"Please, no need to fawn. There's plenty of me to go around," Zack flashed a roguish wink, the motion parting his robes further to reveal impressively sculpted abs that caused Amelia to make a strangled noise low in her throat.

Hughie shook his head; he was just relieved not to be the sole focus of Slifer's attentions anymore.

Watching this exchange, Caelum barely restrained an eye roll. So, they had a cocky junior brother now. Wonderful. As if keeping Hughie and Amelia in check wasn't work enough.

Ignoring their odd reactions, Slifer clapped Zack on the back.

"I must admit, I too was blown away at first by this young man’s talents,” Slifer nodded.

He had decided to go down the ‘Zack is a prodigy among prodigies’ route, it would explain why Zack used similar technique to himself. Not to mention, giving yourself a few compliments here and there couldn’t hurt, right?

“Master, I heard you have a slot for the Sealed Realm…I…we were wondering…which one of us will be getting it?” Nomed piped up.

Slifer remained silent as he looked at his disciples, who looked at him expectantly.

“The slot will go to….none of you!”

“…”

The disciples glanced at each other in confusion, if they were not getting the slot, then who was?

Hughie noticed that the new disciple, Zack, nodded smugly. Just what did master’s new favourite know?

Nomed held back a frown, he had to enter the Sealed Realm, but as an Early Foundation Establishment cultivator, he was at a clear disadvantage.

Despite there being five slots and a separate tournament for Foundation Establishment cultivators, most participants would be at the Late or Peak Stage, and that’s just their apparent cultivation, their battle prowess likely reached the Core Formation Realm.

And now, he also had to compete against a new prodigy.

At his master’s words, Fenlock shrugged. As a Nascent Soul expert, the tournament didn’t concern him, only those below the Nascent Soul Realm were able to enter the Sealed Realm.

Whilst his juniors were busy training, Fenlock took Junior Sister Lenvari on date after date, he really felt like he was making progress. Who knows, if the Heavens smiled down on him, he might even be a married man by the end of the year!

“Don’t worry about the free slot, I want each of you to focus on earning a slot for yourself,” Slifer continued.

He knew better than to give any of his disciples a free slot. Some of them, like Hughie or Amelia, would be tempted to grow lax and not prepare, this was something Slifer knew pretty well, after all, he was guilty of it during his school exams.

The disciples slowly nodded, their master may have changed but it seemed like he was still the stingy old Slifer they knew and loved.

“Cheer up,” Slifer laughed at their dismay. “Your master isn’t going to leave you empty-handed.”

As the Black Rose Sect oversaw the tournament, Slifer was privy to what trials would be involved. More accurately, Elder Fred consulted Slifer before preparing each trial.

Slifer would be a fool not to take advantage of that knowledge, and perhaps the trials happened to favour his disciples, it was not like anyone would dare question an Ascendant cultivator over such matters.

It was expected.

It wasn’t without reason why the Heavenly Light Sect were adamant with wanting to host the tournament. During their time as the host, they had used every trick in the book to increase their disciples’ chances of entering the Sealed Realm, they weren’t the most powerful sect in the land for nothing.

Cracking his knuckles, Slifer grinned savagely. "So, here is what we're going to do..."

----------------------------------------

Two days later…

The Black Rose Sect was bustling with activity. Disciples scurried to and fro, busy making last-minute preparations. Pennants and banners in the demonic sect's signature dark rose colour decorated the normally stark walls and archways.

For the first time in its long history, the Black Rose Sect would be hosting the prestigious tournament. It was a great honour, but also a grave responsibility. Slifer had given Elder Fred free access to the sect’s resources to ensure they displayed their best to their guests.

The Intersect Tournament was designed to allocate slots for the Sealed Realm; however, it was also an opportunity for sects to feel each other out. Presenting a strong front was necessary if they wanted to avoid war.

Despite Slifer never having experienced war back on Earth, he had read about it. The pains and tribulations of war were not something he wanted to partake in, especially in a world where beings could destroy stars with a flick of the wrist.

Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of credits that he would need to spend to survive one, wars in this world could easily last centuries. It was the last thing Slifer wanted.

Three young female disciples struggled under the weight of a huge ornamental urn, bickering and snapping at one another as they lugged the cumbersome pottery toward the sect's front gate. It was said to be a Heaven Rank treasure, containing the remnant spirit of a demonic general.

In the main square, two disciples were busy hanging up banners when one turned to the other. "Can you believe they're actually letting us host the tournament this year?" he said with a grin.

