Far beyond the winding paths of the wilderness, in a vast palace carved into the side of a towering crimson mountain, another force had already begun its own deliberations.
The Crimson Sky Pavilion, a sect of renown equal to that of the Celestial Dao Sect, had not remained blind to the events unfolding in the region. Within its opulent meeting hall, where golden lanterns cast long shadows against the red silk-draped walls, a gathering of influential figures had convened.
At the head of the chamber sat Grand Elder Yue Shenzhong, his presence both commanding and unreadable. His sharp features were softened only by the flicker of the lantern light. Before him knelt a messenger, his head lowered in deference.
"Kael Varian…" Yue Shenzhong mused, his deep voice carrying across the hall. "A name that has swiftly risen from obscurity."
The messenger nodded. "Grand Elder, the Serpent's Fang Sect is no more. One man alone orchestrated its downfall. The Celestial Dao Sect has already sent an emissary."
Murmurs rippled through the gathered elders.
Another elder, a woman clad in deep red robes, leaned forward, her expression thoughtful. "For the Celestial Dao Sect to act so quickly… this boy must be extraordinary."
A sharp laugh cut through the murmurs. "Or reckless," an elder remarked, his tone dripping with skepticism. "The Serpent's Fang was nothing more than a minor power. What use is a mad dog that knows only how to bite?"
But Yue Shenzhong did not share the amusement. His fingers drummed lightly against the lacquered wood of his seat. "You speak as if this is a trivial matter, but I see something else. The heavens are shifting. A storm brews. And we would be foolish to ignore the signs."
The chamber fell silent.
Another voice spoke then, calm yet carrying an edge of intrigue. "Then perhaps it is time we took a closer look."
All eyes turned to Leng Xiuying, the youngest of the Pavilion's high-ranking disciples, yet one of its most promising. She was draped in a flowing crimson robe embroidered with golden phoenixes, her dark eyes gleaming with intelligence. Unlike the others, she did not seem concerned—she seemed interested.
Yue Shenzhong studied her for a moment before nodding. "Xiuying, your curiosity is well-placed. We will not act yet, but we will watch. This Kael Varian… let us see whether he is worth our attention."
Xiuying smiled slightly but said nothing more.
While the Celestial Dao Sect had already moved their piece on the board, the Crimson Sky Pavilion would wait. They were not in the habit of making rash decisions. But when the time came, they would ensure that their presence would be felt.
Kael walked down the long corridor leading to the main treasury. When he reached the end of the corridor, he saw three rooms: one on the right, another in the middle, and the final one on the left. He first approached the room on the left and entered it with slow, deliberate steps.
The moment he entered, he saw a large pile of spirit stones. Although they were all low-grade spirit stones, there must have been tens of millions of them. Kael was shocked at the wealth he had just witnessed. How could a sect of Serpent Fang's caliber be so rich? If a minor sect like this could possess such a number of spirit stones, he didn't even want to imagine what medium-sized forces and top sects would possess. Some might even have large quantities of high-grade spirit stones.
Kael thought to himself, this is only one of three rooms, and it already gave him a huge surprise. What would the other rooms hold for him?
Kael stepped out of the first room and headed for the one on the right. When he entered that room, he found a small mountain of mid-grade spirit stones along with a huge arsenal of alchemical herbs and pills. For starters, he saw one hundred bottles of Qi Refining Pills and Bone Refining Pills. He also found about forty bottles of Qi Nourishing Pills.
Stepping deeper into the room, he saw a box made of special materials. It had various images embroidered on it. He quickly approached the box, eager to see its contents. He took the box from its secluded shelf. Holding it gently, he attempted to carefully open the box but quickly realized there was a sealing formation on it. Focusing his mind on the box, he saw runes numbering about one hundred swirling around it. He realized that if he wasn't careful, he could destroy the contents.
Kael placed the box back on the shelf and stepped a few paces back. He observed the runes with full attention, his insane comprehension activating again, enabling him to identify the flaws in the formation. But this time, making use of the flaws seemed more difficult than before. This time he had to be a surgeon, avoiding damage to the contents, unlike other times when he was a bulldozer smashing everything in his wake.
He mobilized his Qi, using minute amounts to target particular flaws at the best opportune moment. Before long, the formation began unraveling itself until, finally, the runes broke down on their own, and the formation disintegrated. Kael then proceeded to carefully open the box, only to find a golden pill that seemed to exude a special aura. This was the Heaven Blessing Pill—a pill able to remove bottlenecks regardless of cultivation realm up to the Soul Transformation Stage.
Kael, at the moment, didn't know what pill this was, but he had an inkling that it was an insanely valuable pill, especially with how carefully guarded it was. Kael shut the box after observing the pill for a while. He looked around again before spotting a few bottles of essence pill bottles containing some Earth Essence Pills, Wind Essence Pills, and Flame Essence Pills.
After carefully scouring the room, Kael did not find anything else, so he stepped out and headed for the final room at the center. This one was a bit more solemn and huge compared to the previous two. He placed his hands on the door and pushed it open. The door opened slowly, making creaking sounds the entire time.
Kael stepped in unaware but full of anticipation.