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Chapter 92: The Being’s Essence
"Fine," Aldrian said.
Ryu Hyuk-Jae’s serious expression instantly disappeared, replaced by a smile.
"Now we are—"
"But don’t expect too much," Aldrian interrupted. "I have my own circumstances, so if nothing happens, you can’t blame me."
"No, you will succeed," Ryu Hyuk-Jae said, waving his hand dismissively.
Aldrian’s mouth twitched. He was truly enlightened by the man’s optimistic nature. He glanced at his group and smiled bitterly.
"It looks like we’ll have to stay in demon territory a bit longer," Aldrian sent a voice transmission to the trio.
"It’s okay. If you succeed, we’ll gain another supporter. That’s good for the future journey." n𝚘vp𝚞𝚋.com
"Whatever you decide, I’ll follow you. It’s also nice to explore while we’re still in demon territory."
"I think I’ve started to get used to your ability to attract big powerhouses, so don’t worry."
Aldrian smiled, looking at them. When he thought about it, with them by his side, his journey was far more colorful.
The meeting continued with a discussion on how they should develop a more meticulous plan to catch any remaining devils in the demon territory. Aldrian explained that the devils possess some kind of artifact capable of concealing their energy and aura. Even detection artifacts like the Orb of Origin, could be deceived. He didn’t know the specific nature of the artifact since none of the devils he had read memories from mentioned its name.
While Aldrian didn’t have concrete evidence yet, he suspected that the disappearance of one of the Forgeheart Kingdom’s blacksmith master was connected to this artifact. The others pondered solemnly over how to counter it. Based on Aldrian’s experience, the artifact only concealed devil energy to a certain extent—if the energy output became too intense, the artifact would lose its effectiveness.
Truthfully, Aldrian didn’t have a solution to the issue either. Inside his domain, he could sense anomalies using his Eyes of Heaven, even if the devils wore the artifact, but only if he focused intently. Outside his domain, he had no immediate solution and could only force them out, as he had done in Balin and at Dual Horns Peak.
They now also have prisoners from the city lord’s manor of Dual Peak Horns, so they will gather some information. Not all the members have had their memories read by Aldrian, as he left the rest of the task to the three great sects.
They decided to strengthen their surveillance in key cities where the devils were most likely to operate. If they couldn’t catch them yet, they needed to narrow the devils’ space to move freely within the demon territory.
By the end of the meeting, they agreed to some of Aldrian’s proposed actions for dealing with potential problem in the demon territory.
First, The three great sects had their own networks scattered throughout the Demon territory, no matter how small. Aldrian to inform the eyes and ears of the three great sects in the vicinity if he encountered even the smallest trace of a devil conspiracy, then he can take an immediate action.
Second, if Aldrian ran into any demonic cultivators seeking trouble with him, he was to give them a "warning" or slap in the face if he chose to, while also reporting the incident to the three great sects. Aldrian only needed to sit back and let the three sects handle the matter. If the problem persisted, the three sects would allow Aldrian to decide how he wished to act.
With everything concluded, the meeting ended on a much more amicable note than earlier. Aldrian also received an invitation to visit the Heavenly Demon Temple in the Piercing Heaven Sect, with a notification about the exact time to follow.
When they exited the room, the moon was already high in the sky, prompting them to decide to stay in the sect for the night.
Now alone in his room, Aldrian began a comprehension session to fill his time.
"I didn’t expect the meeting to take so long. Looks like I won’t be able to look for Baek Ji-Min tonight," he thought.
As if the heavens had decided to answer his concern, within his domain, he sensed unusual movement atop a cliff. Using his Eyes of Heaven, Aldrian was surprised to see Baek Ji-Min sitting cross-legged at the cliff’s peak.
"How convenient," Aldrian thought, feeling as though the heavens were watching him intently.
He smiled and, without hesitation, teleported just a short distance behind Baek Ji-Min. She remained unaware that someone was already watching her. Aldrian stood silently, observing the beautiful scene—the moon casting its light over the woman with white hair. The combination of the two made him think of a moon goddess sitting under the soft glow of moonlight.
Aldrian smiled at the thought and decided to move closer, allowing his presence to be known. Baek Ji-Min, sensing someone behind her, quickly stood up, her expression wary.
"Who—" Her question caught in her throat when she saw the person behind her.
"You?! How did—how did you get here?"
Her bewildered expression gave Aldrian a sense of satisfaction.
"Ah, I really enjoy teasing people," he thought.
"Well, I just entered through the gate. How else would I get in?" he said with a smirk.
"No, I’m serious! This is the Thorny Flower Garden! No men are allowed here without special permission. You need to leave before anyone spots you!" she exclaimed, hurrying to push Aldrian away. She tried to push him, but he was like a solid rock—she couldn’t move him an inch.
"He’s so strong!" she thought. With her cultivation at the Low Earl level, she couldn’t even budge him.
Seeing his relaxed expression, she gave up and stopped trying to push him.
"Now, you don’t have to worry," Aldrian said calmly. "I came here through official means. I’m not here specifically for you, but since I saw you, why would I avoid you? Don’t you have something you want to ask me?"
Aldrian was genuinely curious about this destiny bearer of the Heavenly Demon, the one who cultivated the Heavenly Demon’s Flower Scripture.
Baek Ji-Min stood stunned, but she finally connected the dots.
"Were you invited to the meeting in this sect?"
Aldrian responded only with silence and a smile. She didn’t need any further confirmation—she understood that he had been invited by the three great sects. But the real question was: who was he, that the three sects would extend such an invitation? Then she recalled something—if the sects had invited someone important, could he be the one?
"Now that we’re already face to face, I have some questions for you as well. We could exchange information. How about that?" Aldrian suggested.
Baek Ji-Min pondered for a moment before nodding. She needed information about him anyway.
"Alright, let me ask you first—why did you come to me?" Aldrian asked as he took a seat beside her.
Baek Ji-Min looked at his relaxed demeanor and sighed, then sat back down.
"I have a special ability that allows me to see the being’s essence of each person."
"Being’s essence of each person? You mean their soul?" Aldrian asked.
"It goes deeper than that. Souls are different for each person, yes, but the being’s essence is the true nature hidden deep within the soul. It’s more abstract than the soul itself."
"For example, a person who has committed atrocious acts can still have a white soul because they can cleanse their soul from the bad influence of their actions with good deeds. Each time their soul is tainted with darkness, they balance it with good actions. That’s what we call hypocrisy," Baek Ji-Min explained.
"The essence of one’s being isn’t as simple. It’s strongly tied to karma. Karma is intangible—unless someone comprehends the laws of karma of course, it’s a concept that every being, whether they have a soul or not, is bound to."
She continued, "When you look at someone, you build karma with that person. When you talk to someone, even small talk, you create karma with them. Even when you observe the scenery—the trees, the rocks—you are connected to all of them through karma."
Aldrian nodded, understanding the mysterious nature of karma. Despite his high comprehension, even in his relatively short life, he couldn’t claim to fully grasp karma. There was much more to learn. If he became powerful enough, with a strong enough understanding of karma, it might even be possible to trace the origin of his power.
"When I look at people, what I see varies. Sometimes it’s horrifying—someone’s essence can be so ugly and rotten. Other times, it’s beautiful and fresh to my eyes," she said.
Aldrian finally understood why she had approached him.
"So, what did you see in me?" he asked.
"You?" Baek Ji-Min hesitated. "I can’t explain it fully. What I saw was a vast void—so vast that I couldn’t find its end. Then, there was a golden light above the void. I don’t know how to describe it, but my heart started to race, and my eyes nearly went blind from looking at you for too long."
