Ethan didn't know who this Vicious Lord was. But judging from the expressions on the two boys' faces, it was obvious that he was no ordinary figure. Even that beautiful woman—without question the strongest existence Ethan had encountered so far—was wary of him. That alone was enough to imagine what kind of terrifying presence the Vicious Lord truly was.
The scene shifted once again.
This time, Ethan found himself in a vast desert.
The two boys had grown into young men. Leo and Frank now stood tall, their cultivation bases powerful and stable, clearly shaped by years of relentless training.
"We've been on the Grace Continent for fifteen years now," Leo said, gazing up at the blue sky. "Master must be doing well over there."
"I wonder when she'll return," Frank said with a sigh. "Once she comes back, we'll finally be free of this burden."
"That's true," Leo replied. Then he added casually, "I'm thinking of opening a sect. Will you join me?"
"No," Frank said calmly. "I want to open my own school."
"What? You're planning to compete with me now?" Leo asked, frowning.
"Don't be ridiculous," Frank said irritably. "That's not my intention. You're overthinking it."
After a brief pause, he continued, "How about this? You establish your sect as planned. I'll open an academy under your sect. That way, you fulfill your ambition, and I still walk my own path. No hard feelings."
Leo broke into a grin. "That works. Let's do it."
The scene faded.
Another memory unfolded.
Leo established a sect—the Royal God Sect.
Frank founded an academy beneath it—the Sacred Wind Academy.
Ethan remained silent.
He had already suspected this. After all, he had read countless novels with similar narratives. But the name Frank had left him uncertain. Now, there was no doubt left in his mind.
Frank was Francisco Marshall.
The founder of Sacred Wind Academy.
The scene shifted violently.
Frank now appeared aged, his once-powerful body weakened. Blood soaked his robes. The majestic academy from earlier memories was engulfed in flames.
A group of sinister figures assaulted the academy. They were dressed in black robes, their faces hidden beneath hoods. On their backs was an ominous skull emblem.
"Old Frank, just give up," one of the attackers said. His voice was calm—almost gentle—but the viciousness beneath it was unmistakable. "Why resist and invite the annihilation of the academy you created? Give us the location of that place, and we'll leave."
"If you had done so from the beginning," he continued, "none of this would have happened. Look around you. How many people do you think have died because of your stubbornness? Just tell us the location and end this calamity."
Ethan could tell immediately—if Frank revealed the location of the secret zone, these people would still slaughter everyone present. And an experienced man like Frank knew it too.
Frank smirked. "Since when did followers of the Vicious Lord start showing mercy?"
The attacker laughed softly. "When I say I'll let you go, I mean sending all of you to the other world. That is mercy."
"And what kind of mercy is that?" Frank asked coldly.
"If you cooperate," the man replied, grinning, "you'll die painlessly. If not, we'll begin with torture. After that, humiliation. And then we'll hang your head on the academy gates as decoration. People will enjoy it. Don't you think?"
Frank stayed silent for a moment before replying, "Even if I wanted to tell you, I couldn't. I only possess half the information. The other half lies with my partner—and I won't reveal his identity."
"Hehehe," the man chuckled. "You mean Leo?"
Frank froze.
"Don't worry about him," the attacker continued cheerfully. "He was tough—very tough. But after prolonged torture, even he broke."
"We peeled his skin. Pulled out his eyes for amusement. Castrated him for fun. Only after all that did he speak. Then he begged us to kill him."
The man laughed loudly. "He kept screaming, I'm sorry, Master! I failed you! Hahaha! It was quite the performance."
Frank roared, "What did you do to him?!"
The academy disciples trembled. Some nearly collapsed in terror. Even the most hardened among them felt their stomachs churn. These people weren't human. No sane being could commit such atrocities.
The attacker sneered. "Your master thought she was clever—hiding everything by secretly grooming two disciples and passing the responsibility to you."
"You were disciplined," he continued. "You stayed hidden. But Leo? He was careless. Always sneaking out."
"In the cultivation world," the man said coldly, "even the smallest mistake leads to disaster."
"His mistake," the attacker finished, "was being noticed by our spy from the Blue Ocean Sect."