For the first punishment, Yuan would spend ten years in confinement, but his ten-year time limit to become an Inner Court disciple would be halted, so he could come out of the confinement and still have plenty of time to become an Inner Court disciple. However, the other participants would be far ahead of him. For his second option, instead of ten years, he would only need to spend two years in confinement, but that ten-year time limit would not pause even while he is in confinement, giving him less time to reach his goal. Moreover, all of his earned points would be halved, slowing down his progress even further. No matter which option he chose, it would hurt his progress in the trial. ’Ten years is too long. I don’t care even if I only have a year left to become an Inner Court disciple since I am already near the goal. The second option is definitely much better for me, even if I have to work twice as hard for the next five years…’ After spending a few moments considering his choices, Yuan responded, "I will choose the second punishment." The Sect Leader nodded and waved his sleeves again a moment later, unfreezing the time. "For deliberately killing a fellow disciple, I shall sentence you to two years of confinement, and all of the contributions you earned during this tournament will be nulled." The Sect Leader’s judgment dumbfounded everybody. However, it was not because it was harsh. Instead, it was an extremely light sentence considering the crime Yuan had committed. Normally, if a disciple killed another disciple on purpose, they’d be crippled and expelled from the sect. Those with more background and protection would receive ten years of confinement for punishment instead. Yet, Yuan would only receive two years for killing one of the most popular and well-liked disciples in the sect, not to mention Bai Zhan’s grandfather was an elder of the sect. However, despite the seemingly unfair judgment and favoritism, nobody dared to utter any complaints. "Elder Huang, bring this disciple to the confinement chamber," the Sect Leader commanded the sect elder, who was also the judge. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚 "As you command." The sect elder proceeded to retrieve a pair of handcuffs made of a type of red jade and cuffed them around Yuan’s wrists. The moment the cuffs went on, Yuan stopped being able to feel or control his spiritual energy, almost as if he’d become a mortal again. Then, the sect elder wrapped his spiritual energy around Yuan and flew away, taking Yuan away. Ji Ran could only watch in disbelief as Yuan quickly disappeared from their sight. Meanwhile, the disciples all angrily stared at Yuan, their eyes filled with hatred and rage. Many of them even silently vowed to avenge Bai Zhan once Yuan emerged from his confinement. Once Yuan was taken away and the mess on the stage was cleaned up, the Sect Leader continued the tournament. However, the atmosphere had drastically changed, and everyone was busy talking about the incident. As for the Bamboo Disciples, those who were from his group recognized him and said, "Fuck, I knew that murderous bastard couldn’t stop himself from killing again!" "Huh? You know him?" "Yes, he was from my group in the Bamboo Garden. He is also the madman who went on a rampage and killed nearly everyone from my group." "I heard about that incident even before leaving the Bamboo Garden! So he was the one responsible for the massacre, huh? He looks nothing like a killer, though." "Don’t let his innocent appearance deceive you. His true appearance shows once he starts killing." "How did he even manage to reach the peak of Spirit Warrior, anyway? Did he receive a special treasure for being the first one to reach the Immortal Monastery?" "Who knows? I don’t even want to approach him, much less ask him." As for the other disciples, while they didn’t dare to criticize the Sect Leader’s judgment in his presence out loud, they did not hesitate to curse Yuan out. "That fucker Xiao Yang! I swear he’s dead if I ever see him again!" "Senior apprentice-brother Bai Zhan did not deserve such an end! He was such a kind and generous person! He gave me guidance when he saw me struggling in the training grounds even though I didn’t ask for it!" "He also helped me a ton by giving me spirit stones to help with my cultivation! He even told me I didn’t need to worry about returning it!" The disciples reminisced about all the times Bai Zhan had done good and helped everyone. Meanwhile, the sect elder brought Yuan to the confinement chamber, which was located on a massive mountain. "You know, I’m actually glad the Sect Leader only gave you two years. Do you know why?" the sect elder suddenly said as they neared a dark, yawning cave entrance that seemed to lead into oblivion. Beside it stood a massive boulder, its size and shape perfectly suited to seal the opening like a door. "Why?" Yuan asked. "Because you’d only live longer if he’d given you a longer sentence. The moment you leave your confinement, Elder Bai, the grandfather of the disciple you killed, will be here to avenge his grandson and take your life." While a disciple is in confinement, they are essentially prohibited from contacting the outside world. This also meant the people outside were unable to contact him, and this included sect elders. Yuan didn’t respond to the sect elder’s words and only silently gazed at the dark cave entrance. Experience exclusive tales on freewebnovel The sect elder proceeded to remove Yuan’s cuffs before kicking him in the back, sending him flying into the cave. "Enjoy what little time you have left, you bastard," the sect elder sneered, his voice laced with cold satisfaction. With a series of swift hand gestures, the massive boulder trembled before grinding into place, sealing the cave’s entrance. Once he confirmed that Yuan had been sealed properly, he turned around and flew back to the arena.