I Refuse to Accept This

Luo Zheng's aura erupted, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

Even the large group of Aristocratic Clan Disciples farther away looked over, ready to watch the show.

"Heh heh, Wang Hengzhi is getting more and more boring. He actually brought people to target a nobody from the grassroots. Doesn't he know that even a dog driven into a corner will jump over the wall?" said an Aristocratic Clan Disciple dressed in white, gently waving a jade luo fan.

"So what? Some dogs, even when driven into a corner, don't have the strength to jump over the wall. This kid is only in the Viscera Refining Realm. Even if he wants to jump, he can't. Still, Wang Hengzhi really is bored, to waste his time dealing with someone in the Viscera Refining Realm..." another Aristocratic Clan Disciple agreed.

However, the guard beside this Aristocratic Clan Disciple cupped his hands and said, "Young Master Huo, when you take part in the Bloodcolor Trials later, you must be careful of this man."

"Hm? What do you mean?" The Aristocratic Clan Disciple surnamed Huo knew that the guard beside him never spoke carelessly. This guard was a powerhouse of the Innate Secret Realm who had returned from the Asura Battleground, and he had a remarkable eye for judging people and things.

The guard continued, "This subordinate also doesn't know why, but although this man is only in the Viscera Refining Realm, he gives me an extremely dangerous feeling."

Hearing such an evaluation from his guard, Young Master Huo raised his brows and said with interest, "If that's the case, Wang Hengzhi may be facing a little trouble this time."

The Aristocratic Clan Disciples were not united like a sheet of iron. Some Aristocratic Clans even had extremely deep conflicts with one another, so Young Master Huo had no reason to warn Wang Hengzhi. Of course, even though his guard had given that kid a very high evaluation, he still believed that, for Wang Hengzhi, it would only be a minor inconvenience.

Only the Aristocratic Clans knew how much power Wang Hengzhi, an Aristocratic Clan member himself, possessed.

Faced with Luo Zheng's humiliating words, Luo Peiran and the group of Aristocratic Clan Disciples all wore ugly expressions.

The Butterfly Jade Pendant flipped deftly between Wang Hengzhi's fingers. He still wore that calm and unruffled expression, but a trace of killing intent flashed in his eyes. "Actually, death would be the easiest release for you. I have plenty of ways to make you wish you were dead. Do you want to reconsider?"

"No need! Although my life is cheap, I, Luo Zheng, won't die so easily!" Luo Zheng laughed harshly.

"Seventh Brother, why waste words on this brat? Just kill him!" A tall young man burst out from behind Wang Hengzhi, unable to hold himself back any longer. He swung his fist and smashed it straight down at Luo Zheng's head.

This young man's strength was quite impressive—the peak of the Marrow Refining Realm!

Moreover, fine runes faintly flowed across both his fists. Clearly, he had cultivated an extremely formidable fist technique.

Facing such a mighty punch, Luo Zheng neither dodged nor retreated. He threw a punch of his own, astonishingly choosing to meet it head-on!

Everyone who saw this shook their heads. They thought that Luo Zheng did have a bit of backbone, but that his mouth was probably the only thing he was good at. With the strength of the Viscera Refining Realm, he was actually trying to clash with someone in the Marrow Refining Realm—and that person was also an Aristocratic Clan Disciple. Naturally, the cultivation method he practiced was far superior to Luo Zheng's.

If he insisted on taking the blow head-on, that punch would probably shatter Luo Zheng's arm.

Mo Can, who was not far away, also gaped, his eyes filled with worry. Mo Can knew that Luo Zheng's strength was definitely not as simple as it appeared, but he had not seen what happened at the end yesterday. He thought that no matter how extraordinary Luo Zheng was, it was impossible for him to withstand a clash with a peak Marrow Refining Realm powerhouse. Luo Zheng was probably going to suffer badly this time.

However, the scene everyone imagined did not occur.

The two fists collided with a muffled boom.

Luo Zheng remained rooted to the spot, his legs firmly planted on the ground and his body completely motionless. A Warm Current circulated through his body, dissolving all the force in his opponent's punch.

