As Mira followed Elder Sandra, she was struck by the changes that had swept over the Battle Maiden Sect.
The once-pristine training grounds were now filled with enormous trenches and cracks, remnants of brutal sparring sessions.
Even now, she noticed the Elders leading the disciples in sparring, training, and meditation sessions.
'It seems Aelina is going all out.' Mira commented inwardly. Although the disciples from before had worked hard, it wasn't nearly like how it was now.
She could see the fire in their eyes when they trained; it was as if they were fighting for their lives.
Elder Sanda caught Mira staring at the other disciples and couldn't help but say, "They've been like that ever since they returned from the war."
Mira turned to Elder Sandra, so the latter continued, "The Sect Master ordered us, Elders, to watch over the disciples and give them customized training programs. Only those who completed them would be rewarded and allowed to stay. Anyone who slacked off would be kicked out."
Mira was a bit surprised by Aelina's decisiveness and ruthlessness, but on second thought, it seemed just like her to do such a thing. If she was truly going on out, then she couldn't waste resources on people who didn't want to succeed.
She just wondered how so few Elders were able to create customized training programs in about a week. Then, she realized she hardly knew anything about the Elders of the Battle Maiden Sect.
'No, I still don't know much about the Sect itself.' She's mostly been doing her own thing, using the Sect as more of a base of operations than a place for her to grow.
Now that she thought about it…
"What about me?" Mira asked out of nowhere.
"Hmm?" Elder Sandra looked at her, confused.
"Do I have to go through some sort of special training as well?" Mira clarified.
A look of realization dawned upon Elder Sandra before she smiled wryly, "...No. The Sect Master said it would be better to let you do your own thing and that if you ever need help, don't be afraid to ask. She'll answer anything that's troubling you."
"I see." Mira nodded, a little relieved. Though, it's not like she'd do it even if they asked her to. The Sect was great, but she was on a unique path and enjoyed finding things out on her own.
Cultivation wouldn't be nearly as… 'enjoyable' if there were already a predetermined path for her to follow. Nor did she think she'd get as strong as quickly as she was now.
"...Something I need help with, huh?" Mira muttered, thinking about any questions she might have until a thought entered her mind, causing her to release a slight smirk.
"I'd like to know when she plans to start the next war."
"...!"
Elder Sandra flinched but immediately returned to normal, speeding up as she led Mira away from the Battle Maiden Sect. However, Mira didn't miss that and knew her speculations were correct.
Aelina was preparing for another war.
"Ahem!" Elder Sandra coughed to break the silence, "I-I'll be sure to relay your thoughts to her."
"I'd also like to meet with her after I'm done with my training. I might have a way to increase the strength of her… little soldiers in the short term. But let her know we might have to cause a bit of trouble to pull it off." Mira said, but her words made Elder Sandra feel strange.
It was like she could already imagine a scenario where Mira and Aelina ran around causing havoc together, all while chuckling evilly to themselves.
'Fuck!' A shudder ran down her spine, 'These two are like a match made in hell!'
One liked to plan and manipulate from behind the scenes, while the other was like an honest devil out for blood. Against each other, they were their own worst enemies, but as allies…
Elder Sandra could only imagine the amount of chaos they could raise.
"...I-I'll let the Sect Master know." Unfortunately, she was just the middleman. Not to mention, Aelina thought very highly of Mira and would definitely listen to any suggestions.
The atmosphere grew silent afterward as they continued to fly over the Battle Maiden Sect, which had expanded by several folds after the war.
The pair swiftly passed over the residential area. The houses that once had uniform designs now bore unique additions—some had erected training equipment in their courtyards, and others had meditation spaces adorned with Qi-amplifying arrays.
Eventually, the sect buildings gave way to a dense forest. The flora here was thick, teeming with spiritual beasts that roared and howled as they sensed the energy mass passing overhead. Even the forest felt more alive, more vibrant.
Mira assumed it had to do with the overflow of Qi from the Sect, nurturing the plants and the spiritual beasts alike.
