Chapter 17: Meeting the Grand Elder (Patreon)

Slifer sat cross-legged in his quarters, eagerly devouring the bowl of Celestial Lotus Soup that he had promised himself. Each mouthful was a delightful explosion of rich flavors, making the tedious practice worthwhile. As he relished the heavenly taste, his concentration was broken by a sudden spiritual transmission.

"Master, the Grand Elder has extended an invitation for tea," Morvran's voice echoed in Slifer's mind.

Slifer paused, the spoon halfway to his mouth. Grand Elder...Isn't that young brat Zarius’ master? he thought, a hint of displeasure clouding his thoughts. The Sect Master mentioned that the Grand Elder had let the previous incident slide. Now what could he possibly want?

With a resigned sigh, he lifted the bowl to his lips and in one hearty gulp, drained the remaining broth. His face turned a shade of red from the effort, but it was followed by a satisfied burp. A small victory before whatever it was that awaited him.

He rose from his seat, setting down the empty bowl. It was time to look presentable for the meeting ahead. He straightened his robes and made sure that there was no incriminating soup evidence. Clean. Nice.

"This old man better not have any thoughts of bullying me," he muttered, adjusting the collar of his robe. "And the tea... It better be top-notch."

***

The entrance to Grand Elder Tenzin's courtyard was nothing short of breathtaking. A serene pond filled with blooming lotuses dominated the scene. Silver koi swam gracefully beneath the surface, casting ripples that reflected the soft glimmer of hanging lanterns. Surrounding it were vibrant gardens filled with rare spiritual herbs that emitted a gentle fragrance. Slifer exhaled deeply, If only I had reincarnated as a Grand Elder. This place... it's just like a slice of heaven.

As he approached the main hall, a servant in elegant robes stepped forward, about to speak. Before a word could leave the servant's mouth, a middle-aged figure with refined features, clad in a majestic robe depicting dragons intertwined with phoenixes, appeared out of thin air.

Ah, dragons and phoenixes, the robes of a man who thinks he's better than you, Slifer thought. But in this case, the robes were fitting as the Grand Elder was indeed better than him.

Insight!

Name: Tenzin

Realm: Early Origin Realm

Known Techniques: N/A

Known Affiliations: N/A

Disposition: N/A

"Leave us," Grand Elder Tenzin commanded, dismissing the servant with a wave. He then turned to Slifer, his voice surprisingly humble. "A figure of Elder Slifer's stature deserves to be welcomed by someone more significant than a mere servant. Even if that someone is as insignificant as little me."

Slifer blinked, taken aback by the warm welcome. This isn't the Tenzin I remember, he thought. From the snippets of memories he retained from the original, Grand Elder Tenzin was known to be arrogant, much like his young disciple, Zarius.

Greeting the Grand Elder, Slifer bowed his head slightly. "It is an honor, Grand Elder Tenzin."

Tenzin's face reddened a bit, and he awkwardly cleared his throat. "Ah, Senior has shown this Junior too much respect."

Senior? Slifer thought, utterly confused. Despite how I might look, this Grand Elder is surely millennia older than me.

As the two walked deeper into the courtyard, Tenzin's brow was slick with perspiration, his mind racing. Damn that Zarius! If he hadn’t so rashly provoked this demon over the Heaven Rank Method, I wouldn’t be in this humiliating position. 

He swallowed hard, recalling the gruesome image that had spread like wildfire throughout the sect—Slifer effortlessly decapitating an Origin Realm expert with an Ascendant level strike. The mere thought sent shivers down Tenzin's spine.

Upon reaching the center of the courtyard, two thrones stood facing each other. With a polite gesture, Grand Elder Tenzin gestured for Slifer to sit on the larger one, while he himself took the smaller seat. As they settled, servants bustled forward, pouring a clear, aromatic liquid into their cups – Immortal Tea.

Eagerly, Tenzin watched as Slifer took a sip. The subtle changes in Slifer's expression didn't go unnoticed; his eyes widened slightly, and his lips curled into a small smile of appreciation. Ah, this... this is far superior to what Morvran usually serves me, Slifer mused, taking another sip. Being a Grand Elder truly is worlds apart from a mere Elder.

"I trust the tea meets Senior's tastes?" Tenzin inquired with a soft smile.

Slifer nodded slowly, "Indeed, it's exceptional." Yet inwardly, he questioned, what’s with calling me Senior? Is this old fool mocking me?

