֍ Back on Earth at the same time ֍ 16th February 2008 ֍
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"Where the hell is he?
We've even gone shopping and yet…Essie still has met up with us." Amelia pouted angrily as she slammed her fork into the meat on her plate.
"… He got called into work.
Don't worry, Esmond will join us soon enough." Isabelle tried to reassure Amelia, but it was evident that wasn't happening especially with May and Layla riled up also.
"*Sigh* Just leave him be Amelia…
Let's just enjoy the day ourselves.
We've got his card, so why not make the best of it." May giggled as she fiddled with the platinum bank card in her hands.
"There is a Bulgari store nearby…
I think we should get some handbags and watches… to commemorate the day… don't you think so ladies?" Layla said as the others agreed.
Even Isabelle, Gabriel, Vaazakra, Rosie and Scarlett were excited to go shopping with the other girls and the damp mood quickly turned upbeat amongst those seated around the table.
Only the mood of Eddie, Maverick, Kane, Archie had turned for the worse as they all sat by the bar, drinking away their sorrows with the stacks of shopping bags beside their legs.
"Why… are we being dragged along…
Urgh… I hate this…" Kane cried as he asked for another refill from the barman.
"I blame Echo for giving them the platinum card…" Maverick said, even though he was rather happy deep down for the clothes that were bought for him.
The girls didn't just choose items for themselves, but also helped pick out clothes for the boys as well since they were spending their day with them.
Echo was the only one to bail the shopping run with the girls since he had to be over at the event with the Primal GP and Zathra Manston GP teams after the race on behalf of Esmond.
The other boys were originally going to go as well, but they were tasked with protecting and managing while they went around Melbourne CBD.
"Just enjoy the little trip we have outside of the Space with physical forms to control…
While it might not be exactly us, these droid skins aren't bad." Archie found some solace in the time away and continued to examine he surroundings to better his own knowledge and skills.
Eddie agreed with him, as he'd noticed many areas where he could inject Primal Managements wealth for Esmonds benefit.
The group of boys quickly finished their drinks and picked up the shopping bags as the girls were ready to leave the restaurant.
Eddie had called for a car to come and retrieve all of the bags from their current location, so they went outside as the vehicle arrived, while wondering what Esmond was doing right now over on Astelan.
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"… *Sigh* Trouble is brewing within and around the Sect…
How could they fall into such chaos…
Should I make a move…?" the Grand Elder of the Exalted Night Heavenly Sect complained aloud, completely aware of the nonsense which had infected the Sect.
Currently training deep below in the mountain range in come cave where there was a large accumulation of Spiritual Energy, the Grand Elder decided to walk out after training in seclusion for nearly a century.
Yet as he walked out of the cave, he noticed someone was waiting for him outside, kneeling in his direction.
"Grand Elder, Liao Zhen, I need your help before the Sect Leader delves the Sect into the endless pits of greed!"
"Wang Jie… you've grown old my child…" Liao Zhens eyes were filled with compassion and fondness for his dear student whose appearance had long change from the small loveable child into an old man with wrinkles.
"…Grand Elder… it's indeed been too long…" Wang Jie sheepishly said, unable to look up at the face of his dear Master from so long ago.
"Child… why do you not greet me as your Master…?
You're my dear disciple, yet you call me by the title awarded to me by the Sect.
Hahahehe… maybe now that you've become an Elder of the Inner Courts…" Liao Zhen laughed proudly at the fact his student would now seat beside him in the Inner Courts of the Sect who would be recognised as powerful indivuals of the whole sect, however after he noticed the mixed emotions bubbling up in Wang Jie, he decided to check the strength of his disciple.
Utterly stunned by the poor state of his student's strength who should have been fairly strong, Liao Zhens chilling voice echoed through the deep valley.
"… Why are you in such a poor state, Wang Jie?
Your strength should be much stronger than it is now based off my calculations before I went into seclusion…
What has happened in my absence, child…?"
Wang Jie couldn't answer his Master straight away, as the chilly voice locked up his body by the sheer weight of his words crushing him into the rough ground.
"*Sigh* Master… I think its best if we first leave the valley and return to my home in the Outer Sect Wing…" Wang Jie got up and started to move back to the Outer Sect Wing, knowing full well his words would have left his Master shattered.
Liao Zhen struggled to understand what could have happened to his dear disciple for him to be sent to manage an Outer Wing of the Sect, but he remained quiet for now since he knew very little.
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While they flew through the air towards the Red Tortoise Outer Wing, neither said a word until Liao Zhen noticed the extravagant changes to the land.
Before he even asked if the whole Sect had been revamped in a similar design, Wang Jie told him that the internal conflict involved the Outer Wings stark difference to the old constructure of the Sect.
Liao Zhen realised pretty quickly that the current conflict had arisen because of the unbelievable changes to the Outer Wing, which were typically broken-down state.
Only the Inner Wings of the Sect were managed well, with its upkeep a core focus for the students if they wished to remain in the Inner Wing while cultivating.
Any doubt he had about how the situation in the Sect delved into chaos were washed away the second he noticed the otherworldly and elegant design of the Tower which told Liao Zhen the entire building was made from Spiritual Infused Essence materials.
After entering Wang Jies apartment, that continued to confuse the Grand Elder of the Sect, he started to explain the past events after Liao Zhen went into seclusion for training.
"Once you left Master…
Any support or status I had within the Sect vanished with the Inner Court Elders removing me from the Inner Wings and sending me to an Outer Wing, which meant they could also reduce the resources I needed to improve my strength.
