What Is This Kid's Background?

"Of course I can."

Ding Mingcang's questioning voice rose several notches.

"You want to make several more copies of such a heretical thing?"

"..."

Lu Ze was utterly speechless inside.

He had long heard that the Second Elder was stubborn and arbitrary.

But he had never expected him to be this bad.

"Enough. No more talk!"

Ding Mingcang lost his patience and slammed the table as he pronounced the verdict:

"Today, I will cripple your cultivation and expel you from the sect!"

Hearing this sentence, Lu Ze frowned.

Being expelled from the sect was still acceptable.

At worst, he would lose some of his player base and develop things slowly on his own.

But having his cultivation crippled was unacceptable.

He had gone through great trouble to obtain this Myriad Manifestations Xuan Demon Immortal Physique.

If it were truly crippled, he would be unable to wield spiritual power and wouldn't even be able to make games!

Just then, An urgent voice rang out from afar. "Elder Ding, please wait!"

The voice sounded somewhat familiar.

Lu Ze's frown eased slightly.

It was True Disciple Zhong Yi.

On the platform, Ding Mingcang frowned deeply and looked strangely in the direction the voice had come from.

Feeling rather vexed, he glanced at the Enforcement Hall Steward beside him. "What exactly is this kid's background?"

"I've never even heard of him."

The Steward was baffled as well.

In truth, aside from the Outer Disciples and disciples who frequently came and went from the Artifact Forging Hall, few people knew of Lu Ze.

Ding Mingcang looked strangely at Lu Ze in the center of the grounds.

He simply could not understand why this young man, whose cultivation was so ordinary, possessed such great influence.

First, the Outer Disciples.

Then, the Inner Disciples.

And now, even True Disciples had come to plead for him.

"This disciple, Zhong Yi, diligently practiced 'Demonic Path Escape' yesterday and gained many insights from it. It has also aided my cultivation. It is absolutely not the mind-corrupting creation Elder Ding claims it to be... I beg Elder Ding to show mercy!"

Zhong Yi moved swiftly, flying to the outside of the Enforcement Hall in an instant.

Behind him, the burly Mu Yawen and the ice-cold Li Moran followed closely.

The Outer Disciples and Inner Disciples below immediately erupted into commotion.

"It's Senior Brother Zhong!!"

"Tsk, tsk, as expected of Senior Brother Zhong. What extraordinary bearing."

"With Senior Brother Mu's physique, his cultivation must have improved again."

"What day is it today? We actually get to see Senior Sister Li within the Spirit Cloud Sect!"

"She's even prettier than the rumors say..."

"With three True Disciples pleading for him, Elder Ding should show mercy, right?"

"Senior is saved!"

Zhong Yi bowed slightly and respectfully.

On their way to the Enforcement Hall, the three of them had sensed Ding Mingcang's furious aura from a great distance away. They hurriedly used their Spiritual Sense to investigate, only to discover that the designer of "Demonic Path Escape" had been seized by the Second Elder.

He even intended to cripple his cultivation and expel him from the sect?

Zhong Yi was incomparably shocked.

He had never imagined that "Demonic Path Escape" had been designed by a sect disciple.

Even if he racked his brains, he could not think of any disciple within the sect with such vision, capable of designing such an exquisite Illusion Realm.

But the most important thing now was to save the man first.

Though they had never met, Zhong Yi deeply admired the designer of "Demonic Path Escape."

To discuss insights, drink tea, and debate the Dao with such a fellow cultivator would be immensely beneficial to him.

"Oh? Is that truly so?"

Ding Mingcang's gaze at Lu Ze remained unfriendly.

However, his tone was much gentler than before.

After all, the other party was a True Disciple and a trusted confidant of the major elders. He had to show some respect.

"Absolutely true. This disciple would not dare deceive Elder Ding."

"Then do you know who created 'Demonic Path Escape'?"

"This disciple does not, but anyone capable of creating such an illusion must be an expert of great wisdom."

"An expert? An expert... Heh heh."

Hearing Zhong Yi's answer, Ding Mingcang sneered.

His gaze upon Lu Ze carried a trace of mockery.

"Then I'll let you have a good look at this 'expert'!"

With that, he slammed his left palm heavily onto the table.

The walls surrounding the Enforcement Hall vanished in an instant.

Zhong Yi's eyes widened in shock, and he was speechless for a long while.

Upon seeing Lu Ze's face clearly, a faint, nearly imperceptible sense of relief flashed through Li Moran's eyes before quickly disappearing.

The disciples below were immensely curious about what was happening above.

Among the Inner Disciples were quite a few Golden Core Stage and Nascent Soul Stage cultivators. They could barely activate their Spiritual Sense to see the situation overhead, and they all closed their eyes.

The scene immediately descended into chaos.

"Who is this senior expert?"

"Stop shouting! I'm trying to look!"

"I see him... It's... it's the junior brother from the Artifact Forging Hall who sold us the Crystal Replicas!"

"What? You mean Lu Ze? You didn't see wrong, did you??"

"How could he possibly create an illusion like this?"

"Bro, did you not see clearly?"

"No, absolutely! I saw Junior Brother Lu too!"

"Junior Brother Lu???"

"There must be some mistake..."

The Outer Disciples, the Inner Disciples, and the three True Disciples in the sky.

At the same time, they all fell silent.

No one believed that "Demonic Path Escape" had come from Lu Ze's hands.

Never mind that Lu Ze was only at Foundation Establishment—even if he were a Golden Core Stage cultivator, no one would have believed it.

"Even now, you still wish to plead for him?"

Ding Mingcang was greatly satisfied by everyone's reaction and continued to sneer.

"Elder Ding..." Zhong Yi said awkwardly, "Could there perhaps be some misunderstanding...?"

Zhong Yi was ultimately a kindhearted person.

Though he had met Lu Ze only once, he had formed a fairly good impression of him.

Lu Ze had helped him and Mu Yawen solve their naming problem, and had even given him some advice regarding escape routes.

Even if Lu Ze was not the designer of "Demonic Path Escape," he still wanted to lend him a hand.

At the very least, he should not have his cultivation crippled.

"A misunderstanding? Hmph, what misunderstanding could there be!"

Ding Mingcang pointed at Lu Ze and roared in fury.

"You don't actually expect me to believe that something like this was his work, do you?!"

"I'm not senile yet!"

"Who could possibly possess the ability to create such an illusion, yet still refuse to show themselves?"

"They only dare let an Outer Disciple take the blame for them?"

"Everything they've done proves that this person is no good!"

Ding Mingcang had long concluded that Lu Ze could not possibly be the designer of "Demonic Path Escape."

The reason he had kept pressuring Lu Ze was to make him reveal the person behind it all.

The one who had truly harmed his interests!

And last night, on the Back Mountain of Glazed Fire Peak, some expert had broken through, triggering a heavenly phenomenon—yet no trace of them had been found even now...

He strongly suspected

the two were the same person!

And very likely someone from the demonic sect!

Otherwise, how could they have devised such a despicable Illusion Realm Trial?

With that thought, he glared furiously at Lu Ze again.

A wave of pressure swept toward the young man in the center of the scene.

"Outer Disciple Lu Ze!"

"You deceived your elders, sold demonic creatures, sheltered criminals, and aided wicked paths..."

"Tell me who truly designed 'Demonic Path Escape,' and I'll spare your life!"