The Shining Star Above The Heaven-Chapter 498: The Rumours Spread

In the story of Sect Master Baek, she encountered the Sloth Devil, but Aldrian discovered something interesting from the memories of Kwon Mira—another member of the Seven Deadly Sins had visited the demon territory not long ago.

That person was Gluttony.

From the memories he obtained from devils he had killed in the past, the Gluttony Devil is known as one of the most powerful members of the Seven Deadly Sins in terms of cultivation stage. This is largely due to his unique cultivation technique, which relies on a law called the Absorption Law—a law that allows those who comprehend it to absorb anything in the world and turn it into their own power.

The Absorption Laws are incredibly rare, and only a few individuals throughout the continent’s history have ever comprehended them—most of whom were successors to the title of Gluttony Devil, passed down from one generation to the next.

With these laws, Gluttony can raise his cultivation at a rate far faster than any other cultivator. The Absorption Laws allow him to consume everything in front of him. Once absorbed into his body, everything is converted into comprehension or energy to fuel his cultivation.

This is how the Gluttony Devil reached the peak Emperor stage much faster than any of his peers.

It is a broken cultivation technique—one that many consider forbidden because of the destructive potential it carries. According to the continent’s records, the first generation of Gluttony was the origin of the Absorption Laws.

No one truly knows how the devils first came to possess such power, but if a cultivator were to comprehend it, they would be hunted down immediately. The fear of the Absorption Laws’ potential alone is enough to provoke such a response.

Gluttony also comprehended the Gravity Laws—just like Aldrian— and several other laws as well. This was the result of absorbing countless things in the past. But there is one more domain in which he excels.

Formations.

The Gluttony Devil is a master of formations, possessing high levels of attainment and deep comprehension.

After viewing Kwon Mira’s memories, he finally learned who had modified the Thorny Flower Garden’s defensive formation to such a powerful extent.

Once Kwon Mira realized who Aldrian truly was, she asked the devils to strengthen the sect’s defenses—and the Gluttony Devil actually came.

If it was him, Aldrian wasn’t surprised. He had to admit—by the standards of this continent, Gluttony was a genius among geniuses when it came to formations.

With the Gluttony Devil arriving at Thorny Flower Garden and modifying the sect’s defensive formation, it seemed he also recognized Aldrian as a threat. He decided to assist Kwon Mira by turning the formation into a dual-purpose structure—one that could serve as a trap, with a reinforced defensive barrier.

While in hiding, Kwon Mira planned to leave her daughter, Kwon Hana, in the sect as bait in case Baek Jimin ever returned. If possible, she hoped to use the formation to trap and kill either Baek Jimin or Aldrian. It was another of her attempts to eliminate them, though she didn’t place full trust in the plan. So she remained in hiding, waiting for Aldrian and Baek Jimin to appear.

Aldrian decided to ask the heaven about the presence of the Sloth and Gluttony Devils in the demon territory. The heavens responded as quickly as they could.

"They’ve already left the demon territory," Aldrian thought.

Then he asked whether they were anywhere inside his domain. The heavens’ reply came, leaving him to sigh.

"They are already outside of my domain, which means they’ve either returned to the devil territory, or they might be in the Buddhist sect territory... or the Everlasting Silent Forest."

However, he was more inclined to believe that they had already returned to the devil territory, based on a few factors. The Buddhist sect’s territory wasn’t a suitable hiding place for them, with so many Buddhist cultivators roaming the land.

As for the Everlasting Silent Forest, they would never risk their lives in such an unpredictable and dangerous forbidden zone, even though that place had been experiencing changes in recent years.

Aldrian couldn’t help but sigh in disappointment. If they were still inside his domain, he would have sought them out to test his newfound power after his repeated breakthroughs. The members of the Seven Deadly Sins would be ideal targets for that.

"Well, it’s better to return for now, we still need to stabilize the Thorny Flower Garden sect after all the damage Kwon Mira has caused." He thought.

Aldrian and Kwon Mira disappeared and reappeared not far from the hut where Baek Jimin and Sect Master Baek were sharing a mother-daughter moment. Sensing they were still engrossed with their conversation, Aldrian decided not to disturb them and hid Kwon Mira’s body far away.

