"Valen, how dare you not to admit it? This is your last chance to hand over the ring you stole from our Junior Brother!"

  "It's definitely him! Master, there's no need to ask further. A despicable and shameless scoundrel like him should be tortured for truth immediately. Let's see if he still has guts to deny it after that."

  "A useless rogue with shattered spirit root, scraping by only through the Sect's mercy, and you still have the audacity to do something like this! Valen, why don't you just go and kill yourself?"

  Valen knelt at the foot of the steps, hearing all the insults ringing in his ears. Slowly, he lifted his head, his gaze drifting forward in a daze.

  He looked up at the figure standing atop the steps, a tall, slim and striking woman in a flowing white dress.

  Then, he turned to the sides, only to meet the icy, furious gazes of several young women staring at him.

  I am back?

  Just a moment ago, he was hovering at the brink of death, with a sword piercing through his chest and blood spilling from his mouth.

  And all of a sudden, he was taken back to 5 years ago, to the moment when he was falsely accused by his junior brother of stealing the ring.

  So no matter how unreal this seemed, he had just reincarnated.

  "Speak!"

  Amara suddenly slammed her hand against the armrest of the throne, made of thousand-year-old Mahogany.

  After a long interrogation of Valen, his silent attitude clearly enraged this woman of immense power.

  Lyra, the second senior sister said coldly: "Master, no need to say so much, who else it could be, if not this useless rogue."

  The fourth senior sister, Freya, put on a soft and fragile demeanor and says: "Valen, as long as you admit your mistake and hand over the ring, we would all plead with master on your behalf. Master would only give you a lesson to remember, she won't really go so hard on you."

  Memories from his past life flooded into Valen's mind.

  Originally, he was Throne's principal senior disciple, the senior brother of Lyra and Freya.

  Born with an innate Heavenly Spirit Root, he was one of the few peerless geniuses of the younger generation of the Sect.

  Three hundred years ago, a few daemons emerged within the Sect, and the land gradually became shrouded in Demonic Energy. After an investigation, the former Sect Master discovered deep beneath the mountain lay a Demonic Gate. Near it, a Demonic Spring Eye has formed, demonic energy emanating from it had awakened the Demonic Gate, allowing daemons from the Daemon Realm to enter the mortal world. The most urgent task was to seal the Demonic Gate. However, to do so, the Demonic Spring Eye had to be sealed first, a task requiring someone who possesses Heavenly Sprit Root.

  Under the astonished gazes of his fellow disciples and incredulous stares of his senior sisters, he - who had successfully formed his Golden Core at a very young age - stepped forward and willingly took on this arduous task. Without hesitation, he leaped into the abyss, beginning a three-hundred-year battle against the daemons.

  After leaping into the abyss, he had to use his Heavenly Spirit Root to absorb and neutralize the demonic energy, preventing it from being drawn into the Demonic Gate. At the same time, he was forced to battle the daemons that constantly emerged. Fortunately, the demonic gate had not yet fully opened, and only lesser daemons could pass through. However, he was fighting alone. Time and time again, he was wounded in battle, and even his meridians had suffered several major damages. As a result, even after three hundred years, he was unable to make any further breakthroughs.

  Thirty years later, he discovered by chance, not very far away from the Demonic Spring Eye lay a hidden Spirit Spring Eye. Also he discovered once he temporarily seal the Demonic Spring Eye, the Spirit Spring Eye would be activated to erupt with an abundance of Spirit Energy. Upon his discovered, he hurriedly and happily sent the Spirit Spring Eye back to the Sect on the back of a Kite Bird.

  In the following over two hundred years, with the help of the Spirit Spring Eye he sent back from the abyss, the Sect gradually became one of the most blessed places of fortune in the whole world. Spirit energy surged and prosperity flourished. His master and senior sisters experienced rapid breakthroughs in their cultivation, advancing at an astonishing pace.

  Throne soared to unprecedented height, on the verge of becoming the strongest Sect in the world.

