《Heaven's Wrath (A LitRPG Wuxia)》 Ace and the Immortal Demon Sect While the Immortal Demon Sect remained in the dark before, servants were already awake, performing their assigned duties. One of the servants, Ace, carried a dozen chopped woods behind his back and placed them before the Old Observer. The Observer counted the woods and confirmed his quota, "You may go." "Thank you, Sir." Ace respectfully lowered his head to the Observer and left. Ace passed the servant''s quarters and went up the mountain after confirming no one was around. Ace traversed the usual pathway he had been using for the past few months, and halfway up the mountain, he reached a wall of tangible mist. Looking up, Ace could see the mist stretching even past the sky. This wall of mist separated the mortals from the Outer-Sector of the Sect, where the Outer Sect disciples reside and cultivate to reach the peak of the Martial Path. Every cultivator in the Nine Worlds dream of ascending to immortality and one day attaining everlasting life but becoming a cultivator requires one to possess the talent to break the limits of mortality. To become cultivators, these talented individuals gather and maximize their chances of ascending in a place called Sects. Consequently, the Immortal Demon Sect was one of the most prominent Sects in the Ancient Dragon Continent. The Immortal Demon Sect is an Immortal Rank Sect with thousands of years of heritage at its back, and Ace was one of its millions of servants who helped do its chores. Ace was assigned to chop woods every morning and does the laundry in the afternoon. Like the other servants, he chops three wood logs every day and shows them to the Observer and then another three in the afternoon before night falls. Every servant has to secure their food to eat, so most of them will hunt wild animals to eat a decent meal, and the only payment they receive from being a servant is one low-quality crystal essence. The servants'' jobs may look hard, but no one complains because every single one of them chose to become servants to the Immortal Demon Sect themselves, and Ace was not any different than them. They could leave anytime they wanted but chose to remain. It may seem strange why anyone voluntarily becomes a servant doing all this manual labor for a low-quality crystal essence. But being a servant in the Immortal Demon Sect was better than not becoming one. The outskirts of the Sect possess a much better environment than some backwater Sect. Becoming a servant was their only hope of officially entering the Sect after failing the sect examinations or being scouted to join the Sect personally. Every year, hundreds flock to Sect Gate to become Servants. There was also the fact that the Immortal Sect only recruits every 100 years. Most of them would already be dead when the subsequent recruitment happens. The last Sect Recruitment happened a few months back, and Ace failed the third and final assessment leading him to become a servant.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. No, he was one of the many who attempted to become an official disciple by breaking through the limits of a mortal body by creating a Soul Seed inside the dantian before the set age limit. Cultivation was the norm in all Nine Worlds; by cultivating, gathering, and refining the heavenly essence of the world, one would be able to become a full-pledge cultivator. If a servant were able to create a Soul Seed inside their dantian before the age of sixteen, the Immortal Demon Sect would grant them entry, officially making them a disciple of the Sect. However, Ace has a massive problem in his cultivation, and that problem was he couldn''t create the Soul Seed inside his dantian even though the amount of heavenly essence in his body was enough to form one. Ace''s body was strong, and his meridians were normal, yet he could not create a Soul Seed. Ace was frightened that he could not create a Soul Seed, wasting his time on a worthless and fruitless journey. After checking his body for problems and even asking the Observers about his condition in a roundabout way, he still came out empty-handed. Without any more leads to follow, Ace finally concluded that his strange problem had something to do with the thin floating translucent board that appeared in his head on the day of the third assessment. He discovered the translucent board while meditating three months ago, just as he started sensing heavenly essence. Name: Ace Level: 0 Experience Points: 95/100 Martial Skills: <> That translucent board was strange, showing him words and numbers he could not quite grasp. The only thing he could understand about it was the Name and the Level. The name was unmistakable; as for the level, he