The Sect Master had emerged from seclusion.The moment the bell rang through the Thousand Blades Sect, every disciple immediately dropped what they were doing and rushed toward the main square in front of the sect hall, hidden deep in the forested mountains of Northern California near Mount Shasta, to welcome their leader’s return.The sound also reached Hudson, who was still inside the Sealing Heaven Realm, communicating with the four Great Grandmaster war spirits.Before questioning them, he had thought he might uncover ancient secrets.Instead, the result left him disappointed.The four war spirits knew almost nothing. They didn’t remember what had happened before they became war spirits.They didn’t know why they had transformed into war spirits. And they had no idea what truly lay beneath the fifth level of the abyss.Hudson could only feel helpless. He had gained powerful protectors, but not the answers he wanted.Just as he withdrew his consciousness, he heard footsteps approac

Hudson nearly jumped to his feet in shock. He turned his head slightly, his voice unsteady.“You… are you serious?”Lyn lifted her gaze and looked at him with complete sincerity. “Do I look like I’ve been joking with you this whole time? I know we’ve been apart for years. You might’ve even forgotten about me. But after I returned to the Quaten Sect all those years ago, I never forgot you… I also know you think what you said back then was just childish nonsense. But I never treated it that way.”Her voice softened, but her eyes didn’t waver. “I mean it, Hudson. I’m serious.”Eyes didn’t lie. And from the way Lyn looked at him, Hudson knew she wasn’t playing around.What started as a joke had turned into something real, and now he was the one caught off guard.They hadn’t seen each other in years. Everything felt unfamiliar, rushed… overwhelming. He couldn’t bring himself to reject her, but he also couldn’t just accept it like it was nothing. Not when she was looking at him like that.“

In the blink of an eye, five days passed.During those days after the wedding, Hudson stayed almost constantly by Lyn’s side. Because of her position, she couldn’t leave the Thousand Brakes Sect to travel freely, so the two of them spent their time exploring the sect grounds instead, treating it like their own quiet version of a honeymoon.They talked about everything. Past, present, and even things Hudson had always been curious about, questions that Lyn finally answered without holding back.At the massive front gate of the Thousand Brakes Sect, set along a quiet stretch of land in California, Lyn held Hudson tightly, unwilling to let go.“You have to come back and visit me,” she said softly, her tone almost playful but filled with emotion. “Don’t forget, you have a wife waiting for you here.”Hudson smiled, gently rubbing her back. “Don’t worry. I’ll definitely come see you. And if you ever come out of seclusion, just ask Luie to contact me. No matter where I am, I’ll come back rig

It wasn’t strange for Butienmen to suspect something after their disciples went missing in Sandigan Valley. Arjan’s assumptions were, in a way, understandable.But what didn’t sit right with Hudson was this, Out of all the possible suspects, they had pointed directly at him.Yet instead of investigating broadly, Butienmen had come straight to him.That alone was suspicious.Standing there, Hudson’s eyes grew colder as the pieces began to fall into place.This had the Tipcan Sect written all over it.Luie had likely mentioned something in passing, perhaps about Edward being warned not to retaliate. Someone like Edward wouldn’t dare act openly, but that didn’t mean he would let things go.If he had learned that Butienmen’s disciples disappeared after entering Sandigan Valley, and that Hudson had been there around the same time, it wouldn’t be hard to subtly guide suspicion in Hudson’s direction.A simple push in the right place… And Butienmen would do the rest.No matter how things pla

The courtyard fell completely silent.Andrei and Edward stood frozen in place, as if their bodies had been locked. Neither of them dared to move.They weren’t unfamiliar with great grandmasters. In fact, people at that level were figures they had always looked up to, the kind of strength they had spent their entire lives trying to reach.Based on everything they knew, no matter how talented Hudson was, there was no way someone his age could have reached that level. At best, he should’ve been a ninth-rank grandmaster.And while the difference between a grandmaster and a great grandmaster sounded small, in reality, it was like the gap between heaven and earth.That was why Edward had been so confident earlier. He believed that once Butienmen sent a great grandmaster, dealing with Hudson would be effortless.But he had overlooked something critical.Even if Hudson himself wasn’t a great grandmaster… who said he couldn’t have one, or more, on his side?What truly broke Edward was the real