The crowd fell into a hushed silence, their eyes locked on Aaron as he made his audacious declaration.
Elder Tian's gaze intensified as he continued to scrutinise the young disciple before him.
For an outer court disciple to utter such bold words, it needed unmovable courage and guts. For Aquaflame Sect disciples who were perplexed by hearing the words of elder Sun and were confused about what to do or even what was going on, not only did this disciple come forward boldly and address his problem, but he also asked the unforgivable, to join another sect.
Not only he but even elder Sun was doing the unforgivable of joining another sect; however, this was not uncommon as many cultivators did this to gain more benefits.
What they were doing was disgraceful, but such people only cared about how to move forward, gain benefits for themselves, and become stronger. That was their ultimate goal: to become the strongest, and that desire was emanating from Aaron's actions.
Witnessing this, Elder Tian's gaze deepened, accompanied by a knowing smile. He mused to himself, 'Yes, this is precisely what the Heavenly Thunder Sect seeks: individuals with insatiable hunger, those who yearn to devour everything in their path. Even if they were not originally part of our sect, as long as they remain within our ranks, benefiting from our support, they will feel indebted to us.'
His thoughts continued to unfold, 'What truly constitutes the foundation of a sect? Through my experience, I have come to understand that the disciples form the bedrock of any sect. Today, we shall strip this foundation from you, Aquaflame Sect.
A sect devoid of its core and stripped of its Heavenly rank, even with one of their beloved elders departing, your fate is sealed, Aquaflame Sect. The entire western region shall now fall under the dominion of the Heavenly Thunder Sect.' A thick smile adorned Elder Tian's face, his satisfaction was palpable.
"Disciple Aaron," Elder Tian's voice resonated with profound gentleness and elegance, permeating every corner of the martial hall. "Allow me to acquaint you with the moral principles that define our illustrious sect so that your decision to join the Heavenly Thunder Sect is not solely based on the presence of Elder Sun, but also on the greatness our sect embodies."
"Our Heavenly Thunder Sect exemplifies the very essence of the cultivation world: the reign of the strong. If you possess talent, toil diligently, and can overcome formidable challenges, our sect will reward you generously.
At times, even high-level techniques are bestowed upon deserving disciples. Furthermore, we hold battle competitions every two months within our sect, wherein the better you perform, the greater your rewards shall be. However, the true highlight of our sect lies within the Thunder Mystic Realm, which opens its gates every four months.
Each disciple has the opportunity to venture into this realm, the extent of which is determined by their contributions to the sect. This mystic realm, exclusive to outer court disciples, is a natural creation, and anything discovered within its confines is permitted to be kept by the discoverer."
Elder Tian expounded on the Heavenly Thunder Sect's most renowned feature, the Thunder Mystic Realm, through which they had ascended to great heights and established their status as a Heavenly-ranked sect within a mere century.
They had become a prominent force within the kingdom and now their goal was to be prominent across the entire continent. For countless years, their aim had been to exert complete control over the western region, leaving no room for a sect gradually making its comeback. Today, they were determined to leave no stone unturned in achieving that goal.
Undeterred, Elder Tian pressed on, hammering the hot iron and claiming it as their own. "The Heavenly Thunder Sect values disciples who demonstrate results and contribute to the sect impartially, providing equal opportunities to all. Therefore, if the Aquaflame Sect is in decline, how could we not extend our aid to those disciples who are willing to exert their efforts?"
His gaze traversed the hall, from one corner to another, as he spoke with the tone of an esteemed sage, rather than a person enticing disciples. "To those of you who believe that our Heavenly Thunder Sect can offer you greater assistance than your current sect, we welcome your presence.
No tests shall be required of you, for the fact that you hail from the Aquaflame Sect alone qualifies you to join the Heavenly Thunder Sect. Furthermore, all those who join us at this time shall be bestowed with our sect's renowned outer court disciple pill, the Thunder Tiger Pill."
As Elder Tian concluded his speech, a tumultuous uproar reverberated throughout the disciples of the Aquaflame Sect. In stark contrast, the disciples of the Heavenly Thunder Sect stood composedly behind their select elders, their senior brother Yonas wearing a gratified expression that spoke volumes about his satisfaction with the unfolding situation and its potential outcome.
Aaron, having risen to his feet, once again clasped his hands and resolutely declared his intentions. Witnessing this display of unwavering determination, numerous outer court disciples from the Aquaflame Sect stepped forward, eager to join the Heavenly Thunder Sect.
