Dust still hung in the air from Elder Zhao's violent qi eruption.
The marble floor was cracked.
The Tribunal guards were frozen, torn between stepping in and staying alive.
Chen Yuan stood with The Conquest trembling faintly at his side—its crimson glow slowly fading.
Silence weighed on the hall like a shroud.
Then—
A sharp thud echoed from the entrance.
Bootsteps.
Unsteady.
Exhausted.
Every head turned.
A tall young man stepped inside, his black combat robe torn, his arms bruised, his breathing unsteady yet proud.
Silver insignia glinted on his chest—the emblem of someone who had climbed the Middle-Plane and fought in Cloud City.
Zhao Yuan.
Not the arrogant powerhouse of the Zhao Clan.
Not the rank 13 prodigy who towered over most disciples.
But a man who looked like he'd been fighting monsters for days—
and, more importantly, fighting the truth for years.
A collective gasp rippled through the Tribunal.
"Z… Zhao Yuan?" a judge stammered.
The prodigy of the Zhao Clan stepped forward, ignoring the gasps, the whispers, and the burning rage emanating from Elder Zhao.
He walked with the slow, deliberate steps of someone who had made a decision knowing it would destroy everything behind him.
He stopped beside Chen Yuan.
Then bowed.
To the Judges.
To the Tribunal.
And—shockingly—to Chen Yuan.
"I am Zhao Yuan," he said, voice hoarse yet firm. "Prodigy of the Zhao Clan. Rank 13 in the Ascendant Rankings. And everything you have heard—everything presented by Chen Yuan—is true."
The hall erupted.
"You traitor!"
"Has he lost his mind?"
"He's supporting an outsider!"
"No—listen to him! Listen!"
Elder Zhao's expression darkened into something monstrous.
"Zhao Yuan," he growled, "what are you doing?"
The prodigy didn't flinch.
His gaze remained forward.
"I am telling the truth."
He inhaled deeply.
"For years, Elder Zhao has manipulated disciples under the guise of clan honor. He forced weaker disciples to take dangerous missions, punished those who questioned him, and used the clan name to impose false debts."
Gasps.
Shock.
Fear.
Zhao Yuan continued.
"I witnessed several cases myself. He suppressed internal disputes. Redirected resources. And—"
He hesitated.
Pain flickered across his face.
"—he ordered me to hunt Zhao Ming."
He turned toward the Judges.
"Without reason. Without explanation. Without cause."
He clenched his fists.
"The only justification he gave was: 'I demand it.'"
The Judges exchanged looks—grave looks.
Chen Yuan watched Zhao Yuan silently, surprised.
This was someone standing on truth alone.
Gu Long whispered under his breath:
"…Perfect timing."
Zhao Yuan took a shaky step forward.
"I tried to endure it," he admitted, voice cracking at the edges. "Out of loyalty to my clan. Out of duty. But when I saw what the Zhao Sect had become—"
His voice grew stronger.
"—and when I saw Elder Zhao almost kill this disciple today…"
He gestured at Chen Yuan.
"…I realized I have followed a corrupt man long enough."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Zhao Yuan turned to the Judges once more.
"I testify in full support of the charges. I am willing to provide every detail, every incident, every order."
He lowered his head.
"And I accept whatever punishment the Sect deems appropriate for my silence all these years."
A dead quiet fell.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
Until—
One Judge leaned back and whispered to the others.
"…Two witnesses. One a scholar. One a ranking cultivator."
Another Judge murmured:
"Three scrolls confirmed. A forged counterpacket. And now direct testimony."
The third Judge nodded slowly.
"…This may be enough to proceed with Elder Zhao's removal."
The hall trembled—not from qi, not from anger—but from the weight of history being made.
Elder Zhao finally moved.
His qi surged again, cracking the ground beneath his feet.
"How dare you—YOU DARE BETRAY ME?!"
Zhao Yuan turned his head slightly.
His voice remained steady.
"I am not betraying you."
He locked eyes with Elder Zhao.
"I am stopping you."
Elder Zhao roared, raising his hand—
—but a dozen Tribunal guards rushed forward, surrounding him.
The Judges shouted:
"Elder Zhao, stand down! Your authority is revoked pending trial!"
But he did not stand down.
He snarled, eyes filled with killing intent:
"None of you understand.
None of you know.
None of you matter."
His qi exploded—
—but before he could strike—
A calm, deep voice cut through the chaos.
"Elder Zhao."
Everyone turned.
A towering figure entered the hall.
The last person Elder Zhao wanted to see.
And the last person Chen Yuan expected.
The Bear from The Tree.
The One Who Denies The Weak.
His mask gleamed with primal force.
And he spoke slowly—
as if addressing a bug.
"You have overstepped."
The hall trembled again.
But this time—
not from Elder Zhao's fury.
But from the arrival of a monster even Elders feared.