At the same time that afternoon, the heavy iron-rimmed wheels of a grand carriage grounded to a halt in the central courtyard of the Sect. Painted in the noble color of the Sect and draped in silver-threaded silk, it bore the proud emblem of the First Master of Darkthorne Sect and clan.Usually, the arrival of such a carriage would draw hundreds of bowing disciples, servants and clansmen, all eager to curry favor or catch a glimpse of the First master. Today, however, the broad courtyard was eerily quiet as nearly everyone had abandoned their posts and rushed to the main arena to witness the duels.Only a handful of low-ranking disciples remained on duty and seeing the majestic carriage, they froze in shock, before scrambling over in a hurry.They dropped to their knees on the cobblestones, pressing their foreheads to the ground."Greetings, First Master! How was your Inspection?" they greeted and stood up.Using his slender hand to sweep the velvet curtain of the carriage aside, Xa

In the high-tier spectator stands reserved for the elite factions, the atmosphere was entirely different as nobles and cultivators alike leaned over on their seats, their eyes fixed on the solitary figure standing beside the stage.Among them stood the First master. He had been so captivated he never bothered to sit as he leaned over the railing, thinking about what his eyes had just witnessed.He shook his head in disbelief, analyzing the entire fight in his head and his jaw slowly dropped the more he thought about it.What made Xavier’s blood run cold was the technique the masked fighter had used to render Kai Tian helpless. He knew that technique well as he had read about it over and over in cultivation books.It was a technique that belonged to a man everyone believed was dead.He snapped his fingers as he remembered why the name sounded so familiar.It first belonged to Thaddeus Lynwood, the shadow warrior who was the greatest cultivator before he died.Xavier's throat felt dry

"When the time is right. I just need you to trust me for now" Benjamin shook his head in disagreement.Just as he opened his mouth to protest, " I don't think that—" his voice paused when a clocked figure walked into the chamber.The three men froze on the spot.Old Gable's hand quietly moved toward the short blade hidden beneath his robe, wondering who the intruder was.A long cloak covered the person's entire body as the hood was pulled low, hiding the face.Benjamin's breathing stopped.Even Thaddeus couldn't decipher who it was.Immediately the cloaked figure stepped into the candlelight.The shock on the three men's faces deepened when they saw it was Lady Iris. They wondered among themselves what the Fourth Master was doing here at this time of the night.It didn't even cross their mind to think of how she knew there in the first place.Iris stood before them, breathing heavily and her pale skin glistening with cold sweat.Immediately she got into the chamber, flashes of the

Iris finally looked at him and sighed."I don't know!" She answered genuinely. There is something about him that we still don't understand."She looked toward the window."When I tried to examine him, it felt like I was looking at something that shouldn't have been there." She said from her heart.Xavier's expression changed slightly as he caught her words."Something that shouldn't be there?"Iris nodded slowly."But that doesn't mean he is Thaddeus."she shrugged."Then what does it mean?""I don't know." She turned away from him. " I only know that whoever is behind that mask is hiding something."Xavier remained silent.Iris's heart pounded as she stood before her window, trying not to show the slightest emotion.In that moment, flashes of the vision came again, forcing her to close her eyes.The image grew more vivid in her mind as the two versions battled endlessly while bathed in blood with neither of them getting tired.Could the mirrored version be the person who her brother c

The four warlords remained motionless but their faces had changed.One of them clenched her fists beneath her sleeves.Another swallowed hard while the other two remained expressionless.They knew that technique better than anyone.They had spent years watching their master use it.They recognized every finger position, every change in spiritual energy.It was not a technique that could simply be learned from a manual or by watching it. What made the revelation even more shocking was that Thaddeus had never taught it to anyone, not even them."Is the transmission verified?" the Head Council Elder quietly asked, his deep voice trembling slightly with old age."Did this occur in the outer borderlands?""It is verified, Grand Elder," an intelligence disciple reported, kneeling low. "The fighter called himself the Shadow Warrior and the Qi-sealing technique matches Lord Thaddeus's Death Strike perfectly. "A low uproar erupted among the Council Elders at the reply."Preposterous! Lord Thad