Chapter Three: The Trial That Was Never Fair
The next morning arrived quietly.
Too quietly.
Mo Tian was dragged out of the prison before dawn, chains clinking softly around his wrists.
The pain in his body had returned, sharper than before, as if reminding him of the price he had postponed.
[Causal debt remains unpaid.]
[Warning: instability increasing.]
He ignored it.
Pain was temporary.
Opportunity was not.
The Trial Hall stood at the heart of the sect—vast, ancient, and merciless.
Stone pillars carved with beast symbols rose toward the ceiling, each radiating oppressive pressure.
Mo Tian was forced to kneel at the center.
Around him sat elders, inner disciples, and spectators who had come not for justice—
but for entertainment.
"That's him?"
"The demon seed?"
"Looks half-dead already."
Whispers spread like poison.
At the highest seat sat Elder Qiu, his expression cold and detached.
"Begin," Elder Qiu said.
A disciple stepped forward and shouted,
"Mo Tian is accused of cultivating demonic techniques, corrupting sect resources, and harming fellow disciples!"
The hall erupted.
Mo Tian lowered his head, hiding the faint smile forming on his lips.
So this was it.
No evidence presented.
No witnesses questioned.
The verdict had already been written.
"Mo Tian," Elder Qiu said flatly.
"Do you admit your crimes?"
Silence.
Then Mo Tian slowly raised his head.
"I admit," he said calmly.
The hall froze.
Gasps echoed.
Even Elder Qiu frowned slightly.
"I admit," Mo Tian continued,
"that this trial is meaningless."
Outrage exploded.
"How dare you!"
"Insolent!"
"Crush him!"
Mo Tian's gaze swept across the hall—slow, sharp, and terrifyingly clear.
"You accuse me of demonic cultivation," he said.
"Then show me the technique."
Silence.
"You accuse me of harming fellow disciples," he continued.
"Then bring them forward."
More silence.
The elders exchanged glances.
Mo Tian laughed softly.
"This isn't a trial," he said.
"It's an execution with an audience."
Elder Qiu slammed his hand on the armrest.
"Enough! Your arrogance—"
[Suggestion]
[Distort the Law of Authority.]
[Effect: Undermine legitimacy.]
Mo Tian's eyes darkened.
"Activate."
The pressure in the hall shifted.
Not violently—
subtly.
A strange doubt crept into the hearts of those present.
Was this… really fair?
Mo Tian spoke again, his voice steady.
"Elders," he said,
"if I truly cultivated demonic arts, why am I still alive?"
Murmurs spread.
"Demonic cultivators usually lose control…"
"He looks lucid…"
"That's true…"
Elder Qiu's brows furrowed.
Mo Tian pressed on.
"If I corrupted resources," he said,
"then check my cultivation."
An elder hesitated… then extended his spiritual sense.
His eyes widened.
"His cultivation is… broken."
"There's barely anything left."
Shock rippled through the hall.
A demon cultivator with no cultivation?
Impossible.
Mo Tian lowered his head again.
"I was crippled," he said quietly.
"Then accused."
Silence fell—heavy and uncomfortable.
[Law of Authority distorted.]
[Legitimacy reduced by 23%.]
[Causal debt increased.]
Elder Qiu's expression darkened.
"Enough," he said coldly.
"This trial ends now."
He raised his hand.
"For lack of conclusive evidence—Mo Tian will be exiled."
The hall erupted again.
Exile.
Not death.
Mo Tian exhaled slowly.
He had won.
But then—
A sharp pain tore through his chest.
Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
[Causal debt enforcement initiated.]
[Balance correction in progress.]
Mo Tian clenched his teeth, refusing to fall.
"So… this is the price," he thought.
Elder Qiu noticed.
"Hmph. Even heaven rejects you."
Mo Tian wiped the blood away and smiled.
"No," he said softly.
"Heaven just acknowledged me."
He was dragged away, barely conscious.
As the sect gates closed behind him, Mo Tian collapsed to one knee.
The world spun.
But inside his mind—
[New Law Unlocked.]
[Distortion Type: Survival.]
[You have left the domain of authority.]
Mo Tian laughed weakly.
"Exile…"
He whispered.
"Means freedom."
And far beyond the sect walls—
Something ancient stirred.