The lunar world where the Moonlight family lived was five times larger than the Three Extremes Sect. There were forests, rivers, areas with active volcanoes, regions covered by a sea of rays, and much more. Despite everyone in this family having a talent for using mental powers, they weren’t limited to just that and specialized in two or more areas.
According to Ruri, in other families there should be even more diverse places dedicated to teaching Yin and Yang, laws of space and time, and other specialties. For example, the Yangta had a cemetery where all the ancestors left their legacies and knowledge for the new generations.
All of this was achieved by the families through work on this planet and other tasks received from the sects and heroes of the divine world. Although the IQ of the divine world in this place is two-thirds of reality and still costs resources to be fully used, the gains of the families were worth it. After all, there was a wild competition for resources in the divine world.
’The mental techniques here are like child’s play compared to master’s mental cultivation; I have already completely mastered the best of them,’ Ruri said via the array, as they walked through the main city. ’Lady Kaiyka said that when the next family leader is chosen, the one with the greatest mastery of the Moonlight Eclipse Technique is selected. Not even the current leader dares to say that they have mastered it completely, so I have to hide this.’
She spoke proudly, then shared the news. ’It’s not normal for someone in the family to use spatial laws, so there isn’t much to help me with that. Besides a few sword techniques, nothing here is as good as being with the master. So recently, Lady Kaiyka helped me negotiate with the other families. Runula and Deryu are in the bestial forest, in the world of the Yangta; Coltia is already in the divine forest of Litharion. They are the ones who are really benefiting; I spend my time taking care of the master’s plans and seeking resources to increase my cultivation.’
Alm and Bruno nodded. Kaiyka must be suffering as the "master" of this young girl. Negotiating with rival families to strengthen one’s own shouldn’t be looked upon favorably by them. Therefore, the cost to achieve this must have been very high, and she bore it without saying anything.
There was almost nothing at her level to be taught to Ruri, but even so, Kaiyka found some way to help her by strengthening her pets. Kaiyka proved to be someone different in this family; even though she knew that Ruri’s terrifying talent was not normal, she didn’t ask anything or try to learn her secrets. She even hid it to protect her and only helped her as she could.
’Lady Kaiyka is a very lonely person, reminds me of how I was in the past. But she is someone with great ambitions. Her grandfather was the former leader of the family, but he was killed... accused of treason by the family itself,’ Ruri explained calmly. ’That was almost fifteen thousand years ago, but the consequences still affect her mother and her currently. Everyone always regarded her as someone connected to a traitor, and she had to prove herself to everyone and cultivate herself only with her talent. She became a high elder a thousand years ago, and her desire is to be the leader of the family.’
Alm and Bruno were a bit pensive. How did Ruri discover such deep things about Kaiyka in just one year?
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Ruri seemed to sense their doubt and smiled slightly before continuing. ’Like all young people, she is very lonely and has lived three thousand years completely focused on cultivation, never experiencing love. She heard about my stories and read a bit... and was immediately hooked. Soon I managed to get closer and handed her more and more, she loved that and I gradually took things away.’
The whale sighed. Ruri found a weak spot and exploited her inner desires... well, on Earth, entertainment focused on that is very common and extremely popular. It’s hard to say whether doing this is good or bad, and Ruri didn’t intend to drain people until burying them with it.
’Recently, after reading a bit about my stories, she asked me many things about the master’s city. I said it was a secret, but I judged that I could trust her and talk about old things. Soon I negotiated, asking deeper things about her,’ Ruri continued softly.
’Kaiyka’s grandfather knew he would be killed as a traitor and left a message saying goodbye to his daughter, who was her mother. This is no secret to anyone, but secretly, in this message, there were more things. When Kaiyka read it, she knew the real reason but obviously didn’t tell me. According to the information I gathered within the family, he had contact with someone forbidden by the heroes.’
The two reflected quickly. Then Bruno spoke to Ruri: ’If her grandfather was the leader of the family, he was an Empyrean, and his queen’s domain rune was fully active. So, if it was some runaway race like the Onis, that domain wouldn’t let him do anything wrong. The forbidden person must be a Heaven-Defier, and he could have the power to release him from the domain.’
