"Do you have any ideas?" Leinor asked while they were lying on the couch in their room.

  It was already nighttime, and the following day, right after their meeting with Aerthus. The room was colored orange from the fme dancing in the firepce, while Leinor gently caressed Ren's stomach as she purred, lying in his p.

  "A few. But I don't want to flesh them out." Ren stretched leisurely, unbothered.

  "Why?"

  "I don't want to be called an Elder. It sounds creepy."

  "Ahaha, that's your reasoning? Really?" Leinor ughed happily, but it was something he had expected already.

  "Not every reason. But most of it comes down to that, yes." She murmured, "Do you think the Sect would accept a master who looks this young? Not everyone is like Poli or Zern. The disciples wouldn't take me seriously."

  "That's just a nuisance for you anyway. What's the real reason? Is it because of the others? Namely... my family?" He poked at the side of her sulking face.

  "A little. Let them take up those Elder positions," She nodded, "I don't care. Look, your family has been in the power business for a long time; I was never someone who aspired to be a leader. They don't need to be afraid, they will have to listen to my orders! I like cultivation, that's all. Also, I like teaching it to someone whose personality I can work with! My dream is to walk as far as I can on the road of cultivation..."

  "It is a long road."

  "It is. That's why you need companions along the road to stay sane." She smiled, looking into his eyes. "If you go alone, it will lead you to a dark pce."

  "Don't worry, I'll be with you all the way!" He ran his fingers through her hair, making a solemn vow.

  "Better be~! Or I'll drag you back from the underworld and beat you up myself!"

  "Ahaha~ I believe it if you say that!" Leinor ughed heartily, kissing her.

  "And… you have any ideas?" She asked after their lips parted.

  "Nope."

  "What…? That was quick!" Ren chuckled, watching his eyes.

  "I thought you would come up with something; I would just support that. Easy!"

  "Tsk, you zy bad boy!"

  "Busted~!"

  "I guess it will be a battle if we go with their ideas. Let the soldiers work it out, then." Ren groaned, fixing her position in his p.

  "I read up about the countries there; the peaceful option is out of the question." Leinor muttered, "The Forefather also knows that, I assume."

  "I think he wants to see our way of thinking and not what kind of pn we come up with." Ren told him, amidst two stretches, "If we go with probably one of the upcoming suggestions, knowing my Father, or your Grandfather's style, we will be sent out to conquer the pce, which has two difficult parts."

  "Two?" Leinor asked as he tilted his head.

  "First, Rorik, they are our allies." Ren held out a finger, "We go and build a Sect on their territory? That they have no control over? We need to appease them somehow so they don't see it as a forceful occupation. But honestly… who cares about it? We won't interfere with anything they do anyway!" She giggled, adding a second finger, "The second is Qun. Do we kill every one of them? Isn't that a massacre? If not... then relocating them? Forcefully? Anything we do will only result in more problems ter. So we should just leave them to their own devices. Beat them up if they come, but other than that, do nothing. Oh, and I bet you anything, the Kingdom of Ten will show up, which could even result in war!" She nodded her head, unbothered by the notion, "Not that I am against THAT... I want to punch that King of theirs in the tip of his penis!"

  “Because of… the thing with… you know…" Leinor murmured as this morning, Xendar broke the news to them and Anya about the execution of her entire family's line. She was shocked and heartbroken, but she quickly collected herself, especially because of the still-growing baby in her.

  "Yeah. Making my mother cry... He won't get away with it!" Ren scoffed angrily.

  "Yeah… I agree… And about the kingdoms… honestly, I never thought about this hard…." Leinor murmured, shaking his head.

  "That is why I said you are a zy, bad boy. Huh, your brain is occupied by perverted things instead of our task!"

  "Not really… okay… a little. It's your fault anyway!" He shrugged, tickling her.

  "Ahaha, that I won't deny!" Ren grinned pyfully. "Who knows, with the frequency you think about my naked body, you may break through soon; they say it's the source of life force, I mean, sex is. No wonder your family is such a womanizer!"

  "I still won't." He shook his head.

  "What keeps you back? I'm surprised; I feel you when you are inside me; you seem ready!" Ren perked up, curious.

  "It's about the absorption technique. I have a vague idea; I want to bance out the energy giving and taking." Leinor expined, "The tter is just not ready. I can't control it the way I do the former. Either I drain everything to the fullest, or it just trickles slowly like nothing. No in-between. I am trying to figure it out, but without the proper experience, I just can't get the hang of it."

  "Hmmm… yeah, that's hard." Ren thought silently for a few seconds. "Maybe the upcoming battles will help you. I'll accompany you closely while you drain the enemies. I'll stop you if you go out of control."

  "It's just…."

  "Don't worry." She held his head, pressing her forehead to his, rubbing his nose with hers. "I'll be with you! You are afraid you will turn out to be like your ancestor. I get it; we all heard the tales of how his powers distorted his mind, leaving a sea of mummies in his wake, but don't worry. I won't let you go down the wrong path!"

  "Thank you…"

  "Never say that again!" Ren whispered, kissing his lips. "Between us, there is no pce for those words. Just promise me that you will hold me back if I start walking the wrong way..."

