Chapter 37: An Elder’s Limitless Might!

Chapter 37: An Elder’s Limitless Might! "His rank is S, the same rating as this lowly one; however, while this one struggled to achieve the rank, barely making it into its folds, this new disciple was on the verge of possibly achieving the next rank." The disciple spoke all that he had seen. Having possibly achieved that rank, he knew the horrors and the level of foresight as well as the actions one needs to take and think of in order to walk out with a second higher than him. The difference of an entire hour was far more than meets the eye, and having witnessed that horror himself, he knew more than anyone in this sect what it meant. There was a reason... A reason why disciples who had joined the sect for a mere 2 months would never be able to achieve S-rank. And he wasn’t any ordinary disciple, yet he could barely achieve it. "..." Once again no words followed, but this time, it went on for a longer time. ----- Inside of the cave was a world of its own. One would think a cultivator of the foundation establishment realm would be merely a disciple, and that an outer sect elder of that rank is nothing but the failure that has decided to keep working for the sect. However, a single look at the inside of this cave haven, and one’s words would be swallowed. Upon entering, the first thing that would throw itself on your face would be the red sky... A sky inside of a cave with its own orange clouds made out of intense and pure spiritual energy that is full of treasure intent. The cave haven isn’t just a name; it’s a reality. Once blessed with a treasure mountain, an elder has absolute authority to form it into whatever shape he wishes, and not a single elder doesn’t amass all of their treasures to give birth to a haven. The more precious the treasure, the better the results, and thus, an elder’s journey is structured around treasures. Their long years are spent strategizing and using every ounce of their power to get their hands on precious loot. From secret realms to worldly treasures, and even going as far as giving birth to them themselves by farming spiritual plants, alchemy, formations, and any kind of technique, knowledge, or information about them is cherished beyond belief. To the point where massive mountains of spirit stones, wealth beyond any disciple’s wildest dreams, are moved casually in conversations between elders. The simple effect of low-rank spirit stones does an elder no help. The entire point of foundation establishment is purifying and giving birth to the strongest foundation. And what is more helpful in this case than treasures? Disciples... For an elder, disciples might be the missing puzzle to unlimited glory. The relation between a master and his disciple has never been simple throughout history. What a master starts, a disciple is known to continue, and this relationship is known as the most profound and complex after that of a parent and his child. The karmic lines between the two individuals, a concept far beyond the grasp of mortals and fledgling cultivators, are studied intently by those seeking to perfect their foundations. This is why, aside from treasures, elders cherish and hold promising talents far more. A foundation establishment’s life is far too long, long enough to never worry about death in the short term; thus, if one successfully recruits a genius disciple, by the time the disciple grows to support their own master, it would never be too long. Thus, information about the appearance of any talent is sought after by the elders more than the clueless new disciples who only care about connections. Thus, the elder, who was floating calmly in the center of his cave haven, in the center of the largest and thickest cloud of spiritual energy... The very same lecturer who gave the new disciples lessons every other week was intently fetching the records of the tower with the help of a complex formation that made everything within the sect available within the grasp of the elders. A network that never failed to collect information from the tiniest of sources. Inner sect disciples, core sect disciples, outer sect elders, and official disciples under the tutelage of inner sect elders, as well as the higher-ups, the true powerhouses of the sect, all had access to it without fail, but with varying authorities and permissions. "Tower Spirit, give me access to the results of the latest high score." The elder, Caster, called out to the tower spirit with all due calmness. "Very well esteemed elder." The tower spirit’s childish voice rang out with a low form of respect, but there was no trace of the free-spirited personality she showed in front of Ken. Having just been born from the main consciousness of the greater tower spirit, she wasn’t on the same level as these elders and thus had it ingrained in her to respect them. "Ken, a 7th grade spirit root disciple without any noticeable background... His displayed rating: S-rank... Actual rating..." The elder read the information displayed in front of him in the form of a golden scroll with white characters. "SSS-rank." He said, his face turning serious. "Ken... That same Ken..." The elder immediately thought back to a disciple who had caught his attention once... and only once during one of the lectures. "High comprehension when it comes to techniques." This was his initial comprehension, as he was able to answer a relatively complex question regarding the efficiency records, and that too in a way that made even the elder gain some kind of insight. That by itself already made him consider taking Ken as a disciple, but he decided to test him further... Alas, he wasn’t given the chance. "The inner sect elders will not remain unaware this time." He thought to himself as he continued reading Ken’s achievements. And the more he did, the more his face changed as the Golden King, who was lazily resting on the ground, opened his eyes and looked above. And there... The entire cave haven was getting chaotic, the space within twisting and turning. "Ken... You... Are my chance!" -----End-----