The door was wide open, but there was only darkness inside. It was like a bottomless abyss that could swallow everything. When one looked at it, they couldn't help but feel an indescribable and inexplicable feeling of horror from the depths of their hearts.
It was as if there was some kind of great terror and danger contained within.
However, Chen Zong had to enter. If he didn't, the two disciples from the Punishment Hall would directly attack him.
Taking a deep breath, Chen Zong's expression became serious. He took a step forward and stepped into the darkness. His body seemed to be gradually swallowed up. That step gave him the feeling that he had stepped into another world.
Dignified manner
Boundless might seemed to press down from the heavens, transforming into a wave of indescribably extreme pressure that directly impacted his mind and Divine Intent, intending to shake it.
However, Chen Zong's mind was strong, and his Divine Will was extremely tough. Even in the face of such an attack, he did not move an inch.
However, Chen Zong kept moving forward. It was as if there was an invisible force pushing him from behind, preventing him from stopping.
This darkness was so long, as if there was no end to it.
The pressure grew stronger and stronger, constantly attacking Chen Zong's Divine Will and mind, trying to shake him.
"Chen Zong, the sword disciple of Tianguang Peak, do you know your crime?"
Abruptly, a muffled sound exploded in Chen Zong's ears like muffled thunder. It rumbled with an unparalleled deterrent force, directly impacting Chen Zong's mind and will. Coupled with the ever-increasing pressure, it almost crushed Chen Zong's mind and will, directly disintegrating all his defenses.
"I don't know what crime I have committed." Chen Zong asked in a calm tone, as if he was not affected at all.
That voice didn't ring out again, but Chen Zong's footsteps didn't stop. He kept moving forward, and the pressure became more and more intense.
After what seemed like a long time, the pressure reached a new height.
"Suspect Chen Zong, you killed your fellow disciples, but you still refuse to admit your guilt."
Suddenly, another voice rang out. This voice was different from the previous one. Instead, it sounded very sharp, like a sharp sword. It was merciless and sudden, like an assassin's fatal blow. It pierced into Chen Zong's heart.
That kind of feeling was really hard to describe. It directly broke Chen Zong's heart defense.
On the way to the Punishment Hall, Chen Zong had made all the necessary preparations.
Although he had killed the three Tianmen Peak Sword Participation Disciples because they wanted to kill him, and he certainly would not sit still and wait for death, he absolutely could not admit it in the Punishment Hall.
Although Chen Zong didn't know much about the Punishment Hall of Taihao Mountain, he was no newbie. After many years of experience, Chen Zong knew that an institution like the Punishment Hall, no matter how fair it was, was definitely not a good place.
Therefore, no matter what, he couldn't admit that he had killed anyone. He had to pretend that he didn't know anything. Moreover, he had to pretend that he didn't know anything and that he didn't do it deliberately.
He had to build up his own psychological defense so that he wouldn't be interrogated.
He didn't know or didn't know.
As long as he couldn't get anything out of it, even if he was suspected, he wouldn't be punished. Of course, if the Punishment Hall was unfair, then there was nothing he could do.
However, when he thought about it, for a sect like Taihao Mountain with such a high status as the Punishment Hall, if they were unfair, it would definitely cause a lot of problems. It would lead to internal chaos and many unnecessary conflicts. In the end, the entire sect would only exist in name, fall apart, and even its inheritance would be severed.
Even if there was some darkness in the Punishment Hall, on the whole, it should be fair.
"I'm not guilty," Chen Zong replied again. His tone was firm, without the slightest hesitation or guilt.
That voice fell silent once again.
Chen Zong was still walking, walking in the endless darkness. He didn't know where he would end up.
Unknowingly, his previous vigilance seemed to have disappeared. Even Chen Zong himself didn't notice it.
"Chen Zong, why did you kill the three Sword Participation Disciples of Tianmen Peak?"
This sound was neither dull nor sharp. It seemed to be very gentle, like a spring breeze drizzle. It was so natural, gentle, and unguarded as it seeped into one's body, making Chen Zong feel an indescribable sense of comfort.
This kind of gentle infiltration, like the spring breeze and rain, made Chen Zong unconsciously collapse all his defenses. All his mental defenses disappeared. It was as if there was an impulse for Chen Zong to let go of his defenses and speak freely. He told everything he had done in detail. Only in this way could he feel carefree.
It was as if a thousand cups of wine were not enough to drink with a bosom friend. He talked freely with a bosom friend and revealed the secrets hidden in the depths of his heart. He wouldn't feel good if he didn't get it out.
This move was so sudden, yet so natural. It was impossible to guard against, and there was no way to guard against it.
Chen Zong was about to tell in detail how he killed the three Sword Participation Disciples of Tianmen Peak and confided in the owner of this voice.
In an instant, the black mark in Chen Zong's Spirit Sea trembled, and an indescribable willpower emerged. In an instant, Chen Zong's Divine Intent and mind were awakened, and he woke up in an instant.
In an instant, Chen Zong immediately understood that he had been tricked. Then, he played along and pretended that he had been tricked.
