On the next day, the people who had packed into Caelestis City already started to go back to where they came from. Many of them were from other parts of the continent, while many others were residents of the city after migrating here.

They were the ones who had already registered themselves with the officials of the city back when it was still under construction, and many of them had also helped with the city's building. They were given homes so they did not have to buy property here.

As for others who moved normally, at this moment, the officials of the city were still receiving many applications from people who wanted to move here as soon as possible.

After the tournament, the applications exploded as many really wanted to settle in this big city. They knew if they were not fast enough, they would run out of spaces to live here, since the officials would not accept a population beyond the city's capacity. Although the city was very vast, these people did not take any chances and registered as quickly as possible.

There were screenings and checks for applicants before they could purchase property in the city, but that was something normal. It was meant to prevent anyone from doing something illegal after moving in. With a city this big, there would inevitably be many kinds of beings moving here in the future.

They wanted this city, which was one of the important cities near the central region, to remain in perfect condition and order. Even though no one would dare to try their luck causing trouble here because of its close distance to the central region where the emperor resided, the officials did not want to depend on that alone. They wanted to ensure there were no gaps in the city's security and order.

Despite being new and still receiving many newcomers, the city was already operating like a normal big city. Many businesses had already opened, some of them owned by big names or organizations known throughout the continent.

Names like the Alchemist Association, the Diamond Spirit Commerce, the Golden Phoenix Pavilion, and several noble families had established businesses and properties here. With businesses already open and the steady influx of people, the city's economy was already moving fluidly.

At this moment, in the midst of the people's activities, they sometimes still talked about yesterday's tournament. Even though the tournament had already finished, it remained an interesting topic of conversation, especially with so many remarkable events that had taken place.

The appearance of Zander and his battle with Kang Yongjin was one of the most talked-about subjects. Their fight was truly mind-blowing, with each of them displaying extraordinary strength that made their peers seem like nothing in comparison.

Especially for Zander, his name had become a hot topic as his appearance had shocked the entire continent. A genius who could comprehend sword intent and sword will at earl stage, the disciple of the emperor, Aldrian the Great and the one who defeated the successor of the Black Dragon Pavilion, Kang Yongjin. Stories like these were enough to make Zander the center of the spotlight.

Many said that he would become a great cultivator who might follow in the footsteps of his master, Aldrian the Great. However, there were also many who thought such words were too exaggerated. Although Zander was truly a one-of-a-kind cultivator, Emperor Aldrian was someone whose path could not possibly be followed. He was already on a completely different level compared to other "normal cultivators."

Still, whatever was said about Zander, everyone agreed that he would become a great cultivator in the future with all of his talent and privileges, if he could survive long enough in the harsh cultivation world. In this world, no one could predict what might happen to him. Even with the status of being Aldrian the Great's disciple, there was still the possibility that he could lose his life.

While the people continued talking about him, Zander was at that very moment in Aldrian's palace, having just arrived there along with the champions of each category, followed by the second and third places.

The moment they appeared on the teleportation formation on the palace's ground, they were amazed by the palace's grandeur and by the richness of the energy in this place. No matter who they were, they could not maintain a calm expression. Instead, they looked as if they were village folk visiting a great city for the very first time.

They believed that if they cultivated here, their progress would be many times faster than outside, and they truly felt fortunate to have the chance to cultivate and train in such a place.

Each of them was then given their own cultivation room. The number of training rooms in the palace was more than enough to accommodate all of them. In fact, the number of training rooms inside Aldrian's palace could reach into the hundreds.

Zander himself returned to the cultivation room he normally used and continued with his training. For him, there was no need to change to a cultivation technique created by Aldrian, as his current one was the most suitable for him. The same was true for Kang Yongjin, who was comprehending one of the Heavenly Demon's scriptures. Updates are released by novelꜰire.net

As these young cultivators enjoyed their cultivation time, Aldrian was meeting with two different groups of people in his throne hall. One group was Arson with his Thunderous Shadow Pavilion assassins, and the other was from the Barevisk family, led by Vars.

All the members of the two groups were already gathered in front of him as he began to speak.

"You must know why I have called all of you here. Arson and Vars should have already informed you about the matter I want to talk about."

The two groups seemed to already understand, as some nodded while the others remained silent in agreement.

"I will create my own imperial force, and both of your groups will be the starting groups that joins it. I have already thought about the division of tasks for both sides, so I expect you to carry out your duties with your best ability once you receive them."

"Yes, Your Majesty," they all answered, and Aldrian gave a nod.

"Alright, first, for you, Arson, and your Thunderous Shadow Pavilion assassin group. You will handle all kinds of clandestine operations for the imperial family, such as intelligence gathering, assassinations, and, in some cases, guarding my family members from the shadows. Your area of responsibility will be within the Barisan Continent, and all of you will be under my direct command."

"From this moment, I am changing your group's name from the Thunderous Shadow Pavilion to the Thunderous Shadow Group. After this, I will also provide you with a stronger cultivation technique than the one you currently use."

"You do not need to worry about destroying your cultivation foundation. Once you begin cultivating with the new technique, it will only strengthen your foundation and accelerate your cultivation speed in the future. You will still be able to use your elemental techniques and even learn far more powerful ones as time goes on."

Hearing this, the members of the Thunderous Shadow Group were ecstatic and instantly fell to their knees.

"We thank Your Majesty for the chance you have given us. We will never disappoint you!" they shouted, to which Aldrian responded with a nod. He then turned his gaze to Vars and his group.

"Vars, you and your group will be tasked with the external affairs of the empire. With your experience and knowledge of lands beyond the empire, and based on your elemental techniques, your group will handle external espionage and intelligence gathering from outside the continent, reporting any potential threats to the empire. If needed, you may also be used as assassins or saboteurs."

"You may also be tasked with guarding the imperial family in times when my family travels outside of the empire."

"From this moment, I name your group the Dark Saber Group, and all of you will be under my direct command. Like the Thunderous Shadow Group, I will also grant you the cultivation technique I created, which you may use as soon as you receive it. You do not need to worry about anything, as you will still retain your cultivation foundation and all of your elemental techniques. The cultivation technique I created encompasses all of your elements."

"We thank Your Majesty for the chance you have given us. We will never disappoint you!" they shouted as they knelt, to which Aldrian responded with a nod. He then looked at both groups.

"This empire is still so young, and it has only recently opened to the world. There are many things we must take care of with our newly built force. I know your workload may be heavy during these times, but I will not ignore your efforts. I will reward all of you for your hard work," Aldrian said.

"I hope you will give your best for the empire's interests, for its prosperity and order."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" both groups shouted.

After that, they continued to discuss the details of the groups, as there were many questions from the members. Much still needed to be decided in order to make the groups' work more precise and well-directed, preventing any confusion.

While they were still discussing the details, Vars suddenly spoke to Aldrian through voice transmission.

"Ah, yes, Your Majesty. Speaking of news from outside, I have received information that may require your attention."

Aldrian raised his eyebrows.

"Tell me about it."