Miles away from Thunder Palace, in a location that maps would claim didn't exist, seven figures sat around a circular table carved from a single piece of obsidian. The chamber they occupied was buried deep beneath the earth, accessible only through shadow-walking techniques that bent space itself.
No light touched this place save for the eerie glow emanating from the table's surface, which showed a perfect real-time view of the festival above. The image was so clear that they could count individual expressions on the celebrating disciples' faces.
"So," the figure at the head of the table spoke, their voice carrying the weight of ages, "the Blood Constitution Bearer and the Ice Constitution Bearer achieved perfect fusion."
The speaker's face was hidden beneath a hood that seemed to absorb light rather than merely block it. When they moved, reality rippled slightly around them, as if the universe itself struggled to process their existence.
"More than that," replied another figure, this one wearing a mask of silver that reflected no light. "They created an entirely new technique category. Blood Ice Lightning shouldn't be theoretically possible according to any known cultivation principles."
"Shouldn't be possible, yes," agreed a third voice, melodious and beautiful despite the malice beneath it. "But they did it anyway. Which raises some... interesting questions about our timeline."
The Revelation
The figure at the head of the table gestured, and the obsidian surface zoomed in on Jin Ho's face as he awkwardly accepted congratulations from various festival-goers.
"Look at him," they said with something between admiration and concern. "Three months ago, he was the weakest disciple in an insignificant sect. Now he's commanding alliance armies and repelling dimensional invasions. That rate of growth is..."
"Unprecedented," finished the silver-masked figure. "Even among Constitution Bearers, his development speed defies all predictive models."
"Which brings us to the real issue," the melodious voice continued. "Our original timeline assumed he would require at least two years to reach this level of capability. He's achieved it in three months."
A fourth figure, whose presence felt like standing too close to a furnace, leaned forward. "You're suggesting we accelerate the overall plan?"
"I'm suggesting," the head figure replied carefully, "that if the Blood Constitution Bearer is developing this quickly, the others might be as well. And if that's true..."
They didn't need to finish the sentence. Everyone around the table understood the implications.
The Count
"Status report on the remaining Constitution Bearers," the head figure commanded.
The silver-masked figure consulted what appeared to be a scroll made of starlight. "Blood Constitution Bearer: Kang Jin Ho. Status confirmed, power level exceeding projections."
"Ice Constitution Bearer: Seol Hwa-rin. Status confirmed, but her alliance with the Blood Bearer was not predicted. This represents a significant variable change."
"Thunder Constitution Bearer: Deceased. Noe Jin-un's essence was successfully transferred to the Blood Bearer, creating the dual-demon consciousness system."
"Shadow Constitution Bearer: Eum Mu-geuk. Status... complicated."
The head figure's attention sharpened. "Explain 'complicated.'"
"Agent Seven has maintained his cover identity perfectly, but his psychological evaluations are becoming... concerning. There are signs that his attachment to the Blood Bearer may be compromising his objectivity."
"Attachment?" The furnace-presence figure laughed, and the sound was like metal being forged. "Eum Mu-geuk doesn't form attachments. He's the perfect operative. Cold, calculating, emotionally detached."
"Was," the melodious voice corrected. "Past tense. Recent observations suggest that his extended deep-cover assignment has created unexpected... complications."
The Larger Picture
The head figure stood, and as they did, the obsidian table's display shifted to show a continent-wide view. Dozens of pulsing lights marked various locations across the landmass.
"Gentlemen, ladies," they began formally, "we face a decision point. Our original plan called for a gradual awakening sequence. Phase One would activate the Blood and Ice Bearers over the course of two years. Phase Two would reveal the Thunder Bearer's true fate and begin the convergence process. Phase Three would bring all Constitution Bearers together for the final ritual."
"But?" prompted the silver-masked figure.
"But the dimensional invasion has changed everything. The Blood Bearer's fusion technique demonstrates that Constitution Bearers can achieve power combinations we didn't predict. More troubling, the Void Overlord's response suggests that external forces are also moving faster than anticipated."
The display zoomed in on several specific locations, each marked with increasingly urgent red pulses.
"These are the four remaining Constitution Bearer candidate sites," the head figure explained. "We had planned to evaluate them over the next eighteen months, selecting the most suitable candidates for awakening."
"You're suggesting we activate all four sites simultaneously?" The furnace-presence figure sounded intrigued.
"I'm suggesting that our careful timeline may be a luxury we can no longer afford."
The Vote
The melodious voice spoke up. "What about the risks? Simultaneous activation could create interference patterns. Multiple Constitution Bearers awakening at once might produce unpredictable interactions."
"The alternative," the head figure replied grimly, "is allowing the Blood Bearer to continue developing at this unprecedented rate while we proceed with our original schedule. At his current growth trajectory, he could theoretically reach the convergence threshold independently within six months."
"Which would be... problematic," the silver-masked figure agreed.
"Catastrophic," corrected the head figure. "If he achieves convergence before we're ready to guide the process, the results could destroy everything we've worked toward for the past three millennia."
A long silence stretched around the table as each figure considered the implications.
Finally, the furnace-presence figure spoke. "I vote for acceleration. Better to risk some chaos now than face total unpredictability later."
"Agreed," said the melodious voice. "The fusion technique proves that Constitution Bearers can achieve things beyond our models. We need to regain control of the timeline."
"The psychological profiles support acceleration as well," added the silver-masked figure. "Eum Mu-geuk's compromised state actually makes him more useful for rapid deployment scenarios. His emotional attachment to the Blood Bearer can be leveraged."
One by one, the other figures around the table voiced their agreement.
The Decision
The head figure nodded slowly. "Then it's decided. We move to accelerated activation. All four remaining Constitution Bearer sites will be triggered simultaneously."
They gestured again, and the continental display shifted to show specific timing sequences.
"Phase One: Activate the four sites and begin awakening the Constitution Bearers. Timeline: 72 hours from now."
"Phase Two: Once awakening is confirmed, deploy our agents to make contact and begin guidance protocols. Timeline: One week."
"Phase Three: Begin convergence preparation while monitoring the Blood Bearer's continued development. Timeline: To be determined based on results."
"Any objections?"
The chamber remained silent.
"Very well. Deploy the activation signals."
The Warning
As the meeting began to dissolve, the melodious voice added one final comment.
"There is one additional consideration. The Blood Bearer's alliance network is stronger than predicted. He has genuine loyalty from multiple sects, and his partnership with the Ice Bearer appears to be based on mutual respect rather than mere convenience."
"Your point?" the head figure asked.
"My point is that when we finally reveal the truth about the Constitution Bearers' true purpose, he's not going to simply accept it. He's going to fight. And he'll have allies when he does."
The head figure paused in their departure preparations. "Then we'll need to ensure that when the time comes, fighting us isn't an option he can choose."
"And how do we do that?"
"By making sure he understands that the alternative to cooperation is the destruction of everyone he's learned to care about."
As the chamber emptied, the obsidian table's display lingered on Jin Ho's face, still showing him awkwardly accepting congratulations at the festival. He looked so young, so earnest in his desire to protect others.
Soon, that desire would become both his greatest strength and his most exploitable weakness.
The real game was about to begin.