Chapter 744: The Silent Tribunal

The little girl’s inquiry had vanished.

As Lu Xin slowly rose to his feet, all the shadows around him disappeared.

In the surrounding wasteland, countless executioners had long been devoured when the Sword Bearer went berserk.

The towering execution frame, as tall as a forest, had vanished, and the mental entity that once hung above it was long gone.

The Sword Bearer’s body had completely collapsed, and with it, the so-called Judgment Sword naturally vanished.

Across the wasteland, the howling, twisting sounds scattered like leaves in a gentle breeze, leaving no trace.

That stark contrast made the earlier painful and chaotic confrontation seem like nothing more than a dream.

Only the massive Black Building stood hollow and isolated in the wasteland.

Only patches of uprooted weeds and enormous chasms on the ground testified that combat had once taken place here.

Yet, from a mere mortal’s view, it is hard to imagine what such a battle truly looked like.

……

……

“Is it truly over now?”

With a soft sigh, Lu Xin looked toward the gigantic Black Building in the east.

It resembled a ruined Parthenon, painted black as if deliberately set in the wilderness before him.

He saw towering stone pillars and a crumbling dome.

A gigantic set of steps began at his feet, extending upward and vanishing into the depths of the mysterious temple.

This was all that remained after the Sword Bearer’s destruction.

It seemed that this entity was meant to evoke a sense of immense majesty.

Yet perhaps the Sword Bearer’s demise had robbed this structure of its inherent power.

Lu Xin regarded it with an odd emptiness rather than dread.

It exuded a chilling air of desolation and deathly stillness.

“Be careful…”

A voice sounded from behind him.

Before he knew it, his Mom, Father, and Sister had gathered around him, all watching with curious eyes.

Most notably, his Mom—still brimming with unanswered questions—had her brows furrowed in deep puzzlement over the Black Temple. Lu Xin had never seen so much doubt on her face.

“Is there still danger?”

Intrigued by her concern, Lu Xin turned to her and asked softly.

“I don’t think so,”

Mom shook her head and murmured, “But this whole matter has always seemed a bit odd to me.”

“For instance, this very thing was left behind…”

“…”

Lu Xin studied the ethereal, temple-like structure once more and asked in confusion, “What is this?”

“Midnight Tribunal…”

Mom explained quietly, “You might also call it the Sword Bearer’s Mind Palace.”

“Every being that reaches the Fifth Stage can construct their own mental sanctuary—even some ordinary people with exceptionally strong willpower. It’s a unique existence that none of us can fully comprehend.”

“Since ability users at the Fifth Stage can create a Mind Palace, it stands to reason that the Thirteen Ultimate Mysterious Creatures can as well.”

“Each one of them possesses their own mental sanctuary.”

“An attack at such an ultimate level is incredibly dangerous. Failure means being devoured or stripped of power.”

“Just like how the Cangzhang Sect and the Pale Hand from the Flame fled immediately on defeat.”

“The fact that the Sword Bearer failed to evacuate his Mind Palace in time is in itself very peculiar…”

“Even if only a projection remains, it still poses a grave threat to him.”

“This act is like treating oneself as prey…”

Pausing briefly, she deliberately glanced at Lu Xin and added, “Moreover, it’s not just here that concerns me.”

“At first, I didn’t sense the Sword Bearer’s Mind Palace at all. I thought he had only cast a shadow. But later, I discovered that he had truly manifested—and leaving behind a Mind Palace is proof enough.”

“However, if the Mind Palace were tangible, his strength wouldn’t be…”

“…”

Noticing her slight pause, Lu Xin asked curiously, “Wouldn’t it be that strong?”

Mom shook her head, replying, “It certainly isn’t that weak.”

Lu Xin was taken aback, recalling the heart-stopping intensity of their previous clash…

Could it really be that feeble?

“When you confronted the Sword Bearer earlier, did you notice how rigid he was?”

Mom detected his question and whispered, “Much of his action was purely instinctual—almost machine-like in its sluggishness.”

“Even when he went into a frenzy, absorbing more mental power than reality could sustain, he lacked the will to control it, merely wreaking havoc like a madman devoid of combat sense.”

“…”

Lu Xin listened and nodded gently.

Indeed, it was so.

He could hardly imagine the destruction if the Sword Bearer had possessed true combat awareness, efficiently harnessing his mental power.

In reality, Lu Xin considered himself fortunate.

