CHAPTER 696: CHAPTER 89: MASTER OF THREE TEMPLES, THE RUTHLESS DHARMA SWORD_2

Some disciples grumbled, "I’ve long said there was no need to arrive so early. We wasted an hour for nothing! With this free time, we might as well have gone to enjoy the moon and flowers."

The disciple being blamed sighed helplessly and replied, "Junior Brother, isn’t it wise to act cautiously? Let’s endure it for now. The new Dean seems to possess extraordinary cultivation. He is likely no ordinary figure."

Another disciple dismissed this disdainfully, "With what? We disciples from the Twelve Great Families of the Five Great Clans—how could a mere Dean dare meddle with us? Brother Xie, you’re being overly cautious."

As they were speaking, Zhang Yan paid them no heed.

Another hour passed, yet the remaining nine disciples still had not arrived.

Ma Shouxiang approached and said, "Dean, the time is up."

Zhang Yan’s expression turned stern, and he said coldly, "I serve as Dean. Today, I summoned all Lower Court disciples, yet some dared not to show. Where then do they place the sect rules? Ma Shouxiang, erase the names of these nine from the registry. Expel them from the Lower Court. Without my decree, if they dare to return, execute them!"

Upon hearing this, Ma Shouxiang’s spirit instantly lifted. He replied, "Understood, following the Dean’s orders."

Rolling up his sleeves, he picked up a brush. With swift strokes, he crossed off the names of the nine disciples from the registry.

The twenty-odd disciples below were instantly thrown into chaos, their faces filled with shock. Seeing Zhang Yan’s seriousness, some who were usually close to these nine disciples panicked. They signaled frantically to the servants in the distance. The servants understood and quickly ran off to inform them.

Zhang Yan noticed this but did not interfere. Instead, he smiled coldly, then glanced around at the group and declared aloud, "A hundred years ago, the Lower Court accepted only three disciples as True Disciples every eight years. In eighty years, there were no more than thirty. Yet in these last hundred years, the number of True Disciples has multiplied tenfold, resulting in an indiscriminate mix where excellence is hard to distinguish. Now that I’m here, I will eliminate the weak and retain the strong, purging the dross and refining the essence. Keep this in mind."

The moment his words fell, a voice came from mid-air, saying, "The new Dean has quite the air of authority."

The disciples raised their heads to see nine disciples arriving on a Flying Boat. The leading figure wore a high crown and broad robes, his appearance dignified. He exuded the sharpness characteristic of a noble clan disciple.

The Flying Boat landed on the peak, and the leading disciple disembarked and approached.

As he walked, disciples on both sides stepped aside to let him pass, addressing him as, "Brother Han."

He stopped in front of Zhang Yan, studied him carefully, first with a guarded expression, then seemed to realize something and relaxed slightly. He cupped his hands and said, "Dean, we have not come to ask you to rescind your orders. We only wish to inform you—if you expel my fellow brothers and me from the Lower Court today, we will return tomorrow. However, by then, your position as Dean may no longer be secure."

As a disciple of the Han Clan, he had dismissed the summoning by the new Dean as unimportant. He never expected to be explicitly expelled. Still, relying on his clan’s support, he felt unafraid. At worst, he could have his clan’s elders intervene.

However, if he quietly bowed out now without responding, even if he returned later to the Lower Court, he would lose all face. Hence, he came to deliver this spiel and, after finishing, turned to leave.

Zhang Yan’s gaze swept over him, and he said coldly, "Failing to bow to your teacher, speaking outrageously, showing disregard for your elders, brazenly violating decrees—seize him and execute him!"

Brother Han was visibly shocked. He had thought Zhang Yan’s anger was merely a bluff meant to intimidate him. But upon seeing two burly Powerful Warriors approaching with the intent to act, his shock turned to rage and shouted, "You dare!"

The two Powerful Warriors remained expressionless. They grabbed him in one motion, pinned him to the ground, and only then did fear seize him. He shouted, "You dare kill me? I am from the Han..."

Before his words were finished, one of the warriors raised a blade and brought it down. With a chilling "crack," his head rolled to the ground, blood pooling around.

The scene sent the disciples below into a daze. Their faces turned pale, and they were at a complete loss for what to do.

Even Ma Shouxiang froze in place. He had expected Zhang Yan might punish him but never imagined he would outright kill.

Zhang Yan’s gaze swept over the remaining eight disciples, sending chills down their spines. They trembled uncontrollably. He said calmly, "Kill those eight as well."

The eight disciples were terrified to the point their souls nearly left their bodies. Realizing Zhang Yan was serious, they abandoned all pretense of noble pride, immediately knelt down, and pleaded, "Dean, spare us!"

The Powerful Warriors paid them no mind. They stepped forward and grabbed each disciple effortlessly, pinning them to the ground. Without hesitation, their blades fell, and "thud-thud" noises of flesh being severed echoed through the air. Eight heads rolled to the ground, blood filling the area with a pungent stench.

Brushing his sleeves lightly, Zhang Yan said indifferently, "With fewer people, the view is much clearer. However, there are still too many Lower Court disciples left."

His words, dripping with murderous intent, made the Lower Court disciples’ necks chill to the bone. They were silent, trembling, and dared not even breathe loudly.

Even the three Masters were visibly shaking, unsettled by the sheer number of noble clan disciples that had been killed at once. If the noble families pursued this matter, what then?

While they worried, Zhang Yan remained calm and unperturbed.

The Sect Leader had sent him here specifically to tighten the grip on the noble families, binding them with a rope whose tension he could control. They were meant to submit and obey.

Against the Lower Court, there was no need for subtle schemes.

As one of the sect’s Top Ten Disciples, he could dominate the Lower Court through sheer presence alone. If they did not follow his rules, he simply needed to strike them down to deter any dissent.

As for retaliation from the noble families, no matter the pressure, the Sect Leader would shield him. There was no need to worry about losing his position immediately upon arrival, so he could act boldly and decisively.

Looking down at the disciples below, Zhang Yan spoke in a calm yet commanding tone, "My name is Zhang Yan. By the order of the Sect Leader, I now serve as the Master of the Three Daoist Temples in the Lower Court. From now on, my words are law. You only need to listen. Should any of you defy me, don’t blame me for showing no mercy under my sword."

"Zhang Yan?"

The Lower Court disciples below collectively gasped upon hearing the name.

This was a First-class Elixir Formation cultivator, one of the sect’s Top Ten Disciples!

After their shock subsided, their hearts sank in despair. How could they have known the sect would dispatch such a terrifying figure here? Instantly, they felt that Brother Han and the other nine had truly died in vain!

...

...(To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian.com to vote for it with your recommendation tickets and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)