Cultivating Immortality :I Obtained The Villain's Ascension Code
Chapter 44: Where is the Sect Master?

Chapter 44: Where is the Sect Master?

The moment Su Jen’s presence vanished into the distance, the abyss once again fell into complete silence.

The man seated on the stone platform did not speak. His gaze lingered in the direction she had left, and a cold light slowly surfaced in his eyes.

To think... this woman actually dared to annihilate my sect.

And she truly believed she could walk away unscathed?

His lips curled into a sneer.

If this had been his true body, he would have acted without hesitation—her soul would’ve already been extracted and sealed, left to suffer an eternity of torment beneath the soul-destroying flames.

But alas, this was only an avatar, left here solely to maintain the ancient seal atop the abyss. He could not move freely, nor even take half a step beyond the platform.

Let alone interfere with the outer world.

"This seal cannot be left unattended. I may not be able to interfere directly... but my true self shall soon be informed."

A cruel, curved smile slowly spread across his face.

"Fortunately for her, she had no idea that I couldn’t leave this place."

He glanced at his own hands—still pressed lightly upon the stone—and a trace of unwillingness flickered across his face.

"I will inform my true self," he snorted coldly. "Everything that has occurred here... will be reported."

A cruel smile slowly spread across his face, sharp as a blade.

That woman... if she had truly made up her mind to destroy the Shadowclaw Sect, there would have been nothing he could’ve done. Not with the limited strength this projection possessed.

But she didn’t know that.

That ignorance had saved her life—for now.

"My true body... will not let this matter slide so easily," he murmured. "He will likely send down a direct disciple. That woman, her sect... all of them will be erased."

His voice was calm, yet his tone was filled with frost.

"Su Jen, Luminous River Sect... all of it must be erased. Otherwise, what face would the Netherworld Sacred Sect have left in the Outer Realms?"

With that thought, the killing intent in his eyes faded, as though sealed beneath the surface once more.

Then, in the skies above the Shadowclaw Sect—

The golden spear that had once threatened to annihilate the sect was gone. So was its wielder.

But not a soul in the sect knew why.

From the outer sect up to the core peak, disciples slowly opened their eyes in confusion.

"...Did it end?"

"Is... is the formation still holding?"

"It looks like the array collapsed... but now... it feels stable again?"

Murmurs spread like wildfire.

The outer disciples were dazed, still recovering from the suppression earlier. Many coughed up blood, sitting cross-legged to stabilize their meridians.

The inner disciples gathered into groups, peering at the sky, watching the fading remnants of spiritual light.

At the top of the sect, inside the central pagoda—

The four Nascent Soul elders remained seated, their complexions was byound pale even their divine sense was still chaotic. But each one opened their eyes almost in unison.

"What happened...?"

The oppressive pressure from earlier had vanished.

Elder Zhou’s eyes flickered with confusion. "She’s... gone?"

Shi Ling frowned slightly.

Just as she was about to speak, a fluctuation of light appeared at the far end of the hall.

Whoosh!

A woman stepped out of the swirling glow, her face glowing with relief.

Mie Lin had arrived.

" I made it in time..." she whispered as her eyes swept across the room.

The four Nascent Soul elders were stunned for a moment, then joy and relief surged across their faces.

"Senior Sister Mie Lin!"

"You’re here!"

They rose to greet her, putting aside their weariness.

This room held the sect’s final secret—a teleportation array meant for the highest-level members to escape if all hope was lost.

Mie Lin looked toward the shattered dome overhead, then asked quickly, "That woman—where is she?"

The hall fell into silence—not out of unwillingness, but because none among them truly understood what had transpired.

Shi Ling’s lips parted slowly, hesitation lingering in her gaze.

"She... did come."

"She shattered the Heaven Locking Wheel Formation as if it were nothing. We could do nothing to stop her."

Mie Lin’s pupils narrowed. "Then why... is the sect still standing?"

Shi Ling hesitated. "She launched an attack... a golden spear. It should’ve annihilated everything. But... something stopped it. A black light, most likely came from the southeast direction."

"south... east..." Mie Lin murmured.

Her thoughts raced. That forbidden place?

No... it couldn’t be. There must be another explanation. In the entire Sea and Mountain Realm, only a handful of individuals possessed the strength to stop someone like Su Jen.

Could it be...?

A flicker of suspicion passed through her eyes.

"The Wu Clan... could they be involved?" she wondered silently.

Just at that moment, a Core Formation elder standing by the auxiliary formation node spoke in astonishment.

"Elders! The array—look!"

Everyone turned.

"The Heaven Locking Wheel Formation—it was nearly destroyed... But now... it’s been restored. I can feel it. Every node is resonating properly. It’s as if it was never broken!"

Shock rippled through the room.

Elder Zhou’s jaw dropped slightly, then he laughed aloud.

"Haha! As expected of the sect’s founder! So this array was no ordinary defense!"

The others nodded solemnly.

None of them could have guessed the truth—that the one who had destroyed the formation had also repaired it.

They would likely never know.

Suddenly, Wu Li turned to Mie Lin, his expression was dark.

"Sister Mie Lin... where is the sect master?"

The question fell like a stone into a still pond.The atmosphere tensed immediately.

Indeed, where was Sect Master Li Fang?

In such a dire moment, how had he not appeared?

Mie Lin’s eyes flickered with thought, searching for the right words. Though her heart was unsettled, her face remained composed.

"We were ambushed on our return journey," she said quietly. "A powerful enemy appeared... unexpectedly."

"I escaped. He stayed behind to delay them."

Her voice quivered slightly at the end.

At her words, the expressions of everyone in the hall shifted at once. Even Elder Qian’s breath became heavy.

"Li Fang... is at the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. Who could possibly force him into such a situation?"

Indeed, that was the heart of the matter. Li Fang was not an ordinary cultivator. Not only had he reached the pinnacle of the Nascent Soul stage, but throughout the entire Violet Sea World, there were few—if any—who could match him in strength. To force him into retreat... one would need at least three late-stage Nascent Soul experts working in unison.

"I don’t know who it was. But the aura I sensed... it was unlike anything I’ve encountered before. It was... beyond the Nascent Soul Realm."

A chilling silence fell across the hall.

Elder Qian’s expression turned grim.

"...Could it have been that old monster from the Azure Dragon Sect?" he muttered. "The one rumored to have touched the Heavenly Tribulation Realm?"

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