Traitor

The initial surprise on the clan members' faces quickly gave way to palpable doubt. The patriarch observed the nods and exchanged glances carefully, a strange premonition forming in his mind, even without finding an apparent connection between the sect elders and Denil.

Alm and Bruno advanced lightly toward the elders, while Innoa, with an increasingly perplexed expression, clearly realized that something unusual was unfolding.

"What's happening here?" asked a more attentive counselor, breaking the silence that hung in the air.

Denil turned his gaze calmly, flashing a mocking smile. Then, with composure, he declared, "I'm escorting these venerable elders back to the sect."

All eyes turned to the four elders, but they remained silent, showing no sign of refusal. Unbelievable shock was plastered on the faces of those present while a faint smile danced on the lips of some.

Suddenly, breaking the tension among the counselors, astral winds swept through the air, making it so dense that the skin of those present stung. Clan members immediately sought the source of the disturbance, finding the culprit nearby; it was the patriarch who maintained a piercing gaze directed at Denil.

The tense and firm voice of the patriarch echoed, startling everyone: "How did you achieve this merit? What could you have offered in return?"

Denil turned his giant body toward the patriarch with an expression bordering on ridicule and amusement, his eyes clearly showing a lack of respect, as if the patriarch were just a ridiculous ant in his eyes. Everyone then woke up from the stupor, realizing that something very serious had occurred. It didn't take long for everyone to create an assumption that made their hearts tremble with fear.

"Hm? And what would this pathetic clan have to offer to those venerable elders?" replied Denil, almost laughing, contrasting with the piercing gaze of the patriarch.

That response caused everyone to clench their fists tightly; it seemed to confirm the worst-case scenario. Fear escalated, and the atmosphere became even more charged with uncertainty about what was to come.

Denil huffed heavily as if tired of the banter. It was Bruno who intervened: "Let's just get this over with. Yes, it was that secret of ours underground."

A wave of Qi emanated from the patriarch, exploding frantically and making all the counselors near him fall on their backsides. The wave of fury surged toward Denil, but it was abruptly halted by the hand of a single sect elder.

The patriarch observed closely that move, which easily blocked his wave of furious Qi. It was clear that the sect elders wouldn't allow him to do as he pleased, confirming the suspicions entirely. The clan's biggest secret was exposed! How Denil found out about it didn't matter now.

"Sir, he's a member of our sect. I don't know what he told you, but internal sect matters should be resolved by us ourselves," spoke the patriarch, trying to maintain respect.

A thunderous laugh erupted, resonating in everyone's ears with disdain. Alm couldn't control himself and laughed loudly, making his round belly shake and the scene even more ridiculous. The chaos at that moment was a mix of tension, surprise, and the bizarre tone of Alm's laughter.

Several seconds of silence followed, with exchanged glances among the clan counselors. The air was heavy, and the tension could be cut with a knife. It was then that Denil, amid a mocking laugh, spoke. "A complete idiot. Do you think I would be so carefree here if you could catch me?"

Alm looked directly into the patriarch's eyes, demonstrating complete indifference to the intense fury emanating from him. "Despite everything, this is where I was born; I'm leaving through the front door. Be grateful I didn't turn this pathetic place into a bloodbath."

He then continued to turn his back, not caring about anything around. "But don't get too worked up. Only these elders are involved, and things haven't spread too much. I won't return to this small pond, so goodbye."

The patriarch, unable to bear the situation any longer, let out a furious scream. "YOU! HOW CAN YOU BETRAY YOUR CLAN AND YOUR FAMILY!"

Denil didn't turn around and just walked past the elders, giving a slight glance and bowing. They accepted and turned to leave calmly.

Until the patriarch's voice reverberated full of resentment. "You are no longer part of the Divinestone clan! I am officially expelling you for treason; you will never have a place to return."

