CHAPTER 66: CHAPTER 66

The Grand Assembly Hall of Celestial Harmony Academy had never hosted anything like this in its thousand-year history.

Built to accommodate the largest academic gatherings, its soaring crystal dome and floating platforms now served a far more ominous purpose. For the first time in over a century, all nine heads of the Great Families had converged in one place.

The tension in the air was so thick it seemed to press against the protective formations surrounding the hall.

Nine thrones of different materials—each reflecting their family’s power and heritage—formed a perfect circle beneath the dome.

At the center, a simple stone table held communication crystals, documents, and the remnants of what had once been the Continental Intelligence Council’s credibility.

Academy Head Valdris Celestine stood at the periphery, his ancient eyes taking in the unprecedented gathering.

In all his centuries of maintaining the Academy’s neutrality, he had never seen the Great Families this unsettled. Something had shaken the very foundations of continental power, and he wasn’t entirely sure what.

Patriarch Magnus Stormcaller leaned forward in his throne of polished steel, his storm-gray eyes crackling with barely contained energy.

"Explain to me again how an entire intelligence network—one we’ve funded for decades—suddenly declares all their recent reports ’fundamentally flawed.’"

Matriarch Serenity Moonshadow drummed her fingers against the armrest of her silver throne, each tap echoing like a whispered threat.

"More importantly, explain how they’ve requested a formal investigation into their own methods. Since when does the Council voluntarily submit to oversight?"

At the center of their circle, seven figures knelt on the cold stone floor. The remnants of the Continental Intelligence Council, led by Director Cassius Vex, looked like men who had aged decades overnight.

Their once-pristine robes were wrinkled, their faces drawn, and their hands trembled with what could only be described as residual terror.

Patriarch Avalanche Glacier Peak slammed his massive fist against his ice-blue throne, the sound reverberating through the chamber like a war drum.

"Answer the question, Vex. What happened?"

Cassius lifted his head, and those present were shocked by what they saw. The man who had once commanded continental intelligence networks with cool efficiency now looked haunted, as if he’d seen something that had fundamentally broken his understanding of the world.

"Honorable Family Heads," he began, his voice cracking slightly.

"Our recent intelligence gathering efforts have been... compromised. The methods we employed, the sources we relied upon, the conclusions we drew—all of it was built on faulty foundations."

Lord Caspar Shadowmere leaned forward from his throne of crystallized darkness, his violet eyes narrowing.

"Faulty how, precisely? Your last reports claimed the Light Guardian organization posed a continental threat. Now you’re saying what—that you made it all up?"

"Not fabricated," Deputy Director Malachar interjected, then immediately regretted speaking as nine pairs of Ascended-level cultivators turned their attention to him.

"We... we misinterpreted the data. Applied biased analysis. Allowed personal concerns to cloud professional judgment."

Matriarch Verdant Ironwood raised an eyebrow from her living wood throne, her expression stern behind her earth-toned robes.

"Personal concerns? Since when do intelligence professionals allow emotions to compromise continental security assessments?"

The silence stretched painfully. Finally, Cassius spoke again, his words carefully chosen.

"We encountered... opposition. Someone who made us realize the extent of our errors. Someone who demonstrated that our understanding of the current continental situation was not just incomplete, but actively harmful."

Duke Theron Goldenvale sat back in his throne of woven gold, his merchant’s eyes studying the kneeling men with growing interest.

"Someone? You mean this mysterious ’Guardian’ figure your reports mentioned?"

The reaction was immediate and unmistakable. All seven Council members flinched as if struck. Cassius’s face went pale, and his hands began trembling again.

"Yes," he whispered.

"The Guardian."

Patriarch Aldwin Drake leaned forward in his throne of polished jade, his presence commanding attention despite the family’s supposedly diminished status.

"Tell us about this encounter. Everything."

Cassius took a shuddering breath.

"Three nights ago, the Guardian appeared in our most secure facility. Not broke in—appeared. He walked through formations that should have stopped Ascended-level cultivators as if they were paper."

"Impossible," Patriarch Aurelius Phoenix declared from his throne of ever-burning crimson flames.

"Our own formation masters helped design those protections."

"I thought so too," Cassius replied quietly.

"Until I saw him do it."

Matriarch Seraphina Northwind spoke from her throne of crystalline wind currents, her voice carrying the chill of northern storms.

"Describe him."

"Tall. Moved like... like power itself given form. Wore dark robes and a mask—black obsidian with silver inlays that pulsed with inner light. But it was his eyes..." Cassius shuddered.

"Through the mask’s openings, his eyes held galaxies. Actual galaxies, swirling with starlight."

The nine Family Heads exchanged glances. What Cassius described sounded like cultivation legends, not reality.

