Understanding and knowing all of that, coupled with his slight overprotectiveness—which in truth was nothing more than common sense and not relying on some kind of plot armor to protect the girls!
With his slight overprotectiveness toward the girls, his following actions were totally understandable…
Crack… crack… rip!
Bone-chilling cracks resounded from Mikael's body as parts of it began to tear apart, blood flowing abundantly from him and painting the floor a horrifying crimson.
Amelia!
He divined Amelia and saw that she would be safe!
Smirk.
A bloody smile made its way onto his lips as he understood that, and then he pressed on with the rest of the girls.
Kiara.
Lyra.
Bai Yulan.
Bai Lifen.
And even Hua Lianyu.
Splat!
Blood sprayed across the floor as he finished his 'divination' on Lian'er, even though it wasn't truly necessary since she wouldn't be entering the Realm of Broken Skies as she was still in seclusion even now!
The beauty had drastically surpassed the length of time he took that she would take at a maximum for her seclusion, but—
Mikael ignored the 'common sense' and divined her anyway, his reasoning was that, 'Since I'm already doing it, so why not go all the way? My condition will only get a bit worse—nothing serious!'
Because of that he also divined his lovely Senior Sister, which only worsened his state, for with her higher Cultivation Realm the backlash he received was magnified several times over.
Splurt!
He coughed another mouthful of blood, yet he looked wholly unaffected by either his condition or the pain he was enduring, if anything it was the opposite as a joyful glint flashed in his eyes when he finished his "divination,"
'Safe, they will all be safe,' he thought with relief, knowing that in the following Secret Realm exploration nobody would fall in danger.
With that knowledge he could now let them explore the Realm of Broken Skies with peace of mind, without worries, and even more importantly without the fear of them falling into danger or worse…
At that moment Mikael stopped his use of the 3rd layer of Foresight of Heaven's Mandate, satisfied after verifying that all the girls would be safe, but—
Unfortunately he didn't think to use his 'overclocked' Foresight of Heaven's Mandate on himself, and this single oversight would be something…that would have far, really far reaching consequences!!!
***
Craacck…
Exactly 30 minutes after Mikael had said he needed this time to do 'something,' the handsome cultivator stepped out of the room, his composure and body looking exactly the same as before with not a single trace of the injuries he had just endured.
When Amelia threw a glance inside the room she noticed that everything was as 'pristine' as before, the piles of messy research papers still covering the desk, which surprised her because she had assumed the reason why he needed those 30 minutes was probably to clean the place up, yet since it was just as chaotic as before it was obviously not the case…
'What did you do, Mikael? I'm rather curious,' the proud archer thought to herself as her emerald eyes studied him closely, though she chose not to voice her curiosity aloud. Instead she gave him a simple nod and said, "Let's go."
On these words the Taoist Couple rapidly walked out of the Cultivation Manor before taking to the skies and flying toward the Sword Assembly Hall!
Swish, howl.
After a short flight it came into view.
The Sword Assembly Hall was a vast sword-shaped building located deep within the Core Court, a place where 'important meetings' and sect matters of weight were always brought forward and decided upon.
Today in particular it was alive with activity, for this was the location where all the Core Disciples who intended to enter the Realm of Broken Skies were gathering.
Thud.
With a soft thud they landed before quickly striding into the majestic sword-shaped structure.
Once inside, the first thing that struck their eyes was the magnificence of the place; the architecture was built primarily from a kind of 'cultivation marble' that gleamed resplendently.
Marking the Hall were countless sword-shaped symbols coming in all forms, whether it be small statues, engravings in the ground, or the most eye-catching of all—very real swords present in a number of places, especially those that were built directly into the walls!
All of these sword-related symbols were reminders to anyone who caught sight of them of what stood at the very core of the Wandering Sword Sect.
All of that coming together in a magnificent construction that honored its name and created the Sword Assembly Hall, which couldn't have been more fitting!
And while the building was magnificent, the people crowding it weren't any less.
There were tens of Core Disciples, and at first glance Mikael saw a little more than 50 of them present, each of them handsome or beautiful, each projecting an immortal charm that clearly set them apart from mortals.
Coupled with the fact that the majority of them wore swords and matching Taoist Robes, it truly looked like a gathering of immortals.
These 'immortals' were spread across the hall, gathering in groups of varying sizes as they talked and laughed in a lively ambiance.
The Core Disciples were having friendly conversations as they spoke and laughed with their friends, good brothers, and good sisters.
Of course, the Core Disciples weren't the only ones present in the Sword Assembly Hall, as the higher-ranked members of the Sect were also there.
Notably, some Core Elders were present. They kept more to themselves and stayed in their corners, though that didn't mean they were necessarily serious, irritable, or even strict as one might expect from individuals of their power and status.
No, these powerhouses were relatively amiable and even conversed with their peers, it's just that they were far less lively compared to the 'young' Core Disciples.
