Ares cooked up something simple. He didn''t want to mess around with magic or try cooking in the Primordial Blade with its time altering feature, handy though it was, in case he ran out of mana half way through and burnt something a a result. Instead, he just broiled some chicken and kept it all simple. He finished soon enough and wanted to bring it out to put on the table but his new stature was making things rather tough so he had to go and call his mother to help him... Was he actually a child?! Ares shook his head and refused to request aid! He still had his pressure and what remained of his mana. It wasn''t much either way, as his mini body did him no favours, but some skilful use of what he did possess would help him get through this! Plus, and this was the real saviour here, Ares had his Zephyr! It functioned like two extra hands, hands that could hold onto anything even if they were hot plates! Ares was resourceful and not a momma''s boy!...
"You ought not do that." Yulo walked into the room and started taking things into the living room of his own volition. "Although you''re efforts would be commendable, you''d drop some of the potatoes and waste them."
...
Ares was heartbroken! He would have failed?! Say it ain''t so!
"Although, to be fair, it wasn''t entirely your fault..." Yulo paused at the entrance to the kitchen and took a small step to the side as Aejaz gallantly threw his body into the kitchen with a grand stride. "Your overexcited brother, who''s still on a high from playing with his new treasure, would have smacked right into you. If anything, holding onto as much as you did after the collision was rather impressive considering you''re a child right now. Your control over the Zephyr is pretty great, actually. It''s been with you since you were a child, right? Proves the idea that a comfortable treasure is better than a stronger but unwieldy one. Though the Zephyr is undoubtedly a powerhouse in its own right. Also, before you apologise for having me help out, don''t. I don''t mind and doing any kind of menial labour is actually refreshing. It''s usually just paperwork and overseeing clan / sect disputes so this is a nice change of pace for me. I used to have to do this stuff regularly when I was just an ordinary, up and coming cultivator. It might sound silly but I long for days like these, adventuring with the people I care about, coming home, and cleaning the dishes alongside them. Fortunately I ought to experience that all again soon so I won''t get too sentimental about it. Ah but we can discuss this more after dinner." Yulo waved his hand nonchalantly as he swept past Aejaz like a cold-summers breeze and disappeared before anyone could blink. He was still the top cultivator in Sheryashka, that was for damn sure...
Ares went and rounded up the freeloaders in his house for dinner and ate a pleasant meal. When that was done he went off to the side with Yulo and discussed various matters with him on the couch... Well Yulo was sitting on the couch, anyway, Ares was sitting on Calla''s lap and had no say in the matter. Yulo did feel subtly threatened but he was aware that wasn''t the point of Ares'' actions and managed to bring himself to ignore the fluffy matriarch. besides, he knew in advance what would tick her off so he could avoid any all such instances. Not that he had any reason to annoy her but it was still for the best if he tested out all his sentences beforehand with his magic and got a feel for her reaction to them all... He could prevent himself form saying something that offended her, for whatever reason, but he couldn''t undo it! Caution was Yulo''s middle name... Not literally, that would be weird.
"First and foremost, the meeting you want to have with all the elders to talk about turning this sect in a mobile landmass that follows you around... I can''t guarantee every single elder in the sect will want to stay but I think a good majority will. Offering a potential for better cultivation, resources, and materials is like crack cocaine to most cultivators and they probably won''t have a reason to say no. People like Dabble or Julio would actually beg you to take them along so you don''t need to be too concerned about losing anyone important. Only a few minor elders who haven''t acclimated and been here that long will want out and they can be replaced by some of the new crop we''ve been hiring. Anyway, that''s best left for when you have the discussion and I won''t speak on everyone else''s behalf... Although if I had my crystal ball maybe I could...
That aside, I just wanted to mention that the wildcards running our sect''s HQ won''t be showing up. They don''t care about this kind of stuff and, to make matters worse, they''d consider this overtime. Those whackos don''t do overtime. Still, you needn''t concern yourselves with those four nutjobs as they''ll go along with just about anything. I ran this whole thing by them out of curiosity and the general response was ''yeah, sure, whatever." Those people are more concerned with their hobbies and getting off work as soon as possible to partake. Where they are doesn''t fuss them in the slightest. I''m just letting you know now they won''t be present at the meeting but they''ll go along with the plan regardless and you should be over the moon. They''re strange people but highly talented at their jobs and they also happen to be strong cultivators. Though I could beat any of them individually, if they combined their strength in any way then I would be toast. Also, if they didn''t hole themselves up in and around the HQ then even Slick would have a hard time maintaining his number one position, excluding me obviously, so don''t take them lightly. I would argue that, other than me and Slick, those four have the highest innate skill and potential in the sect... They''re just weird... And lazy... Each and every one of them... Whatever, you''ll meet them at some point after taking over, maybe even before, I''m sure."