  "Naturally..." He whispered, giving her a kiss once again as they soon began entangled once again.

  …….…..

  "Come, you need some sleep," Xendar whispered, going up to Anya, hugging her from the back as she stood before the painting of her daughter's wedding.

  "Mmm, I know." She moaned with a smile, "But watching this painting calms me down. Saynur did an amazing job!"

  "Yes, he did. He has a talent for it; his skills may be ckluster, but not in painting." Xendar agreed, "It is imbued with a strange energy which rexes the mind. If he were more talented in cultivation, he might catch the eyes of the others. Maybe his little brother will show some talent too."

  "Heh, if he does, one of us should be his teacher."

  "Ahaha, maybe. We will see. What do you think about this sect thing?"

  "It sounds interesting." She nodded, "I had had enough of this stress of bloodlines, this and that, nobles and titles, and all this nonsense. I just want to leave behind all of it and live like a normal family! Focusing on cultivation doesn't sound so bad; it has no attached baggage."

  "I understand. And you are right!" Her husband said as he kissed her neck, "Don't worry; I'm not pnning on going for any high position; being an Elder is fine. Teaching young, talented boys and girls sounds fun. I had enough adventures on the battlefield; this will be my st!"

  "Don't say it that way. You could jinx it!" Anya turned around, hugging him with a pout, simir to how Ren usually purses her lips.

  "You are still such a superstitious girl~!" Xendar chuckled, "Anya, you should stay home."

  "Huh?" She blinked her eyes, surprised, then bit her lips, clearly struggling.

  "We can't risk it," he said, pcing his hand on her stomach.

  "I… understand why you say it. But I won't. I'll follow you; I will stay away if there is a fight and leave it to you until you take care of yourself. But you won't leave me home now!"

  "What about Ren?"

  "I have no worries for her. Especially because Leinor is with her all the time." She giggled happily. "Plus, she is stronger than us!"

  "That's why I'm worried." Xendar muttered, shaking his head, "She may get used to it and rush into a big mistake."

  "Then we will protect her. As parents should! But first, to be able to do that, we need to take care of ourselves."

  "Roger~! Come, it's te… You need to rest." He picked her up like a princess, carried her to the bed, and hugged her until morning to make her dreams pleasant.

  …….….

  When the next meeting came up, Aerthus listened curiously to what his future core of the Sect came up with. The first pn came from Carthus, who promoted annexing the Rorik Kingdom, then continued doing the same with the Qun Kingdom, unifying the two and establishing a new puppet state, with the sect headquarters as the capital and the two kingdoms as the Sect's outer territory.

  "They are, either way, still nothing more now than proxies. Under the rule of the Sect, they could double their territory." Carthus finished his idea.

  "We would get a big pushback from the royal family, their authority being taken from them; it could even lead to civil unrest. Not to mention the Qun side!" Dermitos argued at once.

  "Then execute the royal family on both sides." His father replied with a cold tone.

  "That's going too far." Xendar cut in, standing with Dermitos.

  "We could also repce them with our people." Carthus thought a little before continuing, "Or execute the current line and repce it with another who is willing to work under us."

  "You sound like your father." Boursat cut in with a calm voice, making Carthus close his eyes before leaning back in his chair, saying nothing else for a few seconds.

  "I see." He looked at Boursat in the end, as he slowly opened his eyes. "What else do we have?"

  "I have nothing. I'm used to commanding soldiers, thieves, and prostitutes." Boursat said as he smiled, making Carthus shake his head with an almost unnoticeable smile of his own. "My methods would only lead to riots. I could spread the idea of a revolution with the masses, but it would take time and destroy our retionship with the ruling family, that is for sure."

  "Or we could use diplomacy first." Dermitos spoke up, "Contact the Rorik family, tell them our pns on establishing the Sect on the isnd, and that we wouldn't take part in any of their decisions or wars. They can operate the same way they always did; it's not like they have anything on the isnd, it's completely void of structures, and they only use it as an excuse to fight their wars. This would even take away the pressure from them, as if the Qun empire wants to go at it, we would be the target, not them."

  As the discussion continued, different ideas were raised, and various approaches were mixed between them. Then, finally, Aerthus spoke up, addressing Ren, who looked utterly bored and was pying with her hair, not paying them any attention at all.

  "What do you think?" Aerthus asked with a smile.

  "Mmm? Me?" Ren pointed at herself.

  "No, your future self from a thousand years from now on." Aerthus chuckled, "Yes. You."

  "I wouldn't even think about it," she giggled. "A Sect is free from mortal structures, nobles or commoners, ruling family or not, doesn't matter. We are not there to command the masses or direct the course of hundreds of thousands of people who just want to live their lives."

  "Your meaning?" Aerthus smiled with a visibly satisfied expression.

  "I would just go there, build the Sect, and that's it." Ren shrugged, silencing the others for a brief moment.

  "Ahahaha!" Feynor ughed in the end, who had been silent until now, while the others looked at each other.

