The cold wind drifting across the summit gradually settled.
Yet the atmosphere only grew heavier.
Beneath the vast sea of dark clouds, the three Supreme Elders stood in silence while immense spiritual pressure faintly distorted the surrounding air around them. Even the space itself seemed unable to withstand their presence completely.
Below them—
Elder Mo still knelt respectfully upon the cracked stone platform.
Blood stained the edges of his robes, yet he did not dare move recklessly before the three terrifying figures standing above him.
Then—
the elderly Supreme Elder finally spoke.
His voice was calm.
Ancient.
"…How long until recovery?"
Elder Mo answered immediately without hesitation.
"With sufficient sect resources…"
He lowered his head further.
"…three days."
The black-robed Supreme Elder frowned slightly.
"Too long."
His sharp eyes shifted toward the distant wilderness beyond the sect mountains.
"If the beast truly possesses the intelligence described…"
"…then it may already suspect stronger cultivators will descend upon it soon."
The female Supreme Elder nodded faintly.
"It may relocate."
"Or conceal itself completely."
Silence lingered briefly across the summit.
The wind itself seemed unwilling to disturb the oppressive atmosphere surrounding the three Nascent Soul experts.
Then—
Elder Mo hesitated before speaking carefully.
"…Supreme Elders…"
The three gazes shifted toward him instantly.
The pressure descending upon him nearly caused his breathing to stop entirely.
Still—
he forced himself to continue.
"That beast…"
"…is extremely cautious."
A faint pause followed.
"It avoids unnecessary risks."
"And during battle…"
"…it displayed tactical awareness far beyond that of any ordinary spirit beast."
The black-robed Supreme Elder's expression darkened faintly.
"You are implying it may already anticipate our arrival."
Elder Mo lowered his head slightly.
"…Yes."
Silence followed once more.
Then—
unexpectedly—
the female Supreme Elder smiled faintly.
Not warmly.
Rather…
with interest.
"A clever beast."
The elderly Supreme Elder calmly folded his hands behind his back.
"Intelligence itself is not troublesome."
"What matters…"
"…is growth."
His ancient eyes narrowed slightly afterward.
"A beast capable of slaughtering seven early-stage Core Formation cultivators…"
"…if allowed further advancement…"
He did not finish the sentence.
He did not need to.
Everyone present understood the implication clearly.
Nascent Soul.
Perhaps even beyond.
The black-robed Supreme Elder's voice turned colder.
"Then we simply eliminate it before that happens."
Simple.
Direct.
Absolute.
The female Supreme Elder glanced toward Elder Mo again.
"You mentioned the creature possessed poison capable of invading spiritual energy directly."
"Yes, Supreme Elder."
"And concealment abilities capable of evading divine sense."
"Yes."
"And a manifestation."
Elder Mo's voice tightened slightly at those words.
"…Yes."
The woman fell silent briefly afterward.
Then she quietly spoke.
"…Interesting."
The black-robed elder frowned slightly.
"You seem overly interested in this beast."
The woman merely replied calmly,
"Because its existence itself is unusual."
"Ancient bloodlines do not normally appear randomly within remote regions such as this."
"And beasts possessing intelligence, manifestations, concealment techniques, and multiple elemental affinities simultaneously…"
Her eyes narrowed faintly.
"…are extraordinarily rare."
The elderly Supreme Elder slowly nodded.
"There may be something hidden behind this matter."
A brief silence followed.
Then—
the black-robed Supreme Elder's sharp gaze locked onto Elder Mo instantly.
The pressure around the summit deepened faintly.
Cold.
Heavy.
"And earlier…"
"…you mentioned the possibility that this creature may be connected to a demonic sect."
The moment those words were spoken—
the atmosphere shifted once more.
Even the drifting clouds surrounding the mountain summit seemed to slow.
Because compared to a powerful spirit beast—
the involvement of a demonic sect carried entirely different implications.
Elder Mo immediately lowered his head deeper.
"This disciple only considered it a possibility, Supreme Elder."
The elderly Supreme Elder narrowed his eyes faintly.
"Explain."
Elder Mo inhaled slowly before speaking carefully.
"When Elder Han first disappeared…"
"…Elder Qiu personally investigated the surrounding region."
"He discovered traces of concealment methods and battle patterns that did not entirely resemble ordinary beast behavior."
A brief pause followed.
"And after further observation…"
"…the creature's intelligence appeared far too developed."
The female Supreme Elder listened silently.
Elder Mo continued.
"It understood formations."
"It deliberately targeted weaker cultivators first."
"It separated groups intentionally."
"And during battle…"
His expression darkened slightly.
"…it continuously adapted."
The black-robed elder slowly folded his arms.
"That alone does not imply demonic sect involvement."
"Yes, Supreme Elder."
Elder Mo nodded immediately.
"But there was another reason."
Silence settled briefly across the summit.
Even the wind itself seemed to hesitate.
