# Chapter 37: Growing Influence
Two months after its founding, the Order of the Golden Hand had achieved something unprecedented in Radiant City's political landscape: rapid expansion that attracted quality members without triggering hostile responses from established organizations. The faction's winner-takes-all philosophy proved remarkably effective at identifying individuals whose capabilities had been constrained by conventional advancement limitations.
ORDER MEMBERSHIP STATUS:
Current Size:23 active members
Cultivation Distribution:3 Gold-level, 7 Silver-level, 13 Azure Bronze-level
Specialization Range:Combat, merchant, crafting, intelligence, research
Enhancement Effectiveness:Average 250% cultivation efficiency improvement
Retention Rate:100% *(No voluntary departures)*
The faction's headquarters had evolved from Xìng Huáng's private tower to occupy an entire complex within Radiant City's cultivation district. The expansion was funded through member contributions—not mandatory fees, but voluntary investment from individuals who recognized that collective resources multiplied individual opportunities.
HEADQUARTERS FACILITIES:
Divine Enhancement Chambers:Specialized rooms for divine authority manifestation
Advanced Training Halls:Equipment and formations exceeding sect standards
Intelligence Center:Information networks coordinated by Captain Lin Wei
Resource Vault:Cultivation materials and emergency supplies
Research Laboratory:Master Liu's purification and enhancement studies
But the most significant development was psychological. Order members carried themselves with the confidence that came from knowing their advancement was backed by divine authority that rewarded excellence rather than mediocrity. The golden hand insignia they wore openly had become a symbol of earned capability that other cultivators treated with respect rather than suspicion.
Wang Li had advanced from Silver - Mid to Silver - High within six weeks of joining, his underground fighting career replaced by specialized combat missions for the Order and Radiant City Defense Force. His tournament record had improved to 73 consecutive victories, including matches against Gold-level opponents who couldn't counter his divine-enhanced technique precision.
Liu Mei had leveraged her divine-enhanced business acumen to establish trade networks that generated resources for the entire faction while expanding her personal cultivation advancement opportunities. Her merchant empire now spanned three territories and provided intelligence about regional political developments.
Chen Dao, a Azure Bronze craftsman who specialized in spiritual weapon enhancement, had discovered that divine authority enhancement allowed him to work with materials and techniques normally reserved for Gold-level artisans. His weapons were becoming sought-after by cultivators throughout the city.
EXTERNAL RECOGNITION:
The Order's growing influence had not gone unnoticed by established powers. But rather than the hostility Xìng Huáng had expected, most organizations were responding with cautious interest rather than opposition.
Azure Mountain Sect viewed the Order as valuable ally rather than competitor. Master Liu's continued research collaboration and the faction's anti-corruption specialization complemented sect objectives while providing access to divine authority enhancement that no other organization could offer.
Radiant City Council had classified the Order as "strategic asset" rather than potential threat. The faction's members were contributing to city defense, economic development, and intelligence operations at levels that far exceeded what their individual cultivation levels should have enabled.
Merchant Guilds were actively seeking partnership opportunities with Liu Mei's trade networks, recognizing that divine-enhanced business operations provided advantages that conventional methods couldn't match.
INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING - EXTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS:
But the Order's success within Radiant City was occurring against a backdrop of regional developments that carried both opportunities and threats.
Captain Lin Wei's intelligence networks had detected increased activity from multiple major powers, though their objectives remained unclear:
Blood Stone Magic Tower:Research expeditions active in four different territories
Shadow Council:Recruitment drives targeting merger survivors with unusual capabilities
True Martial Sect:Advanced practitioners traveling throughout the realm for unknown purposes
Blood Sky Floating City:Diplomatic missions to multiple territorial authorities
"The pattern suggests coordination rather than coincidence," Lin Wei reported during the faction's weekly briefing. "Major powers are positioning resources for something significant, but their objectives appear complementary rather than competitive."
"Complementary how?" Xìng Huáng asked, though his divine heritage was already whispering warnings about cosmic-level attention that his manifestations had attracted.
"They're all seeking the same thing—information about divine heritage manifestations and individuals with supernatural advancement capabilities."
The realization that multiple major powers were coordinating investigation into divine heritage cases created both immediate concern and longer-term strategic opportunity. The Order of the Golden Hand represented exactly the kind of organization they were seeking to understand or control.
