The Heiress’ Return: Six Brothers at Her Beck and Call (Wynter Quinnell) novel Chapter 1814

The solo cultivator, Dudley Solomon, stroked his beard and offered an explanation.

"The formation in Granville Village is different from others. Dismantling it won't increase one's fortune, but it is a great boon for the surrounding villagers. It shows that the one who dismantled it has achieved a state of great mental clarity."

"Indeed. Carlton is a well-mannered disciple. He respects his teachers and cares for the world. He is exactly the kind of disciple sects seek," another elder chimed in.

The grand hall was soon filled with praises and congratulations for Carlton. Once again, Mt. Lunther had gained prestige.

Mt. Lunther's elders, especially the two who had previously visited Mt. Nyxvarn, looked down on others with an air of superiority.

Ailithir had been too stubborn to accept their earlier offers. Now, he would finally understand the vast difference between a declining sect and Mt. Lunther. Their disciples' performance in Granville Village spoke for itself.

As for Wynter, she had even brought her boy toy along. Whether she would make it out alive was another matter entirely.

While the various sects were busy discussing, Dudley spoke again, "They should return soon since the formation in Granville Village has been dismantled. Let us wait a little longer.

"Originally, the ranking would be based on slaying evil spirits, but the significance of dismantling such a formation speaks for itself."

"Mt. Lunther will undoubtedly take first place this time. We should definitely throw a huge celebration for this."

"Let us wait for the disciples to return."

…

Unbeknownst to them, the genius they were praising, Carlton, was now in a state of utter despair.

Someone had indeed perished—not exactly died, but rather lost their soul, leaving behind only an empty shell. That someone was Jaylene, another prodigious talent. Her eyes were hollow, like those of someone with a broken mind, as she stood by the fire.

If it weren't for Raleigh, who had pulled her back, she might have walked straight into the flames.

Carlton's hair was disheveled. He seemed to have lost his wits, repeatedly asking, "Why?"

Raleigh, not understanding how things had come to this, turned to Wynter with a look of anxiety, his pale face filled with worry. "Your Highness, can they still be saved?"

After saying this, he seemed to realize something and lowered his head. "I know their intentions were impure, but they are still my seniors. Our sages will be heartbroken if they return like this."

"Oh, that has nothing to do with me," Wynter replied indifferently. She wasn't a saint and wouldn't save just anyone.

Raleigh, understanding the situation, didn't press further. After all, Mt. Lunther was currently the least favored among the sects.

The four others glanced over. Logically, Jaylene shouldn't have ended up like this. Her soul and spiritual form were gone, but no one had seen anyone attacking her. Could the grim spirits be feeding on her without them noticing?

Feradach hesitated, his gaze shifting toward Dalton, who had been close to Jaylene earlier. Could it have been him?

As Feradach speculated, Dalton turned and looked at him. His face was as indifferent as ever, as if unafraid of being seen through. Instead, he exuded an intimidating energy.

Feradach felt a shiver down his spine, and he started trembling. Forget it. Jaylene had nearly gotten them killed earlier. If it weren't for her push, they wouldn't have entered Granville Village in the first place. Jaylene had brought this upon herself.

But if it really was Dalton's doing, what would happen if someone found out? What would become of Wynter and Mt. Nyxvarn?

At this point, anyone with eyes could see that Dalton was no ordinary person. He might very well be from a different world. It would be one thing if he were a fox spirit in disguise, as sects sometimes kept such beings. But if he were from the underworld...

As Feradach pondered this, a group of female spirits descended before Wynter. Their spirit energy was so heavy that the four and Raleigh instinctively took a step back.

The spirits, realizing their mistake, exchanged glances and suppressed their resentful energy, reverting to their human forms.

The dark energy they carried was said to harm the cultivators. Even if it didn't, their overwhelming resentful energy could easily make people sick, even sect disciples.

But they were so eager to express their gratitude to Wynter that they couldn't help but draw closer. They had been dead for so long, their dark energy never dissipating. Most of them didn't even know where to begin.

Feradach, seeing their imposing presence, thought they might be seeking revenge, demanding that the living pay for their suffering.

