A new day dawned, and Alm and Bruno entered the sect’s entrance alone and in silence. Two days had passed since the events, marking exactly two months since they joined the Three Extremes Sect.
Wearing common attire, the whale stood out from the other disciples, who flaunted bright clothes adorned with the sect’s symbol. Although there was no rule forcing them to wear them, most did so proudly, displaying their status as members of the planet’s largest sect. Therefore, the robust figure attracted attention as it entered the sect.
Presenting his badge without concern for formalities, he headed towards the outer zone of the sect. Aware that Ruri, through the array, would sense his arrival even from a distance, he knew she would find him soon.
Upon entering the forging institute, some members and teachers gave him serious looks. The whale snorted, and in response, a dozen members emerged from the central institute and ran towards them. Observing them with evident tension, he silently followed them into a closed room.
When the door closed completely, all the high-ranking members turned to them, and one of them, with a serious expression, addressed the whale. "What happened? The leader’s life crystal was destroyed. Tell us everything."
The whale nodded and tossed a shiny ring towards the elder. As they caught it, their expression turned serious, conveying intense anger and emotional pain.
"Master was training me in nature, using her bloodline to protect me and at the same time impart knowledge of her expertise. After some time, we realized we were closely followed, but master said it was something common..."
The story was simple and ordinary. They then described how they found some rare materials. Eventually, they felt their souls tremble and, upon investigating, found something unexpected; it was a mystical herb with soul power.
They were just forgers with no significant combat power, and the news of the institute leader going out to train her disciple was announced by her among her members. Therefore, all high-ranking members would be aware, as it was not uncommon for cultivators to keep an eye on the movements of institute leaders or important cultivators.
"In the end, master managed to easily shake off the spies, and we stayed in the forest to avoid causing alarm. But... exactly two days ago, everything changed. A black elf appeared along with hundreds of human sect members." The whale continued, and everyone narrowed their eyes, well aware of the relationship between Liumi’s race and the black elves. It didn’t need much more to be said; they had already completed the story in their minds.
"To silence me, they tried to enslave me... but master managed to react at the last moment. And the herb with extreme soul power was used by her." He finished with teary eyes, and the elders sighed.
It was common for a slave seal to be linked to the user’s soul; therefore, the soul-powered herb must have had an influence for her to break free briefly. Liumi was a member of the institute, but all high-ranking members knew she was a slave of the Noctryn. Therefore, there was great animosity towards her, and everyone was extremely angry that the former leader had given the position to a puppet of another.
The best way to obtain resources was undoubtedly through theft, so information was everything among common cultivators who lived by scheming behind each other’s backs. Soon, everyone in the forging institute would be seriously affected by this leader for a decade. They would have to hide all their gains and secrets from the institute. With every move they made, there was a risk of the black elves pursuing them. But now... a relief permeated everyone, and obviously, they didn’t show it on their faces.
Alm and Bruno clearly felt their relief. The desire to kill everyone there was so strong that they had to restrain themselves; likewise, they didn’t let it show.
The leader of the central members spoke with regret. "It’s a pity. A cultivator’s life is full of dangers and greed..." then he quickly looked inside the ring, and seeing its contents, he jumped in shock.
Everyone saw his reaction, and the whale’s face hardened as he spoke coldly. "There’s the proof. I managed to collect weapons, blood, and even pieces of bodies. Clearly, these belong to a black elf, and with the blood and weapons, finding out which human clan they belonged to won’t be difficult."
The old man snorted dryly, recognizing the remnants from the two clans without needing any investigation. They were two of the largest clans in the sect, and the rules for killing members were strict. But even with evidence of their involvement in the death of the former leader, nothing would truly happen.
"I understand, we will present this to the sect. Those responsible will be obliged to give us an explanation," the old man spoke emotionlessly.
After two seconds, he and everyone turned to the whale. Before they could speak, Alm and Bruno made a smooth move, and a yellowish crystal appeared.
Everyone looked at it seriously; it was the emblem of the institute leader. Then the whale spoke dryly. "Before she used the soul herb, master gave me this. She told me to imprint my spiritual mark, and that if something happened, I would be her legitimate successor."
Everyone petrified, and only curses sounded in their minds. If she had simply died, the emblem would have self-destructed... but she made sure to die, handing it over to another... and it was still a newcomer.