"... Do I have to?"
"Hm? Ah, yes, the spider thing. Maybe not? They really won''t care if they meet you or not so maybe you can get away with it if you''re lucky. Just let them do their thing without trying to boss them around too much and you could honestly just never even speak to them at all. Still, the HQ is valuable in many ways that you''ll figure out in due time. You might find yourself visiting it often, at which point you''ll run into them regardless. Also, if they have any complaints, you can be damn sure they''ll come find you and they won''t be happy they had to do it outside of work."
"Sooo no avoiding the spider person?"
"... Probably not, no... Please don''t chuck a Perish Wheel at them?"
"No promises."
"... That''ll have to do for now. I''ll warn them about you just as I''ve warned you about them. Anyway, that''s one topic down. Next up I wanted to talk to you about handing the sect over."
"Already?" Ares was taken aback that Yulo felt it was appropriate to start considering such a matter when Ares wasn''t even in the core court yet.
"I think it would be wise to hand it over to you before you leave for Neo Gear at the latest. In fact, I was thinking of ceding my position to you as soon as you reach the core area of the sect as that feels more appropriate. Hell I would give it to you now if my conscience wasn''t nagging me to be a good person. What with all the buzz surrounding our sect''s victory things are getting busy and so dropping the sect on you now would be a cruel way to repay you for everything... Although I really wanna head off to Vraizon ASAP. I won''t do it though so you can rest easy. Besides, the C.O gave us some rewards that have eased the burden of dealing with your victory so it''s not all bad."
"As soon as I reach the core area you''ll hand over the entire sect?... What are the requirements for entering the core court?" It had been a while since Ares last caught wind of the requirements to enter the various courts and, honestly, he wasn''t even sure if he''d heard the core court requirements before at all. Maybe he had, maybe he hadn''t, it didn''t really matter much either way as they''d probably changed it as of late what with the abundance of new recruits coming in thanks to the tournament. They could have raised the requirements, to prevent riff raff getting to the core court without earning it, or they could have lowered it to help spread out the inflated number of disciples the sect would now have. It was all dependent on how they sought fit to control the current hierarchy best so that they could balance overcrowding.
"Normally it would be somewhere in the early stages of aspect assimilation / bloodline awakening. There is no specific stage we look for, just anyone we think is ready to take the test to move on up. We generally have a good sense for these things and the elders who we have keeping track on the inner court disciples are good at analysing talent. Some people can go all the way through bloodline awakening without ever being permitted to take the test. Some people are given permission the second they enter the realm and you''ll fall under the latter category, naturally. You''re currently at the start of sensory enhancement so in about ten stages, once you''ve completed the test, which will be child''s play, you''ll make it in no problem. Sometimes we also take into account what the disciple has done for the sect... But I mean... I don''t think we really need to have that conversation? You''ll get to skip some of the more tedious parts, like various bits of paperwork or agreeing to an oath never to betray the sect, etc...
Basically I want to get you into the position as soon as humanly possible and I''ve already heard about your intentions to head to Xasca? Depending on how many gains you make, it isn''t impossible for you to be at bloodline awakening by the time you return. This ought to be perfect as, with Garmr readily available to you, there shouldn''t be anyone in this domain who can become a threat to the sect. In other words, you won''t just be replacing me as sect master, you''ll be the new top dog of the domain. As you''ll take over both positions, one in a somewhat official capacity and the other completely, you''ll have to start dealing with some big name sects and clans but HQ will help you through that and do most of it to begin with. I''ve already briefed them that they will need to work a little harder in the short term so that you can work harder in the long term. There will eventually come a time wherein your reputation precedes you and their work becomes childishly easy as a result. I promised them this but it''s up to you to live up to that otherwise they might seriously quit and that would be a devastating loss for the sect overall.
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On a relevant note, every one of the elders is aware of all of this so they''re prepared for it and, really, the meeting you want will only really be to double check and make sure nobody has any glaring issues with any of this. I imagine the main concern they''ll want to raise is that you don''t seem to be planning on staying in Red Sun until its time to leave for Vraizon. If the sect master is constantly not present some people will find that problematic. I don''t disagree with your plans, I think a sect master should be active in both furthering themselves and scoping out resources for the sect, but not everybody sees it that way. You''ll have to do the convincing yourself although, given how powerful you''ll be as a result of your trip to Xasca, I can''t imagine anybody will have any evidence better than your very existence. You''ll leave this place an inner court and return strong enough to be the sect master without any room for opposition, if that explanation isn''t suitable then I think they''re just looking for trouble. There may be some elders like that, some you haven''t met that will just be looking for an opportunity to make this all awkward as they don''t like the upcoming change. Without straining myself I can''t predict what will happen exactly so I''ll leave it up to you to deal with these problems whenever they arise. You need to be able to do it anyway as that''s part of what it means to be a sect leader. I know you have the qualifications, as do the elders you''ve interacted with on a frequent basis, but those you''ve yet to meet won''t be 100% on your side just because you''re strong and overperformed in some tournament. Given that you were going to come to me because you wanted the meeting to be set up regardless, I''m assuming you were already aware of this and have prepared yourself for pushback?"
