### Chapter 36: Mu Rongfeng
About an hour later, a summons arrived for Lin Yi from the Law Enforcement Hall. He didn't dare delay—this hall held immense power in the Dianxuan Sect. He followed the messenger immediately, with Pan Yu summoned as a witness.
The Law Enforcement Hall exuded an aura of cold authority. A senior elder sat at the head, flanked by ten disciples, their faces fierce and煞气 radiating from their pores—veterans of countless battles. To join the hall, disciples must reach at least the Seventh Level of Qi Refinement and pass brutal trials. Two elders oversaw it: one at Mid Foundation Establishment, the other at Early Foundation Establishment. Today, the latter—Elder Xiang—presided.
"Lin Yi, Zhang Mu accuses you of assaulting Tian Dong. Is this true?" Elder Xiang's voice was icy, his expression stern.
"It is, Elder," Lin Yi replied evenly.
"See? He admits it!" Zhang Mu interjected, feigning grief. "Senior Brother Lin used his Fourth Level cultivation to bully us weaker disciples. He deserves punishment!"
"Whether punishment is due is for me to decide, not you," Elder Xiang snapped, glaring at Zhang Mu. He'd handled enough cases to spot a liar—Zhang Mu's theatrics fooled no one.
Zhang Mu fell silent, seething internally but daring not protest.
"Lin Yi, tell me exactly why you struck Tian Dong," Elder Xiang ordered.
Lin Yi recounted the incident in detail: the disciples' uninvited intrusion, their insults, the provocation that led to the attack. Pan Yu then testified, swearing an oath on the Dao—an unbreakable vow for cultivators, as falsehood would sever their path to immortality.
Elder Xiang had a clear picture, but to settle the matter, he turned to Zhang Mu's group. With his Foundation Establishment神识, he easily overwhelmed their meager Qi Refinement spirits. Fixing one First Level disciple with a mental pressure, he demanded, "Is what Lin Yi and Pan Yu said true?"
The disciple's spirit shattered under the pressure, his eyes vacant. "Yes," he droned.
Zhang Mu and the others froze, cold dread seeping into their bones. Regret gnawed at them—they'd miscalculated badly.
Elder Xiang erupted in anger. "You dare stir trouble and falsely accuse a fellow disciple? Thirty lashes each—take them away!"
The whips were no ordinary tools. Forged with special techniques, each strike lacerated both body and soul. Thirty lashes would leave them bedridden for months, their cultivation set back.
"Spare us, Elder! We'll never do it again!" Zhang Mu and the others wailed, but Elder Xiang remained unmoved. The hall disciples dragged them away, their screams fading.
Lin Yi and Pan Yu returned to the outer sect unharmed.
…
Night fell. In a larger, better-furnished cottage among the outer disciples, an oil lamp flickered. Four young men and a middle-aged cultivator sat cross-legged, the latter in the main seat.
This was Mu Rongfeng, a revered figure among outer disciples. Nearly thirty years into his cultivation, he'd reached Fourth Level Qi Refinement with Four Spiritual Roots—an achievement that earned him favor from several elders, who hoped to promote him to inner disciple.
The four young men were among those who'd harassed Lin Yi earlier.
"Senior Brother Mu, you've always been our leader," Yan Song said, his tone dripping with malice. "But now Lin Yi's reached Fourth Level, acting so arrogant he injured Tian Dong with no consequences. He's challenging your authority—thinks he can replace you as our leader!"
"He's courting death," Mu Rongfeng muttered, his eyes darkening.
"Teach him a lesson, Senior Brother. Otherwise, he'll forget who rules the outer sect," another youth urged.
"Exactly! He's just a new Fourth Level—what does he know? We all know you're the true strongest here. He's nothing but trash!"
Mu Rongfeng smirked coldly. "I *will* teach him—but not yet. The sect tournament is soon. Then I'll remind him who's first in the outer sect."
"Brilliant! With his shaky new Fourth Level, he's no match for you, Senior Brother. Cripple him in the tournament—show him his place!" Yan Song rubbed his hands eagerly.
Mu Rongfeng's smile turned icy, a glint of cruelty in his eyes. The four men exchanged satisfied glances, silently cursing Lin Yi. Their work done, they bowed and left, already imagining Lin Yi's humiliation in the coming weeks.
Outside, a cold wind whistled through the cottages, carrying a chill that seemed to foretell bloodshed. The sect tournament loomed, and tension coiled tight—soon, Lin Yi and Mu Rongfeng would clash, and only one would stand.