As fires raged around the Toxic Blade Sect, the Elders came flying out from their studies as soon as they heard the commotion. The sight of their sacred Sect and the surrounding woodlands ablaze caused their eyes to redden in rage.
One Elder, known as Jaxon, bellowed amidst the turmoil, "What the hell is going on?! What happened?!"
A disciple that was near Elder Jaxon turned and said, panicked, "We don't know! All of a sudden, everything just burst into flames!!"
That disciple received a smack to the back of the head as Elder Jaxon yelled, "Moron! Do you think I can't see that?! I want to know how this happened and why?!"
Rubbing the tender spot on the back of his head, the disciple managed a more composed response. "Apologies Elder, but we haven't found the culprit behind this sudden attack yet."
"Useless!!" Elder Jaxon pushed the disciple to the side and rushed to where the fire was the worst.
"Fuck! I swear, when I get my hands on the one who did this, I'll wring them dry like a wet towel!" He couldn't help but curse out loud, but inwardly, he was shocked at the sight of the forest on fire.
The Forbidden Forest wasn't an ordinary place. Everything inside it was connected to the Heartwood Corruptor, meaning that the trees had a certain level of strength and durability to them.
Ordinary flames wouldn't even be able to leave a char on their bark. Rather, most of those trees were as durable as Heaven-Grade equipment. Thus, only something of that level would be able to cause them harm, much less start a forest fire.
Jaxon, along with the other Elders, assumed that the assailant was probably in the Soul Transformation Realm and was either using Heaven-Grade or perhaps even Mystical-Grade treasures to set their Sect ablaze.
Any weaker, and they wouldn't have been able to infiltrate the Sect and cause so much damage. While if the perpetrator were any stronger, the damage would've been much worse.
'But… who would be so daring to do such a thing and why?' Jaxon thought. The Battle Maiden Sect flashed through his mind, but after a moment of consideration, he shook his head.
'They're still at war. Plus, the Sect Master just left to go rain hell upon their Sect. Why would Aelina send someone to cause trouble here when she's at risk of losing everything herself?' Logically, it didn't make sense.
However, Jaxon didn't have time to ponder on this as he noticed something odd happening around him.
As the Elders and disciples scurried around, attempting to mitigate the fire's damage, the forest's fumes rapidly turned the situation from dire to disastrous. The Forbidden Forest, known for its deadly toxicity, reacted violently to the fire. A choking, poisonous cloud of smoke enveloped the entire sect, becoming a second, insidious enemy alongside the raging fire.
Despite the Toxic Blade Sect disciples' cultivation of poison Qi, they found themselves coughing and choking on the fumes. The toxicity was more potent than any they had faced before, and even though their immunity softened the impact, they could still feel the venomous burn in their lungs.
"Elder Jaxon!" a disciple managed to gasp out amidst coughs, "The smoke...it's too toxic...even for us..."
Jaxon grimaced, his eyes watering not just from the smoke but also from the realization of their dire situation. He shouted orders above the chaos, his voice echoing in the smoke-filled air. "Everyone, mask your faces with your Qi! Try to filter out the poison!"
But the issues didn't stop at the fumes. The fire was not like any ordinary blaze – it was spreading too quickly, too voraciously. Jaxon noticed how it seemed to jump across distances that should have been safe from its reach.
A sense of dread settled in his heart. It was as if the fire was intentionally guided, its purpose not merely to damage but to reveal – to expose their Sect to the world by stripping away their natural cloak of the forest.
Just as this chilling thought formed in his mind, a horrifying sight caught his eye. A part of the forest that was previously untouched suddenly ignited as if an invisible hand had guided the flame there.
"An array! They're using an array!" He shouted over the roaring flames, his heart pounding with anger. The realization of this deliberate attack sparked a new wave of fury within him.
He released his Soul Sense in hopes of finding something, but his mind was quickly overwhelmed with all sorts of information. However, he skimmed through it all, looking for anything out of place, but even after a few seconds, he didn't spot the intruders.
