“Kai Tong, I pronounce you not guilty of demonic cultivation.” Long Bo’s voice echoed in the chamber, heavy with authority.

  A wave of relief washed over Kai. His heart, which had been pounding with anxiety, settled for a brief moment. He had feared the worst—accusation of demonic cultivation was a death sentence. However, his reprieve was short-lived, as Long Bo’s next words immediately brought the tension back.

  “However…” Long Bo continued, his voice taking on a sterner edge. “You are still charged with a different crime. The crime of unauthorized and dangerous experimentation with demonic materials. And to that, I find you guilty.”

  Kai’s stomach dropped. His mind raced. No, no... this can't be happening… he thought desperately. He tried to remain composed, but fear clawed at his chest. His mind was desperately searching for a way to explain himself, to somehow talk his way out of this, but Long Bo’s words continued, as cold and unforgiving as ever.

  “Your experiment with the blood trees to create this new fruit goes against our sect’s laws. We cannot simply overlook the potential dangers of these fruits you have created.” Long Bo’s eyes bore into Kai, a silent accusation weighing down upon him. “We do not know what consequences your actions may have. These fruits, born of a blood tree, carry an inherent risk that we cannot ignore.”

  At that moment, the panic that Kai had been suppressing erupted within him. His throat went dry, and his voice came out in a desperate rush.

  “Please, Sect Leader! I swear, these fruits are not dangerous! I’ve been growing them for years without any issues. There’s no harm in them! I didn’t mean to cause any trouble. Please, you have to believe me!”

  Long Bo’s face remained unmoved, his expression steely. “We don’t know for sure whether these fruits are harmless,” he replied, his tone measured. “Yes, the blood tree is not a demonic tree, but it is still a dangerous entity tied to demonic cultivation. Even if your grafting did not turn it into something truly demonic, we cannot ignore the potential risks. These fruits might contain trace amounts of demonic qi, undetectable by our current means, but still enough to corrupt or harm those who consume them.”

  Kai’s mouth went dry. He wanted to protest, but his mind was too clouded with fear. No… they can’t be dangerous… I’ve been growing them for so long, he thought, but his voice failed him. Long Bo was relentless.

  “Even if these fruits seem benign at first, we cannot dismiss the possibility of long-term effects,” Long Bo continued, his voice carrying the weight of someone accustomed to making life-or-death decisions. “They could gradually steer your cultivation down a path towards the demonic. A subtle change, imperceptible at first, but enough to slowly erode your very being. We cannot afford to take such a risk.”

  Kai’s heart sank. The words hit harder than any physical blow. His every instinct screamed that he had done nothing wrong, but here he was, caught in a system where his innocence meant nothing in the face of potential danger, real or imagined.

  Long Bo paused, his gaze unwavering. “That is why you are guilty of this crime, Kai Tong,” he said, his voice final. “You have not only broken our sect’s laws, but you’ve endangered us all by experimenting with dangerous and unpredictable materials. Your actions cannot go unpunished.”

  The chamber was silent for a long moment. Kai was frozen, the weight of Long Bo’s words pressing on him like a physical force. His mind raced, but there was nothing he could say. He was guilty, even though he knew deep down that he hadn’t meant to harm anyone. This wasn’t the way he had wanted things to go, but he had crossed a line by experimenting with something that the sect had deemed off-limits.

  The elders around him exchanged glances, their expressions unreadable. The Emerald Tortoise Sect members remained as still and impassive as ever. Kai felt exposed, as if every pair of eyes in the room was dissecting his every thought, weighing his very soul.

  Long Bo leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest. “Kai Tong, you are guilty of endangering the sect with your reckless actions. However…” Long Bo paused, and for a brief moment, there was a flicker of something in his eyes—a hint of something softer, though still stern.

  “The punishment for this crime will not be as severe as that of demonic cultivation,” Long Bo declared, his voice unwavering, though there was no softness to his words. “However, it will still carry significant consequences. The details of your punishment will be finalized later. In the meantime, you are to guide a group of disciples to the location where you cultivated these fruits so that the trees can be destroyed.”

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  Hearing that sentence, a bitter knot formed in Kai’s stomach. He had spent countless years cultivating those trees, refining the process, ensuring the fruits were safe and beneficial. And now, all that work, all that effort, would be eradicated in a matter of hours—burned to ashes. The sting of it was sharp, but it was what Long Bo said next that truly devastated Kai’s.

