Chapter 14: Heartbroken and Disillusioned

"Elder Zyaire..." Malcolm looked shocked. "Malcolm, as the head of the Heavenly Ultimate Hall, you recklessly ascended the Yin Yang Platform and attacked a disciple. Have you forgotten the rules of our Skynet Sect?" Zyaire glared angrily at Malcolm, "I haven't settled the score with you for your dereliction of duty, yet you dare to come to the Yin Yang Platform and make a scene. As a hall master, can you imagine the consequences of openly attacking a disciple in front of everyone? Furthermore, why did you have to target them? The rarely seen blade cultivator of the Skynet Sect? To put it lightly, it's bullying those beneath you, but to put it harshly, it's undermining the very foundation of the Skynet Sect! Do you still want to be a hall master? The more Zyaire thought about it, the angrier he became. If it weren't for the fact that Malcolm was a hall master and there were many disciples watching under the Yin Yang Platform, he would have slapped Malcolm away a long time ago. Without paying any more attention to Malcolm, Zyaire turned his gaze to Titus. Cultivation at the Ninth Level of Qi Refining Stage? Zyaire nodded slightly. Such a cultivation was considered proper among his peers in the Outer Sect. If he cultivated properly in the future, he would be able to catch up with the core disciples in terms of cultivation level. After all, those who could become blade cultivators needed to have strong willpower, and there was still plenty of room for growth, especially considering that Titus was still very young. Huh? Suddenly, Zyaire's brow furrowed as he sensed that something was wrong. He even began to doubt whether he was wrong. After a second assessment, Zyaire's face darkened and he asked Titus, "Is your Sea of Qi damaged? "Yes," Titus admitted. "How much of your Sea of Qi remains intact?" Zyaire asked, his face showing concern. "About thirty percent," Titus replied honestly. "Thirty percent..." This revelation visibly disheartened Zyaire. It was like discovering a precious treasure, only to find it severely damaged, significantly diminishing its value. This feeling was far from pleasant. At this moment, Zyaire realized that the bald elder and the stunningly beautiful girl in white were nowhere to be seen. They were clearly following behind just a moment ago; how did they disappear so suddenly? Could it be that upon seeing this youngster Sea of Qi damaged, they simply chose not to meet? Zyaire speculated that this must be the case. Otherwise, why would the bald elder, who originally intended to meet Titus, vanish without a trace? It was evident that he wasn't impressed with the half-ruined Titus. With only thirty percent of his Sea of Qi intact, Titus's potential for future growth was extremely limited, especially in terms of reaching higher realms. The probability of breaking into the next realm was very low. It was quite possible that Titus would remain at the Qi Refining Stage for the rest of his life. Thinking this, Zyaire consoled himself, "Well, if only thirty percent of the Sea of Qi remains, so be it. Since he's already here, we might as well reluctantly nurture him as an Inner Sect disciple. The resources required for an Inner Sect disciple are not too significant, after all." "What is your name?" Zyaire asked. "Titus," Titus replied. "Alright, Titus, are you willing to join the Inner Sect? If you agree, I, as an Elder, can directly admit you into the Inner Sect and you will enjoy all the benefits that come with being an Inner Sect disciple." Zyaire stood with his hands behind his back, expecting Titus to be as grateful as those Outer Sect disciples who had been handpicked for the Inner Sect. To his surprise, Titus showed no reaction for a long time. Was he too surprised? Zyaire noticed that Titus's expression remained unchanged, which immediately gave him a bad feeling. His brow furrowed. "The Elder’s kindness is appreciated," Titus said earnestly, "but I do not wish to join the Inner Sect." Not join the Inner Sect? The Outer Sect disciples watching were all shocked by Titus's response. "Why not?" Zyaire's face darkened. "Because I was treated unfairly within the sect!" Titus declared. What... A wave of astonishment swept through the onlookers at these words. Zyaire's face grew even more displeased, but he still managed to contain his anger, saying sternly, "The Skynet Sect has not treated you poorly. How dare you claim to have been treated unfairly?" "If the sect treated me fairly, then why, after I killed an opponent on the Yin Yang Platform, did the Heavenly Ultimate Hall Master immediately try to kill me and seek revenge for his son? What purpose does the Yin Yang Platform serve if not for disciples to resolve their disputes?" Titus asked with conviction. Zyaire, faced with this questioning, turned an iron shade of blue. After casting a severe glance at Malcolm, he declared loudly, "The Heavenly Ultimate Hall Master has violated the sect rules, and will be dealt with accordingly later. That's all for now. You may step down." "Elder, I have not finished speaking." Titus took a deep breath and continued, "If I was treated fairly within the sect, why, as an Inner Sect disciple just seven days ago, was my Sea of Qi destroyed and I injured, only to be sent back to my place of origin?" Zyaire became infuriated, thinking how unreasonable Titus was. Given that so many Outer Sect disciples were watching and to avoid a greater impact, Zyaire still spoke, "Where there is martial