The Transmigrator’s Cultivation

Arc 26: Chongming Domain Li Family | Chapter 474: Execution

If Li Xingba’s True God Body was originally the embodiment of the Sun God, at this moment it seemed to be infused with a kind of life, its aura becoming increasingly terrifying—almost suffocating. The branch elders, witnessing this scene, all sighed in unison.

Xu Ziqing watched, feeling a sense of the unusual in his heart.

The secrets of the shen cultivators were indeed numerous.

The True God Body that had attached to the statue stepped in front of Li Chengming and suddenly spoke, “I ask you: have you ever harbored malicious thoughts and secretly plotted to kill Li Qingyuan, the 987th generation heir of the Li family?”

Li Chengming opened his mouth to say “no,” but the next moment, he felt an overwhelming force erupting, forcing him to bow down. Behind him, a great sun rose high, and the Yang Spirit embodiment within it lay trembling on the ground, as if it had seen something extraordinarily terrifying.

The True God Body asked again, “Speak! Have you ever tried to kill him? Is what Li Qingyuan said true?”

Li Chengming’s face turned pale: “No matter how you pressure me, I… ah!” The moment he blurted that out, the Sun God embodiment immediately collapsed, and a powerful backlash surged through his body. Simultaneously, the great sun behind him visibly shrank in size…

In just a few breaths, the sun had already diminished by a tenth. If this continued, it would soon shrink to a point where it could not be seen.

Yet even at this point, Li Chengming still gritted his teeth and insisted, “The family bullies me, using intimidation to force me. I refuse to accept this… I refuse, I refuse!” At that moment, his sun shrank by another fifth!

Seeing his wretched state, an elder from the direct lineage finally scolded him, “You dare to lie in front of the ancestral spirits! Li Chengming, no one is using intimidation against you; it is merely the True God Body of the ancestral spirit that punishes those who lie. Anyone who speaks a falsehood will have their Sun God power stripped away. Speak one lie, and you lose a portion; if you refuse to repent, you…”

But he was too late to warn him. As Li Chengming stubbornly resisted, his Yang Spirit power dwindled to the last one-eighth. Before the elder could finish his sentence, it had completely vanished.

Li Chengming spat out a mouthful of blood, his limbs convulsing, and he collapsed weakly to the ground. The situation was dire; his stubborn refusal to repent had caused his Yang Spirit to shatter, leaving him with an ordinary physique, as if he had never cultivated divine power. With his Yang Spirit power stripped away, he would never be able to cultivate it again.

One misstep leads to a series of errors.

This once-renowned genius from the branch family had now become a worthless person.

…More useless than those ordinary people he had previously looked down upon.

Such a thunderous display of power was exceedingly frightening.

However, the True God Body did not stop there; it turned to Li Chenghui and Li Chenggai and began to question them.

Seeing their leader, Li Chengming, now reduced to a state akin to a dead dog, they dared not lie. Terrified, they immediately revealed everything they knew.

As it turned out, the origin of this matter was incredibly simple.

It was nothing more than jealousy.

As previously mentioned, the Li family, being a prominent clan, maintained a balance between top-tier cultivators and business interests for the sake of family continuation. While both the direct and branch lineages benefited greatly, it was clear that only those with sufficient strength could secure their place; naturally, the direct line still received better treatment than the branch line.

In the Li family of the Chongming Region, Li Chengming was exceptionally talented and a contemporary of Li Qingyuan from the direct line, leading to some comparisons behind the scenes. While Li Qingyuan was not considered particularly strong in his cultivation of the shen path, Li Chengming held a prominent position among the branch line and was often praised. Gradually, many began to suggest that if Li Chengming and Li Qingyuan swapped places, it would be a fair situation. After all, Li Chengming clearly surpassed Li Qingyuan yet was relegated to being his subordinate, which left many feeling resentful.

At first, it didn’t seem to matter much, but after hearing such sentiments repeatedly, a shadow began to grow in Li Chengming’s heart. Why should he be suppressed by Li Qingyuan when he was clearly stronger?

If Li Qingyuan were to die and the younger princes had not yet grown up, he could potentially join the direct line and receive the training he deserved.

As long as he killed Li Qingyuan, everything would be fine…

This thought pressed heavily on his mind, and with his continuous breakthroughs in talent, Li Chengming soon reached the Entering Tribulation realm.

As everyone knows, the Entering Tribulation realm is the stage where one’s mind is most unstable. Any past obsessions become intensified within this realm, growing without the previous reservations, and only by resolving the inner conflicts can one make breakthroughs.

Li Chengming’s obsessions were eventually unearthed, coalescing into a single thought—he wanted Li Qingyuan’s life!

As for many issues he had previously understood clearly, he no longer recognized them in this stage.

It was as if he had fallen into a trance.

Later, when Li Qingyuan was set to take over the family business and was going out to gain experience, Li Chengming had been performing well, confident yet humble. The family intended to make him Li Qingyuan’s right-hand man and arranged for him to accompany Li Qingyuan.

Li Qingyuan had ventured into dangerous territories several times, with Li Chengming safely leading him in and out, thus naturally developing a considerable trust in him.

