In a particular luxurious palace in some Territory, nine people were gathered, albeit discreetly. There were four icy-blue robed maidens and five men, two from one power and three from another power. All of them looked striking and individualistic. They were all seated at a round table, seemingly engaged in a heated discussion.

"No, you can't. Not at this moment."

A woman who wore an icy-blue robe shook her head, her voice sounding melodious yet cold.

"What? Why?" A young man in light red robes stood up, "We are the overseers of the Nine Western Territories Competition. Why do we not have the right to start our own competition?"

"Two Elders are en route to explain that..." The woman added, her voice indifferently echoing while her expression hidden by a white veil remained nonchalant.

"This is just too much! What's taking so long? Not only are they leaving us unfulfilled with the situation but they're also demanding that we delay the competition for a further time. The competition should've taken place long ago! Some of the children who had the right to participate already lost their opportunity to participate in the last two years. They're past a hundred now. Do you kn-"

"It's not my problem, Ancestor Gong Kim-Il." The woman cut him short, "We've been told to wait by the four great righteous sects, so we had no choice but to delay the competition two times already. We also have disciples who lost their eligibility to participate in this competition. So if you have complaints, take it to the four righteous sects, not me, not us. We merely relayed what we were told to do."

"Tch!" Gong Kim-Il clicked his tongue in annoyance before he narrowed his eyes, looking at that woman's huge assets with a blatant and disrespectful gaze.

"Do you want your eyes gouged out, Ancestor Gong Kim-Il?" A cold voice emerged from the woman who spoke all this time.

Ancestor Gong Kim-Il raised his brows as if he was amused before sitting back and leaning on the chair, looking aloof.

"Why don't you try me, Sect Master Bing Luli?"

Sect Master Bing Luli raised her hand, wanting to teach him a lesson, when suddenly another cold voice echoed.

"Luli'er, don't pay heed to those who meaninglessly provoke."

"Yes, grandmother."

Sect Master Bing Luli answered respectfully and closed her limpid eyes before reopening, her gaze appearing calm.

Ancestor Gong Kim-Il silently laughed while another voice echoed beside him.

"Well, well, if it isn't Ancestor Bing Hua."

Another man who wore a light red robe smiled as he raised his brows at the youthful woman before looking at the two other women and clasping his hands. They all wore similar yet grand icy-blue robes and veils like Sect Master Bing Luli, regardless of their temperament.

"Greetings, Ancestor Wan Lanying, and Ancestor Xia Yun. I didn't think all three of you were able to break through into the Martial Sage Stage. Congratulations! You all look so beautiful that men like us would flock to marry if even one of you just said the word."

"Ancestor Gong Hyun-Ki is humorous. We don't deserve such praise." Ancestor Xia Yun spoke in a nonchalant voice. Her eyes looked aloof and transient, shining with a snowy light that made her look extremely charming.

Gong Hyun-Ki shook his head, "How can that be? The Mystic Ice Sect enjoyed a wide bout of fame with you three fairies. If you weren't all able to breakthrough in a few decades, I feared that it might be the end of the Mystic Ice Sect, but fortunately, it seems like there is no need to be worried about the safety of the Mystic Ice Sect. No one likes to see women get injured after all."

The four women from the Mystic Ice Sect didn't say anything, leading to a silent atmosphere before a man in yellow robes coughed.

"Ahem... I wonder how long we should wait?"

"As long as we can, Ancestor Larzen Metaxas." Sect Master Bing Luli moved her luscious lips behind her veil, "I already told you that if you don't like waiting, you're free to leave, but the consequences you might face after leaving are just... unfavorable if I must say..."

"Looks like there might be a valid reason why we're told to wait if that's the case."

Larzen Metaxas nodded his old head with white hair, while he turned to look at the young man who possessed neck-length long hair sitting beside him.

"What do you think, Ancestor Hiden Gilmore?"

Ancestor Hiden Gilmore wore a candid smile on his handsome face. He took his gaze off from Sect Master Bing Luli reluctantly and looked back at Ancestor Larzen Metaxas.

"I think-"

*Creak!~*

His words cut off as he and everyone turned to look at the door when it creaked open, revealing the vast beautiful scenery of a grassland while two men entered. One of them appeared confident and awe-inspiring with sharp eyes and nose, adorned by a curve on his lips, while the other looked scholarly, carrying a luxurious fan in his hand.

