Walked off into the sunset, is it? Ares mused to himself after learning that the founder of this sect had 'done a runner'. The reasoning isn't clear but apparently the founder was chasing after something and left the sect, never to return. There was a very real chance they were actually still alive out there but there was also a very real chance they died in a ditch, never to be heard from again. Some say they were like Yulo, incomparably bored and wished to restart their cultivation journey. Others say they heard tale of a legendary, one of a kind resource and chased it through countless domains and was still in pursuit to this day. There were many guesses but no definitive truths so the founder's status was a bit of a mystery and Ares reckoned it would be impossible to find out within the constraints of the Primordial barrier. Wherever the founder was, dead or alive, it was likely in a far off domain somewhere keeping to themselves. Even if they dragged themselves onto Ares' doorstep in the future he wasn't giving the sect up!
The opening remarks continued, with Teng narrating various turbulent historical periods the sect had survived, but Ares wasn't interested anymore. Pretty much all the sect masters beyond the first were confirmed deader than dead so there wasn't anything worth keeping an eye out for in the future. The trials the sect overcame seemed quite pathetic in hindsight, if Ares were alive for any of them he could have swept aside the issues with a wave of his hand. Yulo didn't seem much interested either as he was likely thinking the same. Honestly, Yulo was probably the most bored person here because he knew that as soon as this was all over with he could leave whenever he wanted. He wasn't sure yet if he'd hang around for a few more weeks, jsut to make sure nothing was imploding, but he didn't have to do another day of paperwork or listen to disciples' and elders' complaints anymore. He was a free man and was dreaming of Vraizon. He'd even already used his magic to track the optimal path for coming across his harem in the next domain and had chartered a course. His name would once again spread like wildfire and, more than anything, he'd finally get to beat people up again. He'd restrained himself as sect master but he was originally quite a scrappy person. How long had it been since his last good fight? There weren't many people in this domain who could even provide one anymore and he had no interest in fighting those that could as he was on good terms with them. Yulo had to think back to his days in Akarala, back when he was still a foreign aid disciple, and he happened across 'bloody big bear'. He considered himself the peak of close combat across Sheryashka but he learnt a rough lesson that day that there was always a bigger fish. Even with his foresight he struggled immensely in the face of overwhelming technique. Bloody big bear was a martial master for the ages and would be thoroughly uncontested in hand to hand combat probably until the day it died. Thankfully it was driven and possessed a one track mind. It wasn't territorial, it didn't pick fights, it simply pursued greatness and excellence on its own turf and never strayed from it. He was a sagely old master determined to reach whatever pinnacle he was chasing. Taciturn, he was best left undisturbed unless you were in search of a beating. Locals paid him respects but he only ever looked anyone's way if they were trying to do battle with him for whatever reason. A lot of hyper dedicated hand to hand combatants specifically went out of their way to spar with bloody big bear because his technique was eye opening and enough to put people into a state of enlightenment. He was like a zoo animal you could watch from afar but there was no railing preventing the curious from leaping into the rage cage that was the circle of land he inhabited and defended like an aggressive sumo wrestler.
Truthfully, Yulo got his ass kicked more than he cared to admit back then. He learnt a lot of valuable lessons, though, and came out of it a far stronger cultivator. Yulo believed every cultivator should at least know the basics of how to scrap with nothing but the body God gave you in worst case scenarios. Even those with strong affiliations of magic should venture beyond their comfort zones and learn to throw a life saving fist or two. If it were up to Yulo, he would have sent every single disciple of the sect over to Akarala to experience bloody big bear's hospitality. it was possible to win but nobody would do it on their first spar, he was similar to Veteran in the sense that he sprung to life and beat you senseless before you knew what was happening. Magic was permitted but bloody big bear had magic of his own and wouldn't hesitate to use it if his challenger resorted to their own magic. His haemomancer magic put the 'bloody' in bloody big bear but he never cast arts. His only real use was to tether opponents to his fists and palms but that was more than deadly enough to be a major problem if ever it landed. Yulo's foresight helped but it was also pointless if he wasn't capable of overcoming the raw speed or technique he prophesised so he had mould himself like he was hammering his technique against raw steel. From the outside it looked like he was banging his head against a brick wall and making no progress but over the course of about a month his improvement was considerable. He went from losing pretty much instantly to toughing out five minute rounds of one on one expert brawling. Yulo wasn't a slouch, so he won eventually, but most people would quit long before they were able to leave even a dent on the big ol' bear. Some even considered him akin to living martial scroll who imparted wisdom selflessly to anyone who stood in the ring. Really he was just using any willing challengers as practice but if it benefitted everyone equally then there was no need overthink things. As such, he was greatly respected and the locals were quite protective of him, worshipping him regularly and bringing offerings here and there. He wasn't a guardian, exactly, but he was a natural barrier that kept nearby villages safe just by existing. Monsters knew better than to step through his territory and had to respect it.
