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Although the group of Hunters had been thrown off a bit after seeing Bing Xue flirt with the giantess from a parallel, prehistoric world to ally with the ancient humans and the ones from this present Earth, her words right afterward quickly shook everyone to the core.
"I will recreate Murim's Heavenly Court and bring order and justice to this world and all worlds in the Tower."
Her serious face and her solemn expression immediately showed that she was not joking when she said these words. To bring order to not only Earth but the rest of the worlds connected to the Tower was something immense and completely unrealistic.
But they knew, deep down, that such a thing was completely possible for her, Bing Xue, the one that had saved their world time and time again, and even managed to slay not one but two gods, freeing the First Floor from them.
Even though these gods had now returned as her Divine Summon Familiars, they were now under her control, and the people in here didn't really need to learn about it anyway.
"Hmm, they all look rather shocked; did I overdo it?" Bing Xue wondered to herself, sighing.
"What do you mean by Sect. Bing Xue?" Nicholas asked. "Like… Is it like your own guild?"
"If that's the case... We can't join," John sighed. "I'm sorry, but we all manage our own guilds."
"It does sound tempting, though!" Francisco said.
"It's not a guild," Bing Xue said. "A sect is a family; it could be a kingdom; and it could also be an organization all combined together. I will open it and recruit disciples, and my disciples shall not only enjoy the myriad of resources I have to provide to them but also countless cultivation techniques, martial arts, and even the opportunity to learn how to cultivate and comprehend the Daos. It doesn't matter if you belong to any guild; you can keep being the guild master without problems; you will simply become my disciple, nothing else, nothing more.
Her aura of rainbow light and her confident smile quickly struck everyone's hearts; they knew Bing Xue was telling the truth, and the opportunity to learn from her and become even stronger beyond the system was incredible.
They had already experienced a taste of her powers and of her gifts, which they now had within their bodies. However, even now, they were thinking about it too much, and this bothered Bing Xue.
"You're doubting too much; you're thinking too much as well," she sighed, waving her head. "The future of the planet is within my hands, and you seem to be doubting me and thinking that you have too many responsibilities to join my cause. To tell you the truth, I want to protect this world for everyone. I have no intention of protecting you as if you were children all this time. There will be a time when I won't be able to protect everything, and everyone will die, and I won't be able to do anything. To place your own positions in society higher than the future of your planet is nothing but foolish ignorance."
"T-That's…!" John tried to protest, but quickly lowered his head. "That's true…"
"We have a responsibility as guild masters, but at the same time, such things fall flat if the entire world ends." Aiyana sighed. "If humanity dies because of our own mediocrity because we prioritized earning money and keeping images, then... Well, it would be really pathetic."
"But even then..." Jackes said. "I don't think I could join; as a guild master and as a public figure, there are certain things I must keep; if I suddenly become her disciple, then such an image would be broken, and many people could suffer."
"Then I will be taking the power I gave to you." Bing Xue directed her gaze into his eyes. "Jackes, I've saved your life twice now, and you still believe your public image has a higher priority than becoming strong enough to protect the world? I thought you respected me at the very least. Was I foolish enough to trust my fellow humans for once?"
Bing Xue pointed her hands at Jackes, taking away all the powers he had given him, his Ki, and even the Martial Core—all gone; she absorbed them back!
To make things worse, his physique also went back to normal; the excruciating pain was horrendous as he was crippled in his cultivation by the almighty authority of a Venerable!
"Uuuaaaggh! N-No! W-Wait! I-I'm sorry…!"
Jackes fell to the floor, squirming in agony. Everyone glanced at him and then at Bing Xue, their eyes widening. Shock, fear, and... respect all together, swirling emotions that those here couldn't comprehend.
"The gifts I've given you don't belong to you yet; they shall only belong to my disciples, the dear people I shall raise and turn into mighty sentinels that'll protect this world," Bing Xue said. "If you reject my offer, then I shall take away the only opportunity you'll ever have to surpass the system and stop being a puppet of the gods... But if you are so desperate to keep on "images" or keep your pockets full, then go ahead. Simply reject my offer; I shall simply take away what belongs to me."
"…"
"…"
"…"
They were all left speechless!
Indeed, although some of them considered joining her, the others were already thinking that even now, it was simply not worth it.
They were foolish, too proud of their own accomplishments and of how far they'd gotten. They thought that they simply couldn't insult their own pride by becoming the pawns of someone else.
But Bing Xue made it clear that if you didn't join her, then you would only become forgotten; those that eventually join her will shine the brightest, overshadowing even the strongest guild masters.
The power she gifted to them, they thought was permanent, that it was a gift from her goodwill, and that they could insult her goodwill and simply reject her offer, as they've always done through their lives as celebrities.
But it was different this time!
Bing Xue wasn't someone they could play around with; she wasn't someone they could mess with. Ultimately, she wasn't someone they could take for granted. Just because of her goodwill, it didn't mean they could abuse it and tell her to save the world alone while they enjoyed all her spoils.
"Those that reject my offer, raise your hands," Bing Xue said calmly. "I shall proceed to cripple your cultivation forever, and you'll only be left with the pitiful, parasitic system that will slowly devour your souls."