His words then turned into a bloodthirsty and murderous murmur. "Do you think a young bastard will become someone within the sect? Don't be ridiculous. No other clan will accept a traitor. It won't be long before you have to leave, so I will personally hunt you down; I want to see how you will protect yourself."

"Hahahahahah... alright, from today, the name Denil dies forever. I am called only Alm from now on," he responded without bothering to turn around.

Alm's idea from the beginning was to destroy the entire clan and move on, but obviously, Bruno wouldn't accept that. After the time they spent with Ruri, both felt her pain and suffering caused by the clan, and Alm was sure Bruno wouldn't mind orchestrating a massacre here.

The problem was that Ruri's karma should be cleansed by herself, or a stain on her inner dao would be created. A cultivator must keep their mind free from guilt or mundane things to cultivate. In the early realms of cultivation, called mortal realms, this doesn't have a significant influence. But in the higher realms, an incomplete inner dao becomes an insurmountable barrier to ascending higher.

Both Alm and Bruno would like Ruri to grow well, and perhaps, one day, they would meet again in the divine world. Although this was an almost impossible hope, after all, someone having enough talent, luck, and destiny to go to the divine world from an ascending planet was a cultivator that usually appeared once every several thousand years.

So, Alm now just wanted to leave and forget about this place. Ruri had a slave seal from the patriarch; he would never suspect that she had any involvement with him because just thinking about it would trigger the seal, alerting him. With this, she would have at least seven years to quietly cultivate. After all, the patriarch clearly had plans to marry her. The groundwork was laid for her, and both Alm and Bruno were confident that she would rise in the shadows and take revenge with her own hands.

Unaware of all the commotion within the clan, the four elders, Innoa and now the giant man named Alm, walked through the sect gates without any hindrance.

The patriarch stood there with all the stunned counselors. According to Denil's words, everything stayed between him and the four elders. So, the patriarch believed that Denil only somehow sold the information. After all, the pool had been used before. It never even crossed his mind that something from the formation created by a divine sect could have been taken.

The patriarch then quickly thought about how Denil found out about that secret. Nothing seemed to make sense, even though he knew something was hidden behind that door. No one, not even the sect patriarch, who was the most powerful being on the planet, could force their way in. It was as Alm and Bruno predicted; Ruri didn't even cross his mind as a possible problem.

Minutes passed as the group moved away from the dense forest toward the center of the vast continent dominating the planet. Alm cast a brief glance back, remembering for the last time the diminutive figure dressed like a maid. Then, he deliberately pushed away all unnecessary thoughts. If fate willed it, their paths would cross again in the future.

The elders noticed Alm's subtle shift without giving it much importance. They anticipated the unfolding of this scene, understanding that the young cultivator harbored deep resentment toward his clan, leading him to take the initiative to betray it. However, even in the face of expulsion, he was still just a young cultivator; it would be strange if he felt nothing in the face of such a setback.

Innoa remained silent, watching attentively. Everything he saw and heard so far was peculiar. The fact that this round whale was receiving favors from the elders was inconceivable. What could this seemingly mediocre clan hide underground that justified such attention? Innoa plunged into thoughts, striving to identify any clues.

Quickly, the clan could no longer be seen on the horizon. Then, a shiver ran through the sunny atmosphere. Suddenly, in the middle of that sunny morning, time and space seemed to petrify.

The air became dense and icy, and the fluctuations of the forest turned into waves of apprehension. The world around them darkened, and the light was replaced by sinister darkness.

Alm and Bruno suddenly felt a terrifying presence; it was an indescribable discomfort, the feeling of death hanging over their heads!

Everyone was paralyzed in place, with their hearts racing. It was then that, using every fiber of their divine essence, Alm and Bruno felt an opening in the skies. A supernatural opening seemed to open slowly, and from within emerged a human figure enveloped in an aura that seemed sacred and invincible.

'He's looking in the direction of the clan... it's a cultivator from the divine world!' exclaimed Bruno, his voice filled with tension.