Dahlia crossed her arms and looked straight at Sorien.

"…What do you mean by 'cannot be ignored any longer'?" she asked.

Her brows pulled together. She didn't sound scared, but she was clearly alert now.

Sorien noticed her reaction and chuckled lightly.

"Relax," he said, lifting one hand. "I'm not threatening you."

Dahlia didn't relax.

Sorien shook his head.

"In fact," he continued, "this is a good opportunity for all of you."

Dahlia tilted her head. "A good opportunity?"

Sorien nodded.

"I can report this to my superiors," he said calmly. "And request that your sect be recognized as a Grand Sect."

Dahlia blinked.

"…Grand Sect?" she repeated.

She thought about it for a moment, then frowned again.

"And what's so good about that?" she asked.

Sorien smiled as if he had expected the question.

"A Grand Sect is allowed to claim a region as its own," he explained.

Dahlia's eyes widened slightly.

"…A whole region?"

"Yes," Sorien said. "With official recognition. No one can challenge that claim lightly."

Dahlia went quiet.

She imagined it for a moment. A proper territory. No constant threats.

A place where the God Gym could grow without being watched every second.

"…That actually sounds nice," she muttered.

She smiled faintly.

"Master would probably be surprised," she added.

Then her expression shifted.

"But," Dahlia said, "our master Garion is still in the demon world."

She looked back at Sorien.

"We don't even know when he'll come back."

Sorien waved his hand dismissively.

"That's not a problem," he said. "As long as there is someone who can stand in his place."

Dahlia immediately turned her head.

Her eyes landed on Rachel.

Rachel met her gaze calmly.

After a brief moment, Rachel nodded.

"…I understand," Rachel said.

She looked at Sorien.

"So," she asked gently, "what do we need to do?"

Sorien's smile sharpened slightly.

"Power," he replied simply.

He raised one finger.

"First, the acting leader must be strong enough."

Then he raised another.

"Second, you need at least ten members who are just as capable."

Rachel smiled.

"We can manage that," she said. "When can we do this?"

Sorien nodded approvingly.

"Good," he said. "Then let's begin now."

He looked at her directly.

"For now," he added, "I want to test your strength, Miss..."

"Rachel," she said.

Sorien nodded.

"Miss Rachel," he said. "Let's start with you."

He looked genuinely curious now.

"I want to see how strong this new cultivation path truly is."

Rachel smiled warmly.

"Of course," she said. "We can do it right here."

Sorien smiled back.

"Good," he said. "Then let's begin."

---

Sorien took a slow step forward and raised one hand.

Light spread beneath his feet.

The air brightened, clean and clear, as lines of soft radiance expanded outward.

[Radiant Order Domain]

The domain settled quietly over the area.

Dahlia blinked and looked around.

"…Huh?" she said. "Why don't I feel anything?"

Rachel tilted her head slightly, calm as always.

Sorien smiled when he saw their reactions.

"That's normal," he said. "The Solmira Clan's domain is designed to suppress demons, corruption, and unstable intent."

He glanced at both of them.

"If good people stand inside it, they aren't harmed or pressured."

Dahlia frowned. "Then why even release it if it does nothing to us?"

Sorien's smile widened.

"Because it doesn't do nothing," he replied.

Light gathered around his body. His posture straightened, and his presence grew sharper.

"My clan possesses [Light Resonance]," Sorien continued. "Inside a light-based domain, our bodies respond naturally."

The glow around him intensified slightly.

"Our strength, control, and recovery all increase."

Dahlia nodded slowly. "Ah. So it's a self-buff."

"Exactly," Sorien said.

He then turned his attention fully to Rachel.

"Miss Rachel," he said politely, "please make the first move."

Rachel smiled gently. "Are you sure?"

She clasped her hands behind her back for a moment.

"I'm quite strong," she added honestly.

Sorien chuckled. "Don't worry. I'm from Solmira. I won't break easily."

Rachel nodded. "Alright, then."

She stepped forward.

Then... she vanished from where she stood.

In the next instant, she was right in front of Sorien.

Her fist moved straight toward him, simple and clean.

Sorien's eyes narrowed slightly.

"As expected," he said calmly. "A cultivation path focused on the body."

He raised his hand.

[Luminous Barrier]

A flat shield of light appeared in front of him, solid and steady.

But the moment Rachel's fist landed...

Crack.

The barrier shattered like thin glass.

Sorien's eyes widened.

"…What?"

Before he could even finish the thought, Rachel's fist continued forward.

It struck him square in the face.

Sorien's head snapped back, and his body flew several steps before crashing into the trees behind him.

Leaves shook loose, and branches snapped as his back hit the trunk.

He slid down and landed on the ground with a dull thud.

Dahlia stared at the scene.

"…Wow," she muttered.

She quickly turned toward Rachel, eyes wide.

"Uh… aren't you being a little too hard on him?" Dahlia asked. "He's still a guest, you know."

Rachel smiled gently, as if nothing serious had happened.

"Don't worry," she said. "That punch just now was a [Love Punch]."

She clasped her hands calmly in front of her.

"He won't be injured."

Dahlia looked back toward Sorien, half-expecting him to be coughing blood or struggling to get up.

But to her surprise, Sorien was already moving.

He slowly pushed himself up from the ground, his expression confused rather than hurt.

"…What the hell was that?" he muttered.

He sat up and rubbed his face. It was painful.

But suddenly he realized something.

He lowered his gaze and began checking his body, pressing his ribs, moving his arms, and testing his legs.

"…Wait," he said. "That punch shattered my [Luminous Barrier]."

He looked up at Rachel, disbelief clear in his eyes.

"But why didn't I get hurt?"

Rachel met his gaze and answered softly.

"Because I didn't want to hurt you," she said.

Sorien froze.

He slowly stood up, brushing dirt from his clothes.

"…A physical attack that breaks defenses but spares the body," he said. "That shouldn't be possible."

Dahlia grinned.

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