26 We're Not the Same

The Tianling Sect Leader took the Discipline Pearl and examined it. When he sensed a trace of the inner energy of a Nascent Soul stage cultivator left on it, he couldn't help but look at Fang Jinyu.

To be honest, ever since Fang Jinyu had interfered with something he shouldn't have and forced them to secretly execute a cultivator who ranked 3 in the Foundation Establishment stage, the sect leader wasn't fond of Fang Jinyu. After all, since the Grandmaster knew too many descendants of his long-lost friends, he often stopped interfering with the matter after he saw the Grandmaster meet any of the descendants of his long-lost friends.

Only when Fang Jinyu revealed his talent in alchemy and even had the potential to become a Holy Alchemist did the sect leader become fond of him.

However, the sect leader didn't expect the Grandmaster to have some impression of Fang Jinyu.

Thus, in a flash, the sect leader stared at the disciple, who ranked 9 in the Qi Condensation stage, coldly and said, "Lin Yue, are you aware that the crime of slandering a Foundation Establishment stage Martial Uncle?"

"Sect leader! I... I didn't slander him!" Lin Yue looked flustered. However, when he thought it had turned into a situation that he couldn't admit his faults, he said, "It's him! This martial uncle forced me to give him my chance to enter the Lingdu Secret Realm! Sect leader, please don't be unfair to me!"

"That's right! Sect leader, we can't just listen to his side of the story!" Meanwhile, the three foreign masters quickly chimed in. Other than the fact that they had been humiliated by Fang Jinyu, it was also because the person who had bribed them had doubled the bribes.

The sect leader glanced at them and then said, "Junior Brother Fang's parents had once sacrificed themselves for the Tianling Sect, so the sect rewarded him with a one-time chance to enter the Lingdu Secret Realm. However, Junior Brother Fang has an extraordinary talent. He understood the technique and naturally broke through all bottlenecks to the Foundation Establishment stage. Therefore, Junior Brother Fang came to Mount Tianling to hand over the chance back then…."

The sect leader didn't mention the Grandmaster, but his words were clear enough.

"Three junior brothers, please memorize the sect rules. Tianling Sect is different from the other sects. I can't say all the rules are valid, but most are."

Although the sect leader was polite, his words were no different from giving them a warning.

The three foreign masters' expressions changed as soon as they understood what the sect leader was saying. They had worked as foreign masters in other sects for a while before and thought the sects' rules were all the same. They believed that the sects only prepared the rules for common disciples who lacked influence and power. If the disciples had power and influence, everything would be different.

Meanwhile, Lin Yue's face was deathly pale, and he quickly shouted, "Sect leader, I am unwilling to come. These three martial uncles forced me. I didn't dare to reject them!"

However, the sect leader ignored Lin Yue and said, "Lin Yue, you slandered your martial uncle and even secretly transferred your chance to enter the Lingdu Secret Realm. You should have crippled your cultivation base and been expelled from the sect. However, because of your family's misfortune, you are only expelled from the sect."

"Sect leader!" Lin Yue was terrified. He was safe from his family's enemies just because he had the identity of a disciple of the Tianling Sect. However, once he was expelled from the sect, whether he had his cultivation base didn't make a difference.

However, no one cared about a puny disciple like him, who ranked 9 in the Qi Condensation stage. It was because someone had to take the blame for the matter.

Obviously, the three foreign masters weren't suitable to take the blame. After all, they were useful to the Tianling Sect. Otherwise, the Tianling Sect wouldn't recruit them.

Fang Jinyu couldn't take the blame since he was the victim. Not only was he a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator with the potential to become a Holy Alchemist, but he was also involved with the Grandmaster.

Therefore, it was apparent that Lin Yue, who had lost the protection of his family, was the best scapegoat.

Although Lin Yue was also a victim, it didn't matter since no one cared about the doings of a minor character. Everyone just wanted a more satisfactory result.

However, Fang Jinyu was slightly dissatisfied because Lin Yue was just unlucky.

Fortunately, at this moment, someone bumped into him.

Naturally, it was the three foreign masters. After all, they accepted someone's bribe and failed to make a fuss about the chance of entering the Lingdu Secret Realm. It was just right for them to blame Fang Jinyu for fighting them.

"Sect leader, just now, Fang Jinyu fought with the three of us. He..." One of the foreign masters was about to complain about Fang Jinyu, but Fang Jinyu interrupted, "I'll admit to this matter. I request that the sect give me the most severe punishment. However, they did attack me, so they have to bear at least half of the punishment!"

The Tianling Sect Leader was taken aback. However, he immediately thought of the Grandmaster's strange care for Fang Jinyu. Moreover, he recalled that Fang Jinyu had previously worked hard in the Spirit Beasts Valley for a month to thank the sect for allowing him to enter the Lingdu Secret Realm. Thus, the sect leader's expression gradually became strange.

The sect leader advised, "Junior Brother Fang, are you serious? The most severe punishment would be going to the underground spirit vein to mine three hundred thousand spirit stones."

Digging for spirit stones was hard work. The Spirit Beasts Valley stank like people had been marinated in a stinky vegetable tank several times. However, going to the underground spirit vein to mine spirit stones was the worst. Not only did one have to bear the pressure of the underground, but one also had to avoid the attacks of the underground creatures. Although it was not fatal, it was definitely enough to torment one.

Once, a cultivator who ranked 9 in the Foundation Establishment stage went down to mine a million spirit stones. However, after returning, his cultivation base dropped to rank 7 in the Foundation Establishment stage.

"Then they're going to mine 150000 spirit stones, right?" Fang Jinyu looked at the three foreign masters.

The sect leader nodded and said, "If you plead guilty, they'll have to mine 150000 spirit stones." Since they had fought because of a personal grudge, he couldn't just let it go like last time.

"I admit it!" Fang Jinyu said.

The three foreign masters immediately changed their expressions and widened their eyes as they looked at Fang Jinyu in shock.

They thought, "This fellow is so cruel to himself. Is he really a fucking alchemist?"

"Junior Brother Fang, this… Why don't we just forget about this matter?" Although the three foreign masters were rogue cultivators, they were clear about how tough mining spirit stones could be. They couldn't help but be stunned.

"No, since I've broken the sect rules, I won't feel at ease if I don't accept the punishment!" Fang Jinyu's words were full of tirades, and the three foreign masters could only curse in their hearts. They quickly went to find someone to plead for mercy, trying to escape the punishment.

However, as Fang Jinyu went to the underground, the three foreign masters had no choice but to follow.

Fang Jinyu, on the other hand, only spent two days underground before being taken away by a great Core Formation stage cultivator who rushed over, in contrast to the three foreign masters who had to mine 150000 spirit stones.

"The Grandmaster said that if you refine ten more Foundation Establishment Elixirs, your punishment will be pardoned." The great Core Formation stage cultivator left after passing on the Grandmaster with a strange look.

"Thank you so much, Grandmaster!"

Even though the Nascent Soul stage Grandmaster couldn't hear him, Fang Jinyu still expressed his thanks in the direction of Mount Guiwang.

It was an essential formalist principle that couldn't be ignored.

"I thought it would take half a month. I didn't expect it would only take two days. The Grandmaster seems very concerned about the reduction in Foundation Establishment Fruits!"

Fang Jinyu was deep in thought. He then turned toward the direction of the spirit stone mine and opened his mouth. Although he didn't speak, he mouthed, "Three idiots."