His friend laughed. "I know, right? The righteous sects must have lost their minds!"

They chuckled together as they worked. Nearby, a group of female disciples swept the ground diligently. One girl paused and leaned on her broom.

"Hosting the tournament is a big responsibility," she said seriously. "We have to make sure we represent the Black Rose Sect properly."

The other girls nodded in agreement. As a demonic sect, they rarely got opportunities like this. They couldn't mess it up.

As the disciples worked, a commotion at the sect entrance drew their attention. A group of cultivators had arrived, all dressed in white robes embroidered with the image of a tiger.

"Ugh, look who it is," one of the Black Rose disciples muttered. "The goody-goody Tigers."

At the head of the White Tiger group was a beautiful young woman with long blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. She wore an arrogant expression as her gaze swept disdainfully over the Black Rose disciples.

"This place is even uglier than I remember," she said loudly. "I can't believe the Sect Master approved these demons hosting the tournament."

Her White Tiger disciples tittered obnoxiously. One of the Black Rose disciples scowled, dropping the lantern he was hanging.

"You’re not wrong Elder, I can practically smell the stench of demonic energy here," one of the white-robed men complained, wrinkling his nose.

Angry mutters broke out amongst the Black Rose disciples. How dare these self-righteous fools insult them in their own sect!

One stocky Black Rose disciple stepped forward, an angry flush on his cheeks. "You come to our home and dare insult us? If you think you'll only get a beating for those words, you're wrong. I'll take your life!"

He unleashed his Late Core Formation cultivation base, prepared to attack. The White Tiger disciple paled initially but quickly matched the aura with his own, refusing to back down in front of the elder.

The blonde woman watched with an amused smile, always eager to see demonic cultivators put in their place. Things were just getting interesting.

But before it could escalate further, a sudden gust of wind blew through the square. A figure appeared between the two groups.

"Still starting trouble wherever you go I see...Liora," the man sighed, shaking his head.

Liora's eyes widened briefly in recognition before narrowing. "It’s you! Don’t think I’ve forgotten what happened!"

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The young man wore the black robes of the Black Rose Sect, he regarded Liora calmly.

"If I remember correctly, you were the one who challenged me last time. And you couldn’t defeat me."

A faint blush coloured Liora's cheeks at the memory. It had been utterly humiliating that she wasn’t able to defeat the youth in one move. She had only recently reached the Nascent Soul realm, while Caelum was still in the Peak Core Formation stage. Yet he was still able to fight evenly against her somehow.

"That was just luck," she snapped. "If the Grand Elder hadn't stopped the fight-"

"Excuses," Caelum interrupted. He cast a meaningful look at the other White Tiger disciples, who were still glaring daggers at the Black Rose sect members. "How can I expect you to keep your disciples in check when you can’t even control yourself.”

Liora trembled with rage, not used to being spoken to in such a manner. How dare this demonic scum lecture her on etiquette!

With great difficulty, she reined in her anger. As much as she itched to put Caelum in his place, she could not afford to lose control. As an Elder, she needed to set a good example.

"Hmph. You're lucky that I don’t qualify to enter the tournament," was all she said. The look in her eyes promised that this wasn't over between them. Not by a long shot.

Caelum simply inclined his head politely in response. Though inwardly, he was surprised by Liora's restraint. Seemed like the proud girl had matured, even if just a little.

Before either could say more, a sudden spike of energy drew their attention. In the distance, the unmistakable sounds of battle could be heard. Caelum and Liora exchanged a glance, and with a burst of speed, they raced towards the source of the commotion. To their surprise, it led them right to the doors of the Disciplinary Hall.

A crowd had gathered, kept back by several black-robed disciples.

"Alright people, nothing to see here!" one disciplinary member called out. "Just a minor disciplinary issue, the Boss is taking care of it."

At the mention of this 'Boss', the other disciples nodded sagely.

"That's our Boss, always so diligent!" a short, pudgy disciple gushed. "Never have I seen someone so devoted to upholding sect rules!"

Caelum and Liora exchanged puzzled glances. Just who was this 'Boss' they spoke so highly of?

Noticing Caelum, the disciplinary disciples quickly moved aside to let him through. As one of Supreme Elder’s personal disciples, he warranted some respect around here.

Stepping past the doors, Caelum was greeted by the sight of a skinny young disciple mercilessly whaling on another student. The victim was a boy in golden robes - likely a disciple of the Heavenly Light Sect based on his attire.

"Please, stop!" the Heavenly Light disciple cried, covering his head. Blood dripped from his broken nose and split lip.

