Yao Shen’s divine sense scanned the Sacred Flame Palace from the periphery of his range, taking in the myriad sights and sounds of the unfamiliar sect. For he knew that after today, for better or worse, the Sacred Flame Palace would no longer be the same.

The overarching theme of the Sect’s architectural layout could be summed up in one word: bold. Unlike the Heavenly Sky Sect, there was no translucent bubble that enveloped the perimeter of the Sect, giving the false impression that the Sacred Flame Palace did not have any external defenses. Yao Shen, however, knew better— whilst the Heavenly Sky Sect employed a defensive formation to secure its borders, the Sacred Flame Palace, true to the destructive nature of Fire Qi, had chosen an offensive one.

They called it the ‘Boundary of Purification’, a grand name befitting its capabilities. Controlled by a true formation spirit, it was a runic formation carved beneath the earth. Any foriegn cultivator that dared to charge headlong towards the Sacred Flame Palace would be incinerated by scorching-hot flames at the Nascent Soul level, and any projectile attacks would be reduced to dust long before they could strike true at their mark. The true beauty of the formation lay its in versatility, for whilst there were many lacunae within the rule-set it was governed by, the formation spirit itself was sapient while lacking sentience, and had the ability to override those laws.

Thus, one could not circumvent the Boundary of Purification by holding a Sacred Flame Palace cultivator hostage and walking alongside them in hopes that the formation would not harm its own— such a folly had been committed in the past, and the tragic result had been two deaths instead of one.

The Outer Sect was clearly visible from afar, the infrastructure reminiscent of a military outpost back on earth in its shared utilitarian design. The first thing Yao Shen noticed was the lack of an Outer Exchange, for there were no entrepreneurial disciples hawking their wares, be it in the form of spiritual herbs acquired outside the sect, a weapon they had outgrown or even any form of eatables. Each of the major edifices were dyed in contrasting hues of red, and one of them led to a wide, three-storey pagoda whose wooden eaves were painted in a mellow terracotta color. Dozens of disciples dined on the first floor of the pagoda, making small talk over their meal, while the higher floors were reserved for guardians and elders.

Although the Sacred Flame Palace looked awe-inspiring from afar, with each different hue of red representing a minor dao of fire, Yao Shen could feel the difference in its general atmosphere. Each disciple of the Sacred Flame walked with a purpose in their step, at most in small groups of two’s and three’s, through the clean, neatly organized roads, their expressions cold and their demeanor, aloof.

Even the young Qi-Formation disciples were so reserved and focused, then one could only imagine why the former Patriarch of the Sacred Flame Palace had been so stubborn, even as he fought a losing battle.

Each member of Yao Shen’s contingent was handed a talisman that marked them as a guest of the Sacred Flame Palace, the proverbial keys to the kingdom. Once they were inside the sect, the odds of a conflict diminished significantly, for the odds of hapless disciples being caught in the crossfire was too high. However, all the members of Yao Shen’s contingent had made their own defensive preparations, and further insisted that the Sacred Flame Place Elders walk alongside them.

The first one to enter were the three Patriarchs, with Yao Shen activating his Human Dao Domain just in case the formation spirit flagged him as an enemy.

His mystical domain immediately drew the attention of the disciples, who watched on with shocked expressions as an outsider took his first steps on the outer sect’s territory. Their expressions blanched further when they saw their Patriarch accompany the white-robed man, his expression inscrutable. The hawk-eyed Elders who had stayed back to defend the Sect watched on with dismay, knowing the outcome had already been set in stone.

Alas, such was the value of oaths in a world without contracts.

Soon, the rest of his contingent arrived, stopping a few steps behind him. Twelve Elders of the Sacred Flame Palace along with the delegation from the Heavenly Sky Sect lay arrayed behind the three Patriarchs, a force so intimidating that it caused the disciples’ hearts to beat faster.

Finally, Lei Weiyuan stepped forward, and all eyes were immediately drawn towards him. His hands were clasped behind his back, giving him a dignified bearing and his expression, indecipherable. Yet, the projection of invulnerability was but a façade; for Yao Shen and the Elders could see his tightly clenched fist lightly trembling, as Lei Weiyuan recited the terms of the oath slowly, patiently, perhaps wishing that his recital would never end.

His every word was like a sharp dagger stabbed deep into the hearts of the Sacred Flame Disciples, for the presence of the Heavenly Sky Sect Patriarch here could only mean one thing.

“.... The combined forces of the Sacred Flame Palace and the Divine Mountain Sect were bested in combat by Patriarch Yao Shen of the Heavenly Sky, alone and without any assistance from other cultivators. As per the oath, from henceforth, the Sacred Flame Palace shall be referred to as the Flame Division of the Modern Sect.”