The Grand Elder cleared his throat before continuing. "Elder Slifer, I wanted to discuss the recent... incident between my disciple and yourself." He glanced at Slifer, noting the brief flash of annoyance that appeared in his eyes.

Slifer froze, his previous appreciation for the tea momentarily forgotten. I knew it, he is seeking retribution for that brat.

Seeing the change in Slifer’s demeanor, a bead of sweat trickled down Tenzin’s temple. As feared, this demon holds grudges.

Desperate to alleviate the tension, Tenzin forced a smile. "The disputes between juniors should indeed remain among them, don’t you agree?"

Slifer responded with a hesitant nod, "I believe so."

Tenzin carried on, “However, I was hoping a modest gift might ensure there remain no ill feelings between us.”

The expression on Slifer's face darkened. Blackmailing me? As if I have much to offer.

Tenzin's heart pounded as he witnessed Slifer’s displeasure. Even a gift isn’t appeasing this demon! He cursed inwardly as he let out a nervous chuckle.

With a snap of his fingers, a servant emerged, cradling a sublime sword. The black blade carried a haunting elegance, the hilt adorned with a red rose.

Slifer's eyes widened as he activated Insight on the sword.

Treasure

Grade: Origin Realm

Type: Sword

Condition: Perfect

He shook his head in disappointment, Useless. With my cultivation, it’ll be a while before I can use it.

Grand Elder Tenzin observed Slifer's dismissive reaction and concealed a frown, he was not surprised that an Origin Realm treasure was not worth an Ascendant cultivator’s attention. But it had been centuries since he had been humbled like this, he felt like a mere servant attempting to please a king with a handful of gold.

Nevertheless, he forced a smile and began elaborating on the sword's rich past.

"This is the Midnight Rose," he said, “an heirloom of the Lotus Peak Sect that I…acquired. It was forged from Black Meteoric Iron by Grandmaster Shen, adorned with a Vermilion Blood Rose from the Heavenly Garden. It's a humble offering, but the best this Junior could muster.”

Slifer dipped his head slightly. "Thank you, Grand Elder."

Yet, he noticed Tenzin’s lingering gaze upon him. Stare all you want, old man, but I have nothing to give you, he thought, his face unmoved. He doubted the Grand Elder would attack him outright, if there was a high likelihood of that happening then he wouldn’t be as composed as he was right now.

Noticing the displeasure creeping upon Slifer’s face, Tenzin hurriedly changed the topic.

“Congratulations, Elder Slifer, on your recent breakthrough to the Ascendant realm. Truly, you now stand as a Supreme Elder," he managed, trying to inject warmth into his tone.

Slifer’s eyes momentarily widened, a flicker of genuine surprise. Ascendant realm…me?

Tenzin caught that split second of vulnerability. Ah, the wolf wished to hide among the sheep a while longer, he thought bitterly.

Now it all makes sense, Slifer thought, nearly cursing out loud. The death of Elder Olakin, an Origin Realm expert, certainly alerted the sect. They must have viewed his soul lamp and seen me delivering the fatal blow. The news must've led Grand Elder Tenzin to approach me with such caution.

He managed a nonchalant smile. "Thank you, Grand Elder. But really, it's no great feat."

Yet inside, Slifer raged at the unwanted attention. How am I supposed to behave like an Ascendant cultivator? That level of prowess is usually reserved for sect leaders!

However, a smirk curled on the edge of his thoughts. But, Supreme Elder… does have a nice ring to it.

Tenzin broke through Slifer's musings, "While the Sect Master remains in seclusion, your title of Supreme Elder won't be formally acknowledged within the sect."

Slifer's heart lightened, secretly pleased. Perfect. I’m not prepared for the burdens that come with higher recognition. Being an elder is already too much of a stretch.

However, Tenzin, ever the diplomat, added, "But, in my eyes, you'll always be a Supreme Elder."

The Grand Elder then dropped a tidbit that piqued Slifer's interest. "Given the Sect Master's absence, during the Disciple Selection Ceremony in a week, you will have the privilege of the first pick."

Before Slifer could digest this news, a System notification appeared in front of him.

Ding!

Save a poor disciple from the clutches of these demons.

You have been gifted an extra disciple slot.

Reward:???

If the System has handed this task to me, there must be a protagonist-caliber disciple among the participants.

Curiosity piqued, he asked the System inwardly, Can I identify protagonists among the participants?