  “And after that,” Long Bo continued, his gaze unrelenting, “you will be tasked with the killing and disposal of all the spirit beasts that were under your care.”

  Kai’s heart skipped a beat. His mind went blank for a moment. “What? No… “ His voice cracked as the words stumbled out of him. “Why? Why would—?”

  Long Bo’s expression remained as cold as ever, his tone flat. “You fed those spirit beasts the meat fruits. There is a chance—a chance—that these fruits may have been contaminated with demonic qi. And if that’s the case, the spirit beasts could be on the path to transforming into demonic beasts themselves.”

  The words hit Kai like a physical blow, his vision blurring for a moment. The beasts? His beloved creatures—the ones he had cared for and nurtured—were now condemned to death because of his actions. He couldn’t bear it. He had only ever meant to help them, to improve their lives. But now… now they were nothing more than casualties of his mistake.

  “So, to ensure that does not happen,” Long Bo said with finality, “they shall all be disposed of.”

  Kai’s breath caught in his throat. “All of them?” His voice trembled with desperation, disbelief flooding him. “No! I only fed the meat fruits to the carnivores! The herbivores are fine! They’re healthy!” he desperately pleaded, hoping that maybe he could save at least half of them.

  Long Bo’s gaze remained unmoved, his authority unyielding. “We’re not taking any chances. All of them must be killed. We cannot afford to allow even the slightest possibility of contamination. If these creatures are even the slightest bit corrupted, the consequences could be dire.”

  Kai’s mind spiraled. All of them? His mind couldn’t quite grasp the full weight of it. The thought of losing all the spirit beasts he had come to love and care for—the creatures he had painstakingly raised and protected—was unbearable. The pain was raw, like a wound that would never heal. These creatures weren’t just animals to him; they were companions, comrades in his life. And now they were to be slaughtered.

  “No,” Kai whispered, his voice hoarse, barely audible. He wanted to fight back, to argue, to plead for their lives, but the weight of Long Bo’s presence and the absolute certainty in his words crushed any hope of resistance.

  “And to ensure you comply with these orders,” Long Bo said coldly, his hand outstretched as he produced a jade seal.

  The seal was ancient-looking, its surface glinting with an otherworldly light. As Long Bo activated it, the air around them thickened with the oppressive weight of powerful qi. The atmosphere seemed to crackle with energy, and the very space seemed to tremble in response. Kai’s heart raced as a feeling of dread washed over him.

  The jade seal glowed brightly, sending out tendrils of inky black symbols that surged through the air, swirling around Kai like ominous shadows. He blinked in confusion, trying to comprehend what was happening, but the symbols darted toward him with a speed that left him no time to react. They collided with his skin, and he gasped in shock as the strange symbols began to etch themselves into his flesh, as though tattooing themselves into his very being.

  The instant the symbols made contact with his skin, a searing pain exploded throughout his body, unlike anything Kai had ever felt before. It was as if molten iron had been pressed against his skin, branding him with a vicious heat. His muscles locked up, and a guttural scream tore from his throat as he collapsed to the ground, rolling in agony. His breath came in frantic gasps, each inhale bringing more unbearable pain, every mark etched into his skin a reminder of the torment.

  “Ahhh!” Kai cried out, clutching at his arms and chest, trying desperately to claw at the symbols that had embedded themselves into his body. But no matter what he did, the pain was relentless, unyielding.

  Long Bo’s voice cut through the storm of pain, his tone as cold and detached as ever. “This is the Jade King Seal, a powerful treasure of our sect. It will ensure your obedience to my commands. You will carry out the tasks I’ve assigned, and you will return here within seven days. If you do not complete the tasks, the markings of the Jade King Seal will activate and you will die.”

  The words fell upon Kai like a final sentence. His breath hitched, his mind struggling to process the dire reality that had just been thrust upon him. Seven days. He had seven days to carry out his orders, or the seal would consume him from within.

  Long Bo’s face was impassive, his gaze unwavering as he watched Kai suffer. “With that, this trial is adjourned.”

  The weight of his words hung heavy in the air, suffocating Kai with their finality. The room seemed to spin as the symbols continued to pulse across his skin, their presence a constant reminder of his forced servitude. Despite the pain, despite the anger and fear that surged within him, Kai knew there was no way out. He had no choice but to obey.