NOVPUB
Chapter 103: His First Rage
Today is a typical day for the Piercing Heaven Sect, but something special is happening at this part of the sect. Outside the Temple of the Heavenly Demon, people from the Thorny Flower Garden and Black Dragon Pavilion have gathered. Among them are Baek Ji-Min and a young man of robust build, radiating a powerful aura.
They have all come to the Piercing Heaven Sect to observe Aldrian’s progress. It has been a year since he began comprehending the Heavenly Demon’s scripture. Indeed, a year has passed since Aldrian entered the ’white realm,’ highlighting that time flows more quickly in the outside world.
When Aldrian unexpectedly entered a state of deep comprehension, the sect master and others witnessed the stone tablet emit a light, and for a brief moment, Aldrian’s energy and aura flared before returning to a calm state. None of them knew what to do, but suddenly, demonic energy began to envelop Aldrian.
Sect master Ryu Hyuk-Jae and the other elders were shocked by the demonic energy because it was purer and stronger than any they had felt before, making them want to worship Aldrian. Despite the strangeness of the situation, they decided to leave Aldrian there until he was finished. Shortly after, the other two sects of the three great sects informed Ryu Hyuk-Jae that their scriptures were showing strange signs as well.
Ryu Hyuk-Jae connected the dots and concluded that this must be related to Aldrian’s state of comprehension in the temple. The other two sects decided to seek out Aldrian themselves, bringing the successors of their respective scriptures with them.
Hours, days, and even weeks passed, until now a year had gone by, and Aldrian still stood there without moving an inch. Members from all the sects continued to return, checking for any signs of progress, but today seemed no different from the others.
"I really don’t understand what sect master Ryu Hyuk-Jae is thinking. Does he truly believe an outsider can comprehend it? I doubt it. No one has ever succeeded, and I don’t believe he will either," said the robust young man, his voice laced with skepticism.
He wore a short-sleeved black robe that revealed his muscular arms. His tanned skin and bulging muscles radiated power, as if ready to unleash it at any moment. With short hair and a rather handsome face, his expression exuded confidence, bordering on arrogance.
"Kang Yong-Jin, you better watch your mouth. Are you doubting sect master Ryu Hyuk-Jae’s judgment and suggesting he is incompetent?" Baek Ji-Min said coldly, her face impassive. Her voice and demeanor were icy, a sharp contrast to the warmth she displayed when in front of Aldrian. She wore red and black robes that accentuated her curves and ample bosom.
"Don’t misinterpret my words so carelessly," Kang Yong-Jin retorted. "I just don’t see how that man could comprehend it. Don’t you see? He’s been in that position for a year without moving an inch. Even if he is in a state of comprehension, taking this long makes me doubt he’ll comprehend anything."
He looked at Baek Ji-Min with desire but suppressed it, knowing better than to cause trouble for her. He never stood a chance in the Thorny Flower Garden, especially with her mother, the sect master, watching over her.
She had always kept men away from Baek Ji-Min, but a year ago, he heard rumors that an unknown male had managed to get close to her. Even sect master Baek Ha-Yoon, her mother, had silently approved of her daughter becoming closer to him. He didn’t know who the man was at first, but later discovered that he was the one chosen by sect master Ryu Hyuk-Jae to comprehend the Heavenly Demon’s scripture.
Kang Yong-Jin could only try, but if Baek Ji-Min wasn’t interested in him, there was little he could do. After all, cultivation was his priority. His primary goal was to unlock the full potential of the Black Dragon Scripture. As for women, he considered them a secondary concern, he could always pursue relationships later.
As someone who respected strength, Kang Yong-Jin was curious about the man chosen by Ryu Hyuk-Jae. Upon learning that this individual was from outside the demon territory and of unknown origin, he became skeptical, and his doubts only grew as time passed.
"You and I both comprehended our scriptures in just over a month," he continued. "He’s been standing there like that for a year. What makes you think he’ll succeed in comprehending it?"
"The fact that he’s the first person to make the Heavenly Demon’s scripture react, and that he’s still in his comprehension state without breaking it, don’t you see the demonic energy he’s emitting? We’ve never seen demonic energy like that before! And we’re talking about the Heavenly Demon’s scripture, after all. There are many unexplored aspects that take time to fully comprehend," Baek Ji-Min replied.
