The aura soared, thick and wild, reaching a level that matched the fifth-turn Mahayana realm!

"This… this is close to the aura of fifth-turn Mahayana. How is this possible?!" Lyralei's voice trembled, her face pale with shock, the words caught in her throat.

A cold smile flickered across Althea's face, her long hair billowing like a dark banner in a storm.

"Lyralei, you are too conceited. Sooner or later, the Azure Origin Dao Sect will be destroyed by your own hands!"

The ferocious aura between the two women erupted instantly, shaking the very air of the sect.

Powerful cultivators from all sixteen peaks rushed toward the Holy Hall. Within moments, the assembled peak masters filled the grand chamber, all eyes drawn to the duel unfolding between Althea and Lyralei.

Shock marked every expression as they stared.

Althea—the master of Sword Peak—stood defiant before Empress Lyralei.

Though Althea was famed for her natural sword body and unmatched talent, none had imagined that after her relatively brief cultivation journey, she would now radiate power comparable to a fifth-turn Mahayana master.

"That's Althea, Sword Peak master?" whispers spread like wildfire.

"Her aura! It's terrifying—just like a powerful fifth-turn Mahayana cultivator!"

"Could it be some secret inheritance from Black Forest Mountain? I heard she ventured there recently looking for opportunities."

"But why does she clash with the empress?"

Lyralei's voice boomed through the hall as she asserted, "The elders arrival is timely. Sword Peak master Althea dares to provoke the empress and justify the sect traitor Ethan. Today, she will be punished, suppressed, and imprisoned in the Demon Sealing Cave for three years of solitary contemplation!"

A hush fell; some exchanged worried glances.

Then, a voice rang out from the crowd, calm but firm: "Master Althea, the white-eyed wolf Ethan took the sect's inheritance and left without permission. He disappeared completely. The empress has been worried about this ever since."

"Hurry and admit your mistake, and this will be over!"

"Yes, we're all members of the same sect. There's no need to escalate this situation."

"Peak Master Althea, please admit your mistake. Your power may match the fifth-turn Mahayana realm, but the Empress recently broke through to the seventh-turn."

"If this turns into a fight, you won't stand a chance."

Althea raised her gaze, piercing and resolute.

"Seniors, there is no need for more words. From this day forth, I, Althea, renounce my position as Sword Peak master. I am no longer a disciple of the Azure Origin Dao Sect!"

The hall fell into stunned silence.

Junior Brother Ethan was... gone.

What was there for her here alone?

Moreover, Azure Origin Dao sect was just her hiding place. She had not made much use of the Dao sect's training resources for so many years, and she had also made a lot of contributions to the sect.

Her bloodline's power had awakened fully.

It would not be long before her family's cultivators found her.

Better to seize this precious time to locate Junior Brother Ethan.

The Dao comprised three thousand paths—but hers followed the heart.

She refused to let their bond end in vain.

She would find Ethan, no matter the outcome.

"Leave the Azure Origin Dao Sect?!"

Lyralei's voice cracked with fury as she gritted her teeth. "Do you truly believe the Azure Origin Dao Sect cannot survive without you and Ethan?"

Althea's laugh was clear, confident, and unwavering. "You'll know soon enough."

Though her words were a taunt, there was steel beneath them.

The sect members exchanged fearful looks.

Ethan's absence had been a weight on their minds.

If Althea left too, the sect would suffer a devastating blow.

One elder, gathering courage, rose to speak with a conciliatory tone.

"Master Althea, may I suggest calmness? Do not let that white-eyed wolf Ethan sow discord and disrupt our sect's harmony."

Althea's gaze sliced through him like a blade, brimming with icy disdain.

The elder's body trembled, chills racing down his spine as her coldness washed over him like a tide.

"Whoever dares to slander Ethan again," Althea warned, voice icy, "do not blame me for severing our old friendship."

Lyralei's fury boiled over, accusations and scorn dripping from her words.

"Althea, you are too presumptuous."

"Do you believe wielding a secret method to momentarily borrow the strength of a fifth-turn Mahayana makes you so bold in my presence?"

Her aura surged violently, breaking through boundaries—the seventh turn of Mahayana blossomed in her power.

Chaos rippled through the hall as Lyralei's pressure swept toward Althea like a violent storm.

The crowd gasped in awe and fear.

"Lyralei's breakthrough to the seventh turn…"

Althea's brows furrowed, a flicker of impatience shadowing her eyes.

This fight served no purpose.

Time was slipping from her grasp.

She must find Junior Brother Ethan—now.

"So what if you've broken through to the seventh turn? I, Althea, am leaving. Can you stop me?"

A mocking chuckle escaped her lips.

She extended a hand and threw the sword talisman—the symbol of her position as Sword Peak master—to a peak elder nearby.

"Mystic Heaven Palace, disperse!"

Without hesitation, she executed two sharp snorts.

"Mystic Heaven Sword Technique, Release!"

In one breath, she abandoned all her practiced sword skills and cultivated techniques tied to the Azure Origin Dao Sect.

The crowd froze.

No one expected such decisiveness.

Cutting herself off from the Dao and resources she had trained in for years—her breath and aura remained unshaken.

"Lyralei, if Ethan is in danger, I will fight you to the death!"

Althea's words cut through the tension like a blade.

Then, she turned and vanished in a brilliant stream of light, fleeing far beyond the Holy Hall's towering gates.

"Her realm remains undiminished… the aura unchanged. How is this possible? How did she do it?" Lyralei stared where Althea disappeared, her expression twisting into ugliness.

Her anger dissipated into cold calculation.

Some could not grasp how it had come to this.

Had the Azure Origin Dao Sect ever treated Althea badly?

Even Ethan, she hasn't treated him badly, right?

A/N:

Extra chapters

100 power stones - 1 Extra chapters

200 power stones - 2 Extra chapters

Capsule - 1 Extra chapters

Massage Chair - 3 Extra chapters

Luxury Car - 5 Extra Chapters

Magic Castle - 15 Extra Chapters

...

Thanks for the Massage Chair: @Sheng_Mei

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.