The tall young man, however, staggered backward several steps and nearly fell to the ground. One hand hung limply at his side, clearly injured, while his face flushed crimson.

Most people had not expected this result at all. Expressions of astonishment appeared on their faces, and when they looked at Luo Zheng again, a faint trace of respect had entered their eyes. To face a Marrow Refining Realm opponent head-on with the strength of the Viscera Refining Realm was not something an ordinary person could accomplish.

Especially the more than one thousand grassroots disciples present. Seeing Luo Zheng teach those arrogant Aristocratic Clan Disciples a lesson filled them with an indescribable exhilaration.

The people beside Wang Hengzhi could no longer restrain themselves. They began cursing one after another and surrounded Luo Zheng, seemingly ready to swarm him.

Luo Zheng narrowed his eyes slightly. If they rushed him all at once, he could only fight for his life. If I have to die, I'll drag you all down with me. I'll take one of you with me for every one I can kill!

Just then, someone shouted angrily, "What are you doing? Today is the day you're taking part in the Bloodcolor Trials, not the day you came here to fight!"

Everyone looked up and saw another thirty Flying Carriages racing over from the horizon. The person who had shouted stood atop the foremost Flying Carriage. He wore plain cloth robes and had a square, imposing face. He was Zhong Ming, the examiner responsible for the Bloodcolor Trials.

Zhong Ming leaped down from the Flying Carriage and strode toward Luo Zheng with thunderous steps. He loudly demanded, "Who was fighting just now?"

"Reporting to the examiner, it was him!" Luo Peiran sprang out at just the right moment and pointed at Luo Zheng.

"One hand alone cannot clap. Who was the other person?" Zhong Ming asked again.

"It was me." The tall Wang Family disciple admitted it frankly.

Zhong Ming nodded. "Very well. Both of you are disqualified from the Bloodcolor Trials!"

Luo Zheng's expression immediately turned ugly. If he were disqualified from the trials because of this, it would be unbearably unjust. "Examiner, they were the ones who started it. I was forced to fight back. Why are you canceling my qualification?"

"If you dare to fight here, you must be prepared to be expelled from the Azure Cloud Sect!" Zhong Ming did not listen to Luo Zheng's explanation at all.

The tall Wang Family disciple said, "Examiner, I'm already an Inner Sect Disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect. I wasn't participating in this Bloodcolor Trials."

"An Inner Sect Disciple?" Zhong Ming asked. "Which peak are you from?"

"Reporting to the examiner, I'm from Heaven One Peak," the Wang Family disciple replied.

"Mm. Your Instructor Xu has also come. Since you're an Inner Sect Disciple, deduct one hundred points as punishment!" Zhong Ming swiftly delivered his judgment.

Hearing this punishment, the Wang Family disciples led by Wang Hengzhi all smiled. One hundred points might be a tremendous sum to a grassroots disciple without support, but it was nothing to a disciple from an influential clan.

Using one hundred points to drive Luo Zheng out was exactly what they wanted to see.

The more than one thousand trial disciples, however, all wore indignant expressions. This punishment was neither painful nor itchy. Zhong Ming was clearly favoring these Aristocratic Clan Disciples.

At this moment, the instructors of all Thirty-Three Peaks also arrived at the scene aboard their Flying Carriages.

After these trial disciples passed through the Bloodcolor Trials today, the instructors of the Azure Cloud Sect's Thirty-Three Peaks would accept them into their respective peaks according to their results and performance.

For the sake of developing their respective peaks, all the instructors naturally followed the principle of selecting only the best, choosing the most outstanding disciples to bring into their peaks.

Luo Zheng was extremely unwilling to accept this. He felt that the examiner was deliberately playing favorites, so he decided to argue his case. "Examiner, I truly wasn't the one who attacked first. Everyone here saw it. Isn't it unfair to punish me like this?"

"Unfair? I'll ask you this: did you attack just now?" Zhong Ming asked expressionlessly.

"I did." Luo Zheng answered honestly.

