"So, why are you giving me back your token if your friends join?" Elmer asked with a bewildered tone.
Alaric and Tiara exchanged puzzled glances at Ken. He had been the one who encouraged them to join the Serene Lotus Sect, promising they could follow him, so they couldn't comprehend why he was backing out of the agreement now.
"Unfortunately, I still have unfinished business with my former sect. You already know I'm not truly from the Divine Sword Sect. My former sect is the Phoenix Feather Sect, and my parents and little brother live in their territory. I must get them out of there first."
"Are you from an elite clan?" Elmer asked the young boy curiously.
If Ken was from a normal clan, Elmer could just go and fetch the family; it would solve the problem and Ken could join right away.
However, it would be seen as a serious transgression if they forcibly took family members of an elite clan, resulting in souring their relationships considerably. While the sect could afford it, they wouldn't do it for the sake of a single cultivator that isn't even part of the sect yet.
Even if the Serene Lotus Sect was ranked first, a war with another sect could weaken them enough to threaten that spot. That's why the Divine Sword Sect and Four Seasons Sect limited their fights to the Nurturing Phase and kept their core disciples safe.
Nevertheless, losing so many inner disciples might weaken them in the next centuries if they can't replace those who had died.
"I'm from an elite clan. If I join your sect now, my clan will use my family to threaten me and force me to come back."
"They won't dare act if I give them a warning as an elder of the Serene Lotus Sect," Elmer thought of another possible solution. He might not be able to steal Ken's family, but he is able to place the weight of his sect to deter any harmful intentions toward them.
"Then they'd easily make two plus two and infer that I might be the Devil's Heir. Then, all they have to do is to leak the information to the Four Seasons Sect. Is the third strongest sect in the continent afraid of the name 'Serene Lotus'?"
"Not so much," the elder admitted with a heavy tone. They had some freedom to act without retaliation as the strongest sect, but it didn't mean they could do whatever they want without repercussions.
"However, I do have a plan. What do you think of a plan to weaken the Phoenix Feather Sect and the Four Seasons Sect at once? The former might even fall."
Ken smiled devilishly when he spoke again. Naturally, since he wanted to join the Serene Lotus Sect, he'd have a plan to deal with his problems.
"Sure, what is it?"
Elmer was intrigued to hear Ken's idea. Not every day a fourth-stage cultivator dares claim he can weaken two top sects all by himself.
"Drop me somewhere safe so I can get back to my sect on my own. What I need you to do is simple; leak my origins to the Four Seasons Sect, and let them fight with the Phoenix Feather Sect."
ραndαsΝοvεl.cοm "And how are you so sure you will not be captured? Or that your sect will not sell you out for enough benefits?"
"I'm not. That's where you come into the picture. I want you to make it public. Once it's not under the table anymore, the Phoenix Feather Sect will not be able to abandon a disciple for resources. At this point, you will also be able to ally with the Divine Sword Sect and pressure the Four Seasons Sect."
Ken explained his plan to the elder. The latter was quite surprised by the shrewdness the young child displayed. Apparently, cultivation wasn't the only thing he could understand at such a young age.
"Why would the Divine Sword Sect ally with us now that their war is over?" Elmer still had another question.
"Because the publicization of the matter would mean that the Divine Sword Sect hired other sects to fight for them. It'd implicate a lot of sects as a result and make them lose face, so they'd have to claim that the Four Seasons Sect is being unreasonable and falsely accusing the Phoenix Feather Sect."
"I see. This way, we can prevent the Four Seasons Sect from exerting all their power, which would make them lose even more cultivators if they choose war. What's the plan in case they don't start a war only to get you?"
"Then I will bring my family out of the borders of the Phoenix Feather Sect. You can't abduct them from their territory, but nobody can complain if my family ran away. However, leak the information only in half a year. I need time to gather new allies within the sect to make my value rise. I can't only rely on the assumption Phoenix Feather Sect will refuse to sell me to save face."
"All right, we can go with this plan. Don't worry about your friends, as long as they are as talented as you described them to be, their future will be bright in our sect," Elmer declared with a pondering expression as he thought about how to pull the plan off and make it work.
"Team Leader, stay safe! I hoped you'd be able to have a look at the inheritance I've won before you leave, do you think it's possible?"
"Same for me," Tiara added on Alaric's request. As always, the selfish girl skipped the nice words and went straight to her request.
"Don't worry, I will remain on the airship all the way to the sect, and only then Elder Elmer will take me to the designed spot. Give me your inheritances, I will work on them."
Ken calmed down his anxious companions. They already trusted his ability to make their manuals and techniques better, so they gave away their inheritances without any hesitation this time. Besides, Ken already formed his core and could not cultivate the same attributes and manuals as them.
Ken took the manuals from their hands, but when he made contact with Tiara, he checked something he was curious about. He reached out with his hand and touched her, activating Luck Sense.
'Hmm, she's hiding something,' Ken thought as he saw the flaring aura of her luck.
The five top sects had two territories each; one at the central area, and one that connected to the central area but was not part of it. Their outer territory was where the sects' main bases were, and when their cultivators finished their cultivation sessions and sought fighting experience or treasures, the sects sent them to the central territory.
The trip to the main base was a 3-day-long straight-line flight, and Ken spent it meditating and reconstructing the manuals for Alaric and Tiara. As he had a strong starting point to work from, and he already learned most of the information before, he didn't need a long time to perfect his creations this time.
"We've arrived. I will take you now to the borders of the Phoenix Feather Sect secretly."
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Elmer dropped Ken at the border as promised. Instead of going by conspicuous transportation means like an airship or a flying beast, Elmer simply cocooned Ken in his Darkness Qi and made him float by his side as he moved at high speed toward their destination.
Ken, enveloped in darkness throughout the whole trip, simply sighed at the low-grade customer service and closed his eyes until the trip was over.
"A spy of our sect will contact you soon to coordinate our plans. Stay safe, and hopefully, you will be out of there soon."
"Sure, goodbye."
With those words, Ken and Elmer separated, leaving Ken alone at the entrance to the vast desert south of the Phoenix Feather Sect.
'Home sweet home, here I come.'
Volume 4 – Bloodthirst Sect's Secret Realm – The End.
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