You were driven out of the capital at the start, and you ask me why I rebelled?

Chapter 533 Cultivation Abandoned

"Elder Bai, are you alright?"

The elder touched Elder Bai slightly.

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, Elder Bai's body slowly collapsed.

"What...what happened? Did Elder Bai get killed by Elder Yuan?"

"Then you can't blame Elder Yuan. Elder Bai was the one who first intended to kill, and Elder Yuan killed him instead. He only has himself to blame..."

"..."

This scene caused a great deal of discussion among the disciples and elders present, who speculated whether Elder Bai had been beaten to death by Elder Yuan.

The elder in the training ground immediately began to check on Elder Bai's condition, his expression very solemn.

After a moment, he stood up and said, "Elder Bai is not in mortal danger, but his cultivation has been destroyed, and he has become a mortal..."

"Furthermore, his foundation has been completely destroyed, and he has lost the possibility of cultivating again..."

"His~~"

As soon as he finished speaking, a collective gasp filled the room.

To have his cultivation destroyed and reduced to a mortal is even more terrifying than killing him.

From a high-ranking expert at the peak of the Void Refinement Realm to a mortal with no cultivation whatsoever, it's unknown whether Elder Bai can accept this outcome after waking up.

"Hmph! Yuan Zongming, weren't you being a bit too ruthless? It was just a friendly sparring match between fellow disciples, yet you used such heavy-handed tactics. How can someone like you be fit to be the sect leader?"

Upon hearing that Elder Bai had been crippled, the elders who had already pledged allegiance to him immediately became restless.

They had mocked Yuan Zongming quite a bit before; if he were to become the sect leader, who knows how he would deal with them!

"Oh? Can't you see that Elder Bai was the one who showed murderous intent towards me first? If I hadn't fought back, wouldn't my fate have been even worse than his?"

Yuan Zongming looked at the elder who had spoken up against him, a cold glint in his eyes, and said.

"That's true, but you could have stopped there. Defeating Elder Bai would have been enough. Why did you have to cripple his cultivation?"

The elder's face turned pale and then red, but he continued to argue illogically.

"Hehe! I won't stoop to the level of a fool! Anyone with eyes can see what happened just now; I was merely acting in self-defense!"

"A lackey like you shouldn't stand up and speak, lest you become a laughingstock!"

Yuan Zongming had no intention of getting entangled with him any longer. His immediate priority was to take control of the Fengqing Sect and complete the task Yue Fei had given him.

Once he becomes the sect leader, he will naturally have plenty of ways to deal with these people.

The elder could no longer tolerate being insulted so blatantly by Yuan Zongming.

However, he was stopped by the elder beside him.

Then, I don't know what he said to me through telepathy.

The elder returned to his previous position, but his gaze remained fixed on Yuan Zongming, as if he wished he could devour him alive.

Ignoring his gaze, Yuan Zongming slowly walked to the center of the training ground, looked around, and declared loudly, "From this day forward, I, Yuan Zongming, am the new sect leader of the Fengqing Sect. Anyone who disagrees, feel free to challenge me!"

His voice was powerful and resonant, echoing throughout the entire training ground. No one dared to object; everyone was awestruck by his strength.

The scene was completely silent; not a single person spoke.

"Since no one objects, then I shall accept the position of sect leader without hesitation..."

Yuan Zongming glanced around and, seeing that no one objected, spoke up.

"Wait a moment!"

Just then, a voice came.

All eyes turned toward the direction from which the sound came.

Then, the elder who had previously intervened to stop the other elder stepped forward.

"Oh! I wonder what advice Elder Han has for me? Perhaps you are also interested in the position of sect leader?"

Yuan Zongming looked at him and spoke.

"I wouldn't dare! But the position of sect leader still requires the approval of the ancestor. I have already sent a message to the ancestor, and he will be here soon."

"Once the Ancestor arrives, let him decide who will become the sect leader..."

