Surprisingly, upon entering the vision, the scenery that greeted Ren and Aerthus was of Emi's vilge, with her kneeling before the entrance to Rumira's cave. She was wearing a ceremonial white dress, her hands csped, as she spoke in a sad, apologetic tone.

  "I'm sorry to be unable to say goodbye to you."

  Down in the vilge, every member of the tribe was gathered, holding a quiet ceremony, gently pying a calm tune, singing in a low voice, and looking towards the cave's entrance. When listening to the lyrics, it was clear this was a song about saying goodbye and self-sacrifice...

  "What's going on here?" Ren asked, sensing the illusion's weirdness and that it was partially of reconstructed memories.

  "This is clearly a ritual… and not a pleasant one," Aerthus whispered, shaking his head.

  "The air is… strange. Filled with… conflicting emotions?" Ren murmured, letting her senses out, scanning everything.

  "It's Emi's emotions that are in turmoil." Aerthus analyzed it too, as he was the primary source of the hallucination, "She has a strong conviction about her fate and purpose, being the Maid of Queen Rumira… and all a maid's fate is to be consumed by her when they lose their rationality and before their functioning mind turns hollow."

  "What? She eats her own people?" Ren recoiled at the thought, grimacing.

  "No, not literally. Rumira is at the threshold of becoming a Demigod." He answered, sighing again, "But as we talked about it, she is stuck, can't fully control her core, and is in a limbo of cultivation, like me. She can't take the st step forward, nor can she go backward now. Her powers constantly influence her surroundings, as seen most clearly in her maids. Her aura poisons their minds... This is why I said they have it harder than we do! It may take years for her powers to influence her maids, maybe even decades, a century, but as they tend to their Queen, they are bound to fall."

  "They lose their minds?"

  "Yes. Rumira's powers are so high-level that I also had to circute my energy to stay calm." He continued, "Weaker cultivators will be overwhelmed with the desire to join her in a complete union. There is no coming back once one crosses that line, and they will be only a sve to her, so she consumes their essence and frees them from such a fate. It is a sad but inevitable destiny of her maids..."

  "So she knew it when she was chosen as a maid? Then the conflict comes from…?"

  "Listen to her, and you will hear it."

  As Ren focused, she could hear her thoughts, kneeling at the entrance.

  "You stupid boy… making me into one of your friends. Now we can't compete anymore, heh… well, at least I have the advantage. You will never be able to catch up and beat me now!" Emi chuckled, but her eyes were filled with endless sadness and determination to fulfill her destiny.

  "Come in, my child." Rumira's voice rang out as Emi stood up, walking in gracefully, no hesitation in her movements.

  Still... Arriving at the center of the cave, her steps grew weak and wobbly as her mind was filled with the desire to jump into Rumira's arms, yet the surfacing image of Poli made her fight it, even in the st moment.

  "What is it, Child? Your time has come… why are you hesitating?" Rumira asked, standing not far from her, completely naked, ready to accept her.

  “I… I just… wondered if…”

  "Mmm?" Rumira stepped forward, arriving before her, pcing her hand on Emi's forehead. "You… betrayed me?"

  "Wha-?! N-no! Never my Queen!"

  "You are not a virgin anymore! I can sense it. You soiled yourself! You became worthless and dirty!"

  "N-no, I… I would never! I- I did no such thing... I am untouched!" She panicked, but Rumira grabbed her by the throat, lifting her up.

  "You are trying to defy your destiny? That is why you looked elsewhere to find a release for it? A shelter against your burning desire? An outlet? That's why you whored yourself out?"

  “I… did not… do something… like… that…” She answered, gasping for air, kicking with her legs as she was held up high like a chicken.

  "This does not look good, Master!" Ren looked on with a concerned expression, feeling that this was wholly different than Lulu's dreams.

  "It's a fight between her feelings." Aerthus said calmly, "One side considers her destiny a must, a thing to embrace and accept… another part of her wishes to experience more, to live a different life. This can only be decided by her."

  "I…" Emi started as she looked at Rumira, and soon her eyes became clearer. "You… Lady Rumira… you would never act like this!"

  "How do you know? Do you even know me?" Her Queen scoffed, smirking at her.

  "I do… I do, and you wouldn't be like this!" She screamed out, kicking upwards, hitting Rumira's hand with her knees, making her release the firm grip so she could free herself. "The true Queen of mine would do everything for her people! She wouldn't judge me like you do now!"

  "Preposterous!" Rumira roared, turning into a giant white fox with nine tails behind her, letting out an animalistic shout that shook the whole cave, making the hot spring's water boil behind her.

  "You are not my Queen!" Emi answered with the same roar, turning into a simir giant fox with the same number of tails, only her fur was deep orange instead of white.

  The next moment, both of them released a fireball from their mouths, and as the spells met and exploded, they destroyed the entire hill, like an erupting volcano. As the dust rose to the sky, strong winds appeared, carrying glowing embers everywhere, and before the mushroom-like cloud could dissipate, they were already in the air, cshing against each other like wild animals. Both tried to bite onto the other's neck as their tails fpped, spping the other's body, releasing deep, drum-like sounds throughout the nd.

