Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 386 Who Has the Right to Judge Good and Evil?
Although Lord Feilian did not personally experience the last great war between good and evil, he was still an old demon who had struggled through bloodshed for nearly a thousand years.

His meticulousness and ingenuity in scheming were among the best in the world. He had already calculated the fate of the Tiger's henchman perfectly, believing there was absolutely no chance of a comeback. But he still couldn't understand why he had found the Tiger's henchman so quickly.
Logically, a severely wounded tiger tamer would be like a frightened bird, carefully hiding himself away. Why would he suddenly go mad, destroying the concealment formation he had built up over many years, and making such a commotion, as if afraid others wouldn't be able to find him?
Not only that, several days have passed, and his injuries have not healed at all. It can't be that a dignified Demon Lord is so poor that he hasn't even prepared a few blood pills for healing.

He didn't understand before, but when that damned lightning started flashing above his own head, Fei Lian understood.

It was a divine lightning strike that occurred at unpredictable times and infrequently, impossible to dodge or block. It appeared out of nowhere, striking your soul with pinpoint accuracy, leaving you with no peace, no chance to heal, and even a moment of tranquility was a luxury.

Moreover, this lightning strikes pain without causing serious injury; its sole purpose seems to be to torment for the sake of torment.

Fei Lian considered himself well-read, yet he had never seen such a bizarre and insidious supernatural power in any book.

If Youluozi hadn't spoken with absolute certainty, repeatedly confirming that this was indeed Chen Ye's method, Feilian would never have believed that something a mere Tongxuan Realm cultivator could have come up with.

There are countless methods of cultivation, but I have never seen such an unreasonable supernatural power!
The fact that he could accurately cast spells from tens of thousands of miles away is already incredible. What's more, Fei Lian is one of the strongest people in the world, just one step away from the Dao Integration Realm. How could a junior in the Profound Realm easily penetrate all of his protective spells?
Unfortunately, even Youluozi couldn't answer this question. She could only urge him to break through as soon as possible so that he could go to the Ruins of Return and open that forbidden door for her.

Fei Lian had a bitter pill to swallow but could not express it.

His soul was injured, and he was unable to rest and recuperate under the constant harassment of heavenly lightning day and night. How could he possibly break through the final barrier and step into the Dao?

He could only wait.

Like a prisoner sentenced to life imprisonment, he waits in despair for the executioner to tire himself out and stop.

The "Great Five Elements Heavenly Punishment Formation" of the Yunlu Immortal Sect, which covered the western region, consumed an enormous amount of manpower and resources, yet it could only last for a few hours. Did Chen Ye, a mere Transcendent Realm cultivator, possess inexhaustible spiritual energy?
He must get tired sometimes, right?

Unfortunately, Lord Feilian was unaware of this. Chen Ye's supernatural power had already transcended the conventional realm; it didn't even require Chen Ye's personal intervention, as long as he was willing to lend out the authority of "Hell of Heavenly Punishment."

Anyone who has a strong causal connection with Fei Lian can transform into the "whip wielder" who brings down divine thunder.

At the moment he sensed that Fei Lian was about to break through, Chen Ye made a shocking decision.

Through the Five Elements True Man, and through the Yunlu Immortal Sect, he spread the news to the entire Righteous Path Alliance that Lord Feilian was about to break through to the Dao Integration Realm.

As soon as this statement came out, everyone in the audience was shocked.

Some people questioned the accuracy of the information on the spot. Chen Ye did not explain much, but simply summoned the Fengdu Emperor in front of everyone and shared the divine power of the Heavenly Punishment Hell with the questioning cultivator.

Then, all the doubts disappeared.

But what followed was an even deeper shock.

This divine power of Heavenly Punishment Hell is far too terrifying, even more worrying than Lord Feilian's breakthrough.

Everyone was shocked by Chen Ye's decisiveness. How could he dare to reveal this supernatural power and tell everyone about it?

The Five Elements Immortal was the first to recover from his shock. He stared intently at Chen Ye, his gaze incredibly complex. Chen Ye, however, met his gaze calmly, as if he hadn't done anything of any importance.

The Five Elements Master had no choice but to ask, "Sect Leader Chen, your 'Hell of Heavenly Punishment' divine power seems to be able to trace all cause and effect. Does this mean that everyone present here, and even everyone in the world who has ever had any interaction with you, is under the influence of this divine power?"

This was the part that shocked and regretted the most for the Five Elements True Man.

He originally thought that Chen Ye had only learned the basics of the "Great Five Elements Heavenly Punishment Formation," but he never expected that Chen Ye would figure out such a terrifying supernatural power from it.