connected it to Cultivation Stages. Core Formation, Minor Saint, Great Saint, Sovereign, and Earth Sovereign, each stage was divided further into nine levels. "It sounds the same, so they might have the same meaning." Ace had never seen or heard such a thing, so in fear of attracting unwanted attention, Ace kept quiet about it. It might connect him to the Devil Path, so he kept his silence. Ace didn''t want to risk getting harpooned for uncertain answers. Ace knew what to call the translucent board as its name came with it as he made the discovery¡ªSystem. Without any manual or books concerning his situation, System Ace had to discover its use all on his own, and in the past three months, he only learned one thing: the "Experience Points." Every time Ace hunted a rabbit; he would find that his experience points increased. After three months of hunting and feasting on wild rabbits, Ace increased his experience points from 3 to 95 Experience Points. He currently only needs five more points to reach 100. Ace stood in front of the mist barrier and sighed¡ª PAH! "Let''s do this!" he roared and woke himself up! He came to the mist barrier to freshen his mind and reignite his ambition, and after a while, Ace''s face showed a bright smile, "I''ll cross this barrier someday!" Again, he shouted, reaffirming his conviction. "Time to hunt some food." Ace went down the mountain and retrieved his bow and arrow. After Ace went down the mountain, the sun slowly rose into view, and Ace went hunting in the forest for wild rabbits. Ace was moving relatively quicker than when he was trying to go up the mountain, so it didn''t take him long to reach the plains where the rabbits frequent. Ace climbed up the tree and hid behind the branches and leaves, regulating his breathing; Ace waited for a rabbit to appear while hiding his presence as best as he could. In the time since Ace became a servant, he noticed the manual labor was strengthening his body; the strength he got from cutting wood helped him immensely when he hunted for food, for Ace being a servant has many hidden benefits. Ace waited and noticed movements from the foliage; Ace took a deep breath, took an arrow from his quiver, and knocked it on his bow. Drawing the bowstrings, Ace squinted his eyes and waited for the right timing. Then, as he kept his motionless stance, Ace looked far off and released the arrow. Whoosh! The wind shrieked, as did the tiny creature. Ace climbed down the tree to get the rabbit. His arrow pierced its neck, pinning it to the ground. Ace carried the rabbit and went to another location; like before, it didn''t take long. He climbed up another tree, hiding behind the branches and the leaves; he waited for another rabbit to come by. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Ace killed another three rabbits counting the other one he killed. He currently has four, equalling 4 Experience Points, "What a nice haul for the day; this should last me for a while." After checking the system, Ace found that he only needed one more point to reach 100, so after thinking about it for a while, Ace decided to wait for another rabbit to gain the last Experience Point needed. "Just one more." he excitedly said under his breath. Ace waited, but no rabbits came for a long while, he felt his feet numb, but he kept waiting for the next rabbit. Rustling reached his ears, and his eyes squinted like before. Ace knocked an arrow and drew it back as far as possible. Taking a deep breath, Ace waited, and when his ears picked up the rustling noises a second time, Ace released the arrow from his bow and fired it off, hitting a rabbit a hundred meters away. "Yes!" he celebrated. Ace wanted to run up and get the rabbit, but when he was about to climb down the tree, Ace''s head received a sudden flow of information from somewhere he did not know. Name: Ace Level: 1 <> Experience Points: 0/200 Martial Skills: <> "Level up? Did I perhaps reach a new stage¡­" suddenly, he felt a smoldering sensation within; Ace lost his balance and fell, "Burning¡­.my body is burning." If Ace could look into his body now, he would be surprised to see that the heavenly essence all around him gathered to his body. Heavenly Essence swirled as it condensed to a single point and connected to his soul. The Soul Seed he couldn''t form was being formed inside his body the same moment after leveling up. 2. Beyond the Mist As he had always done when he was just a servant, Ace woke up before sunrise, but unlike a typical day, Ace would not be chopping logs of wood. "An Outer-Sect Disciple doesn''t chop wood," he said to himself with a satisfied smile. "This should be everything." Ace didn''t need to pack anything other than the letters he received from