Chapter 16 - The Grand Assembly
Chapter 16 - The Grand Assembly
…..
The Grand Mansion was the most treasured possession of Grand Elder Hao. It was said that the jaded tiles covering the ground like a glistening blanket were given to him by the Sect Master himself as a gift for his thousandth birthday. The gilded ceiling that carried the golden hue of the Buddhist Path was supposedly hand-stitched from the silk of the Heavenly Silkworm that lived beyond the boundaries of their world, hardened in time by the karmic luck it gathered from the Heavens.
Like most heaven-grade spiritual artifacts the mansion had its own spirit which was believed by many that loved to take the form of an hourglass. Mei's Master told her once that the spirit's peculiar obsession with hourglasses came from the Grand Elder's lack of patience with… well, everything.
Mei tried to shrug it off, told herself she was acting foolish, but then all she could think about was the hard faces crowding the Grand Hall, their brows sharp and motions painfully slow, gesturing with wide hands, strong hands, hands that should've been smeared by oceans of blood, yet looked as bright as the jade hourglass hung sourly from the gilded ceiling.
It was smothering her to try to keep a straight face, and the Grand Assembly hadn't even started yet. Old and wise Elders were busy talking politics, terrible news being exchanged under masterfully hidden whispers by their wrinkled, dry lips. Some youngsters were out about the hall, their eyes darting back and forth, senseless like a bunch of headless cocks.
Guess I'm not much different than them.
And the air… That was the worst part. Even against their ages-long mastery of spiritual energy, these old monsters couldn't help but radiate a formidable pressure about them, making it seem there was an ever-mirage of blueish airwaves flowing through the hall.
Thank the Heavens they often went away after a good blink.
It was because of these things that Mei had her mind bent on staying behind her Master's wide shoulders. The problem was, herMaster wasn't a simple man. No, he was Zhang Wei, the Eastern Thunder himself. The genius of the Nine Nails Sect, tutored and raised solely by Grand Elder Hao who was known for the extreme methods he used for underaged, yet promising candidates, with Zhang Wei being the brightest star of his breathtaking line of monstrous talents.
There, a bullish man came bounding across the jaded floor, the famed Redspark of the Crimson Dawn Sect, short hair spiky, and heavy circles under his eyes. Here, a graceful lady of some noble origin, who was keeping an eye on her Master for hours, inching slowly near him now with a cunning spark about her eyes.
Thankfully, whenever an unwanted guest tried his or her hand at talking with the genius of the sect, an invisible wind would let them know, kindly, that they were to stay away until the right time. For now, the stage belonged to the Elders, and Elders alone, and Juniors would have to wait for their chance to exchange friendly pointers.
Mei's eyes darted back to the figure of the Grand Elder, to that pose that spoke of his long list of famous deeds. He looked… different than when she'd seen him in this very hall. He wasn't much different than a broken man with a foot in his grave at that time. But today, he commanded the Grand Hall with the simplest of gestures, an index finger at the right times, or a wave of his hand to direct the flow of conversation to the matters concerning the most crucial worries of the Sect, brows pinched together in a mighty scowl.
And they obliged, the other Elders did. They either held the Grand Elder in high regard, or they were just being polite, for lacking in respect, especially in another sect's territory would often generate unwanted enmity between the parties.
"Brace yourself," said her Master, his body tensing like a drawn bow. He stretched a quick arm around Mei's hand and pulled her closer, blue eyes flashing cold as he stared at the shriveled corpse of a man who trudged with a walking stick toward him.
Mei stifled a gasp when she craned her head at the old man. Her fingers started shaking, a sudden cold sending shivers down her spine. Her eyes searched anxiously for Grand Elder Hao, just like her Master, but the man was gone, vanished like a ghost.
"Kid," hissed the old man, looming over them like a shadow even though he was a head shorter than her Master. His mouth parted as he licked his dried lips with a forked, blackened tongue. "It seems your Master has once again dug himself a hole rather than welcome the presence of an old friend. Tell me, is he still troubled with his inner demons? If so, you're well aware that my door shall be forever open to young talents such as yourself."
"Elder Fuxiu," Zhang Wei gave him a terse nod, fingers clenched tight around Mei's hand. "I'm not worthy of your praise. Forgive this one, but I've no intention to leave the side of my Master, especially in these troubling times."
