THEY SACRIFICED ME, NOW I RULE THE CULTIVATION WORLD

Chapter 7: The Patriarch's Suspicion

The morning sunlight had barely reached my window when the guards arrived to escort me to Darius Voss's private hall. I had spent most of the night trying to understand the energy inside my body, but my progress remained small. The first cultivation stage was still beyond my reach, and Vaelthar had made it clear that failure would come with a price.

I adjusted my shirt and followed the guards outside. The estate was unusually quiet. Several senior cultivators stood near the main building, while servants hurried through the corridors carrying documents and ritual equipment. The destruction of the ancestral formation had unsettled the family more than I expected.

“Keep your energy sealed,” Vaelthar warned inside my mind. “The patriarch will be looking for something unusual.”

“I know.”

“Knowing is not the same as being able to do it.”

I ignored the remark and continued walking. Whatever Darius wanted, I could not afford to reveal what had happened inside the cave. My survival depended on making him believe that I remained the same powerless man he had ordered onto the altar.

The guards led me into a private hall at the eastern end of the main building. Darius sat behind a wide wooden table, dressed in dark traditional robes. Lucian stood beside him with two senior elders, both of whom had participated in the failed ritual.

Darius motioned toward the empty chair.

“Sit, Kael.”

I sat without showing hesitation.

For a moment, he studied me in silence, as though comparing the man before him with the one who had been carried from the ancestral hall the previous night.

“Tell me what happened when the formation activated.”

I lowered my eyes slightly. “I remember the energy pulling at my body. It became difficult to breathe, and then there was a sudden explosion. I don't remember anything after that until I woke up in my room.”

“You expect me to believe you remember nothing?”

“I was being drained of my strength. What exactly did you expect me to remember?”

Lucian scoffed. “Don't pretend you know nothing. You were at the centre of the formation when it collapsed, and somehow you survived while several elders were injured.”

I turned toward him. “I was tied to a platform. If I had the power to destroy your family's formation, why would I have allowed myself to be dragged there in the first place?”

His expression tightened, but Darius raised one hand before he could answer.

“Enough. I am asking the questions.”

The patriarch leaned back in his chair. “The formation was designed to drain your life and transfer the accumulated energy into our family's foundation. It had been tested repeatedly, yet it reversed its flow the moment it reached its final stage. You were at the centre of that reaction, so I want to know whether you noticed anything unusual.”

“I felt pain. Then everything went dark.”

Darius watched my face carefully. “Nothing else?”

“Nothing I can explain.”

One of the elders stepped forward. “Patriarch, allow me to examine him. We may find something his words cannot reveal.”

Darius nodded.

The elder approached and placed two fingers against my wrist. A thin stream of spiritual energy entered my body, moving through the familiar pathways that cultivators used to examine another person's condition. I kept my ancient energy hidden and allowed the examination to continue.

After several moments, the elder frowned.

“His spiritual roots remain severely damaged. There is no conventional cultivation foundation, and his body appears to have suffered considerable strain from the formation.”

“Then how did he survive?” Lucian demanded.

The elder withdrew his hand. “I cannot explain that.”

Darius's expression darkened. He rose from his chair and approached me, releasing a controlled wave of spiritual pressure. The invisible force settled over my shoulders, pressing down until my knees began to tremble.

I clenched my fingers beneath the table. My chest tightened, and the energy inside me stirred instinctively, but I forced it to remain still. If I allowed it to respond, Darius might discover that something had changed.

“Look at me, Kael,” he ordered.

I raised my head with difficulty.

His spiritual pressure increased slightly. Pain travelled through my back, and sweat gathered along my forehead. I wanted to resist, but I understood that even a small reaction could expose me.

After several seconds, Darius withdrew his energy.

“You are still as weak as before,” he observed.

I rubbed my wrist. “Then perhaps you should stop testing me and let me recover.”

Lucian laughed. “You have learned to complain quite confidently for someone who contributes nothing.”

I turned toward him. “If you have something useful to say, say it. Otherwise, stop wasting everyone's time.”

His smile disappeared. He stepped forward, but Darius stopped him with a look.