’So it makes sense what I felt. Master... Lady Kaiyka clearly didn’t tell everything. But I saw fear and fierce ambition in her... her grandfather must have explained many things to her... probably things about the queen that he discovered. She wants to be the leader of the family, and maybe it’s to accomplish something her grandfather couldn’t,’ Ruri spoke slowly, and at that moment, the arena appeared in front of them.
After a few seconds, Ruri commented, ’Everyone in the family proudly claims that their blood is blessed and has the ability to naturally create an Empyrean. But in their history, only the founder of the family succeeded, so I became proof of that blessed blood. In the end, it’s not something so great, and they can create it, but the cost is enormous.’
Alm and Bruno smirked sarcastically. Naturally, awakened because they were the chosen blessed ones? Typical human nonsense. The only advantage of having their bloodline was having above-average talent inherited from the founder; therefore, there was a greater chance for an outstanding individual to catch the queen’s attention.
Ruri finished with a worried voice. ’Kaiyka is a very recent high elder, and she’s not an Empyrean. The family never wanted to spend resources on her to make her one, even after she became a central member. So, she never went to a divine sect and was greatly disadvantaged. Her loyalty to the family is non-existent, but she told me that she gathered resources and dug up the necessary influence on her own, and in the next few months, the family will make her one.’
’If she becomes an Empyrean, her mind will be completely dominated. There’s a lot of missing information, and it’s very dangerous to act in the dark; but she seems to be someone important for the plans indeed. We’ll test her, I can handle it later,’ Alm responded lightly.
Ruri nodded satisfactorily. Alm and Bruno trusted her completely. If Ruri judged that Kaiyka was trustworthy, they would give her a chance. They could now awaken the internal rune of anyone, and she would be considered by all an Empyrean. If Kaiyka is someone reliable, they could simply give her that and the family would just accept that she naturally awakened it.
In minutes, the three passed through the entrance of the monumentally proportioned arena. It was made of yellowish ores with high-level earth laws. Probably each fragment of this ore was more valuable than thousands of crystals from the ascending planet.
With a high elder guiding them, they moved to an individual special area in the arena, with a privileged view from above. All possible places in the stands were packed. Obviously, all four families came, and there were only high-ranking individuals like elders, central disciples, or those most talented and valued. There was no place for those young people from the city before.
The whale immediately felt Corin’s presence through the array, locating him amidst the high elves in the arena. Usually Alm and Bruno barely had a chance to speak with him, as Ruri didn’t leave them alone when she visited the city. However, they were updated about him through the exchange of information between the four.
’Master, it’s finally decided. After the competition, I will become a central member,’ Corin exclaimed excitedly through the array. ’There are few spots, and Azja had to be demoted for me to enter. It was just lucky that Ruri was the first; whenever you want, I can make the move and everything is practically ready.’
’Lucky was yours. Half of these High Elves just try to live peacefully, it’s the greedy ones in power who are a problem. You practically don’t have to work, just cultivate lazily,’ Ruri replied dryly through the array.
Corin chuckled lightly. ’Victory is victory. I’m the first disciple and the one who completed the work the fastest and most efficiently.’
The whale simply listened calmly. Indeed, on the Litharion side, everything was easy and quickly arranged. Corin even managed to gather evidence of the high council’s actions, like the evil that was thrown upon the side branches and various other nefarious activities. He had already gathered half of the family and was just waiting for the right moment for all four of them to act together. If it’s not coordinated, it will raise a red flag in the other families.
Loeus and Vuard always updated the whale because they frequently returned to the city. Observing the arena, the Yangta stood out greatly because of their Yang aura. Loeus was easily recognizable just with the eyes, being a human among the beasts; beside him were five green figures. His children didn’t disappoint and were already accepted into the family, after all, they also had the blood of the Yangta.
