The meeting went on with the large rewards handed out to groups that contributed the most. The other rewards could be collected individually after the meeting was over. Li Yu didn't stay for the mingling or the political maneuvering. He went straight to the Quartermaster’s office.

  The exchange of merit points was a blur of efficiency. Li Yu didn't save a single point. He emptied his account, which had grown to a staggering number due to the capture of three nodes and all his other deeds during this time.

  He didn't buy fancy weapons or flashy techniques. He bought raw materials. Mountains of high-grade spirit stones. Crates of rare herb seeds. Formation plates for defensive arrays. Building materials reinforced with spirit steel. He stripped the Quartermaster’s vault of its foundational resources, loading it all into the five high-grade storage rings.

  He was mainly acquiring things for his own cultivation since he was in a rush to get stronger but he also wanted to provide some resources for his alliance. It felt wrong to give them nothing when they were rebuilding.

  By the time he walked out of the HQ, the sun was setting and painting the sky in hues of purple and orange.

  A few of his commanders like Sect Master Zhou, Patriarch Han, Matriarch Su and Sect Leader Yan were waiting for him by the main gate. They looked anxious and were shifting from foot to foot. They knew he had gone into the meeting to ask for their future but they didn’t know the outcome. They weren’t significant enough to be a part of that meeting.

  Li Yu didn't say a word. He simply walked up to Sect Master Zhou and pulled out the golden scroll.

  "Here," Li Yu said while pressing it into Zhou’s chest.

  Zhou fumbled with the scroll and then finally was able to unroll it with shaking hands. Patriarch Han and the others crowded around. When they saw the seal of the Five Mountain Alliance and the name "Cloud-Mist Peaks," Matriarch Su covered her mouth to stifle a sob.

  "The Cloud-Mist Peaks..." Zhou whispered with his eyes wide. "Commander... this is an amazing territory. It has spirit veins. It has natural defenses. It... it is a kingdom."

  "It's a lot of rocks," Li Yu corrected gently. "But it's your rocks."

  He then handed over four of the five storage rings he had just filled.

  "Resources," Li Yu explained. "Stones, seeds, steel, arrays. Everything you need to build a sect foundation from scratch. Don't waste it. It’s not everything you need but it will help you."

  The commanders stared at the wealth in their hands. They thought he was already generous, giving them 50% of the loot during the fighting but this amount was vast. It made them realize just how many merit points Li Yu actually received during this war. They looked at the deed. Then they looked at Li Yu.

  "Commander..." Patriarch Han’s voice cracked. "You gave us everything. The land. The loot. The merit points. What did you keep for yourself?"

  "I kept the other fifty percent of the loot," Li Yu shrugged. "And don’t worry I kept things I needed for myself as well. I am trying to get stronger, faster. But where I am right now, I need insights as well. Cultivation resources alone are not enough."

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  Zhou clutched the deed tight. He looked at Li Yu with a fierce determination.

  "We will build it," Zhou vowed. "We will build the Alliance of the Jagged Peaks into a force that honors your name. The Cloud-Mist Peaks will be a sanctuary for people and something you will be proud to hear of."

  "Good," Li Yu said. "Just make sure you build a good kitchen first. I hate visiting places with bad food."

  "Visiting?" Matriarch Su asked, picking up on the word. "You... you aren't coming with us to establish the base?"

  "No," Li Yu said, shaking his head. "As I’ve already said. I will be your leader in name and spirit. I'm not a sect builder. I'm not an administrator. If I go with you, I'll just get in the way, or I'll get bored and start sleeping in the construction zones."

  He pointed in a random direction.

  "I need a break. I’ve spent so much time fighting and dealing with headaches. I want to wander again. I want to see the rest of this continent before I decide what to do next. I hear the provinces in that direction have a dumpling festival this time of year."

  The commanders looked disappointed but they understood. Li Yu liked freedom and less responsibilities. They had grown accustomed to his character and felt like they could understand his thoughts; he couldn't be chained to a construction site.

  "One month," Sect Master Zhou said suddenly.

  "Hm?"

  "Give us one month," Zhou said. "We will clear the initial peaks. We will set up the main hall. In one month, we will hold a Grand Founding Banquet. The official establishment of the Alliance of the Jagged Peaks."

  Zhou bowed low.

  "Please, Commander. You must be there. We cannot light the first fire without you."

  Li Yu looked at them. He saw the hope in their faces. He saw the pride they had to be seen in the same organization as them.

  "One month," Li Yu agreed. "I'll be there. Just make sure there's enough wine and food."

  "We will drain the cellars of the continent if we have to!" Patriarch Han roared. Li Yu smiled. He patted Tekton’s side. The massive centipede uncoiled and was readying to move.

  "Go," Li Yu told them. "Go claim your mountain."

  He watched them for a moment longer as they gathered their troops, shouting orders that were no longer about survival but about building a future. They were no longer a ragtag group of survivors; they were a Sect in the making.

  They floated in the area and just when Li Yu thought they were going to board their several flying vessels they all turned around. They formed up quickly in the and they all dropped down on one knee.

  “We bid farewell to the Alliance Commander!” They all roared together.

  It shook the area and most importantly it shook Li Yu’s heart. He gave them a bright smile and gestured for them to get up.

  “Raise, no need for formalities.” Li Yu spoke back. The group then turned and boarded their flying fleet and sped away.

  Li Yu climbed onto Tekton.

  "Alright, buddy," Li Yu said while still recovering from the sight just before. After a long while he pulled out a crumpled map of the local culinary hotspots. "Let's get out of here before they ask me to be part of some other war."

  Tekton shook happily and surged forward. He quickly moved away from the military camps, away from the politics and toward the open road.

  As the wind whipped through his hair, Li Yu felt a profound sense of relief. The mystery of the Gongsun family was behind him or at least he hoped so. The war was over.

  He lay back on Tekton’s head and was watching the first stars appear in the twilight sky.

  "A whole month of nothing," Li Yu murmured contentedly. "No beasts. No oaths. No generals. Just me, the road, nature and a lot of food."

  He closed his eyes, letting the rhythmic motion of the centipede lull him into a doze. The turbulent times Khaos spoke of might be coming but for now Li Yu was just a traveler passing through.