After a while, they emerged out of the forest, and what greeted Mira next was the sheer cliff edge of a desolate mountain. The mountain itself was devoid of life, its rocky terrain extending as far as the eye could see.
Elder Sandra came to a stop. "This should be far enough. You can do your training here," she stated, pointing at a flat area nestled among the jagged rocks.
"Everything beyond here is neutral territory, so you're free to go wild. Just don't come crying back to us if you die."
Mira nodded, her gaze sweeping over the barren expanse. It was the perfect place for her to continue her training without causing harm to the Sect or the disciples.
"Be careful," Elder Sandra said, her voice laced with concern.
Although Mria was a troublemaker, it'd be a pity if such a talented disciple were to die from something stupid.
Mira gave her a light nod but didn't say anything.
Knowing that was her cue, Elder Sandra took off, leaving Mira alone with her energy mass.
She descended to the flat area, adjusting the hovering Qi ball so it remained suspended above her. As she stared at the monstrous energy mass, Mira's body trembled, and her breathing became heavier.
She'd been holding it in but controlling the mass of energy while flying AND enduring the burden of Dominique's trial was taking a toll on her mental state.
But instead of backing down, Mira's determination flared stronger.
'T-This is nothing! Compared to the void of death, what is a little discomfort?!'
With a deep breath, she manipulated the energy mass further, exerting more control, imparting more spin, and compressing it further. Then, she pushed it further away from her, allowing the pull from the Hell of Gravity to weigh on her more.
Like this, she could control the speed at which the pressure increased, allowing her body to adapt at a steady rate.
'After I've adjusted to this, I'll find a few beasts to fight.' Mira thought as she sat down, but before she could dive straight into her training, she felt five powerful auras speedily charging in her direction.
'Hmmm? Why are they here?'
***
Aelina stood on the mountain's peak, her gaze sweeping over the entire Battle Maiden Sect with a smile adorning her face. Swirling a glass of wine in her hand, she took occasional sips, exuding an air of anticipation. "So, what did Mira have to say?" she asked.
With her head slightly lowered, Elder Sandra appeared behind her and replied, "She asked when you were starting the next war."
"..." Aelina fell silent, but her smile grew before, finally, a chuckle escaped her mouth. "Fufufu~ As expected of her. I guess she's eager for some more action."
Looking off into the distance, she muttered, "I suppose it's about time she claims the spot as the Sect's Prime Disciple. Don't you agree, Sandra?"
"W-With her current strength, it's certainly possible." Elder Sandra stuttered, not wanting to sound biased.
The position of Prime Disciple had to be earned with one's strength and wits. Anyone who interfered in the process was to be heavily punished.
"Did she say anything else?" Aelina asked, switching topics.
"Ah! She said she needed to talk to you after she finished her training. She had an idea on how we can increase our disciples' strength."
"I see. Then, please bring Mira to me when she returns to the Sect. Also, can you occasionally check up on her? I don't want another situation to occur where she somehow ends up halfway across the world."
"Yes, Sect Master!"
"If that's all, then you're free to leave. Tell the other Elders that they may return to their posts now." Aelina waved her hand, still staring into the distance.
"Yes, Sect Master!" After reporting everything, Elder Sandra left.
When Aelina was all alone, she raised her hand and released a stream of Qi. This Qi swirled around into a ball and spun faster and faster until it became so fast and dense that it flattened into a disk.
The pressure that little disk emitted was unbelievable, many times more than what Mira was capable of controlling, but Aelina handled it without issue.
She continued to condense it until it became the size of a finger, and her control began waning.
Flicking it East, Aelina watched as it soared through the air, showing no signs of stopping. Within nanoseconds, it left her view, and not long later, it went past her sensory range. However, she still didn't hear or feel it land. Whatever it passed through, it drilled through it like butter.
'Interesting! How interesting!' Aelina's smile grew like a child that had just found a new toy, 'It's a crude technique, but with a bit of refining, the applications are limitless!'
"Fufufu~ To think I'd learn something new at my age." She chuckled, creating another mass of energy like the one Mira made, intending to experiment with it.
