Billions of light-years away, deep within the secluded stillness of his palace in the Void Galaxy, the Void Emperor watched the events unfold.
A massive holographic projection hovered before his throne, parsing the intercepted data streams and intelligence reports rippling out from the borders of the Andromeda Galaxy. He watched the panicked, desperate retreat of the three Major Sect armadas. He listened to the frantic communications of Malakor, Voss, and Tyberius as they ordered their fleets to burn their engines to the breaking point, fleeing the supposedly "forbidden ground" like frightened children escaping.
A low, resonant sound broke the silence of the vast chamber. The Void Emperor threw his head back and chuckled. The sound was rich with genuine, unadulterated amusement, causing the dense void essence around him to ripple in soft, violet waves.
He was thoroughly entertained. He had observed Adrian's entire performance, and the flawless, audacious bluff that had convinced three ancient Astral Stage elders that he was merely the vanguard of some unfathomable, hidden organization.
"This should give him some time now," the Void Emperor mused, resting his chin against his knuckles. "Time to build his foundation. Time to forge this 'Origin Sect' he spoke of so fiercely."
A sense of anticipation settled over the ancient sovereign. For billions of years, the universe had operated on a rigid, stagnant economic and political axis controlled entirely by the Great Sects. But now, he looked forward to seeing how the universe would react when the phantom "Origin Sect" truly began flooding the market, disrupting monopolies, and forcing the heavens to acknowledge a power built from scratch.
...
Back within the Andromeda Galaxy, the atmosphere surrounding the Crimson Spire was electric.
Adrian had already returned to the headquarters of the Crimson Vital Sect. His confrontation with the three Major Sect elders in the intergalactic void had not remained a complete secret.
Premium information platforms, such as the Astral Archive Pavilion, had silently recorded the entire event. Within hours, analytical posts began to flood the premium networks.
The narrative spread like wildfire: The Crimson Vital Sect was not an independent sect. They were backed by a deeply concealed, terrifyingly powerful "Hidden Organization."
Everyone in the Andromeda Galaxy, from the newly subjected subsidiary sects to the surviving independent cultivators, now knew the rumored situation. The terror and awe only expanded as the networks broadcasted theories of ancient monsters manipulating the galaxy from the shadows. To the people of Andromeda, this explained everything: Adrian's impossible power, Hestia's sudden ascension, and the effortless subjugation of the dominant sects.
Within a large, highly secured conference room in the Crimson Spire, a monumental gathering was taking place.
The room was filled not only with the Crimson Vital Sect elders and Sect Leader Hestia, but also with the core foundation of Adrian's life. Thomas and Elara sat proudly near the front. Sentinel, Aurelia, and a surprisingly quiet Aerin occupied the adjacent seats. The other Celestials, and including those like Selena, Kael, and Mira, were present alongside the rulers.
Even Varik, the administrator of the Origin Empire, stood at attention in a corner, his posture rigid with respect.
The tension among the Crimson Vital elders was palpable. They had all seen the network broadcasts. They had read the analyses detailing the "Hidden Organization."
For years, they had watched Adrian perform miracles, wielding an ultimate-tier divine concept, utilizing authority without a domain in his energy form, and possessing a depth of knowledge that dwarfed their own. To them, the broadcasts were merely confirming what they had quietly suspected all along. They believed Adrian was finally about to pull back the curtain and formally introduce them to the titans backing him.
Adrian stood at the head of the massive table, his eyes sweeping over the expectant faces. He could read the reverence and anticipation radiating from Torvain, Varcain, and Caelum.
"You have all seen the broadcasts circulating the networks," Adrian began, "Before we discuss our next steps, let me dispel a misconception. I am not the vanguard of some ancient, dormant power. There is no hidden organization shielding us from the dark."
The words landed like a physical blow.
A collective murmur of shock rippled through the Crimson Vital Sect elders. Torvain's eyes widened, and Caelum leaned back in his chair, completely bewildered. They had anchored their understanding of the universe on the belief that Adrian's power had a logical, albeit hidden, origin.
Adrian looked at them, fully understanding their confusion. His people from the Milky Way Galaxy exchanged knowing, amused smirks. They knew exactly who and what Adrian was. Hestia, seated gracefully beside him, also remained perfectly serene, having already seen the truth within his memories. But the elders were struggling to process the revelation.
Adrian continued, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "My ultimate-tier divine concept, my ability to manipulate authority without a domain, and every other anomaly you have witnessed, these are entirely my own. They were forged by my own hands, and they have nothing to do with any hidden masters or ancient lineages."
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The silence that followed was deafening. Varcain swallowed hard, his mind reeling. If Adrian had no backing, if he had truly achieved all of this through his own isolated genius, then his existence was more terrifying than a hidden organisation.
Before the elders could voice the dozens of questions flooding their minds, Adrian leaned forward, resting his hands firmly on the surface of the table.
"However," Adrian said, "while there is no such hidden organization protecting us right now, I plan to create it myself. The Crimson Vital Sect will continue to act as the peaceful, public face of our civilization. Meanwhile, I will establish the 'Origin Sect', which will operate entirely in the shadows as the phantoms pulling the strings, ensuring that no threat ever reaches our borders again."
