“It’s the other way around, Zoemi.”

Rhodes shook his head with an awkward expression.

“The dragon living in the forest is supposed to have human-like intelligence and should be capable of using the star power. That’s what we were all referring to…”

He explained sounding very troubled over the misunderstanding.

“Is that so…? If it’s just that then I have no problem telling you how it really is.”

Zoemi raised his brow and scoffed with a mocking smirk.

“Every dragon is capable of using human speech although some are not very keen on doing so. Saying that a dragon is able to use star power is an understatement – every one of them is capable of using it to the point of controlling the attribute that the law they specialize in is connected to. Now to the more important stuff. Is your sect connected in any way with the distribution of the mana potion and labeling it as a monster lure?”

The black-haired man rolled his eyes over the trivia he gave, before shaking the vial in his hand again to bring the attention back to it.

“…?”

“…?”

Rhodes and Chloe exchanged equally surprised glances, but even though they looked genuinely shocked, it was hard to say whether it was because of Zoemi’s attitude, the fact that he seemed to know more about the dragon – or rather dragons – living in the sea of trees, or the distribution of the mana potion he wanted to know about.

“Everyone knows that mana is poison, right? Although I called the liquid the blue liquid that was previously filling up this tiny bottle a mana potion, it is not something that contains mana. It merely forces the body of the person drinking it to increase the speed of mana recovery – not by much, but still. It’s useful for the magicians with the least amount of mana. But for the monsters, it doesn’t really lure them – it straight up throws them into a frenzy. Mislabeling its effects and selling them as something else sounds just like something up the dark sects alley.”

Zoemi wasn’t affected by the initial reaction and continued talking moving a little bit while making sure that Alan isn’t in harm’s way.

“The dark sects aren’t as bad as the lawful ones make it seem.”

Chloe pointed out with a frown but didn’t exactly direct the look at the black-haired man, making it seem like she didn’t exactly have a clear conscience.

“You might rethink whether it’s a good idea to lie to me. In case the Blood Star sect is the one in charge of putting mana potions out there, your blood ritual – whatever it is about – will be useless with the blood of all of your members splattered on the walls floor and walls of this little hideout of yours.”

“Zoemi?!”

The black-haired man mocking smirk turned into an annoyed frown within a heartbeat as he towered over the present martial artists – to the point of Alan grabbing onto his clothes and calling out in shock despite being someone who definitely didn’t have any sympathy towards any of the dark sects.

“No, wait. The Blood Star sect really doesn’t have anything to do with that thing.”

Rhodes raised his hands showing off that he wasn’t willing to pick up a fight and spoke in a forced calm voice despite whatever feelings he was keeping in check.𝑜𝑣𝓵xt.𝗇𝓔t

“…”

Aaron fidgetted nervously while looking at the crystal vial in Zoemi’s hand, but said nothing, staying back as his father stepped forward.

“A guy who betrayed the Great Ram sect and joined one of the dark ones gave it to Alan knowing full well of its real effects, intending the frenzied monster to kill him. Zoey was also intending to use the spiritual energy of the innocent people from the nearby village to increase his cultivation. Are you going to tell me that he was an outcast of your sect too?”

Zoemi asked in disgust, unleashing an overwhelming aura of might that one would feel standing at the foot of a gigantic mountain.

“I can assure you that no one from the Great Ram sect, much less someone under the name Zoey, has joined our sect in recent years. We are not exactly out there recruiting people from the important lawful secs, it’s too dangerous.”

Rhodes breathed out, seemingly in relief, having something that he could have his answer anchored to.

“Oh really? Why were some people from your sect out and about babbling about having to recruit more members in a tawer, in plain sight, obnoxiously enough to have the people from the Heavenly Archer sect and the ones from the Star Pagoda learn about it?”

Zoemi raised his brows and snorted, waving his hand dismissively.

“What are you talking about? Everyone who wants to leave or come back to this place must go through me and I know for a fact that no one here would be stupid enough to make such a ridiculous mistake.”

Choe blinked a few times before answering, completely baffled by the black-haired man’s words.

“Zoemi, I can’t say for sure whether this will come as a surprise for you, considering your background, but there are two different types of dark sects.”

Rhodes put his hand to the side, blocking the way for the young sect leader to come up to Zoemi.

“The original ones, like the Blood Star sect, which secret cultivation methods are rooted in the sacrifice of life. And then there are the dark sects that were created in order to lure the criminals and vile people to join and get killed… all in hopes of the original dark sects to reveal themselves to get slaughtered.”

The older man gulped down his saliva, staring at Zoemi without blinking a single time as he spoke.

“Then, you are saying that the new dark sects were actually created by…”

Zoemi said slowly, getting this uneasy feeling in his chest.

“The Star Pagoda and the Heavenly Archer sect.”

Rhodes nodded his head, finishing the line that the black-haired man was about to say himself.