Immortal Supreme: Sovereign of the Grand Dao-Chapter 292: Mistress of Avalon?

Arthur nodded slowly. "And her disappearance weakened the sect."

"It did," Lady Ayara said bitterly. "Not immediately. For the first few decades, the sect continued as it had. But our enemies were watching. They were waiting."

"When enough time had passed and our ancestor still hadn’t returned, they struck."

"Who attacked you?" Arthur asked.

"Multiple forces," Lady Ayara replied. "Old enemies of our sect. Remnants of demonic sects we’d destroyed. Even some righteous sects that had been jealous of our power and influence."

"They formed a temporary alliance. Their goal was simple: destroy the Evil God Extermination Sect completely."

"And they nearly succeeded it seems," Arthur said quietly.

"Yes," Lady Ayara confirmed. Her voice was heavy. "We fought. We fought with everything we had. But without our ancestor, we couldn’t withstand the combined assault of so many powerful forces."

"Our sect faced extinction."

She paused. When she spoke again, her voice was steadier. "That’s when the decision was made. Our sect elders gathered the surviving members. They decided we had to split up. If we stayed together, we would all be hunted down and killed."

"By splitting into smaller groups, at least some of us might survive."

"We split into two factions."

"Two faction?"

"Yes," Lady Ayara confirmed. "The Shadow Cat Faction and the Blood Raven Faction."

"You lead the Shadow Cat Faction," Arthur said.

"I do," Lady Ayara said. "We took approximately half of the sect’s surviving members. We fled from the attackers, eventually making our way here to the southern continent. That’s when we met the Emperor and came to an agreement with him."

"And what about the Blood Raven Faction?" Arthur asked.

Lady Ayara’s voice grew quieter. "We don’t know. After we split up, we had no contact with them. It was too dangerous. Any communication could have been intercepted by our enemies."

"So you don’t know if they survived?"

"No," Lady Ayara admitted. "We don’t know if they escaped successfully. We don’t know where they fled to. We don’t even know if any of them are still alive."

The pain in her words was genuine. Arthur could tell this uncertainty weighed heavily on her.

"That’s why the treasures in the Martial Emperor Secret Realm are so important to you," Arthur said, understanding now. "They’re not just valuable items. They’re connections to your sect’s past. To your ancestor."

"Yes," Lady Ayara said softly. "Everything our ancestor left behind is precious to us. Her cultivation techniques, her artifacts, even her personal belongings. They’re all we have left of her and of our sect’s glory."

"If we can recover them, we can rebuild. We can train new disciples properly. We can become strong again."

Arthur was quiet for a moment. He processed everything she’d told him.

’Interesting. I keep getting more reasons to explore the secret realm beyond my original goals. Hmm...are you acting up...oh Grand Dao?’

’There’s more to this. I can feel it.’

But there was something else that caught his attention. Something Lady Ayara had mentioned earlier during their initial discussion.

"I learned that you and your sisters share something," Arthur said carefully. "Something related to your cultivation or your sect’s techniques."

Lady Ayara stiffened slightly. "You’re referring to our martial spirits."

"Yes," Arthur confirmed. "You mentioned that you couldn’t explain certain things because of sect oaths. But I’m curious about the significance."

"I’m sorry, Your Highness," Lady Ayara said. Her voice was firm but polite. "That is a sect secret. We are all bound by oaths not to share that information with outsiders."

"Even though your sect is scattered and broken?" Arthur asked.

"Especially because of that," Lady Ayara replied. "The oaths our ancestor made us swear were sacred. We cannot break them, no matter the circumstances. It’s a matter of honor and survival."

Arthur nodded. He didn’t press further on that point. Pushing too hard would only make her more defensive.

Instead, he shifted his approach slightly. "I believe you want to know why exactly I am this inquisitive about your sect."

Lady Ayara was silent for a moment. Then she spoke carefully. "Yes, because in my experience, people don’t ask about history unless they have a specific reason. They ask about benefits, about power, about what they can gain."

"But you’re asking about our sect’s founding. About our struggles. About our ancestor."

"It makes me wonder what you’re really looking for, Your Highness."

Arthur smiled slightly. "Perhaps I’m simply thorough. Or perhaps I respect the fact that you’re entrusting me with important matters. Understanding context helps me make better decisions."

It was a diplomatic answer. Lady Ayara seemed to accept it, though Arthur suspected she remained somewhat wary.

He was about to ask another question when he felt something.

It was Cora.

’Please ask about my sister’s name. This is the final confirmation I need,’ she sounded urgent.

Arthur could tell she was very calm at the moment, but he agreed.

"Lady Ayara," he said, his tone casual but his attention focused. "I have one more question, if you don’t mind."

"Of course, Your Highness," Lady Ayara replied.

"Your sect founder. Your ancestor. What was her name?"

Lady Ayara tilted her head slightly. "Her name? That’s not a secret, Your Highness. Our ancestor was known throughout the eastern continent."

"She was called the Mistress of Avalon."

The moment those words left Lady Ayara’s mouth, Arthur felt a powerful surge of emotion from the Serene Palace Painting.

Shock. Recognition. Disbelief.

It was Cora. And whatever she was feeling was intense enough that Arthur could sense with his empath ability very clearly despite the painting’s concealment.

"The Mistress of Avalon," Arthur repeated slowly. "Was that her true name?"

Lady Ayara shook her head. "No, Your Highness. That was the title she used publicly. Her true name was something she never revealed."

"Never?" Arthur asked. "Not even to her closest disciples?"

"Not even to us," Lady Ayara confirmed. "When we asked, she would simply smile and tell us that her true name could not be revealed. Not yet. She said there were reasons, important reasons, why she had to keep it hidden."

"She promised that one day, when the time was right, we would understand. But that day never came before she disappeared."

Arthur absorbed this information carefully. Behind his composed exterior, his mind was racing.

’She must be waiting for her sister and also avoiding the apoeariof their old enemies ,’ he thought. ’Or that title. The Mistress of Avalon means something to Cora.’

’But what? And why would she react so strongly?’

He needed to speak with Cora directly. But he couldn’t do that with Lady Ayara present.

"I see," Arthur said calmly. "Thank you for sharing that information."

Lady Ayara nodded. "May I ask why you wanted to know her name specifically, Your Highness?"

Before Arthur could answer, something happened.

The air in the room shifted. Energy rippled outward in a wave that made Lady Ayara gasp and stand abruptly.

A figure materialized beside Arthur’s chair.

She appeared from seemingly nowhere. One moment the space was empty. The next, she was there.

Cora.

Her eyes were wide and filled with emotions Arthur had rarely seen in her.

Shock. Hope. Uncertainty. And something deeper that one couldn’t quite identify.

Lady Ayara stood up in shock.

"Who—" she began.

But she stopped when she truly looked at Cora. When she saw the woman’s face.

When she noticed the particular energy signature that surrounded her.

Lady Ayara’s entire body went rigid. Her breath caught in her throat.

She stared at Cora with an expression of absolute disbelief visible even through her veil.

"You..." Lady Ayara whispered. Her voice shook. "That presence... those features... it can’t be..."

Cora said nothing. She simply stood there, looking at Lady Ayara with an intensity that filled the room.

"No, it can’t be...." Ayara shook her head.

Her hands began to tremble. "Who are you?" she asked, though her tone suggested she already suspected the answer.

Cora’s lips parted. She took a breath, preparing to speak.