A few hours later, all mbers of the group dispatched to control the situation across the Piercing Heaven Sect’s territory had returned. Without delay, Sect Master Ryu summoned all the elders to the vast training ground in front of the main building. With more than a hundred elders present, the gathering hall was far too small to accommodate them.
Once the elders had assembled in orderly rows, Sect Master Ryu erged from the building, accompanied by the announcent elder.
"Sect Master has arrived! Pay your respects!"
All of the elders dropped to one knee, cupping their hands and bowing their heads slightly toward Sect Master Ryu. Standing on the elevated ground of the main building, which overlooked the training field, the sect master surveyed the assembled elders before finally speaking.
"There were no casualties among you. Good. I expect at least that much. If any of you had died despite the elent of surprise, there would be no one to bla but the weakness of the dead."
He paused for a mont before continuing, his gaze sweeping across the lines of elders.
"Still, the fact that devils managed to gain a foothold within our territory without my knowledge—and that I had to rely on rumors to learn of it—infuriates . It ans sothing happened behind my back."
He paused, this ti looking directly at several elders.
"Those whose nas I call, step forward."
"Shin Sangmin."
"Jung Gonwoo."
"Choi Yongshuk."
Upon hearing their nas, the three elders stepped forward, forming a separate line ahead of the others. The rest of the elders exchanged glances, wondering why those three had been called—especially since one of them was a grand elder at the Emperor Stage.
"Given the devils’ appearance within our territory, there’s no way this happened without soone on our side betraying us—without soone opening the gate to them." Sect Master Ryu fixed his gaze on the three elders.
"You are the most suspected. And I want the truth, right here and now. If my suspicion is wrong, you may return to your place. But if it isn’t... then you already know your fate."
Badump!
For a split second, Sect Master Ryu’s eyes flicked toward two of the three elders. He had caught the subtle shift in their heartbeats—though their faces revealed nothing suspicious, only shock.
The shocked expressions were understandable. In the Piercing Heaven Sect, being called a traitor was unforgivable.
The rest of the elders were just as shocked by Sect Master Ryu’s accusation. All three n were well-known within the sect, and one of them was a grand elder who had served for many years. If they truly were traitors, then they deserved so twisted form of applause—for managing to conceal their action even from the sect master for so long.
The word "traitor" alone was already damning. If it was proven true, then a fate worse than death awaited them. Sect Master Ryu despised betrayal more than anything else and was known to exact the harshest punishnt on those who betrayed the sect.
There was a story, a mber once leaked information to a family that harbored ill intent toward the sect. When Sect Master Ryu discovered the betrayal, he personally tortured the traitor. Rumor had it the man’s screams echoed nonstop for an entire day, and by the end, what remained of his body was little more than a pulped ss of flesh—unrecognizable as a human being. Even demonic cultivators who had witnessed it called it a horrifying sight.
Sect Master Ryu didn’t stop there. He personally annihilated the family that received the information. By the next morning, their entire bloodline had been erased—no survivors, no graves, no legacy.
Now, the betrayal was far greater—and far more severe—because it involved the devils. If these n were proven to be traitors, what kind of torture would await them? No one dared to imagine. Just the thought of it made several elders shudder.
Sect Master Ryu began walking toward the three accused, stopping in front of the one on the far left from his perspective.
"Shin Sangmin," he said. "You’ve been with this sect for a long ti, and I granted you the title of grand elder. I know you’ve had your ambitions, and I allowed you to pursue them—as long as they aligned with the interests of the sect. But now I wonder... was it really the sect you served, or only yourself?"
He paused, eyes fixed directly on the grand elder.
"I also wonder if you know sothing about the devils. After all, you were the one I entrusted with managing certain regions, regions that, coincidentally, have many devils."
Grand Elder Shin’s eyes trembled. He dropped into a deep bow without hesitation.
"This one truly did not know about the devils’ existence in my area of responsibility," Shin Sangmin said, his voice steady. "But my loyalty lies with the sect alone. There is no way I would side with the devils. The devils’ presence in my region is due to my lack of control and the possibility of a traitor I was unaware of. If you give ti, Sect Master, I will bring the traitor to you."
