'Is there a reward?' Miao Yi was doubtful. His mind worked quickly. 'I really didn't have any special contributions. There are seven or eight people ranked higher than me. They can't just jump on my head no matter what!'
'Could it be because I recklessly slaughtered an army of a million during the assessment? Even if I performed bravely, the Celestial Court wouldn't punish me for killing each other, right? 'They wouldn't go that far either. With so many eyes watching, I was forced to do so. Even if the Celestial Court wanted to show a little bit of fairness to the world, they wouldn't punish me like this. Besides, I didn't break any rules. What was going on?
'Could it be because my results were exactly the same as Xiahou's? 'There are so many people who are the same. There's no reason to punish me alone, right?
Could it be that the Celestial Court has a spy in the Six Paths? Has the fact that I'm the leader of the rebels been exposed? '
As he hesitated, Feng Yuan shouted again, "Heaven's Origin Planet's Heaven Street Commander Niu Youde, await the summons!"
"That's right. He's calling for you. Hurry up!" Xiahou Longcheng chuckled as he pushed him.
Miao Yi snapped out of his daze. The other party had already pointed out his identity and position. There was no one else but him. If he dawdled any longer, he would be defying the order. He quickly rose and landed on the cliff. He cupped his fists towards Feng Yuan and said, "I await the summons!"
Almost everyone was watching curiously, wondering what kind of reward Miao Yi would receive. Only Grand Marshal Teng tilted his head and looked at the expressionless Gao Guan. He knew Miao Yi was in trouble because when Miao Yi first returned, Gao Guan had mentioned the Heaven Shaking Drum!
Initially, he wanted to say something about this matter. Everyone had witnessed how Miao Yi was forced into a corner and had no choice but to retaliate. Now that he had taken ninth place in the entrance examination and achieved a meritorious deed, it was already not easy for him to return alive from Hell after offending so many people. It would be a little too much to ask of him now.
After paying attention to Miao Yi's actions over the years, he realized that not only was he brave and good at fighting, but he was also quite capable. He wasn't a fool without a plan. Grand Marshal Teng truly cherished this kind of talent. If he were to train this kind of person, once his cultivation base improved, he would definitely be a sharp blade in his hands. He would definitely be a fierce general who would fight wherever his orders were!
To be in a high position in the Heavenly Court, it was impossible for one's subordinates to not have some strength. He needed some arrogant and valiant soldiers to serve him as the core. His subordinates couldn't all be the sons of nobles and those with connections. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to continue playing. It had to be known that he wasn't the only one fighting at the top. There had to be someone at the bottom who could hold up the fort. Otherwise, if all the people at the bottom were defeated by others, or if they were to come out of the mission point, it would be difficult for him to hold up the fort alone. Sooner or later, he would be taken down by others, or he would be labeled as incompetent and replaced by others.
However, it was not convenient for him to say anything now. Smashing the Heaven Shaking Drum could be a big or small matter. After all, it concerned the prestige of the Celestial Heavens. Most importantly, the chances of him getting Miao Yi was very low. Right now, he was definitely not the only one who admired Miao Yi. Not to mention that Miao Yi was one of his subordinates, so he wouldn't let him go so easily. It would be very difficult to get Miao Yi to come over. Otherwise, he would definitely try his best to protect him!
Feng Yuan stared at Niu Youde, who had landed in front of him and bowed. He scrutinized Niu Youde a few more times, then shouted in a deep voice, "Niu Youde, do you know your crimes?!"
The warning and deterrence rumbled in the sky above the basin.
Do you know your crime? Everyone below was stunned. It wasn't a reward, but a condemnation?
Zhan Ruyi was stunned. Xiahou Longcheng's smile froze. Fan Yufei and the others were shocked. The nine commanders of the Dong Hua Headquarters looked at each other after being stunned for a while. Then, they couldn't help but laugh. 'This is great. Is the Celestial Heavens going to help us get rid of this thorn in our side?'
Miao Yi was shocked. Could it be that his identity as a traitor had really been exposed? If so, he was dead meat. There was no way he could escape in such an environment! After calming himself down, he cupped his fists and said, "May I know what crimes I have committed?"
Feng Yuan didn't interrogate him, nor did he make things difficult for him. He directly announced, "Smashing the Heaven Shaking Drum and destroying the prestige of the Celestial Heavens. Do you still not admit your crimes and accept your punishment?"
So this was what happened! Everyone suddenly understood. They didn't expect the Celestial Heavens to still pursue an incident that had happened so long ago. To be honest, everyone knew what happened at the time. To be fair, they all knew that Miao Yi was forced to do so. It seemed a little too much to pursue it now. However, it was also reasonable for the Celestial Heavens to want to maintain the prestige of the Celestial Heavens. Who cared? Anyway, they weren't the ones being punished. It had nothing to do with them. They could just sit back and watch the show.
So this was what happened! Miao Yi was also stunned. He finally let out a sigh of relief. As long as his identity as a traitor wasn't exposed, everything was fine. However, he was a little annoyed. He didn't punish him back then, but now he was punished. What the hell was this? Besides, he didn't know how severe the punishment would be.
After thinking about it, he realized that it happened in front of everyone. He couldn't deny it, so it was better to put on an honest attitude. He cupped his fists and said, "I know my crimes. I am willing to accept my punishment!"
Feng Yuan sternly reprimanded, "Niu Youde will be stripped of all the rewards he received during the assessment. He will be demoted to a Six Segment Junior General and will be fined a hundred years' worth of salary! On account of his contributions during the assessment, his merits will offset his demerits. He will retain his current position and see how he behaves in the future! Niu Youde, do you accept this punishment? "
When this punishment was announced, Zhang Hanfang and the others couldn't help but be disappointed. They couldn't wait for Miao Yi to be executed. Who would've thought that he would retain his position as the Great Commander of the Celestial Street? They didn't eliminate him at all.
