This elder possessed a profound Cultivation. Wielding a High-level Technique, he manifested a Water Dragon. Rain fell wherever it soared through the sky.

With him on the case,

the fire began to die down.

Soon, the great blaze was extinguished.

Seeing how powerful he was, the disciples couldn’t help but cry out in admiration.

"The elder is mighty!"

After the fire was extinguished,

someone quickly began to inspect the scene.

"Elder, someone has set up a Six Nine Star Killing Array here! Sean Lockwood and Jocelyn Grant must be trapped inside!"

Sean Lockwood’s master immediately said, "Save them first."

But after they broke the Array, they found no sign of Sean Lockwood or Jocelyn Grant inside.

They feared the two had already met with disaster.

The elder, worried, said, "Junior Brother, check on your Martial Nephew’s Life Token. See if it’s still intact."

In the Cultivation World, whenever a disciple joins a Sect, a Life Token is refined for them. If the disciple perishes, their Life Token shatters.

This was especially true for Core Disciples of the Inner Sect. Masters with high hopes for their apprentices would always carry their Life Tokens with them.

Hearing this, the Peak Master took out his apprentice’s Life Token. It was completely intact.

This meant he was still alive and well.

He put the Life Token away.

In the Cultivation World, a Major Sect like theirs was protected by Arrays. This meant a fire couldn’t just start randomly. There was only one possibility: someone had set it intentionally.

"Issue the order! Seal the Sect gates and let no suspicious person escape."

"In such a short amount of time, it’s impossible they could have left without us knowing. There’s only one possibility: the culprit is still within the Primal Heaven Sect."

"Yes, this disciple obeys."

「That night.」

The Primal Heaven Sect was in an uproar.

Although they didn’t find their main culprit, they did root out several spies sent by other Sects. Among them, shockingly, was a Peak Master who turned out to be a plant from another Sect.

This man had been undercover in the Sect for two hundred years, long enough to work his way up to the position of Peak Master.

He had been in the middle of sending a message to his home Sect when he was caught in the sweep. With a guilty conscience, he assumed he’d been found out and tried to flee, which led to his capture. If he hadn’t run, no one would have even suspected him.

He was locked up.

He was subjected to all manner of tortures.

He was beaten black and blue with the Thunderstorm Whip.

The elder personally interrogated him under torture.

"Speak! Where did you take Martial Nephew Lockwood?"

The dying spy shook his head.

"It... it wasn’t me."

"As far as I know, you’ve done extensive research on the Six Nine Star Killing Array. And tonight, that was the very Array set up at Martial Nephew Lockwood’s residence on Redleaf Peak. You say you have nothing to do with it? Do I look like I believe that?"

He was past the point of caring.

’Do whatever you want.’

"There’s no getting through to you idiots. No wonder I was in the Primal Heaven Sect for two hundred years and even became a Peak Master without any of you noticing. I don’t know anything! If you have the guts, then just kill me."

He was truly innocent of this crime.

But no one believed him.

In the end, the spy took the fall for everything.

The elder slapped him across the face, then said, "Lock him up. Tomorrow, take him to the Sect plaza for public execution. Let all the Cultivators under heaven see the fate of a spy sent to my Primal Heaven Sect."

「In the dungeons of the Primal Heaven Sect.」

After the elder and his men had left, someone snuck in.

He was an expert with Arrays.

He could move freely through many parts of the Primal Heaven Sect.

Including the dungeons.

The man wore simple cotton clothes and a small cat mask that hid his face.

Upon arriving in the dungeon, he gave a little wave.

"Brother, I’m here to save you."

The imprisoned spy’s eyes lit up as if he’d just seen a glimmer of hope.

He thought his own Sect had sent someone to rescue him and was instantly moved.

’This is great!’

’I don’t have to die!’

’The Sect hasn’t forgotten me after all.’

"What took you so long? Any later and I would’ve been a goner."

Hearing this, his rescuer knew the spy had misunderstood. The masked man didn’t bother to explain, however. He simply undid the Array restraining the spy and led him out of the dungeon.

In truth, this man was the real culprit who had set fire to Redleaf Peak—an unknown passerby who had done it purely for the bounty.

He just never expected someone else to take the fall for him.

Though he was by no means a good person, he still had his principles. He felt a little guilty, so he decided to rescue the man. What happened after that was none of his concern.

Even after being rescued and watching the masked man leave, the spy was still utterly bewildered.

’Which Peak’s senior brother was that? I’ll have to thank him later. No, first I need to get back to the Sect. I can always prepare some good wine and pay him a visit to express my gratitude afterward.’

He spoke, then spat out a mouthful of blood.

He had been severely injured by the elder’s Thunderstorm Whip. Even after he returned, he would need to enter seclusion for some time to recover.

The spy had no idea that the person who had just saved him was the very same one who had gotten him into this mess. He wouldn’t learn the truth until much later.

「Meanwhile.」

Celeste Grant received another video from Friend Galevoid, along with a message.

Friend Galevoid: "Friend Trillia, what do you think? Is this good enough to claim the bounty?"

Celeste Grant opened the video and watched with relish. When she saw that woman, Jocelyn Grant, once again shove her man forward to act as a shield, the corner of her mouth twitched.

"Well, I’ll be. You’re telling me this is ’true love’?"

"Jocelyn Grant, you really are something else."

On this point, she actually had to admire Jocelyn Grant.

At least she was better than those women who let men abuse them and stab them in the back. Jocelyn was always the one doing the stabbing.

Jocelyn Grant could be completely sincere one moment, professing her undying love, but the second danger appeared, she would never sacrifice herself—she’d always sacrifice someone else. In that respect, she had already surpassed the likes of Penelope, who waited piously for her husband’s return.

Celeste Grant found herself admiring her a little.

But it was also a fact that she despised her.

Their enmity was a fight to the death.

She closed the video.

Celeste Grant cheerfully sent a message back.

"Send me your payment ID."

’Just as I thought! My happiness truly is built on the suffering of the hero and heroine.’

’I’m in such a great mood.’

Once he sent over the payment ID, Celeste Grant took out her Trading Jade Token and opened a transfer portal. She sent him 50,000 low-grade spirit stones directly.

Friend Galevoid: "So much? Thank you, Friend Trillia! From now on, this humble servant will live and die by your command. Just say the word if you need anything!"

She gave a faint smile.

She sent a message back.

"Keep up the good work."

Next, Celeste Grant posted the video in the thread, adding a comment that the bounty had been paid and encouraging everyone to keep up the good work. Friend Galevoid, who had already received the payment, immediately left a reply confirming that the bounty was real.

「Meanwhile.」

Jocelyn Grant and Sean Lockwood had been teleported thousands of miles away, into the Demonic Beast Mountains.

The moment they appeared, they were attacked by a swarm of Venompetal Spiders.

Sean Lockwood was impaled from behind by a Sixth Rank Spider King, and blood gushed from the wound.

Fortunately, Jocelyn Grant’s protagonist plot armor kicked in. At the critical moment, she actually managed to form a contract with the Venompetal Spider, making it her Spirit Companion.

But as she was celebrating her new acquisition, she looked over and saw that Sean Lockwood had already passed out.