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Chapter 90: The Blind Faith in the Heavenly Demon
The bloodline suppression
Among the beast race, unlike humans, beasts follow a far stricter hierarchy. Their ancestry traces back to the primordial era, with divine beasts as their ancestors. Each generation of beasts is ranked based on the purity and level of their bloodline, which determines their status within the hierarchy.
This is common knowledge. However, for someone’s energy to actually suppress theirs, even causing their energy to react to its mere presence? That was unheard of. No historical record mentioned such an event—where a higher-level energy could exert suppression simply by its presence. They didn’t even know such a thing as ’higher-level’ energy existed, and yet, it was happening now.
Aldrian was only at the Low Earl stage, yet his energy caused an unsettling reaction, a tingling sensation they couldn’t ignore. This wasn’t something trivial. None of those present were below the Low Emperor stage, and the sect leaders had even reached the High Emperor stage, for the Heavenly Demon’s sake! If Aldrian reached the King stage or, worse, the Emperor stage, wouldn’t that mean he could enslave them with just a word?
The thought sent a chill through their hearts, even Kang Doo-Hoon’s mind started weighing whether he should eliminate this young man. The tension grew thick—except for one man who seemed more curious than alarmed, the same man who had remained silent from the start.
Aldrian looked at the man before him, the sect leader of the Piercing Heaven Sect, Ryu Hyuk-Jae. This was the man who had personally invited him. While Aldrian didn’t fully understand his intentions, one thing was certain—Ryu Hyuk-Jae was the strongest living human he had encountered so far.
Though his cultivation was at the High Emperor stage, the thick aura and demonic energy flowing in his body made it clear that his breakthrough to the Peak Emperor stage was not far off. Aldrian watched as Ryu Hyuk-Jae finally opened his mouth to speak.
"To be honest, I’m surprised, though it might not seem like it, my heart trembles at the thought that energy suppression could exist within the human race. This could mark the beginning of a new era of cultivation." Ryu Hyuk-Jae said.
Kang Doo-Hoon interjected, "Ryu Hyuk-Jae, are you still calm after witnessing that? With that kind of power, if he decides to misuse his suppression ability, there’s even a possibility that the human race could be enslaved by him!"
"You’re only focusing on the negative potential," Ryu Hyuk-Jae responded. "I’m thinking about the good he could bring—to us, to the demonic cult. What if, for example, we befriended him?"
Kang Doo-Hoon was stunned. What had happened to this man? Ryu Hyuk-Jae, known for his high pride and as a staunch demonic cultivator, would normally strike down a young man like Aldrian for his arrogance—especially with power that could pose a threat to the demonic cult.
What was this man thinking, taking such a soft approach? Had he taken the wrong medicine or something? Sect Master Baek Ha-Yoon was equally puzzled by Ryu Hyuk-Jae’s uncharacteristic behavior in this situation. It suddenly dawned on them both—hadn’t he been too quiet this whole time? The Ryu Hyuk-Jae they knew would have already demonstrated his might by now.
Aldrian, too, was curious. From the stories he’d heard while gathering information about the three great sects, the sect master of the Piercing Heaven Sect was known to be a proud man, a true demonic cultivator in every sense.
But now, standing in front of him, what Aldrian saw was a man with a broad mind, someone who didn’t jump to conclusions and was cautious in his actions. Had he missed something?
Aldrian tried to read Ryu Hyuk-Jae’s mind, but the moment his technique made contact with the man’s body, he sensed a thin barrier blocking him. He could break through it if he wanted to, but doing so would alert the sect master, and he knew exactly what it was.
"Karma laws."
What Aldrian sensed reminded him of his encounter with Elthar Evergreen, the Imperial Teacher of the Ivory Empire.
"It seems I’ll need to upgrade my mind-reading technique for someone who comprehends karma." Aldrian thought.
"Befriend him? Are you serious, Ryu Hyuk-Jae? We don’t even know who this man is or what kind of person he might be. Even though his energy is different, he’s still an orthodox cultivator. What if he’s already at a point where we can’t stop him? What if he wants to harm the demonic cult? We’ll only be left with regret!" Kang Doo-Hoon angrily replied.
"Like I said, you’re too focused on the possibility that he might be dangerous. I don’t blame you, it’s a valid concern. But I believe he can be trusted to become an ally of the demonic cult," Ryu Hyuk-Jae responded calmly.
"And what makes you so sure, Sect Leader Ryu?" Baek Ha-Yoon now asked.