With the help of the Heart Sutra, Chen Zong's thinking speed was unimaginable. All the thoughts flashed by in less than a thousandth of a breath.
"I didn't kill anyone." Chen Zong's expression was as usual. He didn't look confused at all. On the contrary, there was a gentle smile on his face, as if he was chatting with a bosom friend. That was the feeling.
It didn't seem out of place at all.
Outside the Punishment Hall, the two disciples of the Punishment Hall were waiting for the result.
"If this Chen Zong really killed someone, he definitely won't be able to withstand the Three Questions of Punishment," the male disciple said with a smile. The female disciple nodded with certainty, expressing her agreement.
The Three Questions of Punishment
It sounded like a very simple name, but those who knew it all changed their expressions.
The Three Questions of Punishment was the interrogation of the Punishment Hall. It was unexpected and contained an astonishing power. It would attack the inner heart of the person being interrogated in different ways. It would open up the defenses of the person being interrogated in a tyrannical, sharp, or gentle way, and from there, reveal the corresponding secrets in their heart.
The Three Questions of Punishment were each better than the last. One could withstand the first question, but they might not be able to withstand the second question. One could withstand the first and second questions, but they usually couldn't withstand the third question.
The Punishment Hall had existed for as long as Taihao Mountain had existed. Very, very few people could withstand the Three Questions of Punishment.
Therefore, as long as one really made a mistake, there was an eighty to ninety percent chance that one wouldn't be able to escape the Three Questions of Punishment.
Not to mention the Fourth Realm, even the top Fifth Realm was the same.
Many disciples who had made mistakes were calm before they went in, as if they didn't do anything wrong and had a clear conscience. But after they went in, they cried bitterly and regretted it endlessly.
Chen Zong was still walking in the darkness, but inside the Punishment Hall, Chen Zong stood motionless. There were three figures in the huge hall, sitting on the left, middle, and right. One of them was an old man, one was a woman, and one was a middle-aged man.
"He actually passed the Three Questions of Punishment." The middle-aged man's expression was gloomy, and his tone was sharp. He seemed to be in disbelief.
"This child has a clear conscience. He didn't do anything wrong." The old man's voice was a bit dull. He was the one who had asked the first question of the Three Questions of Punishment.
"No, I keep feeling that this child is hiding something." The woman's voice was gentle, like a spring breeze drizzle. It was the voice of the third question of the Three Questions of Punishment.
"No matter what, this child has passed the Three Questions of Punishment. How should we deal with him?" The old man frowned.
Chen Zong's behavior was very natural, but it was because it was too natural that they found it strange.
If it was a top fifth realm king-level cultivator doing this, perhaps they would believe it a little. But he was just a fourth realm cultivator. Wasn't it too natural? It was the first time he came to the Punishment Hall and faced the Three Questions of Punishment. Even if he didn't do anything wrong and had a clear conscience, it was impossible for him to act as natural as Chen Zong.
What Chen Zong didn't know was that his naturalness might seem normal to ordinary people, but in the eyes of these veterans, it was extraordinary.
For a moment, the three elders of the Punishment Hall didn't know how to deal with him.
He passed the Three Questions of Punishment, but they felt that there was a problem. How should they deal with him?
They rarely encountered such a situation. No, it should be the first time for the three of them.
What they didn't know was that Chen Zong still failed to pass the Third Question even though he had set up mental defenses. It was only at the last moment that the black mark showed its power and awakened Chen Zong. Chen Zong beat it at its own game. However, compared to those experienced people, Chen Zong was still not cunning enough.
But these three experienced people were in a dilemma.
If it was just one of them, they might be able to make a decision based on their own feelings. But there were three of them, and they were all on the same side.
Acquit him.
They felt that it was unusual and that he was hiding something.
Convict him.
They passed the Three Questions of Punishment.
"Report it to the Deputy Hall Master and let him make the decision," the old man said in the end.
The middle-aged man and the woman thought for a moment and nodded. They were only the elders of the Punishment Hall. When they couldn't make a decision, they could only report it.
After they agreed, they immediately reported it.
Suddenly, a figure appeared in the empty chair behind the three elders. The figure was somewhat blurry and couldn't be seen clearly. It was as if it was shrouded in clouds.
In an instant, the eyes of the figure shrouded in clouds lit up. The black and white colors moved clearly, as if he could see through all illusions. He stared directly at the figure below the hall. It was Chen Zong.
In just a short three breaths, he withdrew his gaze.
"This child is quite interesting," the Deputy Hall Master's voice sounded. It was heavy, and there seemed to be a hint of a smile in his voice.
"Let him report to the Heavenly Sword Army," the Deputy Hall Master said. Then, his body turned into nothingness and disappeared.
"Report to the Heavenly Sword Army?" The three elders looked at each other.
Was this a punishment or something?
But since the Deputy Hall Master said so, they naturally had to do so.
Soon, Chen Zong's decision was made.
Report to the Heavenly Sword Army
The two disciples of the Punishment Hall who brought Chen Zong here also looked at each other with puzzled expressions.
Report to the Heavenly Sword Army? Was this a punishment?
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