, they looked forward to the event, counting down the days with anticipation.

Shi Chun also found the time to carefully read through the "Mountain and Sea Lantern."

A few days later, the neighboring cell suddenly emitted a series of snapping sounds from cracking joints. Shi Chun immediately pressed his face against the dividing bars to look, assuring himself it came from Wu Jinliang. Wu Jinliang's muscles and bones were relaxing and adjusting to accommodate his meridians.

Suddenly, a strong aura burst from Wu Jinliang's body, blowing the book into Shi Chun's face and forcing him to stagger back several steps.

Then came Wu Jinliang's unrestrained laughter, echoing without end.

Lowering the book, Shi Chun saw and understood that Wu Jinliang's cultivation had broken through, finally entering the High Martial Realm!

He felt envious and an urgent desire rose within him. Where could he find a method of cultivation from the Demon Path?

Meanwhile, the final list of participants for the 'Sky Rain Meteor Conference' from Wukang Mountain was officially announced.

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