The Heiress’ Return: Six Brothers at Her Beck and Call (Wynter Quinnell) novel Chapter 1824

Atwater got up to answer the door, but when he opened it, all he saw was a black-robed figure disappearing into the distance. The only thing left behind was a note on the ground.

Atwater bent down to pick up the note before returning inside and closing the door behind him. He slowly unfolded the note and read its contents.

"Not many can activate their divine eye these days. I'm honored to have gained another worthy opponent. Oh, and that includes Kaspar by your side. If we ever face off again, make sure you break the Human Sacrificial Formation first. Otherwise, we'll never get the chance to cross paths."

Kaspar, noticing the change in Atwater's expression, walked over and glanced at the note. "What? How dare they provoke us? Do they really think we're pushovers?"

Atwater furrowed his brows, deep in thought. "The fact that he delivered this letter means he has hidden the heart of the formation extremely well. This isn't the tone of an ordinary person. Even you, who are just one step away from becoming a grand master, can't easily find it. He's clearly confident."

When Kaspar saw the words "divine eye", he turned to Atwater. "Did you forcefully activate your divine eye after I left?"

Atwater nodded. "I was following the heavens' guidance, but the other party was prepared. A streak of black light struck at me, forcing me to retreat."

Kaspar shook his head helplessly. "It seems we'll have to rely on Dalton now."

…

Meanwhile, the black-robed figure returned to a secluded courtyard after completing his task. He approached an old man standing in the shadows, almost blending into the darkness. "My lord, the letter has been delivered."

The old man smiled faintly. "Good. The Human Sacrificial Formation has yielded excellent results this time. I've recovered about 70 to 80 percent of my strength. With a little more time, I'll be back at my peak."

The black-robed figure bowed even lower. "Your return to peak strength is our greatest wish."

The old man chuckled. "You've all worked hard these past few months. It's time to make a move against the Quinnell family. Wynter, trapped in the Human Sacrificial Formation, is being slowly consumed by me. Her fortune is within my grasp. Next, we'll deal with the rest of the Quinnell family.

"As for that wooden doll, how did it become a deity in Foplya when it can't even handle such a simple task?"

The black-robed figure hesitated before speaking. "It pales in comparison to you, my lord. As for why it failed last time, only it knows the reason."

The old man waved his hand. "Go make preparations, and make sure they're thorough."

The black-robed figure bowed. "Yes, my lord."

With that, he disappeared into the night.

After the black-robed figure left, the old man looked up at the moon, as if seeing secrets hidden behind its glow. "Once I become a grandmaster, no one in Cascadia will be able to stop me."

Some people were naive, thinking he didn't know someone had entered the formation he had set up. He had lived for centuries and had never seen such recklessness. They thought stopping a few sacrifices would halt the Human Sacrificial Formation.

He scoffed. Not only would he ensure they never returned, but he would also ensure they understood the consequences of crossing him.

However, there was one thing that bothered him. There had been some unexpected changes within the formation—changes that had never occurred before.

Even as the formation master, unless he entered the formation himself, he couldn't know exactly what was happening inside. The Human Sacrificial Formation was indeed connected to the heavenly law.

The souls he sacrificed were those who deserved to die. He was merely carrying out heaven's will, all for the sake of ascension.

But he didn't understand the heavenly law's obsession. Logically, the heavenly law shouldn't have human emotions or desires, let alone obsessions.

He didn't know the full story of how this formation came to be, nor its origins. But he could guess the era within the formation. It was the time when he was closest to ascension.

If he could ascend within the formation, he would achieve his goal. Unfortunately, he couldn't communicate with his past self inside the formation. Otherwise, no one else would stand a chance.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. It was Kiaran, waiting outside. "Sir, there's a private enterprise seminar this afternoon regarding the Chamber of Commerce. Things are unstable there. I heard their chairman has gone missing. Do you want to go and take a look?"

The old man turned slightly. "The chairman is missing?"

Kiaran, hearing a response, pushed the door open. "Yes, the position of the chamber's chairman is crucial. As you know from your last visit, they're also collaborating with Verbia."

"I see." The old man's gaze darkened, and his expression remained unreadable.

For the chairman to go missing at this time... Wasn't that a bit too coincidental?

No one outside knew what was happening inside. The formation master himself remained a mystery.

Those inside the formation didn't realize they were merely souls existing through someone else's obsession. The formation had its own logic and worldview. To those outside, it was merely a relic of the past. But to those inside, it was a vivid, flesh-and-blood reality.

…

As soon as Isidore appeared, the atmosphere in the grand hall shifted dramatically. His words broke the tension and salvaged Mt. Lunther's reputation. His status and influence were undeniable, and he was a role model for countless cultivators. His presence carried weight, both in prestige and in cultivation.

The surrounding sects were momentarily stunned, their attention now turning to Jaylene.

"Her spiritual form and soul are completely gone."

"It's strange. She's just an empty shell now."

"It's possible that someone in the formation attacked her and drained her spiritual form."

Whispers and discussion filled the hall again. Given Jaylene's state, even Raleigh hesitated for a moment.

But he quickly responded to Isidore, "I believe what I saw. Her Highness never had any contact with Jaylene. On the contrary, Jaylene had impure intentions. After being captured by grim spirits, she tried to offer me up multiple times."

He hadn't wanted to bring this up as it was a stain on Mt. Lunther's reputation. But Isidore and the other elders had been too harsh on Wynter, something he hadn't noticed before. Now, he felt compelled to set the record straight.