Until this occasion, when Li Chengming felt he had enough confidence to detach himself and was willing to bear some punishment to eliminate Li Qingyuan.

This led to the incident where Li Qingyuan was ambushed.

After listening, Xu Ziqing sighed inwardly. In the end, it all stemmed from a small seed of jealousy that, over time, accumulated day by day until it evolved into a heart demon, deepening his malicious thoughts. Eventually, he could no longer control himself and committed an irreparable mistake.

For shen cultivators, it indeed requires years of refinement for the heart to become smooth like a mirror.

The Entering Tribulation realm was the most challenging period of internal examination and mental honing.

At this moment, the elders of the Li family, including the elders and the head of the family, looked on with a hint of pity.

Li Chengming was meant to be one of the pillars supporting their lineage in the Chongming Region, yet he fell victim to the heart demon of the Entering Tribulation realm, becoming a subject of disdain for the family.

Having committed such an error, there was no hope for forgiveness. In the end, the only thing left was…

Head of the family Li Xiuhe slammed his hand on the armrest, declaring angrily, “The evidence is conclusive! According to clan rules, Li Chengming, Li Chenghui, and Li Chenggai shall be executed in public! All family members must witness the punishment to serve as a warning!”

Li Chengming had long lost hope, appearing utterly numb at this moment, while Li Chenghui and Li Chenggai cried out for mercy incessantly. But the outcome was already determined.

Tu Jin and the other four sword cultivators, upon hearing this punishment, showed expressions of approval.

For such a great clan, they indeed executed justice strictly. Furthermore… those who betray their brothers must be killed!

Soon after, Li Chengming and the other two were dragged away, with several elders personally going to oversee the execution. The remaining onlookers didn’t linger and all went to witness the punishment. As for Li Qingyuan, the victim, he finally felt some relief. After consulting with his father and grandfather, he turned to the gathered cultivators and invited, “Brothers, how about we go to the execution platform together?”

The cultivators exchanged glances and replied, “It would be our honor.”

Executing clan members was indeed a family disgrace. By inviting them to witness the execution, he regarded them as close friends.

This was partly due to the fact that these cultivators had saved Li Qingyuan’s life, but more so because of the Li family’s military token.

Regardless, these cultivators were treated as esteemed guests in the Li family of the Chongming Region.

Before long, under the leadership of many elders, the group moved through various courtyards and buildings, arriving at a vast plaza. In the center of the plaza stood a remarkably tall stone platform, a total of sixteen levels high—it was the Nurturing Spirit Platform!

Looking around, the cultivators noticed that about a hundred steps to the right of the Nurturing Spirit Platform, there was another stone staircase. This staircase seemed to be made from the same material as the platform, standing around five to six feet high and quite broad.

On it were five stone pillars, each sharp and pointed like spikes protruding from the ground, bound with several ropes.

Both the pillars and the staircase bore many brown, mottled marks, exuding a faint aura of malice…

Indeed, this was the execution platform.

As the cultivators and family authorities took their positions, more family members, attendants, and trusted subordinates gathered from all directions, surrounding the execution platform in layers.

Many were whispering amongst themselves, having witnessed the disheveled state of Li Chengming and the others being captured. They gradually learned of the crimes committed and felt a deep sense of shock.

The Li family had united for many years and had not experienced such events for a long time…

In the next moment, several cultivators also at the Entering Tribulation realm approached and directly brought Li Chengming and the other two up the stone staircase, binding them to three of the stone pillars. The ropes, alive like serpents, coiled tightly around them.

Li Chengming trembled all over, his eyes filled with despair.

Li Chenghui and Li Chenggai wept bitterly, struggling with all their might, but under the constraints of the ropes, they could not move at all!

The executioner was an elder of the clan.

Xu Ziqing and the others saw an old man with a short beard step forward, striking the stone pillar three times in succession.

In the blink of an eye, a powerful divine force erupted from the pillar.

Li Chenghui and Li Chenggai had no time to react; their condensed Yang Spirit was uncontrollably revealed under the pull of this divine force, immediately taking on a corporeal form. Yet, just when that form stabilized the most, the pillar suddenly shone brightly!

At that moment, the pillar seemed to pierce through to another space, rising from below and directly penetrating the Yang Spirit form! The Yang Spirit collapsed in an instant, and simultaneously, a sharp spike protruded from the ground beneath Li Chengming and the others, piercing them as if through the Yang Spirit!

In an instant, blood gushed forth, dripping onto the execution platform…

The three thus met their deaths!

The onlookers, especially those from the Li family, were all struck with shock.

The clan rules were clear! They were crucial for maintaining the smooth operation of such a large family. Anyone who violated the clan rules would face consequences according to these rules.

Otherwise, if mercy were shown today to this person and tomorrow to that person, over time, who would still respect the rules? Ultimately, it would only lead to the family’s internal collapse and inability to continue.

…Just like Li Chengming, even if he possessed great talent, his poor character left no choice but for him to be executed.

After this execution, no one would dare to violate the clan rules again!

Translator: Lynn

Translations are not 100% correct. Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.

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