cultivation, disputes and fights among Outer Sect disciples are inevitable, let alone among the prouder Inner Sect disciples. Shouldn’t the grievances between disciples be settled by the disciples themselves? Don’t you understand this?" Zyaire retorted, somewhat surprised to learn that Titus was originally an Inner Sect disciple. "If it were a dispute among disciples settled on the Yin Yang Platform, even if I died, I would not have said another word. However, what happened to me was not a dispute on the Yin Yang Platform but an ambush by a group of Inner Sect disciples. They not only destroyed my Sea of Qi but also stole my Martial Spirit seed." Titus spoke firmly, "I would like to ask the Elder, what is the punishment for premeditated theft of a Martial Spirit seed within the Skynet Sect?" Zyaire's face became uglier, sensing something was very wrong. Premeditated theft of a Martial Spirit seed... While others might not know, he was aware of some details. Recently, some Inner Sect disciples had gone too far, acting recklessly under the protection of their backers. It used to be manageable, but now they had crossed the line. It was time to make an example of one or two of them. After hesitating for a moment, Zyaire finally spoke, "Theft of a Martial Spirit seed is a taboo. In our Skynet Sect, the punishment is light for those whose cultivation is abolished and who are expelled from the Sect, and severe for those who are executed on the spot." "Then, the person who destroyed my cultivation and stole my Martial Spirit seed is Chloe. How should she be dealt with?" Titus asked. The area fell silent in an instant. Aside from Malcolm, who maintained a stern face, everyone else was shocked. Zyaire's cheeks twitched continuously, and his expression became complicated and bizarre as he looked at Titus. If it were a typical Inner Sect disciple, punishment would have been simple. But Chloe was different; she was the Sect Master's personal disciple. Not only was Zyaire unqualified to punish Chloe, but even if he were, he would not do so. The repercussions would be too significant. Moreover, Chloe's reputation had been growing rapidly of late, even overshadowing other personal disciples. Just yesterday, news came that Chloe's Seventh-Grade Lightning Beast had transformed, alarming even the Supreme Elders, who were considering making her the chief disciple. What does being the chief disciple mean? That is the future Sect Master. As soon as the current Sect Master steps down, the chief disciple can take over directly. To offend Chloe, who had a strong chance of becoming the future Sect Master, for the sake of a half-ruined blade cultivator was something not even a fool would do. "Do you have any evidence that Chloe destroyed your cultivation and stole your Martial Spirit seed?" Zyaire glared at Titus. His tone, which had softened slightly, now turned severe again, changing as quickly as the weather. In truth, Titus had never expected that by revealing the truth, Zyaire would report it and severely punish Chloe. Because it was unrealistic. Titus spoke out because he wanted to see Zyaire's attitude and whether the Skynet Sect truly treated its disciples fairly and justly. Of course, Titus did not expect absolute fairness, as it does not exist in the world. But even superficial fairness would have been enough, at least showing that there was still hope in the Skynet Sect. After all, he had been there for three full years, and it was impossible not to have developed some feelings. However, upon learning that Chloe was the one who ruined him, Zyaire's attitude changed 180 degrees instantly. The last bit of hope in Titus's heart was completely extinguished. In fact, Titus did have evidence. As long as the Skynet Sect's higher-ups were willing to summon Chloe, Titus could use a method from the Venerable Clowde's memory to retrieve his Martial Spirit seed and thus prove his claim. But would the Skynet Sect's higher-ups do this? They would not! When choosing between Chloe and Titus, they would naturally choose Chloe. In the end, Titus chose silence. At this point, whether he had evidence or not was meaningless. He had completely lost hope in the Skynet Sect. Seeing that Titus remained silent, Zyaire sneered, "Titus, without any evidence, you slander the Sect Master's personal disciple, Chloe. You spread false information here, confusing the hearts of the Skynet Sect disciples. As an Inner Sect Elder of the Skynet Sect, today I will execute you on the spot to set an example for others." Furious, Zyaire pointed a finger at Titus, and terrifying power surged with it, causing the Yin Yang Platform to tremble as if it might collapse at any moment. This power was something the current Titus could not withstand. Suddenly, a bald elder appeared in front of Titus and punched directly at Zyaire. The domineering and brutal force of the punch roared like thunder, shaking the heavens. Zyaire was sent flying backward by this punch, landing three feet away, his face pale. Before he could react, the bald elder had already whisked Titus away through the air. In the back of the crowd, a pair of beautiful eyes remained fixed on the Yin Yang Platform. They then shook their heads slightly. "No wonder the Skynet Sect has been declining in recent years. How can they raise geniuses in such an atmosphere? The senior members of the sect can only be described as having eyes but not seeing in terms of insight and ability. In fact, they treat reeds as treasures and gems as worthless stones...”