"Brother Wan, you're truly audacious, daring to provoke the Hall Master of the Water Hall. She's practically a goddess in the eyes of all Water Hall disciples. You're really playing with fire."
"I didn't provoke her!"
Wan Lei loudly argued, or rather, tried to defend himself.
"Didn't provoke her? Go tell that to the frenzied Water Hall disciples outside and see if they believe you. I heard that scream myself back then, let alone them."
Xiao Jin said, looking at Wan Lei with great interest, a lewd expression on his face.
"Alas, big brother, my dear big brother, tell me, how exactly did you provoke her?"
"How could I provoke her? A disciple in the Tai Xu realm bullying a Saint? What a joke!"
Wan Lei rolled his eyes.
By now, a commotion had erupted outside. Tens of thousands of Water Hall disciples were clamoring for Wan Lei to come out and die, vowing not to rest until Wan Lei's head was severed tonight!
Wan Lei and Xiao Jin could see everything clearly through the formation.
Suddenly, a group of Thunder Hall disciples flew over, blocking the entrance to Wan Lei's abode, led by Lei Xin.
"Are you Water Hall disciples insane? Daring to attack our Thunder Hall's main peak! Today, you'll regret this!"
Hearing this, Wan Lei felt deeply gratified. The Thunder Hall disciples still cared about him.
"Hmph, isn't this Wan Lei just an Origin-level talent? No matter how good his talent, he hasn't grown yet. How dare a mere disciple in the Tai Xu realm provoke our Hall Master? If we don't punish him today, wouldn't our Water Hall appear weak and easily bullied!"
The speaker was a tall, thin male disciple with sharp eyebrows and piercing eyes, but he was so emaciated, like skin and bones, with dark circles under his eyes, clearly indicating excessive indulgence…
"This is Xing Chen, the Hall Son of the Water Hall in the Tai Xu realm. He ranks tenth on the first level of the Creation Tower!"
Xiao Jin explained, then added,
"Tsk, my brother Wan Lei has the potential of an Immortal Venerable. They're just jealous."
"Hmph, show us proof! Without evidence, it's just baseless slander. We Thunder Hall disciples are not to be trifled with!"
Lei Xin, like a leader of a gang, stood before Wan Lei's cave entrance with her strong, well-built physique, exuding an aura of being able to hold off ten thousand men.
"Lei Xin, get out of the way! If you block our path again, we'll beat you up too!"
Xing Chen was furious, but he still retained a shred of rationality.
However, Lei Xin was not one to be easily provoked. She raised the massive stone, weighing over ten tons, from the platform and stood firmly at the cave entrance.
"Let's see who dares!"
Looking at Lei Xin's majestic and imposing figure, as steadfast as a mountain, Wan Lei was so moved that he almost cried. The scene reminded him of an ancient poem.
"A neighbor's daughter, newly grown, With strength to move mountains, her spirit supreme."
Just then, a group of disciples in black robes, with red sashes tied to their sleeves, suddenly flew from a distance.
"What are you doing? Disperse! If you continue to gather and cause trouble, you will all be arrested!"
As these people arrived, the momentum of both groups of disciples immediately subsided.
The Enforcement Hall!
Seeing the arrival of the Enforcement Hall, Wan Lei immediately perked up and, along with Xiao Jin, peeked out from the entrance of his abode.
The Water Hall disciples, though no longer shouting, had not retreated. They stood their ground even as the Enforcement Hall members pointed their weapons at their heads.
A leader from the Enforcement Hall stepped forward, his cold gaze sweeping across the thousands of disciples. Although there were only twenty of them, their presence had already overwhelmed the other side.
"What are you doing! Are you crazy? This is the Five Elements Hall, not a place for you to run wild!"
"You didn't do anything when Wan Lei bullied our Hall Master, but now you're interfering when we're here to settle the score?"
Xing Chen, the Hall Son of the Water Hall, stepped forward to confront the leader of the Enforcement Hall.
"We have not received any reports of Wan Lei bullying anyone, so your claim is invalid."
"Then I report it now. Will you handle it?"
Xing Chen's words resonated with the Water Hall disciples.
"That's right, we're reporting it. Will you Enforcement Hall members take action?"
"All ten thousand of us are reporting!"
"This wicked villain Wan Lei must be severely punished!"
Upon hearing this, the leader of the Enforcement Hall shouted,
"Do you have any evidence? As long as you produce evidence, we will immediately take Wan Lei away!"
At this, the Water Hall disciples looked at each other, unable to produce any evidence.
"My word is evidence."
Suddenly, the Fire Hall Master, Li Yan, with his flowing red hair, appeared in the arena, looking proudly at the leader of the Enforcement Hall.
"Well, is this evidence sufficient?"
The leader of the Enforcement Hall heard this, straightened up, and clasped his hands.
"Your words cannot serve as evidence. These people are gathering and causing trouble without cause. Please, Hall Master Li, do not obstruct the Enforcement Hall's duties!"
"Oh, a mere squad leader dares to bellow at me? Who do you think you are?"
Li Yan sneered.
The leader of the Enforcement Hall's face immediately turned ashen. The Enforcement Hall was feared everywhere they went, and to be humiliated like this, he could only rage inwardly.
"Since when does the Fire Hall Master's mere word become evidence?"
A voice, leisurely and unhurried, echoed through the air. Everyone looked up to see a stern-faced young man in black slowly flying towards them.
Upon seeing him, the Enforcement Hall members let out a sigh of relief and clasped their hands.
"Greetings, Deputy Hall Master!"
"What, Deputy Hall Master, are you here to cause trouble for me today?"
Li Yan's gaze turned menacing as he coldly looked at the Deputy Hall Master.
"To be precise, it is Hall Master Li who is causing trouble for me. I have already inquired with the Water Hall Master, and she personally stated that Wan Lei did not provoke her. Therefore, Hall Master Li is here to falsely accuse an innocent person."
"Hmph, how could Xi Sha, a woman, admit to something like this? If she doesn't admit it, should we just pretend we don't know?!"
"I don't care about that. Without a victim and without evidence, there's no case. Now, you tens of thousands of people are blockading the Thunder Hall, and we Enforcement Hall members cannot ignore this. Now, you have one minute. If there are disciples from other halls remaining at the Thunder Hall's main peak, don't blame me for being unforgiving."
The Deputy Hall Master's words made Li Yan even more indignant.
"Do you think you, a mere Deputy Hall Master who isn't even a Saint, can suppress me!"
"I am merely enforcing the law impartially. It's not about suppressing anyone. If Hall Master Li insists on making trouble, I will not be able to stop you, and I will have to ask the Hall Master to return and speak with Hall Master Li personally."
The mention of the Hall Master caused Li Yan's expression to change drastically, a flicker of fear in his eyes.
Li Yan cast a vicious glare towards Wan Lei's abode.
"Don't think I can't deal with you, a mere Tai Xu realm disciple. We'll see."
After uttering a hollow threat, Li Yan flicked his sleeves and left.
With his departure, the Water Hall disciples lost their backbone and were dispersed by the Enforcement Hall.
Seeing that the crisis had been averted, Wan Lei and Xiao Jin breathed a sigh of relief.
"Alas, is the Enforcement Hall Master really that powerful? Just his name scared away the Fire Hall Master?"
Xiao Jin chuckled.
"Of course, the Enforcement Hall Master is a legendary figure. He is..."
Before he could finish speaking, Wan Lei's spiritual jade suddenly pinged. Upon checking the information, his face instantly turned pale.
"Five Elements Hall New Disciple Wan Lei: First Task.
Investigate the Great Sage Equalling Heaven in secret.
Task Level – Purgatory."