The announcement was met with silence.

The disciples turned their gazes to the Elders, whom they looked upon for wisdom and guidance when the path ahead was enshrouded by mists. The ones they idolized, however, chose to maintain a stoic silence— a few even averting their faces, unable to meet their hopeful, or rather, desperate expressions.

This time, it was Yao Shen that stepped forward.

“Hear me, oh disciples, guardians and elders of the Flame Division!” Yao Shen’s qi-empowered voice shook the adrift disciples from their reverie. Their focus reluctantly shifted to the man in white, whose chiselled jawline, straight black hair and surprisingly kind brown eyes did not match the description of the old, ruthless Patriarch of the Heavenly Sky sect they were familiar with. He seemed to be in his mid-thirties by mortal standards, the ascension having knocked a decade off his appearance, but his bearing spoke of one far beyond his age.

“The word ‘Modern’ is derived from an ancient, obsolete language that I daresay not many of you would have heard of. It represents but a single concept, embodies but a simple notion! What do you think it means?” Yao Shen rhetorically asked, passion now seeping into his voice.

The throng of disciples remained silent, but Yao Shen could feel that his question had piqued the interest of a few curious minds.

“Progress!” Yao Shen exclaimed, his voice rousing even those disciples who haplessly gazed at the colors and mosaics of the Sacred Flame Palace around them, once a symbol of their glory, now a painful reminder of the radiant past.

“Never before in history have the three hegemons of the Azlak Plains stood as one cohesive whole. The Era of Turmoil has long since passed, yet we cling on to ancient enmities like fools who cannot see the bigger picture! Our ancestors have long since perished, and their feuds alongside with them. For so long, we have been weak! For so long, we have been divided! Just how the Demons of the Bloodsoul Forest prefer us to be!”

Yao Shen could feel a burst of anger rise in the crowd at the mention of the demonic sects, as more and more heads turned to gaze in his direction. He may not have the trust of the audience, but their attention, he was starting to get.

“I, Yao Shen, as a cultivator of the Righteous Path, say, not any more!” his voice boomed with righteousness. “Divided no longer. Weak no longer. Together, the Modern Sect, the Sect of Progress, shall stand strong and bring prosperity to this land!”

Yao Shen could see that a few younger disciples were moved by the grand ideals he spoke of, but talk alone could not win confidence.

“There is but one core tenet that the Modern Sect stands for, and that is fairness above all. I ask you to trust me, Yao Shen, not because I bested your Patriarch and Elders in combat. I do not ask you to acknowledge me as your Patriarch, solely because you are bound by the oath and your honor, to do so. I ask you, oh, disciples, guardians and elders of the Flame Division, to trust me because I stand for a cause greater than myself!”

The sound of clapping came, not from the audience, but surprisingly from behind him. Meili Zhu brazenly applauded her own Patriarch, and the contingent from the Heavenly Sky Sect caught on. Zixin Ren seemed to enjoy each second, his claps sounding out more like the beating of war drums. Left with no option, the Elders of the now Flame Division broke out into applause of their own, and the disciples, followed in their footsteps.

Soon, the entire Flame Division applauded for Yao Shen— though he felt no satisfaction from receiving the applause, he knew that Meili was only asserting his rule. The hearts and minds of the Flame Division could not be won in a day, but all things considered, this was not the worst of beginnings.

“For now, the Elders, Guardians and Disciples will return to their duties. Tonight, there shall be a banquet for all, irrespective of station or seniority. All will dine in the same hall— the spiritual wine will not stop flowing and the Sky Division shall send over its finest chefs. The Patriarch of the Flame Division, Lei Weiyuan, shall accompany I, Yao Shen, Grand Patriarch of the Modern Sect, and help me familiarize myself with your esteemed sect.”

Yao Shen’s brief speech came to an end, though the disciples did not seem to receive the message as they continued standing there, as if they were expecting something else. If they thought that he would humiliate them by ordering them to do menial tasks or disrespect their sect so that they could direct their anger and disappointment towards him, they were solely mistaken.

“Did you lot not hear the Grand Patriarch? On your way now,” Flame Patriarch Lei Weiyuan snapped, his familiar voice immediately rousing the disciples to action. They slowly started dispersing, returning to their tasks with conflicted emotions in their heart.

The Guardians went back to their posts, and the Elders too started returning to their duties. Without even one component missing, the machinery of the Sect would stop functioning, and that was not his intention. The Earth Patriarch and the Sky Division’s contingent was escorted to guest residences, leaving behind only Yao Shen and Lei Weiyuan.

“What would you like to see first, Grand Patriarch?” Lei Weiyuan asked, his tone more intrigued than bitter.

Yao Shen smiled lightly at the question, before answering, “The Sparring Stage.”