The Shining Star Above The Heaven-Chapter 501: Arriving at Black Dragon Pavilion

"How—"

Realizing what he was about to say, Grand Elder Shin shut his mouth. Without hesitation, he dashed in the opposite direction at full speed. Elder Choi Yongshuk did the same, as if the two had already reached a silent agreement to escape. But before they could get far, they collapsed to the ground. Sect Master Ryu’s aura exploded outward, pressing down on them with crushing force.

Everyone in the training ground could feel his power, seething with rage, and it sent chills down the spines of every elder present. Though his aura targeted only Grand Elder Shin and Elder Choi, all of them felt its weight—laced with killing intent. For a moment, it felt as if they stood before the grim reaper himself, as if death could come in the very next breath.

Elder Jung Gonwoo was already on his knees from the pressure, simply because he was near the sect master—even though the aura was not directed at him. As for Aldrian, who stood even closer, he only looked at the sect master calmly before turning his gaze to the traitors.

It had been three years since he last saw Sect Master Ryu. In that time, the sect master had broken through to the peak Emperor stage, making him the strongest cultivator in the Demon Territory.

Back when Aldrian first met him, Sect Master Ryu had already been on the verge of a breakthrough. So it was no surprise that he had reached the peak level on this continent after three years. On top of that, his domain changed the environment’s heaven and earth energy, making cultivation easier. It was no wonder he had advanced.

The sect master’s aura faded as he withdrew it, and he shouted,

"Bring them to the lowest level of the Demonic Hell’s Abyss!"

At those words, many elders shuddered. The Demonic Hell’s Abyss was where the Piercing Heaven Sect imprisoned its most severe criminals. It was a place of death, where the environment was so harsh it could drive even Emperor-stage cultivators to madness. The prison had seven underground levels, and the lowest floor was the most brutal—a place so dreadful that even a second spent there was unbearable. freewebnoveℓ.com

Right after the sect master’s command, shadows appeared behind the two traitors and immediately engulfed Grand Elder Shin and Elder Choi. The two tried to resist, but it was as if their cultivation had been sealed, their bodies completely restrained by the shadows.

"No! Sect Master! Have mercy! Mercy!"

"We were wrong! Please, mercy!"

Their bodies began to sink, slowly swallowed by the shadowy figures, until they vanished entirely. The scene was chilling, but those who watched could only lament the traitors’ fate for turning against the sect.

Aldrian watched the scene with interest. The shadowy figures just now was the sect’s secret guardian and the keeper of the Demonic Hell’s Abyss. It was a spiritual beast with a shadow element, possessing high Emperor-stage cultivation, and had obeyed the sect master of the Piercing Heaven Sect for many years.

With such a beast already present, it was clear that Sect Master Ryu had prepared everything in advance to capture the traitors today.

Even after the traitors vanished, the atmosphere remained tense. The elders still feared that more traitors might be among them. But Sect Master Ryu’s next words brought them relief.

"All of you, dismiss. Engrave it into your memories—the fate of traitors will be worse than death."

"Yes, Sect Master!" the elders shouted in unison before dispersing. Yet many of them stole glances at Aldrian as they left.

Once they were gone, the sect master turned and smiled at Aldrian.

"Let’s go somewhere better. It’s not ideal to keep standing here," he said, before leading Aldrian to a private pavilion behind the main building. Only a few selected individuals were permitted to enter this space.

Situated at the center of a vast pond, the pavilion offered a beautiful view and a serene atmosphere.

Upon arrival, Sect Master Ryu personally served Aldrian a herbal drink made from a blend of rare and expensive spiritual herbs known to enhance cultivation. It was an extravagant gesture, reserved only for the most honored guests.

They exchanged a few pleasantries before Aldrian turned the conversation to the main issue.

"Sect Master, I believe you already know that what happened in the Demon Territory could not have taken place without the involvement of the major families or sects within each territory."

Sect Master Ryu nodded. He had reached the same conclusion. The scale of the incident was likely far greater than he initially thought—and powerful sects or families had to be behind it.

