I tricked you into thinking you had the makings of an emperor, but you actually did it?

Xuan Yuan's Purple Mansion was bustling with activity.

Three senior elders of the "Yi" generation gathered here, and all eight senior elders of the "Xuan" generation were present.

The peak masters and guest elders of each lineage came to offer their congratulations.

"To see that my Xuantian Sect has two Sovereign Realm experts! I have no regrets in this life!" Elder Yili said.

"Shi Zhixuan, the leader of the Xuanming Sect, died in the Dragon's Lair, and the Central Plains is once again without a leader. My Xuantian Sect can take its place!"

An elder of the "Yi" generation envisioned the future.

Everyone's eyes lit up, and they were quite interested.

Just then, a high deacon came to see the elder of punishments.

After consulting with Xuan Yuan, the Elder of Punishments allowed the Grand Steward to enter the Purple Mansion.

"What happened that made you so anxious?" The elder of punishments asked, his tone tinged with reproach.

"Elder, the situation is truly urgent! Eight patrol officers from the Enforcement Hall are seriously injured and unconscious, disciple Hu Ping's cultivation has been crippled, and Hall Master Hu Shouyi has also become a cripple!" the chief steward said.

"what?!"

The Xuan Tian Sect's high-ranking officials present were all dumbfounded.

The Supreme Elder in charge of the mountain-protecting formation inspected the array and asked in confusion, "There are no external enemies invading!"

"Perhaps seeking revenge! Infiltrating the sect!"

"Which thief is so audacious!"

The Xuan Tian leaders were in a state of high spirits. They had just been celebrating the emergence of two Sovereign Realm experts, but then the Enforcement Hall suffered a complete defeat in their own territory. This was a slap in the face.

The chief law enforcement officer hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

"Speak!" the elder of punishments shouted.

"Shen Ming, the Xuan Emperor!" The Grand Enforcer said through gritted teeth, then immediately lowered his head.

In an instant, the high-ranking members of the Xuantian Sect looked at each other in bewilderment.

What's going on? The Xuan Tianzi attacked the Xuan Tian Sect? This is ridiculous!

"Explain everything clearly!" the elder of punishments said.

The law enforcement officer did not embellish the story; he recounted the events from beginning to end.

"When Xuan Tianzi attacked Hu Pingdong Mansion, eight patrol officers from the Law Enforcement Hall tried to stop him, but they were still no match for Xuan Tianzi."

After Emperor Xuanzong deposed Hu Ping, Hu Ping's father, the head of the Law Enforcement Hall, arrived, and a fierce conflict broke out between the two sides.

Hu Shouyi was no match for the flying sword and was severely injured. He barely survived, but lost all his cultivation.

The twenty-odd high-ranking members of Xuantian were in an uproar.

“Shen Ming is not a reckless or ruthless person; there must be a reason for what he did,” said Xie Tianjian, the peak master of Wanjian Peak.

"Outrageous! This is utterly lawless! No matter the reason, you can't just go to someone else's cave and commit violence. This is clearly someone who has broken through to the Supreme Realm and become arrogant and lawless!"

Another elder of the 'Xuan' generation said angrily.

His name was Xuanji, and his anger was not without reason; Hu Shouyi of the Enforcement Hall was his confidant.

“I don’t think Shen Ming is that kind of person,” Xuan Jian said, though his confidence was somewhat lacking, because Shen Ming had indeed gone too far and violated several sect rules.

"The difference between us and the demonic path is that we must restrain ourselves and understand our own hearts, and abide by the law. Even if Xuan Tianzi wins the first place on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, he cannot kill indiscriminately in the sect."

"Considering that he brought glory to the sect, we will abolish his cultivation and send him to meditate in seclusion for a hundred years."

"No! How can such a talented individual be wasted like this!"

“You are putting the cart before the horse. Our Xuantian Sect is blessed with good fortune, which is why we have such a prodigy. If we condone such evil deeds, the consequences will be endless.”

Each person had their own opinion, and the argument escalated into a fierce debate. What appeared to be a dispute over right and wrong was actually a factional struggle.

One side, led by Xuan Ji, advocated for severe punishment of Shen Ming.

