“I think we should take a break for now as we wait for Feng Xin to bring the rest in. Hopefully, he will hold himself back and not end up killing them all.” Yang Qing said as he stood up

Cheng Yuan visibly flinched upon hearing this.

“Yi Jie, Mao Yunru how about it. I’m a bit hungry, I didn’t even get time to eat properly this morning before Yi Jie rushed me. Let’s go to the Thousand flavors mess hall. The rest of the cases will be resumed once we close up on this one. I don’t want to start the rest while this one is still lingering.

Sect master Chen Yuan, you should also join us too. Try the food here, it might help soothe your nerves even if it's for a little while and it is rich in spiritual essence. The food is really delicious better than eating fasting pills or some other kind of cultivation pills. Though I’m sure it is nothing compared to the spirit rice you produce, the chefs here try their best.” Said Yang Qing as he patted Cheng Yuan on his shoulders.

Cheng Yuan was not sure but for some reason, he detected a starry glint in Yang Qing’s eye when he mentioned the spirit rice produced by his sect. This left the sect master a little confused. Yes, their spirit rice was delicious and was also one of their significant sources of revenue other than their potions and herbs. But he didn’t think it was good enough to catch the eye of a powerhouse at the level of a judge from the mighty Order.

The food and the ingredients that they deal with are bound to be richer in quality and energy than their spirit rice.

Cheng Yuan quickly came to from his brief wonder before he focused on the main thing he was worried about which was Wen Chang.

“Judge what about Wen Chang? I don’t want to leave her alone. Wouldn’t be risky to leave her alone like this. What if something happens?” Cheng Yuan asked with some worry in his voice as he kept staring at the big massive black blob that didn’t seem to have any movements at all.

“I won’t tell you not to worry Sect master as her situation is rather precarious and delicate at the moment. But there’s nothing much we can do, whether we wait here or in a different place. Wen Chang is completely isolated from us all by the cocoon. In the battle she is facing, she can only rely on herself. She won’t rampage and explode if that is what you’re worried about. Her qi flow, meridians, and internal organs are already protected by the liquid flowing in the cocoon.

As far as her physical state is concerned she is completely safe as long as she is in the cocoon. There are only two ways she can get out of the cocoon. One is if she is more powerful than me and can break out of it forcefully and the other which is the normal route is if she regains consciousness.

The spell is a healing spell with some restraining measures especially if the caster is stronger by leagues above the one it is used on. The spell is used to preserve those who have suffered soul attacks. As long as she regains a little bit of clarity and sense, the cocoon will break and she’ll be free from it. The technique is built to detect the normal flow of her qi and operation of all her internal state including blood flow. Currently, everything within her is running under the assistance of the spell once she can do it independently, the cocoon will break open.

But if she doesn’t, she’ll be locked in there forever as long as I’m alive the spell will keep existing even if I don't feed my qi into it the qi in the courtroom can sustain it or if I release her from it. Which I can if that is your wish. But I advise against it. She will easily go back to her earlier rampaging state when exposed to the surrounding qi.” Yang Qing comfortingly said as he tried to reassure the sect master.

Cheng Yuan’s worry seemed to have eased a little though not completely abetted. But his worried face soon came back as he contemplated some other worrying scenario. He looked at Yang Qing with a fidgety appearance almost afraid to ask what was on his mind.

“Ask what you want to ask Cheng Yuan. You’re my senior here so what are you worried about. As a sect master, I’m sure you’ve been in uncomfortable situations where you've had to speak up for the good of your sect. So go on, out with it.” Yang Qing gently motioned for Cheng Yuan to continue.

Cheng Yuan put on a strained expression before he sighed out and put on an expression that he had already accepted his death that would soon come as a result of the question he would ask.

“What if someone steals her when we are not here? Coming to the Order and even in the hallway, I saw how many of the people out there kept eyeing her with greedy looks. Someone may break in here and steal her away especially when she is in that defense-less state.” Cheng Yuan rapidly asked in fear he would chicken out or die midway through his question.

As Cheng Yuan was asking this question there was something he did not dare to point forward due to the risk of further retaliation. Even though he had made his peace with being cleanly sliced in half, there was no point in risking it further by adding further details that would only cause him to end up being tortured before being dealt with. The part that he kept firmly guarded in his heart which in truth was the real reason behind the question was among the greedy eyes he saw, the one he suspected most of all was Feng Xin. Their assigned inquisitor.

From the moment Feng Xin saw the emerald leaf cow, Cheng Yuan felt something was off. At first, he couldn't quite put his finger on what seemed off but later confirmed it was well-concealed greed. But this greed was different than the rest who looked at Wen Chang as some source of cultivation resources. Feng Xin’s greed was that of a predator. Wen Chang was nothing more than food to him.

"As an inquisitor, Feng Xin could freely get into the courtroom when they weren’t there. What if Feng Xin came back when they were eating and Feng Xin in the same spirit started eating in the courtroom too with no one around?" Cheng Yuan kept wondering over and over. Cheng Yuan had this nagging feeling that Feng Xin is the type to prioritize food over even his job. He couldn’t shake that feeling no matter how insane it sounded.

Yang Qing gently smiled as he looked at the sect master seemingly seeing through the real reason he asked that question. Causing the poor sect master to falter a step back whilst taking a small nervous gulp.

“You have absolutely nothing to worry about. As long as Wen Chang is within these walls, she is under my care. In addition, there are a lot of arrays in here recording all that happens within this room at all times.” Yang Qing couldn’t help but lament towards the end. Those arrays were his doom. Among the numerous times he has been caught loafing off or mid-way through his schemes, a couple of times it was because of those darned arrays. Especially during his earlier years when he had no idea, they were even there in the first place. After his discovery, he had tried to tamper with them before he realized he had grossly overestimated his skills and power. He ended up trapped in a really vivid illusion array reliving his worst nightmares. He still has remnant shivers from that day.

Yang Qing couldn’t help but throw a grievous look toward the roof of the courtroom as if it was a longtime nemesis.

“Mao Yunru let’s go, Yi Jie lead the sect master through the other entrance. We will meet at the court’s entrance then make our way towards the Thousand flavors mess.” Yang Qing said as he made his way to the entrance he came in from, with Mao Yunru following behind him.

Yi Jie nodded in reply as he made his way out the regular entrance with Sect master Chen Yuan in tow.

……………………………………………………………………………………….

Meanwhile, in the southwestern part of the southern continent, a white bird could be seen moving at breakneck speeds with clouds disappearing completely within a mile radius of it every time it passed by. The bird looked like a kite except for its gigantic size that was almost 50 meters in length with each of its wingspans being double that size.

It was completely white, with red eyes, and golden talons that had a bracelet wrapped around it with the symbol of a golden eagle and cloud patterns on its chest.

At this moment a voice sounded above it.

“Looks like I might make it in time. We are already close by to part of the swamp as the fog is already in sight. Good job Ellie, I’ll be sure to source some fish in the core formation realm once we get back.” The voice said with some relief in his voice.

The kite screeched as it narrowed its eyes in delight. That small screech produced visible waves that cleared all the clouds at the front as it echoed around the area scaring other birds away and even making some fish swim even deeper in the nearby river.

“ELLIE!! What are you screeching loud for? Do you want to attract some random beast in the palace stage here or some cultivator who may get designs on you? Even though there are no rank 3 sects in this swampy region but given how treacherous it is, I wouldn’t be surprised if some rogue wanted cultivators with a higher realm made this place their hiding spot.” The voice hurriedly warned.