Gregory’s countenance was a mask of anger as he looked down at Pearl kneeling on the ground. However, he maintained his silence, his eyes turning to his fellow elders instead. “Gregory, the reputation of Solaris Sect cannot be tarnished,” one of the elders said.
Another chimed in, “That’s right! We came close to making a grave error and jeopardizing the reputation of Solaris Sect!” “It’s a disgrace for our sect to have such a disciple.”
Having spoken their minds, the elders turned around and walked away. As for Pearl’s punishment, they no longer concerned themselves with it. They left it to Gregory to decide.
“Master, I’ve done all of you wrong. Please forgive me this one time! I’m genuinely sorry!” Pearl continuously banged her head on the ground while confessing her mistake.
Gregory knitted his brows. It was clear that he was in a dilemma. In the end, he raised his hand and struck Pearl with a palm. The strike was not meant to take her life-it was to nullify her cultivation.
“You’ve been my disciple for many years, and now I’m taking everything I’ve taught you back. You must leave this place right now. Go wherever you wish to go. From now on, I’m no longer your master,” Gregory uttered, avoiding Pearl’s gaze by shutting his eyes.
“Master! Master, I’m powerless now without my cultivation. I’ll die for sure if I leave this place! Where else can I go? Please don’t cast me away. I’ll stay to serve you for the rest of my life!” Pearl begged him.
Yet, Gregory turned away without sparing another glance in her direction.
“Jared, please! Please speak on my behalf. I know what I did was wrong. I won’t repeat the same mistake again!” Pearl shifted her attention to Jared, hoping he could plead on her behalf.
Nonetheless, Jared’s gaze remained devoid of compassion as he stared at the tearful Pearl kneeling on the ground.
“You reap what you sow. You can’t blame anyone for this,” he coldly stated.
Pearl continued to plead, but as Gregory’s determination became evident and she realized there was no chance of her staying, she slowly. rose to her feet and departed.
After a few steps, she turned back to cast a bitter glance at Jared and Gregory, her eyes brimming with resentment.
However, no one paid her any attention anymore. With her cultivation stripped away, once she ventured beyond Jipsdale’s borders, she would likely fall prey to the beasts of the wild.
“This scandal emerged due to my inadequate guidance of my disciple. I’m so sorry, Mr. Chance. I must take my leave now.” With a grim expression, Gregory was about to leave.
“Wait a minute, Mr. Stark!” Jared immediately called out.
“Is there anything else I can help you with, Mr. Chance?” Gregory asked.
“Mr. Stark, Roderick’s spiritual cauldron holds no value for me, so I’d like to offer it to you. It might be important to you.” With a wave of his hand, Jared summoned the spiritual cauldron over.
“B-But… I don’t think that’s appropriate!” Gregory exclaimed in astonishment. Given that his disciple had caused so much trouble, he had not expected Jared to offer him the spiritual cauldron.
“What’s inappropriate about this? Take it,” Jared responded with a faint smile. Gregory accepted the spiritual cauldron, his expression one of disbelief. “Mr. Chance, if Emerald Cauldron Sect ever requires assistance from Solaris Sect, we’ll lend a hand without hesitation.”
With that, Gregory departed with the spiritual cauldron. The rationale behind Jared’s decision not to leave it for Viola or Ghaylen was rooted in his current affiliation with Emerald Cauldron Sect. Should the need ever arise, he could always utilize his Divine Cauldron:
In addition to that, Jared understood that his stay at Emerald Cauldron Sect was temporary. By entrusting the spiritual cauldron to Solaris Sect, he could forge a lasting friendship with them. This partnership would remain advantageous even after Jared’s eventual departure from Emerald Cauldron Sect and would ease the burdens on Viola.
Moreover, given Emerald Cauldron Sect’s current strength, ensuring the safekeeping of the spiritual cauldron could have posed a challenge as it had the potential to attract calamity to them.