'What control...!'

The nine of them were simultaneously taken aback as they didn't think it was possible for these two people who entered the hall to have completely suppressed their undulations. They didn't even notice their presence until they neared in front of the door.

Instantly, they all felt some pressure that they didn't experience before.

The presence of the people from the four great righteous sects.

They all stood up and clasped their hands in respect.

"Greetings, Honorable Elders of the Heaven Mandate Temple and the Heaven Gazing Sect!"

They all echoed as they saw the robes of the two men who kept walking towards them as if they owned the place. Once they arrived in front of them, the Heaven Gazing Sect Elder, who looked scholarly with his white robes, began to speak at this moment.

"Everyone, I apologize for the delay. Unfortunately, we met with a town that was under attack by savage magical beasts that we had to put down before continuing our journey to this place."

"Oh no, it is our pleasure and honor to wait for the Heaven Mandate Temple and the Heaven Gazing Sect. If anyone found fault with this kind of righteous deed, then they truly do not belong to our righteous path." Ancestor Gong Kim-Il gently smiled as he spoke.

However, Sect Master Bing Luli silently clenched her teeth.

How could this Ancestor-level character be this shameless? Wasn't he just complaining all this while over why he had to wait!? She almost felt like making him an ice statue to display the face of his shamelessness for the upcoming generations.

Nevertheless, while she calmed down, the scholarly man nodded lightly and took out a scroll.

"I'm sure that you would all like to know what you're waiting for in this place while we continuously repeat not to begin the Nine Western Territories Young Expert Competition. But before that, if you all don't mind, I would first like you to assist me in guarding what I'm going to tell you as a secret from the rest of the world. I wish that you would all sign this High-Level Emperor Grade Blood Soul Contract."

Everyone's expression couldn't help but freeze the moment they saw the scroll being taken out, much less when they heard him explain. Their eyes had narrowed while they hid their nervous expressions.

"Don't worry. The conditions are rather clear and precise in this Blood Soul Contract. As long as you all keep this to yourselves, I, Julian Kruse, an Honorable Elder of the Heaven Gazing Sect, can assure that no harm would befall you, nor anyone."

As the scholarly man named himself and sent the scroll flying around, making the ninth stage powerhouses present witness the conditions, he lightly smiled and nodded.

"Well, then, you all have two minutes to decide."

Sect Master Bing Luli was the first to reach out her hands as she read the conditions once more, thoroughly, and found that there wasn't anything strange. So she passed it to her grandmother, Ancestor Bing Hua, before she nodded her head.

Larzen Metaxas, Hiden Gilmore, and Elizar Yantra. They collectively signed the Blood Soul Contract before it moved on to the three Ancestors of the Flowing Mist Sect. And then, the two Ancestors of the Vital Tempering Sect, Gong Hyun-Ki, and Gong Kim-Il, also signed the Blood Soul Contract without fail.

Honorable Elder Julian Kruse satisfactorily smiled as he clasped his hands, "Very good. It would've been rather uncomfortable if even one of you didn't comply. I appreciate all of your cooperation."

He dropped his hands as his smile disappeared.

"The matter I'm going to talk about is limited to only a few within the Four Great Righteous Sect, so you must be able to guess how important this matter is..."

He paused, looking at the ninth stage powerhouses gasping before they possessed nervous expressions on their faces. He saw the beauties had their hazy blue eyes narrowed. Inwardly nodding at their anxiety, he continued.

"The reason why we, the Four Great Righteous Sects, asked you to delay the Nine Western Territories Young Expert Competition is that we, the Heaven Gazing Sect, divined that the source of the Calamity Light would appear in the competition."

"What!?"

Voices of pure shock resounded as the Ancestors looked dumbfounded. Then, silence filled the hall as they turned to look at each other's faces and saw that they were all equally horrified.

The source of the Calamity Light would appear in their competition? Why under the damn heavens would they be targeted amidst the Fifty-Two Territories?

They weren't even in the sphere of attention as Small-Sized Territories.

Ridiculous!

"What does Honorable Elder mean?"

Ancestor Bing Hua voiced out her confusion, the confusion that everyone felt in the room.

Honorable Elder Julian Kruse smiled wryly before his lips moved.

"We..."