She was simply speaking the truth, but it felt like a threat. Bing Xue was the only saving grace they had now! If they rejected her, they could already predict that their future would be dark, full of misery, and perhaps even a quick death.
Nobody raised their hands, not even Yanisse. Jackes, who had still yet to recover, crawled towards Bing Xue, asking for forgiveness.
"Please… Forgive me… I will join you, I will become your disciple…! Ugh… D-Don't… take away the only power that could help me overcome… my shortcomings…"
"…"
Bing Xue resisted the urge to kick the man's head off, sighing.
"Foolish child, I suppose you are indeed too young," her patience knew no bounds as she healed him and helped him stand up. "I shall not give you the power back… yet."
"W-What? But… please!" Jackes threw away all his pride; like everyone else, he knew that if he didn't join her, he would be overshadowed by the rest!
"You must receive a punishment for insulting my goodwill," Bing Xue said. "You will undergo severe training of both the soul and the body before I allow you to cultivate again. For now, start by running one hundred thousand kilometers starting today, every day until I tell you to stop."
"O-One hundred thousand kilometers…?!" Jackes dropped his jaw.
Even as a speedy S-Rank hunter, he simply couldn't fathom running such a tremendous distance every single day! To make it in time, he would need to absolutely break all his limits and get incredibly exhausted to the point of almost dying. Yet now, because he betrayed her trust, this was the only way for him.
The other hunters didn't say a word, afraid to provoke Bing Xue's righteous wrath. They knew her priority was raising strong people to protect the world, and her methods were rather merciless, if not manipulative, but that was the only way when people as prideful as Hunters existed.
"Yes, now, will you do it, or will you remain as you are?" Bing Xue wondered. "So?"
"I-I'll do it…" the often-silent black-haired man looked completely mind-broken by Bing Xue.
He had no other option than to obey her.
Jackes left right after that, without even being given any more instructions.
"Now, what do you think? I have yet to receive an answer. Yes or no?" Bing Xue wondered.
"I… I accept then," Nicholas nodded. "I wouldn't dare insult your generosity, Bing Xue… It'll be a bit complicated to the media that we suddenly become your disciples, but I think I can handle any backlash."
"Backlash? You're insulting her for saying such a thing! Bing Xue is admired throughout the entire world at this point; what backlash are you talking about?" Aiyana complained, crossing her arms. "I'm definitely joining too, Bing Xue! I would happily become your disciple so we can deepen our bonds and whatnot."
"I-I…" John was still struggling; he was even more proud than Jackes.
But he was also much smarter in some areas, especially on everything regarding social interactions; while Jackes was more of a "cool loner," John was more of a "people's celebrity." He had experienced what being popular was, what controlling others and the masses was all about, and even more, how to manipulate people to his benefit.
And now that he was in the opposite position, he couldn't help but feel very frustrated. Yet, there was simply nothing he could do; the world—no, the universe—was incredibly vast. If he didn't start bowing to Bing Xue right now, he would only regret it in the future.
"She's strong and amazing," he thought, smiling a bit. "I suppose it's fine; she saved many lives. Wasn't that the reason I became a hunter at the beginning?"
John considered his past and what had changed about him. Originally a poor child who grew up in the slums, he only wanted to get strong to save those people he couldn't, such as his family, who died miserably when everything began because there was nobody to save them.
"I ended up stranded off the correct path…" he said, looking at his own hands. "I've drowned in my lust for power and authority; becoming a celebrity was only a curse at the end... Of course, I'll join you, Bing Xue. I hope... you could teach me how to improve as a person, if even a little."
"Very well," Bing Xue nodded. "Francis?"
"I-I am a bit nervous, but sure!" Francisco nodded. "I wonder though, will you teach magic in the sect too?"
"I don't really know much magic; I am a complete novice," Bing Xue admitted. "But I could teach you my techniques, and in return, you could help me better grasp what this magic is all about."
"Sure!" Francis nodded.
Although Bing Xue knew about the Magic Skills she had and how to use them, they were fundamentally different from the True Magic that Francisco conjured, using Magic Circles, Magic Runes, and Magic Formulas of great complexity.
Bing Xue was interested in learning more as well; her disciples wouldn't simply receive her teachings, but she would also get to learn from them.
"Um…" Yanisse looked slightly worried. "I would gladly join, but I did tell you that there was a problem: because of the contract I have with this country, I am not allowed to join any guild or organization. I am pretty much something like... Well, like a secret agent of the country."
"I see… And who made this contract with you?" Bing Xue asked. "Was it the Prime Minister?"
"What? No, it wasn't him." Yanisse said. "It was the King, of course. The King of North America."
"The… King?" Bing Xue raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"
"I am surprised you don't know about the King," Nicholas said. "Well, he's a secretive man who doesn't like showing himself to the public, but since the tower appeared eleven years ago, he and his forces have been singlehandedly protecting our country until its stabilization just two years ago."
"His forces? You mean… Does this man come from somewhere else? How could you allow a man from another world to become your King?!" Bing Xue was losing her mind.
"Well…" John muttered. "It's not like we had an option, just like right now."
The King of North America.
A Title Bing Xue never thought would ever exist.
A man who not only saved this country and Canada but also unified both countries into a single "Kingdom".
"I'll need to have an audience with his majesty then." Bing Xue said it with a cynical tone of voice.
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