"Indeed, these are troubling times," Elder Fixiu hissed through his lips, leaning over on his wooden walking stick with both hands. His eyes seemed to glisten with a greenish color before turning dark again, bottomless pits devouring everything they held in their gaze. "I'm afraid we've both passed that age of blood-boiling youth, your Master and myself, bending as though a bamboo stick that had borne a thousand rains. But for you… in every crisis lies the seed of opportunity."
Mei clutched her Master's arm as if her life depended on it, trying to hold yet another breath in her throat. A single glance from this Primal Viper could leave her soul broken and poisoned, even a mere shake of his hand could be lethal for a lowly Foundation Realm cultivator like herself.
But her Master held strong. His chin was high and his back was as straight as a rod, save for the slight twitch on his right cheek. He tried to manage a smile on his face, for even though the man had an ominous and vile air about him, he was still the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Radiance Sect.
Just then a breeze brushed past Mei's hair, whistling sharply as it bore down over the shriveled old man, making the edges of his lips strain with effort. His dark eyes peered out into somewhere back, then a smile slowly creased his lips.
"I don't remember we've invited mindless beasts to slither round this grand hall," Grand Elder Hao said as his red silken robe flapped with the invisible wind, gliding from beside Mei, mightily displeased by the sight of this viper. "But I suppose we shall have enough leftovers to feed such vermin."
"You're too kind, old bastard," Elder Fixiu cackled like a madman, raising a trembling finger into Elder Hao's face. "I've heard you were busy burying your past in a cage of your own making. If you want, this old man is willing to lend you a hand for digging a hole worthy of your cowardly spirit."
The wind slapped the thin threads of Elder Fixiu's disheveled hair across his face, but the man sneered against the currents until a shadow loomed above him. Grand Elder Hao wasn't amused by the contempt covering the man's wrinkled face. "I know my way around the holes, Old Viper, for I've buried all who dared to face me in my thousand years."
"Oh, I'm aware, I'm aware. The mighty Eastern Wind made his name picking out bandits and poking his finger into tiny forests, yet dared not to step into the Crack, too afraid to face the common enemy. No! He instead deemed worthy of himself to sit still in his grand hall, wrapped tightly around by his stolen collection, shivering under the skirt of his Sect Master like an impish brat!"
"You dare!" Elder Hao jabbed one thick finger into the viper's face. "You dare speak of deeds when you've made your whole reputation by biting the ones who stooped low enough to trust you! You dare speak of the Crack after you turned your tail when the Endless Hordes came blasting through the Nails!"
"What about you, you old fart!" Elder Fixiu snorted angrily. "You were once a mighty foe that I could sharpen my fangs with, yet you holed up inside this Mansion, scurrying away from worldly matters as if broken in spirit. And now, I see that you've gained some sense back in that little head of yours, yet you still insist on acting the victim! I shall bear with this no longer!"
"Come, you foul snake!" Grand Elder Hao pulled an azure spear out of thin air, flourishing it with blinding speed. The air groaned under the pressure, sending tears down Mei's eyes. She blinked through the current and saw through the crack of his lids a shadow of a hulking viper. It chomped down at the azure spear, metal screeching against the writhing shadow as bright sparks scattered about the place.
"M-Master!" Mei cowered behind her Master, clamping her hands shut over her ears. Yet the sound drilled past her meager attempt, plunging deep into her brain, making the lights dance in her vision. She blinked and slid across the back of her Master until her legs gave in under the pressure.
But then, through the corner of her eyes, she noticed a peculiar thing. Nobody in the hall seemed bothered by the sudden burst of ethereal sparks. Nobody but people Mei's age, that is. They shook their heads with amused smiles creasing their lips, carrying on with their talks like it was another day.
Then came a soothing smell of fallen leaves, the wet soil, carrying with it a young bird's gentle chirp. The pressure emanated by two angry goats receded back into a corner, leaving the hall as silent as the dawn mist.
"Fellow Daoists," said a voice, mellow like the autumn rain.
A man stood before the towering doors of the Grand Hall with his hands clasped in his long sleeves, green eyes glistening like jade. His long, white hair spilled down gently through his shoulders. He had a different air about him. A certain charm that made him seem much more than a mere Elder. A spirit, perhaps? Or perhaps the invisible currents making his steps as light as a feather could be the reason behind his unfathomable visage.