"The temple of the Heavenly Demon within the Piercing Heaven Sect has given a sign," Ryu Hyuk-Jae replied.
"A sign?" both of them asked in unison.
"The Heavenly Demon’s scripture is trembling."
The others gasped in shock.
"Is that true?"
Aldrian tilted his head in confusion. What was this Heavenly Demon’s scripture? His mind wandered back to Baek Ji-Min’s cultivation technique, the Heavenly Demon’s Flower Scripture. Could the Piercing Heaven Sect have something similar? Many questions surfaced, but he remained quiet, continuing to listen to their conversation.
"I’m serious. The Heavenly Demon’s scripture trembled before my eyes," Ryu Hyuk-Jae continued. "Last week, while I was meditating in the temple, the scripture shook and gave me a brief vision."
"A vision?" Kang Doo-Hoon asked, intrigued.
"Yes. As you know, no one has ever been able to fully comprehend the Heavenly Demon’s scripture. I was trying to comprehend it, as usual, but this time was different. Suddenly, I received a vague hint, blurry at the time—a bright golden light from the sky."
"I was confused by what I saw then, and not long after, news of the chaos in Dual Peak Horns City reached me. I began connecting the dots with the information I gathered, particularly about how this man solved the devil problem in Dual Peak Horns. That’s when I decided to invite him and try to investigate him myself."
"Two days later, the Heavenly Demon’s scripture trembled again, much stronger this time and giving me another hint—the silhouette of a man. I didn’t want to jump to conclusions then, but now I’m almost certain all of this is connected by karma. That’s why I’m here—to see the man who solved the devil problem and possesses this unknown golden energy. I believe all of this is the will of the Heavenly Demon!" Ryu Hyuk-Jae said, awe evident in his voice.
Aldrian, who had been listening, was stunned.
"So, if my guess is correct, the man in my vision must be the Heavenly Demon. And through the connection of his karma to the scripture and the temple of the Heavenly Demon, he was able to give a hint of my presence?"
His power’s origin is connected to the Heavenly Tree of the world, and to the Heavenly Demon as well. Aldrian couldn’t help but think that whoever had wielded this power in the past must have been almighty in their own right and respected by many great powerhouses.
"But this Sect Master of the Piercing Heaven Sect is really taking a gamble, putting his faith in me just because he received hints from the Heavenly Demon’s scripture. He already believes I’m the one from his vision. Like people say, the Sect Master of the Piercing Heaven Sect is truly a fanatic when it comes to the Heavenly Demon."
Aldrian glanced at the sect masters arguing among themselves. He understood their concerns; trusting an outsider, especially one who wasn’t a demonic cultivator, was a reckless and possibly suicidal move. It only highlighted how much faith Sect Master Ryu Hyuk-Jae had in the Heavenly Demon, fully and without reservation.
"How about this?" Ryu Hyuk-Jae interrupted. "I will personally guarantee his presence in Demon Territory. If my decision proves wrong and he harms the demonic cultivators’ future or threatens our survival, I will step down from my position as sect leader and have my cultivation crippled."
The others, including Aldrian, were shocked.
"He’s truly a madman! He’s the epitome of a demonic cultivator with blind faith in the Heavenly Demon!" Aldrian thought.
If Aldrian had ill intentions, Ryu Hyuk-Jae would be throwing away his glorious life. Crippling his cultivation would make him vulnerable and reduce his lifespan to that of a normal mortal. Aldrian doubted the sect master would live long after that.
"You’re really a madman! Completely crazy!" Kang Doo-Hoon exclaimed.
"Well, many people call me that," Ryu Hyuk-Jae responded with a casual shrug.
"How about I make a vow in the name of the Heavenly Demon to help you all relax?" he added.
"No, you don’t have to! The vow of the Heavenly Demon isn’t something to be taken lightly! Ugh, fine... I won’t intervene this time," Kang Doo-Hoon grumbled, scratching his head in frustration. He knew that if anything happened to the Sect Master of the Piercing Heaven Sect, it would spell disaster for Demon Territory.
With the prophecy from the Heavenly Direction Church already putting all the powers on the continent in a "wait-and-see" position, losing one of their main powerhouses would be catastrophic.
"Good. Now, I believe I’ve found the right person to comprehend the Heavenly Demon’s scripture. We can finally complete the Three Scriptures of the Heavenly Demon," Ryu Hyuk-Jae said with a smile.
Aldrian, hearing the term "the Three Scriptures of the Heavenly Demon," raised his brows in curiosity.
"Is this what I think it is?" he wondered.
