Chapter 355
While Nina’s camp was filled with laughter and celebration, an entirely different scene was unfolding in Blazing Flame City.
The city elders had waited several days for Setan to return the sacred relic to its resting place. When no sign of it appeared, their patience finally ran out.
One after another, they arrived at the City Lord’s Hall.
“Elder Setan,” Elder Roen began, “have you successfully broken through your cultivation bottleneck? Can the sacred relic be returned to the Sacred Grounds now? Many of our young warriors are waiting to continue their training.”
Setan sat calmly upon the high seat.
“The relic…” he said after a pause. “It was accidentally destroyed.”
The hall instantly erupted.
“What?”
“Destroyed?”
“How is that possible?”
Shock spread across every face.
The sacred relic had existed for generations. It was a divine artifact revered by the entire city.
How could something like that simply be destroyed?
Setan’s expression remained composed.
“I accidentally damaged it while using my abilities.”
Several elders stared at him in disbelief.
“No.” One elder rose abruptly. “You’re lying.”
His gaze sharpened.
“The relic survived attacks from mutated beasts far stronger than you during previous wars. It never suffered even the slightest damage. How could it possibly be destroyed during a cultivation session?”
The accusation hung heavily in the air. Another elder stepped forward.
“Why are you deceiving us?”
His voice grew harsher. “Where is the relic really?”
The remaining elders nodded in agreement. Not a single one believed his explanation.
“Believe what you want.”
Setan’s tone remained steady.
He had known from the beginning that this excuse would never completely fool them.
Nearby, Yian gripped the armrest of his chair so tightly that his knuckles whitened.
Even he could not think of a convincing way to help his son explain this away.
Then one of the elders suddenly spoke.
“I heard you brought a female back to the city a few days ago.”
The atmosphere shifted instantly. Several elders exchanged meaningful looks.
Memories surfaced.
Not long ago, Setan had gathered them and asked whether the relic could be exchanged for something else.
At the time, the question had seemed strange. Now, however, the pieces appeared to be falling into place.
Could that female be connected to this? Could she have come from Spirit Stone City?
Setan’s eyes immediately turned cold.
“What exactly are you implying?”
The elder met his gaze without flinching.
“Where is that female now?”
“She left.”
The elder’s expression darkened.
“The relic was never destroyed.” His voice rang through the hall. “You gave it to her, didn’t you?”
Setan’s jaw tightened.
“No. You are mistaken. Why would a female need a sacred relic?”
The elder immediately countered.
“Perhaps she doesn’t.” His gaze grew increasingly sharp. “But what about the males behind her?”
Setan’s expression hardened further.
“This has nothing to do with her. It was my mistake. I’ll take responsibility for it.”
Reaching into his storage space, he produced the cultivation crystals and Flame Crystals Nina had given him.
“Consider these part of my compensation.”
The elders looked at the treasures. Ordinarily, such resources would have been enough to spark fierce competition.
Today, however, none of them cared.
One elder slammed his hand onto the table.
“Compensation?” His face flushed with anger. “Do you think these things can compare to the sacred relic?”
His voice echoed through the chamber.
“You may deceive others, but you won’t deceive us. We should pursue that female immediately and retrieve the relic.”
Elder Roen looked at Setan in disbelief.
“City Lord…”
His voice trembled slightly.
“Did you truly hand our sacred relic to a female?”
For years, Setan had been an exemplary ruler. Under his leadership, Blazing Flame City had prospered immensely.
The city grew stronger every year.
The people trusted him. The elders respected him.
Roen found it difficult to reconcile the man before him with the accusation being made. Yet the circumstances were impossible to ignore.
Setan lowered his gaze briefly.
“This has nothing to do with her. The responsibility is mine alone.”
Despite his repeated denials, the elders remained unconvinced. To them, the truth seemed obvious––the relic had been taken.
One elder suddenly narrowed his eyes.
“It doesn’t matter whether he admits it.”
A cold smile appeared on his face. “We can simply use the tracking secret art.”
The others immediately brightened.
“That’s right. As long as the relic still exists, we’ll find it. We’ll know exactly where it is.”
Setan’s heartbeat quickened.
That was precisely what he had feared. The reason he had claimed the relic was destroyed was to prevent them from using their tracking techniques.
The elders gathered together and began activating the ancient secret art.
Mystical energy filled the hall. A few moments later, confusion appeared on their faces.
Then disbelief.
“What is happening?” One elder frowned. “I can’t sense the relic.”
Another elder immediately tried again.
The result was the same.
A third elder stepped forward.
Still nothing.
Again and again they attempted to locate the relic.
Every attempt failed.
For the first time since the meeting began, Setan quietly relaxed. A trace of relief flickered through his eyes. Now they would never be able to follow Nina’s trail.
At least not through the relic.
Some of the elders began to waver.
“Could it really have been destroyed?”
One frowned deeply.
“If it still existed, we should be able to sense it.”
Another nodded uncertainly.
“Perhaps the City Lord was telling the truth.”
Yet most remained skeptical.
A different elder immediately objected.
“Not necessarily. Someone may have found a way to block our detection.”
Another added, “Or perhaps the relic has already been taken so far away that our technique can no longer reach it.”
The arguments continued back and forth. No matter how much they debated, one fact remained unchanged––the relic could not be found.
Without a trace to follow, there was no way to pursue it.
At last, all eyes turned toward Setan.
Their disappointment, anger, and betrayal were impossible to miss.
“City Lord.” One elder spoke solemnly. “You owe Blazing Flame City an explanation.”
The others rose one after another.
Regardless of how the relic had disappeared, the responsibility ultimately rested with him.
And this was a burden that even the City Lord could not escape.