Yulo was tempted to stop by Akarala before heading to Vraizon just so he could feel alive again. He might not even win, it had been far too long since he trained in any meaningful way, but getting raw technique beaten into him the hard way might be enough to kick start his cultivation career in the right way. Part of the reason he was so dominant nowadays was because he combined his foresight with bloody big bear's teachings, turning him into an unstoppable combatant who was supposedly unbeatable without magical aid. Fighting Yulo without magic was suicidal but even he would struggle to beat Mr bear so it just went to show how much of a threat he was. As for Ares, who knew none of this... Well he was looking to shore up his weaknesses still and hand to hand combat was an area he was lacking in... He knew of the old saying that bears are incomprehensibly dangerous but maybe he'd finally get to experience a fraction of why that saying even existed in the first place. Ares was stubborn enough to butt heads with Veteran until he finally won and there was no reason for him to run away from a worthy challenge. It had been a while since he lost a fight of any kind and he definitely wasn't expecting to any time soon what with all his recent developments. Objectively, he could kill the bear just by either blowing it up or turning into Garmr... But there was undeniably something more important he could gain by approaching the matter form a different angle. Yulo was tempted to inform Ares about this opportunity, as he knew he was heading over to Akarala soon, but figured he would figure it out on his own. Ares often looked like an idiot but he was an excellent cultivator who wouldn't let something like that slip between his fingers. Also, generally, it was hard not to understand the bear's value the second you saw him. His silent form, as he danced through his circle with mystic wisdom, and the power behind every movement was enough to clue in even the blindest of fools.
The ceremony continued and went pretty much according to expectations. Yulo gave a speech about how he was thankful for everyone's efforts to help the sect grow to where it was today, though he did complain about the paperwork which was completely off script, and mentioned he would still pop up from time to time to say hello. He talked about how he was positive the sect would have a bright future and his confidence in the new sect master before he finally bowed out with some wordy, mushy spiel that even he didn't really believe in. Blah blah, aim high, blah blah, remember your roots, etc... He wouldn't have spoken any of this if it weren't for Rud practically forcing him to. Yulo felt it was embarrassing but his parting wages were on the line here! Even after all these years of friendship Rud was still a cold, heartless demon when it came to money! "Oh, also, one more thing." Yulo scratched his head and sighed. "I'm sure there are some amongst you who still remember the previous sect master... He's still here in the sect, he's still kicking and I don't mean the bucket, but don't worry... He won't be the sect master again so you can all sleep with peace of mind." Yulo's remark sounded incredibly strange, and Ares was wondering if it was ok to badmouth the previous sect master like that, but a large chunk of disciples and elders all looked incredibly glad to hear it! Arse had assumed the previous sect master was like any other but apparently he wasn't much liked for some strange reason? He wouldn't have been a tyrant or anything, he was welcome in the sect still and Yulo even went to bat for him when asking Ares to look for life extending resources, so what was the deal exactly? Better yet, Ares had been meaning to ask this, but where exactly was the sect master anyway? Ares hadn't seen him whatsoever so he was either buried in the headquarters somewhere or deep in the core area of the sect... Ares had hoped to meet the sect master alongside Yulo, before he left, but it was seeming like that was unlikely. Playing hide and seek with this old man was some kind of weird joke but it was looking likely Ares would have to search and high low for this old geezer at some point. If nothing else, he wanted to know who the hell this guy even was! He wasn't mentioned during the history segment of the sect and Ares had assumed it was because he was too recent to mention. Maybe there was more to it? Now he was curious damn it!
