Eugene emerged out of his self-induced Hibiscan coma, opening his eyes. A medically-trained cultivator walked in, checking to see if Eugene had awoken. He opened a portal and went through.
Soon afterwards, the three leaders of the Dawn and Dusk Sect walked through. Czeslaw, draped in the ceremonial robes of the Dusk subsect, was awash in the light of the Blue Dragon. He was smirking. Eugene realized that he had ascended to the peak tier of Kambili rank, making him one of five alive in the world to have reached such status.
The other two members of the sect’s triumvirate of leaders were much less amused. Czeslaw had proven his superiority in Hibiscan knowledge, officially chosen by the Four Gods to be the wisest cultivator.
The Three Celestial Dragons were not among the Four Heavenly Beasts. Instead, they were a blend of organic and mechanical elements, crafted by the Four Gods as gifts to those cultivators that were above all others.
The Dawn and Dusk Sect was built on the understanding that, while each of the three leaders of its triumvirate were balanced in authority, one would be first among equals. Typically, that position went to the Dawn leader, who would be the face of the entire sect. But that position now passed to Czeslaw due to his gaining of the Blue Dragon.
The Moon leader was largely unperturbed by this development. It was his job to remain in the shadows. But the Dawn leader was coping with this new reality. While he rationally knew that it was a huge benefit for the sect and for the Jade Alliance as a whole, it didn’t stop him being frustrated. All this Eugene saw from their expression and subtle body language.
The Five-Headed Tortoise Sect’s leader had had all three dragons for a decade now, but now was stuck with only one. It was a momentous occasion, and a moment of joy for every cultivator belonging to a sect of the Fourth Jade Alliance.
“So, Grzegorz,” said Czesław, “might you tell us why you went against our orders and told Kash about the plate?”
“Yes, we know about that. Because,” he continued, “Kash has been sparring constantly for the past week, testing his new strength, and his fighting style is clearly tinged with knowledge of the plate.”
Eugene sat up in his bed. He called upon the Papa Pole, summoning it from the timeless realm. Normally, Eugene would have to go into the timeless realm himself, hold it, and then leave. Such was the power of the Papa Pole that it would instantly appear in his hands when called for.
Eugene felt its sizzling lightning energy from the last time Kash charged it. Once Eugene expended it, he would have to charge it with his own Hibiscan energy, which wouldn’t be as effective as Kash’s top-tier electricity transmutation. Thus, Eugene was saving it for when he really needed it.
“I understand,” said Czeslaw.
“Yeah, we made a deal. If Kash lost, he would give me his Papa Pole. If I lost, I had to tell him the secret that let me advance to the Purple Realm.”
“And now someone else knows about the plate,” interjected the Dawn leader.
“Were we not going to tell our trusted ally Kash about it anyways?” Eugene mockingly asked.
“It would be self-defeating not to,” he continued, “at least this way I got the Pole out of it. Really, you should be thanking me.”
“It was still a risk that he would get the secret and you would get nothing,” the Dawn leader replied.
“Did you not listen to what I just said? I thought we were already going to tell him. Once one of us got the Blue Dragon, Kash and the other high-ranking Jade Alliance leaders would demand that we tell them. This was the best strategic move.”
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Eugene ended his rant to find Czeslaw and the Dawn Leader glaring at him. The Moon leader still had a dispassionate expression.
“That isn’t how Sect Leaders are spoken to,” Czeslaw stated.
“Apologize, and kowtow.”
Eugene hesitated for a moment, before getting out of bed and kowtowing on the floor. “My apologies, Dawn leader.”
The Dawn leader whispered inaudibly to Czeslaw, who nodded before glancing at the Moon Leader, who slightly inclined his head.
Eugene stood up.
“We’ve decided your punishment, both for recklessly engaging in the fight with Kash and for insulting a Sect leader.”
Eugene grew slightly nervous, a rare emotion for him.
“You’ll be assigned on a diplomatic mission to the LitRPG Sect. You’ll try to bring them into the fold of the Fourth Jade Alliance.”
Eugene’s inner mental state returned to a placid sea. This was nothing more than an inconvenience, a task set upon him to curb his hubris. The LitRPG Sect had long refused invitations to join the Fourth Jade Alliance, but they had also avoided being conquered by the Five-Headed Tortoise Sect. They were relatively powerful, having six Kambili-rank Sect Elders, and were one of the three independent sects, the only sects that were part of neither the Fourth Jade Alliance, nor the Five-Headed Tortoise Sect, nor the Demon Pact.
They were a bizarre, incomprehensible sect, centered around the creation of board and video games that allowed them to further attune to the Holy Book. In addition to that, its members deluded themselves into thinking that reality was like a video game, or more precisely, like a novel in the litRPG genre. They constantly referred to their “XP”, “stats”, “level”, “class”, and “skills”, despite such things not actually existing in real life.
“You’ll depart in a week,” said Czeslaw, “and we’ll allow you to select your own retinue, subject to our approval. One there, you’ll negotiate for a fortnight and then return.”
“I understand,” said Eugene.
It was a completely futile task, one meant to humble him rather than to actually accomplish anything for the sect. The Fourth Jade Alliance sent an entourage to the LitRPG Sect every year, each of the nine sects in the alliance rotating off for the duty. It was the Dawn and Dusk Sect’s turn this year. The LitRPG Sect always joyously welcomed the diplomats and invited them to participate in their game tournaments, but every year rejected the offer to join the Fourth Jade Alliance.
The alliance knew that the LitRPG Sect wouldn’t be convinced to join, and instead kept up the annual tradition to maintain friendly relations with the sect. What made the situation so absurd was how tightly intertwined the Fourth Jade Alliance was with the LitRPG Sect, despite the latter’s insistence on never joining. They both frequently cooperated with each other in rooting out demon cultivators, and had a treaty to share certain Hibiscan discoveries.
Czeslaw turned to the other leaders.
“I’d like to speak to my son in private.”
They nodded and left, the Dawn leader closing the door behind them.
“Congratulations on de facto winning the fight. Mastering multiple Dimension Expulsions is highly impressive.”
“Thanks,” said Eugene.
“You understand why I had to do that. And your punishment isn’t much of one at all. It’s primarily a way for you to gain experience while doing something relatively low-stakes.”
“I’ll still put in my best effort,” said Eugene.
“Of course,” replied Czeslaw, “and we will send one of our veteran diplomats with you. That is the one requirement for your mission. Otherwise, I’m giving you a lot of leeway.”
“I appreciate it. I’ll use it well.”
“I’m proud of you, Grzegorz. It’s good to see that you’ve nearly fully healed.”
Czeslaw ripped open a purple portal and left.
Eugene smiled inwardly, though his facial expression betrayed nothing. He had been successful in every one of his goals. He had slipped into a position of substantial power and influence in the Dawn and Dusk Sect and now possessed one of the most powerful Hibiscan artifacts of all time.
The task he had just been weighed down with may actually be a blessing in disguise. He would get to inspect up close one of the most unusual sects of the modern era while also forging ties with both said sect and the members of his diplomatic retinue. Eugene decided that he would stick with the Dawn and Dusk Sect for the foreseeable future. It was a stable base of power and would serve him well in the future.
All Eugene wanted for the time being was to grow his influence and ascend the ranks of cultivation. He was situated very well for such a thing.
He opened a purple vortex and left his hospital bed for the central hub of the Dawn and Dusk Sect. He needed to assemble his list of people that would accompany him.