Completion of Refining

A few days later, in the Demon Realm, at the Heavenly Demon Sect.

Inside the Main Coffin Hall, the elders who had been refining the Supreme Demon Bones opened their eyes one after another.

The efficacy of the Supreme Demon Bones far exceeded their expectations.

These few days of refinement had allowed their cultivation bases to advance to varying degrees.

Some had even faintly touched the edge of their bottlenecks, needing only a final push to break through.

The eight Demon Ancestors had also successively completed the refinement of their Holy Bones.

Their gains were even greater—the origin laws contained within the Holy Bones were enough to save them from many detours on their future paths of cultivation.

At this moment, all the elders and the eight Demon Ancestors had risen. They stood quietly in the hall, awaiting the Sect Master's next instructions.

Meanwhile, Mo Yingluo and Mo Yingyue remained seated beside Gu Changyuan.

They had not refined any Holy Bones.

Over the past few days, they had simply stayed by their master's side, going nowhere.

Outside the hall, a figure had been kneeling for a long time.

Shao Mu.

This powerful expert, ranked highly among the Supreme Elders, knelt motionless on the stone steps outside the hall doors.

Although he had personally executed those three wicked disciples and properly handled the matters in Black Stone City, still...

When a disciple errs, the master is to blame.

As their master, failing to notice his disciples' corruption and failing to stop their evil deeds was fundamentally his dereliction of duty.

Inside the hall, although the elders stood with their heads bowed, their gazes would occasionally dart toward the doors.

They all sensed that Shao Mu was right outside.

That colleague who had once fought alongside them and made great contributions to the Heavenly Demon Sect was currently kneeling outside, awaiting the Sect Master's judgment.

Many elders felt a trace of pity in their hearts.

They knew what kind of person Shao Mu was.

Over the years, he had braved life and death for the Heavenly Demon Sect, and his merits were too numerous to count.

His strength also ranked in the upper-middle tier among the Supreme Elders.

Yet, as luck would have it, he had taken in those three worthless, wicked disciples.

An elder quietly raised his head and glanced at the black-clad figure on the high dais.

How would the Sect Master... deal with him?

...

Seeing that all the elders had finished their refinement, Gu Changyuan, who had been sitting quietly with his eyes closed, slowly opened his eyes.

Inside the hall, the elders stood with their heads bowed, waiting for his next command.

He had naturally sensed Shao Mu kneeling outside the doors long ago.

When a disciple does wrong, the master must naturally be punished.

However, he had reviewed Shao Mu's records; over the years, the man had done a lot for the Heavenly Demon Sect.

Among the disciples he had trained, besides those three wicked ones, the other two strictly abided by the sect rules and had committed no wrongs.

Gu Changyuan's gaze swept over the elders standing with bowed heads in the hall.

Although their heads were lowered, their eyes occasionally darted toward the doors.

They were all waiting, waiting for his verdict on Shao Mu.

The corners of Gu Changyuan's mouth curled up slightly.

He suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but it clearly transmitted into the ears of every elder:

A few of you who received half-immortal weapons, go outside, pat him on the shoulder, and let out a soft sigh.

As soon as these words were spoken...

Many elders were stunned.

Huh?

Pat his shoulder?

Sigh?

What... what kind of punishment was this?

They looked at each other in dismay, their eyes full of bewilderment.

However, while most people were still confused, a sharp light flashed in the eyes of a few figures who instantly grasped the Sect Master's intent.

These were a few elders who usually possessed a somewhat cunning and mischievous nature.

They exchanged glances, and a tacit smile appeared on the corners of their mouths.

Among them, a lean elder with a hint of slyness between his brows was the first to step forward.

He took down the half-immortal long saber slung before him, gripped it in his hand, and strode out of the hall.

Outside the doors, Shao Mu was still kneeling.

His head was lowered, but his back was ramrod straight.

Footsteps sounded.

Shao Mu raised his head and saw a familiar figure walking toward him—it was someone who also belonged to the ranks of the Supreme Elders, and with whom he usually had a decent relationship.

Gui Li walked up to him and stopped.

Shao Mu noticed that he was holding a long saber in his hand.

A half-immortal weapon!

Shao Mu's pupils shrank slightly.

He remembered very clearly that the other party did not possess a half-immortal weapon before.

The natal artifact he used, although also top-tier, was still a hair's breadth away from being a half-immortal weapon.

But now, he had one.

Not only that, but Gui Li's entire body faintly emanated an aura that even made him feel somewhat suppressed.

That was the lingering resonance of having refined a Supreme Demon Bone, which had not yet been fully concealed.

The elder did not explain anything.

He simply stepped forward, raised his hand, and used the hand holding the half-immortal long saber to gently pat Shao Mu's shoulder.

The movement was very light, like the greeting of an old friend.

And then...

Sigh~~~~

A sigh.

That sigh was very, very long, dragging on for a full seven or eight breaths.

So long that Shao Mu felt if the other party continued sighing, he might suffocate himself to death.

After sighing, Gui Li gave Shao Mu a deep look, then stepped forward, his figure flashing as he vanished from the spot.

He appeared to have left, but in reality, he turned a corner, slipped back into the hall through a side door, and returned to his position.

Shao Mu was stunned in place.

He looked in the direction where his colleague had disappeared. Before he could figure it out, another figure walked out of the hall.

Another elder.

Also holding a half-immortal weapon, also exuding the aura of a Supreme Demon Bone.

He walked up to Shao Mu, looking at him with a similarly complex expression in his eyes.

And then...

Patted his shoulder.

Sigh—!

Another long sigh.

Longer, heavier, and more emotionally expressive than the previous one.

After sighing, he turned and left, disappearing from sight.

Then came the third.

The fourth.

The fifth.

Those sighs were like demonic voices piercing his ears, echoing over and over again beside Shao Mu.

And with every figure that walked past, the expression on Shao Mu's face would shift.

At this moment, he felt an agonizing, heart-wrenching regret.

Those half-immortal weapons, those Supreme Demon Bones, were bestowed by the Sect Master! Bestowed to all the elders!

But he, because of those three wicked disciples, had missed out.

When the Sect Master was bestowing treasures, he was in Black Stone City dealing with the aftermath.

When the Sect Master was distributing treasures, he was on his way back to the sect.

Those colleagues who usually fought by his side had all obtained half-immortal weapons, refined Supreme Demon Bones, and their strength had advanced by leaps and bounds.

But he had nothing.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't utter a single word.

Those three wicked disciples had died far too easily!

Seeing that it was about enough, Gu Changyuan slowly stood up and announced his verdict on Shao Mu:

Supreme Elder Shao Mu, your disciples caused chaos. As their master, you neglected their discipline and should be heavily punished.

However, considering that you have devoted yourself to the Heavenly Demon Sect for many years and established countless merits, you shall be dealt with leniently.

The half-immortal weapon and Supreme Demon Bone that belong to you will be temporarily stored in the sect's treasury. Once you have finished atoning for your sins and your merits offset your faults, you may go to the treasury to claim them yourself.

Hearing this, the elders below all breathed a collective sigh of relief.

This punishment was indeed not heavy.

After Gu Changyuan finished explaining his handling of Shao Mu, he said no more and left with his ten disciples.