One long line stretched in front of Justin.
"Next... Next... Next..."
He shouted regularly, registering the disciples one by one.
He finished half an hour later, listing 176 names—nearly 80% of the inner disciples.
Once done, he visited Rey.
Unfortunately, the outer disciples' numbers were much lower, barely reaching a hundred.
It wasn't a big problem; instead of having normal matches, he chose to turn it into a battle royal.
However, the inner zone tournament required some referees for the qualification matches.
Still, both were happening in a week, so he had to find the referees quickly.
Amelia came to mind, then he shook his head.
He purged his thoughts, choosing to interact more with the remaining elders.
Justin guessed they wouldn't accept without a payment, but that wasn't a problem.
He went to the opposite side, arriving at where his target stayed.
Justin knocked on the door, speaking respectfully.
"Pardon me, Elder Alex~"
Soon enough, an old man pushed the doors open.
His face was full of wrinkles with two wide eyes and a medium-sized nose.
He was bald, his ears were sagging.
"What are you doing here, brat?" The elder spoke, his mouth devoid of any teeth.
Justin bowed, showing his respect before relaying his attention.
"I request the senior's experience. I've started a tournament and I wish to assess the disciples' strength to match them fairly."
The old man remained silent for a few seconds, seemingly considering whether to accept or not.
Then he spoke, his voice full of sadness.
"Unfortunately, these old bones are rotting. I can't help you, because I barely see anything nowadays."
Elder Alex responded, advising Justin to find someone else.
However, Justin didn't intend to give up easily, especially after witnessing Sigurd's slaughter.
While he saw Sigurd as an ancestor, he believed the man didn't regain his youth out of sheer luck.
He knew cultivators had risky methods to absorb high spiritual items so they could break through.
And he believed the invaders wouldn't sit quietly, not after what Sigurd did.
Thus, pushing Alex was the perfect solution.
A pawn for himself, and a great asset for the sect.
Even if it meant destroying his potential, if any of it remained.
"Senior!" Justin bowed once again, smirking internally.
He continued, "The sect is in grave danger, so please fulfill my request!"
"I beg you, consume these! I know they can help Senior break through!" Justin finished, waiting patiently for the old man's response.
He opened Alex's hand before placing four of his diamonds.
"I-i-i-impossible, how could it be?!" Alex shouted, yet his voice came out quiet, with barely any strength left.
He continued, "So precious, so noble!", sniffing the diamonds like a freak.
'Gollum!' The scene flashed within Justin's mind, reminding him of that one ring.
Elder Alex understood what Justin wanted him to do.
And deep down, he liked the idea, knowing it granted him another chance.
A salvation, even if it was a short-lived one, because of the side effects.
He looked at the diamonds, knowing he only needed one.
'But what is the rest for?' He questioned internally, suspecting Justin's true intentions.
No, who was sane enough to hand over such an item for no return?
Justin sensed the old man's doubts, feeling like he was losing his chance.
He grabbed Alex's robe, shocking him as he shouted.
"I beg you, senior!!"
"We don't have much time left!!!"
He couldn't allow the old man such a luxury, lest it prevent him from proceeding.
'Just do it you fucking dip shit!' He screamed internally, pushing his fake begging further.
Finally, the words had their effect as Alex trusted him.
He threw a diamond into the air before opening his mouth wide, allowing it to fall deep within his stomach.
Justin distanced himself, jumping back as the old man expanded into a massive balloon.
Cracks spread across his body as the Qi ran rampant.
However, the old man didn't seem bothered at all.
He seemed happy, a wide, proud smile painting his face as if experiencing a lifetime event.
"One... Two..." Justin counted as Elder Alex continued breaking through.
His progress halted suddenly, stopping at Early Spirit Manifestation, barely stepping into the Immortal Realms.
Alex stood still, inspecting his body.
He released a sigh of relief, understanding the consequences of his choice.
Although he was equally strong as others in the same realm.
He developed no soul, and as such, he had no spirit.
It was a disaster because it meant he couldn't escape soul attacks, nor could he resume his cultivation.
"Never mind," He muttered, shaking his head, "Fill me in." He continued, demanding more information about the situation.
Elder Alex huffed a minute later after hearing about the situation, then he burst out laughing the moment he heard what Sigurd did.
He assured, "No worries, we will survive like we always did." Then he questioned, "But what are these for?"
"Just a payment for the favor, senior!" Justin cupped his hand, glad the matter was settled.
He was curious about Alex's performance, anticipating his death.
He was curious about the reward since he hadn't managed to kill any Immortals yet.
"That's too much, this old man has two more thousand years at most, and one would suffice."
Alex spoke, handing two diamonds back.
"Fine, senior. I won't annoy you any further." Justin smiled, happy the diamonds were returned.
Alex nodded his head proudly, then muttered as Justin left him alone.
"Come seek me once I'm needed, then I shall repay the favor."
'Splendid, I hope you will take some down alongside you!' Justin thought, returning to his residence.
He believed Dandurff was done by now, prompting him to seek Ray.
The tokens were important, and they meant temporary status.
A great method to rile the disciples against each other.
However, he intended to dip into formations a little to avoid the help every time he needed something.
He knew all elders knew how to do it, meaning it was fine if he knew as well.