Elder Han clasped his hands in a fist salute to Yuan Zongming and spoke.

Upon hearing his words, Yuan Zongming's gaze towards Elder Han was filled with coldness.

Elder Han noticed Yuan Zongming's gaze, and cold sweat slowly rolled down his forehead.

Clearly, he was also very unsettled.

But he had no choice but to do it.

Because this is related to their vital interests.

The reason they supported Elder Bai as the sect leader was because Elder Bai had promised that if he became the sect leader, he would give them a lot of benefits.

However, Yuan Zongming is different. They haven't had much contact with him on a regular basis, and besides, they were enemies with him before. If he becomes the sect leader, they will be purged sooner or later.

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the training ground.

Everyone turned to look, and saw a figure slowly walking towards them. His steps were steady, his aura was restrained, yet he gave people an invisible sense of pressure.

"Ancestor!" Elder Han's eyes flashed with joy, and he hurriedly went to greet him.

The newcomer was none other than Feng Wuhen, the patriarch of the Fengqing Sect. He wore a gray robe, his hair and beard were all white, his face was old but his spirit was vigorous, and his eyes were deep as an abyss, as if he could see through everything.

"Ancestor, you've finally arrived!" Elder Han exclaimed excitedly. "The position of sect leader is of utmost importance; we humbly request your decision, Ancestor!"

Feng Wuhen nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd in the martial arts arena, lingering particularly on Elder Bai for a while, a look of surprise appearing on his face. Finally, his gaze settled on Yuan Zongming.

He slowly spoke, "Yuan Zongming, why did you cripple Elder Bai's cultivation?"

Facing the patriarch, Yuan Zongming remained neither humble nor arrogant, clasping his hands and saying, "Patriarch, you are wise. Elder Bai showed murderous intent towards me during the competition. I was merely acting in self-defense. Canceling his cultivation was a last resort."

Feng Wuhen remained silent for a moment, seemingly deep in thought.

After a moment, he slowly spoke, "Let's set aside Elder Bai's matter for now. Now that our sect leader has fallen, the entire Fengqing Sect is in a state of panic. We do indeed need to choose a new sect leader to stabilize the people's hearts. Since you have defeated Elder Bai, then you will be the new sect leader of our Fengqing Sect..."

"I hope you can lead my Fengqing Sect to glory..."

As soon as Feng Wuhen finished speaking, the elders who supported Elder Bai immediately became anxious.

"Ancestor, Elder Yuan is ruthless and crippled Elder Bai. If such a person becomes the sect leader, wouldn't that push our Fengqing Sect into the abyss?"

Elder Han's face flashed with anxiety, and he quickly spoke.

"Hmm? Are you questioning my decision?"

Feng Wuhen's gaze sharpened as he looked at Elder Han and spoke in an icy tone.

"No... I wouldn't dare! Everything is up to the Ancestor!"

A look of panic flashed across Elder Han's face, and he quickly spoke.

"If you dare not, then shut your mouth!"

Feng Wuhen said coldly.

"Here!"

Elder Han trembled and quickly retreated.

"Alright, Yuan Zongming will be the new sect leader of my Fengqing Sect from now on. You will all respect him from now on. I will take my leave now, and I will leave this place to you..."

Feng Wuhen's last words were spoken to Yuan Zongming.

"Here!"

The ordinary disciples of Fengqing Sect naturally had no objections; to them, it didn't matter who the sect leader was.

Although the elders were still somewhat unwilling, the ancestor had already spoken, so how could they disobey?

"Here!"

In the end, everyone in Fengqing Sect agreed that Yuan Zongming should succeed as the new sect leader.

Afterwards, Feng Wuhen left and returned to his cave.

After entering the cave, his expression changed rapidly, and he clenched his fists involuntarily.

"I have done as you asked. Now you can tell me your identities!"

Feng Wuhen said in a deep voice, it was unclear who he was talking to.