Chapter 61: The End of the Divine Mist’s Secret Realm

While more than fourteen days had passed for those inside the Secret Realm of the Divine Mist, only seven hours had gone by outside.

The courtyard in front of the four gates was still packed. Disciples, masters, and members of various families stood together.

Thrones for the most powerful elders sat at the highest point of the courtyard. The best seat, right next to the Sect Leader, belonged to Selene.

She sat with her back straight and her fingers tense, watching the gates anxiously as time inside the secret realm ran out.

For almost the entire wait, neither she nor the Sect Leader said a word.

Selene waved her fan, a powerful artifact, back and forth. With every swing, an icy breeze brushed over her skin, stirring the loose strands of black hair at her temples.

"I know about your problems with my son, Selene."

The old Sect Leader’s voice came out low and firm beside her.

Selene was also an Ashen, though she came from a very distant branch of the Sect Leader’s family.

That was why she would keep the Ashen surname even if she divorced Luke.

Still, for Dorian, it would be best if Selene stayed married to his son.

The fan stopped in midair for a moment. Then it started moving again, a little faster than before.

"You needn’t worry so much about my relationship with that scoundrel, Lord Dorian," Selene replied, never taking her eyes off the doors.

"For now, I just want to devote myself to Kael and my daughter in the Red Dragon Empire. When Kael obtains the token from the Golden Alliance Sect, I’ll accompany him as his protector..."

Dorian didn’t react to the insult aimed at his son. He didn’t even raise an eyebrow.

But when he heard that Selene planned to go with Kael as his protector, the old man went still, his fingers resting on the arm of the throne.

"You’ve only just advanced to the Spirit Transformation Realm... Don’t you think it would be better to stay in seclusion for now? You should try to reach the peak of this realm as soon as possible before going out into the world," Dorian said, frowning with concern.

He let out a heavy sigh and went on.

"Besides, Kael will have to compete with David, an outer disciple of the Golden Alliance Sect, not to mention young Siel and young Darius...

The chances of even a single Recruitment Token turning up are slim. And if one does, the competition will be fierce."

Dorian’s expression darkened a little more.

He opened his mouth to continue but was forced to stop.

A loud crack split the air and echoed across the square, signaling the end of the Secret Realm of the Divine Mist’s opening.

All four gates swung open at once with a deep, groaning creak. Golden mist poured out of them and spread across the stone floor like warm water, carrying a faint smell of damp earth and wild herbs.

Soon the first figures began to emerge, and before long, hundreds of disciples had formed a long line in front of the gates.

Some were grinning from ear to ear. Others walked out with their heads down.

Some had lost companions. Others had killed their enemies and left the bodies for the beasts of the secret realm to get rid of.

Darius and Siel were among the last to come out. Their faces were red with rage, and their clothes were still caked with dirt.

They shot each other sideways glares, fists clenched, looking ready to go for each other’s throats.

Selene scanned the line once, twice, three times. Kael was nowhere to be seen.

She shot up from the throne, gripping her closed fan so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her heart was pounding, and her chest heaved beneath her robe with each shaky breath.

Dorian reached out to take her hand and reassure her, but just then the last two figures stepped out of the golden mist.

It was Kael and Seraphine.

Kael’s cultivation felt far more powerful than before. And to everyone’s surprise, Seraphine seemed to have made a huge breakthrough, reaching the fourth stage of the Golden Core Realm.

Murmurs spread through the square like wildfire.

Darius and Siel noticed too.

They immediately realized that Kael and Seraphine were the very people they had been lying in wait for at that gate inside the secret realm.

Feeling the pressure of Seraphine’s cultivation, both of them shuddered as a cold chill ran down their spines.

They had been very lucky that Kael and Seraphine had taken another path, whatever it was.

Seraphine had already been exceptional, and Kael had far too many secrets.

Add the gap in cultivation on top of that, and any fight would have been a one-sided massacre.

Kael held Seraphine’s hand tightly. He gave her fingers a gentle squeeze before letting go.

Then he walked toward the Sect Leader, his grandfather. The crowd parted for him, and his steady footsteps echoed off the stone.

He stopped in front of the old man’s throne and took the golden token out of his spatial ring.

Holding the token between his clasped fists, he bowed deeply.

"Grandfather, your grandson Kael Ashen has obtained the Golden Alliance Sect’s Recruitment Token!" Kael declared in a strong voice.

As his voice rang out, every gaze that had been fixed on Seraphine turned to Kael.

After so many years, someone had finally found another Recruitment Token from the Golden Alliance Sect.

Many people celebrated the news, but the Purewind family was seething with rage.

Lucian was nowhere to be found. And now Seraphine, who had turned out to be far more talented than they had ever imagined, was looking at Kael with nothing but love in her eyes.

Dorian let out a loud, booming laugh and pounded his fist on the arm of the throne so hard that the wood cracked.

He got up, walked over to Kael, and pulled his grandson into a tight hug, clapping him firmly on the back.

"Well done! The heavens truly smile upon my Fallen Sword Sect!" he declared, his voice full of pride.

What he really meant was "my Ashen family," but that hardly mattered.

Still smiling broadly, the old man stepped back and pointed to the token in Kael’s hands.

"Go on, put a drop of blood on the Recruitment Token. That will alert the Golden Alliance Sect, and they’ll send a flying ship to pick you up," Dorian said.

Kael nodded and did as he was told.