And little a fish as she was, Mei found her way back into her tiny pond after witnessing the calm demeanor of this man, wiping the sweat out of her face.
The Sect Master Jadehawk nodded with grace as the hall stood staring at him. When his eyes fell on Grand Elder Hao there was an amused, yet tired curl about his lips before he shook his head slightly.
He waved a hand behind him as shadows stepped from beyond the double doors, a dozen of them all clad in different robes. The air grew heavier with their presence, becoming thick like a fog. Nobody uttered a word as they strolled from between the crowd, people bowing back as they gave way to the Sect Masters.
They were Heavenly Immortals, all thirteen of them, people who weren't bound by the shackles of the Heavens, who glanced at the ever-darkness that lay beyond the Three Realms. In that darkness, they saw the truth, and it wasn't what they expected.
At least that's what Mei's Master told her back then.
But witnessing them in the flesh… She felt like at any moment she could glide over the crowd, and into the skies with his head being as light as it was. Still, she forced herself to ground her being into the tiles of the grand hall, to stay there and hold her chin high against the parade of Heavenly Immortals.
Once they were seated, with Sect Master Jadehawk honoring the crowd from his place slightly above the other Sect Masters, the crowd filed in through the benches that lined the grand hall from two sides.
Mei gulped down heavily when her Master directed her to sit behind him and Grand Elder Hao. All thirteen sects, clearly locked into their respectable sides, a nervous cloud of whispers being exchanged under trembling hands, the low murmur of sounds bouncing off against the great walls of the Grand Hall.
All heads turned in attention as a man who stood right beside the Sect Master Jadehawk, clad in the simple robes of a clerk, bellowed, "I call this meeting of the Righteous Order to order!"
The noise died away in an instant.
"I'm afraid today we're all aware that there is but one matter of discussion for the Order," the Sect Master said, staring out at the crowd from under two heavy brows, "The Crack is fading." There were low mutterings and a heavy gasp to which no particular reaction was given. "The Crack is fading, and we must ready the Nails!"
"Ready the Nails!" snapped Grand Elder Hao, rising to his feet with a deep frown. He cast his gaze over the crowd, daring anyone to utter a word of protest.
None came, so the Sect Master continued. "We have it on good authority that the Endless Hordes have once again found their way into our side, pouring their gutless scum out through the holes in the Crack, gathering their armies for a last push toward the Nails."
"We have sacrificed enough!" Elder Fixiu fixed his eyes on the Sect Master, banging his stick on the ground. "Thousands have died when your Council claimed a hundred years before that a mighty assault brimmed in the cauldrons of those foul beings, that we were to send men, young and old, to the Nails, only to leave them to rot away in those cursed castles!"
"They had rotted away!" shouted another Elder from Elder Fixiu's side.
"They saved us from the Endless Hordes!" growled Redspark, the veins on his arms bulging.
"A most worthy sacrifice!"
"Heroes!" agreed the cries.
The Sect Master nodded as he waited for the noise to fade. "Heroes, indeed," he said, green eyes glistening with inner light. "This decision is one that we didn't make lightly. It is still fresh in our memories the grave reality of the previous assaults, and yet we all tread the path of immortality, cheating death and defying the Heavens at each step we take upon this perilous road."
"Cheating death, he says!" Elder Fixiu sprung to his feet, fingers clutched tight around his walking stick. His eyes snapped back at Grand Elder Hao, burning with rage, before swiveling down near Mei, to the man called Eastern Thunder. "Yet your precious treasure still sits amongst us, undefiled by those monsters' insidious rot! What of the ones we lost, then, eh mighty Immortal? What of the ones who perished fighting the good war while you hid your geniuses under your grand shadow, refusing to send them to the frontlines?"
"He speaks the truth!"
"Coward!" came cries from the back.
"Order!" the clerk bellowed across the hall, his simple garments betraying the might of his voice which reverberated between the walls like a morning bell. "Order!"
"On this matter," the Sect Master said, crossing over Elder Fixiu's words as though they were nothing more than a puff of air. "We have consulted with the Empire, with His Majesty Emperor himself, getting his word that He shall be ever-grateful for the troubles all sects will bear in these challenging times, that He shall open the doors of the Fuxi Secret Realm for the chosen in our sects to search for their good fortune after the matter has been dealt with."
