Zhou Hui silently observed as the cultivator whom he had considered a rival not long ago now stood at the helm of a procession that represented the combined forces of the Sacred Flame Palace and the Divine Mountain Sect— a feat that should have been unimaginable in and of itself.

He watched as Lei Weiyuan and Kang Long, both revered cultivators who had stood at the apex of their respective sects, acknowledged their allegiance to another. It was not, however, the exhilarating thrill of victory that greeted him, but rather vexingly, Zhou Hui realized that he shared more in common with the defeated. As the scion of the Hui Family, Lei Weiyuan and Kang Long were both adversaries he had studied thoroughly, designed counter-measures against, and ultimately, if the situation between the three hegemons of the Azlak Plains ever devolved into an open war, prepared to kill. It would not be incorrect to state that Lei Weiyuan and Kang Long had some influence in shaping the cultivator he was today, acting as an external stimulus that constantly pressured him to hone his Dao of the Wind— lest he be left behind, outmatched and deemed unworthy in the pursuit of power that cultivation was.

When Yao Shen had easily crushed the two Patriarchs, he had also, inadvertently, defeated Zhou Hui yet again.

The defeat of ambition.

Bitterness. Resentment. Frustration.

These were the emotions Zhou Hui ought to have felt, yet… when his gaze fell upon Yao Shen’s satin-white robes that symbolized the dawn of a new era, he found himself unable to muster such small, petty emotions in face of such a grand accomplishment. The unification of the Azlak Plains, fulfilling the unspoken wish of the bygone ancestors of the Heavenly Sky Sect— Zhou Hui realized that, buried deep within his heart, a flicker of excitement had ignited as he witnessed Yao Shen lead the procession of Elders. The youthful exuberance he had believed to be all but lost, once again flowed through his old bones. For, as long as he had known, Zhou Hui had been the metaphorical ‘sky’--- talent, background and inheritance, of these three core pillars that elevated a cultivator in their path to power, he lacked none. As a Peak Nascent Soul Stage cultivator, he had reached the ceiling of the Azlak Plains.

Or so, atleast, had he believed— until Yao Shen tore the sky asunder by ascending to the Soul Emperor stage. The revelation had come at a price, for Yao Shen had proven to be a herald of change. However, as Zhou Hui’s gaze shifted to the Elders of the two sects, he could see it in their eyes… the concealed, yet definite, yearning for power. For all whom were present upon this day had gotten a taste of a Soul Emperor’s power, and as influential cultivators it was engrained in their very nature to desire it for themselves. The prison of belief would no longer able to cage their ambition— for one amongst their own, a vagrant cultivator of the Azlak Plains lacking both talent and background had done what they all believed impossible.

Zhou Hui found his anticipation only growing as he thought back upon Yao Shen’s promise to help the legacy families unearth the inheritance left behind by their ancestors. If Yao Shen stood true to his word, would the inheritance be enough to give him the confidence to ascend to the Soul Emperor stage?

The distant, forlorn dream of ascension no longer seemed so implausible, after all.

“Cultivators of the Modern Sect, heed my edict!” Yao Shen’s voice sounded out with a regal dignity that it had lacked before, his words carrying the confidence and weight of a monarch.

“Grand Patriarch!” echoed out their reply in unison, from the reserve elders of the Heavenly Sky Sect to the three Patriarchs in attendance— for Yao Shen had truly earned the right to be addressed with such prestige.

“Sky Patriarch, Zhou Hui,” Yao Shen addressed first, prompting Zhou Hui to approach the procession of elders.

A few moments later, Zhou Hui stood facing Yao Shen, the two old rivals sharing a moment of silence before Yao Shen passed his edict.

“You shall return to the Sky Division of the Modern Sect along with Elder Jie Tang. Inform the sect of my triumph, and let it be known that the Azlak Plains now stand united under the banner of our Sect. The affairs of the sect shall be yours to manage, but so will the responsibility for its safety. Do not let down your guard, and do not underestimate the treachery of the demonic sects,” Yao Shen proclaimed, his voice tinged with a stern gravitas.

“Yes, Grand Patriarch,” Zhou Hui acknowledged with a light bow, the motion meeting surprisingly little resistance from his own pride, now that he had come to acknowledge Yao Shen as the cautious hope of the Azlak Plains. He then took his place at Yao Shen’s side, waiting for the edict to reach its conclusion before he departed.

