NOVPUB
Chapter 82: The Envoys of the Three Great Sects
"The elders have taken a long journey. Please, have a seat," Aldrian said, cupping his hands in greeting as he stood to face the envoys from the three great sects.
After they sat, the envoys once again inspected Aldrian. Arin, who had escorted them, quickly stepped forward to stand beside him.
"Young master, these esteemed elders are from the three great sects and have been sent to negotiate with you regarding your other conditions," Arin introduced.
"This is Elder Shin Seok-Jun from the Piercing Heaven Sect."
"This is Elder Han Dong-Hoon from the Black Dragon Pavilion."
"And this is Elder Lee Seo-Yeon from the Thorny Flower Garden."
"It’s still quite surprising that from now on, anyone arriving at the teleportation station will see a single peak instead of two." One of them suddenly said, his voice deep, he was a bulky man with explosive muscles, his face fierce. Even though he wasn’t deliberately releasing his cultivation, his aura remained terrifying.
"Han Dong-Hoon, Oh? This is my first time seeing someone who specializes in body cultivation." Aldrian thought.
When a cultivator wants to strengthen their body, making it so strong that it can’t be broken by any technique, and focuses on techniques within their body, then a cultivation technique that leans toward body cultivation will be more precise.
When a cultivator wants to rely on their deepened comprehension of the laws and focuses on techniques outside of the body, then a cultivation technique that leans toward inner cultivation will be more precise.
Why use the word "leaning" between these two types of cultivation techniques?
Every cultivation method nurtures both the body’s interior and exterior. The difference lies in how each technique "leans" towards either the inner or outer part, depending on the creator’s intentions for the cultivation path.
The cultivation technique that leans toward body cultivation grants the cultivator a stronger body than those who practice techniques focused on inner cultivation. Their techniques and the laws they comprehend are primarily dependent on the properties and strength of their bodies. In contrast, inner cultivation relies more on the surrounding energy and the cultivator’s middle dantian.
The man standing before Aldrian was a perfect example. Aldrian could sense his energy flowing differently from others—coursing through every pore, with his body containing explosive power, ready to be unleashed if needed. The fact that Aldrian had only just met a body cultivator now was evidence of how rare such cultivators were compared to their inner cultivation counterparts.
"Every action has consequences," Aldrian said. "The destruction of the western peak was the result of their treacherous deeds. Even if the mountain hadn’t been destroyed, the city lord’s manor would have been leveled by someone else, due to their bad karma."
"Bold words," Han Dong-Hoon replied, the tension rising. "But did you have to destroy the entire mountain without regard for how the demonic cult would react? You’re certainly audacious."
It was clear that the envoys were dissatisfied with how Aldrian had handled the situation. Without consulting them, he had barged into the city lord’s manor, leading to the destruction of one of their iconic landmarks. His third and fourth conditions added fuel to the fire. He was asking for their support in any action he took within demon territory? To the envoys, this felt like a slap in the face, as if they couldn’t control the devil problem themselves.
Moreover, Aldrian’s condition that he would act accordingly if demons disturbed him during his stay in their territory felt like a second slap. They worried that his actions could lead to the same kind of destruction that had befallen the western peak. What if he offended a high-ranking demon? To them, it seemed like Aldrian didn’t consider the demons to be a threat at all.
The other two envoys remained silent. While they were grateful for Aldrian’s efforts in uncovering the devils, they couldn’t help but feel bypassed and slighted by his actions.
Aldrian looked directly at Elder Han Dong-Hoon.
"Tell me, Elder, if a middle Emperor stage Black Rock Snake appeared in the city, with devils plotting chaos throughout, what would you do?" he asked.
Han Dong-Hoon, puzzled by the sudden question, still answered. "Of course, I would smash them to pieces," he said, clenching his fist.
"Now, if devils much stronger than you appeared and endangered your group, would you immediately retaliate, or would you need to report it to local authorities?"