He looked directly at the elders, explaining the deeper and more brutal reasoning he had previously shared with Hestia. "The Great Sects basically control everything in this universe. From the UNI-OS we use daily, to the fundamental economies, resource channels, political structures, intelligence markets, and legitimacy systems of every developed galaxy, their influence is everywhere. If we attempt to rise to the apex entirely in the public eye, we will be systematically targeted, analyzed, and destroyed before we can pose a true threat. Operating a hidden organization is the only viable option we have to secure our future and our freedom without inviting immediate annihilation."
Everyone in the room listened intently. While they universally understood his reasoning and the necessity of the plan, many harbored deep, practical doubts about how they were actually going to execute such an impossible scheme.
Building one sect was the grueling work of millions of years, requiring oceans of blood and mountains of resources. Building two sects, with one operating entirely off the grid and wielding enough economic and power influence to deter Major Sects, seemed insurmountable.
The first one to voice these pressing questions was Elder Varcain. As the individual responsible for handling the Crimson Vital Sect's logistics, he knew intimately how agonizingly difficult it was already to manage a single, rapidly expanding sect. The sheer volume of resources required to feed hundreds of thousands of disciples, manage the newly acquired subsidiary sects, and rebuild the shattered infrastructure of Andromeda weighed heavily on his shoulders.
"Elder Adrian," Varcain began, his brow furrowed with genuine stress as he stepped forward slightly from his seat. "I understand the necessity, but how can we possibly manage two sects at the same time?"
Varcain activated his UNI-OS, bringing up a massive holographic ledger of their current assets that rotated above the center of the table. "We have indeed secured the spoils of war from the dominant sects. Our treasury has never been this overwhelming. But this wealth will not be enough in the long run. To legitimize a second sect, especially one meant to rival Major Sects from the shadows, it would require a staggering, continuous influx of resources."
He swiped his hand through the projection, highlighting the glaring deficits in their long-term economic projections. "We would need a unique divine concept for it to form its own distinct identity, its own massive business monopolies to earn sustainable income, and completely separate resource channels so nothing traces back to the Crimson Vital Sect. How are we going to do it?"
Adrian met Varcain's worried gaze with a faint, reassuring smile. He did not dismiss the elder's concerns; he knew better than anyone that an empire could not be sustained on bluffs and willpower alone.
"I can understand your worries, Elder Varcain," Adrian replied, his tone steady. "Building an empire from the shadows is an immense burden. While I do not have an instant solution for every single problem you just mentioned, I do have something prepared to handle the business side."
From her place seated near Lysandra, Lara's ears twitched with sudden realization, and she spoke up. "Elder Adrian... are you planning to market the willforce recovery artifact?"
The room fell into an abrupt, stunned silence.
The Crimson Vital elders had been informed about the artifact being Adrian's prior to the UNI-Auction, and they knew it had been the catalyst that pushed the Andromeda Galaxy into a supremacy war. But in the chaos of the conflict, they had momentarily forgotten its true economic potential.
Varcain's eyes widened as he stared at Adrian. His logistical mind rapidly calculated the implications. A reusable artifact that accelerated willforce recovery was essentially a license to print UNI-Coins. If they could monopolize it, the revenue would be astronomical.
Adrian looked at Lara and nodded. "Yes. It will be the first of many businesses to come in line for the Origin Sect."
Elder Caelum suddenly leaned forward, his scholarly eagerness entirely overriding his earlier shock. "So, Elder Adrian, if you have no hidden organization supporting you, then you already have the knowledge of all the concepts needed to create it yourself, right? The willforce artifact must be your own, independent creation, isn't it? It is incredibly enticing to learn of the specific arcane concepts that actually allow willforce to be recovered. Would you be willing to share them?"
Adrian looked at the scholar and replied evenly, "Yes, it is my own creation. But I cannot teach you the arcane concepts for it."
Caelum blinked, momentarily taken aback. "Why? Is it a secret?"
"It is a bit more complicated to explain," Adrian replied, shaking his head slightly. "But in simple words... even I don't have full knowledge of the arcane concepts needed for it."
Caelum's face scrunched in confusion. He looked at Adrian as if the young sovereign had just spoken a paradox. "I don't really understand the situation, Elder. Without the proper, foundational knowledge of those arcane concepts, you wouldn't be able to form the essence seeds for them."
Caelum stood up, gesturing animatedly as his rigid understanding of the universe's laws clashed with Adrian's statement. "And without the essence seeds, even if you somehow knew the exact spell structure and the runes to be etched onto the artifact, the will of those arcane concepts would violently reject you! They wouldn't let you inscribe them, and the material would shatter. So how could this plan possibly work for a large-scale business if you cannot properly command the concepts?"
Adrian smiled. He knew perfectly well that, under the normal laws of the universe, inscribers could only inscribe concepts they had comprehended. It was an absolute limitation enforced by the Universe itself.
But Adrian did not play by the rules of the universe.
Slowly, Adrian summoned a small, unadorned glass vial from his spatial ring. He removed the stopper with a flick of his thumb, and a mesmerizing white-grey liquid floated out from it, defying gravity as it hovered just above his open palm. The liquid pulsed with a serene light, casting a pale glow across the faces of the Crimson Vital elders.
"This," Adrian said softly, his eyes reflecting the miraculous substance that had once rewritten the fate of the Milky Way, "is the solution to that problem."
