The Cunning Treasure Hunter

The atmosphere in the room turned cold.

Of course, there was no lack of evidence to support the claim that Heavenly Demon was dead. The severed head brought by Sword Master. The complete collapse of Demonic Cult… And yet, something felt off.

Demonic Energy had the power to distort the essence of living beings. It was through this power that Demonic Cult created Demonic Beasts, and how the Young Cult Master attained immortality.

Then, would Heavenly Demon not have done the same?

Of course, every martial art had its strengths and weaknesses, and learning conflicting techniques simultaneously was no easy task. But above all, Heavenly Demon possessed Heavenly Demon Divine Art. If that immortality was merely another ability acquired through a certain forbidden demonic technique, then it wouldn't be strange at all.

"…There is no benefit in discussing this any further right now."

Having sorted out his thoughts, Marcus decisively cut off the conversation. There was no way to deduce or conclude what had transpired between Sword Sovereign and Heavenly Demon. Without clear evidence, bringing it up now would only serve to glorify the Martial Unity's achievement.

What mattered most at this moment was— How would they capture the escaped Young Cult Master along with his host?

"So, how do we find the host?"

Jace pinpointed the core issue. The problem was… They still had no answer.

With a troubled expression, Vera responded,

"…We have yet to confirm that."

"Tch…"

"We have no choice but to inspect everyone within sight. Don't you think so, Jace?"

"That would require far too much time and effort."

Marcus shook his head, sighing as he looked around at everyone.

"There is no other way. Vera mentioned that if the arm was severed and reattached, there should be visible scars. Since it was the left arm, everyone—roll up your left sleeves."

One by one, they all revealed their left arms. Yet, not a single one bore any marks. Not even the slightest hint of a severed limb that had been reattached.

"As we confirmed, the severed arm belonged to an adult male, and a rather robust one at that."

"In that case, we should narrow our focus to well-built adult males."

Marcus nodded thoughtfully. However, this hardly reduced the search radius.

Most of the people in Suncrest were men, and most of them were physically strong. Still, eliminating children and the elderly would at least reduce the number by about thirty percent.

If only they had some visible deformity in their arm, it would have made the search easier… But surely, the Young Cult Master wouldn't have chosen a host in such an obvious manner.

"There's no way to distinguish them by appearance alone."

"What about sensing Demonic Energy?"

"If that were possible, we would have detected it long ago. Neither I nor my master noticed anything. That means it's safe to assume that the Demonic Energy is being concealed."

"Hm…"

Marcus furrowed his brows.
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At this rate, there was nothing they could do until disaster struck. That was not a pleasant realization.

No matter how formidable the Young Cult Master might be—

"What do you suggest we do, then?"

"For now…"

Vera cast his gaze toward the distance. In the direction where Aiden had gone to meet Kael.

"…We have no choice but to wait for my master to come up with a solution."

The southern peak of Suncrest was the tallest and had no dwellings built upon it. But the northern peak was different. It was not the highest, but it was the most rugged.

As such, it housed numerous secluded training caves. Caves that the ancestors of Suncrest had dug out long ago.

To this day, the exact number of caves on the northern peak remained unknown. Every few years, someone would stumble upon a cave that had never been discovered before.

The one where Kael had secluded himself was one such place.

Originally, he had been assigned a different closed-door training cave. A special meditation chamber handed down to him by Great Master Thorne himself.

Once one attained the rank of an elder, they were given a private training chamber, ensuring absolute solitude in their training.

However, Kael had discovered a new cave— Nestled beneath a sheer cliffside, hidden in the shadows of the jagged rock face.

Everyone who had passed by had assumed it was just a natural crack in the rock. But Kael, driven by curiosity, had stepped inside.

And there, he found glowing night pearls embedded in the walls, along with a letter left behind by an ancestor.

From that day forth, that cave had become his own.

"…That takes me back."

Though it had only been a few years, it felt like a lifetime ago.

Back then, he had been young and inexperienced. How he had once envied those who had a master's guidance.

