Finally, the Vermilion Demon Lord spoke slowly, his voice heavy with sorrow. “That place… It’s where her old sect used to be. As for those charms, I’ve never seen anything like them, but since she left them behind, they must serve some purpose. Her sect… I destroyed it long ago. By now, it’s probably just ruins. No matter how hard I searched afterward, I never saw her again…”
Tears welled in his eyes and ran down his face. It was clear that he had truly cared for Selene. For a great demon lord to fall for an immortal was rare, and most people would not understand it. After all, in many eyes, a Demonic Cultivator was not considered a proper cultivator at all.
Jared frowned. He realized Selene had probably left the address and the charms to pass on a message or to guide him somewhere.
She likely did not tell the Vermilion Demon Lord directly, expecting that he would eventually uncover the secret on his own.
But no one could have predicted what came next. The Vermilion Demon Lord eventually became consumed by bloodlust and was defeated in the Ethereal Realm, leaving only a soul remnant behind. It stayed in the Ethereal Realm and never returned.
So the secret hidden in the pattern had remained undiscovered all this time!
If Jared had not brought the Vermilion Demon Lord to Level Nine, and if the Vermilion Demon Lord had not sent him to this hiding place, the secret might have stayed buried forever.
“I’m going to check out that address and see if I can find any clues,” Jared said, calm but determined. He knew Selene would not leave something like this without a reason.
If the address and charms could unlock an ancient ruins, it could be a huge gain for him. Even if he found nothing, it would not be a waste. He could at least explore, since he currently had no resources and could not continue cultivating.
The Vermilion Demon Lord did not object. He only warned Jared to be careful. After all, no one knew what had become of Selene’s former sect.
It could be abandoned and filled with dangers, or maybe remnants of her old followers were still guarding it, unwilling to let outsiders trespass.
Jared nodded. He understood the risks and uncertainties of the journey, but his curiosity and desire to explore left him no choice. He would go forward.
Leaving the cave, Jared vanished in an instant. Following the coordinates from the pattern, Jared arrived at the site of Selene’s former sect.
What greeted him, however, was a wasteland, as if time itself had forgotten this place. The once-grand buildings of the sect were now little more than crumbling walls and overgrown weeds.
A soft breeze stirred the dust, rustling through the ruins like whispers of past glory and present desolation. So this is Selene’s sect… Mr. Vermilion, you really were ruthless, wiping out the entire order…
A heavy weight settling in Jared’s chest. For the sake of Selene, the Vermilion Demon Lord had destroyed her entire sect.
Truly, love could drive one to life-and-death extremes…
Jared carefully scanned the ruins, leaving no detail unnoticed, hoping to find some clue among the devastation.
Standing amid toppled pillars and shattered walls, he could not help but feel the full force of the contrast, a place once revered as an immortal sanctuary, now reduced to fragments and silence. Jared carefully scanned the surroundings, searching for anything that might serve as a clue.
Then, suddenly, the charms embedded in his body began to warm slightly, as if resonating with some unseen force in the ruins.
His heart skipped a beat. Focusing his senses, he traced the source of the sensation. It seemed to be coming from deep within the ruins.
Could these charms be connected to something over there? Jared set off toward the direction of the resonance, every step measured, alert, and purposeful.
