The lecture hall continued filling steadily. Disciples streamed in through the entrances, their conversations blending into a low rising murmur as they searched for seats. Some carried thin metallic notebooks, while others activated their UNI-OS interfaces to record insights. A number of them simply sat upright with hands folded, ready to absorb whatever knowledge Torvain would impart.
Adrian observed the flow of bodies settling into position. The youngest outer disciples claimed spots near the front, eager and attentive. More experienced inner disciples scattered throughout the middle sections, whilst a handful of core disciples occupied the uppermost tiers, their expressions calm and measured.
Elara leaned slightly over from the row in front and asked, "Adrian, did everything go well?"
Selena turned as well, her earlier argument with Elara seemingly forgotten. Her golden eyes swept over Adrian's face.
"It did, mother," Adrian replied.
Thomas spoke from beside Elara. "Of course he is. When has our son ever returned worse for wear?"
Elara shot him a look, "That does not mean we should not worry."
Further along the row, Kaelith raised an eyebrow as her gaze settled on the unfamiliar figure beside Adrian. "Who is this new woman with you? Are you not going to introduce her to us?"
Only then did Elara and Selena properly notice Marivelle near Adrian.
"This," Adrian said calmly, "is the mercenary I hired. She has lived in the universe far longer than us and possesses valuable knowledge. She will be helpful in the future."
Thomas chuckled softly, "So she is not a woman you love?"
Adrian sighed. "Father, you cannot make assumptions like that."
Thomas only laughed, clearly amused. Elara elbowed him lightly in the ribs, though her lips twitched as if suppressing her own smile.
The hall's noise gradually began to settle as more disciples took their seats. Within minutes, nearly nine thousand disciples filled the vast space. The atmosphere shifted from lively chatter to disciplined anticipation.
Torvain stood upon the central platform below, his hands clasped behind his back. His gaze moved slowly across the assembled crowd, sweeping from the outer disciples in the front rows to the core disciples in the upper tiers.
When the final whispers faded into silence, he spoke. "Welcome."
His voice carried effortlessly, clear and steady without amplification.
He looked toward the outer sect disciples seated throughout the hall. "I believe you all already know the basics of authority and Rule Stage combat. This lecture can only be properly understood by those who have studied those fundamentals."
Adrian noticed his people nodding attentively. It seemed they had used the past week well, attending classes and learning foundational knowledge. Much of what Adrian had learned through public forums and direct experience, they had acquired through structured instruction. In that sense, the sect's system was efficient.
Torvain continued, "Based on everything you have learned so far, most of you likely believe that a Rule Stage being wielding seventy percent authority or higher is someone who can do nearly anything within our galaxy."
Several disciples shifted in their seats. A few nodded subtly.
"In a sense, that belief is correct. Our galaxy contains only minor sects, and the strongest cultivators here wield seventy percent authority."
"But consider this scenario. Suppose a minor sect leader from another galaxy, also wielding seventy percent authority or even higher, enters our galaxy. Suppose he waits for a moment when our Sect Leader is absent, and then launches an attack. By that logic, he could strike us at will and destroy our sect, right?"
A murmur spread through the hall.
Torvain raised his hand slightly, calming the reaction.
"Yet, such events are extremely rare. Even in public forums, you will rarely read of powerful cultivators casually attacking established sects alone. Why is that?"
"It is because there are countermeasures."
Torvain's gaze swept the hall once more.
"We can, of course, rely on alliances or third-party intervention. However, there exists a strategy that even Early Rule Stage disciples can use to defend a sect against a superior cultivator."
A ripple of surprise moved through the hall. Many early and mid Rule Stage disciples exchanged uncertain looks. Individually, they could be killed instantly by someone wielding seventy percent authority. The idea that they could stand against such a being seemed impossible.
Torvain continued calmly, "This method is known as the Multi-Domain Strategy. It is sacrificial in nature and must only be used as a final defensive measure."
He activated his UNI-OS node, and a three-dimensional projection appeared above the platform. A humanoid figure materialized within it, glowing faintly in white light. The figure stood alone in empty space, its form simple and featureless.
"Let us assume this figure represents the enemy, a cultivator wielding seventy percent authority. He attacks our sect while our Sect Leader is absent. Even if the other elders and I intervene, sustaining prolonged combat would not be guaranteed. You might assume the sect would be doomed."
The projection shifted. The lone figure remained at the centre, but now it was surrounded by a thin ring of smaller figures.
"But if we implement the Multi-Domain Strategy and possess sufficient numerical advantage, the situation changes."
The projection expanded further, showing nearly one hundred thousand figures surrounding the lone enemy. They formed concentric rings, layered in dense formations that pressed inward from all sides.
Torvain gestured toward the projection. "Each of these figures represents a disciple. Early Rule Stage, Mid Rule Stage, or higher, it does not matter. What matters is that each one possesses a divine domain and some authority."
