The hallways of the Ancient Titans’s branch sect were filled with footsteps, but their sounds were muffled by the soft, heavy curtains and cloth that were hung throughout the hallway. The elders rushed. They were desensitized to the beauty of the knitted thick curtains made from high quality materials sourced from throughout the region. The vibrant red and golden colors of the curtains were so familiar to them that they no longer noticed how they glimmered in the moonlight.

  Such beauty is meant for lesser people to admire.

  The Branch Leader summoned them, and nothing would stop them.

  The elders hurried into the hall, all of them alchemists of the Ancient Titan’s branch sect. Most of them were in the fifth realm, though a few of them were in the sixth realm. They’ve been watching their guest, Lord Tundra Fox, at work for the past one and a half months, and now it was time to report their findings to the Branch Leader.

  Nord Truehaven’s golden skin had a faint glow from the moonlight, and his eyes looked at the elders walking in like a hawk. He was already waiting. Some elders gulped.

  It was not a good sign when he was already expecting their presence. “So, it’s been a month and a half. Report your findings.”

  The elders privately had a meeting to discuss before this, as one of them was nominated and stepped up. The 6th realm alchemist stood in front of the rest of the alchemists. “Our guest is far more skilled than he claims to be.”

  “I suspected as much.” Nord Truehaven said. “Elaborate further.”

  “The handling of materials was done with far more experience than someone of his age, and the wide materials we shared that should’ve stumped even a 7th realm alchemist was properly processed. I believe he isn’t revealing the full breadth of his alchemical knowledge, or at least, has the benefit of some kind of unique treasure that augmented his alchemy abilities.”

  The branch leader closed his eyes, clearly thinking. “And what of the quality of the pills?”

  “Excellent. Very few flaws, and a few of us suspect he is even intentionally making mistakes.”

  “Did you manage to observe any hints on why they are looking for bloodline transfusion techniques?”

  The alchemist shook his head.

  The Branch Leader allowed the question to linger. The group of elders looked at each other, uncertain. Eventually, the silence got to them.

  Another alchemist then jumped in. “It seems, at least from what we can collect from the two companions, it appears to be genuinely for his children.”

  Nord Truehaven paused and looked at the rest. “I am a little unsettled at how honest and direct he is with his goals, it appears contrary to his past methods.”

  There was a long silence, as Nord Truehaven sat back on his throne. He was thinking.

  The alchemists didn’t know what else to say. They could go at length to describe the alchemical abilities they saw, but that would not solve what the Branch Leader’s issue was.

  They waited. Half an hour, as the branch leader sat and digested the message. He glanced up, and sent them away in a word. “Dismissed.”

  ***

  Nord Truehaven, though, already had other guests.

  Patriarch Shurrish of the Southern Huan walked into the hall, and wore a serious expression, a face that would be alien to those who have only seen the loud, normally boisterous patriarch. The Patriarch’s public persona was a charade, after all.

  “Branch leader Truehaven.” He said.

  “He’s a tough one.” Nord Truehaven said, as he rubbed his head. “He clearly has a purpose, and I want to accept his statement, but my role requires me to be suspicious and not accept his statements as it is. Tell me, Shurrish, what do you see in the man?”

  “From what I can tell, he did not lie. Of the bloodline techniques we have, well, we don’t have to share all of them.” Patriarch Shurrish smiled. “Just enough to earn his trust, and we can dangle the rest later. He is far too skilled to be allowed to drift outside of our orbit, and potentially, he is entangled in greater fates.”

  “Greater fates? You verified this with divination?” Nord Truehaven’s eyes widened, his posture immediately straightened and he looked at the patriarch intently. The Patriarch then approached the throne.

  “Yes. Though it seems that there’s an interesting set of dual readings for him, it alternates between the two sets of outcomes.” Patriarch Shurrish said, as he took out the thin, bloodstained piece of paper from a fine leather bag by his side. The branch leader received the paper as if it was the most fragile thing in the world, and held it up gently with his fingers.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  There were many forms of divination, though the Southern Huan is home to the few masters of the True Future Mystic Shell Divination Arts.

  Nord Truehaven’s eyes skimmed through the contents of the paper, and he looked at the Patriarch. Then, he read, and reread the paper again, this time with utmost focus, often pausing to digest the revelations, and Patriarch Shurrish waited by his side as if he had expected this reaction.

  “Does he have oracle-like abilities?”

  “I do not know. The divinations are often murky and subject to interpretation, but there clearly are two sets of readings, and whatever that means is he may be living a double life, or perhaps, a spliced soul, or an ancient resident spirit. But at the very least, I suspect he knows far more, and has seen more than he lets on. But, I do not think he is a threat. If anything, the divinations were fairly favorable.”

  “If he has oracle-like abilities, he could tamper with the divination readings.” The branch leader said.

