Published at 1st of August 2026 7:34 am

Chapter 2315: The foundation

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Mid Sector 250—

Inside a massive hall with widely spaced boundaries, beneath a ceiling covered with statues that appeared almost alive, their expressions seeming to shift beneath the changing light, and walls adorned with majestic murals depicting countless ancient eras and legendary figures, there stood a raised platform shaped like an open half-arc facing the entrance of the hall, as though every visitor was expected to stand before it in reverence.

Seated at the very center of that platform was a single man, resting his chin upon the palms of both hands in a relaxed yet imposing posture. To his left and right stood twelve identical seats, each crafted with flawless precision, yet only three of them were occupied while the remaining chairs sat empty in absolute silence.

All of them were staring at the same thing... at the scene projected from a glowing light disc suspended in the middle of the hall, every pair of eyes fixed upon it without the slightest distraction. An epic scene... a horrifying one capable of making even experienced cultivators instinctively narrow their eyes.

It was the footage of Zarghul’s Seventh Son—the Seven-Star Royal Soul Master—being surrounded and killed, every movement of the battle preserved with startling clarity despite the chaos filling the battlefield.

Several minutes passed in complete silence before the recording finally ended. Whoever had recorded it had fled the very moment the Seventh Son was killed, abandoning the battlefield immediately without the courage to witness what happened afterward, never daring to look back even once.

Standing before the platform was a man maintaining a respectful bow from beginning to end. The instant the recording ended, he spoke quickly, as though afraid someone else might interrupt first. "I didn’t say a single word or offer any explanation regarding the identity of those things, but I believe the picture is already perfectly clear. The entire universe will recognize them once their attention is directed toward the right details, because anyone who knows what to look for won’t mistake them for anything else."

"...That was undoubtedly a Crimson Plague," one of those seated on the platform said without the slightest hesitation, his voice carrying absolute certainty.

"Hoo~" The bowing man let out a relieved breath before straightening up with a confident smile, the tension that had accompanied him throughout the presentation finally disappearing... It was settled.

As one of Zarghul’s second-generation sons, he had gone through considerable effort merely to earn an audience with the Lord of Thrones and several of his disciples, calling in favors and waiting patiently for this opportunity. However, he had known from the very beginning that the mission would succeed the moment they caught even a glimpse of the recording. After all, who understood the Plague better than the Council of Star Academies, the very organization that had spent countless years studying, hunting, and recording every known trace of its existence?!

"That braided woman is undoubtedly a Plague Queen with the strength of a Mid Law Dominator," another disciple commented after observing the recording for another moment. "And that giant standing behind her doesn’t appear to be any weaker. Judging from his bearing alone, he may even be one of the strongest individuals present."

"You said this battle took place beside an artificial galaxy belonging to Lord Human?" the third frowned deeply, his expression becoming noticeably more serious. "That’s another newly formed Abyss of Doom. If left unattended, it’ll only continue expanding."

"Tsk tsk, just look around them—nearly a hundred of them are between the Nexus State and World Cataclysm realms," the first disciple said with visible disgust, unable to hide the revulsion in his voice. "Those armors... the way they stood there so calmly without a trace of panic or excitement... If it weren’t for their blood techniques, I never would’ve recognized them. They disguised themselves almost perfectly."

"That’s not all!" Zarghul’s son interrupted before taking out several more recording discs with obvious excitement. "We have the rest of the battle recorded. They speak out loud, they hear and understand conversations, they offer choices, and they psychologically manipulate their victims as though deliberately enjoying the process. There wasn’t any obvious evidence exposing their identities except, just as you said, Your Excellency... their fighting style! Without that, almost anyone would’ve mistaken them for ordinary cultivators."

"Hmm?" One of the disciples knitted his brows tightly before turning toward the center of the crescent-shaped platform. "What do you think, Lord of Thrones? This matter doesn’t seem small."

"..."

Qarun quietly tapped the table before him with the fingers of his left hand, maintaining the same unreadable expression from beginning to end while calmly organizing his thoughts.

His extraordinary handsomeness and that piercing gaze filled with unwavering confidence caused Zarghul’s son to tense up before instinctively lowering his eyes, not daring to meet that gaze for more than a fleeting instant.

No one had ever seen Qarun fight before, yet the man possessed such an indescribable aura that the very thought of questioning his strength vanished before it could even take shape in people’s minds, as though his mere presence erased the need for proof.

Several more seconds passed before Qarun calmly pointed toward the young man.

"You may leave now. Take this recording disc with you as well. Tell your father he may do whatever he wishes with it... The Council of Thrones has nothing to do with this."

"...?!" The three disciples frowned at once, clearly caught off guard by the response, yet none of them uttered a single word, choosing instead to quietly observe their master’s intentions.

"W-What...?!" That was the very last thing the young man had expected to hear, leaving him completely stunned. "I don’t understand. Is the Council of Thrones really going to abandon the universe while a new Crimson Plague nest of this magnitude is right before your eyes? And against Robin Burton, of all people—the very man building a chain of academies specifically to combat the Plague? Isn’t this your perfect opportunity to cast doubt upon the credibility of Robin Burton and the Elder Cosmic and destroy the entire project at its foundation before it has the chance to spread any further?"

He then turned toward the disciples as though hoping one of them would support his reasoning.

