Daily life of a cultivation judge

An overbearing pressure was immediately released when the four silhouettes appeared above the skies of the Striding Falcon Sect.

The figures were three men and a woman. Starting from the far right moving westward was an elderly-looking man in green robes, straightened beard that smoothened out and looked like the tip of a sword. He had tied his hair in a daoist topknot and his robes had the image of several mountains joining together to form a mortar and above it was a pestle and mortar. Just standing there one could feel a sense of freshness, the sound of moving water, a harmony between the wood and water elements brought together by a breadth of vast wisdom.

Next to him was a burly-looking man with a rough appearance. He had red and black hair and around his eyes there was a molding that made it seem like the lining of his eyes was made from pumice and magma. He held a hammer in one hand and a crucible filled with boiling metal in the other. Even though he was just a specter, the temperature seemed to rise with his presence.

Next to the burly man was a mature-looking female who had on pure white robes with blue hair neatly tied into a bun. Her beauty was captivating, however, there was an air about her that made it hard for others to even look at her long. She had a solitary air about her like that of a full moon releasing its gentle glow in the silence of the night with only a still lake for company.

Finishing the group was a tall slender handsome young man with black hair smoothly cascading down his back and reaching his waist. Despite the gentle smile he had on and the casual air about him, one could subtly detect a forceful piercing momentum hidden within his body which if released looked like it would pierce through the dome of heaven.

When the sect master, the chief elder, and the other elders saw the four figures, there were visible looks of shock on their faces, a few of the weaker elders had even started to turn pale. 

How could they not when one considered the identity of the four figures standing before them?

The elderly-looking man who had the air of nature and an erudite scholar was a renowned alchemist who was close to becoming a gold-grade alchemist and herbalist. He was the current head of the 10,000 Mountain Mortar Manor an alchemy organization whose reputation spread far and wide. His name was Mu Shin.

The burly man next to him was another renowned figure. He was a blue-grade blacksmith with a similar mastery in runes and talisman making. He was the head of the Spirit Fire Wellforging Pavilion an organization famed for its blacksmithing skills and talisman-making. A part of the reason for their well-deserved fame is a natural treasure that has been in the pavilion for tens of thousands of years, the spirit fire well.

Rumor had it that with the flame you could purify and refine any material even the ocean and the skies itself, and the other reason was the burly man before them. He was less than 1,000 years old but his skills could already rival that of seasoned top-tier blue grade blacksmiths who have been practicing and honing their craft for at least 10,000 years. It was said that he had part golem bloodline which was why he was so skilled in both blacksmithing and talisman making. His name was Gu Bing.

The lady next to him was the sect master of the Three Warden Mirrors Sect. The sect was named so because of the core artifact of the sect, the Three Warden Mirror. The mirror had three abilities; to forge the heart, to forge the mind, and to forge the spirit, which was why it was called the three wardens mirror because it helped those from the Three Warden Mirrors Sect to guard their hearts, minds, and souls with its help. 

Those from the sect were unwavering and still. Of the four organizations present, it was the youngest, but in terms of overall abilities, it was the strongest. It already had over ten palace realm experts, and their sect master was rumored to have already reached the middle stages of the palace realm and was steadily making her way to the late stages. Her name was Lin Ya.

Finishing the group, the young handsome man was called Ye Cheng and he was the current sect master of the Silver Rain Spear Sect and of the four he was the strongest as he had an eighth stage palace realm cultivation. His name was renowned all over for his skills with the spear. He could shatter mountains, and split rivers with just the movement of his fingers. At four he had already developed spear sense, at twelve he had completed full circulation spear qi in his body, and at seventeen he had already developed spear intent and was now slowly building up in preparation for the next stage, the spear domain. 

There were countless tales of him floating around, how if you were to have a friend there was no one like him, he would cross the fires with you as long as he considered you a friend, but if you were his enemy, there was no one worse, he would pursue you to the end, irrespective of the consequences.