HIDDEN INTERFACE: THREAT ASSESSMENT UPDATE
Continental Attention Level:HIGH *(Multiple major powers investigating)*
Coordination Probability:87% *(Patterns suggest cooperation)*
Target Classification:Divine Heritage Candidate *(Primary interest)*
Order Status:Strategic Asset or High-Value Target
"We have two primary options," Xìng Huáng announced after reviewing the intelligence implications. "Maintain low profile and hope to avoid major power attention, or accelerate expansion to develop capability sufficient for engaging with cosmic-level authorities."
"The first option is no longer viable," Senior Researcher Zhang observed. "Order membership and activities are too visible to hide from coordinated investigation."
"Which leaves accelerated expansion," Master Liu concluded. "But expansion to what scale? And how quickly can we develop capability without triggering premature confrontation?"
The discussion that followed would determine whether the Order remained a regional faction with divine enhancement benefits or evolved into something capable of influencing continental-level political dynamics.
Target Membership:100 active members within 6 months
Capability Development:Multiple Gold-level members with divine enhancement
Territorial Expansion:Recruitment operations beyond Radiant City
Alliance Building:Formal partnerships with compatible organizations
Authority Manifestation:Increased divine heritage utilization for collective benefit
But the most significant decision involved direct engagement with the forces that were investigating divine heritage cases.
"Instead of waiting for major powers to approach us," Xìng Huáng proposed, "we make contact on our terms. Demonstrate that the Order of the Golden Hand represents partnership opportunity rather than threat requiring elimination."
"Risky," Merchant Chen observed. "If they decide we're threat instead of opportunity..."
"Then we face elimination attempt regardless," Wang Li interjected with characteristic directness. "Better to control engagement conditions than react to their initiative."
FIRST CONTACT PROTOCOLS:
The Order's approach would be carefully calibrated to demonstrate capability while avoiding actions that could be interpreted as Actively Hostile while Understanding the Structure of Blood Stone Magic Tower and it surrounding Territories.
The proposal was elegant in its simplicity: the Order would provide research access to divine heritage manifestation in exchange for cultivation resources that would accelerate member development. Both parties would benefit while establishing precedent for cooperation rather than conflict.
PREPARATION PHASE:
Before initiating contact with external major powers, the Order needed to demonstrate capability that justified partnership consideration rather than elimination response.
Over the following weeks, faction activities focused on showcasing the advantages that divine authority enhancement provided to group operations:
Joint Mission Success:Order members achieved 100% mission completion rate
Resource Efficiency:Divine enhancement reduced operational costs by 60%
Innovation Development:New techniques combining individual specializations
Intelligence Value:Unique insights about divine heritage and cultivation enhancement
The most impressive demonstration was collective advancement rate. Divine authority enhancement allowed Order members to progress through cultivation tiers at speeds that should have been impossible without dangerous shortcuts or artificial augmentation.
Average Advancement Rate:3x normal speed with stable foundation
Breakthrough Success:95% *(Compared to 40% regional average)*
Technique Mastery:Accelerated learning across all specializations
Spiritual Stability:Zero cultivation deviation incidents
But the true measure of the Order's growing influence was recognition from other cultivators who began seeking membership not just for divine enhancement benefits, but for association with an organization that consistently produced exceptional results through superior methodology rather than inherited advantages.
Applications for Order membership had increased from occasional inquiries to steady stream of candidates whose capabilities and philosophy aligned with winner-takes-all principles. The faction was becoming attractive to exactly the kind of individuals whose advancement had been limited by conventional organizational constraints.
Application Volume:15-20 per week
Acceptance Rate:12% *(Maintaining quality standards)*
Candidate Quality:Improving *(Reputation attracting superior applicants)*
Geographic Range:Expanding beyond Radiant City
As Xìng Huáng reviewed membership applications from cultivators in distant territories who had heard about divine enhancement opportunities, he realized the Order of the Golden Hand was approaching the threshold where it would either evolve into a major regional power or attract elimination attempts from established authorities who viewed its growth as threat to existing hierarchies.
HIDDEN INTERFACE: INFLUENCE ASSESSMENT
Regional Recognition:Established *(Known throughout three territories)*
Political Status:Strategic asset transitioning to independent power
Divine Authority Stability:High *(Growing membership enhancing rather than depleting)*
Future Trajectory:Major power status or elimination attempt within 12 months*
The growing influence that had begun with winner-takes-all philosophy and divine authority enhancement was creating momentum that would soon require the Order to engage with cosmic-level forces that shaped reality itself.
The golden hand was no longer simply claiming what individual members earned—it was reaching toward authority that could influence how power operated throughout the Blood Demon Martial Realm.