Not only did the Red and Blue Fire sect have six nascent soul patriarchs, which was twice as many as the number of patriarchs produced by the Blood Skull sect who is supposed to be the strongest sect in the Five Veins region, but the everyone of those six patriarchs also possessed a rank 6 weapon.
One of those rank rank 6 weapons was even nearly at rank 7. One can imagine the power and wealth of the Red and Blue Fire sect.
In comparison, the Sword Way sect also had a rank 6 sword. But it was one that was forged from the many sacrifices of the previous generations of patriarchs of the Sword Way sect.
The Blood Skull sect is said to have ancestral heirlooms that are rank 6, too. But this heirloom is rarely used, and every time it is used, it is never used outside of the sect. This shows just how much the Blood Skull sect cherishes its heirloom.
This is only natural because the natural limit of the level of resources in the Five Veins region is rank 4. It is possible to acquire rank 5 resources here, but it is very rare.
As for rank 6 resources, it is nearly impossible to encounter such a thing in this part of the world. So it can be said that it is impossible for rank 6 weapons to flourish in the Five Veins region, the way that they abounded in the Red and Blue Fire sect.
As everyone was thinking of this, Sword Flash said, "I'll be honest with you, it is very difficult for a patriarch of the five sects to get a rank 5 weapon. A rank 6 weapon can only be acquired through immense luck and the hard work of many people over thousands of years."
"If I hadn't advanced to the sixth mortal coil and also evolved my sword box to rank 6, we might have lost that battle. Even if we didn't lose it, our victory would have been a bitter one, and it is unlikely that we would have managed to eliminate the Red and Blue Fire sect completely."
"Can you imagine it. Five sects couldn't defeat a single one, and one of those five sects is us, the Blood Skull sect. That is the kind of future that awaits us if we pass the leadership assessment. So we have to pass it."
Then he asked solemnly, "Are we in agreement on this?"
His three disciples quickly replied, "Yes, sir."
Everyone else was too late to reply, so he asked again, "Are we in agreement on this?"
This time, everyone knew what to say and do, so they all shouted in reply, "Yes, sir."
Sword Flash nodded in satisfaction and said, "Good to know. Now pay attention. I have been told what to do to pass the leadership assessment."
"The League of World Eaters gave us a task to complete. If we complete the task, the Blood Skull sect will become junior leaders of the league. Not only that, we will also be rewarded with the coordinates of a world to invade, and all the resources in the world will belong to us if the invasion is successful."
He smiled at them and said, "This is the time to cheer."
When they heard what he said, everyone began clapping.
Actually, everyone was happy to hear about the reward for passing the assessment. But they didn't want to make a noise so as not to interrupt Sword Flash. However, it seemed that Sword Flash wanted them to show how happy they were with the news.
After they finished clapping, Sword Flash continued. "The task is for us to defend a small world from an invasion by a strong enemy. More details on the task will be given to you later. But all you should know for now is that if we successfully defend this small world, the coordinates of the world of the invaders and the right to invade them will be given to us as a reward for a job well done."
"In order to complete the task successfully, we have to make use of the other opportunities we have to increase our strength. I'm talking about the things we just looted from the Red and Blue Fire sect, the reward for destroying them, and the nascent souls of their patriarchs."
"If we use these things well, our strength will improve drastically. That way, we will be able to easily pass the leadership assessment. Even if we fail to pass the leadership assessment, these other benefits will ensure that we will be able to do well as soldiers in the league."
As he said this, he took out seven crystals and made them rotate above the palm of his hand. Each crystal was glowing with a mysterious light, and vague images of people struggling within the crystals could be seen.
Sword Flash introduced the treasures in his hand, saying, "These seven crystals all contain a nascent soul. Six of them came from patriarchs of the Red and Blue Fire sect. The last one came from a certain loose cultivator."
After he said this, everyone's eyes lit up in realization. They had finally figured out where the seventh crystal came from and what had happened to the nascent soul cultivator that had infiltrated the battlefield.
Sword Flash said smugly, "As I said earlier, I have been around for a while. I was lurking around the battlefield when this unlucky fellow appeared. I decided to help him end his misery."
He grinned and said, "I'm so kind."
Then he became serious again as he said, "According to tradition, when a patriarch of the Blood Skull sect advances to the sixth mortal coil and wants to leave for upstream they must provide the resources needed to create a replacement before they can leave."
"The same thing must happen when a rank 5 patriarch of the sect gets too old and is about to die. They must create a replacement before they die."