Chapter 62: The Crimson Abyss Sect Makes Its Move
The Crimson Abyss Sect Makes Its Move
"Today you look down on me..."
"But one day..."
"You’ll discover that those you despised have risen beyond your reach."
Magnus froze completely.
"...Huh?"
Hearing Victor’s question, Magnus Salvatore froze for a brief moment.
His eyes widened in surprise before he nodded almost instinctively.
"Austin... has indeed said those exact words."
For a heartbeat, the hall fell into complete silence.
Victor’s expression remained calm, but inwardly he couldn’t help smiling.
That settles it.
The signs are all here.
A fallen genius... a broken engagement... a powerful sect standing behind the enemy... and now those words...
This really is following a very familiar script.
He quietly suppressed his amusement.
Across from him, however, Magnus’ thoughts had taken a completely different direction.
Shock slowly transformed into awe.
The day Austin had uttered those words, only father and son had been present.
No servants.
No elders.
No outsiders.
There was absolutely no way anyone else could have overheard them.
Yet Victor had repeated the words almost perfectly.
Magnus’ breathing became heavier.
The Clan Patriarch...
Just how deep are his methods?
He suddenly realized that although the main family had lost contact with its branch families over the years, perhaps that had only been true on the surface.
Perhaps Victor had been quietly watching everything all along.
Even the private conversations between a father and his son hadn’t escaped his notice.
The more Magnus thought about it, the more unfathomable Victor became.
His admiration only deepened.
Taking a steadying breath, Magnus bowed respectfully once more.
"Clan Patriarch..."
"When shall we depart for Blackstone City?"
Despite his efforts to remain composed, urgency still seeped into his voice.
Every passing day placed his clansmen in greater danger.
Every passing day forced Austin to endure even more humiliation.
The image of his son’s lonely, determined figure flashed through his mind once again.
His heart ached.
Victor merely looked at him before asking calmly,
"Why would I need to go to Blackstone City?"
"...Ah?"
Magnus stared blankly.
His mind went completely blank.
Victor slowly rose from his chair and walked toward the open window.
Warm sunlight streamed into the hall, illuminating the golden dragon embroidery woven across his black robes.
A gentle breeze stirred his shoulder-length black hair.
Without turning around, he spoke calmly.
"The Blackstone City branch of the Salvatore Family and the Whitecliff Family are evenly matched."
"The broken engagement isn’t the true problem."
"The Whitecliff Family isn’t the true problem."
"The real enemy..."
"...is the Crimson Abyss Sect standing behind them."
Victor’s voice remained steady and unhurried.
"I’ve never enjoyed taking unnecessary detours."
"I prefer solving problems at their source."
His golden eyes gazed toward the distant horizon.
"If that’s the case..."
"Why waste time dealing with the tail?"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"It’s far more efficient..."
"...to remove the head."
Magnus’ entire body trembled.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
The Clan Patriarch...
He wasn’t planning to return to Blackstone City first.
He intended to eliminate the Crimson Abyss Sect itself.
That thought alone left Magnus utterly speechless.
The steward standing nearby nearly forgot to breathe.
The Crimson Abyss Sect wasn’t some insignificant local force.
It was an established eighth-rank sect whose influence spread across the surrounding regions.
Countless families feared even mentioning its name.
Yet Victor spoke of destroying it as casually as discussing the weather.
"Elder Black."
Victor’s calm voice echoed through the hall.
The surrounding shadows rippled almost imperceptibly.
The next instant—
An elderly man dressed entirely in black stepped forward soundlessly, as though he had emerged directly from the darkness itself.
His expression remained indifferent.
The broken sword resting across his back radiated an ancient, almost oppressive aura.
Magnus instinctively held his breath.
Even after seeing Elder Black once before, simply standing in his presence still filled him with indescribable pressure.
It felt as though he were looking at someone who no longer belonged to this world.
Reality itself seemed unable to contain the old man.
Elder Black respectfully lowered his head.
"My Lord."
"Your will..."
"...is Heaven’s command."
His hoarse voice echoed quietly throughout the hall.
Victor’s gaze remained fixed upon the distant sky.
"The Crimson Abyss Sect..."
He repeated the name softly.
"I hadn’t planned on dealing with them so soon."
"They chose to come looking for me instead."
His smile gradually became colder.
"Since they’ve come..."
"They needn’t think about leaving."
Far away...
Thousands of kilometers from Aurelia City...
Within the Crimson Abyss Sect...
A middle-aged man wearing crimson robes sat upon the sect master’s throne.
His eyes were sharp and calculating.
This man was none other than the Crimson Abyss Sect Master—
Louis Redweed.
He looked down at the kneeling disciple before him.
"Is the information reliable?"
The disciple immediately lowered his head.
"Reporting to Sect Master."
"The intelligence was purchased directly from the Celestial Fate Pavilion."
"It contains everything regarding the Salvatore Family."
"Their Clan Patriarch."
"Their strongest experts."
"Their younger generation."
"Their external relationships."
"Nothing has been left out."
"Very good."
Louis gave a slight nod before reaching for the intelligence report.
As he unfolded it, the spacious hall fell into complete silence.
No one dared to speak.
The only sound that remained was the soft rustle of paper as he turned one page after another.
At first, his expression remained calm, almost indifferent.
Then, as his eyes continued scanning the contents, a faint crease appeared between his brows.
His composure began to crack.
"...No powerful allies?"
His gaze lingered on the line for a moment before moving on.
"The family was suffering from internal turmoil until recently..."
"The previous generation of elders... all dead?"
"The acting Clan Patriarch only just recovered from serious injuries..."
Each new detail only deepened the confusion in his eyes.
By the time he reached the final pages, his brows were tightly knitted together.
He looked up briefly before lowering his eyes to reread a particular section, as though questioning whether the report was accurate.
"The current Clan Patriarch..."
He muttered the words under his breath.
"...is only at the Astral Manifestation Realm?"
A flicker of disbelief crossed his face.
That cultivation level wasn’t weak by ordinary standards...
But it was nowhere near enough to accomplish what had happened.
"And yet..."
His voice grew quieter.
"He wiped out both the Ashthorn Family... and the Ravencreast Family?"
The hall remained deathly silent.
Every elder watched Louis carefully, sensing the growing weight in his expression.
His fingers slowly tightened around the report, crumpling the edge of the parchment almost unconsciously.
The more he thought about it, the less any of it made sense.
A family with no formidable backers.
A family that had only recently survived internal chaos.
A Clan Patriarch whose cultivation should never have been enough to shake two major powers...
None of it added up.
His eyes narrowed.
"There is something missing."
He looked down at the report once more, searching for the answer hidden between its lines.
Then, after a long pause, he spoke in a low, solemn voice.
"More importantly..."
"...how did a family like this manage to kill the Sixth Elder?"