The Verdict

Luo Fuxin lay dead beneath the judgment hall, blood and brain matter staining the ground. This scene sent shivers down the spines of nearly everyone in the clan. “This is the Patriarch.” “The Patriarch truly shows no mercy.” “He is too strict.” The clan members held blind adoration and respect for Luo Feng, the legendary figure of their family. The entire clan owed its existence to Luo Feng! While others in the clan punishing or judging junior disciples might stir discontent, no one dared to express dissatisfaction when Luo Feng himself judged and executed a junior disciple. At most, they simply thought the Patriarch was very strict!

“Next, Luo Yuqian.” Luo Feng, from his seat in the judgment hall, looked down at another person. “Do you admit your guilt?” Luo Yuqian, whose handsome features resembled a woman’s, was now deathly pale. He immediately knelt, burying his head on the ground. “Yuqian admits his guilt.” “Luo Yurong.” Luo Feng’s gaze then fell upon the slightly frail woman beside him, who looked almost identical to Luo Yuqian. “Do you admit your guilt?” “Patriarch, I…” Luo Yurong seemed on the verge of tears, also lowering her head. “I admit my guilt.” Luo Feng nodded.

He immediately declared, “Luo Yurong, for seducing your elder brother Luo Yuqian, your crime is unforgivable. Death sentence!” As he spoke, Luo Feng extended a finger, from which a sharp golden sword light shot forth. This strike, imbued with the ‘Law of Gold,’ pierced directly through Luo Yurong’s glabella, leaving a bloody hole. Thud! Luo Yurong also collapsed to the ground, her face still filled with astonishment, regret, unwillingness, and resentment. “Sister!” Luo Yuqian’s eyes immediately widened, and tears streamed down his face.

Luo Feng, from the judgment hall, said coldly, “Luo Yuqian, for doting on your sister, ceding authority to her, and blurring the lines between public and private, I sentence you to… ten thousand years in prison!” The numerous clan members gathered to watch the trial couldn’t help but gasp. Luo Yuqian had an excellent reputation within the Luo Clan, and they understood that the crimes of Luo Yuqian and Luo Yurong were primarily due to his sister’s influence. But ten thousand years in prison! Luo Yuqian was currently only at the Star-level! His lifespan limit was merely one epoch! He would likely die of old age in prison. Unless— He could reach the Universe-level while imprisoned, otherwise, he was destined to spend his entire life there. However, without the Luo Clan pouring vast resources into him, it would be incredibly difficult for Luo Yuqian to break through to the Universe-level based solely on his own potential.

“Abusing power to kill, stained with blood, heinous crimes, death sentence!”

“Ruthless heart, considering your youth and limited offenses, one hundred years in prison.”

“Heinous crimes, death sentence.”

“Ten thousand years in prison.”

“Death sentence!”

“Death sentence!”

“One hundred years in prison.”

“Death sentence!”

A heavy atmosphere pervaded the judgment hall as Luo Feng coldly meted out punishments to each disciple below. In truth, among the twenty-one individuals assigned to Luo Feng by the Virtual Universe Company, the severity of their crimes varied. Some were grave, some slightly lighter, and some even had vague information. Luo Feng, however, conducted his judgments based on the most detailed information he had requested from the intelligence department! The standard for judgment was purely based on clan rules! Luo Feng paid no heed to the differing laws of the various Cosmic Nations. The Luo Clan’s rules, which were strict in some areas and lenient in others, had been collectively compiled by Luo Feng, Xu Xin, Luo Hua, and many others.

Out of the twenty clan disciples, thirteen received the death sentence, four were sentenced to ten thousand years in prison, and three to one hundred years in prison. It’s worth noting that only one of these clan disciples had reached the Universe-level, and he was directly executed by Luo Feng. Thus, those sentenced to ‘ten thousand years in prison’ each faced a perilous situation: they had to break through to the Universe-level while imprisoned, or they would die of old age within the prison walls.

“Death sentence!” When Luo Feng’s finger strike killed the last disciple to be judged, the atmosphere in the vast judgment hall was stifling to the extreme. In the past, even if a death sentence was passed, it wouldn’t be carried out within the judgment hall… and certainly not personally by the Patriarch Luo Feng. “Listen well, all Luo Clan disciples.” Luo Feng’s icy gaze swept over the nearly hundred thousand clan disciples listening from a distance. He said coldly, “The Luo Clan’s rules are not to be challenged. Even if your actions can evade the clan’s investigation, how can they escape the scrutiny of the Virtual Universe Company’s intelligence department?”

The dense crowd of nearly a hundred thousand disciples listened respectfully. “The path of a strong practitioner involves decisive killing. To kill in a fit of rage is quite normal,” Luo Feng said indifferently. “And accidentally killing an innocent person, one or two, can be explained as an unfortunate mistake. But to kill hundreds or thousands, and all of them deliberately innocent people, can that still be excused? Even a Sector Lord, even an Undying God, once they cross the line… must be executed! Don’t think you can act recklessly just because the clan protects you, and don’t think you can do as you please just because you’re clever enough to evade the clan’s detection.”

“If you want to be a prodigal, you can! The clan provides minimum resources, so you can completely lose yourselves in virtual games and debauchery. But even prodigals have a bottom line. Cross that bottom line…” Luo Feng pointed downwards, at the blood, brain matter, and corpses forming a chilling tableau beneath the judgment hall. “They are the consequence!”

After speaking, Luo Feng transformed into a streak of light and departed, leaving behind the silent, awe-struck clan disciples. Each one was deeply shaken, and almost all returned to diligently study the ‘Clan Rules’ to prevent severe punishment for violating them in the future. Today’s scene made them realize… Luo Feng was not joking. This scene also quickly spread, allowing disciples scattered across numerous other planets and even other star regions to see videos of today’s trials. The clan, including its female members, numbered over a million, and everyone trembled with fear. Even those currently committing misdeeds were frightened into restraint.