"The method itself is simple in concept. At least one hundred thousand Rule Stage cultivators must surround the enemy. The moment the enemy expands his divine domain, all surrounding cultivators expand theirs as well. In most cases, even Early Rule Stage cultivators can expand their domains across planetary distances or even over an entire star system. Therefore, positioning is not the primary concern."
"The instant the domains overlap," Torvain continued, "authority contestation begins."
The projection shifted. The white figure representing the enemy stood motionless at the centre with his domain whilst a single defender's domain materialised around them both, depicted as a translucent sphere of pale blue light.
"Let us assume the strongest cultivator among the defending group wields fifty percent authority. When his domain clashes with the enemy's seventy percent authority, the contest initially equalizes within overlapping authority. The fifty percent splits to twenty-five versus twenty-five. However, the enemy's surplus twenty percent remains."
Numbers materialised above the projected figures in crisp white text. The enemy's authority displayed as forty-five percent. The defending cultivator displayed twenty-five percent.
Adrian watched the numerical breakdown, his mind already tracing the logic. The defender's domain contested half the enemy's authority, reducing both participants proportionally within the overlap. But the enemy's surplus, the uncontested portion, remained intact.
Torvain gestured toward the projection, "Now, what happens if more domains continue overlapping?"
The simulation intensified. One by one, additional translucent spheres bloomed across the projection, layering atop one another in concentric rings. Dozens became hundreds. Hundreds became thousands. The numerical values shifted rapidly, fragmenting into smaller and smaller fractions as more domains joined the contestation.
Eventually, the enemy's authority dropped to approximately twenty percent, whilst the surrounding cultivators' authority values were reduced to fractions, less than 0.1 percent each.
"When this many domains overlap," Torvain explained, "authority splits in increasingly complex ways and becomes fragmented across all participants. Most cultivators will be reduced to minuscule percentages. The enemy, however, retains approximately twenty percent due to surplus."
A disciple near the front raised a hand hesitantly, breaking the silence, "Elder, even with this reduction, the enemy still has twenty percent authority. He could still kill everyone. What is the actual benefit of this strategy?"
Murmurs rippled through the hall. Others clearly shared the same concern.
Torvain nodded, as though he'd expected the question, "Yes, the enemy can still kill. That is why this is sacrificial and only to be used as a last resort."
"Since the enemy's overall authority has dropped to twenty percent, it dramatically increases his expenditure. Every action now costs more mana and willforce. If the surrounding cultivators simultaneously attack using divine spells and even authority techniques fuelled by their fractional authority, the enemy must continuously expend more energy to block, dodge, or counter."
"No matter how powerful," Torvain continued, "a cultivator cannot instantly eliminate one hundred thousand opponents in a single move. Even if he kills hundreds per second, the process consumes energy."
The projection shifted again. The enemy figure began moving, striking outward with bursts of light that erased surrounding defenders one by one. Yet for every figure that vanished, dozens more pressed inward, their domains layering and overlapping relentlessly.
"This strategy does not guarantee survival. It guarantees depletion."
"On top of this," he added, "if the defending cultivators also activate powerful energy body arts, their effective authority output increases slightly, potentially lowering the enemy's authority further and increasing his consumption rate."
"In such prolonged, sacrificial combat," Torvain concluded, "the enemy will inevitably deplete his mana and willforce. Eventually, even if only a single cultivator remains alive, that defender may deliver the final blow."
A heavy silence descended upon the hall.
Another hand rose from the crowd. Adrian turned and noticed it was Kaya. Lyra sat beside her, listening attentively.
"Elder," Kaya called out, "could the enemy not simply teleport away?"
Torvain inclined his head, acknowledging the question with a faint nod.
"Yes, this strategy has loopholes, and teleportation is one of them. Another loophole is that some cultivators may simply possess the capability to endure even one hundred thousand opponents. In that case, we could increase the numbers more, but still many could just retreat with teleportation."
He gestured toward the projection, which now displayed the enemy figure vanishing in a flash of light, leaving the surrounding defenders behind.
"That is why this is purely defensive. It is a final measure when no superior option exists. If our sect is attacked in the absence of our Sect Leader, and no alliance support is immediately available, this may be the only method to prevent immediate annihilation. It exists to buy time, to protect the sect until reinforcements arrive or until the enemy retreats."
Torvain's gaze swept across the hall once more, "This is also why powerful cultivators rarely attack sects alone, recklessly. If a sect truly commits to such resistance, even a stronger invader will suffer significant consequences."
The disciples slowly absorbed the lesson. This was not a guaranteed victory. It was not a tool for glory, rather it was survival purchased with life.
Adrian sat back in his seat, his mind turning over the information. He had never witnessed a large-scale Rule Stage battle. Hearing the strategic explanation laid out so methodically allowed him to see the broader structure of power conflicts within the universe.
Individual strength mattered immensely; that much was undeniable. But collective structure mattered just as much.
He grasped how a minor sect could survive in a universe ruled by beings of terrifying authority. Not through superior power, but through coordinated sacrifice. Through the willingness to stand together even when death was certain.
More importantly, even though Torvain was only mentioning minor sects, this strategy could also be used by a major or great sect.