"Then that settles it! You have nothing more to say. Hand over your Disciple Token! Get out of the Azure Cloud Sect!" Zhong Ming waved his large hand and stretched it out toward Luo Zheng.

Luo Zheng stepped back two paces and said solemnly, "Examiner, this punishment is far too unfair. It's not only me who refuses to accept it—even the more than one thousand trial disciples here refuse to accept it!"

Zhong Ming had not expected a mere trial disciple to talk back to him so much, let alone question him. He roared furiously, "How dare you!"

He raised his hand and slapped it toward Luo Zheng.

Zhong Ming had not circulated any cultivation method in this slap, but he had entered the Innate Secret Realm many years ago, and the strength in his body had already broken through the limits of the flesh.

Facing this slap, Luo Zheng's expression changed drastically. Even if his body was comparable to a Mysterious Artifact and could dissolve most of the force, he was not indestructible. This power had far exceeded the limits his body could bear. If the slap landed solidly, he would suffer severe injuries even if he did not die.

But just then, a clear voice rang out. "Zhong Ming, what do you think you're doing?"

Luo Zheng and Zhong Ming both turned toward the voice and saw an extraordinarily beautiful woman in green robes standing not far away.

Luo Zheng remembered this Green Shirt Woman. He had seen her yesterday after passing the Sea Trials.

When Zhong Ming saw her, his furious face, which had looked like a lion's, immediately calmed. He tried his best to speak in an even tone. "Nothing. I was merely teaching an undisciplined trial disciple a lesson."

Zhong Ming knew very well how troublesome this Green Shirt Woman was. He would rather die than let her catch him in the wrong, so he tried to brush the matter aside as lightly as possible.

In fact, Instructor Su had seen everything that had happened just now. If Zhong Ming had been striking some other trial disciple, she might have let the matter pass. Even if she had boundless energy every day, she would not go around meddling in every idle matter.

But Zhong Ming had happened to target Luo Zheng.

Luo Zheng had been reserved by Instructor Su long ago. She already regarded him as the greatest dark horse among this year's recruits. There was no way she would allow Zhong Ming to drive him out of the Azure Cloud Sect just like that.

"Undisciplined? Exactly what rule did he break?" Instructor Su asked again.

"Fighting with someone here has violated the Azure Cloud Sect's Sect Rules." Zhong Ming's voice dropped another notch. He could already tell that Instructor Su had come here specifically to pick a fight.

"I wasn't fighting with anyone. They were the ones who attacked me first, and I was forced to fight back!" Luo Zheng seized the opportunity to defend himself.

Zhong Ming's expression changed, and he once again wanted to attack Luo Zheng, but Instructor Su's cold voice rang out behind him. "Zhong Ming, as the examiner, you must distinguish right from wrong. Why won't you even give this trial disciple the right to argue? Could it be that you have something to hide?"

Hearing Instructor Su's icy voice, Zhong Ming immediately cried out inwardly that things had gone wrong. This woman was angry. He understood that he could no longer cover up what had happened today, so he could only put on a smile. "Instructor Su, how could I have anything to hide? It's just a minor matter..."

"A minor matter? Then let him explain it clearly. Trial disciple, tell me exactly what happened." Instructor Su asked.

"It was them!" Luo Zheng pointed at Wang Hengzhi, Luo Peiran, and the others. "They came looking for trouble and provoking me for no reason. One of them rushed over and attacked me, so I was forced to fight back!"

Zhong Ming sneered. "Brat, that's only your side of the story. Who here would dare to testify for you?"

The scene immediately fell silent. Wang Hengzhi revealed a faint smile, while Luo Peiran smiled even more smugly. The Aristocratic Clan Disciples naturally would not offend Wang Hengzhi over such a trivial matter, and among the more than one thousand grassroots trial disciples, who would dare to step forward and testify?

Just as they had imagined, although this had happened under everyone's watchful eyes and the thousands of trial disciples had been indignant moments ago, not a single person dared to come forward now.

To stand up now would be to offend Wang Hengzhi to the death. Which of the grassroots disciples present would dare stick their necks out and court death?

"I can testify!"