Among the Yangta, everything flowed rapidly, and Loeus could be considered the second most efficient. He wasn’t alone; the divine beasts thought in a simple way, and with his children working together and Langrum in the city coordinating the plans, the results were already visible. There was a clear division among the Yangta in the arena. Even though he wasn’t a central member of the family yet, many of them surrounded Loeus and his children as if they were an internal faction.
Vuard occupied the third place in efficiency of plans within the family, everything was flowing strategically for him. He had the potential to become the richest dwarf in the entire Grimstone family, but preferred to use his creations to gain influence and a smaller share of resources.
Thus, he was carefully separating the high dwarves who were not loyal to the family. Dwarves were naturally loyal, even if irrationally; therefore, there were very few he could bring to his side, and that’s why he only occupied the third place. With his resources, Vuard directly took care of these allies, moving the pieces cautiously.
The three managed to progress with their initial plans within the families. Ruri faced more problems than the others, and her plans seemed to have little effect. She stood out in every way; therefore, those innocent and kind-hearted ones who were not loyal to the family avoided her at all costs, in a natural self-defense motivated by the traumatic experiences they had lived through.
Upon receiving authorization from the whale, Ruri had that bold and almost desperate idea. She swallowed her shame and did what she did, recognizing the importance of fulfilling the plan, a maturity that Alm and Bruno appreciated. In the end, it worked out much better than expected.
It didn’t take more than a few minutes for the whole arena to feel four powerful auras emerge and press upon the environment. Immediately, everything fell silent, and from the sky descended slowly four figures. They were the four leaders of the families.
Alm and Bruno coldly assessed them. All four were at the ninth level of the Divine Origin Realm, the eighth realm of cultivation and the second level of the divine realms.
This realm was undoubtedly the most dangerous for a cultivator in all realms. It was a deadly game that the cultivator had to play with the celestial laws. Each new level required the cultivator to absorb celestial runes into their body, which could result in tribulation, punishment, or even celestial annihilation. The greedier or more powerful the cultivator was, the more dangerous it became.
These four probably would never risk trying to advance realms for fear of death. They must have absorbed a frightening amount of celestial runes and were already content with the power they had.
Quickly, a thin and slightly tall human, with the typical appearance of the Montide people, approached and waved to the four. He was the elder responsible for everything, he soon spoke to everyone loudly:
"The competition between the four families will begin now!"
All the young ones in the arena took a deep breath, and an anxiety spread through all of them.
"The rules are the same as always. They are individual battles, and only the young generation with mortal cultivation will participate. The central members have a cultivation limit at the seventh level of the Body Destruction Realm and can only fight against those at the same level or with two levels above."
"First, there will be an internal competition within the four families, where the top ten will be selected. Then, the forty cultivators from the four families will fight each other until the top ten remain. These ten will be the elite, and each will receive a saint-level immortal weapon."
"It’s a fair competition for everyone. Common members are at the ninth level of the Body Destruction Realm, able to fight against the centrals without great disadvantage. In all competitions, non-central disciples stand out and earn their rightful value from their families; therefore, fight with all you’ve got and show that you deserve more than you receive!"
Quickly, the whole arena seemed to roar with excitement. In the four families, there’s a limit on the number of central members. And only a few of them will be turned into Empyreans and then go to divine sects when they reach the divine realms. Ruri became one easily because she killed a central disciple, earning her spot.
’Lady Kaiyka was already the top in the past. She was just a common member and beat all the centrals, earning her spot among them with her own power,’ Ruri said through the array, excitedly.
As the excitement noise subsided, the voice of the elder sounded again. "After this competition, the traditional all-out battles between the families will occur. Anyone who wants to challenge someone can fight and bet something, no matter what."
At this moment, there were no shouts, but piercing glances from various places in the arena crossed paths. The competition among all the young ones from the families was fierce, and many grievances would be settled today... but these exchanges of glances weren’t just among the youth.
Immediately, the three felt dozens of stares exactly in the whale’s direction. They were all elders and high elders, they stared at him with a mix of greed and anger. Soon, the two smirked inwardly and Bruno let slip.
"It’s tough being popular."