his parents, his bow, and his quiver of arrows, and as for clothes, he only needed to change to the Outer Circle Disciple uniform given to him the day before. Patting the dust off his clothes, Ace went out to wash his face. The dirt he got when he fell from the tree was still on him as he didn''t have the time to clean himself up after returning and reporting his improvement. Ace dried his face off with a towel and proceeded to clean his entire body. After a while, Ace finished cleaning his dirt-covered body, went inside the servants'' quarters, and changed to the Outer Circle Disciple uniform. His uniform was red a robe, lined black on the edge of both sleeves. The black lining on the sleeves showed his identity as an Outer Circle disciple. Ace checked the fitness of his clothes and headed out to the meeting place even before sunrise. His steps were full of bravado and confidence, as if he was showing off that he could finally step into the world he dreamt of. Ace could hardly contain his happiness. Ace attracted attention while sauntering on the road. Eyes filled with envy surrounded him, making him feel like some hero returning from a Heavenly War. Ace was naturally enjoying the looks of others, but he didn''t try rubbing it on their faces by looking down upon them because he also knew how it felt when someone from the foot of the mountain obtained an Outer Circle disciple clothing. The envy he felt when someone got to walk up the mountain before he was not something Ace wanted to replicate. His parents taught him better. No, Ace wanted to look dignified, befitting a disciple of an Immortal Sect that rules the Old Dragon Continent, but his broad smile failed to make him any fancier than a hobo finding a half-eaten sandwich. Ace passed the servants and found himself in front of the carved stairs leading up the mountain top. The stone stair had many steps. Even when Ace counted the farthest that he could see from below was the ninety-fifth step, he knew that didn''t stop there. Ace took a deep breath before taking a step forward and climbing up the stone steps. Ace was a cultivator now, so it was nothing for him. The heavenly essence in his body had finally been molded into a Soul Seed¡­ although his Soul Seed was a little bit different from what he read. From a book he read about cultivation, a Soul Seed would look like a mustard seed and have the same size as a peanut. Though, on some occasions, the Soul Seed may have the size of a walnut, this kind of situation also reflects a cultivator''s talent. However, in Ace''s case, his Soul Seed dramatically differs from the norm because his Soul Seed does not look like a mustard seed from any angle. It was more of a mutated monster. His soul seed had a warped image; half of it seemed completely normal while the other had a tiny hole that glowed red, and above it was a tiny pointy branch resembling a horn. Ace was surprised when he saw his Soul Seed after he woke up from suddenly blacking out, but when he thought of the strange system, Ace just accepted what was happening. The system itself was a mysterious thing that he didn''t know about, and he couldn''t say to anyone else, so just like the system, Ace chose to keep quiet regarding his Soul Seed during his report to the Observer. He didn''t make a big deal out of something minor. It might hinder him from joining the Sect.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. After a few minutes of climbing, Ace reached the 1000th step. Reaching the top of the stone steps, what greeted him was the towering wall of mist and two young boys seated in the waiting area of the stone steps. Ace noticed that the two young boys'' clothes were the same as his. "Did the two of you also manage to break through yesterday?" Ace asked. "No, I managed to break through three days ago." A young man with a round body answered. "Five days ago." the other one said coldly. One of the two had a handsome face with a cold pair of eyes, making him look scary. The round boy had a body larger than ordinary men his age, but behind those fats, he also had a handsome face. His jolly disposition made him welcoming and friendly. The young and energetic fatty walked up to Ace and invited him to sit next to him. "Fellow brother of the Sect seems like we three will be advancing simultaneously; haha, this must be destiny! My name is Yuan, and that guy with the scary-looking eyes over there is called Greed." The young fatty Yuan had a friendly smile on his face when he went over to say hello to Ace, his fat bounced around, but that didn''t seem to stop him from moving. Ace smiled and said to fatty Yuan. "Seems like you''re right, brother Yuan; my name is Ace." Ace introduced himself to Fatty Yuan and