Many people seemed to have an epiphany and spoke in unison.
"Yes, whenever we are even slightly lazy, Senior Sister always punishes us. Yet, in this major incident of the fire on the mountain, she hasnât shown herself. Immortal Venerable, Senior Sister usually relies on her seniority to bully others. Why doesnât she dare show herself now?"
Meng Tao lowered her head and remained silent. Yu Fanxin comforted her.
"Donât worry, weâll take responsibility together. Isnât Jiang Lai always the one who loves to handle things? Let her deal with it this time."
"Senior Brother, wonât Senior Sister get angry if we do this?"
"So what if she gets angry? Think about how she usually treats you!"
Meng Tao thought for a moment, then nodded and said maliciously.
"Yes! Who told her to bully us all the time!"
"Bully you? Tell me, how did I bully you?"
Suddenly, Jiang Laiâs voice came from behind, startling all the disciples who then quickly turned around to see Jiang Lai appear, prompting them to complain.
"You usually control us so strictly, why have you not shown up today?"
Jiang Lai ignored them and, after saluting Heavenly Pity Immortal Venerable, directly walked to Meng Tao.
"This fire, was it you who started it?"
Meng Tao was still somewhat afraid of Jiang Lai, but fortunately Yu Fanxin stood in front of her at this moment.
"It was me! But itâs also due to your poor supervision!"
Jiang Lai nodded.
"Indeed, itâs my lack of supervision. What do you think should be done?"
Meng Tao peeked out her head from behind Yu Fanxin and said softly.
"Poor supervision, if we are at fault, you must also share the responsibility. Thatâs what the master said, weâll listen to Heavenly Pity Immortal Venerableâs judgment."
Heavenly Pity Immortal Venerable is most severe and surely wonât let Jiang Lai off. With her bearing the major fault, even if others are punished it wonât be too severe.
"Jiang Lai, as the Senior Sister, you indeed neglected your duty."
Upon hearing this, Meng Tao sighed in relief, thinking that since Jiang Lai has been excessive in her actions, having her bear some punishment now would make up for her previous transgressions, as she has been so arrogant in the past.
At this point, Heavenly Pity Immortal Venerable added.
"However, considering you reported it in time, you will be spared the fault of negligent supervision. As for you all, openly violating the heavenly code, allowing worldly fire to disturb the Immortal Realmâs pure atmosphere, is a grave mistake.
But considering itâs your first offense, each of you will be punished with five strokes of Heavenly Thunder, effective immediately."
Reported?!
Everyone looked at Jiang Lai in disbelief, their eyes filled with resentment and dissatisfaction, while Jiang Lai looked at them calmly.
"I have already taught Meng Tao to adhere to the Immortal Code, but she remains stubborn. Yesterday, she was punished for stealing an Immortal Fruit, yet she still didnât learn her lesson. Not only did she make a mistake today, but she also led you all to knowingly commit the offense!
If you had listened to me regularly, why would you suffer todayâs punishment?
Moreover, can you compare with Meng Tao? The master always cherishes her the most, she possesses countless magic artifacts, while you all? Your hard-earned cultivation of decades will be gone.
Alas... I canât help you anymore."
Upon hearing this, Meng Taoâs face turned pale.
With just a simple statement, Jiang Lai shifted all the responsibility onto herself. But clearly, it was her lack of supervision; she was just a young girl who had just joined the Immortal Sect and didnât know all these rules.
And now that sheâs spoken, Meng Tao, who had already secretly taken out her protective magic artifact, was now in a dilemma, unable to put it back nor continue using it, as everyone had already noticed what was in her hand.
Including Heavenly Pity Immortal Venerable, who pointed with his finger, causing the object in Meng Taoâs palm to fly into the air. This allowed everyone to see clearlyâit was the White Jade Tripod, a valuable artifact for resisting damage. Ordinary disciples wouldnât receive such a good item, let alone a small disciple who had just entered the Immortal Sect like Meng Tao.
"At such a young age, youâre already deceptive and cunning. Iâll keep this White Jade Tripod for now, and you can retrieve it from me when your master exits seclusion!"
At this time, a dozen pairs of eyes glanced over, and Meng Tao didnât dare lift her head. The White Jade Tripod was a gift from her master for protection; her master said that with him there, no one in the world would dare harm a single hair on her.
Meng Tao used it with a clear conscience but now felt a little guilty.
At this moment, Heavenly Thunder descended, five strokes per person, and no one could escape.
After the five strokes of Heavenly Thunder, the mountaintop was left charred-black; many had collapsed and couldnât move, except for the highest-cultivated Yu Fanxin, who still managed to stand and endure the five strokes of Heavenly Thunder.
Meanwhile, Meng Tao had already knelt on the ground, vomiting a mouthful of blood, her clothes in disarray, looking at Jiang Lai with eyes full of hatred, where once there had been an innocent and playful demeanor.
Jiang Lai clapped her hands and approached, looking down at her.
"Impressive, despite cultivating less than a year, you managed to endure the five strokes of Heavenly Thunder; it seems the benefits given to you by your master extend beyond these artifacts.
Alas... pity my junior disciples. If I hadnât supervised them harshly for proper cultivation, even the master wouldnât intervene. Today, they might not have survived the five strokes of Heavenly Thunder."
Saying this, Jiang Lai squatted down to help the disciples struggling on the ground, feeding them medicine.
"Senior Sisterâs previous strictness was to ensure you cultivate properly, donât think that joining Qimeng Mountain under Immortal Venerable Rong Yin means you can be complacent. Today serves as a lesson; if there had been one more stroke of Heavenly Thunder, you could have lost your lives.
Youâre ordinary immortals, without powerful support you must rely on yourselves, understand? Now, get up, and make sure to go back and recuperate properly."
The disciples looked at Jiang Lai and Meng Tao with a complex expression, realizing the masterâs extraordinary care for her.
Meng Tao couldnât bear their unusual gazes, she got up then realized she shouldnât be like this, thus staggered and fell again, fortunately into Yu Fanxinâs embrace.
Looking at Jiang Lai again, Yu Fanxinâs face was cold as she uttered a few harsh words.
"Seeing everyone like this, are you happy?"
Jiang Lai merely smiled.
"Itâs better than you all making a bigger mistake in the future."
"Sanctimonious! Utterly hypocritical!"
With that, she departed carrying Meng Tao.
When only Jiang Lai remained atop the mountain, she looked at Heavenly Pity Immortal Venerable with composure.
"For the remaining Heavenly Thunder, I am willing to bear it alone on behalf of them."
Even an immortal like Heavenly Pity Immortal Venerable, having cultivated for tens of thousands of years, was somewhat moved, as Jiang Lai actually intended to bear the remaining Heavenly Thunder punishments for her junior disciples.
"Have you thought it through? A total of sixteen strokes of Heavenly Thunder remain; if you endure them, you might not even survive."
Jiang Laiâs expression was calm but her voice carried a hint of resignation.
"Master entrusted their supervision to me, and now that they have repeatedly erred, it is my dereliction of duty. Immortal Venerable need not say more, I am willing to be punished."
Heavenly Pity Immortal Venerableâs eyes slightly changed, with some appreciation in them.
"Very well, I will comply with your wish."
Sixteen strokes of Heavenly Thunder, nine more endured than in the original storyline.
As all the disciples went down the mountain to recuperate, from behind, the mountaintop suddenly resounded again with the rolling noise of Heavenly Thunder. The "rumbling" sound, like an enraged dragonâs roar, enveloped the entire mountaintop, and instantly there were flashes and roars of thunder, shaking the earth, making for an especially frightening sight.