Isidore looked at Raleigh, his usually indifferent eyes now carrying a hint of something else. Upon closer inspection, it was a trace of greed. But in such a setting, no one would dare question Isidore. After all, he had always been seen as a selfless figure who helped the sects without seeking personal gain.

Raleigh's words sent chills down everyone's spine. As Mt. Lunther's disciple, he wouldn't falsely accuse Jaylene without reason.

"If what Mr. Winston says is true, then Jaylene's actions amount to harming her fellow disciples." Hearing this, Isidore didn't defend Jaylene. Instead, he followed up on Raleigh's statement. "You said Jaylene tried to offer you up. To whom?"

Raleigh and the four disciples had initially been suspicious of Isidore, especially since the statue in the formation bore a striking resemblance to him. But now, with Isidore's question, their suspicions began to fade.

It was especially so for Raleigh, who secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He had been afraid that his sect wasn't what he had imagined it to be. Most of all, he feared that Isidore, who had treated him like a son, had been plotting to take over his body all along.

On the way back, he had thought about these things. Now, he felt a pang of regret for doubting Isidore. It was as if entering Granville Village had clouded his judgment.

"Mr. Camron, I..." Raleigh's voice was filled with guilt as he moved closer to Isidore.

Isidore smiled at him like a benevolent elder. "It seems you have suffered greatly on this journey. No wonder you've been overthinking things."

Raleigh lowered his head. It was evident he respected Isidore greatly.

Wynter, meanwhile, was observing closely. The bond between the two was too strong. It reminded her of Logan's grandfather, Clyde, who had doted on him as a child but ultimately sought to take over his body as he grew older.

It was common knowledge that seclusion could last anywhere from a day to several decades. It all depended on when the person in seclusion could let go of their obsessions. But the timing of this seclusion felt off.

"Seclusion?" Jervis was clearly taken aback. He hadn't heard about Lemoine going into seclusion, and it didn't seem like a good move to make at a time like this.

Isidore sighed deeply. "He's approaching his ascension period, and there's a concept he hasn't fully grasped yet. He remembered it a few days ago and went into seclusion on short notice, so he didn't inform the other sects. During his seclusion, I'll be handling all major and minor affairs on Mt. Lunther."

As he spoke, he retrieved a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Jervis. "This is a note from Lemoine."

Jervis glanced at it and confirmed it was indeed Lemoine's handwriting.

"If there's anything else you're concerned about, feel free to bring it up. With fellow cultivators from all sects here, we can discuss it openly." Isidore appeared magnanimous on the surface.

Jervis accepted the note. "Of course, we all trust you to act as our interim sect leader, Mr. Camron. But what should we do now?"

Jervis looked at Carlton, whose Arcane mind had been shattered. "Mr. Camron, you know Carlton is the only disciple I've raised since he was a child. With his cultivation level, something like this shouldn't have happened. There must be more to the story that these disciples aren't telling us."

Wynter, hearing this, smirked and twirled the sugilite pendant at her waist. "What could we have done? Just breaking the formation and sending the souls off was difficult enough. Carlton was foolish enough to set off fireworks in Granville Village, waiting for you to come save him.

"By the way, I'd like to know how exactly the renowned Mt. Lunther teaches their disciples. Did no one tell them that setting off fireworks in an Earthbound Formation full of grim spirits won't be seen from the outside?

"The more they set off, the more they expose their position. One of the basic rules of entering a formation is not to disturb anyone inside. Did Mt. Lunther not teach them that?"

Out of all the things that had been said, Wynter's series of questions had the most impact. Jervis' expression was beyond displeased, and every elder from Mt. Lunther looked as if they'd been slapped.

Wynter's questions hit every critical point.

Someone from the sects chimed in, "Even small sects like us teach disciples how to handle formations. Did Mt. Lunther really not teach that? Impossible."

One of the four disciples immediately added, "I'm sure they didn't teach them. The way they set off those fireworks, you'd think they were celebrating the New Year in there."

Each disciple only had one firework. Both Carlton and Jaylene had used theirs. Doing so in the formation was practically suicidal. These so-called cultivation geniuses were truly living up to their reputation.

What was going on with Mt. Lunther? Everyone turned their gaze to Jervis and Isidore. This time, Mt. Lunther had no way to save its reputation. Their disciples' performance was simply too embarrassing.

Jervis clenched his fists and looked to Isidore, who, as the interim sect leader, should have been the one to resolve this.

Isidore, shameless as ever, glanced at the now-deranged Carlton. "We give opportunities to the disciples who come to our sect and nurture them with care.

"But everyone has their weaknesses. Even those with exceptional spiritual roots can forget all the rules when faced with the desire to survive in a formation.

"Carlton's resolve wasn't strong enough. Before he left, Lemoine predicted he would face this trial. He became famous at a young age and feared very little. He thought little of things and didn't take matters seriously.

"This training was a lesson for him. Compared to losing his life, having his Arcane mind shattered isn't the worst outcome."

Isidore then addressed the crowd. "Everyone here likely knows that I, too, once had my Arcane mind shattered. Yet, I can still wield a few artifacts.

"I don't doubt that Velmoria's princess from Mt. Nyxvarn broke the Granville Village formation. But Jaylene's soul being completely destroyed is truly bizarre—unless there's someone we've overlooked. Someone like..."

Isidore's gaze fell on Dalton, who stood not far away, holding a parasol with an air of noble elegance.

"Rumors say that Her Highness brought a friend into the formation. I hear he's from the Wretched Ground and was supposed to be a sacrificial offering to a stone statue. He was saved by Her Highness and followed her to the sects…"