Damned Healer

Lachlan's words shocked everyone. The only one whose expression didn't change was Sect Leader Murral. It was as if he'd known all along.

"Bastard, you traitor! It's because of people like you that my brother died!!"

A streak of light shot toward Lachlan. It was a wind arrow fired at full speed, hitting him almost instantly after being launched.

Luckily, Darian was ready and moved almost like teleporting, appearing two meters away, still holding him by the neck.

*BOOM!*

The attack exploded on the martial stage. That power wasn't meant to intimidate—it was meant to kill both of them if possible.

"He's one of the spies, too?" Darian asked.

Everyone in the arena turned in one direction. The attack had come from one of the Deans.

"Yes!" Lachlan roared in affirmation. Only after answering the questions did the black mark on his body disappear.

When that attack failed, the Dean turned suddenly and saw Murral behind him, a spear tip aimed at his head.

The Dean squinted and shouted, "I'm innocent! This is clearly Zlark and his son slandering others!!"

Even though he claimed innocence, all his actions revealed he was a traitor.

The entire crowd tensed. Everyone drew their weapons, eyes deadly. They knew there were traitors, but never imagined the Deans would be involved.

At that moment, Darian snorted and threw Lachlan back.

*Pierce! BOOOM!*

A red rain was visible to all. Lachlan was turned into a brutal mist of blood.

Remira struck like lightning, wielding a spear. She had hated that guy for a long time and had wanted to kill him before. She'd had chances but didn't act because it would've caused big problems in the sect; she wasn't that crazy or stupid. But now, she unleashed her hatred.

Darian didn't forget to collect a good amount of the dead man's blood. Afterward, he turned his gaze back to the Sect Leader. Just by observing his expression, he realized that Murral had known this for a long time and that everything was under his control.

Suddenly, the traitor stiffened. Murral spoke calmly:

"Gilison, exactly eighty-seven years ago, you met a woman. She used her beauty to seduce you and then revealed she was an ally of the Radiant King Dohans. You were shocked when you realized she was a spy, yet you couldn't resist her charm. Her promises ensnared you, and you became an informant inside the sect. Only three years later did you open your eyes and see that, among all the Deans, seven of you were in the same boat. Am I right?"

The man named Gilison was stunned. All of that was ultra-secret. He didn't even remember the exact moment, but the Sect Leader wasn't wrong.

"How dare you?!" roared a powerful figure from the sect near him.

Gilison's face was dark and pained; he knelt on the ground, knowing it was all over for him.

After a heavy exhale, Murral roared so the entire arena and sect could hear:

"Whoever is a spy, step forward. Don't make me name you one by one. Don't cling to the illusion that I don't know, and don't try to bluff your way out. I'll give only one chance. Whether you grab it or not is up to you."

At that instant, over five hundred powerful sect members had already surrounded the Deans in the arena. All seven wore completely twisted expressions.

"I wanted to bring my family to glory, but instead, I'll go down in history for my infamy… well, fuck it!"

One of the Deans spoke miserably. Then he drove a dagger into his own primordial core, committing suicide.

His body fell to the ground.

Several people in the arena bowed their heads and stepped forward. Everyone was stunned when they saw them. There were thousands. They never imagined the Divine Seven-Star Sect was infiltrated to such an extent.

Moreover, all these people had some power within the sect. They were respected figures on their own merit. Only people like that mattered to the enemies.

Within minutes, more and more people stepped forward. Seeing so many spies among them sent a cold shiver through the crowd… could the sect really survive this long with so many infiltrations?

The answer was obvious, but no one wanted to believe it. Some had lived relaxed, sure they wouldn't be destroyed this generation, maybe not even the next… but every day, death was approaching. They eventually died miserably without realizing it.

Even Remira was left speechless. Several among those people were ones she knew. They had never treated her badly, and she considered them decent… which proved she hadn't truly sensed them correctly.

Her mother had always warned her about this—she couldn't let herself be swayed by people's words or tiny actions. She had to keep her eyes wide open and notice every detail. If Darian hadn't shown up and done so much… maybe in the future she would've ended up in an extreme, dangerous situation.

"Anyone else? This is your last chance." Murral looked at everyone one more time.

After that, no one stepped forward. Time passed, and millions of people stayed completely silent. Only heartbeats and nervous breaths could be heard.

"So the old man really had everything under control," Remira murmured next to Darian.

He nodded—there were always intelligent, capable people somewhere.

The Sect Leader spoke for the last time: "The fate of each of you is yours. I gave you a chance, but you didn't take it. So don't blame me."

He pressed his leader emblem. Suddenly, terrified screams echoed through the crowd.

Some people felt their emblems—which always stayed close to their bodies and weren't supposed to be worn—pulsing and piercing their flesh.

Then…

A macabre explosion of blood and guts made everyone's eyes widen.

"What?!" The scene horrified everyone.

Murral shook his head. "At a moment like this, instead of feeling regret, you still expected to turn things around on your own. It's obvious how blinded by greed you are. There's no salvation for you. Every time you made any kind of deal with them, I was aware. When people age, they lose interest in most things, but gossip and chatter always attract. If I didn't pay attention to it, I would have failed in my duty."

The leader's words reached every ear. At that moment, no one dared underestimate that old man anymore—always friendly and seemingly distracted. Only then did they realize the cunning he possessed.

"For the others who stepped forward, congratulations—you've saved your lives. You will be judged and punished according to your crimes, fairly."

Remira and Darian snorted. Sparing the lives of traitors?

But they already saw the old man wasn't foolish. They'd probably be enslaved and used as puppets in battles with nearly a 100% chance of dying. In the end, they'd die serving the sect.

Finally, Murral roared with a voice like thunder:

"I formally announce: From today onward, the Vice-Leader has full authority over the Divine Seven-Star Sect. Anyone who questions his decisions will be punished with the severest penalties. His orders and commands must be carried out with the utmost care."

After saying this, Murral turned and left, leaving everyone staring at Darian in shock. At that moment, it became perfectly clear: the entire Divine Seven-Star Sect was destined to change completely.