One week later, the Main Hall of the Starfall Sect was filled with a solemn atmosphere.
Ancient pillars engraved with star patterns stood tall on both sides.
At the highest seat, the Sect Master sat calmly, his middle-aged face composed, carrying the quiet authority of someone who had ruled the sect for decades.
His gaze swept across the ten elders gathered below.
"You all should know why we are assembled today," he said slowly, his voice steady and heavy within the hall.
"Of course," Lan Yaoye replied without hesitation, raising her hand slightly with an eager expression. "It's time we receive our salary."
Silence.
Ten pairs of tired eyes immediately turned toward her.
The elders looked at her as if their souls had left their bodies.
If she didn't know what was going on, why couldn't she just remain silent for once? At least then, outsiders wouldn't assume the Starfall Sect's elders lacked dignity.
The Sect Master closed his eyes and pressed his fingers against his forehead, as if suppressing a headache.
"Junior Sister," he said with a long sigh, "how many times must I remind you not to speak nonsense during official assemblies?"
Lan Yaoye blinked innocently. "But I really didn't receive my salary this month."
A faint vein popped on the Sect Master's temple.
"Keep talking," he replied flatly, "and I will deduct this year's and next year's salary as well."
Lan Yaoye immediately shut her mouth and sat upright, looking as obedient as possible.
Only then did the Sect Master exhale and return to the matter at hand.
"You should all understand the true reason for this gathering," he continued, his tone turning serious. "The Demons Extermination Alliance."
"As always, every major sect will send their finest disciples, accompanied by an elder, to participate in the alliance's campaign."
"Our Starfall Sect will do the same."
The Demon Extermination Alliance was a long-standing pact formed by the righteous sects of the Eastern Region, created to deal with a recurring threat at the border of the Southern Dead Lands.
Every five years, a strange tide of demonic creatures would emerge from the ruined Southern Region, a place where spiritual veins had long collapsed and the natural Qi of heaven and earth had grown turbid and hostile.
These creatures would surge toward the Eastern Region, attacking frontier settlements, cultivation outposts, and any living presence near the border.
Their exact origin remained uncertain. Some elders believed they were remnants of ancient calamities, while others claimed they were born from the corrupted Qi of the wasteland itself. Regardless of the cause, one fact had never changed.
They appeared without fail every five years.
To prevent the spread of these outbreaks, the sects of the Eastern Region established a joint alliance.
Each sect would send their most outstanding disciples to the frontline zones near the Dead Lands to hunt and suppress the demonic creatures before they could push deeper inland.
On the surface, it was a righteous mission to protect the region.
In reality, it also served as a tempering ground for the younger generation.
The demons that emerged were usually within the Soul Embers Realm or Pulse Convergence Realm, making them dangerous enough to test disciples, yet not so overwhelming that they would turn the expedition into certain death.
This balance allowed sects to use the campaign as real combat training, sharpening battle instincts and strengthening Dao hearts through actual life-and-death encounters.
Elders were always assigned to accompany the teams, but their role was mainly supervisory. They would only intervene if situations spiraled beyond control, ensuring that talented disciples would not fall to unforeseen dangers or abnormal demonic mutations.
"So, excluding my disciple, there are nine other positions," the Sect Master said, his voice steady as it echoed through the main hall. "How many of you will send your disciples? This concerns the sect's image."
This was not an ordinary expedition.
All major sects of the Eastern Region would send their finest young disciples to the Demon Extermination Alliance. If Starfall Sect sent mediocre representatives, it would be nothing short of losing face before the entire cultivation world of the region.
The elders immediately began recommending their own disciples, each subtly implying that their lineage's disciple was the most suitable.
"I'm sending mine," Lan Yaoye said without hesitation.
Her declaration was met with collective indifference.
Several elders didn't even bother responding. They all knew she had recently taken in a genius during the Inner Court tournament, but in their eyes, that boy was still too young, and his cultivation had yet to reach a level worthy of such an event.
"Yaoye, do not toy with your disciple's future," the Chief Elder said seriously. "The alliance may be controlled, but it is still a battlefield. A genius who dies before maturing is a waste to the sect."