“Your temper will not solve this problem, Lucian. We need answers, not another argument.”

Lucian returned to his position, visibly displeased.

Vaelthar spoke quietly inside my mind. “The old man is more dangerous than the arrogant one. He knows when to remain silent.”

I agreed. Lucian wanted to humiliate me because he enjoyed feeling superior. Darius wanted information, and he was willing to wait until he found a way to obtain it.

The patriarch returned to his chair.

“There is another matter we need to discuss. Your escape attempt.”

My attention sharpened.

“Before the ritual, you disappeared from your room. The guards found evidence that someone helped you reach the western passage. You were not capable of arranging that escape alone.”

“I found an opportunity and took it.”

“Who helped you?”

“Nobody.”

Darius's eyes narrowed. “Elara was the last person seen with you. She claims she knows nothing about your disappearance, but I find that difficult to accept.”

I kept my expression unchanged, although anger rose inside me. Elara had already risked herself to help me. I would not allow Darius to use my words against her.

“She didn't help me,” I said. “I left because I knew what was waiting for me at the altar.”

“And you expect me to believe she had nothing to do with it?”

“You can question her if you want, but I made the decision myself. Whatever happened that night was my responsibility.”

Darius studied me for a long moment. “You are willing to take responsibility for a woman who may have betrayed her own family?”

“She has followed your rules for years. If you have doubts about her, ask her directly instead of blaming her for my actions.”

The patriarch's expression remained unreadable. I could not tell whether my answer had satisfied him or made him more suspicious.

He finally turned toward the elders.

“Bring Elara to me later this morning. I want to hear her explanation personally.”

My fingers tightened, but I kept quiet.

Darius then addressed me again. “Until we understand what happened to the formation, you will remain inside this estate. You are not permitted to enter the ancestral hall, approach the training grounds, or leave the family property.”

“So I'm a prisoner now?”

“You are being kept under protection while we investigate. Do not mistake my patience for permission to cause further trouble.”

Lucian smiled. “I'll make sure he follows the rules. Perhaps a few days under supervision will teach him where he belongs.”

Darius ignored him. “You will remain in your room unless a member of the family summons you. Two guards will accompany you whenever you move around the estate. If you attempt another escape, I will not be as generous.”

I stood and straightened my shirt.

“I understand.”

“Good. You may leave.”

The guards escorted me out, and I resisted the urge to look back at the man who had arranged my death. I had survived his ritual, but he still controlled the estate, its cultivators, and the people inside it. Until I became strong enough to challenge him, patience was my only advantage.

As I crossed the courtyard, Vaelthar stirred.

“Someone is approaching.”

I slowed my steps. “Another Voss cultivator?”

“No. This energy is different.”

Before I could ask anything else, a servant hurried across the courtyard toward the private hall. He nearly collided with one of the guards before stopping at the entrance.

“Patriarch Darius!” he called. “An important guest has arrived. He says he has come because of last night's incident.”

The guards exchanged glances. Even Lucian, who had followed us outside, seemed curious.

I turned toward the entrance, trying to sense the approaching presence without releasing my own energy. It was faint, but there was something unusual about it. Unlike the Voss cultivators, whose spiritual energy carried a familiar quality, this presence felt controlled and unfamiliar.

“Who is the visitor?” I whispered.

Vaelthar did not answer immediately. For the first time since our bond, the ancient presence seemed reluctant to speak.

“Kael, whatever happens, do not let that man sense you.”

A chill passed through me. “Do you know him?”

“Not enough to identify him. But I know that you must stay hidden.”

The servant opened the main doors, and a tall figure entered the estate. His face remained partly concealed beneath the shadow of the entrance, but the cultivators nearby immediately stepped aside.

Darius came out to welcome him, wearing an expression I had not seen before. It was neither anger nor suspicion. It was the careful respect of a man receiving someone whose power he could not afford to underestimate.

I continued toward my room, keeping my head lowered.

I had barely survived the Voss family's sacrifice, and now an unfamiliar cultivator had arrived because of the same incident. Whatever had happened inside the ancestral hall had reached beyond these walls, and I had a feeling that the next danger would be far greater than anything Lucian or Darius could offer.