The Azure Sky Hall remained silent after the report ended.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
No one spoke immediately.
The surviving disciples still stood kneeling at the center of the hall, their faces pale beneath the pressure filling the room.
Above them—
the Sect Leader stood motionless beside the extinguished soul lamp.
The dim remains of Elder Han's soul flame still drifted weakly through the air before disappearing completely.
Gone.
One of the disciples lowered his head further.
"…Sect Leader…"
The older man's gaze shifted toward them slowly.
His expression remained calm.
Too calm.
Which only made the atmosphere heavier.
"You have done well returning with this information."
The disciples blinked slightly in surprise.
The Sect Leader continued evenly.
"A beast capable of killing Elder Han while only recently entering Golden Core is not something ordinary disciples were expected to handle."
His eyes swept across their injuries briefly.
"You survived against something far beyond your level."
A pause.
Then—
"Go cleanse yourselves."
"The mission reward shall still be honored."
"You may collect your contribution points and compensation from the Sum Hall afterward."
The disciples' expressions shifted immediately.
Relief.
Shock.
Gratitude.
Even after losing Elder Han—
the sect still acknowledged their survival and report as merit.
The leading disciple bowed deeply at once.
"Thank you, Sect Leader!"
The others followed immediately.
"Thank you, Sect Leader!"
Their voices echoed through the hall before the group slowly rose and withdrew.
Some trembling.
But alive.
The massive hall doors closed behind them shortly afterward.
BOOOM.
Silence returned once more.
Now only the Sect Leader and the gathered elders remained.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
No longer restrained for the sake of disciples.
One elder spoke first.
"…A newly advanced Golden Core beast killed Han."
His voice carried visible disbelief.
Another elder frowned deeply.
"And not merely killed him."
"He forced Han into such a point that he had to sent the disciple away and stayed behind to cover their escape."
A third elder narrowed his eyes coldly.
"Even then… he still died unable to escape afterwards."
The Sect Leader remained silent while listening.
An older enforcement elder finally spoke grimly.
"The beast cannot be allowed to continue growing."
"Murdering a mid-stage Golden Core elder shortly after advancement…"
"…If left unchecked, it may eventually threaten the entire region."
Several elders nodded immediately.
But another elder countered just as quickly.
"And rush blindly into what exactly?"
His eyes darkened.
"We still do not know the limits of its abilities."
"Storm manifestation."
"Spiritual flames."
"Gravity manipulation."
"Concealment beyond Golden Core perception."
"And according to the disciples—"
the elder paused slightly,
"—it completely suppressed Elder Han's."
The hall grew quieter.
Because that detail disturbed even the elders most.
A Core Elder frowned heavily afterward.
"That alone should be impossible."
"Even one at the peak of golden core should struggle to completely suppress a mid stage Golden Core cultivator's in a battle talk less of a beast that had just stepped into the golden core realm."
Another elder spoke slowly.
"Which means one of two things."
"Either the disciples misunderstood what they witnessed…"
"…or the beast's bloodline is far more terrifying than we assumed."
Silence lingered again.
The Sect Leader finally spoke.
"…It is not an ordinary demonic beast."
His calm voice echoed clearly through the hall.
"It scams."
"It plans."
"It tests opponents deliberately."
"It allowed weaker disciples to escape repeatedly in order to escalate the sect's response."
Several elders' expressions darkened further.
Because that detail unsettled them most of all.
Intelligence.
Patience.
Adaptation.
Those traits transformed the situation entirely.
One elder spoke coldly afterward.
"Then shouldn't we destroy it immediately before it grows further?"
"It already possesses strength capable of killing a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator despite having only recently advanced."
"Waiting may only worsen the threat."
Before anyone else answered—
another elder shook his head slowly.
"And that is exactly why we cannot move recklessly."
His gaze sharpened.
"A newly advanced Golden Core beast should not have been capable of defeating Han in direct combat."
"Yet it did."
"Not only through power."
"Through adaptation."
"Combat intelligence."
"And battlefield control."
Another elder added grimly,
"Which means the creature's growth speed may be abnormal."
"If pressured now and allowed to survive again…"
"…it may become even harder to deal with later."
The hall fell silent once more.
The Sect Leader's eyes rested briefly on Elder Han's extinguished soul lamp.
Then he spoke calmly.
"No one will seek out the beast for now."
Several elders looked toward him immediately.
The Sect Leader continued.
"Seal information regarding Elder Han's death."
"Restrict disciples from entering the outer mountain regions."
"And dispatch covert observers only."
"No engagement."
"No provocation."
His eyes narrowed slightly afterward.
"We proceed carefully from this point onward."
"Until we fully understand what exactly has appeared within our territory."
No one argued further after that.