"I’d kill them first! The rest can—" He abruptly stopped, realizing what Aldrian was getting at.
"I don’t care about anything else. If they come at me and my allies with ill intent, I’ll retaliate with equal or greater force. Isn’t that the demonic cultivators’ way? As long as you have the strength, you have the right to act by your own rules. And this is my rule." Aldrian’s aura flared, golden energy swirling around him.
He resonated with his domain, causing the air and space to tremble, creating the illusion of a wobbling, distorted reality. The surrounding energy froze in place, as if it were obeying orders from Heaven itself.
The envoys felt a cold chill run down their spines. 𝑛𝘰𝑣𝘱𝑢𝑏.𝘤𝑜𝘮
"This young man is truly only at the Earl stage—even at the low Earl stage! But what is this display of power?"
They struggled to control the surrounding energy, which felt as if it were being drawn by some unseen force, making it feel like they had regressed to the Viscount stage, where their mastery of energy was far inferior to their Emperor stage abilities.
Aldrian observed their reactions. This was his way of showing that he wouldn’t be swayed by their will. He knew their pride as demonic cultivators and as members of the three great sects had bloated over time. Even though they understood the kind of power he could wield, they still believed their sects could do the same under the right circumstances.
Aldrian needed to display his strength to remind them that he wouldn’t be easily manipulated. If they wanted to flaunt the power of the three great demonic sects, he would show them the might of his domain—a power they were unaware of.
The only thought lingering in their minds now was, "This man is dangerous. We’ll have to treat him carefully."
When Aldrian finally retracted his aura and energy, the atmosphere returned to its calm serenity. But the envoys’ hearts continued to tremble from what they had just witnessed.
"He can halt the energy without any formation at all! What kind of ability is this?"
"That golden energy... it’s suppressing mine, even if just a little. I’ve never felt and saw anything like that. Could his energy be on a higher level or something?"
"His aura... what kind of aura is that? It makes me want to worship him! Could he be stronger than our sect leader?!"
The three envoys each arrived at a synchronized conclusion: they needed to respect Aldrian’s opinions and regard him as a peer, if not more.
"Now that we’re on the same page, can we agree that my actions were justified? We have a bigger issue than just a destroyed ’icon,’ don’t we?" Aldrian began, his voice calm.
The youngest of the envoys, his expression softening, cupped his hands respectfully. His face was handsome and unblemished, like white jade. A beautifully engraved spear was strapped across his back. "Apologies for his words. Elder Han Dong-Hoon can be hot-headed. I hope you’ll forgive his offense," he said, his tone measured and diplomatic.
Aldrian studied him for a moment.
"This one’s wiser than Han Dong-Hoon," he thought.
"Elder Shin Seok-Jun, there’s no need to worry, I’m not offended by Elder Han Dong-Hoon. I just wanted to make my point clear so we can better understand each other for the negotiation ahead." Aldrian replied.
"Now that we’ve had our introductions, let’s get straight to the point, Young Master Aldrian," Elder Shin Seok-Jun began. "Regarding your third and fourth demands, could you be more specific about your intended actions in the demon territory? We need a clearer understanding of what you plan to do."
"We can accept the third condition, if at least you coordinate with us in the future. We don’t want any more surprises within our territory, and I hope you understand that. As for the fourth condition, what kind of trouble would a demonic cultivator cause for you to retaliate? We can’t control every individual within the demonic cult. If someone offends you and you destroy their power, it could weaken the overall strength of our demonic cult."
Aldrian nodded, understanding their concerns, though he believed some of the problems could be avoided if they put in the effort.
"I can give the demonic cult a heads-up if I happen to encounter devils, but I can’t guarantee that I’ll follow your direction if immediate action is necessary—like in the case of the Black Rock Snake," Aldrian replied.
"As for demons that might disturb me, that’s your responsibility. If they don’t bother me, that’s enough. But I won’t tolerate another incident like the Skull of Dual Horns," he added.