'Are there really any intruders?' Jaxon began to think. What set their Sect apart from others was the fact that one had to transform their Qi into poison Qi. It wasn't something that could be accomplished just because one wanted to.
Even if the intruder was able to hide from the other disciples, they shouldn't be able to escape his senses. However, everyone he found had a similar aura to one another.
'Is there a traitor in our midst? One of the Core disciples?' That thought seemed to make Jaxon even angrier compared to when he figured it was an intruder.
As his mind spun, Jaxon worked to quell the rising panic within him. The idea of a traitor lurking amidst their ranks was not something he had considered. Yet, as he mulled over it, the suspicion grew stronger. It was true that infiltrating the Toxic Blade Sect required mastery of the poison Qi, a feat that only their own disciples could claim.
"Damn it!" he spat, his anger now directed inward. "How could we have let this happen? If there's a traitor, it means our own people have been turned against us!"
Meanwhile, the battle against the toxic smoke and rampaging fire continued. Jaxon's earlier shout for everyone to use their Qi as a filter had helped, but the poisonous smoke was relentless, slowly sapping their strength and vitality.
Jaxon knew he had to act quickly. The fact that he couldn't sense anyone different by using his Soul Sense meant that whoever was responsible had not only mastered the poison Qi but was also skilled at concealing their aura. This realization sent a chill down his spine. If they were dealing with a disciple of such caliber, then who knows what sort of damage they may cause.
"Elders!" he called out to the other high-ranking sect members. "Join me in a Soul Sense scan. Look for anything... anyone out of the ordinary. I fear we might have a traitor amongst us!"
Even as the words left his lips, Jaxon felt a pang of regret. Accusing one of their own of such treachery felt wrong. But the evidence was pointing in that direction, and he couldn't ignore it. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but if it meant protecting the Sect, he was willing to do whatever it took.
So, amidst the rising flames and toxic smoke, the Elders closed their eyes and extended their Soul Senses. They knew they were not just looking for an intruder but possibly a traitor. The thought added a certain weight to their mission, a sense of urgency that they hadn't felt before.
This was the best time to find the culprit; if they missed him now, who knows if they'd ever be able to find him?
As they scanned their surroundings, the raging flames seemed to grow more wild, the toxic smoke more potent. Every second that passed felt like a minute, every minute an hour.
Only when they focused more on their surroundings did they notice that they'd been robbed! Someone had stolen all kinds of rare herbs, pills, techniques, and treasures right from under their noses! They'd been so preoccupied with the fire that they didn't even notice!
"Elder Jaxon!" Elder Silas, an Elder known for his soul strength, shouted over the deafening roar of the fire. "Our treasury, the herb gardens, the secret pill chambers... all have been raided!"
Jaxon's heart sank even lower. Not only were they dealing with a traitor, but the Sect was being robbed blind. "Impossible! We've been tricked!"
He clutched his chest, his heart pounding in disbelief and anger. The flames, the smoke, the toxic forest... everything was just a distraction, an elaborate ruse to lead them astray. Whoever this traitor was, they had been methodically planning this for quite some time.
As he processed the enormity of the betrayal, the realization of their desperate situation set in. His fists clenched tightly as he barked out orders to his fellow Elders. "Secure the remaining treasures! Alert the disciples! We have a traitor amongst us!"
The Sect was in pandemonium. The fires were spreading uncontrollably, the poisonous smoke was choking them, and the news of the theft added to their rising panic. Amidst the chaos, each Elder, filled with fury, rallied their respective disciples to protect what was left of their wealth and dignity.
Meanwhile, the "traitor" lurked in the shadows. A figure cloaked in a black robe moved swiftly, blending in seamlessly with the panicked disciples inside the fires. A light smirk played upon her lips as she ran through the flames, doing her best to avoid any Soul Senses from spotting her while killing anyone she made eye contact with.
