Master of the System

Joanne couldn’t help but fidget underneath the gazes of the dozen elders gathered in the room. It wasn’t because they were nascent-soul cultivators; she had seen plenty in the army. It was the fact that she was being treated like an animal in a zoo. The gazes of the elders seemed to bore holes through her clothes, revealing what was underneath.

“Is there a way to speak with the leader of your federation?” Ruby asked, her hands folded in front of her on the table. The elders were sitting on chairs in an elevated platform, looking down at Joanne in the center.

“It’s possible,” Joanne said. “I brought a communication device with me, but it’s quite large in size. My crew will have to construct it first; if you wish, I can give the order now. It shouldn’t take more than a day.”

“We can begin the construction later,” Rachel said with a snort. “Continue the interrogation.”

Ruby glanced around. No one else seemed to want to take charge. She leaned forward and squinted at Joanne. “Why are you here?”

Joanne straightened her back, sticking out her chest. “I’m here as a delegation sent by the federation. Ideally, I’d be able to convince you to join the federation. I’m sure you’ve interrogated my crew members and found out basic information about the intergalactic society. Other than my federation, there is also the Summit Empire and the Peacemaker Coalition. Although your civilization’s technological strength isn’t very high, your individual strengths are more than enough to boast about.” She stared at Rachel. “If the sect leader piloted a BAR, you’d be an unstoppable force on the battlefield. With your strength, it’d be possible to tip the scales of the battlefield in our direction.”

Rachel nodded. “What does the federation have to offer us?”

“An introduction to the intergalactic society,” Joanne said. “We’ll give you the required technology and abilities to leave your planet, and we’ll also connect you to the federation’s main hub. Although it doesn’t sound like a lot, please don’t underestimate the value of such benefits. With connection to the main hub, you’ll be able to engage in trade with countless planets. Optimized cultivation techniques, herbs that are difficult to find on this planet, you can obtain just about anything with enough money. In fact, the federation can also give you intergalactic credits to jumpstart your society’s foundations.”

“What about the armor you wore?” Michelle asked. “Can we purchase those from the hub as well?”

“Yes,” Joanne said. “If you join the army, as a nascent-soul cultivator, you’ll be given a battlesuit for free that you may keep upon retiring. Of course, rich individuals can also purchase battlesuits.” She glanced at Grandpa Vremya. “The ones who think they’re capable can also buy the relevant information and skills to create their own battlesuits.”

Rachel tapped on the table in front of her. As the strongest sect in the world, it was natural for them to be the leaders. If they joined the federation, wouldn’t they be giving up their spot at the top of the hierarchy. “I assume there’s a leader,” Rachel said. “I assume he’ll also be above us.”

Although it was said as a statement, Joanne knew it was more of a question. “We’re a democracy. That means as long as the majority of the people vote for you, you can be the leader too. For now, the president can order anyone around, including your civilization if you choose to join the federation. Of course, that also means a future leader of the federation can come from your planet. Although what I’ve said is a bit simplified, it’s the truth.”

Rachel’s lips extended into a frown. Wouldn’t that mean she’d have to take part in politics? The best kind of politics was the one where everyone listened to her unconditionally, and those who didn’t were crushed underneath her feet. However, it would be a lot more difficult for her to ascend to the peak of political power in the intergalactic society using the same methods she used here. If a sect didn’t listen, all she had to do was fly over and obliterate them. It was easy to obliterate a sect, but if she had to do the same for a planet? Much harder. According to the intel received from interrogating Joanne’s crew, the world they were on was a relatively small one compared to some of the others in the federation. There was a countless number of planets out there too. How long would it take to individually crush all of them. By the time she was done thrashing the last few planets, the first planets would’ve already changed out their generation and forgotten about their defeat. It sounded like a hassle, one she didn’t want to deal with. Her eyes shifted onto Grandpa Vremya. “Elder Vremya.”

Grandpa Vremya turned his head towards Rachel. “What?”

Rachel scanned Grandpa Vremya from top to bottom. After an awkward three minutes of silence passed, Rachel nodded as if she were satisfied. “From this day forth, you’re the sect leader.”

The elders and Joanne were stunned. A moment later, everyone spoke at once, no one able to hear anything over each other. Rachel cleared her throat, infusing some spiritual energy into her voice, causing the room to fall silent. “We all knew this was going to happen when we saw Elder Vremya’s talent five hundred years ago. Since times are changing, it seems like now’s the best time for a change in leadership.” This was the perfect choice for her. Without being shackled by responsibilities, she’d benefit greatly from entering the intergalactic society. Perhaps the way to becoming a false immortal could be found there, but she couldn’t focus on cultivating if she was busy taking care of the Moon Lotus Sect all the time. “Elder Vremya, do you accept?”

“No.” Grandpa Vremya shook his head. Why would he accept such a troublesome position? It was a thankless job with very little reward. He looked around at the elders before pointing at Michelle. “Why don’t you let her be the leader?”

Rachel’s brow, which had furrowed because of Grandpa Vremya’s rejection, relaxed. As long as someone took the position of sect leader off her hands, she could care less about who it actually was. She was a bit confused as to why Grandpa Vremya didn’t offer the position to Azalea. “You’re not going to nominate Elder Azalea?”

Grandpa Vremya snorted. “If she becomes the sect leader, she’ll have no time to watch over me.”

Azalea’s expression darkened. It was true she’d much rather help Grandpa Vremya than lead the sect, but the way Grandpa Vremya had said it ticked her off. She was more than just Grandpa Vremya’s helper! …Right? She looked around, but it seemed like every elder was subconsciously nodding along to Grandpa Vremya’s words as if they were a truth of the world.

“How about it, Elder Michelle?” Rachel asked. “Do you want to be the sect leader?”

Michelle stroked her chin. “It doesn’t really seem like I have a choice, does it?” she asked before nodding. “For the sake of the sect, I’ll do it.”

Joanne watched the proceedings with a blank expression. Was this how leadership was dealt with in ancient times? No wonder why they were so chaotic. According to historians, cultivators living in ancient times were always embroiled in war, and no sect would last forever. Considering how nonchalantly leadership was passed around, it was no wonder why the ancient times were unstable. A strange expression appeared on Joanne’s face. If she ever told a historian about this, would they believe her? Her gaze alternated between Rachel and Michelle. Was this change in leadership already official and in place right now? She’d ask a question first, and if Michelle answered, then Rachel would know for sure. “Sect Leader, should I have my people construct the communication device?”

Michelle turned to look at Rachel, and the latter gestured towards the former. “That question is for you,” Rachel said and leaned back. “I’m just an ancestor now.”

Michelle nodded and turned her gaze onto Joanne. “Construct the device. Let’s open communications with the federation.”