The sect master and the other elders couldn't help but feel stifled at being in their presence. Their roles were now just like that of Ma Qi a few moments ago when he cowered before their domineering presence. 

Even if the retired supreme elder Liu Kang had been present, they would still have the same feelings as they do now. The Striding Falcon Sect despite being a rank 3 organization like them wasn't fit to be mentioned in the same breath as the four of them. These were organizations that even had the respect of a few rank 2 organizations. For example, Ye Cheng was sworn brothers' with a rogue domain expert from the Horizon Odyssey Guild despite being a palace realm expert himself he had garnered the respect and admiration of said domain expert.

"Seniors, would you please?" Yang Qing said as he left the floor for them.

The talismans he had on his hand were special since they could support a cultivator's spiritual will but it only worked with those at the palace realm.

The specters present were real live representations of the main bodies thanks to the talisman's help that relayed everything the specters saw to the main body while carrying over a bit of the aura of the main bodies, which was why the four figures were able to carry the lifelike auras of the main bodies.

"If you don't mind fellow Daoists, could I go first? My main body is currently Bestial Churning Sea, I can only spare a few seconds.." softly asked Ye Cheng, the sect master of the Silver Rains Sect.

"It's understandable, fellow daoist Ye Cheng you can take the lead.." said Gu Ping the pavilion master of the Spirit Fire Wellforging Pavilion.

"I don't mind either. After you, Daoist Lin Ya can go next, then you brother Gu Ping and I'll finish. What do you think?" asked Mu Shin the manor master of the 10,000 Mountain Mortar Manor.

"It's okay with me.." answered the sect master Lin Ya of the Three Warden Mirrors Sect.

"Good, then daoist Ye Cheng it's yours now.." said Gu Ping.

The sect master of the Silver Rains Spear Sect nodded politely to the three before his face took a drastic change when he faced the team from the Striding Falcon Sect.

"A sect's duty is to serve as a home to nurture all who step through its doors and help them reach heights they couldn't possibly imagine of themselves.

Each organization be it a sect or clan has its way of doing things to ensure its growth and development but even then we all have one thing in common which is in how we treat those we admit and entrust their lives to us.

I've seen prisoners live better lives than how you treat your very own disciples. What you did is despicable, and if I wasn't preoccupied at the moment I would come and subject you all to the same treatment and see if you have that laudable spirit you keep talking about.

I'm utterly disgusted with your kind, petulant children who assume they know what they don't know. What you did has stifled the lives of countless young cultivators who could have probably made something of themselves or maybe even left an indelible mark on the continent, but all that is gone, all they have now is mental and heart demons that may follow them for the rest of their lives.

For what? So a bunch of spoiled children leeching off the laurels of their ancestors can feel superior..." 

A murderous intent leaked out of the body of sect master Ye Cheng before he reigned it in an instant later.

"You deserve more than you're getting. You have betrayed your duties as leaders of your sect and thus the disciples you treat like vermin are not beholden to your sect. The sacred bond between a sect and its disciples isn't there and it's only fair that you both cut ties with each other.

Therefore, I Ye Cheng, put my name and honor on the line and vote for disciple Ma Qi and those like him to terminate their discipleship with the Striding Falcon Sect with no repercusion should they wish too.

And for those who still have the heart to chase after the peak, I welcome you all at the Silver Rain Spears Sect, if you dare try, we dare accept you.

If you have the mettle for it, I can promise you this we will give you all the opportunities you need so that in a few years' time you can come here and retake your dignity with your own hands.

As for you.." Ye Cheng shook his head in disgust.

"It's not even worth it to waste another word on your likes. Thank you fellow Daoist and judge Yang Qing for the opportunity, i have to make my goodbye quick, the void ink seal seems to be itching for another round.."

The specter of the sect master of the Silver Rain Spear Sect immediately disappeared after he had made that statement.