the stoic Greed, who kept his eyes closed, ''Is he acting like that because he was named Greed? I mean, who names others Greed?'' "Please excuse Greed''s rudeness; he was too excited to sleep for the last three nights, exhausted. Also, I think his name is not really Greed. He just likes how it sounds." "Oh, really?" "Fatty, what did I tell you about gossiping about me?" Greed couldn''t open his eyes even when berating his previous roommate. Fatty and Ace were able to hit it off, and immediately the two of them became friends; although Greed only talked a little, Ace found him not to be a bad person after all, and before long, Fatty and Ace were laughing together. "Seems like we have some energetic youths advancing to become an outer circle disciple. That is good, that is good indeed, hoho." While they were having fun, a silhouette walked out of the mist. Gracefully, an old man walked out of the mist barrier alerting Ace and the other two with him. When he walked out of the mist barrier, the mist parted, creating a path for him, and after he stepped out, the mist barrier returned to normal. The old man looked kind, and the air around him was very calming, making Ace and the others feel at ease. The old man had his white hair tied to a messy bun on top of his head. One could tell he was already an old man with his lanky frame, but how he smiled and acted full of life made him look younger than he should. Three youths saw the old man, and immediately the three of them didn''t delay and bowed to show their respect, "we pay respect to Elder." The three young men said and bent at the same time. The three of them were so in synch that they looked like they had practiced this movement a thousand times. "Hoho, enough with the formalities. I don''t like it that much¡­ take this." The elder tossed them three black color medallions. Ace caught the medallion from the air. The medallion fit their hands perfectly. "Those will be your sect medallions. Try channeling some of your heavenly essences to the medallion." The old man instructed, and the three did what they were told and started channeling their spirit energy to the black medallion. Ace channeled heavenly essence, then both sides of the medallion lit up, and when the light dissipated, Ace checked what was changed only to see his name was already engraved on both sides, "Ace." The three youths'' eyes glittered with joy. "Those medallions will let you pass through the mist barrier that separates the outside world from our Sect. This medallion will also let you guys enter most of the Sect''s facilities without needing to show anything else, and this medallion will also change in color after you break through the next realm." Ace listened to the old man explaining and immediately got the gist of what the black medallion was for, and after some more introductions, the old man finally beckoned them to follow him to the mist barrier. "Wanna see what will be your home in your journey to ascension?" This was the moment Ace had been waiting for since he entered the Immortal Demon Sect. Ace usually only observed the mist barrier and dreamed of one day crossing over it to see what lies beyond the mist. Ace''s heart could not help but beat faster and become wild. Their footsteps echoed in their ears as the mist parted, creating a path for them to cross; the old man led the way while making casual remarks from time to time. Then, when the old man took the final step, light entered the mist barrier, blinding Ace, Yuan, and Greed. The three blocked the bright light coming to them and slowly walked out of the mist barrier, and when their eyes regained their proper sense of sight, what they witnessed would forever be etched in their mind and heart. Floating Islands that housed countless mysteries, Mountain Ranges resembling giant swords, Towering Structures that touched the skies! The sound of screeching howls of Magical Beasts echoed in their ears when a flock of feathered beasts flew up the air from below. The wind produced by the feathered beast created intense wind pressure enough to topple any mortal warrior. The flock of feathered beasts had a strange image; its mouth was that of a lion, its limbs were that of an eagle''s talon, its tail was a snake, and its wings were of a giant bird. The flock of magical feathered beasts flew and disappeared near the mountain range. A Palace that radiated an aureate light. A Giant Arrow sticking out of a volcano. Lightning and Flames, clashing and cascading across the skies. Rampaging Beasts of unknown proportions! All of it was there for the three to witness. Ace... could not utter how beautiful it was. The old man saw their beaming faces and showed them a proud smile, "This is the Immortal Demon