"Let the Emperor fight his own war!" Elder Fixiu scowled at him.
"Dragging us to their war once again, let them fight on their own!" came a roar of approval from his side.
But other than the Heavenly Radiance Sect, most sects fell in deep thought at the remark about the Fuxi Secret Realm.
Mei found herself shaking when it dawned on her. The Fuxi Realm… Only Seal-Breaking Stage and Foundation Realm cultivators could breathe the air of this legendary pocket realm. As one of the most prized possessions of the Royal Family, it was protected heavily by their famed Heavensworn Guards. Even the Empire's direct chosen had to pass certain tests to enjoy the privilege of searching for hundreds of legacies and the most precious spiritual weapons scattered inside this realm.
Just then Sect Master Jadehawk and the clerk exchanged a silent look. The old man raised a hand over the crowd, his face grim. "Votes in favor?"
Nearly all hands rose at the question.
Elder Fixiu hissed some intangible words, waving a trembling finger into the crowd, splattering saliva all across the jaded floors. The other sect elders had to restrain him when the man tried to pull a weapon out of his storage ring, cursing loudly as they dragged him out of the hall.
Once that matter settled, the Sect Master honored the crowd with a smile. "The details will be given to each sect after the meeting. Now, as our tradition," he said, rising to his feet, and then clapped his hands. "We shall feast!"
Inner Sect disciples chosen for the occasion filed in through the back doors, carrying in their hands all sorts of delicacies, cooked with passion in the Kitchens. Mei saw Adept-stage spiritual beasts, grilled and seasoned to perfection, smoke curling from them into beautiful streaks. There, spiritual herbs all lay across the golden trays, adorning the meat chops with their colorful waves.
Wings?
Mei raised an eyebrow when she saw hundreds of chicken wings above some trays, sticking out like a sore thumb between the heavenly delicacies. Elder Brother Bai couldn't have approved of this, sending simple chicken meat to this grand meeting. Then who? Who could've dared to do something so audacious as this?
And why do they look like they're… rotten? What's that blackish, thick thing that's covering all of them? A sauce? Can't be…
………
…..
The Grand Mansion was the most treasured possession of Grand Elder Hao. It was said that the jaded tiles covering the ground like a glistening blanket were given to him by the Sect Master himself as a gift for his thousandth birthday. The gilded ceiling that carried the golden hue of the Buddhist Path was supposedly hand-stitched from the silk of the Heavenly Silkworm that lived beyond the boundaries of their world, hardened in time by the karmic luck it gathered from the Heavens.
Like most heaven-grade spiritual artifacts the mansion had its own spirit which was believed by many that loved to take the form of an hourglass. Mei's Master told her once that the spirit's peculiar obsession with hourglasses came from the Grand Elder's lack of patience with… well, everything.
Mei tried to shrug it off, told herself she was acting foolish, but then all she could think about was the hard faces crowding the Grand Hall, their brows sharp and motions painfully slow, gesturing with wide hands, strong hands, hands that should've been smeared by oceans of blood, yet looked as bright as the jade hourglass hung sourly from the gilded ceiling.
It was smothering her to try to keep a straight face, and the Grand Assembly hadn't even started yet. Old and wise Elders were busy talking politics, terrible news being exchanged under masterfully hidden whispers by their wrinkled, dry lips. Some youngsters were out about the hall, their eyes darting back and forth, senseless like a bunch of headless cocks.
Guess I'm not much different than them.
And the air… That was the worst part. Even against their ages-long mastery of spiritual energy, these old monsters couldn't help but radiate a formidable pressure about them, making it seem there was an ever-mirage of blueish airwaves flowing through the hall.
Thank the Heavens they often went away after a good blink.
It was because of these things that Mei had her mind bent on staying behind her Master's wide shoulders. The problem was, herMaster wasn't a simple man. No, he was Zhang Wei, the Eastern Thunder himself. The genius of the Nine Nails Sect, tutored and raised solely by Grand Elder Hao who was known for the extreme methods he used for underaged, yet promising candidates, with Zhang Wei being the brightest star of his breathtaking line of monstrous talents.