Despite her confident words, she was quietly worried about Aldrian’s condition. He seemed to be in a state of deep comprehension, even ignoring the strain of standing in the same position for an entire year. She didn’t know what Aldrian was experiencing within his mind, but all she could do was hope that he would succeed.
Xin Haotian and the others stood not far from them, also sensing that it was unusual for Aldrian to take this long to comprehend something. It seemed the Heavenly Demon’s scripture was on another level, requiring an extended amount of time for Aldrian to process.
As they pondered, the atmosphere suddenly grew tense. The energy of the entire area surged toward a single point—the temple itself. The sky darkened as storm clouds gathered above, and lightning crackled between the clouds, powerful enough to injure even someone at the grand duke stage. The deafening sound of thunder echoed throughout the entire Piercing Heaven Sect and far beyond.
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Evergreen City, Ivory empire
At this moment, the citizens of the city were staring up at the sky, shocked by the sudden appearance of black clouds. The darkened sky, combined with the oppressive atmosphere, added to the sense of terror they felt.
The imperial palace was equally tense as Emperor Ladwin and the imperial teacher, Elthar, gazed solemnly at the sky.
"What do you think it is?" Emperor Ladwin asked.
"I don’t know. It doesn’t seem like a heavenly tribulation, but I have an ominous feeling about it," the imperial teacher replied.
Suddenly, an imperial guard rushed toward them, kneeling before the emperor.
"Your Majesty, we’ve received reports that this phenomenon can be seen across the empire and south into the Demon territory. However, the Doria Empire does not seem to be affected."
Upon hearing the guard’s report, Emperor Ladwin nodded and dismissed him. Meanwhile, in the shrine of the Heavenly Tree, Alice, the spirit of the World Tree of Evergreen City, gazed toward the Demon Territory. With her sharp sensitivity to energy, she sensed the surrounding energy being drawn to a single point in the Demon Territory.
Because her area of blessing had also become Aldrian’s domain, she could sense the overwhelming feeling of rage emanating from the ominous dark sky.
"Young master, what happened to you?"
She didn’t know why, but she could only hope that whatever happened in the demon territory wouldn’t bring forward the prophecy.
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On the western side of the continent, where people seek enlightenment and the wisdom of the Buddha, a lone monastery stands in the middle of a bamboo forest.
The tranquil atmosphere calmed the mind, and the sacred chants of the Buddhist monks could be heard. Inside the small monastery an old monk sat cross-legged, facing a statue of the Buddha. He closed his eyes, chanting a Buddhist mantra with a voice full of concentration.
Suddenly, he stopped his chant and slowly opened his eyes. With wisdom reflected in his gaze, he looked in the direction of the Demon Territory. After a moment, he turned his focus forward again and pressed his hands together in prayer.
"Amithaba, the Heavens have already given a sign, its karma has grown much stronger."
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Returning to the Temple of the Heavenly Demon, Sect Master Ryu Hyuk-Jae appeared like a ghost, his expression solemn as he surveyed the phenomenon. The grand elders followed closely behind him, their gazes fixed on the sky before attempting to peer inside the temple.
Just before they could see Aldrian, the demonic energy surrounding him was suddenly absorbed by a surge of golden energy emanating from his body. He floated a meter above the ground, and his aura was terrifying, sending shivers down Ryu Hyuk-Jae’s spine.
Xin Haotian created a barrier of light laws to shield Eleine and Sylphia, but he, too, felt a terrifying aura from Aldrian that he had never encountered before.
Everyone present could sense it, even those with the lowest cultivation levels, a singular intent—Rage.
They didn’t know why, but they could distinctly feel Aldrian’s rage.
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Inside Aldrian’s mind, he felt an overwhelming rage directed at that being, that ’thing’ which instilled fear within him. He snapped at the sight of it, and his inner essence surged forth—a profound pride deep within his soul. He felt humiliated by that unknown entity, even though he knew it was impossible for him to confront it, at least he would fight this feeling of fear.
As if the surrounding broken scenery could sense his rage, it gradually halted its disintegration. The Heavenly Demon glanced at this for a split second and with a swift movement he waved his hand.
"You are truly terrifying, but not yet," he thought, smiling at Aldrian.
Before Aldrian could do anything, he watched as the Heavenly Demon waved his hand, and the scenery shattered instantly, plunging his vision into darkness.
