Verdict—Death Penalty!

At this moment, he lowered his head in silence.

No one knew what he was thinking.

But no one cared what he was thinking, either.

Beside him lay a corpse.

Long Yeyue.

Chen Xinjie kept his head lowered and did not look over.

He did not know whether he dared not look, did not want to look, or felt that looking would be useless.

The woman he had loved for a lifetime, missed for a lifetime, and had even been willing to turn against Chen Yu over her death lay less than three meters away from him.

Yet he had not looked at her even once.

Perhaps he did not want Long Yeyue to see what he looked like now.

Perhaps he felt there was no point in looking now.

Perhaps he simply did not want to reveal any emotion in front of the cameras.

Who knew?

Behind the tribunal stood an elevated platform.

Chen Yu sat at its center, with the Federation flag and the Federation Council flag behind him.

He wore formal attire, his expression as calm as still water as his steady gaze swept across the venue.

Several senior Federation Council officials and military representatives sat on either side of him, every face grave.

Pan Wen stood slightly behind Chen Yu's right side, holding a thick file in his hands.

His expression was calm, but a flicker of excitement shone in his eyes.

This trial was destined to go down in history.

After all, this was the first time the Federation Council had put a Peak Quasi-God on trial.

Below the platform were the jury and the public gallery.

At this moment, several War Gods from the War God Temple sat in the front row of the gallery, their faces livid as they remained silent.

They had been "invited" to observe.

But calling it an invitation—

Was no different from calling it compulsory.

And they knew perfectly well what would happen if they did not come.

Besides the people from the War God Temple, there were also representatives from prominent families and sects, as well as notable figures from all walks of life in the Federation.

Spotlights converged on Chen Xinjie.

Several beams of harsh light flared from different directions at once, leaving Chen Xinjie, kneeling before the tribunal, nowhere to hide.

The light was blinding and scorching...

Making his face appear even paler.

Under the glare of the spotlights...

He was no longer the lofty master of the War God Temple, no longer the Vast Sea Douluo whom others looked up to.

He was merely a prisoner.

A man kneeling before the tribunal and awaiting judgment.

The trial began.

Seated atop the platform, Chen Yu gave a slight nod.

Receiving the signal, Pan Wen turned toward the presiding judge at the tribunal below and gave a slight nod.

That exchange of glances lasted less than a second, but its meaning could not have been clearer—

They could begin.

The presiding judge was an elderly man past sixty, his beard and hair both white, his features stern beneath a black judicial robe.

He was the Chief Justice of the Federal Supreme Court and had presided over countless major cases in his life.

He had never shown favoritism.

And today, seated here, the gavel in his hand would determine the fate of a Peak Quasi-God.

He rose to his feet, swept his gaze over the entire venue, and spoke in a loud, steady voice.

"This court hereby announces that the trial of Chen Xinjie, former master of the War God Temple, shall now begin."

The gavel fell with a crisp yet heavy sound that echoed through the square.

Then the prosecutor rose, opened the thick case file in his hands, and began reading the charges against Chen Xinjie.

"First, while serving as master of the War God Temple and enjoying the Federation's highest-level resources and privileges, Chen Xinjie colluded with outside forces to oppose the Federation and the Speaker."

"His actions constituted a grave violation of the duties and oath of the master of the War God Temple, amounting to the serious crime of treason."

The prosecutor's voice echoed across the square, reaching every corner of the Federation through the live broadcast.

"Second, during his tenure as commander of the Tianhai Legion, Chen Xinjie abused his position and, in the name of the current head of the Sea God Family, proposed to the Federation that the Tianhai Legion be renamed the Sea God Legion, intending to turn the Federation's military power into his private armed force."

"This act severely violated Federation military regulations and constituted the grave crime of attempting to appropriate Federation resources for private use."

At this moment, the faces of the War Gods from the War God Temple in the gallery grew even uglier.

They had thought they were merely here to watch Chen Xinjie stand trial. They had not expected Chen Yu to aim his blade at the entire War God Temple.

Though Chen Xinjie's name had been mentioned throughout.

The five words "master of the War God Temple" had already pushed the War God Temple into the eye of the storm.

What would the public think?

They would think:

Chen Xinjie had done wrong.

Then had the others in the War God Temple done wrong as well?

Were they making the same calculations too?

At this moment, the prosecutor continued reading.

"Third, after learning that Long Yeyue had been lawfully executed, Chen Xinjie showed no remorse. Instead, he colluded with Shrek Academy and joined forces with it to oppose the Federation and the Speaker."

"During this confrontation, Chen Xinjie openly attacked a Federation Navy fleet, damaging several warships and injuring dozens of soldiers."

"His actions severely endangered the security of the Federation."

"Fourth, as a Peak Quasi-God, Chen Xinjie should have set an example and upheld the Federation's laws and order. Instead, he repeatedly abused his authority for personal gain, seeking improper benefits for his Sea God Family."

"Upon investigation, it was confirmed that during his tenure as master of the War God Temple, Chen Xinjie used his position to funnel vast amounts of Federation resources to his Sea God Family, with a total value exceeding..."

"Fifth..."

"Sixth..."

The crimes were countless.

Every charge was backed by detailed evidence.

There were files, records, witness testimonies, and physical evidence.

Page by page, the prosecutor turned the case file. Charge by charge, he read out the accusations, his voice growing more impassioned and more forceful.

Those horrifying facts were like sharp blades stabbing into the hearts of every citizen watching the broadcast.

The public erupted in fury.

On the soul-guidance screens, comments surged like a tidal wave.

"Scum!"

"Traitor!"

"Execute him!"

"How is trash like this worthy of being master of the War God Temple?"

"Investigate! Tear the War God Temple apart from top to bottom!"

Before the giant screens on the streets...

The gathered crowds roared in rage.

Some waved their fists, some pointed at Chen Xinjie on the screen and cursed furiously, while others were so agitated their faces turned red.

The Peak Quasi-God who had once stood so high in their hearts had now become a rat everyone wanted to beat to death.

In the squares of Ming Capital, the citizens were shouting as well.

"Death penalty! Death penalty! Death penalty!"

Their voices grew louder and more unified.

In the end, they merged into a deafening wave of sound that echoed over the square for a long time.

At this moment, the prosecutor finished reading the final charge. He turned, bowed deeply to the presiding judge and jury, then returned to his seat.

Behind the tribunal, the presiding judge fell silent for a moment and quietly exchanged opinions with several jurors.

In truth, there was no need for discussion.

Every charge against Chen Xinjie was an undeniable fact, and every piece of evidence had undergone rigorous verification.

But procedures had to be followed.

Because this was the dignity of the rule of law.

At last, the presiding judge rose to his feet, picked up the verdict from the table, and announced in a loud voice.

"After hearing this case, this court finds Chen Xinjie guilty of treason, abuse of authority, and numerous other crimes. Given the severity of the circumstances and the vile impact, he is hereby sentenced to—"

"Death!"

"To be carried out immediately!"