  "Are they trying to eat each other?" Ren looked on, thinking about the whole experience.

  "Maybe. It is the manifestation of her two conflicting thoughts." Aerthus hummed, watching the emotional tribution Emi was going through, "This trial brought it to the surface, and now she knows the source of her unease. This could be very much beneficial to her..."

  As it continued, the battle in the air was coming to a standstill. None of the foxes could gain a hold of the other and slowly separated, speaking simultaneously in the same voice.

  "I am right. You will see." They looked into each other's eyes as their following sentences were different yet the same, no matter how weird it felt.

  "Destiny can be changed."

  "Destiny can't be changed."

  When their voices fell, the illusion slowly faded and disappeared as Emi stepped down from the bridge. She looked up at the sky with a tired expression, then took a deep breath, shook her head, and spped her face. Gncing back at the bridge, she committed it to memory before bowing to the Sect and walking in, finding her room to meditate as much as she could, because there was a lot to go over...

  "She has her work cut out, that's for sure!" Ren sighed, watching the illusory world crumble.

  "Yes, but it is not impossible. Oh…”

  "What is it?"

  "I found someone special." He said with a click of his tongue.

  "Really? What kind of special? Quick, show it!" Ren excimed, feeling excited again.

  "Already? What about Emi? No more worrying? You are cold!" Aerthus teased her, chuckling.

  "None, because she mentioned Poli." She winked at her Mastr, "Oh, come on… didn't you hear her? Let my disciple deal with it. I trust him to help her out~!" She giggled pyfully. "If not, I can still step into the future, don't worry."

  "Ahaha… okay, okay, let me show you our gem… honestly, I think you have a rival for my Head Disciple's position."

  "Oh, really? Let me see~!" She said, even more fired up than before.

  When the scenery changed, they were back in the Capital, and what they saw made Ren almost choke on her saliva. The whole city was under siege by thousands of cultivators... They were simply raining down from the sky, climbing the walls, coming out from the ground. Yet, standing against them, above the city, there was her, Leinor, the rest of the royal bloodline, Ren's family, everyone, fighting against the invaders... Yet the most eye-catching was a young boy, no older than ten or twelve, flying high, reaping lives left and right, brandishing a simple broadsword. Every swing with it cimed a head without fail, and wherever he went, whoever he faced, he was always faster than them as he was finishing them off, shouting loudly. It was then that Ren noticed that all of this was happening without shedding a single drop of blood. It was clear that the illusion had a childish charm to it...

  "You won't be able to conquer us! I am here as the rest of the heroes of the Empire, you vile troops of the Kingdom! As long as we stand, you won't beat us!"

  Recognizing the young boy as Frenir, Ren's surprise grew even bigger, making her giggle.

  “Well… he is a… wait…” She chuckled at first, but then she felt it, furrowing her brows.

  "Ahaha… yup. This illusion is not like this because he has a kid's imagination. Okay, the scenario is clearly childish…" Aerthus added with a chortle, "But the power behind him is not a joke."

  "This affinity… I never felt like this… is this… no… is it?" Ren murmured in an astonished voice.

  "It is. It broke to the surface as he took the test." Aerthus nodded, licking his lips.

  "Have you ever seen someone with this affinity?"

  "No. And I only heard about it. This is why I said we got a gem amongst the first batch. The power of time…" Aerthus sighed with admiration in his voice.

  "It's... Self-contained." Ren muttered, watching him fight the horde of unending people, "His affinity only affects him, but... That is already incredible..."

  "It isn't something that can be taken lightly," Aerthus answered with a clearly pleased voice, "I'll take him as my disciple. He will be your younger brother from now on!"

  "Sure, no problem!" Ren shrugged, smiling, "He may have a great affinity, but don't worry... I won't lose my position so easily. Even if he can cultivate twice as fast as I with his affinity."

  "Happy to hear that you are up for the challenge."

  "So? What now? This looks like… a pyground for him. He clearly is enjoying this pyfight of a dream... Will you let him do it a bit more?"

  "Why not?" Aerthus asked, ughing, "It will be a good experience for him, and let his affinity awaken by the time he steps off the bridge."

  "Lucky kiddo..." Ren chortled, shaking her head, "Are there any more interesting fellows?"

  "A few. Most of them are average. Still, it is a welcome surprise that we have this many exceptional talents. If you want to see something unique, there are three others who are somewhat interesting. Their talent is mediocre, but their affinity is... Weird."

  "How unique? I like weird!"

  After her question, the scenery changed again, and what greeted her was a dark night, with the moon hidden behind thick clouds. Under them was a camp filled with people and cages, holding dozens of sves.

  "Hm? This must be scenery from the Kingdom."

  "Yes, and look over there." Aerthus pointed it out, and as she followed his gaze, she immediately recognized three young men crouching up in a tree, surveying the camp.

  "Three?"