He then teleported to the top of a tree, gazing at the beautiful night sky, full of stars.

Only after midnight did Baek Jimin emerge from the hut. When he saw her, he allowed her to sense his presence. She was stunned when she suddenly sensed him atop the tree, smiling down at her. He then descended and approached her.

"Are you done?" Baek Jimin asked with smile.

"Done. And I think we need to return to the sect as soon as possible. We have something to discuss, and it concerns the three great sects and the demon territory as a whole," Aldrian replied.

Baek Jimin raised an eyebrow. It seemed Aldrian had found something troublesome, judging by the way he spoke.

As if hearing to Aldrian’s words, Sect Master Baek suddenly emerged from the hut. Her body was still thin, but her complexion had improved, taking on a healthier hue. Though her face still looked aged, she was gradually regaining a more youthful appearance, with wrinkles slowly fading.

"Then let’s go back," Sect Master Baek said. "I’ve already been away from the sect for too long. It’s time to address the problems that bitch might cause while I’m gone."

She managed to walk, though her steps were still unsteady, prompting Baek Jimin to rush to her side to help her.

"Be careful," Baek Jimin said as Aldrian nodded at Sect Master Baek’s words.

"Alright, you’d better cover yourself, Sect Master. I know you don’t want to be seen in that condition. I’ll teleport us all into the Thorny Flower Garden sect."

Baek Jimin then took out a large robe to cover her mother’s features, and once they were ready, all three of them suddenly disappeared.

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When morning came and the sun was already high in the eastern horizon, the demon territory had already been shaken by an uproar. Rumors had begun spreading since midnight, claiming that the devils had many hiding places across the territory, with most of them located within the territories of various families or sects.

The rumors even specified the locations of these bases throughout the demon territory, and eyewitnesses from each area confirmed that they had seen devil activity there.

This caused some curious cultivators to investigate these locations. True to the rumors, they discovered shady activities and even found devils hiding within these places. As a result, battles broke out across the territory, even before the sun had fully risen.

Because the rumors were so strong and caused disturbances everywhere, all cultivator families and sects, regardless of their size, dispatched their cultivators to investigate and contain the situation. Even sects and families secretly working with the devils had to send their cultivators to maintain their image, often battling the devils they had been working with.

These families and sects had no choice but to act, otherwise, people would begin to doubt their integrity and involvement in the devils’ activities. This was especially true since many of the devils’ bases were located within their territories, raising suspicions if they didn’t join other cultivators in fighting the devils.

Battles raged across many parts of the demon territory, and the great sects were not exempt from the uproar. Some of the devils’ bases were located within their territories, prompting the great sects to treat the situation with utmost seriousness. They even sent their grand elders to battle the devils.

Joon Suk, who had been responsible for spreading the rumors, could only wait anxiously for the outcome of this event. He was uncertain about his future, but one thing was clear—after today, the devils would undoubtedly label him as a target to be eliminated, as they would soon discover that the rumors had originated from him.

Despite his anxiety, Joon Suk couldn’t help but be amazed by the effect the rumors had on the families and sects with connections to the devils. They were forced to fight the devils within their own territories, which surely left the devils there confused.

Joon Suk realized that the parties connected to the devils had no choice but to act in order to avoid suspicion from the public. If they didn’t fight, it would be safe to assume that they were in league with the devils, especially since the devils were hiding within their territories.

If that happened, those families and sects would be labeled as traitors and would have to be purged. It would also give their rivals a perfect opportunity to destroy them, forcing those working with the devils to burn their bridges with them.

Joon Suk sighed at this realization. Did Aldrian foresee all of these effects when he ordered him to spread the rumors? This was the type of person he feared the most.

Aldrian was already extremely powerful, but he also used his mind to devise plans that resulted in the most effective solutions, all without him having to make a move.

While the demon territory was in chaos, the man in question was in the Thorny Flower Garden, seated in one of the rooms, enjoying tea with Sect Master Baek and Baek Jimin.