As the other Disciples withdrew, the hall returned to tranquility, leaving only Gu Han and Ah Yao standing by her side.
And the five who did not leave immediately: Yun Yun, Li Hanyi, Liu Ruyan, Gu Luoli, and Ye Ling'er.
Liu Ruyan took a deep breath, stepped forward, and knelt solemnly before Gu Han.
"Master, this Disciple has committed a crime and has come specifically to request punishment from you."
Her voice remained gentle, yet it carried a trace of trembling.
Gu Han's gaze fell upon her; she did not speak immediately, merely watching her quietly.
Ah Yao stood by Gu Han's side, her small hands uneasily tugging at Gu Han's hem.
Her large eyes darted between the Second Junior Sister kneeling on the ground and Master Mother, not quite understanding what had happened.
Yun Yun and Li Hanyi exchanged a glance, a trace of realization flashing in their eyes; clearly, they already knew something of what had transpired in the Secret Realm.
Gu Luoli and Ye Ling'er stood half a step behind Liu Ruyan, their expressions tense, their faces filled with worry for their Senior Sister!
"What crime have you committed?"
Gu Han spoke slowly, her voice calm and rippless, revealing neither joy nor anger.
Liu Ruyan raised her head and recounted, from beginning to end without any concealment, the events in the Secret Realm: encountering the siege by Huo Wushuang and his group, the danger to her fellow Disciples, and being forced to use "Samsara Seal" and "Samsara: Seize."
She detailed how she ultimately killed Huo Wushuang and two other Golden Core Cultivators, and used that opportunity to achieve a Breakthrough.
"...This Disciple knows deeply that the 'Samsara: Seize' technique is tyrannical and ruthless, violates the harmony of heaven, resembles the Demonic Path, and furthermore, because I killed the Young Valley Master of Heavenly Fire Valley, I fear it may bring disaster upon the Immortal Palace."
Liu Ruyan's voice grew lower, carrying deep self-reproach and unease.
"At the time, to save my fellow Disciples, I had no other choice, but upon reflection, I feel it was inappropriate."
"Such conduct may tarnish the reputation of the Immortal Palace and betray the teachings you have imparted to me daily."
"This Disciple is willing to accept any punishment, without complaint."
Having finished speaking, she bowed deeply, awaiting her Master's judgment.
One could hear a pin drop in the great hall.
Yun Yun frowned slightly, casting a look of surprise at Liu Ruyan.
Li Hanyi's expression remained cold, but when her gaze fell upon Liu Ruyan, it carried a trace of imperceptible scrutiny.
Clearly, although they knew Liu Ruyan had killed the Young Valley Master of Heavenly Fire Valley in the Secret Realm, they had not expected her to possess such an evil Cultivation Technique.
Gu Luoli remained silent, but Ye Ling'er could not help but speak:
"Master, Second Senior Sister did it to..."
Gu Han raised her hand, stopping Ye Ling'er from continuing.
She rose slowly, walked down from the cloud bed, and came before Liu Ruyan.
The hem of her moon-white palace dress brushed against the polished floor, carrying a cool, faint fragrance.
"Look up."
Gu Han's voice rang out.
Liu Ruyan looked up as instructed, meeting Gu Han's calm, deep eyes.
In those eyes, there was no imagined rage or disappointment, only a vast calm.
"Ruyan," Gu Han called her name, her tone peaceful,
"Let me ask you, in that situation, if you had not used 'Samsara: Seize', could you have protected your fellow Disciples?"
Liu Ruyan was slightly stunned, then shook her head, her voice bitter:
"This Disciple... could not."
"'Samsara Seal' places a huge burden on me; if I did not replenish it with 'Samsara: Seize', I would immediately fall into a weakened state, and the situation would have spiraled out of control."
"Then," Gu Han continued to ask, "Did Huo Wushuang and his group harbor the intent to kill, wanting to slaughter you and your fellow Disciples completely?"
"...Yes." Liu Ruyan nodded, as if Huo Wushuang's ferocious face and ruthless killing moves flashed before her eyes once more.
"Did he show any hesitation or mercy because of your identities?"
"He did not."
"Since that is the case," Gu Han's voice raised slightly, carrying a tone of absolute certainty, "you killed him, so what crime is there?"
Liu Ruyan looked up in astonishment.
"I told you before that Cultivation Techniques and Divine Abilities have no inherent distinction between righteous and evil."
Gu Han's gaze swept over everyone in the hall, her voice clear and firm, as if expounding a fundamental truth of the world, "Used for righteousness, it is righteous; used for evil, it is evil. The key lies not in the technique, but in the heart, and in the purpose for which it is used."
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