Because everyone present understood the same thing now.
This was no longer a simple beast hunt.
Somewhere beyond the sect—
something extremely dangerous was growing stronger.
The Azure Sky Hall remained dim beneath drifting spiritual lanternlight.
No one spoke for several moments after the Sect Leader's decision.
The extinguished soul lamp behind him continued radiating faint traces of residual spiritual energy before finally fading completely into darkness.
Elder Han was truly gone.
An elder seated near the left side of the hall finally exhaled slowly.
"…If word spreads that a newly advanced beast killed one of our Core Elders…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
He didn't need to.
The implications were obvious.
The sect's prestige would suffer.
Nearby factions would probe for weakness.
Rival sects might move.
Even the surrounding cultivation clans could become unstable.
Another elder's expression darkened.
"We cannot conceal Han's death forever."
The Sect Leader nodded once.
"I know."
His gaze remained calm.
"But we can control how the information spreads."
He turned slightly toward the extinguished soul altar.
"For now, Elder Han died while pursuing a dangerous demonic outbreak in the outer region."
"Nothing more."
Several elders exchanged glances but ultimately nodded.
It was enough.
At least temporarily.
One of the older elders frowned afterward.
"…Sect Leader."
"If the disciples' report is accurate…"
"…then this creature may already possess intelligence comparable to human cultivators."
Another elder added quietly,
"It analyzed battle flow."
"It intentionally tested Han's responses."
His fingers tapped slowly against the armrest.
"That level of behavior should not exist in ordinary demonic beast with extreme intelligence and experience."
The hall's atmosphere grew heavier again.
Because everyone understood what that implied.
A bloodline mutation capable of such intelligence—
combined with overwhelming combat potential—
could eventually evolve into something catastrophic.
One elder suddenly spoke in a colder tone.
"…What if it leaves the mountains?"
Silence followed immediately.
The question settled heavily throughout the hall.
Because none of them had an answer.
The Sect Leader's eyes narrowed slightly.
"If it wished to attack settlements openly…"
"…the disciples likely would not have survived to report back."
That calmed the room slightly.
Only slightly.
An enforcement elder folded his arms afterward.
"So it currently prefers secrecy."
"Or observation," another corrected grimly.
The first elder's expression tightened.
Neither possibility was comforting.
One of the female elders finally spoke softly from the far side of the hall.
"…There is another problem."
Everyone looked toward her.
Her expression remained composed.
"But if the beast consumed Elder Han's corpse…"
The room went silent again instantly.
Several elders' faces changed visibly.
Because they understood immediately.
Golden Core cultivators possessed immense spiritual essence.
Flesh.
Blood.
Bones.
And most importantly—
the Golden Core itself.
All were treasures to higher demonic beasts.
The female elder continued quietly,
"If it devoured the core…"
"…it'd just recently step into golden core unless it seeks dead it will not dare consume the core but that doesn't mean it's any less dangerous."
The atmosphere inside the hall dropped noticeably colder.
The Sect Leader closed his eyes briefly.
Then reopened them slowly.
"…Increase observation around the outer regions."
"But maintain distance."
"If come across no elder below late-stage Golden Core is permitted to engage it alone."
Several elders stiffened slightly at those words.
Because such caution toward a newly advanced Golden Core beast was almost unheard of.
Yet after hearing the full report—
none could deny the necessity.
One elder frowned deeply afterward.
"…Should we request assistance from the great elders?"
The room quieted again.
The Azure Sky Sect was not truly independent.
Far above them existed larger sect branches and regional powers.
Requesting aid would mean admitting the situation had exceeded their control.
Pride resisted the idea instinctively.
But fear remained stronger.
The Sect Leader remained silent for several breaths.
Then finally—
"…Not yet."
His gaze lowered slightly.
"We still lack understanding."
"If we escalate too early…"
"…we may attract attention from forces even more troublesome than the beast itself."
Several elders nodded slowly.
That too was true.
In the cultivation world—
rare bloodlines and intelligent demonic creatures were not merely dangers.
They were opportunities.
If word spread carelessly—
other sects, clans, or hidden experts might descend upon the region immediately.
And once that happened—
the situation would spiral beyond control.
The Sect Leader turned his gaze toward the darkened heavens visible beyond the hall entrance.
Far away.
Beyond the mountains.
Beyond the devastated battlefield.
Somewhere out there—
that white lizard was still alive.
Still learning.
Still growing stronger.
And for the first time in many years—
the Sect Leader felt something he had not experienced since his younger cultivation days.
Unease.
Not toward a rival sect.
Not toward political conflict.
But toward a single unknown creature hidden within the mountains.
His eyes narrowed faintly.
"…Watch carefully," he murmured.
"No creature remains hidden forever."