This was especially true for those ranked 8,890th. When they heard that Miao Yi would be punished, they widened their eyes and waited for the opportunity to be pushed down a rank. Who would've thought that this would be the result? They clutched their chests with a pained expression and were utterly disappointed.
As for those who had no grudges against Miao Yi, they felt a sense of regret. Their hundred years of hard work had gone to waste. Ten million Purple Gold Pills were gone just like that. Two ranks of High General were gone, and even his original rank of High General was removed. Just the salary of these two ranks alone was enough to make him lose a lot of money every year! They would have to work for nothing for another hundred years.
Most importantly, it wasn't easy for a Junior General to become a Senior General. That was a whole different level. If one wanted to be promoted to the headquarters, they would need to have this rank. If they couldn't reach it, they couldn't be promoted. Not everyone had the chance to be promoted by the Celestial Emperor's special decree. And for many people, even if their cultivation reached the Cailian level, they might not necessarily be promoted to the rank of Senior General. This Niu Youde had gotten first place in the assessment all those years ago and finally made an exception to become a Purple Armored Senior General. Now, it was gone. Not to mention, he had lost two ranks of Senior General. How many years would he have to work hard to make up for it?
Standing by the stairs, Wang Dingchao stared at the unlucky fellow who was in stark contrast to his own glory. He felt a little sympathy for him.
He also admired Niu Youde's bravery all those years ago. He had seen it with his own eyes, and it couldn't be faked. He single-handedly killed his way through an army of a million soldiers. How could an ordinary person do that? He had also heard rumors about Niu Youde's deeds. He had done many things, and the most classic was when he faced the nobles of the Celestial Court with his upright and outspoken character. He had beheaded over three thousand of their servants. Someone like Niu Youde was clearly the same kind of person as him. What's more, it wasn't easy for someone with no power, influence, or background to get to where he was today. He had to admit that he couldn't do the things he had done.
He had to admit that he wasn't as capable as Niu Youde. Niu Youde had managed to get to where he was today even after offending so many nobles. His results in the assessment this time weren't bad either. Perhaps he had only scouted a little less than Miao Yi. It was clear to see how capable Niu Youde was. Miao Yi had only managed to rise to the top by a stroke of luck.
Now, because he had made a small mistake under the pressure of so many people all those years ago, his years of hard work had gone up in smoke. Wang Dingchao felt that it was unfair for Miao Yi.
Little did he know that Miao Yi was actually secretly heaving a sigh of relief. To him, it was already a blessing to be able to leave with his life intact. What's more, he still managed to retain his position as the Great Commander of the Celestial Avenue. He had already earned a lot. As for the salary, he didn't really care about it. It could only be considered pocket money for his wife and concubines. He didn't rely on his salary to survive.
He relied on external wealth. As for his demotion, he didn't care either. It wasn't the first time he had been demoted ever since he started in the small world. He was already used to being demoted. It didn't matter much to him. As long as he was alive, there was hope.
Hence, he cupped his fists calmly and said, "Heaven is merciful. Niu Youde is willing to accept his punishment!"
Standing on the steps in front of the hall, Gao Guan turned his gaze and gave him a sidelong glance. Teng Fei raised his brows slightly. This kind of punishment was nothing in the eyes of someone of his status. More importantly, Miao Yi was fine now. He was a little worried that Gao Guan would behead him!
Feng Yuan waved his hand. Immediately, someone walked up to Miao Yi and said, "Hand over a section of the General Battle Armor!"
Without another word, Miao Yi handed over a section of the General Battle Armor. He was officially demoted.
"You may leave!" Feng Yuan waved his hand.
"Yes!" Miao Yi cupped his fists, then turned around and floated back to the basin.
Zhan Ruyi glanced at him, the corner of his lips curling into a mocking smile.
Xiahou Longcheng rubbed his stomach and smiled apologetically. "Brother Niu, I didn't expect this. It's fine. Don't take it to heart. As long as the position of Great Commander is still there, it's a chance to get rich."
Miao Yi laughed bitterly. He had thought of all kinds of possibilities, but he didn't expect this to be used to punish him. However, now that he thought about it, since the Heavenly Court valued its prestige so much, it was a good thing that he was punished now. It would prevent others from making a fuss about this in the future.
Thinking about it again, it was fortunate that he was being punished now. If it were back then, he might not have been able to keep his position as the Great Commander of Heaven Avenue without this kind of punishment. If it weren't for the fact that it had been delayed for so many years, he might have even lost his life if he was punished then. In the end, he was still lucky and earned it!
"The hundred-year assessment of the Purgatory has officially ended! All participants shall return to their respective locations and await the adjustment of their positions! "Feng Yuan stood on the cliff and announced the end of the assessment.
The hundreds of thousands of people at the foot of the mountain were filled with emotions. It was finally over. They could finally leave this damned place.
Those who received rewards were filled with excitement and anticipation. Those who didn't receive anything were filled with regret. Those who went back to face demotion were unhappy and cursed in their hearts.
The exit of the Purgatory sealed by the Six Stars was finally opened once more under the magnificent light. The hundreds of thousands of participants lined up in the starry sky received their final warning and filed out one after another, finally leaving the treacherous starry sky.
Those who could leave were the lucky ones. Many of them were slumbering in that starry sky. Their families would be devastated when they heard the news.
Under the envious gazes of the crowd, Wang Dingchao quickly left with the Heavenly Court's Supervising Right Envoy, Gao Guan. They headed towards the Heavenly Court to meet the Heavenly Court's Heavenly Face. It was truly a change of fortune and a meteoric rise!
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