"And his power level?" Patriarch Magnus asked, lightning flickering around his fingers.

"Unknown," Malachar answered.

"Our instruments couldn’t measure it. The aura he projected... it wasn’t just strength. It was authority. Like reality itself acknowledged his right to command it."

Lord Caspar’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You’re describing something beyond Ascended level. Are you claiming this Guardian has achieved Pre-Celestial cultivation?"

"I don’t know," Cassius admitted.

"But whatever level he’s achieved, it’s beyond our ability to resist or understand."

Academy Head Valdris Celestine stepped forward slightly, his ancient wisdom compelling attention.

"What did this Guardian want from you?"

Cassius met his gaze briefly before looking away.

"Justice. He knew about our fabricated evidence, our manufactured scandals, our plans to destroy innocent people to damage the Light Guardian organization. He offered us a choice—retract everything and face your judgment, or refuse and face his."

"And you chose our judgment," Patriarch Avalanche observed grimly.

"Without hesitation," Cassius confirmed.

"Because whatever consequences you might impose, they pale compared to what he represented. This wasn’t just power—it was judgment incarnated."

The chamber fell silent as the nine most powerful individuals on the continent processed this information.

Each was accustomed to being the ultimate authority in their domain, yet they were hearing descriptions of someone who made their cultivation achievements seem insignificant.

Patriarch Aldwin broke the silence, though his thoughts were troubled.

Could this mysterious Guardian have any connection to his family? The timing of the Drake family’s recent... changes seemed too coincidental.

"Council, withdraw to the holding chambers. We need to discuss this matter privately."

As the seven terrified men were escorted out, the nine Family Heads faced each other in a circle that suddenly felt much smaller.

"Well," Lord Caspar said dryly, "this is unprecedented."

"Beyond unprecedented," Patriarch Magnus replied, lightning flickering around his fingers as his agitation grew.

"If even half of what they described is true, we’re facing something that changes everything."

"The question," Duke Theron said thoughtfully, his merchant’s instincts always focused on practical outcomes,

"is what we do about it."

"Eliminate the threat," Patriarch Aurelius declared immediately, flames dancing around his form.

"Unknown power of this magnitude cannot be allowed to exist unchecked."

"Assuming we could," Matriarch Seraphina countered coolly, wind currents swirling around her throne.

"Which, based on their testimony, seems unlikely."

Academy Head Valdris Celestine cleared his throat diplomatically.

"If I may, honored Family Heads, perhaps we should consider that this Guardian might not be a threat at all. The Light Guardian organization has done nothing but provide beneficial services to the continent."

"Beneficial services that have apparently been protected by power beyond our understanding," Matriarch Verdant observed, her connection to the earth giving her a different perspective on growth and change.

"That raises uncomfortable questions about our own authority."

Patriarch Avalanche leaned back in his ice-blue throne, deep in thought. "The real question is: who is he? This level of power doesn’t appear overnight. Someone with these capabilities should have been known to us."

"Unless," Matriarch Serenity suggested quietly, shadows dancing around her silver throne,

"they’ve been hiding their true abilities all along."

The implications of that statement sent a chill through the assembly that had nothing to do with Patriarch Avalanche’s ice techniques.

"You’re suggesting," Patriarch Aldwin said slowly, his mind racing through possibilities,

"that someone we know—someone we’ve perhaps dismissed or overlooked—possesses power that rivals or exceeds our own?"

"It would explain how they’ve operated undetected for so long," Lord Caspar agreed.

"Hidden in plain sight."

Academy Head Valdris Celestine felt a strange unease settle in his stomach.

The description of the Guardian’s power, the way he’d appeared and vanished, the authority he’d wielded... it seemed almost familiar, though he couldn’t place why.

"The Academy has extensive records of powerful cultivators across the continent," he offered.

"Perhaps we could cross-reference—"

"No," Matriarch Serenity interrupted, her voice carrying the whisper of night winds.

"If this Guardian has remained hidden this long, conventional investigation won’t reveal him. We need to draw him out."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Duke Theron asked, ever practical.

"By threatening what he protects," Patriarch Aurelius suggested, flames flickering higher.

"He revealed himself to protect the Light Guardian organization. Threaten it again, and he’ll appear."

"After what happened to the Intelligence Council?" Matriarch Seraphina raised an eyebrow.

"That seems... unwise."

Patriarch Magnus’s lightning crackled more intensely.

"Are we so frightened of one individual that we’ll abandon our authority over the continent?"

"We’re being practical," Patriarch Avalanche replied grimly.

"You don’t fight unknown enemies on their terms."

Matriarch Verdant leaned forward, her earth-based wisdom offering a different perspective.

"Perhaps we’re approaching this wrong. Instead of viewing this Guardian as a threat, maybe we should consider what his existence means for the continent’s future."

