At that moment, as the fourth clan leader finally voiced his opinion, the atmosphere shifted slightly. He leaned forward, tapping the stone armrest beside him with a steady rhythm, his eyes narrowed but filled with calculation. “Well,” he began, his voice calm but edged with caution, “I won’t lie this boy’s proposition isn’t half-bad.”His gaze swept over the other three clan leaders, pausing briefly on each face before continuing. “I never thought I'd say this, but I’m in agreement with all of you… for once.” Immediately a dry chuckle followed. “But let’s not get carried away by the boy’s honeyed words.”His expression grew more serious, lips tightening slightly as his fingers folded together. “We cannot let this outsider walk in here and dictate the terms. Three pills? That’s barely acceptable. You all know how rare and difficult it is to obtain a single one of those pills, let alone three… but think about it he’s offering us something extremely valuable. That means he needs us an

At that moment, upon hearing what Derek just said, immediately, Waylon was kind of happy, deep down. Though his expression remained calm and indifferent, a subtle spark lit in his eyes. His lips twitched slightly at the corners, but he quickly masked it by pretending to adjust the sleeves of his shirt.He wasn’t foolish enough to celebrate openly, but inside, he was already patting himself on the back.“They’re not budging... good,” he thought to himself. “This is exactly how it should be.”He knew it knew that the clan leaders would hold firm. They had too much pride, too much authority at stake to cave in to a mere outsider, no matter how talented or calm Raymond appeared to be. As far as Waylon was concerned, that was Raymond’s mistake thinking his abilities alone would carry him through a political den like this.And that was fine by him, because now, with things headed in this direction, the other half of his plan had quietly clicked into motion.The one nobody else knew about.T

At that moment, as Waylon remained kneeling, silent and completely defeated, the weight of the situation was no longer just in his posture it was written across his entire body. His head hung low, his shoulders slumped with shame, and his eyes remained glued to the ground, unable to meet the stares that now pierced into him from all directions.Waylon watching Raymond in fear, he couldn’t hold it anymore. His breath trembled. Then, slowly, tears began to stream down his face. he started crying quietly, the kind of cry that came from helplessness knowing she couldn’t protect himself, couldn’t plead his case, and certainly couldn’t change what was already decided. His sobs echoed faintly around the gathering, but no one spoke to comfort her.Then Derek, spoke again. His voice was flat and final.“Well, it is settled now,” he said, glancing briefly at Waylon. “You had your chance, and you couldn't give us anything more valuable than the longevity pills. So, your fate is your own. You wil

At that moment, it had already been nearly twenty-four grueling hours since Waylon first stepped into Flamefire Mountain. What remained of him barely resembled the confident man who once believed himself powerful. His body was crumpled on the rough, heated floor, his knees long shattered from kneeling for too long, and his limbs trembling uncontrollably from exhaustion and pain. His skin looked pale and dry, as though all the strength had been burned out of him. His breath came in short, rasping gasps each inhale felt like swallowing fire, and every exhale sounded like defeat.Flamefire Mountain wasn’t just any place. It was a death zone, an ancient trial ground laced with unbearable spiritual pressure. Even the strongest cultivators rarely lasted more than a day inside without special protection. But Waylon… Waylon had nothing. No shield. No protection. No pills. Just his broken pride and the crushing weight of regret.His once-straight back now lay hunched, his cheek pressed against

He turned his back to Waylon, looking out toward the lava-lit horizon. His voice came again, calm but filled with quiet rage.“Even if—just even if—you do have something worth listening to… it doesn’t matter to me. Do you know why? Because this place, this hell… it’s where I planned for you to rot. You’re going to die here, Waylon. No one’s coming for you. No one’s going to find you. No one’s going to mourn you. Your bones will dry up in this place and even the wind will forget your name.”He looked over his shoulder briefly, his eyes carrying a glint of cruel satisfaction. “This was my plan from the beginning. And I will complete it.”Waylon, still lying flat on the ground, his face pressed to the scorched stone, tried to lift his head but the weight of weakness pulled him back down. His breath was shallow. His lips cracked. Even his tears seemed to evaporate before reaching his cheeks.But despite the pain, despite the fear choking his chest, he forced himself to speak his voice wea