Next up were the elder comments and they were free to go in any direction they wanted. Criticism, encouragement for the future, funny anecdotes or stories, etc... Most were positive, and exactly what you'd expect when it came to the individual saying the, but Rud, for whatever reason, used this as an opportunity to badmouth Ares! 'Yulo was fantastic and all but...' and then his tirade on Arse began! Nobody asked! This was supposed to be about Yulo! Everyone rolled their eyes and sighed, even the core disciples who weren't fond of Ares didn't appreciate this deviation from the script mostly because it was Rud doing it! This old mule had no right to criticise anybody else given how stingy he was. He worked hard, everyone knew it, but... Ares was still preferable! Ares had spooked some of the disciples here and there with his actions since joining but he provided the Beads and boosted the sect's reputation. Rud made sure the sect was running properly but he also made sure everyone was as broke as humanly possible at all times! Tyrant of taxation, render of wallets! Even if his points were agreeable it was hard to agree with him because nobody wanted to take his side!
"Alright old man, time to go back to bed!" Ares used "Quietus Edict" to silence Rud ranting random tantrum before following up with telekinesis to drag him off stage and sit him down in a chair. For good measure, Ares summoned some ropes using physical pressure to tie him up and keep him from getting rowdy for the rest of the event. The nearby elders snickered but looked away when Rud's glare passed over them. Any who were caught with direct eye contact felt glum as they knew they were going to be the sacrificial lamb, the 'examples', and have their wages reduced due to various reasons that seemed legitimate on the outside but were really a pretense for vengeance...
Ahem
Yulo took to the stage and got things back on track. The ceremony was basically over now and all that was left was the robe handover and a quick speech from Ares but, as was expected, this was where the core disciples took their stand. As Ares walked over to Yulo, who was holding a pure white robe with cloudy pattens across it, a series of loud shouts interrupted the proceedings. The core disciples burst into the venue from all angles and quickly surrounded the stage while pushing aside the inner court disciples and even some of the elders. Though the elders were tempted to smack these careless upstarts they already roughly grasped Ares' power and knew the core disciples were in for a world of hurt anyway and decided not to interfere. 'Ares' was pretty much synonymous with 'strongest man in world' right now and only the core disciples were idiotic enough to be swayed into a picking a fight with him. Ares' low cultivation, the fact he never interacted with a majority of the core disciples even once, the fact he hadn't been in this sect for even a year, and a few other reasons here and there all led to the core disciples having a strange impression of him. They didn't rely on his Beads, they were the cream of the crop in this sect and were strong enough without tools crafted by those weaker than them, and they didn't rely on Ares' artifacts either. Dascar had drilled it into them that he was talented but just another prodigious disciple, nothing more. There were countless amazing geniuses sprouting up and while Ares was definitely among them Dascar truly believed that was all Ares was. Being a fundamental champion meant something way more, something extremely important, but Dascar, and the core disciples he bamboozled, were unaware and were going to make a complete mockery of themselves because of it. They didn't understand the degree of difference between them. They couldn't even grasp the fact that Enyo alone was probably enough to take them all and even she didn't stand a chance against Ares as he was right now. In fact Aejaz, Bellona, and Sandy could also deal with this crowd by their lonesome if they went all out so it wasn't even really a contest. There was a new generation of cultivator that these clowns were not a part of. Under normal circumstances, these people would maybe be some of the top five thousand cultivators in Sheryashka. They weren't small names and had breached the upper transition realm in some cases... But who cared? Living under a rock meant that news of the world passing them by hadn't reached their ears. They were too busy cultivating in seclusion, behind closed doors, and were now unable to grasp how stupid this was.
