Chapter 116: Refining the Living Pill, the Cruelty of the Evil Way

“Agreed.”

Elder Withered Wood did not refuse Severus’s request.

Gaining control over Albigensians Sect was beneficial to him as well.

Within Pyrenees County, no other faction could rival Albigensians Sect’s influence and reach.

With the sect under his grasp, the resources, manpower, and influence of the region would become his to command.

Though Velmora State  was slightly larger than Aragon State, Elder Withered Wood had already established his own domain there.

In fact, every Level 4 elder of the Velmorian Sect held a territory of their own within Velmora State —a realm where their authority was absolute.

A simple flick of his wrist, and a jade scroll map emerged from his storage ring. Without hesitation, he tossed it to Elder Severus.

“The marked region on this map—a thousand miles in territory—now belongs to Albigensians Sect.”

“If Aragon State becomes unstable, you may relocate your sect there. Under the Velmorian Sect’s protection, no one will dare to challenge you.”

His tone was calm and indifferent.

Though he was a demonic cultivator, he understood the simple truth: if you want loyalty, you must offer benefits.

So long as he achieved his true objective, there was no need to drive them into utter despair.

Seeing how readily Elder Withered Wood agreed, Grandmaster Severus no longer hesitated.

He reached out, took the Gu parasite pill from Withered Wood’s palm—and swallowed it whole.

The moment the parasitic Gu entered his body, Grandmaster Severusfelt a chilling sensation coiling around his dantian.

In that instant, he knew—his very life was now bound to Elder Withered Wood’s will.

Compared to the so-called Soul-Sealing Slave Marks, this Gu parasite’s control was absolute.

A Level 4 cultivator’s slave mark could, at least in theory, be removed by a Level 5 expert.

But this Gu parasite…

It had rooted itself within his very dantian—a place even a Level 5 cultivator could not cleanse without permanently crippling him.

Unless Elder Withered Wood willed it, there was no escape.

Even if a Level 5 expert descended from the heavens, they would be unable to remove it without shattering his very core.

“Good.”

Elder Withered Wood turned his gaze upon the gathered cultivators, his voice carrying a chilling authority.

“All cultivators at the Level 1 stage and above—step forward and accept the Gu parasite.”

To him, mortals and low-level martial artists were nothing more than ants.

Controlling their fates was pointless.

His focus was on the elites.

By controlling the high-ranking figures of the Albigensians Sect, he did not need to bother with the lower ranks—they would be managed by their own leaders.

At his command, many of the sect’s elders and deacons visibly hesitated.

Their expressions were rigid, conflicted.

They did not want to surrender to the demonic path.

And even if they did, they were unwilling to place their lives directly in Withered Wood’s hands.

“Oh?”

“Are you… refusing?”

Elder Withered Wood’s voice turned ice-cold.

Before he even finished speaking, Grandmaster Severus acted decisively.

Without hesitation, he summoned his artifact—striking down a hesitant elder in the blink of an eye.

A Level 1 realm cultivator—executed instantly.

Grandmaster Severus had made his choice.

Now, anyone who opposed him… was his enemy.

He had already swallowed the Gu—his fate was sealed.

These stubborn deacons and elders refusing to submit?

They were a threat to his new allegiance.

And Grandmaster Severus was not a man of mercy.

He had always been ruthless—whether toward rivals, traitors, or even his own kin.

If someone stood in his way, he would eliminate them without hesitation.

And now, standing in the presence of Elder Withered Wood, he wasted no time demonstrating his absolute loyalty.

The execution was not just a warning.

It was a declaration.

“Defy me—and you will die.”

In the past, he had upheld the image of a righteous cultivator.

But now?

There was no longer any need for pretense.

Seeing one of their own elders slaughtered on the spot, countless disciples trembled in fear.

The faith they had placed in Albigensians Sect began to crumble.

The kind and benevolent Severus—the man who once preached virtue and righteousness—

Had not only embraced the demonic path…

But had turned his blade against his own sect without hesitation.

Some of the more experienced disciples, those who had cultivated for years within Albigensians Sect, remained calm.

The longer one walked the path of cultivation, the more one understood its cruel truths.

There was no absolute good or evil—only absolute interests.

But even in a sect like Albigensians, where strength reigned supreme, there were still a handful who clung to righteousness, who refused to abandon their beliefs.

At that moment, a seemingly unremarkable elder stepped forward.

A Level 2 cultivator, standing on the verge of a breakthrough to Perfection.

His appearance was ordinary, his robes simple and worn, and in his hand, he gripped a plain, azure longsword.

As he emerged from the crowd, many Albigensians Sect disciples and elders assumed he had chosen to surrender—that he, like the others, was ready to swallow the Gu parasite and submit.

But then—

With a sharp metallic whisper, he drew his sword.

His gaze was icy and resolute, locked upon Grandmaster Severus And Weathered Wood.

“Demonic filth! How dare you!”

“Aragon State is a land of righteousness!”

“To bring chaos and corruption here—do you take us for cowards?”

His voice rang with unwavering defiance.

Raising his sword, he turned his burning gaze upon Severus, his words filled with fury:

“Albigensians Sect has endured for millennia. Our ancestors decreed that this sect was founded to guide and protect the people—to uphold order in this land!”

“The demonic path sees mortals as livestock, the weak as insects!”

“And you! A Grand Elder of Albigensians Sect—have you no shame? When you fall into the cycle of reincarnation, how will you face our ancestors?”

Silence.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Many among the disciples and elders trembled—not from fear, but from the weight of his words.

Even Severus, hearing this direct condemnation, did not react with anger.

Instead, he merely sighed and shook his head in pity.

He had never imagined that such a fool still existed within Albigensians Sect.

The others who had refused to submit did so out of self-interest.

Some feared the demonic path, others simply refused to relinquish control over their own lives.

But this man—

He truly believed in righteousness.

He truly fought for the people.

What a pathetic, hopeless fool.

“Too noisy.”

A cold voice interrupted the silence.

Withered Wood raised his hand, his fingers tracing an intricate seal in the air.

“Level 2 Perfection? Somewhat valuable.”

Before Grandmaster Severus could even react, the demonic elder’s spell descended.

The robed elder froze in place, his body locked by an invisible force.

Then, before the eyes of countless horrified Albigensians Sect disciples, Elder Withered Wood began refining him alive.

A living pill.

The process was slow. Deliberate. Excruciating.

The elder did not die instantly.

He remained fully conscious, his body twisting and contorting, his very essence condensed into a core of raw energy.

The anguished screams that followed pierced through the air.

His flesh and bones twisted, his meridians writhed, his very soul trapped within a sphere of blood and energy—slowly transformed into a cultivation pill.

The entire sect fell silent.

Some averted their eyes, unable to watch.

Others stood frozen in terror, their breath caught in their throats.

For those who had hesitated, who had considered defiance, the sight of a Level 2 elder being refined alive sent a chill straight to their souls.

The last remnants of resistance within Albigensians Sect—

Were shattered.