Chapter 371: The Traitor

In the Hundred Sky Mountains, every few years, a descendant of the Seven Banes would be born with a unique body constitution, special trait, or extraordinary talent.

Voltrex, Stormir, Taranis, Aestra, and Lyra of Thunderbane; Sylvaris of Flowerbane; Nymeria of Snowbane; Ignis of Flamebane, and many others were born with heaven-defying talents or rare constitutions that set them apart from their peers.

It was as if something within the bloodline of the Banes awakened these unique abilities in each generation.

To keep track of such constitutions, it was made mandatory for every talented cultivator to submit complete details of their abilities, body constitution, cultivation methods, and even their weaknesses to their respective Sect. This measure ensured that if a similar physique appeared in the future, there would already be a recorded method for cultivation. It also prevented incidents like the one Voltrex experienced, when he was shunned for possessing a seemingly weak talent simply because his true body constitution was unknown.

To prevent this sensitive information from being exploited by enemies, each Sect was permitted to store these records within its own territory, accessible only to the Sect Master.

Even Voltrex and Taranis were no exceptions to this rule. They had submitted every detail regarding their bodies and talents, and the records were securely stored within a cave behind Heaven’s Sovereign Peak.

Two black obsidian gates, forged from an ancient metal found nowhere outside the Hundred Sky Mountains, sealed the entrance. The interior of the cave was constructed from the same indestructible material, rendering any attempt to dig through from another side completely futile.

The obsidian metal was so resilient that even Voltrex, at the peak of the Level Seven Demi-God Realm, could barely leave a scratch upon its surface.

According to the records, the cave had been carved by the First King of the Hundred Sky Mountains, and since then, the authority to enter it had been passed down from one king to the next.

The only plausible explanation for how Taranis and Voltrex were poisoned was that the information regarding their body constitutions had been leaked from this very cave.

It was also the first place Taranis, in the guise of Lucifer, visited to search for clues about how the information had been leaked.

He even sought Vivi’s assistance to scan for any breach in the array carved upon the gate.

“There is no tampering in the array. The gate can only be opened by pouring the Soulforce of Voltrex El Thunderbane into it.”

This was the result of Vivi’s analysis.

Even after activating the Eyes of the Fallen, Taranis could not detect a single flaw in the formation of the array.

It was flawless.

The investigation was on the verge of reaching a dead end when Vivi’s words resurfaced in Taranis’ mind.

The gate could only be opened by pouring the Soulforce of Voltrex El Thunderbane into it. Vivi had not said that only Voltrex himself could access it. Anyone who possessed Voltrex’s Soulforce could potentially open the gate.

The realization struck Taranis like a war hammer.

There was only one person other than Voltrex who possessed his Soulforce.

Ignis El Flamebane.

He still bore the wound on his face that refused to heal because Voltrex had left his intent embedded within it. At irregular intervals, blue lightning would flicker across the wound, sending waves of excruciating pain throughout his body. It was the punishment Voltrex had given him for disrespecting the Snow Goddess.

However, that very intent contained Voltrex’s Soulforce, and it could certainly be used to open the obsidian gates.

Taranis did not leap to a rash conclusion. The matter of treachery could not be decided based on a single lead. There might have been others who had suffered similar wounds from Voltrex. It was also possible that someone had used a mind manipulation technique on Ignis to gain access to the gate. There could even have been multiple traitors involved.

He needed to investigate everything thoroughly.

For an entire month, every single night before Aestra’s operation, Taranis focused solely on observing Ignis. Knowing that Ignis, as the heir of Flamebane, would not act recklessly during the day, and having to train the Thunderbanes himself, Taranis conducted his surveillance only at night.

Most of Ignis’ nights were spent in indulgence, absorbing Yin energy from brothels, outer and inner court disciples, and even maids or workers. He blackmailed the weak using his authority as heir, employed force or torture against awakened women, and committed all manner of heinous acts.

It was only by fortune that he did not force himself upon any woman while Taranis was investigating him, or his head might have rolled that very night. Much of this information Taranis learned from a few women who had barely survived Ignis’ atrocities.

During many of Ignis’ visits to brothels, knights of the Emperor would arrive at the same time. After eavesdropping on their conversations, Taranis’ suspicions were finally confirmed. Though he could not hear them clearly due to the distance, he confirmed two crucial facts.

Ignis was unquestionably the traitor.

And Nymeria was connected to this matter.

—

The sole reason Taranis, in Lucifer’s appearance, challenged Ignis to a duel was to gauge his strength and weaken him slightly so that he could kidnap him without resistance after the tournament and interrogate him by his own methods.

However, Taranis had not realized the depth of fury burning within him. From the moment he regained his memories, he had restrained himself through sheer force of will.

But when Ignis, the man responsible for his mother’s suffering, his father’s death, and the massacre of his sect, stood before him, Taranis unknowingly began losing control over his rage.

With slow, measured steps, Taranis advanced toward Ignis, who lay at the center of the stage.

Blue lightning crackled around his body as he lowered himself and sat upon Ignis’ chest.

In retaliation, Ignis clenched his fists, Soulforce surging from his dantian into his arms. Before it could fully manifest, Taranis seized his wrists and slammed them down with his knees, shattering his bones.

“Aghhhhhhh!”

The scream of agony reverberated across the stage.

Taranis ignored him, his face devoid of emotion. A bolt of blue lightning materialized in his hand, and just as he was about to strike, a terrifyingly heavy aura descended upon the entire arena.

The audience, who had been silently witnessing the battle, were forced to their knees. The arena walls trembled, and the air itself seemed to ignite with searing heat. It was as though the sun had descended upon the earth.

“I will take your head for threatening the life of the Flamebane heir,” a booming voice echoed throughout the stadium.

The voice and overwhelming aura belonged to none other than Aethon El Flamebane.

From his voice alone, half the audience collapsed unconscious, while the rest barely managed to endure the crushing pressure.

His entire body radiated blinding light as he stood at the edge of the tower, staring down at Lucifer with a piercing gaze.

Yet Taranis did not flinch under either his voice or his Soulforce pressure. It was as though he remained completely unaffected.

In the blink of an eye, Aethon vanished from the tower, his movement so swift that even Taranis could not track it with his senses.

The next instant, Taranis felt his skin searing under intense heat, his Divine Sense screaming at him to move immediately.

What he could not see was Aethon’s blazing fist, hovering no more than a nail’s breadth away from his face.

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