There, a bullish man came bounding across the jaded floor, the famed Redspark of the Crimson Dawn Sect, short hair spiky, and heavy circles under his eyes. Here, a graceful lady of some noble origin, who was keeping an eye on her Master for hours, inching slowly near him now with a cunning spark about her eyes.
Thankfully, whenever an unwanted guest tried his or her hand at talking with the genius of the sect, an invisible wind would let them know, kindly, that they were to stay away until the right time. For now, the stage belonged to the Elders, and Elders alone, and Juniors would have to wait for their chance to exchange friendly pointers.
Mei's eyes darted back to the figure of the Grand Elder, to that pose that spoke of his long list of famous deeds. He looked… different than when she'd seen him in this very hall. He wasn't much different than a broken man with a foot in his grave at that time. But today, he commanded the Grand Hall with the simplest of gestures, an index finger at the right times, or a wave of his hand to direct the flow of conversation to the matters concerning the most crucial worries of the Sect, brows pinched together in a mighty scowl.
And they obliged, the other Elders did. They either held the Grand Elder in high regard, or they were just being polite, for lacking in respect, especially in another sect's territory would often generate unwanted enmity between the parties.
"Brace yourself," said her Master, his body tensing like a drawn bow. He stretched a quick arm around Mei's hand and pulled her closer, blue eyes flashing cold as he stared at the shriveled corpse of a man who trudged with a walking stick toward him.
Mei stifled a gasp when she craned her head at the old man. Her fingers started shaking, a sudden cold sending shivers down her spine. Her eyes searched anxiously for Grand Elder Hao, just like her Master, but the man was gone, vanished like a ghost.
"Kid," hissed the old man, looming over them like a shadow even though he was a head shorter than her Master. His mouth parted as he licked his dried lips with a forked, blackened tongue. "It seems your Master has once again dug himself a hole rather than welcome the presence of an old friend. Tell me, is he still troubled with his inner demons? If so, you're well aware that my door shall be forever open to young talents such as yourself."
"Elder Fuxiu," Zhang Wei gave him a terse nod, fingers clenched tight around Mei's hand. "I'm not worthy of your praise. Forgive this one, but I've no intention to leave the side of my Master, especially in these troubling times."
"Indeed, these are troubling times," Elder Fixiu hissed through his lips, leaning over on his wooden walking stick with both hands. His eyes seemed to glisten with a greenish color before turning dark again, bottomless pits devouring everything they held in their gaze. "I'm afraid we've both passed that age of blood-boiling youth, your Master and myself, bending as though a bamboo stick that had borne a thousand rains. But for you… in every crisis lies the seed of opportunity."
Mei clutched her Master's arm as if her life depended on it, trying to hold yet another breath in her throat. A single glance from this Primal Viper could leave her soul broken and poisoned, even a mere shake of his hand could be lethal for a lowly Foundation Realm cultivator like herself.
But her Master held strong. His chin was high and his back was as straight as a rod, save for the slight twitch on his right cheek. He tried to manage a smile on his face, for even though the man had an ominous and vile air about him, he was still the Grand Elder of the Heavenly Radiance Sect.
Just then a breeze brushed past Mei's hair, whistling sharply as it bore down over the shriveled old man, making the edges of his lips strain with effort. His dark eyes peered out into somewhere back, then a smile slowly creased his lips.
"I don't remember we've invited mindless beasts to slither round this grand hall," Grand Elder Hao said as his red silken robe flapped with the invisible wind, gliding from beside Mei, mightily displeased by the sight of this viper. "But I suppose we shall have enough leftovers to feed such vermin."
"You're too kind, old bastard," Elder Fixiu cackled like a madman, raising a trembling finger into Elder Hao's face. "I've heard you were busy burying your past in a cage of your own making. If you want, this old man is willing to lend you a hand for digging a hole worthy of your cowardly spirit."
The wind slapped the thin threads of Elder Fixiu's disheveled hair across his face, but the man sneered against the currents until a shadow loomed above him. Grand Elder Hao wasn't amused by the contempt covering the man's wrinkled face. "I know my way around the holes, Old Viper, for I've buried all who dared to face me in my thousand years."
"Oh, I'm aware, I'm aware. The mighty Eastern Wind made his name picking out bandits and poking his finger into tiny forests, yet dared not to step into the Crack, too afraid to face the common enemy. No! He instead deemed worthy of himself to sit still in his grand hall, wrapped tightly around by his stolen collection, shivering under the skirt of his Sect Master like an impish brat!"