Formations always have a limited range.

The Western Territory is the territory of the Yunlu Immortal Sect. They have laid a trap here, and other sects will not object.

But Chen Ye's supernatural power does not cover a region, but people, all those with whom he has a karmic connection.

How could he dare to reveal this truth in front of the whole world?
Although everyone present is a righteous cultivator, who would willingly have a "deity" above their head who can spy on and even judge them at any time?

Do you think you're Zhang Qi?!

Master Wuyun always felt that Chen Ye was quite skilled in dealing with people, and that it was rare to find a young man who could simultaneously give people a feeling of being polite and neither humble nor arrogant.

Chen Ye couldn't possibly be unaware of the consequences of his actions, so the Five Elements Master had to ask him for clarification, and also give Chen Ye a chance to explain himself in front of everyone.

Otherwise, from today onwards, Chen Ye and the Yellow Spring Sect will become the target of public criticism.

Faced with the questioning of the Five Elements True Man and the undisguised scrutinizing gazes of the crowd, Chen Ye calmly replied, "That's right. As long as there is a causal connection, this supernatural power can track anyone and can unleash heavenly punishment lightning anytime, anywhere. Although this lightning technique is painful but does not cause serious injury, it can still be considered a form of torture."

No sooner had Chen Ye finished speaking than a resolute voice came from the corner: "The Sect Master of the Yellow Springs Sect has fallen into the demonic path!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw the leader of a sect that was neither too big nor too small. Chen Ye also vaguely remembered it; it seemed to be called the Nine Profound Sect. He had paid them a visit not long ago, but Chen Ye had asked Fang Hao to deal with it.

The person in front of me, dressed in a Bagua Taoist robe, seems to be the leader of the Nine Profound Sect, a cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage.

Chen Ye never expected that someone would speak so resolutely.

But Chen Ye didn't care. After glancing at the other person, he looked away and turned to look at the Five Elements True Man.

This is the Yunlu Immortal Sect; how to deal with this should be up to True Person Wuyun.

The Five Elements True Man was also in a dilemma. How could he not know about Chen Ye's supernatural power? But he couldn't just kill Chen Ye because he had mastered a powerful supernatural power. Would they still be considered righteous?
Just as the Five Elements Immortal was in a dilemma, he suddenly sensed a sharp aura coming from him.

Almost everyone felt a chill run down their spine, because the aura came from the taciturn swordsman.

This is no ordinary sword cultivator. He is a sword cultivator who has just killed the Demon Lord of the Returning Void Realm while at the Nascent Soul Realm. More importantly, he is Sheng Huai'an of the Qinghe Sword Sect.

The expressions on everyone's faces were extremely complicated. They were so shocked that they forgot about this person.

How could the Qinghe Sword Sect sit idly by and watch such senseless slaughter?
The leader of the Nine Profound Sect realized that he shouldn't have said that in front of the Qinghe Sword Sect. These sword cultivators were stubborn and would rather die than submit.

It's just that Sheng Huai'an is too taciturn. He usually likes to sit in the corner without saying a word, and many times people forget that he exists.

Seeing the strange atmosphere, Chen Ye smiled slightly: "I understand your concerns. Although I have not been cultivating for long, how could I not know the flaws of this supernatural power? The reason I am making it public in front of you is because the breakthrough of Lord Feilian is of great importance. I need your combined efforts to stop it. Otherwise, if there is widespread suffering, neither of us can stand aside."

Master Wuyun sighed and exclaimed, "Sect Leader Chen is truly a gentleman."

Chen Ye was the purest righteous person he had ever met; even the disciples of the Qinghe Sword Sect were not as "selfless" as him. Starting with Zhang Qi, the Qinghe Sword Sect, from top to bottom, had always been solitary, rarely interacting with other sects, and even less so cooperating.

Chen Ye didn't need to do this. Even if Fei Lian broke through to the Dao Integration Realm, other sects would hold the line if the sky fell. Besides, Fei Lian hadn't even broken through yet. Chen Ye didn't hesitate to put himself in opposition to everyone else just to prevent the world from suffering. Even the Five Elements True Man was ashamed of his own magnanimity.

Everyone knows the big principles, but who can accept the threat of being struck by lightning at any moment?
When the Five Elements Master spoke up, others found it hard to accept. They couldn't possibly entrust their own safety to Chen Ye's character. What if one day he became a demon, or took a liking to someone?
How can matters of life and death be entrusted to others?

Seeing that the leaders of those major sects all had solemn expressions and remained silent, the leader of the Nine Profound Sect, who had already offended Chen Ye, thought: They are concerned about their reputation, so I might as well speak frankly.