  “I doubt he did. The reactions from the divination shells were immediate, even in the Room of Pure Silence, and the control markings were consistent.” Patriarch Shurrish said. Divination was a secret skill of the Southern Huan family, practiced only by a select few of the Southern Huan’s patriarchs and heirs. “No one reaches the seventh realm at that kind of speed, without some kind of insight and unique opportunities.”

  “Thus, the question is, do we want to be his friend, or his foe.” Nord Truehaven said, but he already knew the answer. There was no reason for them to be foes so far, and his conduct has been honest. “I will bring the matter to the Titan’s Council.”

  ***

  Titan’s Heaven was not the commonly known home of the Ancient Titan’s main sect. Instead, it is but one of the few remote fortresses of the Ancient Titan, located high up in the mountain ranges of the Greater Frozen Sands region. A rugged and often dangerous place, filled with ferocious spirit beasts, there was hardly anyone who claimed the place as their home.

  Most mortals and cultivators lived along the coastal plains of this faraway region.

  It is also one of the three places where the Titan’s Council met. The Titan’s Council rotated locations, the final meeting spot often only updated at the very last second.

  Branch Leader Nord Truehaven’s golden bracelet flickered, and he stepped through the ancient teleportation formation that linked the Ancient Titan’s various holdings, and into the halls.

  Titan’s Heaven was also one of the secret hideouts of the Ancient Titans, and was thus protected by ancient guardians, many of whom were former sect masters who have transformed their own souls into spiritual guardians. The act of doing so would cause them to lose some strength, but even still, there were a few 10th realm spiritual guardians throughout the Ancient Titan’s many secret bases.

  A place of great honor, history, and it reflected their ancient heritage.

  The Ancient Titans were old. Not as old as the royal family, but old enough that most cannot tell the difference.

  The actual meeting room was deep within the fortress, buried under the mountains of ice and snow, and formations. Nord Truehaven was not the first one here. The Ancient Titans had about eight major branches, and all eight of them came here for their own meetings with the council.

  It was a relatively small room, but steeped in history. There were old carvings and writings of old masters on the days before they died. This small room was once the founder’s hideout, during a great crisis many many eons ago.

  Seven of the Titans present, and one of them was even his own ancestor, Garn Truehaven, a ninth realm old monster. But now was not the time to greet family.

  “This humble one greets the Titan’s Council.”

  “Branch Leader Truehaven, a pleasure to see you again.” The Sect Master at the moment, Zore Yarblood, smiled. Zore Yarblood, well known as the Titan’s Heavenly Fists, was a well built man with a heavily wrinkled face.

  A powerful man well in the 10th realm, but there were still ancient scars throughout his muscular bodies. Only enemies in the 10th realm that could leave attacks on the Great Sect Master that still wouldn’t heal until today.

  “What is it that you bring to the Titan’s Council for deliberation?”

  “A cultivator named Tundra Fox petitions for access to our bloodline transfusion techniques.”

  One of the Council members just shrugged it off. “Give them the weaker one and be done with it. Do such trivial things need our Council’s attention?”

  Nord Truehaven shook his head, and withdrew the piece of paper from Patriarch Shurrish. “We believe he is of value, the divinations of Patriarch Shurrish sees a dual readings-”

  The paper was pulled away from his hands by some force, and appeared in front of the Ancestor of the Southern Huan, Jaifar Huan. He stared at it intently, and then back at Nord Truehaven. “Little Shurrish’s divination techniques improved. I am pleased.”

  Another ancestor scoffed. “Divinations are not set in stone. Just predictions based on the flows of energy.”

  Zore Yarblood coughed. “Back to the matter. So, Nord Truehaven, is it correct that you wish to transfer the real techniques?”

  “Yes. Not our best technique, but I believe he is a worthwhile ally. We should grant him access to the Seventy-Two Iterations of Bloodline Components.”

  “Ancestor Huan.” The Sect Master asked. “Your thoughts?”

  “I support Nord Truehaven’s proposal.”

  “Let’s not make it easy for the man.” Another ancestor said. “We are the Ancient Titans, we cannot allow nobodies to march in and trade stuff with us. Make him work for us.”

  “I have heard from my descendants that he made some excellent pills, so let us not make it too easy for him. I ask that he pay a fee of ten eighth realm pills in the future, and ten seventh realm pills now.” Another ancestor proposed, having clearly researched the matter beforehand.

  A few of the other elders agreed. The Branch leader frowned. Internally, he thought such techniques are worth no more than five eighth realm pills, and it was something Tundra Fox likely would not be able to do now. It was extortion, but since they were still willing to release the true techniques, Nord Truehaven decided not to press the matter.

  The Sect Master of the Ancient Titans allowed the group to discuss it a bit more, and in the end, asked for a vote. In the end, four supported, one abstained, and one opposed.

  Tundra Fox would get his bloodline techniques, but it will cost him.

  ***

  https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/76359/the-sect-leader-system