In the polar opposite direction of the Golden Savages group were the Upper Echelon, consisting of the Five Generals as well as the Three Pinnacles. These were the two elitemost groups in the previous timelines and still had some considerable clout in this one, but had been eventually overshadowed by the likes of the Golden Savages, the God Serpents, and more.
However, if one used that as a reason to try to deny their prowess, then they were being absurdly foolish beyond compare. The prowess of these two groups lay not just in their potential and accumulated power, but in the fact that they had experience, a lot of it.
It also showed in how they handled the grey rot.
Boyd's famous eye patch was gone, replaced with a fully functioning eye. After receiving a bloodline and undergoing a rebirth and reforging of his physical body, all such defects were eliminated, but he kept wearing one out of habit.