"Isn’t there conflict between the Cosmic Academies and the Star Academies? Everyone knows about it. This is the greatest opportunity and the greatest weapon you could possibly have to defeat Robin Burton and tarnish the reputation of everyone following him. Why would you simply ignore such an obvious advantage?"

"..."

One of the disciples finally looked away from Qarun before turning toward the young man with an expression of complete boredom, as though the discussion had already ended the moment Qarun spoke.

"The Lord of Thrones has already instructed you to leave. Leave."

"But—!!"

Whoosh!

Before the young man could utter another word or even attempt to argue further, he disappeared from the hall without the slightest ability to resist, his figure vanishing instantly as though he had never been standing there in the first place.

As for that disciple, he slowly turned back to meet Qarun’s eyes once more, carefully studying the calm expression on his master’s face before asking in a composed yet genuinely puzzled voice, "Why?"

Tap... Tap...

"Robin Burton..." Qarun spoke with a faint smile while his fingers continued rhythmically tapping the table, every tap carrying the same measured pace as though his thoughts had long since reached their conclusion. "He played this remarkably well. A few years ago, the Shadow Swords spread news throughout the entire universe claiming that Lord Human had begun preparing a method specifically to communicate with the Crimson Plague and persuade them to stop treating humanity as their enemy. That piece of information spread through the Soul Society like wildfire as well, reaching nearly every major power and becoming one of the most frequently discussed subjects for quite some time."

He continued, "Ever since that information surfaced, not a single person laughed or accused Robin of treason. Instead, everyone raised their hands to the heavens and prayed that the rumors were true. Every discussion revolved around when he would finally complete the technique, how long it would take, and what the universe would look like afterward... Notice the difference. People weren’t asking whether he was capable of doing it—they were only asking when. The possibility itself had already been accepted as fact in their minds."

With a slight smile, he went on, "His long record of accomplishments and countless miracles have earned him an astonishing reserve of credibility whenever innovation is involved. Every impossible feat he completed became another layer of trust that people unconsciously placed upon him. Meanwhile, his friendship with the Elder Cosmic has granted him unquestionable legitimacy whenever anti-life beings are concerned, because it was the Elder Cosmic who once saved the entire universe... Come to think of it, Robin himself was also the one who spread the Elder Cosmic’s heroic deeds throughout the universe, ensuring that everyone remembered exactly who had saved them... Hmm."

"When was that information released?" one of the disciples asked as he glanced toward another disciple, trying to recall the timeline. "Around five years ago, wasn’t it?" He then looked back at Qarun. "Are you saying that within only five years he managed to subdue two beings with the strength of Mid Law Dominators and dozens more at the Nexus State and World Cataclysm levels? That’s obviously impossible. He must’ve been feeding and raising them continuously for centuries, otherwise there’s simply no way to explain their current strength."

Qarun pointed toward him without changing his expression.

"The announcement said he would find a way to communicate with them, not a method to raise them. Those are two completely different claims. Perhaps he simply discovered an already established nest and persuaded them to follow him instead. That explanation alone is enough to eliminate the contradiction in most people’s minds."

Another disciple immediately interjected, his brows knitting together.

"There are only a handful of nests of that size in the entire universe. Every single one is known to us and the other major powers, and they’re all under constant surveillance or containment. How exactly did he discover another one hidden beneath everyone’s noses? That possibility should be virtually nonexistent."

Qarun pointed toward him as well, still smiling with the same relaxed expression.

"Prove that he didn’t discovered a completely new nest unknown to the rest of us. After all, the universe is unimaginably vast, and no one can honestly claim to have explored every corner of it." He leaned back in his chair before continuing in an unhurried voice, "Unfortunately, regarding this particular matter, he won the moment he made that announcement years in advance. It has now become nothing more than his word against ours. We possess no evidence whatsoever. In fact, even if we somehow obtained evidence, the majority of people would still choose to believe him instead, because evidence only matters when people are willing to accept it."

He continued in the same composed tone, "Why? Because he’s both the successor and the friend of the Elder Cosmic. If even he were secretly aiding the Crimson Plague, then who would be left to protect them? Human nature is fragile. People will instinctively cling to even the faintest hope that he truly invented such a technique and that someone of his standing will continue protecting them from disaster. Deep down, they don’t want to believe the alternative because it’s simply too terrifying. I’m not foolish enough to wage war against human nature itself. I’d only lose face in the process, and people would call me a bitter liar who envies Robin Burton and stands in the way of humanity’s progress."

"..."

The three disciples quietly exchanged glances, each of them gradually understanding the invisible trap Robin had laid years before anyone realized it even existed.

A moment later, one of them turned back toward Qarun.

"Then why didn’t you stop him from releasing the recording? Zarghul will definitely make it public unless you give him a direct order not to. If you already know how people will react, wouldn’t preventing its release be the safer option?"

"That’s exactly what I’m hoping for." Qarun nodded with an unreadable smile that revealed neither satisfaction nor concern. "Even if the majority believes Robin, some people will inevitably reject his explanation. And even if most continue clinging to hope, doubt will still find its way into their hearts, because suspicion spreads far more easily than certainty. Let Zarghul bear the backlash for exposing the recording, while we simply watch from the sidelines... and witness the unwavering confidence people have placed in Robin begin to crack, little by little, at one of its strongest foundations, without the Council of Thrones having to dirty its own hands in the process."

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