"Meaning?" Lord Caspar asked.

"Power like this doesn’t emerge in a vacuum," she explained.

"If someone has achieved capabilities beyond what we thought possible, it suggests the continental cultivation landscape is changing. We can either adapt to that change or be swept away by it."

The debate continued for hours, positions hardening along predictable lines.

The younger, more aggressive Family Heads wanted direct action. The older, more experienced ones counseled caution. None of them had good answers.

"What concerns me most," Patriarch Aldwin said finally,

"is that we’re debating someone whose identity we don’t even know. For all we know, this Guardian could be sitting in this very Academy, listening to our discussions."

The thought sent an uncomfortable silence through the assembly.

Meanwhile, miles away in a hidden cultivation chamber deep beneath the Starfall Estate, Ethan Drake’s true body sat in perfect lotus position, his consciousness entirely focused on absorbing and integrating the massive amounts of energy his recent advancement had unlocked. Around him, formations hummed with power, creating an environment where time moved differently—allowing for accelerated cultivation.

He had no idea that the nine most powerful people on the continent were debating how to handle his alter ego.

Back at the Academy, his clone moved through daily routines with perfect normalcy. Attending classes, studying in the library, practicing basic techniques with other students. To everyone who saw him, he was simply Ethan Drake—the talentless branch family member who somehow kept surprising people with his theoretical knowledge.

In his dormitory room, the clone reviewed formation theory while his suitemates studied their own subjects.

To them, he was just another student preparing for end-of-term examinations.

"Hey Ethan," called Marcus Chen, one of his roommates.

"You hear about all the commotion in the administrative sector? They say family representatives have been arriving all day."

The clone looked up from his books with apparent curiosity.

"Really? Any idea what for?"

"No clue," Marcus shrugged.

"But it must be serious. I’ve never seen so many high-level cultivators in one place."

If only he knew, the clone thought with hidden amusement.

At the Starfall Estate, Anthony and Aurora Drake were having their own conversation about recent events, unaware that their "son" present with them was actually a clone while their real child cultivated in secret chambers below.

"The whole continent seems unsettled lately," Aurora observed, looking out at the evening sky.

"Even the servants are whispering about strange happenings."

"Political upheaval," Anthony replied, though his expression was thoughtful.

"The Great Families are probably maneuvering for advantage again. Nothing that affects us directly."

Neither of them had any idea that their son—the one they’d raised and loved despite his apparent lack of talent—was currently the subject of continental-level concern.

Back in the Assembly Hall, the nine Family Heads had reached an uncomfortable consensus.

"We investigate carefully," Patriarch Aldwin announced.

"No direct confrontation until we understand what we’re dealing with. The Intelligence Council’s failure has taught us that much."

"And in the meantime?" Lord Caspar asked.

"We watch. We listen. And we prepare for the possibility that the balance of power on this continent has shifted permanently."

Duke Theron nodded slowly.

"I suggest we also consider economic implications. If this Guardian’s organization continues to grow, it will impact continental trade patterns."

"The Academy will cooperate with any reasonable investigation, as always," Academy Head Valdris Celestine said.

"But I must insist that our neutrality be respected."

"Of course," Matriarch Serenity agreed, though his tone suggested the concept of neutrality might be becoming obsolete.

Patriarch Aurelius leaned forward, flames dancing around his fingers.

"I propose we establish a joint task force. Representatives from each family, working together to investigate this matter."

"Agreed," Patriarch Magnus said.

"But we keep this quiet. If word spreads that the nine Great Families are actively hunting for an unknown Guardian, it could cause continental panic."

"Or it could draw him out," Matriarch Seraphina observed.

"That," Patriarch Avalanche said grimly, "might not be something we want."

As the assembly broke up, each Family Head lost in their own thoughts, none of them realized how close they’d come to the truth.

The Guardian they feared and sought to understand walked among them daily, hidden behind the perfect disguise of apparent mediocrity.

Patriarch Aldwin paused as he prepared to leave, his thoughts troubled by possibilities he couldn’t quite voice.

Something about this entire situation felt familiar, though he couldn’t place why.

The timing, the emergence of unprecedented power, the connection to the Academy where his family’s branch member studied...

But no, that was impossible. Ethan was talentless. Everyone knew that.

The clone continued its studies, the true body continued its cultivation, and the nine most powerful people on the continent began planning for a confrontation with someone they might never be able to find.

The age of hidden powers and secret guardians was about to become far more complicated.

And somewhere in the depths of his accelerated cultivation chamber, Ethan Drake’s unconscious mind registered a subtle shift in the continental spiritual atmosphere—a sense that eyes were turning his way, even if they didn’t yet know what they were looking for.

The hunt for the Guardian had officially begun.