The man spoke again, asking in a deep voice, "Sect Leader Chen, is there a way to counter your Hellish Divine Power?" Chen Ye nodded frankly, looking around at everyone, "Of course there is. Is there any divine power or secret technique in this world that cannot be countered? Since I dare to reveal this method to the public today, I will naturally explain the countermeasures to you all in detail. Otherwise, wouldn't I truly be wielding a weapon to threaten the world?"

Upon hearing this, a long, clear sigh of relief could be heard throughout the hall.

"I see! Sect Leader Chen is truly a man of great wisdom and righteousness!"

"Excellent! Truly a leader among our generation, a person of noble character and integrity!"

"In my opinion, the title of 'the greatest gentleman under heaven' should rightfully belong to Sect Leader Chen!"

……

Immediately, sycophantic voices filled the air. Even the leader of the Nine Profound Sect showed a hint of shame on his face, secretly thinking that he had truly judged a gentleman by his own petty standards.

Unexpectedly, Chen Ye seemed unable to bear such flattery and laughed, "Don't be too happy yet, everyone. It's not that difficult to break this supernatural power, but it's not that easy either."

Upon hearing this, True Man Wuyun quickly asked, "Sect Master Chen, there's no need to keep us in suspense at this point. Please explain the principles behind your supernatural powers and secret techniques in detail."

Chen Ye nodded and said, "Actually, the principle is quite simple. When I was in the Tongxuan Realm, I was blessed by heaven and mastered a divine power that specializes in attacking the soul. I call it the Eighteen Levels of Hell..."

Next, Chen Ye explained the fundamental principles of supernatural powers in a concise manner, and even revealed the part of the Divine Soul Heavenly Book secret technique involved without reservation.

Those present were all righteous and highly skilled individuals, possessing exceptional insight and the ability to discern truth from falsehood at a glance. Some with profound cultivation even grasped the not-too-complex soul-binding technique on the spot.

However, once they fully understood the principle behind this supernatural power, most of them turned grim again.

In the end, it was Master Wuyun who asked the question that was on everyone's mind with a wry smile: "So, as long as one acts uprightly and does not do evil, one will not be affected by this 'hell of divine retribution'?"

“That’s right.” Chen Ye nodded and said calmly, “As long as you have a clear conscience, no matter how deep your karma with me is, this hellish torture will never be inflicted upon you.”

After saying that, Chen Ye summoned the Emperor of Fengdu and then bowed to Sheng Huai'an, who was standing to the side, saying, "Senior, please forgive me."

He circulated his spiritual energy and pointed in Sheng Huai'an's direction. A faint flash of lightning appeared above Sheng Huai'an's head and vanished instantly, as if it had never existed.

Hellish tortures have no effect on the virtuous. Even when the hellish guards poured boiling oil on Chen Ye's head, it couldn't harm him in the slightest, not even a strand of his hair would be disturbed.

The Five Aggregates Master spoke again, asking the question everyone was most concerned about: "Who will judge good and evil?"

Chen Ye smiled, a smile that was both frank and matter-of-fact: "It shall be judged by all those who practice this method."

"Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you. People may not know what is the greatest good to others, but do they not know what is the greatest evil to themselves? This set of supernatural standards of good and evil cannot be separated from the four words 'human nature'. As long as you are still human, this standard of good and evil will not differ too much."

"You need not worry that a single argument today will lead to your being torn to pieces. From the moment you comprehend this method, each of you has become one of the standard setters for this set of 'hellish tortures.' Your thoughts, beliefs, and accepted moral principles will become one of the standards for judging good and evil."

Upon hearing this explanation, everyone frowned.

They had never seen such a bizarre supernatural power. It was not something that could be practiced by humans at all. It was more like a contract signed when the righteous path united, only it affected more people and was more difficult to break.

It sounds fairer and more just, but it is ultimately a limitation.

"This method is inappropriate."

Tie Shengrong of the Incense Burning Sect finally spoke. He originally did not want to antagonize the Yellow Springs Sect, but the current situation was really not right. He knew the situation of the Incense Burning Sect. Wasn't this supernatural power aimed at the Incense Burning Sect?
If we're talking about faults, the disciples of the Incense Burning Sect would probably be struck by lightning every day.

Tie Shengrong questioned in a deep voice, "These are ultimately the rules of your Yellow Springs Sect. Why should they affect the disciples of other sects?!"

Chen Ye shook his head, looking directly at him: "Sect Leader Iron, you are mistaken. Let me ask you a question: you are also skilled with a sword, how far can one of your sword beams cut?"

