Compromise

Upon devouring Geng Chao's Golden Core, Fenrir felt a rush of energy enter into her body that made her own power increase by nearly twenty percent. Since eating thousands of monster cores would have had a similar effect, this showed that Geng Chao had been significantly powerful. Now, however, all that remained was the upper body of an old man who was trying to use the remnant Qi within his body to try and avoid bleeding out. This didn't last long though as, upon realizing his Golden Core was completely destroyed, Geng Chao coughed up a mouthful of blood before the light completely faded from his eyes...

With the death of their Supreme Elder, many of the Disciples of the Heavenly Moon Sect fell to their knees in disbelief while some, generally those who only joined the Sect for personal benefits, immediately ran away. Though the majority remained behind, this was only because their Palace Leader, Wen Xiulan, was still present. During the entire battle, she had watched from the side with a solemn expression on her face, never once stepping in to assist the Geng Chao during the battle. Many of them had seen her talking with the terrifying blue-haired girl previously and harbored some small hope that they would not be slaughtered indiscriminately.

Since she had already killed the annoying man who had looked down on her so much, Fenrir's bloodlust had settled down quite a bit. The amount of energy contained in his Golden Core had almost completely rid her of the hunger she had felt and, like a person who just wanted to relax after a large meal, Fenrir slowly restrained her Devouring Energy until it was only a thin layer around her. She couldn't completely restrain it just yet and, with how it allowed her to absorb the energy in the air very quickly, Fenrir had no need to.

Once she had finished reigning in her shroud, Fenrir turned to Wen Xiulan and said, "One thing I learned from watching my Master is that, if the system of power is broken, there is no need to keep it from falling apart. It is better to establish a new system that can better the lives of people instead of trying to keep a status quo that only benefits a few...the Cultivators of this world are arrogant and haughty, looking down on people as if they are beneath them. True power is something wielded to protect others, not keep them down because you are afraid they may one day overtake you...the only reason people even think that way is because the system itself is broken from the start..."

Fenrir believed that it was the policies and practices of those at the peak of power that determined how those at the lower rungs of society would act. If those in power were greedy and cruel, using people for their own benefit without any remorse, then why would those beneath them act differently. Nobody wanted to be the one exploited so, in order to make sure they could grow fast enough to avoid that outcome, people would instead exploit others for their own growth. Fenrir had watched her Master help 'normal' people become very powerful in just a few short years. Though there were certainly advantages to be had, based on lineage and race, her Master had taught her that people were fundamentally without limits...so long as they had a genuine desire to grow stronger, and were able to manifest that with their intent, nothing was impossible...

If the circumstances were different, Fenrir would have tried to fix things with the Heavenly Moon Sect as her foundation in this world. However, things were already too broken and, with the Heavenly Moon Sect lacking the power to even protect itself, Fenrir knew it would be better for 'everyone' if she started someplace else. Even so, she looked into Wen Xiulan's eyes and said, "In exchange for your Cultivation Technique, I will protect this place as a guardian until I have been able to master its use. You will be the new Sect Leader and I will have you remove the cancer that has rooted itself in this place...if Cultivators are going to act dignified, they should at least have dignity themselves..."

Though she didn't regret defeating Geng Chao, Fenrir still recalled the words Wen Xiulan had spoken before the old man interrupted them. If she left things as they were, the few good people that were within the Heavenly Moon Sect would become victims to other Sects that wanted to seize their resources. Fenrir didn't think it was fair to the 'innocent' that their lives had been ruined because of the decisions of a few people. Though she wouldn't do something troubling like becoming their new leader, Fenrir would still protect this place, at least until she could get a better understanding of the world and master a Cultivation Technique...

(Fenrir's Commentary: 'Even if it is ultimately unneeded, I still want to learn how Cultivation works...')