Some of them were not there to support Xuanji, but rather had their own ulterior motives.

The Xuan Tianzi is at the height of his power and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, will become the Xuan Tian Divine Son, thus creating conflict with the Divine Son candidates they support.

Shen Ming made a big mistake today, giving them leverage over him, so of course we can't let him get away with it.

As for whether it would cause the Xuantian Sect to lose a peerless genius, they didn't care.

Just like someone said, if one Shen Ming falls, there will be another Li Ming or Liu Ming.

The other side is Xuan Jian and his group, who support Shen Ming.

There are also neutral parties who remain on the sidelines and are taking a wait-and-see approach.

“Xuan Jian’s attitude is not tough enough. He is probably going to back down. Even if Xuan Tianzi is not deposed, he will be punished.”

"It's because Shen Ming isn't a direct disciple; he has no backing or connections within the sect."

"Wasn't it said that his illegitimate son was a transmission elder? Where is Old Xu?"

"Old Xu has never acted as a go-between for this, and given his fear of his wife, he probably doesn't want to make a fuss about it."

These neutrals were discussing it extensively.

Xuan Yuan remained silent, deliberately keeping a straight face to prevent anyone from seeing his emotions.

Silently observe these law enforcement personnel, and memorize each of their faces.

"I was worried that Ming was too upright and would be at a disadvantage in the power struggle, but I didn't expect him to be so sensible and go straight for something big."

When he heard what had just happened, he almost couldn't help but give a thumbs up and cheer.

The purpose of my return this time is to establish Shen Ming as the Divine Son of Xuantian.

There will inevitably be conflicts of interest with others, but with absolute strength and Shen Ming's talent, nothing is a problem, at most a little trouble.

Unexpectedly, Shen Ming gave him a surprise as soon as he returned, solving the problem once and for all.

In Xuan Yuan's view, this was Shen Ming's deliberate act, and targeting the Enforcement Hall was a stroke of genius.

"Everyone, are you finished?"

When it was almost time, Xuan Yuan spoke coldly.

His words now carried more weight than those of the three senior elders of the "Yi" generation, and everyone stopped arguing.

"Xuan Yuan, we shouldn't be making a scene here. Let me go get the person." Xuan Ji assumed that this was what he was concerned about.

Xuan Yuan had a fiery temper within the sect, and he didn't even care about Luo Cheng, a disciple of his own lineage.

"Shall we go get Shen Ming?" Xuan Yuan asked.

"Yes."

Xuanji vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

"I haven't told you about what happened in Longzang yet, have I? I'll tell you slowly now."

Xuan Yuan recounted what happened at Longzang.

As they listened, the people who were shouting for severe punishment of Shen Ming turned ashen-faced.

Xuanji inwardly groaned, wearing an expression that said, "Why didn't you say so sooner?"

“I’ve already treated Shen Ming as my own son. If he were willing, I would even like to take him in as my godson, but unfortunately he’s not willing. You want to take him? Fine, take me with you.”

As he spoke, Xuan Yuan began to stretch his muscles and bones, eager to try.

Xuanji instinctively stepped back; how could he dare to fight against a Sovereign Realm expert?

“Xuan Yuan, you are joking. Shen Ming has made great contributions to my Xuan Tian Sect. Xuan Tianzi is a humble person. There must be a hidden reason for his killing spree today.”

The three senior elders of the "Yi" generation, who had remained silent until now, spoke up one after another.

The elder of punishments understood the situation and knew how to handle it.

"Xuanji, what do you think?" Elder Yili asked calmly.

Xuanji's heart tightened; if he said the wrong thing, his own people would be gone.

“Elder of Punishments, there must be a miscarriage of justice in this matter. You must find out the truth and not let Emperor Xuan suffer any injustice,” Xuan Ji said.

"As it should be."

"That's what the elder of punishments said."

"Not good!"

At that moment, another senior deacon rushed in.

"Xuantianzi intends to leave the sect and relinquish his status as a disciple of Xuantian Sect!"

Holy crap?! Don't mess with this!

Xuanji had the strongest reaction; he almost burst into tears.