"You dare!" Elder Hao jabbed one thick finger into the viper's face. "You dare speak of deeds when you've made your whole reputation by biting the ones who stooped low enough to trust you! You dare speak of the Crack after you turned your tail when the Endless Hordes came blasting through the Nails!"
"What about you, you old fart!" Elder Fixiu snorted angrily. "You were once a mighty foe that I could sharpen my fangs with, yet you holed up inside this Mansion, scurrying away from worldly matters as if broken in spirit. And now, I see that you've gained some sense back in that little head of yours, yet you still insist on acting the victim! I shall bear with this no longer!"
"Come, you foul snake!" Grand Elder Hao pulled an azure spear out of thin air, flourishing it with blinding speed. The air groaned under the pressure, sending tears down Mei's eyes. She blinked through the current and saw through the crack of his lids a shadow of a hulking viper. It chomped down at the azure spear, metal screeching against the writhing shadow as bright sparks scattered about the place.
"M-Master!" Mei cowered behind her Master, clamping her hands shut over her ears. Yet the sound drilled past her meager attempt, plunging deep into her brain, making the lights dance in her vision. She blinked and slid across the back of her Master until her legs gave in under the pressure.
But then, through the corner of her eyes, she noticed a peculiar thing. Nobody in the hall seemed bothered by the sudden burst of ethereal sparks. Nobody but people Mei's age, that is. They shook their heads with amused smiles creasing their lips, carrying on with their talks like it was another day.
Then came a soothing smell of fallen leaves, the wet soil, carrying with it a young bird's gentle chirp. The pressure emanated by two angry goats receded back into a corner, leaving the hall as silent as the dawn mist.
"Fellow Daoists," said a voice, mellow like the autumn rain.
A man stood before the towering doors of the Grand Hall with his hands clasped in his long sleeves, green eyes glistening like jade. His long, white hair spilled down gently through his shoulders. He had a different air about him. A certain charm that made him seem much more than a mere Elder. A spirit, perhaps? Or perhaps the invisible currents making his steps as light as a feather could be the reason behind his unfathomable visage.
And little a fish as she was, Mei found her way back into her tiny pond after witnessing the calm demeanor of this man, wiping the sweat out of her face.
The Sect Master Jadehawk nodded with grace as the hall stood staring at him. When his eyes fell on Grand Elder Hao there was an amused, yet tired curl about his lips before he shook his head slightly.
He waved a hand behind him as shadows stepped from beyond the double doors, a dozen of them all clad in different robes. The air grew heavier with their presence, becoming thick like a fog. Nobody uttered a word as they strolled from between the crowd, people bowing back as they gave way to the Sect Masters.
They were Heavenly Immortals, all thirteen of them, people who weren't bound by the shackles of the Heavens, who glanced at the ever-darkness that lay beyond the Three Realms. In that darkness, they saw the truth, and it wasn't what they expected.
At least that's what Mei's Master told her back then.
But witnessing them in the flesh… She felt like at any moment she could glide over the crowd, and into the skies with his head being as light as it was. Still, she forced herself to ground her being into the tiles of the grand hall, to stay there and hold her chin high against the parade of Heavenly Immortals.
Once they were seated, with Sect Master Jadehawk honoring the crowd from his place slightly above the other Sect Masters, the crowd filed in through the benches that lined the grand hall from two sides.
Mei gulped down heavily when her Master directed her to sit behind him and Grand Elder Hao. All thirteen sects, clearly locked into their respectable sides, a nervous cloud of whispers being exchanged under trembling hands, the low murmur of sounds bouncing off against the great walls of the Grand Hall.
All heads turned in attention as a man who stood right beside the Sect Master Jadehawk, clad in the simple robes of a clerk, bellowed, "I call this meeting of the Righteous Order to order!"
The noise died away in an instant.
"I'm afraid today we're all aware that there is but one matter of discussion for the Order," the Sect Master said, staring out at the crowd from under two heavy brows, "The Crack is fading." There were low mutterings and a heavy gasp to which no particular reaction was given. "The Crack is fading, and we must ready the Nails!"
"Ready the Nails!" snapped Grand Elder Hao, rising to his feet with a deep frown. He cast his gaze over the crowd, daring anyone to utter a word of protest.
