Connor led the warriors, including Ricky, to the base of Imperial Palace of Wildness as a way of making them feel welcome. As they walked to their destination, he told them of the rules they must obey after they joined the Celestial Army.
Everyone in the Realm of Wildness were discussing the past competition of spiritual kings. In almost all the conversations that involved the said competition, Ricky stood out as the main topic. There, he was already widely known to the public as the spiritual king who appeared out of nowhere and killed two powerful spiritual kings to get a place in the competition.
Despite initially being regarded as an outsider, Ricky instantly became more famous than all the local spiritual kings of the Realm of Wildness.
"As you have now become new members of the Celestial Army, we are all brothers from here forth!" Connor said with a small yet benevolent smile. "Concerning your positions, I've already made some arrangements, though I am not quite sure if you will all be satisfied with the said arrangements."
"Please, go ahead!" The Celestial Army's new members, including Ricky, all nodded in unison.
"Lord of Imperial Palace of Wildness, Shadow King, Chief of Casting Guild, and Scott, the four of you can still stay in your own respective forces," Connor clarified. "You can set your hearts at rest. The Celestial Army will not intervene with your forces' own, personal matters. Neither will we force you to do anything that will go against your forces' codes.
I believe it is plain for everybody to see."
"Thank you so much, Master Connor!" The four were very excited upon hearing the leader's words. After joining the Celestial Army, they were extremely worried that the Celestial Army would take control of their existing forces.
But upon hearing Connor's assurance, they felt like a thorn had been pulled out of their chest. Besides, after the Celestial Army's arrival, they never laid a hand on any of the forces residing within the area, except for the Sky Manor.
"Sure enough, if something urgent comes up and we need your help, I hope that you will not refuse or let us down," Connor added.
"We will definitely help you out when necessary." They all swore sincerely.
"As for Yori, since you don't have your own force in the Realm of Wildness, please stay right here for the moment." Connor motioned for Ricky to stand closer to him.
"I had originally intended to appoint you to the position of vice leader; however, I'm afraid that the old members of the Celestial Army will not be in full support of my decision. For now, I hope you can be contented with simply being one of my regular members. I truly hope you won't feel wronged.
On the other hand, you can also expect things to change in your favor once you showcase your strength and abilities in the future. By then, I'm pretty sure everybody else will keep their mouths shut once I announce my desire to appoint you as a vice leader."
"Ha-ha! That's so generous and kind of you. I have always been wondering about how I can carry on with being a member of the Celestial Army when I don't even have a permanent place of residence in the area. Now, I have the honor of staying here, and I didn't even expect that I would be offered the promise of such a high position early on," Ricky smiled.
The lord of the Imperial Palace, Shadow King, and the chief of the Casting Guild stood nearby with a hint of jealousy in their eyes. They had heard the said proposal loud and clear.
'From both a personal and social perspective, this Yori will inevitably be my enemy. I must get rid of him!' the Shadow King thought furiously. He balled his hands into fists and gritted his teeth.
"Master Connor, there is still one problem lingering in my heart." Ricky switched to using telepathic link as he continued his conversation with Connor.
"Really?" Connor asked. "Well then, tell me." He was eager to know what it was that bothered his new ace member.
"I am sure you can also feel the Shadow King's murderous intent towards me. And here I am, about to make new acquaintances in a place that's entirely new to me. Let me tell you this, I really dislike being threatened. I will not sit still waiting for my doom," Ricky exposed, with no holds barred.
"But, you have to remember that the Shadow King is a second-class upper spiritual king." Connor was a little taken aback by Ricky's brave, uninhibited words. What surprised him the most was how Ricky had the guts to plot a counterattack against the Shadow King.
Of course, whether he was really surprised or simply pretended to be, no one would know about it except himself.
"A second-class upper spiritual king? The Shadow King must be really powerful then," Ricky said although he was obviously faking his bewilderment and awe. "But, Master Connor, unfortunately for him, I am also confident in my own strength."
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