Ares nodded his head as holding the meeting in the first place was always a matter of quelling dissent in an upfront manner. Making an example of those who were defiant, essentially, just not in a brutal way but more so a verbal one. He needed to prove undeniably that he had every right to his new position otherwise it would lead to severe distrust and issues that kept stemming up, bubbling away under the surface until it became full blow revolt. Ares didn''t mind putting down some ruffians and troublemakers but there was no good reason not to stop it all now ahead of time and keep the workforce from needlessly growing an ego and thinking Ares wasn''t suitable for the job. There was nobody in this domain more suitable to running a sect than Ares purely off what he brought to the table alone; sprinkle in a decent capacity for leadership, and his individual strength, and, really, they should be jumping for joy. Being able to work under such a person was their luckiest of breaks and yet they were complaining? Ares wasn''t going to go light on these people even if he was still in his mini form.
On that note, it would be easier to hold the meeting after he''d recovered as then he could resort to physical displays of strength but that was, ironically, a sign of weakness. If any astute elders recognised this and brought it up would what Ares rebuttal be? He''d be cornered by his own decision to play things excessively straight. They would argue he was nothing without his threats of violence and fundamental pillar because he couldn''t convince people without them. If anything, holding the meeting in this form was the real powerplay and it''s not like he still didn''t have the threat of the Shock Beads buried underneath the ground. They weren''t in the sect, no, but what were the stubborn elders supposed to do? Never leave the sect? It was a decent enough threat and allowed Ares to keep hold of a decent amount of power. Nothing hat could be used on the spot against the elders but that wasn''t what he needed anyway as that would just be coercion. It was better to do this through conversation and negotiation rather than violence. Also, on that note, he couldn''t just haul in Windsor as that would breed discontent. Who was the sect leader here? Windsor or Ares? He had to do this himself and he was resigned to that from the moment he wanted to go have Yulo set up the meeting.
In response to Ares'' loaded nod, as there were a bunch of swirling emotions in his eyes that made it clear he was ready for this, Yulo wrote a note on a piece of paper and put it in his spatial ring. It was a quick reminder to set everything up as he was only going to do it tomorrow not today. It was too late already and he wanted to get some sleep... Lazy! Anyway... "Alright then, the meeting will be in two days and I''ll have Teng come and pick you some time after 2PM... And by two days I mean starting from tomorrow... Today I just wanna curl up in bed... Do you have any idea how many applicants we''ve gotten for this sect since you unveiled your grand plans?! Hell even the local clans that had been raising their members away from the sect are starting to reconsider. Yes it places them under our tutelage but they''re realising that it places them under you and they think it''s worth it. The clans in this city are smart, you know? The Li and Nick clan specifically were on the ball and have been basically chucking clan members at us non-stop! You''ve already made your favouritism for the locals clear so turning them down is hard. I''m still trying to decide if reducing the requirements for them to enter is correct or not. Fortunately, they''re all pretty talented to begin with so it hasn''t really been strictly necessary... But it''s not an easy choice regardless!
Ah whatever, just another month or two of this at most and then I''ll be free to roam like an uncaged bird and taste the fresh air once more! I kinda miss running into arrogant cultivators and whacking them upside the head... Maybe I''ll head to some seedy place in Vraizon to start off my journey just so I can get into fights and take out my many years of stress as a sect master. There really is nothing quite like running into some backwater nobodies who aren''t aware of your status and putting them in their place. Plus my name is just about famous enough that they''ll recognise it when I name drop myself! Ah, cultivation world, you suck sometimes but I really do love you deep in my core...