"As far as I understand, I am the leader of the institute now. And for ten years, you will have to accept me," the whale spoke quickly. "I am still an external member and cannot fully take over the leadership until I reach the central zone. So, for now, command the other regions on my behalf. When I get there, I will gradually take over."
They concluded, and everyone looked at him with subtle relief. This young man had just arrived at the sect; it would take almost three years for him to reach the central area. So, they could command everything... and have enough time to eliminate this new problem.
He was just a human, and the oldest there knew a bit about his past with the Divinestone. He didn’t have significant roots, unlike Liumi, who was the property of a powerful clan. Therefore, they could act freely and safely.
"Great; it’s good that she found a capable disciple before dying. You spent little time together, but your talent has already moved her to this point. The young leader is truly a genius among geniuses," one of the elders spoke in a friendly manner, but clearly, there was a nefarious intent in his eyes.
The whale smiled and replied, "You gentlemen will take care of everything, thank you. Now, I’ll retire if you don’t mind."
Everyone nodded in agreement, and the whale left quietly. None of them lamented or felt outraged by the death of an innocent young woman, even though she was their leader; they could only think about their future gains.
Everyone bid farewell contentedly; the elders were already planning how to handle the future leader. Alm and Bruno, on the other hand, were planning the most cunning way to eliminate these bastards.
Alm and Bruno entered their room calmly and sat on the bed. The Noctryn Clan and Nightflare Clan would only be questioned, and they would probably shift all the blame onto the two central elders who died. They would claim it was an isolated act on their part and would only offer compensation to the institute.
The powerful always had the last word and the truth with them; that was the reality no matter where. As for those institute elders, they probably would enjoy the compensation happily and accept everything without causing trouble.
Alm and Bruno gave various generous gifts to the elders, temporarily calming them. As for the two clans, after the spotlight they received, they would act cautiously for a while. They probably wouldn’t make significant moves against the whale and his group while they were in the external or internal area. The assassins should wait a bit before acting, giving them time to cultivate.
Even with Liumi’s death, they had temporarily avoided dangers. Assuming leadership, they gained influence in the external zone, and once they ascended, they would conquer the next zone. There were many gains for just two months; but... they couldn’t feel any happiness in it.
In that brief moment of reflection, the door opened gently. The whale looked up and saw Ruri entering. She knew they had arrived and came as soon as she could, but upon arriving, she already felt something was wrong and quickly approached them.
"Master, we fulfilled your orders. The three of us easily joined the Institute of War God. After that, I went to the Beast Tamer Institute, and after a week, I managed to join the Formation Institute," Ruri said with a smile. "Corin also entered the Institute of the Five Elements. As for Loeus, he joined the Alchemy Institute."
The whale nodded in understanding. Loeus, after receiving so many hints from Langrum about her Yang deficiency issue, realized that she seemed to have some hope in him to resolve it. Seeing her devouring many Amin pills, he interpreted that he could solve it by using his power to create pills. So, when they returned from the abyss, he spent his time in the city learning a bit of alchemy, much to Langrum’s dismay.
Ruri then chimed in, "As for Runula and Deryu, they are now sect members too. I took them to the Beast Tamer Institute, and those old folks practically begged them to become members. Everyone is putting in effort."
The whale nodded satisfactorily. If Loeus could really make pills, even if they were low-level ones, they would be pure Yang pills; something quite unique and useful. As for Corin, since his bloodline had the ability to deal with all elements, he was finally studying them individually, and his power would increase significantly.
"The Beast Tamer Institute has techniques... but they are so simple compared to those of Leafar, so it was of little use to me. But when I went to the Formation Institute, as master suggested, and started studying... I found it extremely enjoyable! Master really knows me well," Ruri added, hugging their arm.
They nodded, then silence lingered. Alm and Bruno thought about how to tell what happened; they had failed miserably and felt pain and shame for letting that honest woman die. But before they spoke, they felt Ruri looking directly at them. Her eyes trembled as she stared at them, and they sighed heavily.
Soon, Ruri spoke softly, "Master is very sad... I’m here. You don’t need to hold anything back. Share all the pain with me."
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They felt something indescribable in their chests. They stopped thinking and slowly recounted everything that happened, sparing nothing.