Because at the outset—before the Sword Bearer even reacted—he managed to drive half of the Judgment Sword into his chest, triggering a turbulence that even growing mental power couldn’t overcome for an effective counterattack.

Otherwise, the consequences would have been unfathomable.

……

……

……

“So…”

Lu Xin looked up at the Black Temple and asked, “Should we go inside and take a look?”

Mom nodded after a moment.

“We should, but we must tread carefully…”

She whispered, “The Sword Bearer’s appearance and actions are just too bizarre…”

Lu Xin hesitated, then inquired, “What’s inside?”

“His consciousness…”

Mom explained softly, “The Midnight Tribunal is the Sword Bearer’s Mind Palace.”

“And the Mind Palace is his inner self—housing his will and thoughts.”

“We must be cautious because of that.”

“Because earlier, the Sword Bearer’s behavior was nothing like that of someone with a true mental core.”

“Or rather… someone with a functioning brain?”

“…”

At that, Lu Xin suddenly pointed to his head as if asking, “Does that mean his brain is abnormal?”

“The Sword Bearer’s head is definitely abnormal.”

Mom chuckled softly and said, “But in Qinggang, it’s at least second to last…”

“It’s always better than that person in the city who, after soaking in the rain, wouldn’t even think of coming home. So, it’s not exactly normal…”

“…”

“That aside…”

Lu Xin silently disagreed with Mom’s words.

The doll surely knew when it was raining and would head home—in any case, it at least knew how to use an umbrella.

“Anyway, let’s go inside…”

After a moment of contemplation and several deep breaths, Lu Xin steeled himself.

Then he was the first to step forward, slowly moving toward the Black Temple—also known as the Midnight Tribunal.

Step by step, he ascended the steps that straddled the line between reality and illusion.

Amidst the sparse intertwining of mental power, he approached the grand entrance of the tribunal.

“Beware of the Midnight Tribunal’s judges—they’re masters at warping things and clouding your thoughts…”

Mom warned in time, “After all, this is a Mind Palace. Who knows what bizarre things it might harbor?”

Lu Xin nodded cautiously, his eyes alert.

Father panted heavily, as if eager for what was to come.

“At last, the chance has finally arrived…”

“…”

Lu Xin suddenly realized that his Father didn’t seem nervous at all; instead, there was a hint of yearning in his gaze.

Glancing at his Father, he noted him intently staring ahead; upon noticing Lu Xin’s curiosity, his Father quickly looked away.

Mom smiled lightly and remarked, “There’s no point in swallowing the Sword Bearer’s Mind Palace…”

Father snorted softly, muttering, “Better than nothing…”

……

……

Feeling that the situation was growing too complicated, Lu Xin paid it no mind and slowly ascended the steps until he reached the gate.

The massive Black Gate stood half-open, revealing a void within.

Surveying the prepared faces of those around him, Lu Xin stepped forward and pressed against the door.

After a brief hesitation, his left palm—shrouded in black particles—pushed the door open with force.

Woo…

Instantly, a fierce gust of wind burst from the hall.

In that moment, the entire family grew solemn as they looked into the vast interior.

They had braced themselves to confront the executioners head-on.

But then, Lu Xin’s expression turned to pure astonishment, his face etched with perplexity.

Not only him, but Mom, Father, and Sister were all momentarily stunned.

They had arrived at the Midnight Tribunal, fully prepared to face the Midnight Judges, only to find none.

High above, from the lofty dome, several black ropes dangled down.

From them hung seven figures clad in black robes, drifting mid-air.

A closer look revealed that these hanged figures were dressed in the judges’ robes—signifying their identities—yet, like sinners, they were condemned to eternal penance within the temple.

The Midnight Judges had already been hanged within the tribunal.

Then an eerie silence fell; the dark temple resonated only with the sound of night wind passing through.

……

……

“The Sword Bearer has long been dead…”

Lu Xin turned and saw Mom’s face register shock as she stated, “His mental core has been destroyed…”

“What descended just now was merely his physical shell…”

“No wonder, no wonder…”

“But…”

A strange, even fearful tone emerged in her eyes as she whispered, “Who killed the Sword Bearer?”

No one could answer her question.

Only the red moon in the sky shone even more brilliantly, its light accompanied by the solitary eye remaining in the heavens.

That eye had dimmed considerably, yet its glow grew eerily captivating.

In one fleeting moment, its light burst to an extreme before slowly fading away entirely.

That final glimmer seemed like a mocking gaze, looking down upon the mortals below.

That last light appeared nothing more than a taunt from above.