Elder Mo swallowed once before continuing carefully.
"…There was another reason, Supreme Elders."
The black-robed Supreme Elder's gaze sharpened instantly.
"Speak."
Elder Mo lowered his head further.
"When Elder Qiu investigated the matter…"
"…he traced several earlier incidents connected to the region surrounding the Azure Root Forest."
A faint pause followed.
Then—
"…he discovered connections pointing toward the Li Clan of White Hollow City within Jinshi City territory."
At the mention of those names—
the atmosphere subtly shifted once more.
The elderly Supreme Elder slowly opened his eyes a fraction wider.
The female Supreme Elder's expression remained calm, but her attention had clearly sharpened.
Elder Mo continued.
"There were reports from several years ago."
The three Supreme Elders remained motionless.
Yet the pressure surrounding them had subtly changed again.
Elder Mo lowered his head respectfully before continuing.
"…Several years ago…"
"…another incident occurred involving a beast referred to as the White Scale Demon."
The black-robed Supreme Elder narrowed his eyes faintly.
Elder Mo continued carefully.
"The incident took place within the territories surrounding White Hollow City and Jinshi City."
"One after another…"
"…multiple Foundation Establishment cultivators from several local clans disappeared mysteriously."
A faint pause followed.
"The surviving witnesses described a white-scaled beast capable of concealment, ambush tactics, and abnormal intelligence."
"The descriptions…"
"…closely resemble the creature we encountered."
The female Supreme Elder's expression shifted slightly.
Interested.
Elder Mo continued.
"The matter eventually attracted the attention of the Azure Serpent Sect."
"One of their Core Formation elders personally intervened."
"…Lianhua."
The elderly Supreme Elder finally spoke quietly.
"…I know of her."
The woman beside him nodded faintly.
"The Azure Serpent Sect's youngest Core Formation elder."
Elder Mo lowered his head again.
"Yes, Supreme Elders."
"She became involved because one of the destroyed clans possessed distant ties to her bloodline."
A faint pause followed.
"According to the gathered reports…"
"…she eventually cornered the beast and pursued it toward the border regions."
"The demonic territory."
Silence settled heavily across the summit.
Then—
Elder Mo quietly continued.
"But before she could pursue further…"
"…a demonic cultivator appeared."
The black-robed Supreme Elder's gaze sharpened instantly.
"What realm?"
"…Core Formation."
The air surrounding the summit grew noticeably colder.
Elder Mo swallowed before continuing.
"The demonic cultivator reportedly warned her against venturing deeper into their territory."
"And during the confrontation…"
"…the beast escaped."
The female Supreme Elder slowly folded her arms.
"And afterward?"
Elder Mo shook his head.
"The matter eventually quieted down."
"The Azure Serpent Sect never publicly pursued it further."
"But Elder Qiu believed the similarities were too significant to ignore."
The elderly Supreme Elder finally stepped forward slightly.
The surrounding spiritual energy distorted violently from that single movement alone.
"…So."
"A white-scaled beast possessing intelligence beyond ordinary spirit beasts…"
"…appeared years ago near demonic territory."
"And now…"
"…a nearly identical creature capable of slaughtering seven Core Formation cultivators appears within the Azure Root Forest."
His ancient eyes narrowed faintly.
"…Interesting."
The black-robed Supreme Elder spoke coldly.
"You suspect the creature may have been raised by a demonic sect."
Elder Mo hesitated briefly.
"…I cannot confirm it, Supreme Elder."
"But the possibility exists."
The female Supreme Elder remained thoughtful.
"No ordinary beast develops this quickly."
"No ordinary beast understands human tactics so thoroughly."
"And no ordinary beast possesses concealment abilities capable of completely evading divine sense."
Her gaze drifted toward the distant wilderness beyond the clouds.
"…Either it possesses an extraordinary inheritance…"
"…or someone is pulling the strings behind it."
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
Then—
the black-robed Supreme Elder's eyes turned colder still.
"If a demonic sect truly cultivated such a creature…"
"…then this matter no longer concerns the Azure Sky Sect alone."
The elderly Supreme Elder slowly nodded.
"Which means…"
"…we cannot allow it to continue growing."
The female Supreme Elder finally turned toward Elder Mo again.
"You will recover immediately."
"The sect treasury will fully support your restoration."
Her voice remained calm.
Absolute.
"Once your recovery is complete…"
"…you will personally guide us."
Elder Mo immediately lowered himself even deeper.
"Yes, Supreme Elder."
The black-robed elder spoke next.
"And this time…"
"…we will not underestimate it."
BOOM.
A faint wave of Nascent Soul pressure spread outward unintentionally.
The clouds above the summit split apart instantly.
Far below—
countless disciples throughout the Azure Sky Sect suddenly looked upward in fear.
Their hearts trembled violently.
Because for the first time in decades—
the Supreme Elders had truly awakened.