Aldrian then took out an information crystal and placed it on the small table in front of him, push it toward Sect Master Ryu.

"Inside this information crystal is the grand plan of the devils in the Demon Territory, along with a complete list of the families and sects—or more specifically, the individuals—who are involved in their scheme," Aldrian explained.

"It also contains details of their actions. With this, I hope the Piercing Heaven Sect can help cleanse the Demon Territory after the devils are purged. Even though the devils will be gone, the traitors must still face the consequences."

Sect Master Ryu picked up the information crystal and examined its contents for several minutes. Suddenly, his aura flared once more, causing the calm water around them to ripple with vibrations. He struggled to suppress the rage boiling within him as he looked at Aldrian.

"To think that so many parties were involved and betrayed us—this is outrageous! How dare they target the three great sects! It seems they’ve all forgotten the strength of the great sects!" Sect Master Ryu exclaimed, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"It seems we need to hold a meeting with the three great sects again. We’ll take action right after the devils are eradicated from the Demon Territory."

However, the sect master’s gaze turned curious.

"By the way, how did you got all of this? This information is so detailed, it couldn’t have been obtained without you interrogating someone deeply involved in this plan."

"Well, I got it after making Joon Suk my slave. He’s quite useful, so it would have been a shame to just kill him," Aldrian replied casually.

Sect Master Ryu was stunned but nodded in understanding. No wonder Aldrian had such detailed information. If the Beggar Sect was already under his control, it would indeed make things easier. These traitors had just lost a significant portion of their information network across the Demon Territory.

Sect Master Ryu took a sip of his herbal drink before asking,

"Young Master, you mentioned earlier that you visited the Thorny Flower Garden Sect. How is their condition? The last I heard, something happened to Sect Master Baek, and they closed their doors entirely, even denying visits from the other great sects."

"Because of the agreement between the three great sects, we can’t simply barge into the sect and involve ourselves in their internal affairs unless it concerns the successor of the Three Heavenly Demon Scripture."

Aldrian took a sip of his herbal drink and placed the cup back on the table.

"Well, there were traitors involved with the devils who usurped the sect master’s seat. Sect Master Baek was injured, and there was a lot of bloodshed, which forced the Thorny Flower Garden to focus on recuperation. It may take a long time for them to regain their strength."

Sect Master Ryu raised his eyebrows.

"That severe?" he asked, to which Aldrian responded with a nod.

Sect Master Ryu sighed, he felt impatience. He couldn’t wait to deal with all these traitors.

"Anyway, I can’t stay for too long. I need to visit Black Dragon Pavilion and inform them about this as well, so you and the others can discuss it during the three great sects meeting," Aldrian said.

"Is that so? What a pity," Sect Master Ryu replied. "I wanted you to stay longer. There are so many things I’d like to hear from you about your adventures. Young Master, you’ve truly caused big ruckuses across the continent."

Aldrian smiled at his words.

"Then next time, when the timing is right, I’ll tell you my stories. But I should warn you—they might be quite long."

"That would be wonderful. I’m sure your stories must be interesting, Young Master."

Aldrian continued to smile as he took one last sip of the herbal drink before setting the cup down. "Alright, see you then." With that, he disappeared, leaving Sect Master Ryu to sigh. The situation was far more complicated and dire than he had imagined. Luckily, he had someone like Aldrian on their side.

"Well, as expected from the one chosen by the fate of the Heavenly Demon, he truly is special, unlike anyone else in the history of the continent."

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Aldrian appeared on a vast land with rocky terrain. There was little to no vegetation in sight, only the rugged ground stretching toward the mountainous range on the horizon. The environment truly could be described in one word—rocky.

Not far ahead stood a sturdy wall stretching for about 20 kilometers, with a massive gate in one section. The gate was 500 meters wide and 200 meters tall. Above it hung a large board, with golden letters gleaming on its surface as if to showcase the glory of the place. The inscription read, Black Dragon Pavilion.

Aldrian nodded in appreciation. As expected of one of the great sects.

He began walking toward the gate, where four guards stood watch. After a few moments, they finally noticed his approach.