The Battle Maiden Sect's grandeur had always been a sight to behold, with its towering peaks and sprawling architecture. But today, as the returning members began their ascent, the usually vibrant and bustling sect was eerily quiet.
Of course, that made sense because they all entered the Secret Realm, but it was still weird.
The mountain path leading to the Sect was a winding one, surrounded by dense woods on both sides. Ancient trees stood tall, casting long shadows as the sun began its descent, lending an orange-red hue to the evening sky.
The journey was slow. As they climbed, the sect members recounted their experiences, filling the air with a mix of excitement, sorrow, and nostalgia. It felt so long since they were in the Sect, but in reality, it probably wasn't longer than a few weeks.
But the absence of the usual greetings, the lack of fellow disciples running to meet them or shouting from the distant peaks, was palpable.
Mira felt it the most. Every step she took was heavy, weighed down by her thoughts about Maria. She couldn't help it; her mind would just subconsciously drift there.
Now, it felt like walking through a ghost town.
Aelina, ever perceptive, noticed the unease settling among her disciples. "It feels strange, doesn't it?" she remarked, breaking the silence. "That's good, but keep in mind that the location of our Sect is a temporary thing. Our strength is in unity, not buildings."
A younger disciple, eyes wide, asked, "Sect Master, do you think something happened while we were away?"
Aelina gave a reassuring smile, "Unlikely. Our defenses are impeccable."
However, Mira's senses picked up something unusual. As they approached one of the sect's main courtyards, she felt faint traces of energy. It was subtle, almost undetectable. She wouldn't have detected anything if it weren't for her recent breakthroughs.
'I sense traces of people.' Mira sent a Sound Transmission to Aelina, but the woman just smiled.
'Those are my guards. You don't need to worry about them.' Aelina responded, surprising Mira, who gave the Sect Master a deep look.
She hadn't sensed anything like a 'guard' before. There were Elders and disciples who acted as guards, but Aelina never considered them as such.
'I guess it makes sense that she has her own secret force.' Mira concluded and put the matter behind her. However, she raised Aelina's danger level by another notch.
The woman was too prepared for everything. She had no idea how deep her foundations actually were, disregarding the Sect.
Hell, Mira was starting to suspect Aelina had contacts on other continents.
Aelina noticed Mira's contemplative look. The Sect Master's gaze shifted to the horizon, her voice thoughtful as she announced to the crowd, "The Secret Realm has bestowed upon us both gains and losses. Many of you have grown, and some... some have paid the ultimate price." A hint of sadness touched her eyes.
The Sect Master continued, "However, now is not the time for sorrow. It's a time for rest and consolidation. I know many of you are eager to display your gains and compete for the title of Prime Disciple. But haste can lead to mistakes."
Mira could see many of the disciples nodding along, the tension in their shoulders easing slightly. The promise of rest was always welcome after everything they went through.
"Take a week. Rest and consolidate your strengths. In a week's time, we'll gather to see who among you has gathered the most tokens," Aelina's eyes sparkled with a hint of excitement, "And then, the final stage of the Prime Disciple competition will begin."
The disciples murmured amongst themselves, anticipation evident in their eyes.
After Aelina's announcement, a ripple of excitement surged through the crowd, but that excitement was intertwined with fatigue.
Most were still recovering from their experiences in the Secret Realm, and the thought of further challenges so soon was daunting. The coming week of rest was not only a relief but a necessity.
Mira wasn't all that different. Having a week to understand her new powers was just what she needed.
As the disciples dispersed, Mira left after saying goodbye to Nova and the others. But soon, two beautiful women approached her. Nobody from the Sect recognized them, but Mira instantly knew who they were.
One was Rhydian in her human form, her golden tail swinging wildly. Rhydian had improved to Late-Stage Rank 8, but that was just the beginning of her gains. The other was Elenei, but in human form as well.
Clearly, she had undergone a huge change after she entered the Secret Realm. Her cultivation exploded as she now sat at Low-Stage Rank 8.
