What Long Chen had never expected was that Song Mingyuan and Li Qi now both walked out of the crowd to stand with Long Chen. Clearly, they were displaying their dissatisfaction with Qi Xin’s contemptible methods.

“Long Chen, your character is just how a man should be like.”

Li Qi gave Long Chen a thumbs up. Then, he icily swept his gaze over Gu Yang, Lei Qianshang, Qi Xin, and all their people, his eyes filled with contempt.

That caused Gu Yang and company to be infuriated. They clenched their fists angrily, but they sensibly didn’t do anything. They just waited for Elder Sun’s ruling.

At this time, Elder Sun cursed inside to see that Song Mingyuan and Li Qi, two core disciples, would express their support of Long Chen.

That was definitely a kind of provocation to him, but he acted as if he hadn't seen them, coldly shouting, “Long Chen, you’ve massacred your fellow sect members. That is something indisputable, and even if you try to refute it, you cannot escape from your crime.”

Long Chen icily laughed, “What nonsense. I, Long Chen, am someone who can support all of heaven and earth. I have never not admitted to anything I’ve done.

“And furthermore, what do you mean I can’t escape my crime? Massacring my fellow sect members? Have your eyes gone blind with age? These pieces of trash that stabbed their comrades in the back are also fellow sect members?”

“How presumptuous. This is just a competition and not a true battle. How can it count as stabbing in the back?” Elder Sun had already flown into a rage after being repeatedly cursed by Long Chen.

But despite wishing to crush Long Chen to death inside, he didn’t dare to do anything. That was because he knew that everything happening here was being monitored in secret by the high level members of the monastery. He had to act fair and impartial.

“Competition? Then let me ask you, what does the monastery spend so much effort to raise us into? Is it to play such a game the whole time?” questioned Long Chen.

“Of course not. The monastery raises you in order for you to mature into people worthy of respect, people who will uphold the Righteous path. Your goal is to eradicate those Corrupt Devils who endanger the common people, protecting them from their cruelty.” Elder Sun put on the airs of a very just and righteous man.

But Long Chen had long since seen through that old man’s nature. He ridiculed, “Then, in other words, we are to become fighters against the Corrupt Devils. Then let me ask, will we face danger when fighting against them?”

“Rubbish, how could there not be a danger when fighting? Righteous people must not be afraid-”

Long Chen directly cut him off. “Since the fighting will be dangerous, then that is a life and death struggle.

“Then, the reason we cultivate today is because each extra bit of strength we gain will relate to whether or not we will be able to survive those great battles.

“In other words, this struggle for resources right now is to train us so that we can have a greater chance to survive at that time.”

Suddenly, Long Chen’s voice grew louder, echoing through the sky. “Then you old bastard, tell me, is this competition supposed to be just a game?

“They betrayed us, causing us to lose all the resources we should have gained. Now without resources, our power will drop, affecting our cultivation.

“As we lose out step by step, our entire power level will weaken. That means even more of us here will die in the battles between the Righteous and Corrupt paths. So tell me, is this a fucking knife in the back or not?”

Long Chen’s quiet aura once more erupted when he finished speaking, and his murderous aura locked onto Elder Sun.

Everyone’s hearts trembled. Although senior apprentice-brother Wan had warned everyone that this wasn’t a game, everyone had still felt that they were simply playing around. It was just a game that was very important. They had never thought that this game would concern their future lives and deaths.

Now that Long Chen had spelled it out for them, they were completely shaken. They knew Long Chen’s words were not alarmist at all.

Elder Sun’s face was green, not knowing how to respond.

If he accepted that Long Chen was right, then his killing those people could be considered a justified action and he would be unable to punish him.

He wanted to retort, but he couldn’t just lie through his teeth like that. That would just cause even more people to despise him, losing all his prestige.

His expression sank. In his heart, he already hated Long Chen to the death. It had been many years since someone had cursed him right in the face, and he actually had no way to retort now.

“You have nothing to say? Do you know why the monastery would conduct such a team battle? Why they would choose this over solo battles?

“Isn’t it because they want to raise the core disciples’ leadership abilities, letting everyone work with one heart, fostering trust between us?

“Who cares if a person is that much stronger? Can they be stronger than a whole team? And that’s the only reason the monastery uses such a method for the competition. Mutual protection, uniting as one entity, releasing even more power.”

Long Chen pointed at Gu Yang and them, ridiculing. “As for the ‘smarts’ of you idiots, that’s just a bunch of bullshit. You think a little clever ploy can count as smarts?

“With your little tricks, if you ran into the sinister and crafty Corrupt Devils, you would be turned into a corpse before you could ever try playing smart.

“Why are we in teams? So in the face of a life and death battle, we can leave our backs to our comrades.

“Because we have that trust, even if those comrades die, we know they’ll protect our backs. Can a bunch of pigs like you understand that?”

Gu Yang’s face sank and he retorted, “Tch, a loss is a loss. What use do your complaints have?”

Long Chen smiled slightly, “Of course, such words have no use for a pig like you who only thinks about himself. But I believe there are people who can understand my words.

