The four guards saw soone approaching and instantly beca alert. Given the current situation, they had to remain wary of anyone who ca near. With devils infiltrating many places, they could not predict what kind of act might be carried out—even here.
"Halt! State your identity," one of the guards said as he finally got a clear look at Aldrian.
However, there was sothing about Aldrian that felt familiar, and the other guards shared the sa thought.
"Tell Sect Master Kang that Aldrian is here to see him." Aldrian responded calmly.
The mont they heard the na, it was as if thunder struck in their minds. Everything suddenly clicked. Now they understood why Aldrian seed familiar—he was the one who had beco the center of attention recently. His identity had been revealed as the mysterious swordsman, and the uproar he caused had shaken the continent.
Realizing that Aldrian was the real deal, one of the guards ran inside while the others looked at him with unconcealed respect. Even though they were demonic cultivators, they could not help but be impressed by his strength and the achievents from his battles. In the demon territory, strength played the most important role in their daily lives.
A few minutes later, the guard returned and approached Aldrian before bowing deeply.
"The Sect Master is waiting for you in the special guest place. Allow to escort you, young master," he said. Aldrian responded with a nod.
He finally entered the Black Dragon Pavilion, and beyond the wall, he saw a sprawling complex of buildings arranged like a city. The place was bustling with activity, much like any ordinary city—but the people here were all disciples of the Black Dragon Pavilion. With tens of thousands of them living and training in this remote location, it was no surprise the sect functioned like an independent city.
He was then led to a carriage already waiting for him near the gate, and it began moving down the road.
As Aldrian was escorted by a guard in the carriage, he drew the attention of many disciples. They could not help but wonder who was important enough to receive such treatnt. This kind of escort was reserved only for distinguished guests, and they had not heard anything about an important visitor arriving today.
Given the chaos outside that had forced many disciples to leave in order to maintain order, they assud no one would choose to visit the sect at a ti like this.
Aldrian was then brought to the inner area of the sect, which was separated from the outer grounds by another wall. This part of the sect was quieter and more serene, with fewer people around. The surroundings were beautiful, filled with greenery, giving it a peaceful atmosphere that felt distinct from the outer area.
But Aldrian’s journey did not end there. The guard continued to escort him deeper into the sect, until they reached the core area where the Sect Master resided. This area also housed the elders, core disciples, and direct disciples.
Not long after, the carriage stopped at the edge of what appeared to be a lake. When Aldrian stepped out, he saw a separate building situated at the center of the beautiful lake. It was a seven-story pagoda, and to reach it, he would have to cross a wooden bridge. From the building, he could sense the most powerful presence in the sect emanating from its top floor.
"This way, young master," the guard said, leading him toward the topmost level. There, Aldrian finally saw soone already waiting—seated at a table with a herbal drink set before him.
It was a black-haired, middle-aged man with a burly fra, his body radiating explosive power that could be sensed even without any aura being released. Though the man sat calmly, Aldrian could tell he had grown far stronger than when they last t three years ago.
Sect Master Kang was now close to the bottleneck of the peak Emperor stage, on the verge of attempting a breakthrough.
As soon as Sect Master Kang saw Aldrian, he stood and greeted him warmly with a smile.
"Ah, young master, I’m truly shocked to hear that you’ve visited this place. At first, I had my doubts, but it really is you. Anyway, welco to the Black Dragon Pavilion," he said as he cupped his hands.
"My apologies for not informing you in advance," Aldrian replied, also cupping his hands. "For various reasons, I had to visit you as soon as possible. Once again, my apologies."
But Aldrian could sense sothing from Sect Master Kang—he slled a familiar scent that made him pause.
The scent of blood.
"It seems he’s personally made a move," Aldrian thought.
After the guard left, leaving Aldrian and Sect Master Kang alone, they exchanged pleasantries for a few monts, which, in truth, made Aldrian feel a little strange. The last ti he had t Sect Master Kang, he had the impression that the man hadn’t been concerned with how he acted in front of him—if anything, Sect Master Kang had been sowhat rude.
But now, seeing how polite Sect Master Kang was, it felt as though Aldrian were facing a completely different person. However, Aldrian understood that the way Sect Master Kang saw him had changed since three years ago, and naturally, the man now treated him with more courtesy.
They continued their pleasant conversation before Aldrian finally turned the discussion toward the main topic.
"Sect Master, as you know, the demon territory is filled with devils lurking without anyone preventing them, and I’m sure you’re aware of how all of this ca to be," Aldrian said.
Sect Master Kang nodded. He wasn’t stupid. With the heavy surveillance in place throughout the demon territory to detect the devils’ presence, especially after the incident with Dual Horns Peak City, there was no way the devils could have infiltrated so many places and spread across the territories without traitors within the families and sects.
Aldrian then took out an information crystal containing the sa details he had given to Sect Master Ryu.
"Inside this information crystal is the grand plan of the devils in the Demon Territory, along with a complete list of the families and sects—or more specifically, the individuals—who are involved in their sche," Aldrian explained.
"It also contains details of their actions. With this, I hope the Black Dragon Pavilion can help cleanse the Demon Territory after the devils are purged. Even though the devils will be gone, the traitors must still face the consequences. I have already inford Sect Master Baek and Sect Master Ryu about this as well."
Sect Master Kang took the crystal and examined its contents for a few minutes. When he finished, he placed it down, his expression darkening.
"To think they planned all of this, and that so many have betrayed us—this is truly outrageous!" he said, his aura leaking from his body. "But with this, it’s also confird that I’ve caught the right person."
Aldrian was curious about what Sect Master Kang had just said, and Sect Master Kang seed to know exactly what was on his mind.
"Today, I, along with many elders and disciples, went out to personally control the situation and ensure the devils didn’t escape anywhere. Afterward, I captured the traitors within the sect, which included one of my Grand Elders and a few other elders. I’ve already taken them to a secure location, but I haven’t executed them yet because I need information about their accomplices and to understand why they betrayed ," Sect Master Kang explained.
"However, with this new information, I’m now certain they are the traitors, and I no longer hesitate to execute them."
Aldrian nodded, but Sect Master Kang looked at him curiously.
"How did you get this kind of information? It’s so detailed. I’m wondering if you ever infiltrated this group of traitors," he asked.
"Well, it’s not too hard—" Aldrian then gave the sa explanation he had provided to Sect Master Ryu, including a brief account of what had happened at the Thorny Flower Garden, which left Sect Master Kang impressed.
"I see. To think sothing like that happened at the Thorny Flower Garden... it’s truly unfortunate," Sect Master Kang said. Aldrian nodded, drank his herbal tea, and set the cup down before said to him.
"That is why the three great sects must work together to gather those still untouched by the devils’ influence and purge the traitors. However, we need to approach this carefully, or else the strength of the Demon Territory will drop significantly."
"I agree. This is truly a tricky matter, but with this information, we can separate the rotten ones," Sect Master Kang replied.
They both took a mont to enjoy the serenity before Aldrian broke the silence.
"Anyway, I have to go back to the Thorny Flower Garden. I know you still have much to do after all the chaos, so I don’t want to disturb you any longer."
"Wait, young master, before you go, may I request sothing from you?" Sect Master Kang said.
Aldrian tilted his head.
"What is it?"
Sect Master Kang flashed a smile.
"Fight with ."
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