Now, he knew that none of it truly mattered.

Aiden carefully descended the rocky cliff, stepping on jutting stones and sturdy shrubs.

Thanks to his lightness technique, even those precarious footholds were more than enough to support his weight.

Finally, he arrived at the narrow crevice.

Calling it narrow was only true when viewed from afar.

From beneath the distant bridge, it had seemed like a mere slit in the rock.

But up close, it was clear—

The opening was more than large enough for a person to pass through.

Aiden waited there in silence.

Today marked the end of Kael's seclusion training. Unless he had foolishly miscounted the days on the cave wall, he would emerge after sunset. Usually, people only left their retreat after the twilight had completely faded.

How long had he waited?

Rustling sounds echoed from within.

And then—

With his long hair reaching his waist and a rather haggard appearance, Kael stepped out from the cave.

"...Senior Brother?"

At least he had managed to trim his beard. Though not neatly, it was still better than a full-grown mess.

"You look like a complete recluse."

"Spare me your jokes."

When Aiden chuckled and made his remark, Kael shrugged. He glanced at the darkened surroundings for a moment before gesturing inside.

"Come in, Senior Brother. Since you were waiting for me, I assume it's urgent?"

"You could say that… As always, we need you."

"Well, I have some bad news for you."

Kael smacked his lips.

Aiden already knew what he was about to say.

"If you're going to say that you haven't reached Kingdom of Harmony, don't worry. I won't pretend I wasn't hoping for it, but I didn't expect too much."

"Honestly, even I didn't expect much when I entered seclusion. In the end, I failed. My depth is still lacking."

"But you reached the peak of Supreme Mastery, didn't you?"

"Something close. Almost there."

That was enough.

By the time he reached his forties, he would likely step into Kingdom of Harmony. Aiden and Great Master Thorne both possessed keen insight into talent, and their judgment had never failed them.

This seclusion training was meant to accelerate the breakthrough that would typically happen in his mid-to-late forties. Others might have expected him to succeed this time, but Aiden and Great Master Thorne already foresaw his level of attainment upon emerging.

That is, assuming no miraculous encounters had occurred.

Unfortunately, all Kael had found were a few decent elixirs. At his level, those would do nothing more than provide the equivalent of ten years' worth of inner energy.

"That's more than enough. You'll be of great help."

"...Senior Brother, why do you sound as if something dire is about to happen to Suncrest?"

"Because it is."

Kael narrowed his eyes as he listened.

He retrieved a pair of dented teacups and a battered kettle, pouring tea he had brewed in advance.

"Tell me everything."

"Do you know that at the southern base of Suncrest's peaks, the remains of the Demonic Cult's former Young Lord were sealed after the The Great War of Light and Shadow?"

"...How would I know something like that?"

"And I assume you also don't know that those remains are still alive."

Kael's slightly narrowed eyes widened in shock.

"You mean… the corpse is alive? Sealed?"

"To be precise, part of it. The left arm is in Suncrest's possession."

"...Even after being dismembered, it didn't die?"

Kael let out a low sigh.

A horrific, almost incomprehensible revelation.

Like Vera, he immediately envisioned the sacrifices made to achieve such a twisted immortality.

"That's… monstrous. What kind of abomination did they create…?"

"I don't know, and I don't want to. The worst-case scenario is that the left leg, which was lost back then, might have already been reattached."

"Does the Sect Leader know?"

"That's the problem."

From that point on, Aiden recounted everything in painstaking detail—from the events of three years ago when Kael entered seclusion to the present crisis.

As the conversation stretched on, Kael repeatedly refilled his cup with freshly brewed tea.

Time passed.

"...That's incredible, Senior Brother. So, you've truly brought a sword capable of slaying Sword Sovereign?"

"Yes. Though still young, he only needs further cultivation."

"To think such a talent exists… No need to say more. I will help."

Kael rose from his seat.

Aiden quickly grasped his intentions and felt a chill run down his spine.

"Kael, wait—"

"Before I involve myself in his battle, I must first witness his swordsmanship."