“Those spies still hidden within other people’s factions, if you can understand what I’m saying, then be a true person and walk out on your own. Don’t deceive other people’s trust and feelings.”

After Long Chen finished speaking, one person sighed and walked out of his faction.

He said to his core disciple, “I’m really sorry. I’ve disappointed everyone’s trust. I will leave the faction, but I also will not return to my original faction.”

After that person walked out, there were immediately another seven others whose faces were red from shame who also walked out.

The first person to walk out was just about to leave his faction when he was grabbed by the core disciple.

He bitterly smiled. “If you want to kill me, go ahead. I won’t resist.

“Being treated as a brother amongst everyone really caused my heart incomparable torment over the past few days. I’ve had enough of that pain.

“I want to be like Long Chen, to be a real, genuine man. Even if you kill me now, I think I’ll still count as a real man.”

The entire crowd was silent, watching that core disciple. That core disciple heavily patted him on the shoulder. “What are you doing? If you leave, where am I supposed to get another brother?”

That person was shocked. Looking into that core disciple’s eyes, he couldn’t hold back his tears.

“Hey, if you keep acting like a girl, then I really will kick you out. Come, these many brothers can’t lose you.” That core disciple was filled with emotion.

After that disciple returned to his faction, there were immediately several other core disciples who called back those people who had walked out.

“Don’t just stand there stupidly. Everyone’s already returned, so don’t just stand there like an idiot.” Other core disciples also scolded them lightly. Those people weren’t much better than the first one, also crying with emotion.

Ling Yunzi and Tu Fang saw everything from above. Ling Yunzi nodded, “Long Chen is a natural leader. He has an innate charisma that causes people to follow him to the grave. With just a couple of words, he was able to fill quite a few of them with an unswerving loyalty. That’s not something ordinary experts are able to do.”

Tu Fang also nodded. Long Chen had a wisdom that did not match his age. He had managed to see through the monastery’s goals with just a glance.

But he was unable to comprehend why someone so smart would do some things that were so stupid.

With Long Chen’s wisdom, even if he had suffered defeat this time, he would definitely have been able to turn the situation around quickly. Why did he have to use such an extreme method?

“It’s Long Chen right? I am Luo Cang. I hope we can be friends.”

That first core disciple, who forgave his undercover agent and pulled that disciple back, walked over to Long Chen and extended a hand.

“I don’t like having friends.” Long Chen shook his head. “Instead, I like having life and death brothers.” Long Chen also extended his hand.

That person’s expression changed when he heard the first half, but hearing the rest, he laughed heartily.

The two of them clasped hands. Luo Cang laughed, “Good, hopefully there will be a day where I can stand with brother Long on the battlefield.”

Following Luo Cang’s actions, there were also several other core disciples who walked over to shake hands with Long Chen.

Although Long Chen’s cultivation base was the weakest here, everyone deeply admired that arrogance and heroic nature of his.

As for Gu Yang, Lei Qianshang, and Qi Xin, their expressions were extremely ugly. That was because all those turncoats had been placed there by them.

Now that all those disciples had turned against them, their petty tricks had immediately been revealed.

Those turncoats, who were allowed to return to their faction, looked at them especially contemptuously, causing them to almost burst from fury.

“Elder Sun, Long Chen has broken the monastery’s rules and maliciously killed people. His crime cannot be forgiven. Please give us justice, Elder.” Qi Xin respectfully bowed to Elder Sun.

Originally, Elder Sun had been completely shut up by Long Chen’s questions. Then, seeing more and more core disciples walk over to him, he immediately realized that the situation was getting out of his control. He had been thinking of how to react to all this when Qi Xin’s words gave him a reminder.

I really have been an idiot. What do I need to argue about with him? Since he’s killed people and broken the monastery’s rules, I can just directly declare his punishment, realized Elder Sun.

He gravely said, “Long Chen, no matter how you quibble, you cannot change the fact that you maliciously killed people.

“But you should be thankful that the monastery’s rules favor the strong. You won’t have to pay with your life for killing others. However, from today onwards, you will never be a disciple of this monastery again. You are expelled.”

Tang Wan-er was the first to walk up. “Since Elder has made such a judgement, then Tang Wan-er will also leave the monastery with Long Chen.”

“What!?”

Everyone was given a shock. Tang Wan-er would actually go with Long Chen if he was expelled?!

“Ye Zhiqiu also wishes to leave.” Ye Zhiqiu was completely determined.

Long Chen was dumbstruck. He was about to say something when someone else then spoke.

“Song Mingyuan also wishes to leave.”

“Li Qi also wishes to leave.”

“Luo Cang as well.”

“...”

Other than these five, there were also another four core disciples who stood out. They clearly believed that with these many people together, the monastery definitely wouldn’t expel them all. Even though he had broken the rules, with this many people supporting his actions, there was no way Elder Sun could punish him. At this critical moment, they had all chosen to stand by Long Chen.

“Are you all planning on rebelling?!” Elder Sun raged. They were completely forcing the monastery in this manner. If this continued, he really would be unable to punish Long Chen.

Suddenly, a voice rang out, filling the entire sky.

“Let me handle this matter.”