Sorien took a steady breath and began his report.

"The Demon Gate," he said, "has been destroyed."

The moment the words left his mouth, the hall stirred.

One elder leaned forward sharply.

"Destroyed?" he repeated.

His voice hardened.

"That is impossible. The Demon Gate is not something that can be broken so easily."

"To destroy it, one would need power at the peak of the Third Realm, and even then, special weapons would be required."

Sorien nodded calmly, not arguing.

"Yes," he said. "That was also my understanding."

Sorien nodded calmly, not arguing.

"Yes," he said. "That was also my understanding."

Murmurs spread through the elders.

Another elder spoke, voice edged with disbelief. "Explain yourself."

"There is a new force on Demon Gate Island," Sorien continued. "A sect called God Gym."

Several brows furrowed at once.

"God Gym?" one elder scoffed. "What an arrogant name."

Sorien didn't argue. He simply continued.

"Yes," he said. "And according to the people there, it was their leader who destroyed the Demon Gate."

The hall fell quiet.

One elder asked slowly, "You are saying this God Gym destroyed the Demon Gate?"

"Yes," Sorien replied. "Whether one believes their words or not, the fact remains... the gate is gone."

Another elder narrowed his eyes. "Then how was it destroyed?"

Sorien shook his head. "I don't know the exact method."

He paused, then added, "Because it was destroyed from the demon world side."

That did it.

The elders' calm cracked.

"What?"

"From the demon world?"

"That's impossible."

One elder stood halfway from his seat. "Explain. No human can enter the demon world through the Demon Gate. It is formed entirely of demonic mana."

Sorien raised his hand slightly. "That was my first thought as well."

The elders turned back to him.

"Yes," Sorien said, "members of God Gym can enter the demon world through the Demon Gate."

Shock rippled through the hall again.

"Are they demonic cultivators?" an elder demanded.

Sorien smiled faintly. "No. That was the first thing I checked."

He straightened his posture. "I tested them myself. Their minds are stable. Their energy is clean. They are not demonic cultivators."

The elders exchanged uneasy looks.

"Then how," one elder asked slowly, "can they enter the demon world?"

Sorien answered without hesitation. "Because they follow a different path."

"A different path?" an elder repeated.

"Yes," Sorien said. "A cultivation path that focuses on the body."

He gestured lightly with his hand. "Their bodies are tempered to a level where demonic mana cannot corrupt them. To them, demonic mana is pressure, not poison."

Silence followed.

One elder finally nodded. "I see."

He leaned back into his seat. "The Demon Gate is made of demonic mana. To pass through it, one must withstand that mana."

Another elder sighed. "Which normally only demonic cultivators can do."

Sorien met their gaze steadily.

"God Gym," he said, "found another way."

The elders fell quiet, each lost in thought.

Then one of them frowned and slowly raised a hand.

"Wait a moment," the elder said. "If the Demon Gate was destroyed from the demon world side…"

He paused, eyes narrowing.

"…Then doesn't that mean the one who destroyed it is still inside the demon world?"

The hall grew tense.

All eyes turned to Sorien.

Sorien nodded calmly. "Yes. That is correct."

A low murmur spread among the elders.

"To think," another elder said slowly, "that a hero capable of destroying a Demon Gate is now trapped in the demon world…"

Sorien shook his head and smiled faintly. "There's no need to worry, elders."

They looked at him again.

"From what I heard," Sorien continued, "their master is doing quite well in the demon world. Very well, actually."

A few elders blinked.

"…You sound confident," one of them said.

Sorien nodded. "I am. If anything, the demon world should be more worried about him than the other way around."

He added casually, "And if he wants to return, he'll probably come back through another Demon Gate."

That made several elders stiffen.

"…I see," one of them said after a moment. "Is that all of your report?"

Sorien shook his head. "No, elders. There is one more thing."

The room focused again.

"I asked them," Sorien said, "whether they wished to become a grand faction."

The reaction was immediate.

"What?"

"Sorien!"

"You know that is not a light matter!"

Sorien bowed his head slightly. "I know."

He straightened again. "But elders, a sect that can destroy a Demon Gate has already proven its potential. Ignoring them would be more dangerous."

Silence followed.

Finally, an elder asked, "What requirements did you give them?"

Sorien smiled. "Simple ones."

"A fight," he said. "Their current elder fought me personally. Her strength is nearly equal to mine."

The elders were shocked.

"…Equal to you?" one of them said sharply. "You're already close to the peak of the Third Realm."

Sorien nodded. "Yes."

He continued, "So this Sunday, I told them we will meet again. This time, ten of their members will be tested."

He looked up calmly.

"For that," Sorien said, "I request permission to borrow ten members from our clan to act as examiners."

The elders exchanged long looks.

No one spoke at first.

Then one of them finally broke the silence.

"I see," the elder said slowly. "Then which members are you planning to take with you?"

Sorien straightened his posture.

"I will take members from the younger generation," he replied calmly.

Several elders raised their eyebrows.

"The young ones?" one elder asked. "Not the veterans?"

Sorien nodded. "Yes."

He clasped his hands behind his back.

"They need to see the world," he said. "Not just books, not just training grounds, but real strength."

He paused for a moment, his tone sharpening slightly.

"And frankly, elders… some of the younger generation have grown too arrogant."

The hall fell quiet again.

"They were born into a grand clan," Sorien continued. "They grew up protected, praised, and told they are special."

He looked around the room. "But we are not conquerors. We are guardians of the world."

His voice remained calm, but there was weight behind it.

"I cannot tolerate a mentality that looks down on others simply because of birth or status."

One elder tapped his fingers against the armrest, thinking.

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