The influx of disciples surpassed a thousand, encompassing not only the recent joiners of the past three years but also those who had already established themselves within the sect.
Even certain inner court disciples expressed their desire to join, yearning for the advantages offered by the Heavenly Thunder Sect. However, their hopes were swiftly quashed, as the Heavenly Thunder Sect categorically rejected their requests.
Their rationale was simple yet firm: 'Though you, as inner court disciples, wield substantial power and enjoy the lion's share of resources, if you lack loyalty to your current sect, there is no need for you to join ours. We seek loyal members, individuals who remain steadfast even when provided with abundant resources and assistance. If such privileges have not engendered loyalty within you, then nothing will.'
Consequently, over a thousand disciples bid farewell to the Aquaflame Sect, their departure serving as an undeniable testament to the masses' unyielding resolve. Helpless, the elders of the Aquaflame Sect found themselves powerless to alter the decision of the multitude.
Allen and Spirit heard all of this.
Spirit turned towards Allen, her large eyes sparkling with enthusiasm, and spoke in her cheerful and energetic voice, "Master, I think you should totally join the Heavenly Thunder Sect! This Aquaflame sect doesn't stand a chance of regaining its former ranking. And even when they were a Heavenly-ranked sect, the way they managed things was super suspicious, you know?
Like, from the memory of the body, you remember how they made you wait forever before giving you any cultivation techniques or pills. That's just not right! Master, cultivators need resources to thrive!"
Allen couldn't help but burst into laughter, speaking telepathically to Spirit in a playful tone, "Oh, come on! You fell for their acting skills?"
Spirit blinked, her confusion evident on her face, "Huh? What do you mean, master?"
'Don't you think they are being awfully good? As I understand from the memories, there are only two sects in the western region, and both are Heavenly ranked sects, which are rarer than rare, and they want a complete monopoly of the western region, but doing it this way is a good idea, but it seems like they have already figured out that Aquaflame would not attack them and go to war, or it could be that they have their people in the Aquaflame sect, which would stop or hinder that process.
There are many other suspicious factors, and one of them is that everyone knew that the sect leader and other higher-ups were not in the sect, but then this competition also happened, and they are only recruiting outer court disciples.
Then comes the elder Sun: That guy was so active with the outer court disciples; well, that's suspicious. The way he described the situation of the higher-ups, well, that's normal because we are humans and greed is like our second nature, but you know what? Not all the elders are bad; the elder who helped the previous Allen learn his talent for cultivation was a very righteous person, so...'
Allen chuckled once again, thoroughly amused by the situation.
"I find this situation quite fascinating, Spirit. Very fascinating indeed."
Observing Allen's smile and aura, Spirit couldn't help but recall memories of him bargaining for vegetables at even lower prices. This version of Allen appeared sinister and mischievous in her eyes.
Allen redirected his attention towards Carl, Kell, and one other person standing beside them; he was the individual who had told Allen that his friends Carl and Kell would help him when he first woke up in this world; his name was Virat Singh.
They were all waiting for Allen to join in the discussions, and they could see Allen in deep thought, so they didn't disturb him.
"Hey Allen, what are your thoughts? Should we leave?" Kell inquired, noticing Allen turning toward them.
Allen gazed at his three friends, grateful for their presence in this ruthless cultivation world. They had become his allies from the very beginning.
Allen declared, his voice filled with conviction. "I've got a plan; support me." With those words, he began walking toward the gathering of Heavenly Thunder Sect disciples, including the newly recruited ones.
The moment the three of them heard this, their eyes were twitching because whenever Allen would say something like this, something ominous would always happen.
Carl, Kell, and Virat met each other's gazes.
'This bastard is at it again.'
'Look how he is walking with his swollen ass.'
They all looked at the back of Allen, which was odd, very odd; even while he was wearing robes, one side of his robes was protruding out in a semi sphere shape. If this were a lady, this would have aroused some desires in them, but it was Allen, alas.
'What should we do?'
'Let's just follow him for now; if he did something crazy, then we would kill him ourselves to atone for the sins he would commit.'
Their silent conversation continued through their glances. Not a single word was spoken as they trailed behind Allen.
As Allen reached the area where disciples were being accepted, he could sense the intense pressure emanating from the Heavenly Thunder Sect disciples and their elders.
He spotted the person he was searching for, and, taking a deep breath and preparing himself, he shouted.
"Senior brother Yonas, can I shake your hands?"
Carl, Kell, and Virat swiftly turned on their heels, whistling casually, and began walking away as soon as they heard Allen's first word.
'Who is Allen?'