Elenei was tall, not quite as ridiculous as Rhydian or Mira, but she was around 1.7 meters. She had tender white skin, pale blue hair with fiery highlights, and Phoenix-shaped eyes. There were two black Dragon horns protruding out of her forehead and a pair of icy Phoenix wings on her back. Lastly, a scaly red Dragon tail snaked out of her hip and onto the ground.
Now, with her improved bloodline, Mira sensed that they gave off a similar feeling as herself. It was hard to say whether they were on her level or not, but they certainly weren't weak.
On the contrary, she wasn't even sure how to label Rhydian's changes. It was as if she was surrounded by a fog. If it weren't for their connection, she doubted she'd be able to feel anything at all.
"Ten tails… I've never heard of anything like that before." Elenei was the first to comment, gazing at Mira's tails with her fiery eyes.
Mira shrugged. "I didn't expect to pop another one out either, Miss Progenitor."
"Hmph! If you can do it, why can't I?"
"Now I can finally put you to use! All that time I spent wasn't wasted."
"...Only if you put that lazy wolf to work."
"No! Sleep makes me stronger!" Rhydian almost transformed back into her beast form and took off, but Mira grabbed the back of her neck before she could.
"Hmmm~ You're right. She's more than strong enough to survive by herself." Mira commented and tossed the growling wolf woman to Elenei. "I'll leave her in your care. Do with her what you wish."
A smile grew on Elenei's face as she looked down at the wolf. "Finally… You don't know how painful it's been for me to watch you laze around. A beast of your status should be out there conquering the world!"
"NO! I'd rather conquer my bed!"
Mira shook her head at Rhydian's antics. Although the wolf was lazy, she always pulled through in the end. With Elenei mentoring her, that was one less thing she had to worry about.
"Alright, enough." Mira declared after a few minutes, and they stopped messing around. "Like Aelina said, rest up. We can go back to training after we've reached our peak state."
"Yes!"
"Understood."
Rhydian dashed straight to her bed, shocking Dominique and Hana.
The two girls were chatting with one another before they got up and ran over to Mira. Dominique leaped into Mira's embrace while Hana just stood there awkwardly but was happy nonetheless.
Mira spread out her Soul Sense and was happy to see that Dominique didn't try and rush through the Realms without her. Her cultivation hadn't increased at all, but her foundation had certainly expanded.
Nodding inwardly, she also noticed that Hana was ready to proceed to the Meridian Opening Stage.
"Welcome back, Mother!" Dominique exclaimed while rubbing her face against Mira's chest.
"Mmhm." Mira nodded, stroking Dominique's hair. "...It's good to be back."
***
As the night deepened, the Sect was filled with silent activities as the disciples took this time to interact with one another before they went into seclusion. Lights from various residences shone like distant stars, indicating the spots where disciples chose to chat.
Unknown to many, at the top of the mountain, Aelina sat in her private study, surrounded by scrolls and ancient texts. A map of the continents was spread out before her, marked with various symbols. Beside the map, a small glowing talisman sat, awaiting her command.
Her mind was not on the upcoming competition but on broader horizons. The Battle Maiden Sect was formidable, but she knew they couldn't stand alone forever.
If her suspicions were correct, challenges far greater than the Secret Realm awaited them. Building alliances, especially intercontinental ones, was paramount.
While this was partly because of what the Wyrm said, it also wasn't.
She was banking everything on the fact that she would soon enter the Central Continent. Those old fogies would definitely not make the transition smooth. It was impossible for her to take on everything by herself unless things went perfectly. So, she had to prepare for that situation.
A knock interrupted her thoughts. A shadowy figure, one of her secret guards, stood at the entrance. "Report," she commanded.
"They've made contact, Sect Master," the guard said, handing her a sealed letter.
Aelina broke the seal, her eyes scanning the contents quickly. A small smile played on her lips. "Good. Arrange a meeting."