  However, thirty years ago, just as he thought he was about to complete the sealing of the Demonic Spring Eye, his meridians crumbled into chaos. He coughed up blood, suffered several internal injuries, and then lost consciousness. When he awoke, he found most of his meridians had been shattered. In their place, a new energy pathway had formed within him, or more specifically, a Demonic Energy Pathway, his new meridians.

  He could now easily absorb and wield demonic energy, allowing him to seal the Demonic Spring Eye at a much faster pace. However he had completely lost the ability to absorb and utilize the spirit energy. This realization had tormented him - he felt as though he was on the verge of darkness, betraying the teachings of both his Sect and his master.

  For the following twenty years, he endured immense inner agony, suppressing his despair as he completed the full seal of the Demonic Spring Eye.

  Ten years ago, after finally completing the seal, he forcibly expelled all remaining demonic energy from within his body. Completely devoid of spirit energy, he exhausted all his strength to climb out of the abyss. His energy meridians were utterly shattered, and his cultivation were completely crippled.

  Lying in the mud, he lifted his head and gazed at the unprecedented surge of spirit energy enveloping the entire immortal mountain. He felt an overwhelming sense of relief and satisfaction.

  Although his own immortal path had been completely destroyed, the entire Sect now had a boundless future ahead of it. He felt all his efforts were truly worth of it.

  But after that, in these ten long years, what has he truly faced?

  Time and time again, he was wrongfully accused of things he didn't do and repeatedly wronged.

  In his past life, even up until this moment, he was still constantly reflecting, wondering if he had actually done something wrong.

  It wasn't until five years later, at the very last moment before his rebirth, when they drove a sword into his chest, that he finally realized he was wrong, so wrong. With a tone full of disdain, they mockingly told him that they knew all the way that it wasn't him who committed those acts, that it was all a deliberate frame-up. He, a useless rogue, should have rotten in the abyss, instead he has the guts to crawl back to the Sect, showing his disgusting face before them as if everyone owes him something. They had long since loathed him. Only then he realized all his efforts had been in vain, they are just a bunch of backstabbing ingrates.

  "So you are staying silent?", Amara gazed down at him from the stairs with disdain, "Is it guilty that sealed your lips, or you simply have no excuse to defend yourself?"

  Valen let out a sign and slowly lifted his head, with a calm tone, he asked: "Master, you already know the truth, don't you?"

  His tone was so calm, as if he was speaking about something that has nothing to do with him.

  "Junior brother never had any ring at all to begin with, he simply coveted the cold jade ring my mother has given to me as her last gift to me before she passed away, as he knows the ring can help nurture our minds and spirit. When Freya found about this, she went to you and falsely accused me of stealing the ring from our Junior Brother and intended to seize my ring for him."

  Freya's face twisted as she shrieked sharply, "how dare you to spew such slander? Valen, I cannot believe you would sink to such despicable depths."

  Sixth junior sister, Juliet, glared at Valen with fire in her eyes, thrusting a finger at him as she shouted: "You despicable wretch, how dare you to falsely accuse Freya, I saw you with my own eyes, sneaking out of Junior Brother's room like a thief."

  Valen ignored them and continued to look up at Amara standing atop the stairs.

  "Amara, you have known the truth all along, haven't you?"

  "Over the years, they have wrongfully accused me of things I didn't do, framed me, slandered me, time and time again, and you have been always clear on everything, haven't you?"

  Amara snapped: "what did you just say?"

  "I believe I have indulged you too much, allowing you to make mistakes again and again, so much so you are losing your mind today. Now you even dare to call me by my name. Do you even still see me as your master?"

  "Hahahahahaha", Valen laughed out loud, as if he has heard the funniest joke in the world. He even bent over in laughter. "Indulge me? My dear master, how could you even say something like this? So beating me up is indulging me? Docking my spirit stones is indulging me? Ignoring it when others humiliate and insult me is indulging me?"

