From Secret Clan to the Divine Dynasty

In Nasir City, there is an ancient and solemn mansion, just a few kilometers away from the famous Fischer Manor.

The elderly and extraordinary leader of the "Dagger Brotherhood," Moore, stood quietly on the spacious balcony.

His not so tall figure was concealed by the gray curtain woven by the torrential rain, emanating a mysterious and ineffable authority.

Raindrops fell around him like pearls off a broken string, harshly striking the stone pavement, splashing countless fine and rapid droplets, as nature displayed its irresistible force and wildness at this moment.

Moore, dressed in a well-fitted dark suit with a coat of the same color, had his lapels fluttering lightly with the occasional strong wind, yet his composure and determination remained unshaken.

His features were stern and profound, and those eyes that seemed to see into people's hearts were now piercing through the dense rain curtain, gazing at the blurred scenery swallowed by the storm.

Moore stood in silence, his aged fingers trembling slightly, a side effect of the failed promotion ritual.

The ritual to become the "Spirit of Sanctuary" had failed.

That was bad news.

But the good news was that he had not died during the ritual—instead, he had survived.

"Dagger Brotherhood."

It was one of the many forces under the Dawn Church, having a history of several decades, initially formed by the slum dwellers of Nasir Town.

It was originally just a small gang, with its initial members merely Moore and his two brothers, the three siblings.

Now, the "Dagger Brotherhood" has become a large gang presence spread across the East Coast, having devoured all other gangs big and small with ease thanks to the support from the Fischer family behind the scenes.

He was Grandma Narda's eldest son, with high intelligence and skill; but most importantly, Moore was a man who emphasized rules and order.

"Rules are the foundation of everything."

That was what Moore said, the most popular saying within the Dagger Brotherhood.

Therefore, he could be chosen by the Lord of the Lost to follow the Path of World Order.

However, it gradually dawned on the members of the Dawn Church that the Path of World Order was definitely not an easy path—if someone like Vanessa had their principles completely broken, it might even become impossible to ascend the next step.

Deep in his heart, Moore also knew that, at times, whether someone could go far on certain Paths depended much on the era and the position one held.

If not for the frequent wars in Cyart but rather a relatively peaceful country, those Extraordinary Exponents on Paths of Conquest, Shadow, and Calamity would also struggle to ascend.

And if not for having the support of the Fischer family, which controlled Cyart, the Path of Authority would not be easy for people like Christine and the others.

And Vanessa was unlucky in one respect: her principle was a "heart of justice," and unless she completely adhered to her principle, she would be unable to fully integrate into the pragmatically inclined Fischer family.

"Vanessa..."

Moore sincerely believed Vanessa to be a great person.

She would actually sacrifice her ideals and principles for the Fischer family and the Dawn Church, giving up the chance to live a longer life.

Although Vanessa broke her own ideals and principles, Moore still respected her.

"You said a few years ago that you couldn't ascend the next step, that I have become the fastest on this Path of World Order..."

"But do I really still have a chance?"

Just then, lightning and thunder appeared simultaneously!

"Boom!"

Moore was pondering the Fischer family's next move and how the Dagger Brotherhood would steady itself amidst the storm, continuing to lead its members forward.

His figure in the storm seemed like an unshakeable lighthouse.

The Dagger Brotherhood, which had been under Moore's reign for decades, had weathered many storms, as he had done many things for the Fischer family, especially those that lurked in the shadows, which were more suitable for the Dagger Brotherhood to handle.

These tasks included but were not limited to collecting resources, intelligence, surveillance, probing, managing the black market, murder, kidnapping, and so on...

Nowadays, the Dagger Brotherhood had over three thousand peripheral members in East Coast Province, more than five hundred core members, and over thirty executives; they spread like tentacles into every corner of the city, steadfastly aiding the Dawn Church in penetrating society's lower echelons, while all core members had joined the Dawn Church as Proselytes.

Because the Dagger Brotherhood had established "Moore Security Company," Moore was also known as "Big Boss" by many.

He was highly regarded, and often times, even those Extraordinary nobility with their own territories, or even Viscounts, tended to give him face.

But Moore knew that the Dagger Brotherhood had reached its end.

Because he had been ordered not to expand any further.

Next, the Fischer family would gradually address the various issues at the bottom of Cyart society, and Christine had already asserted at the family meeting that once all the dark aspects of Cyart were resolved, there would no longer be a need for so many gang members.

"Sigh."

Moore had long anticipated this day, only he did not know when it would actually arrive.

Without a doubt, in the new layout of Cyart that Christine had planned, there was no place for a large gang presence.

The deaths of his two younger brothers in the war had caused Moore immense pain deep in his heart, and it took a long time for him to recover.

Luckily, they left behind five descendants, four of whom had joined the Dawn Church as Proselytes and had become his right-hand men.

In recent years, Moore had also been protecting someone else.

His mother's transmigrator... Carol.

It was a matter that anyone would find odd, and when he discovered that woman was the soul reincarnation of his mother, Moore could only feel extremely astonished, and even incredulous, to the point of losing sleep for several nights.

However, Lilian had told him it was an undeniable fact.

So, was the transmigrator of his mother still her?

That question filled Moore with confusion as he kept observing the woman named Carol.

He quickly noticed that in appearance and many habits, she bore a natural resemblance to his mother, but there were also many differences; the two seemed like sisters who were similar yet distinct.

However, no matter how others saw it, at least in the depths of Moore's heart, that woman was not his once important mother.

No matter what, Moore would not get close to her, or even wish to speak much with her, yet he would do his utmost to protect that woman.

The promotion ceremony for the "Spirit of Sanctuary" required him to protect three people with the same principles as his own, and then help them continue adhering to their own standards.

So Moore, who had known the content of the ceremony for many years, began searching long ago and found more than a dozen young people who strictly followed the gang's rules, allowing the three most outstanding among them to join the Dawn Church.

And Moore knew that as long as he could protect them through a series of dangers, he could complete the promotion.

However, he ultimately failed.

The reason for the failure of the promotion ceremony was simple: one of the excellent young men had entered the Spirit Realm unconsciously in a dream and unfortunately perished.

By the time he awoke, he had turned into a lunatic who could only shout "Andersen"!

The young man's entry into the Spirit Realm was completely accidental, something no one could have anticipated, and everything was ruined due to that accident!

The backlash of Spiritual Power caused by the failure of the promotion ceremony instantly harmed Moore's soul, almost causing him to die!

Everyone felt sorry for the young man and regretted Moore's failure to be promoted, with many believing that his time was running out and that he would likely not succeed in advancing.

"Is my time not enough?"

Moore slowly closed his eyes, recalling all that had happened over the decades, how Yeager, whom he had always been at odds with, had succeeded, but he himself was likely to die.

Having come this far, he was exhausted, and perhaps it would also be... to completely give up right here.

No...

He did not want to give up.

The torrential rain continued to pour.

His hands clasped behind him, he exuded an implicit leadership quality, a composure and decisiveness unique to someone who had been through the test of time and numerous life-and-death situations.

The noise of the outside world contrasted sharply with the tranquility in his heart, but like the raging storm around him, Moore's thoughts were turbulent, each deep breath an inaudible conversation with himself, reflecting on the past, present, and future.

Still, he did not want to give up!

Eventually, Moore clenched his fists and reopened his eyes.

The man with snow-white hair decided not to give up but to start over and try the promotion ceremony for the "Spirit of Sanctuary" once again!

A few days later, Moore began scouting for outstanding young people again, and even found Archer, the holder of the "Origin Spirit sea," to inquire about how many years he had left to live.