I smiled as I held my blade, "Commit suicide? I'm not well-versed in that. But leading people to their deaths is something I'm quite skilled at. Would any of you like to join me?"

"Kill!" The white-haired elder roared and raised his sword first. His sword pointed to the sky, and thunder suddenly roared. A blood-red lightning bolt fell from the sky, and the electric light and sword light intersected in mid-air, sparks dazzling, thunder deafening.

The sudden thunderclap left my eyes blank, and the thunder kept ringing ten times in my ears.

When I opened my eyes again, the elder of the Ao Xue Sect had turned into a pile of black smoke-emitting flesh. Looking at the field, ten elite disciples of the Ao Xue Sect were killed on the spot by the heavenly thunder, their corpses scattered all over the ground.

The rest of the people all seemed to be frightened, standing there dumbly with their swords in hand.

Not to mention the disciples of the Ao Xue Sect, even I was stunned by the thunder.

The legend of Tianmen! (Heaven's Gate)

Is this the legend of Tianmen?

After hundreds of people in the audience stood in silence for a few minutes, a sigh came from afar, "All disciples who violate the Heavenly Decree will have their cultivation abolished and taken to the back mountain to reflect on their mistakes."

"Yingbin Tang (Guest Greeting Hall) disciples, hang lanterns and streamers to welcome the honored guests."

The person speaking was the old man who saved me last night. Although he didn't show up, he spoke very politely, "Mr. Li, please wait a moment while the Sect Leader makes preparations to welcome you."

I clasped my fist in the direction of the voice and returned to the guest room.

Feng Ruoxing hadn't recovered yet, "Just now… was that Tianzhu (Heavenly Punishment)? Is the legend of the Tianling (Heavenly Decree) that terrifying?"

Seeing me with my head down and silent, Feng Ruoxing couldn't help but ask, "Li Po, what are you thinking about?"

I said slowly, "I'm wondering why the people of the Ao Xue Sect are so easily struck by lightning."

"When Old Liu was in Qin Village, a bolt of lightning broke the Ao Xue Sect's flagpole, forcing the Ao Xue Sect's Dharma Protector expert to commit suicide to apologize."

"Even if the location of Tianqiao (Sky Bridge) is lower than Qin Village, even if the Ao Xue Sect erected a pure steel flagpole, it wouldn't be struck by lightning. Why did that lightning strike the flagpole, and so accurately?"

"Even if that was just a coincidence! Three Dharma Protectors from the Ao Xue Sect went, and the sect's banner fell to the ground. All three of them were responsible. Why did only the leader die, and what about the other two Dharma Protectors?"

"Also, those few lightning strikes just now. Tribulation lightning is azure, and Tianzhu is blood-red. The few strikes just now were all blood lightning. Logically speaking, only people with heinous crimes would encounter Tianzhu. These people… aren't qualified, right?"

The common people say: so-and-so deserves to be struck by lightning, which means that person is so heinous that even the heavens can't stand it, and actively take in the wicked person.

In fact, to be struck by lightning, you have to be qualified. Otherwise, what need would there be for human judges and underworld judges? Any crime could be collectively executed as soon as a rainy day arrived.

There are only three types of heavenly thunder that actively strike people:

The Heavenly Tribulation when righteous cultivators ascend to immortality.

The Tianzhu triggered by demonic cultivators breaking through the void.

The Heavenly Punishment suffered by sorcerers who violate the oaths of the Heavenly Dao.

To put it bluntly, it is only when one rebels against the rules of the Heavenly Dao and angers the heavens that there is a possibility of heavenly thunder descending.

Would the gods of the Thunder Department be idle enough to send down eleven heavenly thunders just because of a Heavenly Decree?

However, the heavenly thunder just now was very similar to Heavenly Punishment. The punishment of Heaven does not affect others. Eleven Ao Xue Sect disciples were struck by lightning on the spot, but those who had not yet raised their swords were unharmed. This was clearly Heavenly Punishment.

But I always felt that the Heavenly Punishment was a little strange!

While I was constantly recalling the scene of the Heavenly Punishment in my mind, Ye Yang reached out and tapped the back of my hand a few times. When I looked at him in horror, he nodded and shook his head.

While Ye Yang and I were secretly exchanging information, dozens of large red lanterns had already been hung in the Ao Xue Sect, and the welcoming red carpet was laid all the way to the door of the guest room.

The Five Plum Swordsmen of the Ao Xue Sect stood on both sides of the red carpet. A black-clothed old man slowly walked to the door of the guest room, "I am Xuan Su, the Supreme Dharma Protector of the Ao Xue Sect, and I welcome you on behalf of the Sect Leader. The Sect Leader is already waiting for you in the living room."

As I pushed the door open, a roar came from the crowd, "I refuse to accept it!"

An Ao Xue Sect disciple shouted heartbreakingly, "They killed so many disciples of the sect and humiliated the sect several times, but the sect is going to treat them as honored guests? I refuse to accept it!"

Xuan Su's face sank and said, "Holding the Heavenly Decree, the sect must treat them as honored guests. You must accept it even if you don't! Someone, take him down. Let him reflect on his mistakes properly. Don't let him out until he understands!"

Xuan Su looked around the audience and said, "I will reiterate once again. Mr. Li holds the Heavenly Decree, and no one in the sect can be disrespectful. Anyone who dares to cause trouble will be punished according to the sect rules."

The Ao Xue Sect disciples all stood with their hands behind their backs, their heads held high and their chests out, looking as if they were listening to the Dharma Protector's instructions, but in reality, it was a silent resistance.

I didn't even need to look at their eyes to feel their hidden hostility. If I wanted to step into Tianmen, I was afraid that I would have to spare some energy to deal with these sect disciples.

I followed behind Xuan Su and met Huang Tiangong, the Sect Leader of the Ao Xue Sect, and another Supreme Dharma Protector, Xuan Yue, in the reception room.

Before I had time to exchange pleasantries, Xuan Yue's words changed my face.