War was inevitable, and Eryke knew it in his heart. If he killed the young master of the Million Gold Sect and they chose not to hold him responsible, then where would their sect's dignity go?

In other factions, even if a son was slain, the father might not seek vengeance if the enemy was overwhelmingly powerful. But within the Orthodox faction, things were entirely different from the rest.

It was a matter of principle, and if Eryke wasn't punished, the sect could even lose its standing as one of the top three powers.

Eryke understood the weight of the situation all too well, and he knew he might have to face the full force of the sect itself.

But was he afraid?

"Not in a million years." He scoffed.

Hand in hand with Geneva, they walked through the streets and soon arrived at Mount Hua Sect.

Right at the gates, the Sect Leader stood waiting with a bitter expression. "I…"

Eryke lifted his hand. "You don't have to say it, Sect Leader. I know what you're trying to express, and I understand completely." With a small nod, he turned to Geneva. "It seems we'll have to travel a little farther."

Geneva let out a sigh. "You know, we barely know each other. You didn't have to take such a risk for me."

"Is that how you speak to your savior?" Eryke teased.

"Milord, my majesty, the sigma male, the alpha male, you really shouldn't have done all this just for someone as insignificant as me," Geneva teased, the corner of her mouth curving playfully.

"Cough, cough." Eryke cleared his throat. "That's your first misconception. In my eyes, you're never insignificant."

"T… thank you." Geneva lowered her head, trying to hide her face from him.

"Haha, let's go get you leveled up." Eryke gave her a firm pat, and the two were just about to leave.

But then, a small voice rang out, followed by loud sobs:

"Master, don't leave me here!"

Eryke rubbed the back of his head and turned mechanically to see the little devil sprinting toward him, tears streaming down her face as she cried out.

The Sect Leader swiftly blocked her. "You cannot go with him. Your life will be in danger and, with near certainty, might even be taken."

"No! I want to follow my master." The little devil's face was streaked with tears. "Didn't the Sect Leader say it's the greatest virtue for a disciple to follow their master?"

"I… I did say that." The Sect Leader was left speechless.

In that instant, Eryke's figure flickered like a shadow, and he appeared directly before her. "Are you certain you want to follow me, little devil?"

She wiped at her tears and answered through her sobs. "Yes, Master. I want to follow you."

"Very well." Eryke let out a sigh. "But remember, this decision could cost you your life."

"I understand." She nodded her little head firmly. Even knowing her master wasn't joking, she still accepted.

"..."

Eryke stared at the little devil, wondering if something was wrong with her head. "Oh, wait—I forgot, something's always been wrong with your head."

"What!?" The little devil exploded with fury, ready to strike him. But Eryke dodged instantly, and she nearly toppled over. At the last moment, she twisted mid-air, unsheathed her sword, and launched an attack.

Eryke, of course, blocked it with a single finger.

"Come on, Master, let's fight!" the little devil giggled, wildly swinging her blade as she channeled Qi from her dantian to amplify the strikes.

Of course, for Eryke, the one who had taught her those very moves, dodging and defending was effortless, even with his eyes closed.

Before long, the little devil grew exhausted and collapsed to her knees. "You never use Qi, yet you always manage to defeat me."

"As I've told you before, I cannot use Qi." Eryke shook his head calmly. Everything he relied on until now came from mana. He had even modified the Healing Martial Arts to work with it, allowing him to mend himself.

Mana, though somewhat akin to Qi, behaved differently. He couldn't wield it in the same way, but by integrating it with his Sword Will, he could still perform martial arts techniques.

It was just that the process was quite complicated, and so far he had only managed to adapt the Healing Martial Arts.

"Hehe, Master." The little devil sprang back to her feet as if all her energy had returned. "Let's go now."

"...Alright." Eryke gave a small nod, and the two set off, with Geneva following close behind.

The Sect Leader watched their figures fade into the distance. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat, unable to escape. "Sigh, I know you're a prodigy, Eryke, but we cannot allow our sect to be destroyed because of it."

"Master, it's for the best." Elder Fubo nodded his bald head in agreement.

"You don't understand, Elder Fubo. If it were me, I would have followed right behind him," the Sect Leader said casually.

"Wh… what?" Elder Fubo was stunned.

"A sword prodigy, fighting a power far greater than him challenging the principle of the entire Orthodox Faction, doesn't that sound thrilling? We've been so focused on the sheath that we've forgotten the core principle of the Sword." He let out a sigh, lifting his gaze toward the sky. "A sword must be unrestrained to reach greater heights. How I wish I could follow him right now and fight alongside him."

"I might not be as strong as him, nor as talented as he is now, but in my youth I carried the same mindset, never fear powerful enemies, and follow your principles to the very end. Unfortunately, reality struck me harder, I was frail, too weak to reach certain heights in this lifetime."

With his head lowered, the Sect Leader turned and walked away.

Elder Fubo looked at the defeated back of the Sect Leader and the leaving back of the three and rubbed his bald head, "I wish you luck, my friend but the Million Gold Sect is too powerful," he shook his head, not too optimistic.

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