Justice, I*********

Seeing Zhou Zheng in such a pitiful state, Chen Yi couldn't help but feel a tinge of disdain.

His verdict? Not even close to Fang Zheng.

Back when he was standing toe-to-toe with the Celestial Pivot Heavenly Dao, Fang Zheng had the guts to stand right beside him, enduring the residual pressure of the Heavenly Dao's might and still managing to keep his mind clear!

Sure, Fang Zheng's cultivation was higher, but the pressure he withstood was also leagues beyond what Zhou Zheng could handle.

In terms of mental fortitude, Fang Zheng could leave Zhou Zheng in the dust by a hundred thousand miles!

Let it be known that innate talent only determines one's starting point, but to scale the peaks of cultivation, one must possess an unshakable Dao heart!

The path of cultivation is fraught with thorns and shrouded in mist. If one cannot hold fast to their true self and loses their way due to setbacks and tribulations, then no matter how great their talent or potential, they’ll only stagnate midway or even plummet into the abyss!

Frankly, Zhou Zheng was just too lacking in this regard—still green, still needing more training.

Shaking his head, Chen Yi raised a sword-finger and tapped Zhou Zheng’s forehead, instantly cleaving through the chaos in his sea of consciousness and guiding his disoriented soul back on track. Along the way, he casually wiped away some low-grade soul restrictions left by insignificant pests.

Zhou Zheng shuddered violently, his dazed eyes gradually regaining clarity.

"Oh hey, isn’t this my beloved Group Leader? What was it you wanted me to do again?"

Chen Yi: "..."

What am I supposed to do with this kid?

After a long silence, he motioned for Zhou Zheng to look toward the towering figure of the Law Hall’s leader, Gong Zheng, standing conspicuously in the distance.

"Go. Slap him twice—start by asserting your dignity as a man!"

"On it!"

Zhou Zheng’s soul, freshly purified, was now as reactive as sensitive skin. In a flash, he appeared before Gong Zheng and raised his hand without hesitation.

Slap! Slap!

Those two cathartic slaps felt so good.

This old bastard had stooped so low as to sneak into the Holy Maiden’s Peak and steal personal keepsakes from Zhou Zheng’s two younger sisters, just to force his compliance!

Such actions had crossed Zhou Zheng’s bottom line—this man had already signed his own death warrant!

From that moment, Zhou Zheng had sworn to himself: once he summoned the Group Leader, this old fool’s days would be numbered.

"Group Leader, I—"

Just as he was about to ask for help, Zhou Zheng suddenly found his volume button seemingly ripped out—his mouth moved, but no sound came out.

Before he could figure out what was happening, Chen Yi’s calm voice drifted from behind.

"Don’t speak. Don’t ask. Step back quietly and watch how it’s done."

Though confused, Zhou Zheng was happy to comply.

After all, the Group Leader was a god-tier carry. If he said so, there had to be a reason. Zhou Zheng’s job was to sit back and enjoy the ride.

But what happened next far exceeded Zhou Zheng’s expectations, leaving his fragile psyche utterly shaken!

With a flick of his sleeve, Chen Yi first roused the slumbering Supreme Elders of the Sacred Void Sect from their naps on the ground. Then, with a mere lift of his palm, a terrifying suction force erupted, yanking the souls of everyone present—except Zhou Zheng—straight out of their bodies!

"AHHH! Why?! I cooperated! Why still kill me?!" Sikong Xuan’s soul trembled as he wailed in injustice.

"Wait, can someone explain what’s happening?! When did our Sacred Void Sect offend this mighty senior?!"

The Supreme Elders were in complete disarray. One moment they were peacefully cultivating in the spirit veins, the next they were dragged out and manhandled—who wouldn’t be baffled?!

Soon, the sect’s higher-ups on-site provided the answer.

"Gong Zheng, you ! You ! The senior says jump, you ask how high—why the did you have to open your mouth?!"

"Gong Zheng, I !"

"Putting aside the facts, aren’t you all to blame too?! If you didn’t want to resist, why didn’t you stop me?! I !"

Gong Zheng, the instigator, fired back with equally foul language, his words so crude it was hard to believe he was a centuries-old cultivator. His demeanor was worse than a vulgar woodsman!

In the end, no matter how they screamed or resisted, their souls were all pulled into Chen Yi’s palm.

Then, his five jade-white fingers clenched—and the sky went dark.

Just as they resigned themselves to death, awaiting their souls’ annihilation...

The sky... lit up again?!

Not only that, but their souls were perfectly intact, returned to their bodies as if nothing had happened?!

???

Perfectly intact—not a speck more, not a speck less.

After a thorough self-inspection, the Sacred Void Sect’s higher-ups wore expressions of utter bewilderment.

What in the heavens was this mighty senior playing at?!

Yanking their souls out only to stuff them back in—was this a game?!

Or was he flexing his power to intimidate them?

With strength like his, he didn’t need to flex—they wouldn’t dare move a muscle!

Those involved were lost, but Zhou Zheng, the sole observer, saw everything clearly.

He watched as Chen Yi seized the higher-ups’ souls and refined them in an instant!

Though they were returned unharmed, a faint, illusory ring now rested in Chen Yi’s palm.

On that ring, tiny soul shadows floated, bound by luminous chains—unable to escape, unable to resist...

One glance, and Zhou Zheng understood the ring’s purpose.

Without a doubt, whoever held that ring would command the lives of the Sacred Void Sect’s elites. They could be molded into any shape, subjected to any whim—a true Master’s Ring!

The mere thought set Zhou Zheng’s heart ablaze.

He knew Chen Yi wouldn’t stay long—so this ring...

Was likely meant for him!

He’d been worried about how to protect his sisters after Chen Yi left.

Given the nature of his request, even if the Sacred Void Sect wasn’t annihilated, it would be severely weakened. The rival faction, the Tianyuan Sacred Land, would surely seize the chance to "offer aid"—more like scavenge the sect’s remains.

Zhou Zheng could always provoke another crisis and summon Chen Yi again, but his sisters’ safety in the ensuing chaos was uncertain. What if...

The sister-obsessed Zhou Zheng couldn’t bear the thought!

But now, Chen Yi had flipped the script entirely—without shedding a drop of blood, he’d not only spared the sect but handed Zhou Zheng the reins, making him the Sacred Void Sect’s daddy!

Which meant his sisters would be the sect’s aunties!

Who in the Sacred Void Sect would dare raise their voice at them now?!

The thought of securing a better life for his sisters left Zhou Zheng trembling with excitement.

So, Group Leader... when are you handing over that Master’s Ring?

Zhou Zheng gazed eagerly at Chen Yi.

Yet Chen Yi didn't even spare him a glance, turning instead to stride toward the heavens.

Step by step, he walked upon the void, unhurried and steady.

Gradually, his aura ceased to be restrained, pouring forth unrestrained.

At the same time, a colossal handprint manifestation slowly materialized, giving the azure sky a light pat.

Smack~

It felt as though he had playfully swatted the Heavenly Dao’s backside, accompanied by a cordial greeting:

"Little Heavenly Dao, come out and greet your guest, won’t you?"