  "What?" Ren looked around with a raised eyebrow. "What will they do? Go against us? With the Sect Head at the helm? You are joking with me! We go, build up the Sect, and start operating. Either way, we won't interfere with their ruling; we are there to accept disciples and cultivate them. We also want to accept disciples, no?" She looked at the others, "That is the main goal of a Sect, if I am correct... no? We are not there to expand the borders of the Empire! I guess the Sect Head doesn't want to limit the search for talent to the Empire alone. Our territory is not the only pce we can draw in young prospects, after all. Will any from the Kingdom of Ten come if we stomp down anyone in alliance with them? What about our other allies? What would they think?" She rolled her eyes, annoyed because of her boredom. "Just go there, start building, and if someone comes aggressively, we will shoo them away. If they come as friends, we can welcome them with tea and cookies. It isn't that complicated..."

  "Even if they come, most people from the Kingdom of Ten will be spies," Boursat warned them.

  "Maybe." Ren nodded, "But we don't need to worry about that yet. You older people still see things from the perspective of an ex-emperor."

  "Hah!" Aerthus chuckled, but he let her continue with an encouraging nod.

  "Your mentality needs to change." Ren said with a shrug, "When you are talented or want to learn cultivation and improve yourself, what are your options in the end? Join the Empire or the Kingdom. Even then, to have a chance to reach the Harmony Realm, you will need to sell yourself to one side fully. Look at my Father. He was a General for decades, loyal to the Empire. In return, he was ordered around by the royal family." Her words made both Dermitos and Xendar twitch their mouths while Carthus started to furrow his brows. Only Anya nodded, agreeing, staring at Dermitos, who just mouthed, 'Hey, why are you angry with me now?'

  "You try to say… What?" Boursat asked, lost in thought.

  "Even if you are as talented as my Father, if he ever showed disloyalty to the Empire, he would be marked as an unstable force or even an enemy. Even if you wouldn't do it…." Ren said, looking at Dermitos and then directing her gaze to Carthus. "Someone else would."

  "True." Carthus acknowledged.

  "Father!" Dermitos stood up.

  "Rex." Xendar said, "It's fine; that is how Empires work."

  "That's true." Ren continued, "And as I heard, the Kingdom is even worse in this aspect. No one survives long if they threaten the ruling power of the Naulins. But if you want resources and techniques, you need to join one side and rise through the ranks, but you can never aim for the top." She looked into the others' eyes, revealing a slight smile. "This is why you need to change your mindsets. This is no longer your Empire; it is not yours. It is those who can rise up to the top to lead it."

  The room fell silent again at her words while Aerthus was looking intently at Ren, patiently waiting for her to continue.

  "Just think about it." She shrugged, "You are a talented young cultivator. Let's say you are sixteen and came of age a little earlier than others. By age eighteen, you are already at the second or third level of body refinement. You have the talent to reach this, but then what? Most people could only go to the third or fourth level. Let's face it, both the Kingdom and we focus only on a small number of people to raise talents, and those are usually tied to the ruling party in some way or another. The rest have the chance to join the army and rise there... nothing else. This is the truth. There are not many other venues for cultivators, and they are limited in scope. Rising above that requires help and education. Guidance."

  "The people under me are a good example." Boursat agreed, "When Ren needed data, we trained normal people. Yes, they are not outstanding talents, but most of them, even those who did not amount to much, at least reached the fourth level by now... and I found some who soared to the sixth. Previously, they were happy with raising only to the second. They are in no way comparable to the kind of people we want to recruit to the Sect, but it proves the concept… collect people from everywhere, and you are going to find talent among them. Nurture them, and we will have a force that no empire can go against. If you send someone at level five against someone at the ninth level, he will be pulverized by a few moves."

  "This is why a sect is different." Ren smiled. "We will accept anyone. They can rise to the top if they pass the tests and join. If they are so talented, they can be elders, core elders, grand elders, who know, maybe even become the sect leader!"

  Her words made Carthus look at Aerthus, but he saw only a smiling ancestor, satisfied with what he had heard, which made him think again.

  "Now consider this!" Ren continued, "They may send a spy, but so what? The Sect will be their family from then on. They will work for it, and we will work for them. It is a symbiotic retionship. They bring talent; we bring the resources. When they grow up and realize they can go way farther with us than with anyone else, would they give this up? No. They will fight for it… even die for it," she said confidently. "We just need to show them this is where they belong. Even if the person they send is a spy, we will only receive a free talent who was gifted to us." She smiled happily, leaning back, not speaking anymore.

  After a momentary pause, Aerthus suddenly began cpping as he looked around with a wide grin on his face.

  "She understands! As for you all, you need to work more." Aerthus looked at the others. "But I'm not disappointed; I am happy you are open enough for discussion. I know it will be hard to adapt your mindset, but you will realize that this is the correct path!" He said with a loud ugh, "We will do as she expined. We will go there and start building. We will act based on their reactions; we won't waste words and will show it through our actions. If they come as friends, we will welcome them as such. We will send their heads back home if they come with swords." He stood up. "Get ready! We will go by daybreak, and I'll show you some tricks I picked up from the other side of the world."