"I know," Lan Yaoye replied, lifting her chin slightly. "But my disciple is quite capable. He is already close to breaking through to the Pulse Convergence Realm."
That single sentence caused several elders to pause.
"Wait?" the First Elder frowned in shock. "Wasn't he in the 1st stage of Essence Forging realm just two months ago?"
Lan Yaoye's expression instantly turned smug, as if she had been waiting for that reaction all along.
The other elders were visibly startled as well.
Two months.
From Essence Forging to nearing Pulse Convergence.
Even the most precious pills could not normally produce such a terrifying rate of progress, let alone crossing multiple minor realms and approaching a major bottleneck in such a short span.
What kind of cultivation method was that disciple practicing?
The Second and Third Elder exchanged glances, their expressions turning complicated. There was clear envy in their eyes, along with a trace of frustration that such a monstrous talent had ended up under their most unpredictable junior sister.
"Is that true, junior sister?" the Sect Master asked, his gaze sharpening slightly. If it was real, then the sect had unknowingly gained a future pillar.
"Of course it's true," Lan Yaoye said proudly. "While still in the Essence Forging stage, he was already clashing with Pulse Convergence opponents."
The Sect Master's expression finally relaxed into a smile.
"Good. Very good," he said with a nod. "In that case, I approve."
Lan Yaoye's eyes lit up immediately.
"Then… about my salary this month?"
The Sect Leader's smile twitched slightly before he let out a long sigh and pressed his fingers against his forehead.
Looking at Lan Yaoye's expectant face, he felt a faint headache rising.
Sometimes he truly wondered when his junior sister would ever grow mature. Despite possessing both talent and beauty that could shake the hearts of countless cultivators, her temperament remained as carefree and straightforward as ever.
No wonder, he thought inwardly, that she is still single even after all these years.
***
After the meeting ended, the other elders gradually left the main hall.
Lan Yaoye, however, remained seated, showing no intention of leaving. The Chief Elder Hu Feng, along with the First, Second, and Third Elder, also stayed behind.
The Sect Master raised his hand slightly.
"Let's begin."
With a soft hum, the hall doors shut on their own. A sound-isolation formation activated instantly, sealing the space so that not even a trace of spiritual fluctuation could leak outside.
"What are your thoughts on junior sister's report about demonic cultivators and spies targeting our sect's treasure?"
Hu Feng did not hesitate.
"I believe it is true."
"Although I have not found the direct perpetrators," Hu Feng continued slowly, "I investigated the backgrounds of several inner court disciples. At the time they entered the inner court, their talent was mediocre at best. Yet within a short period, many of them rose to the top ranks."
The First Elder frowned.
"Senior brother, are you implying they are cultivating demonic arts? Only demonic techniques can cause such abnormal growth without sufficient talent."
Hu Feng nodded.
"Yes. Someone within the inner court has been secretly selecting low-profile disciples and providing them with demonic cultivation methods, then grooming them as their own people."
"On the surface, they appear like ordinary disciples who improved through effort, which is why no suspicion was raised."
He paused for a moment, his expression turning colder.
"If junior sister had not mentioned it, we might have continued overlooking it."
The Sect Master's fingers tapped lightly on the armrest.
"So the inner court has been infiltrated… for years."
And no one noticed.
After all, what sect would doubt the rise of talented disciples? Strength and potential were always welcomed, never questioned. The more capable they appeared, the more trust they were given.
The Sect Master then looked at Hu Feng.
"Have you identified the traitor among the elders? Is it one person, or a group?"
Only someone with an elder's authority could have orchestrated something like this.
Hu Feng shook his head.
"No clear trace. Whoever is behind this has concealed themselves extremely well. If we openly investigate the elders, it will only alert them. Once they hide deeper, finding them will become even harder."
Silence fell in the hall.
They all understood the implication.
The enemy was already inside the sect, hidden in plain sight, patiently waiting for the right moment to move.
And until that moment came, any reckless action would only force the rat back into its burrow, making it impossible to catch.
*****
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