None came, so the Sect Master continued. "We have it on good authority that the Endless Hordes have once again found their way into our side, pouring their gutless scum out through the holes in the Crack, gathering their armies for a last push toward the Nails."
"We have sacrificed enough!" Elder Fixiu fixed his eyes on the Sect Master, banging his stick on the ground. "Thousands have died when your Council claimed a hundred years before that a mighty assault brimmed in the cauldrons of those foul beings, that we were to send men, young and old, to the Nails, only to leave them to rot away in those cursed castles!"
"They had rotted away!" shouted another Elder from Elder Fixiu's side.
"They saved us from the Endless Hordes!" growled Redspark, the veins on his arms bulging.
"A most worthy sacrifice!"
"Heroes!" agreed the cries.
The Sect Master nodded as he waited for the noise to fade. "Heroes, indeed," he said, green eyes glistening with inner light. "This decision is one that we didn't make lightly. It is still fresh in our memories the grave reality of the previous assaults, and yet we all tread the path of immortality, cheating death and defying the Heavens at each step we take upon this perilous road."
"Cheating death, he says!" Elder Fixiu sprung to his feet, fingers clutched tight around his walking stick. His eyes snapped back at Grand Elder Hao, burning with rage, before swiveling down near Mei, to the man called Eastern Thunder. "Yet your precious treasure still sits amongst us, undefiled by those monsters' insidious rot! What of the ones we lost, then, eh mighty Immortal? What of the ones who perished fighting the good war while you hid your geniuses under your grand shadow, refusing to send them to the frontlines?"
"He speaks the truth!"
"Coward!" came cries from the back.
"Order!" the clerk bellowed across the hall, his simple garments betraying the might of his voice which reverberated between the walls like a morning bell. "Order!"
"On this matter," the Sect Master said, crossing over Elder Fixiu's words as though they were nothing more than a puff of air. "We have consulted with the Empire, with His Majesty Emperor himself, getting his word that He shall be ever-grateful for the troubles all sects will bear in these challenging times, that He shall open the doors of the Fuxi Secret Realm for the chosen in our sects to search for their good fortune after the matter has been dealt with."
"Let the Emperor fight his own war!" Elder Fixiu scowled at him.
"Dragging us to their war once again, let them fight on their own!" came a roar of approval from his side.
But other than the Heavenly Radiance Sect, most sects fell in deep thought at the remark about the Fuxi Secret Realm.
Mei found herself shaking when it dawned on her. The Fuxi Realm… Only Seal-Breaking Stage and Foundation Realm cultivators could breathe the air of this legendary pocket realm. As one of the most prized possessions of the Royal Family, it was protected heavily by their famed Heavensworn Guards. Even the Empire's direct chosen had to pass certain tests to enjoy the privilege of searching for hundreds of legacies and the most precious spiritual weapons scattered inside this realm.
Just then Sect Master Jadehawk and the clerk exchanged a silent look. The old man raised a hand over the crowd, his face grim. "Votes in favor?"
Nearly all hands rose at the question.
Elder Fixiu hissed some intangible words, waving a trembling finger into the crowd, splattering saliva all across the jaded floors. The other sect elders had to restrain him when the man tried to pull a weapon out of his storage ring, cursing loudly as they dragged him out of the hall.
Once that matter settled, the Sect Master honored the crowd with a smile. "The details will be given to each sect after the meeting. Now, as our tradition," he said, rising to his feet, and then clapped his hands. "We shall feast!"
Inner Sect disciples chosen for the occasion filed in through the back doors, carrying in their hands all sorts of delicacies, cooked with passion in the Kitchens. Mei saw Adept-stage spiritual beasts, grilled and seasoned to perfection, smoke curling from them into beautiful streaks. There, spiritual herbs all lay across the golden trays, adorning the meat chops with their colorful waves.
Wings?
Mei raised an eyebrow when she saw hundreds of chicken wings above some trays, sticking out like a sore thumb between the heavenly delicacies. Elder Brother Bai couldn't have approved of this, sending simple chicken meat to this grand meeting. Then who? Who could've dared to do something so audacious as this?
And why do they look like they're… rotten? What's that blackish, thick thing that's covering all of them? A sauce? Can't be…
………
Last edited:
