"Greetings, master!" All of the students bowed respectfully before their master as they entered his residence, walking into a magnificent hall decorated lavishly with gold and jade.

"No need for formalities right now. And what are you doing here, Ashley? Didn't you get injured during your last battle? You're supposed to be resting!" The Second Elder's voice was calm as he moved his gaze in the young lady's direction.

Ashley, who knew her master very well, didn't hide her intentions. "I would like an opportunity to comprehend the Frost Moon Technique, master. I have come to the realisation that I'm not strong enough, and I wish to get better."

Her eyes immediately flashed with guilt. Although she looked ashamed, in the end, her shame was replaced by enthusiasm and the desire to get stronger.

The Second Elder's eyes flashed with a glimmer of approval.

"Fine, you can go to the Martial arts library and ask for the cultivation technique. Just show them this badge," said the Second Elder as he took out a golden badge and handed it over to Ashley. "Be careful with that cultivation technique, Ashley. It's an extremely dangerous technique. One that I wouldn't recommend to most people. But since you insist so much, I do not wish to stop you."

"Thank you, master!" Ashley cupped her hand in salute as she replied, and she immediately walked towards the door after receiving the badge. Claude narrowed his eyes as he watched Ashley leave.

The Second Elder then turned to look at the rest of his students. "My dear students, I assume most of you have already heard about it, but I thought I needed to make an official statement just to make it clear. We, the Flying Sword Faction, have finally found our tenth member!"

He then pointed his hands towards Claude, and everyone turned their heads and glanced at him.

"Young man, would you like to introduce yourself?" The Second Elder asked as he stared at Claude.

Claude immediately cupped his hands in salute and replied, "Greetings to my fellow seniors. My name is Claude Rayforth, the newest member of the Flying Sword Faction. I'm a newly joined inner disciple in the seventh rank of the Earth Realm. I look forward to working with all of you."

"Good!" The Second Elder laughed heartily, with a faint smile plastered on his face as he said, "In the future, you'll all be working together, so make sure that you form good relations with each and every one of them."

Each and everyone huh…

'That doesn't seem like an option anymore,' Claude thought to himself, as he recalled the argument he had with Ashley.

"Ha ha ha! How delightful! We have finally reached ten members!" The Second Elder's laughter made the students of the Flying Sword Faction feel at ease, as smiles began to appear on their faces. Their master's prestige was enough to make anyone listen obediently.

The Second Elder's mood was currently good. He sounded genuinely happy from the bottom of his heart.

"Sorry about that. I was a bit too excited." The Second Elder coughed after realizing that he was showing his emotions a bit too much. "But now that the Flying Sword Faction has ten members, we are eligible to compete in the Golden Crown Tournament next year!"

The students' expressions changed quickly. Most of the students could guess the Second Elder's intentions when they heard his words.

The Golden Crown Tournament!

A competition that was only held once in every five years. A competition that concerned the future of the martial world itself. It was a competition in which factions from different academies come together to compete with each other.

Although this was a competition for the youngest generation, it concerned the reputation of the entire Golden Avarice Academy. They, who were once known for their powerful factions, had now turned into mere husks of their past selves. They haven't won the competition in a very long time. And if they lost again, their reputation would only get more ruined.

And even more importantly, the potential of what the newest factions of Golden Avarice Academy is also essential in determining their future leader.

Being an elder was tough. If their factions showed impressive results in the competition, it would indicate that they were good at managing students. However, if their reputation was tarnished, the students wouldn't be the ones to blame, right? It could be said that a ruler is in charge of their men. Thus, if their faction was doing poorly, it would imply that the elder was not doing their job well enough.

The results of what the various factions of the Golden Avarice Academy can offer will be instrumental in deciding which of the elders are fit to be the next headmaster!