Not only that, but I was also told to replace the previous Elder of the Red Tortoise Wing, meaning I wouldn't be able to train or practise as I typically would.
Eventually the resources for the Red Tortoise Wing were drastically reduced as well, leaving me with the only option to provide my own to the disciples and recruits.
When I tried to talk about the issues with the Sect Leader, I was told there would be an investigation, but the result just stated my fault, leading to resources being cut once more."
Wang Jie continued to explain the Red Tortoise Outer Wing revitalised itself after Rahzil arrived and essentially changed the land into an otherworldly place.
He even told his Master about Esmonds arrival, once disciples were being kidnapped for information on the Outer Wing, including other Sects, further infuriating Liao Zhen, who wished to find the Inner Court Elders and the Sect Leader so he could crush their spirit into dust.
Liao Zhen asked Wang Jie to bring over the two saviours of his dear disciple, as he wondered what their true goals were since he didn't believe all that they had done was from the goodness of their hearts.
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When Esmond and Rahzil arrived at Wang Jies apartment at the top of the Tower, neither was the type to bow before someone else so they introduced themselves as they took a seat on the sofa.
Rahzil went straight to the open kitchen that oversaw the lounge where Esmond, Wang Jie and Liao Zhen sat, having felt a little hungry, but more so he didn't wish to involve himself in the discussion, leaving it all to Esmond.
Wang Jie was about to yell at the two of them for their lack of respect, however Liao Zhen stopped him as he'd noticed the explosive power within the two, which hadn't been formed from cultivation, except for Rahzil whose aura contained the power of a cultivator, but only slightly compared to the rest of his strength.
He actually wondered what their power levels could be if they started walking the path of a Cultivator, but that was a discussion for later, as Liao Zhen wanted to know about the man sitting across from him.
"So… you must be the one who transformed the Red Tortoise Outer Wing…" Liao Zhen said as his eyes slowly were drawn in by the tea being poured by his disciple.
The dense Spiritual Essence infused into the tea left him stunned, especially after he took a sip which sent the essence coursing through his body, increasing a part of his Internal Body Energy pool.
He wanted to consume the tea as quickly as possible after he noticed the essence increased his Energy pool by ten percent of what he'd spent hundred years to gather in seclusion.
Esmond hadn't realised the specifics, but he could tell by the expression on Liao Zhens face that the tea had given him a boost of strength.
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"I'm not the one actually…
Rather my elder brother Rahzil is the one who worked with our other siblings to redesign and transform the Outer Wing of your Sect, yet… your members instead showed him hostility…
That's why I have come… to make your Sect Leader understand his stupidity and greed could be his end." Esmond didn't bother to hold back and laid everything out, including a slight threat to the Sect Leaders life.
There was a plan in place to take over the Sect and an important part of that plan was preparing in the Spatial Ark Star World as he spoke with Liao Zhen.
All Esmond really wanted to know now was whether the Grand Elder would support him or not.
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"Do you think… my Sect and its disciples… would so easily fall to you, a mortal who hasn't even cultivated any energy before?" Liao Zhen felt a little shocked by the insinuation of killing the Sect Leader and others from Esmond but being the Grand Elder of the Exalted Night Heavenly Sect, there was no way any would be able to do such a thing in his presence.
"I can assure you… my strength, including my elder brothers, would be more than enough to destroy your Sect.
If we can't, then those who follow us will easy overwhelm you…" Esmond couldn't care and became even more direct with his words, yet they caught Rahzil off guard the most since he saw Esmond more as a friend but being called his elder brother, he felt a sense of duty.
He was blissfully unaware the reason Esmond called him 'Elder Brother' came down to his age that was influenced by the millenniums he'd spent on Stovi, whereas Esmonds time in the circulation of reincarnation couldn't be sensed by anyone.
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Liao Zhen stoic expression was busy trying to understand Esmond since his mind hadn't come to a conclusion on what to do with the internal issues of the Sect.
Not knowing whether he should help Esmond or to focus on fixing the corrupt Inner Court of Elders that served the Sect Leader and managed the Sect, Liao Zhen felt like watching the course of events play out for a bit longer, during which he could improve his strength further and help his disciple.
Unfortunately for him, Esmond didn't plan to help the Sect any further if the Grand Elder didn't want to side with him.
"I can tell you haven't made a decision… rather you don't wish to just yet, right?" Esmond said as he sipped on the cup of tea.
Liao Zhen nodded his head with his mouth full of the heavy Spiritual Essence tea.
"Well, in that case, I'll have my people remove all of the work done by my brother and leave this Sect for another."
"Do you think I'll let you do that…?" Liao Zhen let out his murderous aura to frightened Esmond, but instead it made him laugh, whereas Wang Jie struggled to breath under the weight of the pressure.
"When the whole system fails, and nothing works anymore throughout your whole Outer Wing… what can you do to stop me?
Even your strength won't be enough to battle against me and my brother…
That much I am sure of." Esmond knew if he unlocked his strength completely, the Grand Elder wouldn't be able to survive long with the continuous tirade of attacks from him and Rahzil.
Liao Zhen didn't feel overly worried, yet the calm demeanour of Esmond, especially after he let his murderous aura explode throughout the room, Liao Zhen had to re-evaluate the man sitting across from him.
However, while he tried to figure out his stance, the Sect Elders and Leader had already made a decision regarding the separation of goods and resources from the Red Tortoise Outer Wing.