Sect Master Ryu only stared at him, though inwardly, he was furious. Despite Shin’s best efforts to control his heartbeat and body language, to ensure he showed no signs of guilt, Sect Master Ryu could still sense a slight shift—a tiny slip in his heartbeat and a reaction from his body.
Without needing confirmation from his words, Sect Master Ryu already knew. Grand Elder Shin was hiding sothing... and lying.
Sect Master Ryu almost wanted to strangle Grand Elder Shin on the spot as his anger flared. His aura slipped dangerously from his body, but just as he was about to act, he sensed soone running toward him from outside the training ground.
All the elders also sensed the approaching presence, which appeared to be an inner disciple of the sect. They wondered what could have happened.
From the disciple’s body language, it was clear he was in a hurry and had sothing important to convey.
The disciple imdiately dropped to one knee, cupping his hands in respect as he arrived in front of Sect Master Ryu.
"Sect Master, I bring an urgent report," the disciple said, his voice tight with urgency. "An important guest has arrived at the sect, and he is already inside the sect."
Sect Master Ryu narrowed his eyes. "Who is it?"
"It’s Young Master Aldrian. He has co to visit."
Hearing the na, Sect Master Ryu’s eyes widened in shock. Most of the elders also reacted with surprise. Of course, they rembered the person who had visited their sect a few years ago—moreover, that person was soone famous across the continent. They were stunned to realize Aldrian was the mysterious swordsman who had been stirring the continent.
They couldn’t help but wonder what this young man was doing here, especially in the midst of the chaotic situation in the demon territory. Did he co because of the situation they were currently facing?
Sect Master Ryu walked past the inner disciple.
"Quick, take him to the special guest room. I will et with him shortly—"
"You don’t have to do that, Sect Master."
Suddenly, Aldrian’s voice cut through Sect Master Ryu’s words, causing everyone present to turn toward the source of the voice. What they saw was a handso young man whose face they still rembered, despite not having seen him in three years. Even without exuding any visible aura, his presence was vastly different.
He was much stronger now, and his re presence commanded reverence from all who stood before him.
Aldrian walked up to Sect Master Ryu, making his way through the line of elders, who parted to let him pass. Sect Master Ryu quickly moved toward him and greeted him with respect.
"Young Master, why didn’t you inform of your arrival in advance? I would have made sure to greet you in a more proper setting. Unfortunately, I had important matters and had to gather all these people here," he said, cupping his hand toward Aldrian in respect.
"No worries, Sect Master," Aldrian replied with a smile, returning the gesture. "I’m the one who should apologize for not informing you beforehand. But there’s no better ti than now, when you have gathered all the elders, because my visit does indeed have sothing to do with this situation."
Aldrian glanced around at all the elders, his eyes briefly settling on the three who had been separated from the rest.
He smiled when he saw them and then turned back to Sect Master Ryu.
"And it seems my visit will be rather tily, as I see you’re already in the midst of cleaning house,"
Sect Master Ryu stood stunned, wondering if Aldrian was here to discuss the traitor situation. Did Aldrian know sothing he didn’t?
He watched as Aldrian calmly walked toward the three suspicious elders and stood before them.
Sect Master Ryu followed, standing beside Aldrian, his curiosity piqued. What was he planning to do?
Aldrian turned his gaze to Grand Elder Shin and Elder Choi Yongshuk, pausing for a mont before he turned to face Sect Master Ryu.
"These two are the traitors who allowed the devils to infiltrate the Piercing Heaven Sect territory," Aldrian declared.
The mont Aldrian spoke, a ripple of shock ran through the elders, while the two n singled out by Aldrian felt their hearts turn cold. Their faces paled, but they quickly turned their fury toward Aldrian, their eyes burning with anger.
"You, even if you—"
"Don’t try to talk your way out of this," Aldrian interrupted. "I already have strong proof of your involvent in the devils’ infiltration. Do you want to show you how you t with the devils in one of the caverns in Vermilion City three weeks ago?"
Grand Elder Shin’s face turned even paler.
"How did he know?" The thought raced through his mind.
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