High above the Savadeen Mountains, lay the Misty Sect's Main Stronghold. They were one of the powerful Factions in the Central Continent and held considerable prestige and influence.
Right now, the Sect Master and Sect Elders were having a high-level meeting. They had gathered to discuss the upcoming celebrations for their founding ceremony. Naturally, one of their topics was William's and Rebecca's upcoming battle that would be held in less than two months' time.
Rebecca's Master, Eleanor, and the Elder, Lady Miriam, who had attended William's knighting ceremony in the Hellan Kingdom, were telling the Sect Master and the Elders of their Sect all the information that they had about William.
After their report, the Sect Master pressed her hands together and rested her chin on top of it.
"So, you're saying that this William was just a normal shepherd a few years ago, correct?" Thea, the Sect Master of the Misty Sect, asked.
"Yes," Eleanor answered. "He is just a country bumpkin that tends goats and sheeps."
Thea nodded her head. "Then a few years later, he rose up in the ranks and became the youngest Knight Commander of the Angorian War Sovereign. After that, the War in the Southern Continent happened and he was one of the commanders that opposed the Elven invasion."
Thea had read most of the documents about William an hour before the meeting took place. More or less, she already knew the Half-Elf's achievements and felt that things didn't add up.
"I had only met the boy once, and he left a lasting impression on me," Lady Miriam commented. She still hadn't forgotten how William made her kneel in front of the nobility of the Hellan Kingdom. For her, it was the greatest humiliation that she had suffered in her life.
"Back then, I supported Eleanor's move to break up ties with the boy because I deemed that he wouldn't amount to much." Lady Miriam sighed. "We sent invitations months ago to the other factions in the Central Continent and invited them to participate in our festivities.
"We even advertised Rebecca's and William's battle as the main highlight of our Sect's celebration. Now that news of the boy's accomplishment is announced in the entire world, we can expect that more guests will arrive due to him."
The Elders of the Misty Sect frowned. In the past, they wanted to use William as a stepping stone for Rebecca, and use this event to show everyone the prowess of their Sect. However, right now, they felt that they were sitting on hot coals.
Rebecca might be a genius, but if you compared her to the Half-Elf that had conquered the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon, her prestige fell far too short.
The only saving grace was that Rebecca had undergone closed cultivation for a year inside their Ice Glazed Domain, and was unaware of the events that were happening in the world. If she knew about William's recent achievements, it might affect her progress and would prevent her from breaking through the next step in her advancement.
"There's nothing that we can do right now," Thea said. "We also cannot cancel our Founding Ceremony because that will make us look weak in the eyes of the world."
"But, Sect Master, if we let Rebecca fight William, her chances of winning are almost non-existent," Eleanor replied. "We will lose face if that happens."
The other Elders nodded their heads in agreement, but Thea remained calm. She shared Eleanor's opinion, but she had already thought of a plan in order to raise Rebecca's chances of winning.
"Three days before our founding ceremony, bring Rebecca out of the Ice Glazed Domain," Thea ordered. "I will plead with her Excellency, Meredith, to become Rebecca's contractor for a day. With her Excellency's help, we will achieve victory over the boy, and raise our Sect's prestige to the world."
The Elders looked at Thea in shock because they never expected that she would resort to such drastic means. Meredith was the Demigod that resided in the Savadeen Mountains and was the Protector of their Sect.
This was why the Misty Sect had managed to survive over the years because they had the backing of a Demigod.
Everyone had mixed feelings about the Sect Master's decision. Although they thought that Rebecca's chances of winning were slim, using this method to win against the Half-Elf left a bitter taste in their mouths.
Thea knew what the others were feeling, but her decision was final.
"Right now, Her Excellency, Meredith still hasn't fully recovered her strength," Thea explained. "She has recently undergone Rebirth, so her overall strength is only at the Pseudo-Demigod level. I don't think that making a temporary contract with a creature that is at the peak of the Myriad Beast category is an issue.
"Also, I believe that the boy is the same. Perhaps William has also made a contract with a powerful beast. This is the only explanation that I can think of to explain his unprecedented rise in power and prestige.
"We are just making the fight fair and square. There is no shame in using our Trump Card against the person that has cleared the 51st Floor of the Tower of Babylon."
The Elders pondered about Thea's reasoning and felt that there was some logic behind her statement. William was only an ordinary Shepherd, but he suddenly managed to stop the Elven Invasion as well as clear the Tower of Babylon.
If one were to ask what a miracle was then this was a miracle!
It was simply unbelievable.
"I support the Sect Master's decision." Lady Miriam nodded her head in agreement. "This whole William incident is indeed very fishy. We must protect our sect's prestige and show the world that he isn't that much of a deal.
"So what if he cleared the 51st Floor? That will not mean anything once Rebecca has trampled on his dignity. This is also a very good opportunity for our sect to take advantage of William's popularity. Everyone wanted to know more about him, so if he gets defeated in front of countless people, his previous achievements will become obsolete."
Lady Miriam clenched her fist. She had long wanted for the shameless Half-Elf to be brought down a peg or two. The grudge she had since she left the Hellan Kingdom weighed heavily on her heart.
If there was a way to humiliate William in front of everyone then she would do everything in her power to make it happen.