  Having gone through the tragedies of his past life, Valen has completely given up on them.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  What infuriated him the most is, during his past life, no matter how bad his Junior Sisters had treated him, he had trusted Amara completely, all the way through.

  Now he just find himself a fool, to have trusted such a wolf in sheep's clothing.

  He no longer wanted to stay in this place that disgusted him. He recalled his experience in the abyss of his past life - though his spirit vein is completely shattered, he has a got a new demonic vein. He needs to leave this place as soon as possible, returning to the abyss, unsealing the Demonic Spring Eye and cultivating his demonic powers.

  "Rumor has it that all the achievements you and Throne have made till today are all thanks to me. Although this is not a rumor, this is a fact, and you know it, you know it very well."

  Ignoring Amara's murderous glare, Valen didn't hesitate to expose her hypocritical nature.

  "If it weren't for me sealing the Demonic Spring Eye, daemons coming out of the Demonic Gate should have already slaughtered the entire sect."

  "If it weren't for the Spirit Spring Eye I sent back from the abyss, where could Thorne possibly have obtained the abundant spirit energy, transforming it into a prosperous land it is today?"

  "People are saying, if it weren't for me, you would have never been able to reach the Void Refining Stage where you are now at, not even Divine Transformation Stage."

  "You cannot stand the opinions of others, so you want to prove that even without me, the sect can still thrive under your leadership."

  "Amara, you have been letting them to frame me, because you want people to believe I am a despicable person, all the achievements the sect has made by today are all thanks to you."

  "You know what? There's no one else in this world who disgusts me more than you do."

  Lyra, Freya and Juliet were so shocked to become speechless, while their eyes are wide-open with disbelief.

  Valen daring to speak to the master like this is totally beyond their expectations.

  Is this man still the same Valen, who trusted the master unconditionally and repeatedly compromised for the sect?

  Suddenly, they felt that, Valen at this moment seemed like a completely different person.

  Amara's usually cold and flawless face was now flushed with rage.

  She lifted her hand slightly, ready to strike, intending to smash this rebellious disciple to a pulp with a single blow.

  In the next moment, she slightly run for a round the Jade Maiden's Pure Heart Technique, then her mind cleared once again, and she ceased her action, only releasing her supreme pressure of Void Refining Stage.

  Valen then let out a spurt, blood spraying from the corner of his mouth, and he was pressured to get down on his knees again.

  "Valen!".

  The master called his name in a seemingly soft tone once again, "It's just a ring, so you stole a ring, what's the big deal? As long as you admit it, I would have just confined you for a few days. But instead, just for something so trivial, you slandered your senior sisters, accused me unjustly, showing no respect to your elders!"

  She looked down from high above the stairs, gazing at her disciple with a look of pity.

  "Because of the contributions you have made to the sect, I have always been turning a blind eye to your behaviors, thinking just some small punishments can serve as lessons to help you right the wrong. But to my disappointment, you are now simply beyond redemption."

  "Valen, you are nothing but a barbarian", Lyra scolded, "so this is how you speak to the master after everything she has done for you?"

  "Valen, how can you be so heartless?" Freya asked with tears in her eyes. "Your spirit veins has long been destroyed, and you have been nothing but a cripple. Over the years, if it hadn't been for the master's kindness in keeping you in the sect, feeding you and housing you, you should have been eaten by wild beasts long ago. How can you be so ungrateful and have the guts to talk to master like this?"

  Juliet shook her head and said with disappointment: "Valen, you have really just gone too far."

  "Master hasn't blamed you yet for stealing the ring from our Junior Brother."

  "And yet these horrible words came out of your mouth. Are you try to anger master on purpose? Are you trying to provoke us?"

  Their seemingly righteous speeches and hypocritical acts left Valen speechless.

  He paid a price of having his spirit veins shattered and cultivation lost, enduring three hundred years of torment in the abyss, all so that these people can have a better future?

