Chapter 349: The Council of Vorns

A Mysterious Space, Unknown Coordinates.

Crimson mist swirled endlessly through a void of absolute darkness. There was no ground, no sky—only a massive, floating platform. At the center of this platform sat a towering throne carved from the bones of a colossal beast.

Step. Step.

Claude and Clovis emerged from a spatial tear, their footsteps echoing in the suffocating silence. They walked forward and dropped to one knee, bowing their heads until their foreheads nearly touched the cold stone.

"Greetings, Crimson Sovereign, Supreme Master of the House of Crimson," they intoned in unison. "We answer your summons."

The figure seated on the bone throne was draped in a heavy, tattered shroud of dark red. No face was visible beneath the hood, only a pair of glowing, blood-red eyes that seemed to pierce through the fabric of reality itself.

"Report," the Sovereign’s voice rasped.

Claude kept his head lowered. "The Demonic Asura Lotus Flame has been successfully fused with a target, Kael Cassian Vorn. However... the operation was a failure. The Clown attempted to suppress his consciousness and turn him into a puppet, but the target’s dormant bloodline violently retaliated. Furthermore, we miscalculated the Vorn family’s response. Based on the intelligence provided by Sebastian, we assumed they would not care about a their children due to the brutal system of the Vorns. Instead, Cassandra Vorn mobilized the Blades. They tracked our base, killed multiple Spirit Soul and Origin Realm cultivators, and successfully extracted the target with the heavenly flame."

Silence.

The temperature in the void plummeted. The crimson mist began to churn violently.

"Failure?" The Crimson Sovereign’s voice dropped to a deadly whisper.

BOOM!

A terrifying, suffocating aura exploded from the throne. It was the pressure of a Supreme Realm cultivator, a weight so immense it felt like the universe itself was collapsing.

CRASH! THUD!

Claude and Clovis were instantly slammed into the floor. The stone cracked beneath them as they spat out mouthfuls of blood, their bodies pinned flat by the sheer gravitational force of the Sovereign’s rage.

"How did you not only lose the Heavenly Flame," the Sovereign roared, his voice shaking the pocket dimension, "but also let a mere child escape with it, while losing an entire base and our top cultivators?!"

"Forgive us, Sovereign!" Clovis choked out, his face pressed against the stone. "The variables were unforeseen—"

"I do not care for your excuses!" The Sovereign stood up, the crimson shroud billowing. "Send someone to retrieve the Sebastian boy. At least we can extract information about the Vorn family’s inner workings from him before we dispose of him. He has outlived his usefulness."

Clovis and Claude immediately shouted in submission, "As you command, Sovereign!"

The pressure abruptly vanished. The two men gasped for air, their bodies trembling as they slowly pushed themselves up.

"Clovis," the Sovereign commanded, settling back onto his throne. "Take Claude to the Abyssal Blood Pool. Let him devour the remnants within to break through to the Origin Realm. We cannot afford weakness in the coming war."

Claude cupped his hands, a flicker of dark greed flashing in his eyes. "Thank you, Sovereign. I will not fail you again."

The Thirteen Worlds, Vorn Estate.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

Kael’s boots clicked rhythmically against the floor as he walked down the long, oppressive hallway toward the council chamber. The doors were massive.

CREEEAK. The heavy doors swung open.

Kael stepped inside. The chamber was vast, circular, and tiered. At the highest point sat the Family Head, Vorn the Unyielding, his ancient eyes cold and unreadable. Beside him sat the Vice Family Head. Below them were the High Elders—Elder Maren, Elder Torvald, Elder Rowan—and the wives, including a fuming Ursula, a calculating Clara, and the silent Lady Vanya, Greyson’s wife.

Kael walked to the center of the room and offered a slight bow, enough to show respect but not submission. "Family Head. Elders."

"Kael Cassian Vorn," Elder Maren sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "You stand before this council accused of concealing information and causing a diplomatic incident with the House of Crimson through your reckless actions in the Void Realm."

Elder Torvald leaned forward. "Furthermore, reports from Felix and the other Vorn participants in the Inheritance Ground suggest you have acquired a Heavenly Flame. As a member of this family, that treasure belongs to the clan. You should offer it up immediately!"

A murmur of agreement rippled through the greedy elders.

Tap. Tap.

The Family Head’s finger gently tapped the armrest of his throne.

BOOM!

A terrifying, conceptual gravity washed over the room. It wasn’t killing intent; it was the absolute authority of a Primordial cultivator. The elders choked, their faces turning pale as chills ran down their spines. They immediately shut their mouths, bowing their heads in fear.

"You will stop your squabbling in my presence," the Family Head said, his voice calm but carrying the weight of a collapsing star.

He then turned his gaze to Kael. The moment those ancient eyes landed on him, Kael felt a terrifying sensation wash over his skin. It was as if the man was peeling back his flesh and staring directly into his soul. Kael swore he would have felt completely naked if not for the Soul Shrouding Ring on his finger. The ring held firm, projecting the perfect image of a talented, but standard, Spirit Soul cultivator with no demonic energy.

Tap. The Family Head’s lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smirk. He leaned back.

"Speak," the Family Head commanded. "Tell us of Sebastian’s betrayal. Tell us how a son of the Vorns connived with the House of Crimson—a general enemy of the great families and the IGF."

Kael nodded. "As you wish."

Whoosh!

Kael raised his hand, channeling his soul power. A ripple of dark violet energy spread through the chamber. The air in front of him distorted, forming a crystalline, holographic projection of his memories.

The elders gasped. The projection showed the bleak landscape of the Void Realm. There, clear as day, was Sebastian Vorn. He was standing alongside Claude, the black-masked Devourer, the terrifying Clown, and the hulking demon Draxos, watching as Kael’s unconscious body was dragged away.

The chamber fell into a dead silence. Thud.

Cassandra’s earlier report had already implicated Sebastian, but seeing the memory—the direct, irrefutable evidence of a Vorn main-blood child standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Shadow Vatican—was damning.

Conniving with the House of Crimson or the Shadow Vatican was an unspoken offense that spat directly in the face of the Family Head. More importantly, the children of the Vorn family were privy to countless secrets. If Sebastian had fallen into enemy hands, who knew what forbidden knowledge he had already spilled?

The Family Head’s eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing within them. The temperature in the council chamber dropped to freezing.

The Family Head murmured, his voice devoid of all warmth. "It seems I have been too merciful with the Discards."