'Why the preferential treatment'? 'Who is he'? 'Where is our say'? From their perspective, these were all valid questions. They practically woke up one day to a sign in their house saying 'under new management'. They were all vying for the position too, eyeing it up at some point. Many were looking to become elders and then work their way into the position via Yulo's good graces and yet some random guy came out of nowhere and got unanimous support? It felt wrong to them and Dascar's incitement caused the issue to become a mini riot. They weren't harming anyone, they knew the elders would beat them half to death if they were stupid enough to get violent, but they were being unruly, disruptive, and noisy. They seemed to think that because they weren't given a say, doing this would brig everyone to the negotiating table because it was the easiest way to quell the nuisance. They were technically right but if they thought this was a good thing they were seriously misunderstanding the situation. Useful, that's how Ares viewed them. They were numbers that made up the sect, nothing more and nothing less. If they were any less important Ares might not have even put up with this but, because they served a purpose, no matter how trivial, Ares was going to take harsh measures and beat some sense into them instead. They would have had it far easier if they didn't force Ares to pay them any attention but they were expecting some kind of 'democracy' here and Yulo was partly to blame. He babied cultivators in these walls far too much and they hadn't yet grasped that 'democracy' was merely for those without the power to enforce anything else. There wasn't going to be a vote, there wasn't going to be a change of plans. Ares would listen to their complaints alright but what came of it after was not something these idiots should be looking forward to. Besides, even if the sect held a vote Ares would win anyway. He was respected by everyone below and above the core disciples so they were outnumbered regardless. The only 'vote' that would mean anything was a highly specific one in which only strong cultivators were given a voice but individual strength didn't actually matter. Basically the core disciples and elders would get to vote but the elders were outnumbered and being stronger than the core disciples didn't matter. To say 'only strong people should get a vote' and then rig the parameters such that they were the cutoff point for being weak was highly pathetic and nobody would agree to it anyway. Also also, if strength was all that mattered then, again, these morons were about learn a lesson or two about just how strong Ares really was.
This was a farce and everyone other than the ones running it knew it. Nonetheless, they persisted in their yelling, chanting, and generally disagreeable attitudes until Teng stepped up and demanded order. Anyone else would be ignored but Teng was universally accepted throughout the sect as a 'voice of reason', somebody who could be relied on to follow rules and be neutral as can be. The core disciples knew he would listen to their concerns even if he didn't personally agree with them so this was what they'd been waiting for and finally stopped shouting. Well, this was actually Dascar's idea, but they were in cahoots anyway so it didn't really matter. Dascar was sitting off to the side, pretending like none of this had anything to do with him, but basically everyone already knew who was responsible for this outburst. Hell Ares was told on the first day he returned so either Dascar was sloppy in his handling or he knew everyone knew and didn't give a damn because he thought himself invincible without direct proof. Ares would bite his head off as Garmr one day but today was awkward and so he could live for now as he was mostly harmless if this civil disobedience was the most he could muster.
"Who is your representative?" Teng called out to the core disciples and a robed scholar stepped forth. He was wearing glasses and had talismans slapped across his body and clothes like they were pieces of jewellery. In fact, he was wearing rings but even they had talismanic patterns etched into them so this guy seemed to be somewhat of a runemancer / trap expert. Ares didn't recognise him, he didn't recognise any of the core disciples other than the artsy brothers, but apparently everyone else knew who this guy was. The general vibe was that he was the strongest core cultivator excluding the artsy brothers who came from a higher domain to begin with and were mostly here to spy on Sheryashka happenings. Mr scholar here was the pinnacle of non-elder strength that belonged to this sect so he wouldn't exactly be weak or anything. Was he as strong as Eagerton or Edgerton? No, definitely not, but he had tricks up his sleeve that were worth being wary of. Even Edgerton knew better than to be careless around him. Put simply, his voice held weight to it so...
"I am." ... these two words were rather important. This wasn't a matter that could be swept under the rug or dismissed as 'irrelevant fodder being mad they weren't picked'. This scholarly fellow was stronger than most elders and only hadn't become one yet because he wanted more freedom in leaving the sect at his own discretion and didn't require a wage right now. He would be nearly comparable to someone like Teng in terms of influence if he wanted to and his opinion couldn't be ignored. With him at the helm, negotiations were about to get underway... Though whether or not they had any meaning was another matter entirely. Ares was going to be merciful, of course, but that didn't mean he was going to go easy on these little almost-traitors.