  Amara looked down at him coldly and said: "I can overlook your reckless words and forgive you considering your past contributions to the sect."

  "As long as you kneel and bow, admit that you have committed theft, hand over the ring and apologize for the slander you just made."

  "I will only punish you with one hundred strokes at the hall of discipline, and three years of solitary confinement."

  She glared at Valen and said with a harsh tone: "otherwise, for your insolence just now, I can throw you back into the abyss and let you perish there on your own."

  Valen's heart leaped with joy suddenly. He has been wondering how he could find an opportunity to go back to the abyss, now this is exactly what he has hoped for.

  He immediately bursted into laughters, his tone dripping with sarcasm: "Amara, you are no longer my master from now on, you don't deserve to be. The whole sect knows, without me you'd be nothing. If it weren't for the Spirit Spring Eye I sent back from the abyss, you've had gone mad when you broke through to the Nascent Soul Stage, and you'd be a dead body long since."

  "Shut up! Shut up!", Amara screamed, "You and your rebellion!"

  "Throw him back into the abyss, throw him back where he belongs!"

  "Now!"

  Lyra and Freya immediately stepped forward and grabbed Valen and dragged him towards the abyss.

  Before long, Victor Drake, the sect's enforcement elder, arrived hurriedly.

  "Master Amara!", Victor asked in shock, "I heard you are going to throw Valen back into the abyss?"

  Amara replied coldly: "That's right! This disobedient disciple has committed all sorts of deceitful acts within the sect over these years."

  "Originally, I was just going to have him admit his wrongs and give him a lesson."

  "However, he lost his mind and spoke disrespectfully to me, falsely accusing me with vicious words born of his own delusions."

  "If such brazen acts of defiance went unpunished, it would be a great violation of justice."

  Victor murmured: "Master, even so, Valen has had made great contributions to the sect, he should not be treated this way."

  After a short pause, he continued after seeing Amara remaining silent: "Although over the past a few hundred years, our sect has kept rising continuously thanks to your remarkable talents, Master!"

  "But people outside the sect don't understand the full story, and might think that the sect owes its current success to Valen."

  "Those who knows the truth would understand your decision is fair and just. It's only because Valen has repeatedly refused to correct his behaviors, and you have no choice but to send him back to the abyss, as a light punishment."

  "But those who don't might think we are just ungrateful."

  "So, Master, please spare him."

  Amara's stern aura grew even more intense as she said: "Victor, stop pleading for him."

  "This disciple is really malicious, he dared to insult his master and dishonor his elders today, who knows what kind of more insane actions he would commit in the future."

  Victor opened his mouth as if to say something, but he hesitated and ultimately chose to remain silent.

  A sense of worry begin to rise inside him.

  It seems like Valen has completely fallen out with the Master. What if he actually defects one day, what could be the result then?

  Although Valen is now a cripple who can no longer cultivate, ever since his return from the abyss, he seems to have mastered some secret technique of fighting the daemons. As long as he is present, the daemons can be easily repelled, making him a highly sought-after asset by other sects. Some sects even offered exorbitant prices in exchange for Valen from Thorne.

  However, the Master has always rejected them, so no envoy from those sects can successfully take Valen away.

  Since Valen has reached this point with the Master and his senior sisters, perhaps it would be best to kill him to eliminate any future threats. If he is of no use to us, then we should not leave him for others either.

  ......

  At the same time, Valen has been dragged to the edge of the Demon Abyss.

  The howling winds of darkness soared, and a malevolent aura surged into the sky.

  Although the Demonic Spring Eye was sealed by Valen, the abyss is still filled with demonic energy, though its concentration is not high enough to activate the Demonic Gate down below.

  He looked at the swirling dark energy of demon abyss, and couldn't help but smile. The cold, desolate demon abyss feels warmer to him than the sect he once had given everything for.

  Urgent calls came from behind: "Stop! Second Senior Sister, Fourth Senior Sister! Please stop!"