Chapter 400: Tushan Shanhe’s Punishment

At this moment, when Tushan Shanhe heard Tushan Qing make such a blunt declaration, he was practically furious. Such an important matter had not been mentioned at all. If Xiao Shou had not reminded him, he would almost have become a victim destined to perish for ten thousand years. Having such a clan member with such a terrible personality was truly miserable. Over the many years in the past, being provoked and angered to the point of nearly exploding by Tushan Qing had long since become something Tushan Shanhe was accustomed to.

By now, ordinary little matters involving Tushan Qing could no longer make him angry. He certainly would not get angry over something this trivial. Don’t get angry. Don’t get angry... Say something important ten times. Tushan Shanhe repeated this to himself in his heart. His hands, however, were clenched tightly. He stared fixedly at Xiao Ran and said through gritted teeth, "Very well. Since you are only guilty of unintentionally destroying the secret realm, I will spare you the death penalty. But you will still have to suffer punishment."

After saying this, he raised his hand. Eight streaks of silver spiritual light shot toward Xiao Ran as fast as lightning. Although Xiao Ran was a Soul Transformation cultivator, she was completely unable to dodge. She was directly locked onto by the silver light.

In the next instant, the silver light rushed straight into the extraordinary meridians and eight extraordinary vessels throughout her body, traveling along some special route.

"Senior, what is this?" Seeing that Tushan Shanhe had clearly been filled with killing intent, yet had somehow suddenly let Xiao Ran off and allowed her to escape death, the Sect Master of the Heavenly Void Sect wondered whether she truly was the one chosen by the heaven. After confirming this point, he immediately spoke up about Tushan Shanhe’s method, showing that even as the sect master, he still regarded protecting Heavenly Void Sect disciples as his duty when facing a powerful expert.

Tushan Shanhe understood his intentions perfectly and did not care at all. Instead, he took this opportunity to tell everyone what kind of fate awaited for someone who dared attack a member of the Tushan Clan and then tried to outsmart him with lies even if it was someone who bears Mandate of Heaven. Therefore, when Tang Qicen asked this question, Tushan Shanhe immediately smiled as gently as possible. Yet the words he spoke made everyone shiver.

Everyone heard Tushan Shanhe say, "It is merely an insignificant little technique. Every time she circulates her spiritual energy at her current cultivation level, she will experience intense pain as though her body were being cut by blades several times over. Once she breaks through this realm, the restriction will naturally be lifted. Considering the reputation of the Heavenly Void Sect in the Spirit Realm, I used such a gentle method. Otherwise, with other forms of punishment, this child would truly be unable to live or die in peace."

"Is this really a gentle method?"

"She’s already unable to live or die in peace, isn’t she?"

With a restriction like this, ordinary cultivators would simply be unable to continue cultivating and would die at the Soul Severing stage.

As expected of methods from the Upper Realm. Every move was extraordinary.

Of course, no one present dared say these words aloud. They could only mutter them to themselves while maintaining expressions of sincere respect on their faces.

"Thank you for showing mercy, Senior. Xiao Ran will remember this deeply and will never forget today’s lesson." As soon as Tushan Shanhe finished speaking, Xiao Ran tried circulating her spiritual energy. It was indeed unbearably painful. Her entire body felt as though countless needles were continuously piercing through her meridians, like deadly poison traveling through them. Her face immediately turned deathly pale, while the hatred in her heart was like a volcano that had remained dormant for ten thousand years and was about to erupt, ready to explode at the slightest touch.

Ting Lu who had been constantly paying attention to everything happening outside sighed when he saw this. "If you had listened to me back then and offered your apology gift, given the temperament of the Celestial Fox lineage, the matter of the secret realm would already have been settled, and they certainly would not have pursued it further. You really are... the most foolish person to have ever lived."

Her only response was silence.

Everyone present could tell that Xiao Ran had already taken this grudge to heart. But would Tushan Shanhe care about the resentment of a minor cultivator like her? Among the Three Thousand Worlds and the vast Spirit Realm, there were countless people born bearing the Mandate of Heaven. The Heavenly Dao would protect them until they completed the missions it had bestowed upon them. But once their missions were completed, these chosen by the heaven would be no different from ordinary cultivators.

These were the records and understanding of the people who are by Heaven passed down within the Tushan Clan. Tushan Shanhe was also confident that before this child grew up and completed her mission, his cultivation would always remain above hers. He would never allow her to close the gap even by a single step. Tushan Shanhe did not care about Xiao Ran’s hatred at all. The reason he had not killed her was simply because he did not want to incur the Heavenly Dao’s resentment.

At worst, he would have a few unlucky tens of thousands of years. Therefore, he completely ignored Xiao Ran’s declaration that she would seek revenge. His silver eyes turned directly toward the Sect Master of the Heavenly Void Sect. "Then, Sect Master Tang, may I ask where the Yu Lin she mentioned is?"

"Reporting to Senior, that disciple and another sword cultivator disciple left the sect three years ago after accepting a mission and have never returned. This junior does not know their whereabouts. Although their soul lamps have become faint, they have not gone out, so they should still be alive." As Tang Qicen spoke, he carefully observed Tushan Shanhe’s expression. Seeing that his face was so gloomy that it seemed as though rain were about to fall, his own heart could not help tightening.