Tie Shengrong didn't understand his meaning, but still answered proudly, "A thousand miles is nothing to worry about."

"Then what makes your sword light capable of harming my Yellow Springs Sect disciples?" Chen Ye retorted.

Tie Shengrong roared, "When have I ever injured a disciple of your Yellow Springs Sect?!"

"Then when have I ever used this supernatural power to affect your sect's disciples?" Chen Ye retorted sharply. "Your sword light can traverse thousands of miles and sever the physical bodies of my Yellow Springs Sect disciples. My supernatural power, on the other hand, is merely farther away and wouldn't even be fatal. I've never used it against your sect's disciples. I'd like to ask, is it because my supernatural power is too powerful that it's itself a crime?"

"Sect Leader Chen's words are rather far-fetched." At this moment, someone else couldn't help but speak up, "It is clearly you who used your supernatural powers and secret techniques to hang an invisible sword over our heads."

Chen Ye glanced at the man, who looked unfamiliar, but Chen Ye didn't care who he was. He simply said frankly, "Back when Master Zhang Qi was alive, which of your sects wasn't under the shadow of his sword light? Did any of you ever think there was anything wrong with that sword light hanging overhead? Did anyone ever go to the gates of the Qinghe Sword Sect and shout, 'What right does Zhang Qi's sword have to threaten me?'"

Shame, anger, resentment... a variety of emotions surfaced on everyone's faces.

Tie Shengrong gritted his teeth and said, "You think you're the second Zhang Qi?!"

“I don’t need to be the second Zhang Qi.” Chen Ye shook his head and said calmly, “I just want to tell you all a principle. ‘Hell of Divine Retribution’ can indeed trace cause and effect and judge sinners, but it is no different in essence from using flying swords to take people’s heads from thousands of miles away. When I really use this supernatural power to do evil one day, it will not be too late for you all to join forces to judge me.”

"With a sharp blade in your hand, the desire to kill arises!" the Nine Profound Sect leader shouted again. "How can we trust you? How will you prove yourself?"

Chen Ye finally lost his patience. He gave the man a cold look and retorted, "If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext. Just because my supernatural powers are so great, you've already concluded that I would use them to harm people. If we use that standard, and I suspect you'd become a womanizer, would you castrate yourself on the spot to prove your innocence?"

"You!" The leader of the Nine Profound Sect was furious, his face turning bright red.

Chen Ye was too lazy to waste any more words with him.

Chen Ye slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, and said loudly, "The saying 'A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime' is a tactic used by mortal emperors to oppress the people. We are cultivators; should we be like those mortals, calculating only gains and losses in everything?"

Chen Ye waved his sleeve and delivered his final words: "Today I inform you all of this matter because the divine power of 'Hell of Heavenly Punishment' consumes a great deal of energy, and I alone cannot stop Lord Feilian from breaking through. Therefore, I will teach you the incantation for casting this spell. If you are willing, you can join me in eliminating demons and protecting the righteous path."

"If you all still insist on questioning whether my Yellow Springs Sect is qualified to wield such supernatural powers, then why don't we gather our forces now, go to the Northern Frontier, and destroy the lineage of my Yellow Springs Sect! This will save you from living in constant fear!"
"That's all I have to say, farewell."

Chen Ye left behind a jade slip and then turned to leave.

As the righteous sects watched the young man's retreating figure, none of them dared to utter a word to stop him.

Regardless of whether Chen Ye's words made sense or not, the Yellow Springs Sect is now a major sect in the world. Do they really want to keep Chen Ye here using the reason they just gave? Hu Chang's supernatural powers are so powerful that even this Demonic Sect Master died at his hands. How dare others make a move? Do they really want to use their physical bodies to test whether his sword energy gourd is used up?
His status and position were already different. Although he was no longer Zhang Qi, he no longer needed to care too much about what others thought.

After Chen Ye left, Sheng Huai'an stood up, bowed to everyone, and left without saying a word.

Everyone knew that for the Qinghe Sword Sect, there was no other choice but Sheng Huai'an would definitely cultivate this divine ability and work with Chen Ye to stop Lord Feilian from breaking through.

The Five Elements Immortal sighed, “Everyone, Sect Master Chen is absolutely right. We are all righteous people. If we were to scheme against and fear each other like those demons, then the Demonic Sect of yesteryear would have been our fate. My Yunlu Immortal Sect will definitely not allow that demon to achieve Dao and ascend to immortality. As for other minor matters, we can deal with them after we have wiped out the Demonic Sect.”

The Five Elements Master stood up and said loudly, "If you still have any doubts, we are not on the same path, so please leave."

(End of this chapter)