Nearby, more disciples in golden robes were pinned face down by the Disciplinary Hall members, unable to come to their comrade's aid. They struggled and shouted curses but could not break free.

"That's it boss! Teach that punk a lesson!" one of the Disciplinary Hall members yelled. The others shouted their own encouragement.

Liora watched in disgust. Despicable. This is exactly why demonic cultivators cannot be trusted. However, since it wasn’t any of her men, she decided not to get involved. She could sense auras that even made her tremble hidden within the hall.

Caelum remained silent, eyes narrowed as he took in the situation.

The Heavenly Light disciple being beaten sniffled loudly, snot mixing with the blood on his face. "It's not fair," he whined. "That Black Rose disciple was causing problems too. Why am I the only one being punished?"

The lanky youth paused his assault, smiling creepily down at the crumpled form beneath his foot. "Patience, friend. I will get to him."

With two final punishing strikes, the boss stepped back, examining his handiwork. The Heavenly Light disciple lay groaning at his feet, face swollen and purpling.

"You know the rules - no fighting during the tournament," the lanky youth said calmly, as if he hadn't just tenderized the boy's face mere moments ago. "But it seems you needed an extra lesson."

He looked to the side where a Black Rose disciple was restrained, his eyes widened in fear. The lanky youth beckoned him closer with a crooked finger.

"As do you,” the boss grabbed the Black Rose disciple and slammed him viciously into the wall.

"No, please, I don't want any trouble!" The Black Rose disciple tried getting back up, but the Disciplinary Hall members grasped his arms tightly.

Other disciples watched on with pale faces as the lanky man continued pummeling the poor disciple.

"Does he have to be so harsh on his own sect member?" one muttered fearfully.

"That's just how Boss Dentos is. Ruthless, even to us," another replied.

So, this was the notorious Dentos who had rapidly risen to number 1 on the Karmic Ledger. Caelum had heard the rumours of his methods but seeing the sheer sadistic glee on his face as he unleashed such violence reminded him of a certain junior sister.

When Dentos finally stepped back, both disciples lay moaning on the ground. He rubbed his hands together, as if dusting them off after a job well done.

"Hopefully that will prevent any further incidents," he said lightly. "If not, I'm always happy to provide another lesson. But next time, I might not be so nice."

“You’re lucky it was me who found you,” he leaned in close. "And believe me, you don't want Senior Sister Amelia to be the one to find you instead."

At the mention of Amelia, the other Disciplinary Hall members visiblely shivered. One leaned to whisper to his companion, "Not sure who is worse – Boss Dentos or Senior Sister Amelia. They're both completely deranged."

"Too true," the other agreed.

Dentos tossed the two disciples aside carelessly to land in a groaning heap.

One of the Heavenly Light disciples helped his friend up, throwing a venomous glare back at Dentos. "Just you wait. Once our Senior Brother hears of this, you'll regret it!"

The other conscious Heavenly Light disciples were quick to chime in.

"Yeah, Senior Brother will crush you for this!"

"He just joined our sect, but he is a never-before-seen genius!"

"Broke through to the Core Formation stage faster than anyone on record!"

"Defeated numerous Senior Brothers one after another in sparring matches!"

"Even Nascent Soul experts can’t hold a candle to him!"

Their words blurred together as all the disciples began yelling about the incredible talents of their Senior Brother. Surely someone so cool and gifted could put this demonic beast in his place.

But Dentos didn’t seem phased by their threats. He crossed his arms, staring down at the disciples.

"I don't care if he's the Son of Heaven himself," Dentos said flatly. "No one will cause any problems here while I'm in charge."

For a brief moment, his eyes took on a distant, almost haunted look. "I won’t allow it...I can’t," he muttered to himself as he thought of an old man in orange robes.

He shook his head sharply, regaining focus. He was given a job to do, and failure was not an option. He would enforce discipline with an iron fist.

“He…he’s here!”

The nearby disciples quietened down as approaching footsteps echoed down the hall. They parted to allow a tall, muscular young man with shoulder length black hair to pass. His golden robes had the insignia for the Heavenly Light Sect. He emanated an overwhelming aura of confidence.

It was the genius Senior Brother!

The youth glanced around coolly, taking in the scene. When his eyes found Dentos, he raised one eyebrow. "So, you're the demonic scum causing trouble?"

Dentos met his gaze calmly. "And who might you be?"

The corner of the man’s lip curved up mockingly.

"I'm Ziven."