On Qianhua Star, Luo Feng stood on the top floor of a palace, stating in a low voice, “My father, Luo Hongguo… is innocent!” The Virtual Universe Company had requested twenty-one individuals for judgment. Regardless, some semblance of a trial had to be made. Although Luo Feng hadn’t even apprehended his father, let alone directly tried him, Luo Feng had long since made his decision. To let his father die? Luo Feng would rather fall out with the Virtual Universe Company! They could forget about his father dying. Luo Feng would never forget… his father returning home every day, drenched in sweat, and gulping down a large plastic cup of cool boiled water.

“Virtual Universe Network synchronized transmission, closing.” Luo Feng said softly. “Got it!” Babata cheered, “The highest-scoring mission is finally all over!” “Yes, it’s over.” Luo Feng nodded gently. Regardless of the completion rating for the fourth stage of the mission, or how many bonus points were ultimately awarded, that was a matter for the evaluators. At least all four highest-scoring missions were now complete.

The highest-scoring mission had four stages. The first stage was to judge the eighteen directors of the Fire Phoenix Group. The second stage was to choose which side to save. The third stage was to judge nineteen Sector Lords and two Undying Gods before the Blood Demon King. The fourth stage was to judge his own Luo Clan members, including his father.

“Testing my character? Seeing my true nature?” Luo Feng mused inwardly. “Now that the mission is over, I wonder if the Virtual Universe Company has seen my true character.”

Night. The top floor of the palace was very cold, but Luo Feng stood there silently. “Feng.” A voice sounded. Luo Feng turned to see Xu Xin, dressed in a white fur coat, approaching with a slight smile. “What are you thinking about? Still dwelling on today’s trials? You certainly scared the clan’s children today; even those far away in other galaxies and star regions are terrified.” “It’s good that they’re scared,” Luo Feng replied. “Indeed,” Xu Xin nodded.

“Xu Xin.” Luo Feng suddenly flipped his hand, producing a seemingly plain laser gun. “What is this?” Xu Xin was startled. “An E9-level laser gun,” Luo Feng explained with a faint smile. “It only takes 0.1 seconds to charge, and a single shot can kill a typical Ninth-tier Sector Lord. Once this E9-level laser gun is integrated with a planetary defense system, if an enemy invades the planet, the defense system can operate the laser gun. In just 0.1 seconds… a Sector Lord wouldn’t even have time to rush to the laser gun before it finishes charging. When the distance is close, it can directly kill with a single shot! This is absolutely a clan-guarding weapon.”

Xu Xin nodded repeatedly. Even the imperial family of the Black Dragon Mountain Empire didn’t possess such a clan-guarding weapon. After all, Ninth-tier Sector Lords found it difficult to permanently guard a single location, and their lifespans were limited. An E9-level laser gun, however, only required maintenance to exist eternally. Although the Luo Clan had Ninth-tier Sector Lords, they were Luo Feng’s personal guards! Once Luo Feng reached the ‘Sector Lord level,’ all his guards would depart. At that time, the Luo Clan would only have Difan as a single Sector Lord. “With this E9-level laser gun, the clan will be much safer,” Xu Xin said excitedly.

“Take this spatial ring,” Luo Feng handed it to his wife. “Hmm?” Xu Xin took it, puzzled. “What is this?” “A mechanical race spaceship,” Luo Feng said. “The main cannon of this mechanical race spaceship possesses astonishing power, comparable to a strike from an Undying God… naturally, its power is far greater than the E9-level laser gun. However, due to its massive size and long charging time, its efficiency can’t match the E9-level laser gun. But it can also be considered a clan-guarding weapon.”

Xu Xin nodded. A strike comparable to an Undying God… this is definitely a restricted weapon. “Of course, Mom, Dad, and you generally live on Earth, and the current Earth… can be called the safest place within the Ganwu Universe Nation’s territory,” Luo Feng said with a faint smile. He was joking, of course; Luo Feng couldn’t even imagine what kind of existence was stationed within that majestic divine hall in the Solar System. Moreover, with a super-existence stationed there, even if alien enemies appeared, a large number of human super-experts could be quickly summoned via God Kingdom teleportation.

“Luo Feng, why do I feel like you’re arranging something?” Xu Xin asked, puzzled. “Yes, I’ll be leaving for a very long time this time, much longer than any previous departure,” Luo Feng said. “Where are you going?” Xu Xin pressed. “Chaos City!” Luo Feng replied. “How long?” Xu Xin asked anxiously. “I’m not sure… at least a thousand years, I estimate,” Luo Feng sighed. “When I return next, I’ll be at the peak of the Sector Lord level.”

“At least a thousand years, and in Chaos City?” Xu Xin was puzzled. “I know a lot about cultivation, Feng. You’ve already gained recognition for the Law of Gold, and you’ve been cultivating for less than five hundred years… and you cultivate much faster in Chaos City. Is it really necessary to cultivate for so long?” “You wouldn’t understand if I told you,” Luo Feng said. “Oh…” Xu Xin said nonchalantly, “Well, we can always meet in the Virtual Universe Network anyway.” Seeing his wife’s carefree expression, Luo Feng couldn’t help but smile. Xu Xin, who usually managed the super-corporation Pinghai Company and the entire Luo Clan… only in front of him could she truly be herself. Normally, she had to maintain sufficient authority.

“Luo Feng, you have mail! Probably about the highest-scoring mission,” Babata’s voice echoed in Luo Feng’s mind. “Oh?” Luo Feng connected a wisp of his consciousness to the Virtual Universe Network.