After all, Julio, Granville Village's mayor, had clearly colluded with someone from the sects to create the formation, borrowing golden encounters to deceive the heavens and commit evil. These female spirits were victims, and it wouldn't be unusual for them to demand retribution.

The four exchanged uneasy glances, ready to cover Wynter's retreat if things went south.

Now that the formation was dismantled, their cultivation was no longer suppressed, and they could use a teleportation formation to return to their sect at any moment.

Just as Feradach was about to signal Wynter, she spoke calmly to the spirits. "Your grievances have been resolved. Aren't you going to reincarnate?"

The spirits looked at each other, and finally, Desiree spoke on their behalf. "We would like to offer you our merits. It may not mean much to you, but it is our way of expressing our gratitude."

Merits? They didn't know malevolent spirits had merits. But it was understandable that Feradach was visibly surprised. He was still young and inexperienced.

But Wynter knew what they meant and shook her head. "Your merit are from the battlefield. I am Velmoria's princess, and your husbands died protecting our kingdom. I cannot accept this."

Desiree wanted to say more, but Wynter continued, "Take this merit with you into your next lives. Not only will the underworld officials treat you with respect, but you will also have a better fate in your next life, free from the suffering of this one. Your children also need this merit."

At the mention of their children, the mothers hesitated. Behind the female spirits were the faint figures of several young girls. Many of these women had become malevolent spirits to protect their children from harm.

"If it weren't for her background, she wouldn't even be fit for the Sacred Path with her mediocre spiritual roots. Only Ailithir would take her in, indulging her every whim. She probably knows nothing beyond having fun."

The assessment of Wynter had never changed, largely due to Mt. Nyxvarn's deliberate efforts to remain inconspicuous over the years.

Ailithir's disciples all had their own stories, but they chose not to act on them. Not everything needed to be ranked or competed over, and they genuinely didn't see ascension to the Sacred Path as their ultimate goal.

However, those around them thought differently. The current obsession with ascension among the sects had reached a point of stubbornness, even leading to underhanded tactics to seize golden encounters.

Mt. Nyxvarn simply wanted to keep to themselves, but they knew that with Wynter around, true solitude was impossible. Her secrets—her so-called mediocre spiritual roots—were merely a cover concocted by Ailithir to protect her.

In these times, hiding oneself could be crucial. But it was clear that during this Arcane Way Forum, Wynter's talent could no longer remain hidden. Of course, they never truly believed they could hide her forever. They simply hoped she could live as freely as possible, in the way she desired.

Someone else spoke up. "Mt. Nyxvarn hasn't made any statements, which at least shows they're not gloating."

"After all, nothing has been confirmed yet. Who knows what really happened in Granville Village?"

As they spoke, Jervis stood at the highest point, stroking his beard with an air of authority. "As this Arcane Way Forum's presiding elders, I want to say that no conclusions can be drawn about which sect dismantled the formation in Granville Village until all the disciples return.

"Everyone, let us be patient and wait for their return to clarify the matter before discussing merits and rankings."

His words sounded fair, but in reality, with Mt. Nyxvarn's fortune already surging, who else could have dismantled the formation?

Jervis—no, the entire Mt. Lunther—could not accept the idea of Mt. Nyxvarn surpassing them. They would wait for now. Perhaps there was still a chance to turn things around.

After all, besides Carlton and Jaylene, their other disciples had also participated in the trial. No matter what, they needed to hear what had happened.

So, the sects waited for Wynter and her group to return and report.

However, Wynter was in no hurry. Her goal had always been to break the formation. However, while the formation in Granville Village was resolved, the Sacrificial Human Formation was still ongoing, which was strange.

Based on past experiences, once a lingering issue in a place was resolved, she should be able to exit the formation. But this time, she couldn't.

Not only that, but Dalton's appearance was also changing—his height, looks, and demeanor were becoming identical to his real self outside the formation.

It was as if the Sacrificial Human Formation wasn't just someone's stubborn obsession but had its own rules, existing in a parallel world.

Wynter shook that thought out of his head.

A formation was just a formation. No matter how real the warmth of the skin felt, it didn't change the fact that it was all a relic of the past. Wynter knew this line of thinking was cold, but it was the only way she could escape the formation. Otherwise, she would be trapped in it forever.