Although the majority of the Demon Sealers had departed to confront the demon invasion outside, the vault was not left unguarded. Seven guards remained stationed before it, each one a True Immortal, their auras sharp and unwavering, ready to act at a momentâs notice.
Yuan silently observed the young man, waiting to see his next move. Yet, the figure remained completely still, as though he had no intention of acting. However, just moments later, Yuan sensed multiple presences rapidly converging on their location.
In the blink of an eye, twenty experts clad in the robes of the Demon Sealing Grotto emerged. Without a word or momentâs hesitation, they launched a coordinated assault on the seven guards, swiftly overwhelming them with ruthless precision.
"Demon Sealer Jing?! Demon Sealer Yun?! What the hell are you doing?!"
"Why are you attacking us?!"
The guards cried out in disbelief, their voices filled with confusion and betrayal. They recognized the assailantsânot as strangers, but as comrades, even close friends. Yet now, those familiar faces bore only cold indifference as they struck with lethal intent.
In fact, even Yuan recognized a few of these individuals, as they were present at the meeting where most of the higher-ups were present.
When questioned by the guards, the traitorous Demon Sealers didnât utter a single word in response. Instead, they pressed forward with unwavering killing intent.
Although Yuan wanted to remain hidden, he couldnât let these Demon Sealers die a pointless death, so he revealed his presence to protect them.
"You! Youâre Yan Haraâs disciple!" The traitors recognized Yuan instantly.
The young manâs gaze sharpened as it fell upon Yuan. A flicker of unease surfaced within himâhe hadnât sensed Yuanâs presence at all until the latter chose to reveal himself. Was this an unfortunate coincidence... or had he been followed all along? That uncertainty gnawed at him.
"What the hell are you doing here?! You were fighting the demons just moments ago!" one of the traitors shouted, clearly shaken by Yuanâs sudden appearance.
Yuan smiled calmly and responded, "I could ask you the same thing. What the hell are you doing here, turning your blades on your own comrades while demons and worshippers tear through the city outside? I sensed something wasnât right... so I came to see for myself. Looks like my instincts were spot on."
He deliberately refrained from mentioning the presence of the young man, careful not to startle his true target.
"Hmph! Youâre just a Golden Immortal! Do you really think you can take on twenty Golden Immortals and True Immortals alone?!"
"Perhaps."
"Kill him!"
In the very next moment, the twenty Demon Sealers launched themselves at Yuan, their attacks fierce and full of killing intent.
Meanwhile, the young man seized the opportunity amidst the chaos, silently slipping past the fray and into the building.
Naturally, Yuan noticed him, as he hadnât taken his attention off him for even a second. However, he made no move to stop him. Instead, he feigned ignorance and continued exchanging blows with the traitorous Demon Sealers, deliberately holding back his strength to avoid ending the skirmish too quickly.
Once inside the building, the young man made his way directly to the vault, a towering structure layered with intricate and powerful formations. Each one pulsed faintly with energy, silently guarding the priceless treasures within.
But the young man came prepared. Without hesitation, he retrieved several scrolls and talismans from his spatial ringâeach one meticulously crafted to counter and disable the specific formations protecting the vault.
Within minutes, he deactivated all of the formations, allowing him to open and enter the vault.
Stepping inside, he was greeted by a grand hall lined with countless treasuresârare artifacts, ancient scrolls, and radiant crystals stacked in meticulous order. Yet, he spared them not a single glance. Without slowing down, he dashed past the wealth of the Demon Sealing Grotto, heading straight toward the far end of the vault with unwavering purpose.
Eventually, he came to a halt before two treasures placed at the very endâboth sealed behind layers of intricate formations, far more elaborate than anything else in the vault.
"Finally..." he muttered in excitement.
Meanwhile, Yuan continued to gradually thin the traitorsâ numbers.
"Fuck! Why is he so damn powerful?! It doesnât make any sense!"
The traitors soon realized that they stood no chance against him.
Yuan then said calmly, "Iâm willing to spare your lives if you tell me why you betrayed the Demon Sealing Grotto. What are you trying to achieve?"
"Go fuck yourself!" one of them spat.
Without a word, Yuan glanced at the man, and in the blink of an eye, unleashed his Supreme Sword Aura. The strike was so swift and precise that none of the others realized what had happened until the manâs head hit the ground with a dull thud.
"If the next words out of your mouth arenât related to the truth, Iâll send your head flying. No... perhaps sealing you would be betterâletting you spend thousands of years in utter stillness."
Before any of the traitors could respond, Yuan released a wave of Demon Sealing Auraâjust enough to partially seal the remaining seven.
Terror filled their faces, but none of them dared to speak a single word.
"Since none of you are willing to speak, why donât I take a guess?" Yuan closed his eyes briefly, as though piecing together a puzzle, before continuing, "You attacked this place right as chaos erupted outside, and real coincidences are rare, especially in this circumstance. Which means this was plannedâcoordinated. Youâre working with the demons and their worshippers out there."
"I doubt the Demon Sealing Grotto would conspire with demons. Which only leaves one conclusionâyouâre not really members of the Demon Sealing Grotto but spies from the Demon Sealing Clan... or perhaps another faction entirely."
The traitorsâ eyes widened with disbelief after hearing Yuanâs speculation.
Yuan narrowed his eyes at them and asked, "Did Qian Chu send you here?"
"Qian Chu? The leader of the Demon Sealing Clan? Ahaha! Yeah, thatâs right! Weâre working for him! What are you going to do now that you know the truth, huh?!" one of them suddenly laughed out loud.