In just the span of a few moments, Jason Chu exited the Grand Emperor Pavilion, his silhouette fading into the distance. Inside, the once-mighty presence of Justin Shangs father—an elder at the pinnacle of the Longevity stage—had silently vanished from existence.
"What a shame," Jason muttered. "All these years, I've dedicated myself to swordsmanship without learning the subtler arts of interrogation. If I had, I might have extracted more information. As for this so-called Codex of the Gods, who knows what that's all about."
He was already back at the Swordmaking House, absentmindedly examining a crimson crystal—a blood jade he had seized. Like Justin, his father too bore demon blood and had long since ceased to be truly human. As he lay dying, the elder had revealed he was tainted by demonic blood during an expedition in his youth, which drove him to madness and distorted his original nature. Their obsession with capturing those with the Heaven's Deficiency mark was fueled by Justin's acquisition of the mysterious Codex of the Gods.
Jason sensed a chaotic, blood-red energy emanating from the artifact. However, its twisted energy only nauseated him, so he tucked it away, unwilling to dwell on it.
"Justin was… different," Jason mused. "He was born a demon seed, carrying Supreme Demon Blood. Death suited him well."
Aside from the benefits gained from practicing the Demon-Slaying Sutra, his decision to kill both Justin and his father was strategic. Jason understood the necessity of eliminating future threats, especially since Justin had already shown an interest in him. If he hadn't acted, who knew what trouble might have ensued?
The only regret was that Justin's father hadn't divulged much about the Heaven's Deficiency mark or its significance. Given Jason's relative lack of experience with manipulation or coercion, he hadn't been able to probe further. However, he was unconcerned, his mind already refocused on cultivation.
"Whether the stories about the Heaven's Deficiency are true or not, my next goal is to reach the Golden Core stage and undergo rebirth," he decided. Having slain Justin and his father, his cultivation had surged to a peak, and the Demon-Slaying Sutra had brought him to the edge of a breakthrough. The Great Luo Sword Canon constantly pushed his progress.
Whatever chaos might follow within Shushan was of little concern to him, a blind recluse focused solely on his cultivation.
…
The next day, Shushan Sword Sect gathered to hold the Sect Leader Inauguration Ceremony. Yet, the new Sect Leader, Justin Shang, was nowhere to be found. Delegates from various powerful factions who had come to witness the ceremony murmured with confusion, uncertain of Shushan's intentions.
From dawn until dusk, the assembled guests waited. By the time they departed, Justin's absence remained unexplained. Inside Shushan, the sect's elders and disciples grew increasingly anxious and bewildered.
"What's going on?"
"Where is Justin? Elder Simon, do you know anything?" asked a senior practitioner who had emerged from seclusion that day, questioning Simon Shang, the Third Elder.
Simon, a member of the same lineage as Justin, had combed every corner of Shushan without finding any trace of him.
"I have no idea," Simon responded grimly, his face darkened with concern. "Justin has always been reliable; he would never abandon his duties at a time like this. Something serious must have happened."
The others exchanged worried glances, sensing an ominous foreboding.
"Disaster!" A voice called out, shattering the tense silence. The Second Elder rushed in, his face pale. "I went to the Grand Emperor Pavilion seeking the Heavenly Elder, but he has perished!"
The Heavenly Elder—the very man who had been known as Justin's father and one of Shushan's revered warriors of the past—had silently fallen.
"How can this be?"
"Could Justin's disappearance be connected to the Heavenly Elder's death?" Simon wailed, staggering under the weight of grief. His words left the others stunned and silent.
Even Shushan's reclusive patriarchs had failed to notice anything amiss.
"Our previous Sect Leader perished, and now the new one has vanished without a trace!" the Second Elder lamented, sorrow evident in his voice. He was convinced that Shushan's fortunes had suffered, spiraling into a seemingly irreversible decline.
"What should we do?"
"Has anyone consulted with the ancestral patriarchs?" another elder suggested.
The Great Elder, who had been silently observing, shook his head at this proposal. "The ancestors must remain to guard the Abyssal Gate and watch over the Demon-Suppressing Tower. Shushan has faced troubling times of late."
His words silenced the room; no one dared refute him. Each great sect had its responsibilities, and Shushan's patriarchs had theirs as well. They were not to leave their posts unless Shushan was truly on the brink of destruction.
"But what about Justin?" Simon demanded, his voice breaking. "Are we just going to leave the Heavenly Elder's death unexplained?"
All eyes turned to the Great Elder, recognizing that he alone could guide them.
"Sigh…" The Great Elder released a long, sorrowful breath, as if steeling himself. "As the forty-first Great Elder of Shushan Sword Sect, I must investigate the truth of Justin's disappearance and the Heavenly Elder's death."
The room fell silent, shocked as they realized the gravity of his next words.
"I will summon the Supreme Divine Artifact, the Heaven-Peering Mirror, to seek divine guidance!"
A murmur of astonishment swept through the gathering. The Heaven-Peering Mirror demanded a sacrifice of life energy to wield—a cost the Great Elder, who had lingered at the Longevity stage for years, might not be able to bear.
"Please reconsider, Great Elder!"
"If anything happens to you, Shushan is finished!"
"Think carefully!"
Despite the chorus of pleas, the Great Elder shook his head resolutely. He knew that only by taking this drastic step could he restore calm to the sect and settle the rising unrest.
Once the Heaven-Peering Mirror was activated, the truth behind Justin's disappearance and the Heavenly Elder's death would undoubtedly be revealed.
An aura of immense power radiated from the Great Elder.
"Shushan Sword Sect's forty-first Great Elder humbly requests permission from the patriarchs to invoke the Heaven-Peering Mirror and unveil the mysteries of Justin's disappearance and the Heavenly Elder's death!"
The Great Elder's words reverberated through Shushan like a clap of thunder, shaking the heavens and shattering clouds.
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