“Elder Meili Zhu. Elder Zixin Ren,” Yao Shen called out two names in succession, not having to wait long for a woman in her mid-thirties and a bald old man with bronzed skin who was grinning from ear to ear to blur forward into his sight.

“Since we are now amongst friends….,” Yao Shen began, his words clearly referencing the contingent of defeated elders that stood behind him, “...let us speak freely. Meili?”

“Yes, Grand Patriarch?” The Patriarch of the Zhu Family, her usually gentle, playful voice now strained, carrying an underlying tone of respect that was lacking earlier.

“Do we have an estimate for the Flame and Earth Division’s respective treasuries?” Yao Shen did not dance around the topic, choosing to cut directly to the heart of the matter.

A cloud of the emotion ‘surprise’ wrapped around Meili Zhu as she immediately understood his intentions. Without tarrying, she replied, “As you mentioned, Grand Patriarch, the former Heavenly Sky Sect, Sacred Flame Palace and the Divine Mountain Sect were centuries old rivals. We have clashed over many resource points over the past decades, and a majority of the resources required for each sect’s cultivation are not secret. Given all those factors, as Master of the Skyless Hall, I am confident in giving you an assessment for each sect’s respective treasury,” Meili Zhu replied, her coy smile returning at the expense of the uncomfortable expressions of the defeated elders. What Meili had conveniently left out was the espionage, namely by the faceless under her command, had played a major role in her information gathering activities.

“How confident are you in the accuracy of this estimate?” Yao Shen asked, unsurprised by her response. Given the long history and the rivalry between the three sects, it was only natural that they would extensively monitor their rivals’ activities.

“I am certain that there should be no major discrepancies between my estimate and the contents of the treasuries, Grand Patriarch,” Meili Zhu replied gracefully, but Yao Shen could clearly sense her amusement as the expressions of the elders further blanched.

“How soon can you procure this estimate?”

“Within a day, Grand Patriarch.”

“Very well. Elder Meili, would you be willing to accompany me to the Flame Division of the Modern Sect, provided that I guarantee your safety?”

“It would be an honor, Grand Patriarch.”

Yao Shen nodded, satisfied. He clearly sensed the growing discomfort amongst the Elders, and decided to address the matter now instead of letting them stew in their discomfort, “Do not worry, Elders. The Modern Sect has no desire to claim what is yours, and neither is it a desire for resources that drives us. Your personal resources, inheritances, techniques, ancestral weapons and any other manner of wealth you possess shall remain your own, entirely untouched. The Sect Treasury shall be managed with my oversight, to ensure that the resources are equitably distributed amongst those who prove themselves worthy. However, be warned— any attempt to siphon wealth from the treasury that is not your own will be met with consequences, and few have the ability to conceal the truth in front of my eyes.”

A few relieved looks were exchanged between the elders, as the worst case scenario for them had just been averted. Having placated the elders for now, Yao Shen’s gaze shifted to the Ren Family reserve elder.

“Elder Zixin Ren, will you and your contingent accompany us to the Flame Division of the Modern Sect?” Yao Shen requested more than commanded, since the reserve elders were the most volatile amongst the factions present.

Zixin Ren broke out into a delighted laugh, before replying with enthusiasm that was unbecoming his age “Grand Patriarch, this old man would be delighted to follow you to the depths of the Bloodsoul Forest."

To Zixin Ren and the rest of the reserve elders, the joy of seeing their old rivals be crushed so one-sidedly was alone enough to absolve most of the ill-will brought on from being on opposing sides of the political spectrum. To enter the inner halls of the Sacred Flame Palace, which were forbidden grounds for a cultivator of the Heavenly Sky Sect as victors…. few things in the world could bring the jaded reserve elders more satisfaction.

Yao Shen gave him a curt nod, before he made the final announcement of the day. “Earth Patriarch Kang Long, you may order your Elders to return to the Sect and wait for our arrival. You shall accompany us, along with Flame Patriarch Lei Weiyuan and the Elders of the Flame Division to the former Sacred Flame Palace, where we shall debate upon the future direction of the Modern Sect.”

Things progressed relatively smoothly after Yao Shen’s announcement, as the former Divine Mountain Sect elders departed in order to make sure the sect was not susceptible to an attack, while three Patriarchs including Yao Shen, the elders of the former Sacred Flame Palace, Meili Zhu and the reserve elders, headed for the land that once served as the abode of the mythical bird of legend, Marayan.