Ahem, ignoring that, there was one more thing I wanted to mention. I already told you I wouldn''t ever completely abandon this clan and that has only become doubly true now that I know what you''re up to. I wanted to say that I will not be leaving this sect at all and would like you to give me an elder position. I never asked for such a thing prior because I assumed this sect would be staying in Sheryashka permanently but, now that this place is becoming mobile, I''m actually really glad. Hell I''m going ahead now but you might even catch up and overtake me, at which point I''ll be hopping back aboard and riding on your coattails to go up the domains! I''m like a shrew in that regard. You know how shrew babies cling to their parents? Yeah I have no shame so do pick me up in Vraizon later on, yeah? Anyway, my point is that your plans are perfect for me. I don''t have to give up on the sect entirely and can come back without it affecting my cultivation journey, maybe even benefitting it sometimes. It''s not just a one sided affair either as I''ll bring back goodies for the sect too whenever I can. Of course if you want to kick me out then I can''t and won''t stop you but I would appreciate it if you didn''t, I do have attachments to this place after all."
Ares shrugged. "I have no reason to decline and adding another strong cultivator to the roster of those already present is not something I''d turn my nose up. Plus I already know you''re loyal to this place so there''s no worry in that regard. I''ve always been prepared for people to clutch on to my coattails as that was the point of this entire landmass in the first lace. It''s convenient for me so I know that I should also make it convenient for everyone else too. Give and take. You''re more than welcome to treat this place like a second home and come and go as you please... Although I might dump some paperwork on you. Not because we need the extra hands or anything, although that''s definitely how I''ll frame it, but just because my inner revenant thinks its funny."
"... Should you be openly admitting to that?... And why does your mother seem proud of this behaviour?! Is this how you raise your young on the Umbra home planet?!... I might need to pay the place a visit and see just how ridiculous your people truly are... Well I''ll take that all as a joke for now, I hope, and just be grateful I''m even allowed back into this place once I leave it... Is there anything else?..." Yulo mumbled to himself as he went over every little detail. There was some logistical stuff but Rud or the HQ could help Ares manage that... Anything important, anything important... Ah! "Wait, there is on more thing... The old sect master... He''s... Actually, you know what? Never mind. You''ll find him eventually, you can''t really miss him if he decides to show himself, so I''ll just leave that be for now."
?
Now Ares was curious! The old sect master... Where the hell was the old bastard anyway? Based on what Ares knew, not even the elders or the core court disciples really ever saw head or tail of the guy. It didn''t seem like he was at HQ either so surely the spots he could be hiding in and cultivating in seclusion in were limited? Ah well, if Yulo was saying Ares would run into the guy at some point then so be it... But it did raise a question. "Will you be telling him I''m becoming the new sect leader or will he have to find it out the hard way?"
Yulo gave a half smile. "Despite how close by he is to me, I can''t exactly kick him out of his secluded cultivation session by force or there might be consequences to his health. He''s been in there nearly since the moment I took over. I don''t know if he''ll reach transition soon or never, he might even be dead in there honestly. If he doesn''t come out before you become sect master then no, you''re gonna have to explain that to him on your own at some point... He might not believe you at first but if you can get some of the elders to back you up then he''ll buckle. Not that it matters, you can feel free to whack some sense into him if you have to. I don''t wanna sound harsh but he''s seriously useless you know? He kept the sect in managed decline and it only really saw improvements when I took over. He''s polite enough, sometimes, but running a sect was not his strong suit and he wasn''t a noteworthy cultivator in any sense either. Obviously don''t kick him out the sect or anything, he belongs here just like anyone else, but you definitely don''t need to let him stay in the lap of luxury... But if you do get a chance to help him raise his cultivation and live longer, please take it? On behalf of all the sect elders who''ve been here from the start, I ask that of you at least. He really did try to do good for the sect, even sometimes at the cost of his own health, so he might be a bit of a crank but he''s got a good heart and means a lot to this place. I think taking him to Vraizon later on will help but he might need something, like a resource, until then to help him keep kicking. If you spot anything like that on your travels then do think of him."
Ares nodded and was fine with that. He was being given this sect and would get to keep it basically forever so the least he could do was help out the old man who came before him. If anything, it was a shame Ares had already used his trailblazers as that might have sufficed... Although then Ares might not have won the tournament so he actually wouldn''t have given him those at all... Ah well, he just needed to find some more cultivation resources and shove ''em down this old guy''s oesophagus, it didn''t sound so hard! Plus, if what Yulo said was true, then just dragging this guy''s bony ass to the next domain would maybe put some spring back in his step regardless. Anyway, that was a problem for later. As for right now, the date of the meeting with the elders was set and every other matter had been discussed in full. Yulo stood up and said his goodbyes so Ares showed him out and went back to being smothered by Calla on the couch. The meeting was three days away from now so, until then, he would spend his time playing around in his mini form and he would also take some time off to go watch Eagerton''s match. After all this was said and done, things ought to go by a little quicker and then, bam, time for Freeride and a new chapter in Ares cultivation journey!