Upgrade the Insight Skill to gather more intricate details about targets.

Slifer mulled over this information. If I could see their stats, I could snatch the protagonist from right under the noses of the other elders. He recalled how Hughie's protagonist status had unintentionally saved him. Maybe, having another protagonist disciple isn't that bad of an idea.

He suppressed a chuckle at a wicked thought, I wonder if combining the luck of two protagonists and using the Random Card could yield a jackpot? Maybe something worth 100,000 credits?

"Is something amusing, Senior?" Tenzin asked, feeling that the newly ascended Elder was mocking him.

"Oh, nothing," Slifer waved off the question, the trace of a smirk playing on his lips. "I was just pondering the prospects of the upcoming Disciple Selection Ceremony. It seems there are interesting times ahead."

The Grand Elder nodded slowly before his face grew serious. "Senior, now that you've broken through, the nearby sects will undoubtedly be on guard," he remarked, the worry etched across his features.

Slifer frowned, not liking where the conversation was headed.

Tenzin continued, "The Black Heart Sect and the Black Death Sect, being demonic in nature, are less inclined to make a move against us. Especially after you eliminated their Elder Olakin. However," Tenzin sighed, his gaze distant, "the three major Righteous Sects—Heaven's Light Sect, Pure Soul Sect, and White Tiger Sect—won't take kindly to this development."

Slifer groaned internally. Great, as if I don't already have enough on my plate, now I've got to deal with these righteous hypocrites.

Sensing Slifer's annoyance, Tenzin pressed on, "With the Intersect Competition nearing, we'll gain an extra slot for the Sealed Realm, thanks to your breakthrough."

Slifer nodded. The original's memories laid out the rules clearly. Each Ascendant cultivator earned their sect a slot. Typically, only 20 slots were allotted. After dividing them among the six sects, the righteous ones usually hoarded most, leaving scraps for the demonic sects. The strongest among the righteous sects, boasting three Ascendant cultivators, snagged three slots.

The remaining ten were fought for in the intersect competitions — five for Core Formation cultivators and five for Foundation Establishment cultivators. Now, one would be directly allocated to the Black Rose Sect, reducing the competed slots to nine.

"To enter the realm, only those beneath the Nascent Soul stage may enter," Tenzin elaborated. “I advise caution in selecting your new disciple, Senior. With your new status, many eyes will scrutinize both you and your disciples. It would be a significant boon to our sect if you could nurture a Foundation Establishment cultivator to secure one of those spots.”

Slifer met the Grand Elder warm gaze. This old man isn’t so bad, he thought. Ah, who am I kidding? He's only being this courteous because he believes I'm an Ascendant realm cultivator.

“I appreciate the insight, Junior,” he responded, still finding it odd to address someone so much older with such a title.

As he stood to leave, his thoughts turned to the new task that he had received. Given that the System wanted him to acquire another disciple, he was set on doing so, but he'd be damned if he settled for anything less than the best.

After all, I didn't grow up in capitalist America just to miss out on maximizing profit. He smirked. Every capable disciple is a walking, talking credit machine.

***

Whilst heading back to his quarters, the looming worries of the intersect competition and the slots kept gnawing at Slifer's mind. Would I need to negotiate with other Ascendant cultivators? he wondered. The thought of deceiving beings that were a breath away from the Immortal realm seemed next to impossible. He shook his head. It's a matter for the future, he thought. Who knows what cards I’d have by then, maybe I can handle the situation.

He decided it was time to shift his focus and meet the criteria for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm. A bitter laugh escaped him as he imagined the whispers about the newly ascended Ascendant cultivator Slifer, going around challenging Foundation Establishment juniors.

Summoning Morvran through a spiritual transmission, he awaited his arrival. Soon, the fat man stood before him.

“Has Val awakened?” Slifer asked, hopeful.

With a somber shake of his head, Morvran responded, “She remains in deep hibernation, her body is still recovering.”

Slifer sighed deeply. With little Val by my side, there would be fewer worries.

He composed himself and instructed Morvran, “Inform Caelum and Fenlock to meet me at the sect entrance in an hour.”

Morvran nodded and vanished in a blur of speed, leaving Slifer in his silent contemplation.

As he began his preparation, Slifer muttered to himself, “Like hell, I’m going anywhere without some bodyguards.”

Next chapter tomorrow (Sunday)!
Slifer goes on a little trip, hoping to breakthrough