Level 9 Warriors were easy to improve, and Carl had never planned to improve the magical aptitude of his mages. With Ernst Magic Academy around, it was difficult for her to recruit any high-quality magic students.
Before long, Wind Shadow Pavilion emerged in Tianfeng Prefecture. While the territory's residents were still marveling at their lord's breakthrough into the Saint Realm, some sharp-eyed people had already begun arriving from elsewhere.
After all, the Wind Shadow Pavilion Carl had established differed somewhat from other Saint Realm forces.
In her plans, she had carried over some ideas from fantasy sects.
Those below Level 3 Warrior would be Outer Disciples. If they failed to advance from Level 1 to Level 3 Warrior within ten years, they would graduate early. However, they were guaranteed a place in the territory's Security Team after graduating, which was still a good destination.
Those who could reach Level 3 Warrior within ten years had either good talent or were exceptionally diligent. Such people met the requirements to become Inner Disciples of Wind Shadow Pavilion.
As Inner Disciples, they would receive the maximum boost to their cultivation speed from Carl, with the benefits provided long-term so their strength could improve as much as possible.
As for those above the Inner Disciples, Carl had no plans to establish some kind of Elite Disciple rank. Instead, they could become her Nominal Disciples directly.
The Outer Disciples were Carl's way of screening for talent and diligence. They received a passive 1% boost to their cultivation speed at minimum. Ordinary people might need ten or twenty years to reach Level 3 Warrior, but Wind Shadow Pavilion wasn't looking for ordinary people. It was looking for geniuses.
To cover in ten years the ground others needed twenty years to cross—that was the sort of talent with the potential to become a Level 7 Warrior.
Only those with this level of talent would receive the maximum boost to their cultivation speed from Carl, allowing them to grow faster. As for becoming a Nominal Disciple, that was already an honor in itself.
After all, Wind Shadow Pavilion was ultimately just a force established by a Saint Realm expert. Take Ernst Institute, for example: graduates could at most say they had graduated from Ernst Magic Academy. After graduating, only those who continued to display exceptional talent among a group of geniuses had a chance to stay on as instructors. The rest had to leave the academy, and perhaps all they would remember for the rest of their lives were a few good friends from their class.
But Wind Shadow Pavilion was somewhat different. Anyone who reached Level 7 could become Carl's Nominal Disciple. That meant someone who had originally been just a member of the force would become the leader's disciple, and could eventually rise to become one of Wind Shadow Pavilion's senior figures.
Furthermore, once they held the status of Nominal Disciple, their Level 7 strength would likely make even most Level 9 experts think twice before underestimating them. That was the weight carried by a Saint Realm expert.
As for the Official Disciples above them, they all needed to have Level 9 strength. This was how Carl envisioned Wind Shadow Pavilion: a high-end force standing apart within her territory.
For anyone who became her Nominal Disciple, Carl would buy them a Level 9 Aptitude Enhancement Talisman. Once they truly entered the ranks of Level 9, she would then buy them a Saint Realm Aptitude Enhancement Card.
Through layer upon layer of screening, the Outer Disciples weeded out those with poor talent, while the Inner Disciples weeded out those with merely average aptitude. Anyone who could cultivate to Level 7 was already exceptional in their own right. Giving them Level 9 aptitude while they were still at Level 7 would let them progress even faster.
For the sake of this so-called century-long plan, Carl was willing to spare no expense.
Just as the emergence of Wind Shadow Pavilion caused a sharp increase in the flow of people through Tianfeng Prefecture, Carl stopped cultivating in her manor.
The morning sun shone through the gaps between the leaves. The lingering mist made even those with little strength feel cold, and a few servants shivered as they swept up fallen leaves.
"You may all leave."
Seeing that the courtyard was nearly clean, Carl spoke in a gentle voice. The servants, none of whom had even reached Level 1 Warrior, stopped what they were doing and filed out of the courtyard.
Only after they had all left did Carl look toward a certain spot in the sky. She smiled calmly and said, "A guest is always welcome. Since you're here, why not show yourself?"
"Hahaha! They all said you were just a lucky fellow who had managed to break through to the Saint Realm by chance. But I've always had high hopes for you. Now that I've met you, it's clear you're a seasoned and far-sighted leader."
A short, thin middle-aged man suddenly appeared in the sky. Silver-white Battle Qi rippled around him, and under its influence, his cropped hair looked like a patch of steel needles.
At the sight of the newcomer, information flashed through Carl's mind, and she immediately recognized him.
Steller, one of the Radiant Church's five Peak Saint Realm experts, was also a legendary figure in the Holy Alliance. There were enough biographies about him to bury an entire small town.
Yet facing such a powerful expert, Carl felt no concern. After all, Steller had risen to fame relatively late and had entered the Saint Realm only seven or eight hundred years ago.
If it had been Luo Ye, that Ascetic, Carl might have feared him somewhat. But against anyone else, even though her understanding of the Mysteries was limited, she could still fight with the advantage of her Saint Realm body.
Seeing that the Saint Realm expert named Carl showed no fear—and even seemed eager to fight—Steller felt a little puzzled. After all, once someone reached the Saint Realm, they would more or less understand the gap between Saint Realm experts.
Before entering the Saint Realm, seeing a Peak Saint Realm expert was like a frog in a well gazing at the moon. Only after entering the Saint Realm did one realize that they were no more than a mayfly looking up at the blue sky.
The gap between each step within the Saint Realm was greater than the combined gap between Level 1 and Level 9 Warrior. Yet this person seemed ready to challenge him, so Steller cautiously examined her with his senses.
As a warrior, Steller's Mental Power naturally wasn't very strong. But as a Saint Realm expert, even his weakest Mental Power surpassed that of the vast majority of people in the world.
As Steller sensed the unusual aura around Carl, he couldn't help but feel a jolt of surprise.
"You've already reached the Peak Saint Realm?"
Steller could barely keep his usual arrogant expression in place. He had cultivated for nearly a thousand years before comprehending the Mysteries and entering the Peak Saint Realm. He had originally come to recruit Carl and make her the cornerstone of his Executor's Office, but if she had reached the Peak Saint Realm, that was no longer something he could decide on his own.
"Senior Steller, I only got lucky."
Since the five Peak Saint Realm experts of the Radiant Church believed she had entered the Saint Realm by chance, Carl replied that she had only gotten lucky.
Hearing Carl's answer, Steller knew that this time, he had failed to get the job done.
Even so, he was unwilling to give up and wanted to extend an invitation.
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