  "Usually, this wouldn't be possible, but all three of them are linked, so they appeared in the same illusion." Aerthus expined it slowly, "To be precise, they have the exact same illusion."

  "Hoooh? They are different in age… yet they share their minds?"

  "Yes." He hummed, sensing it for himself, "All three have the exact same telepathic affinity and are perfectly attuned to each other. In the real world, it should not be as prominent as here yet… but it is manifesting itself fully here. This is what they could achieve ter."

  "They could be great scouts if they can sustain it via long ranges." Ren agreed, "If not, they could still be great team fighters."

  "Yes, but their strength is average." Aerthus hummed, sighing a little, a bit disappointed, "Even here, they are still not in the Harmony Realm… they will have difficulty raising their cultivation because they are not as talented and their minds are also prone to... underachieving. But still… We can work on them if they are willing to put in the effort. It may take a long time, but they can reach the same height as others."

  While speaking, the trio moved silently and covertly, taking care of the sentinels simultaneously, avoiding detection, and working from the shadows without sound or need for communication. Their movements were synchronized like one entity, and soon, some cages were already empty. When the svers finally noticed the ambush and sprang to action, the chaos allowed them to single them out and quickly dispatch them before taking on the rest in close-quarters combat.

  "We need to watch over them when training." Aerthus added, watching their kills, "They have an intense hatred inside of them. It can fester and grow if we are not careful, and it can be detrimental to them and us!"

  "We have time." Ren nodded, "They are going to spend a lot of years in the Sect anyway. Let's see how they develop in the future. So, how are we standing so far?"

  "We have one core disciple in the form of Frenir." Aerthus chuckled, drawing themselves out of the vision, "I'll take him under my wings immediately after the ceremony."

  "What about Lulu and Yanda? Do I start training them right away?"

  "No." Aerthus said, thinking about it for a moment, "Let them settle in first and wait a year before accepting them as disciples and promoting them to core disciples. Emi, Lulu, Yanda, and the three brothers can be promoted to inner disciples after the ceremony, with around a hundred of the others."

  "Oh? Only that much? Almost a thousand people are making their way over the bridges."

  "Yes, but most of them need to be reworked. The ones I chose to be accepted as inner disciples are already talented and have great potential. The rest still need to learn… our new cultivation method and change their ways, so you will have to hold csses for them. It is up to you how you conduct the teaching. Just transform them into true cultivators! A sturdy base is important... It can easily colpse ter if you build onto flimsy or shaky ground."

  "Sure. No problem, leave it to LeiLei and me! We will work them hard."

  "Those who compin can be demoted." Aerthus added, in a serious tone, "I give you free rein over them."

  "So... Will the big chunk of it be..."

  "Outer disciples. All of them." He nodded, "The elders will teach them on a rotating basis, holding public csses once a week. Besides working on the sect grounds, they can showcase their talents in other ways. Talent will find a way to shine and bloom under proper care." Aerthus chuckled as slowly more and more people stepped off the bridge, looking a bit confused as all of their illusions were so real that it was disorienting to return to reality.

  When the test was over, and everyone began gathering before the Sect, the bridges slowly dissipated into small light spheres, floating upwards and disappearing from their view. It was then that they noticed Aerthus standing before them, up in the air, making himself visible to their senses, smilingly looking over them, with Ren at his side.

  "I welcome you all to my Immortal Wonders Sect! I am Aerthus, founder and the Sect Head."

  Just his name alone sent a shockwave through the people gathered there, as most were from the Empire, and his name had appeared in countless legends and tales passed down for two thousand years by now.

  "Everyone here has been accepted into the Sect." His calm voice filled the crowd with excitement, and they felt something magical was happening. "First, let me announce that I have decided to accept one of you as my direct disciple. Frenir, step forward!" His words just fell on their ears, and they couldn't even process what was happening when a small, young boy, hearing his name, jumped up excitedly.

  "Me? Really me?"

  "Ahaha, yes, yes. You." He stretched out his arm and lifted him up without touching him, "Of course, only if you accept it. If you do, just kneel before me."

  "Yes, Master!" He did so immediately with a happy, silly grin on his immature face

  "Good, good! Now stand beside Master," he patted his head, then continued as if nothing had happened, ignoring the jealous gazes nding on Frenir. "Now I'll call a hundred of your names, and if you hear yours, step forward. You are selected to be our Inner Disciples who will receive close guidance from the Elders in the Sect. The rest are accepted as Outer Disciples. You will have responsibilities; if you work hard and showcase your talents, you can easily become an Inner Disciple. Also… this is a warning!" he looked over them as his voice turned serious. "Don't think that the fact that you are an Inner Disciple exempts you from responsibilities! If you fail to perform, you will be sent back to be an Outer Disciple and to start over! Don't forget everyone; Without putting in the effort and hard work, you won't have a future! Our future and yours are intersected. The Sect is your future, and you are my Sect's future! Now, please. Come in as I call your name, and the elders will show you where you will live and start your new life!" he smiled happily as he started to name the inner disciples before the rest also had the chance to walk inside, into their new home.