"Afraid of death!"
In an instant, the square erupted in an uproar. The Inner Sect Elders and all the inner disciples of the Misty Sect simultaneously turned their gaze towards the source of the voice.
"Which hothead said that? Uttering such demoralizing words in this situation."
"Exactly. How did such a character pass the Inner Sect assessment? It's truly shameful to be associated with someone like this."
"Haha, we cultivators should take it as our responsibility to save all sentient beings. Such a cowardly wretch would be better off packing up and going home to farm."
In a flurry of voices, condemnation rose one after another, all directed at the person who had spoken of "fear of death."
However, Zhang Ergou held his head high, completely disregarding the disdainful gazes cast upon him.
Instead, he met the Elder of the Heavens' gaze directly, utterly unfazed by the elder's oppressive aura.
When he heard these words echo from the silent square, a flicker of anger crossed the Elder of the Heavens' face.
His intention was to ignite the unyielding spirit of these inner disciples. Having someone undermine him like this left him with no face.
However, upon seeing that the one who uttered those words was Zhang Ergou, the Elder of the Heavens' expression softened slightly.
Although he had only paid attention to this young man recently, the Elder of the Heavens was certain Zhang Ergou would have a reason for his words.
"Boy, explain to me, how are you afraid of death?"
The Elder of the Heavens smiled faintly and gestured towards Zhang Ergou. With a sweep of his hand, Zhang Ergou was lifted and brought to the very front of the crowd.
"Who is this guy? He looks a bit unfamiliar."
Not all inner disciples recognized Zhang Ergou. Although Zhang Ergou's challenge to the Inner Sect rankings had caused a huge stir within the Misty Sect not long ago, some inner disciples had not seen him. Furthermore, his appearance had changed slightly after the secret realm expedition.
Disciples who hadn't been deeply impressed by him initially naturally didn't recognize Zhang Ergou at first glance.
After all, this time the Elder of the Heavens had notified all the main peaks to summon every closed-door disciple from the Inner Sect.
The crowd in the square numbered a full thirty thousand. Only a few thousand had witnessed Zhang Ergou's prowess when he challenged the Inner Sect rankings.
"Hmph, it's this brat. Caught by Senior Brother Tian Dao this time, let's see how you escape this one."
At the edge of the platform where the elders stood, a chubby individual looked at Zhang Ergou, who was brought up by the Elder of the Heavens, with a sinister smirk.
"What's wrong, Junior Brother Xu? You know this kid? Have you had a conflict with him?"
It turned out that the chubby elder was none other than Xu Chengtao, the master of Qian Wenchao, whom Zhang Ergou had "accidentally" killed.
Seeing Zhang Ergou in the Elder of the Heavens' hands, he was naturally overjoyed.
His disciple had been killed by Zhang Ergou. Although they had entered the Ice and Snow Mountain, which could be described as a living hell, Zhang Ergou had emerged unharmed in the end.
How could Xu Chengtao swallow such a grievance?
Yet, he had never found a good opportunity to retaliate against Zhang Ergou.
Firstly, Zhang Ergou had participated in the two sect grand competitions shortly after emerging from the Ice and Snow Mountain. Secondly, Chi Yu and Chi Ling held significantly higher elder positions within the Inner Sect than he did.
Now, seeing Zhang Ergou about to be punished, Xu Chengtao was naturally delighted.
However, he was destined to be disappointed.
"Elder Tian Dao, what I said about 'fear of death' was by no means baseless. It stems from my true feelings."
Standing on the stage, Zhang Ergou showed no fear of the myriad of scrutinizing gazes. Instead, he faced everyone's judgment with composure, even remaining unfazed by the Elder of the Heavens' pressure.
The Elder of the Heavens nodded inwardly. It was this kind of demeanor. Among the tens of thousands of inner disciples present, only a handful could achieve what Zhang Ergou had.
Yet, Zhang Ergou had only entered the Inner Sect for barely a year.
However, the Elder of the Heavens had no intention of letting Zhang Ergou off easily. Since he had begun considering Zhang Ergou for cultivation, his attention had shifted towards him.
Now that Zhang Ergou had voluntarily stepped forward, it presented an excellent opportunity for assessment. How could the Elder of the Heavens let it pass?
"Oh? Boy, if you can't give me a clear explanation today, this hurdle won't be easy for you to overcome."
The Elder of the Heavens narrowed his eyes, and a sharp glint shot out, as if trying to see through Zhang Ergou.
"Hahaha, this kid is in trouble. Daring to provoke Elder Tian Dao. He probably doesn't want to stay in the Inner Sect anymore."
In the square, many disciples looked at Zhang Ergou with pity, as if they could already see his miserable fate.
However, in the front of the crowd, dozens of disciples with extraordinary bearing, radiating vitality, stood in stark contrast to the others. These individuals, however, had knitted brows.
They realized that this unknown young man seemed to have a good relationship with the Elder of the Heavens.
When had such a formidable figure appeared in the Misty Sect's Inner Sect? The dozens of youths exchanged glances, a sense of confusion evident in each other's eyes.
Clearly, they were all unfamiliar with him.
"Elder Tian Dao, I, Zhang Ergou, was originally a small hooligan from Xinshan Village. I struggled to get by, living hand to mouth, relying on hunting to survive."
"However, the appearance of Master Chun Yang changed everything for me, allowing me to encounter cultivation, something that in my previous world could only be aspired to."
"But I still insist on what I said: I fear death. But I don't think fearing death is shameful."
"Because I feared death, as a child I begged from door to door, just to fill my stomach."
"Because I feared death, I hunted with extreme caution, so as not to become prey myself."
"Because I feared death, I cultivated even more desperately, to become stronger."
"I have no desire to utter grand pronouncements of fearlessness. Master Chun Yang once taught me that the first step in cultivation is to cultivate the heart, to follow one's inner self."
"If, simply because I cultivated spells, I were to lose my reverence for life and for the heavens and earth, that would be the greatest negation of myself."
"Cultivation is for becoming stronger, but this is not a reason for arrogance."
"To lose reverence for life. Of course, I know that Elder Tian Dao, you asked us if we feared death mainly to ignite our fighting spirit."
"But what I want to say is that only by fearing death, by holding reverence for one's own life, can one better protect oneself and thus avoid being slain in battle."
The vast square fell into an absolute silence. Liu Cuilan in the crowd was already in tears.
Chi Yu, Chi Ling, Lin Yueru, and the other elders and female disciples who were acquainted with Zhang Ergou looked at him with even gentler eyes.
They had never heard of Zhang Ergou's past.