And the jewel of the hall, the most eye-catching part, even more than the rest, was a… trio!
A trio whose mere presence weighed on the room even though they didn't release their aura or make any power moves.
These three were positioned near, or upon, an obsidian 'throne,' reminiscent of an emperor's seat, though shaped in a style distinctively belonging to the cultivation world.
Beside this obsidian 'throne' stood the recognizable figures of Grand Elder Theren and Grand Elder Mei, both speaking in low voices to the figure leisurely seated upon it.
That figure was an extremely beautiful woman who carried with her a certain mature charm. Her long, silky black hair fell in waves over her shoulders, reaching her buttocks, while her shining golden eyes remained half open, giving her a languid and lazy allure.
Her Taoist Robes were ample and not seductive in any way, yet her body was so voluptuous and mature that even clothed like this she still looked enticing, a temptation only amplified by the lazy aura, the sensuality, and the mature charm she emanated.
Her expression was one of boredom, her visage openly revealing it as she didn't even try to conceal the fact while lazily listening to Grand Elder Theren and Grand Elder Mei speaking to her, only occasionally replying with a few words.
Nothing of what was exchanged between the three could be heard by anyone else in the vast hall, which showed that a formation or some similar means was keeping their conversation private.
A conversation which was happening between two Grand Elders and a figure which was actually…the Sect Master Qiu Yuelan!
Sect Master Qiu Yuelan was actually a super genius who had reached the Core Perfection Realm at a young—for her realm—age, and this was shown by her figure and heavenly beauty which stood in sharp contrast to the old age of the two Grand Elders conversing with her.
The lazy beauty was not only extremely talented but also liked to break convention, and this was something that had stood out about her since a young age!
The reason behind why it was said that she 'liked to break conventions' traced back to her background.
Qiu Yuelan was the only daughter of the previous Sect Master of the Wandering Sword Sect, a Sect Master who unfortunately passed away of old age not long after her birth.
With her father's identity, her status from birth was already extremely high, and this did not change even after his passing, as she remained his sole descendant while all three Grand Elders were close friends of her now deceased father.
Logically, because of who her father was and the name of the Sect he had led, it was expected of Qiu Yuelan, even before her birth, that she would devote herself to the Sword Dao but—
The beauty broke all conventions, displaying a blatant disinterest in the Sword Dao as her focus turned instead toward the Formation Dao, which she found far more to her liking!
Because of her…eccentric choice, her status as the future Sect Master, which had been practically assured from birth thanks to her lineage and the Grand Elders' support, suddenly fell into danger.
After all, a sword-focused Sect with a Sect Master who didn't even use a sword? This wasn't the kind of thing that could be easily overlooked!
If Qiu Yuelan truly became the Sect Master, wouldn't the ancestors of the Wandering Sword Sect be rolling in their graves? Wouldn't even her father's spirit feel restless?
Because of that, nearly all the high-ranking members of the Sect suffered terrible headaches whenever they thought about her, headaches only worsened by the fact that Qiu Yuelan was extremely lazy—a laziness that seemed to deepen with every passing year.
Because of all these factors, even though she technically still had the support of the Sect, her status as the future Sect Master was in grave danger…
Fortunately, there was a single thing that saved her, and that something was her overwhelming talent!
Even though Qiu Yuelan was undeniably lazy, her talent was just as overwhelming as her laziness, and this was especially true when it came to her aptitude for formations, which could only be described as heaven-defying.
Not only was her cultivation increasing at a remarkable pace, but her skills as a formation master were growing even faster, to the point that—
Not long after she reached the 6th layer of the Core Formation Realm, she was able to surpass the very ancestors who had created the Sect-Wide Formation and rework it into something far superior to what it had been before!
This single event cemented her status as Sect Master and made her the Sect Master she was today—the laziest in the Sect's entire history, and by far at that…
…
Step, step, step.
After taking a moment to take the entire situation in, Mikael and Amelia made their way inside the building, something which didn't attract much attention as Core Disciples were continuously arriving and consequently the duo's arrival wasn't particularly attention grabbing.
On that note the duo made their way deeper in the building, toward a part of it in which Lyra, Kiara and a group of Core Disciples were having a conversation—this group in particular being the one that was generally present at Hebdomary Core Disciples meetings that they occasionally went to.
"Mikael, Amelia!" Kiara was the first to catch sight of them as she signaled them to come.
Mikael and Amelia wove their way through the crowds, their steps steady as the murmur of conversations and the rustle of Taoist Robes filled the vast hall.
Soon enough, as they neared the group of Core Disciples, the small gathering parted slightly, making space for the duo to join the 'circle'.
Author Note:
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———
The Sect Master story and some more worldbuilding, we know a little more about the Sect history, same for Qiu Yuelan life.
At the same time, I remarked a little something, I take more time to describe female characters compared to for example male character!
I don't know why, I reeeaaaaalllllyyyyy don't know why, weird, weird, weird…
———
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— End of Chapter —