Sect, a place where strength is cultivated. Sword, Spear, Monsters, Formations, Elements, Souls nothing here is prohibited. Humans, Demons, Devils, Beasts, Fae, Giants, it doesn''t matter what you are; if you have talent, we shall give you the chance to soar to the High Heavens and conquer the deepest Hell! Welcome to Immortal Demon Sect!" Ace''s heart beat wildly from excitement. He could feel it; this place would be able to provide him what he had been searching for. ''So this is where the strongest people are created....'' Ace was having a hard time containing his excitement down. 3. Promising Juniors "This is awesome! How can such a place be hidden right under our noses? The time we spent crossing from the side of the mist wasn''t that long, so how come such a great place exists behind such a small barrier!? Is the Immortal Demon Sect inside of a Magical Space Realm!?" Fatty Yuan asked with his eyes glittering with curiosity. The old man again laughed before answering his question, "What you just said is only half correct. The Immortal Demon Sect is not inside a Magical Space Realm, but the place called servant''s quarters is inside a Magical Space Realm. We just made it look like you were on the foot of the mountain, but that''s just an illusion." The old man laughed, and Fatty Yuan and the other two were shaken to their core. Hearing what the old man had just said, the three of them were plagued with confusion, ''We were inside a Magical Space Realm? I never even noticed.'' The old man laughed before abruptly stopping as he looked over the horizon, "The three of you now have the medallions, but you are not yet fully recognized. You must first go through the trial of the Illusory Heart Mirror and be judged. Only after passing can you three be called official sect disciples of the Immortal Demon Sect and choose a Core Technique in the Martial Pavilion." Ace''s heart which should have calmed down, thumped vigorously once more. Ace had finally done it and entered the Immortal Demon Sect, and after the Illusory Heart Mirror judges his mind and heart, his first Martial Skill will be eventually be given to him. "Oh, it seems like it''s time for me to go. Can you young''uns do this old man a favor and not tell anyone you saw me here? If someone ever asks who guided you, just say it was Observer Yu, okay?'' The old man left in a hurry as he quickly jumped off the nearby cliff. Seeing someone jump off a cliff startled Ace, so he hurriedly went to check what happened to the old man, but after he did, Ace saw no sign of the old man. "Did he die?" asks Greed. Ace only shook his head and didn''t answer because he didn''t know the old man''s current condition after he jumped off a cliff at this height. Ace checked to see if the old man was okay and realized just how high they currently were. "I think we are a couple of hundred meters from the ground below." Ace said to himself. At this moment, Ace and the others heard a loud screech coming from above them; they turned their heads and looked up and saw a beast casting a giant shadow over their heads. The Magical Beast''s whole body starting from its Lion head all the way to its snake tail, was about 20 meters long, and as for its unfurled giant wings, its length from one tip to the other seemed to be even longer; the feathered beast from before reappeared and this time it was much bigger. Fatty, Greed, and Ace were all level 1 Core Formation practitioners, and the thought of taking this giant beast was nothing but a pipe dream, So, they did the only thing they could do to preserve their life. Run! The three of them didn''t waste time and were about to make a mad dash when they heard someone''s voice from the back of the feathered beast. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "Do not try to run away and add any more inconveniences to me; you guys are the new people advancing to become outer sect disciples, correct?" It was a woman''s voice coming from the beast. "I-Is the Magical Beast talking?" Fatty Yuan said with a shaking voice. "No, it''s from someone else." Ace''s eyes reflected the light coming from the sun, but he clearly saw the young girl coming down to get them. The feathered beast landed, and a girl dismounted the feathered beast then said to Ace and the other two. "Yeah, Fatty, try to at least keep your wits you. Do you think someone with a beautiful voice as mine would be a monster?" The girl spoke loudly, and the beast behind her whimpered, "Ohhh, little girl, I didn''t mean it like that. You are the most beautiful of-" The three youths saw the girl acting a 180 to the beast made them smile. "The hell are you three smiling about!? Are you looking down on me or something!? HUH!?" The three felt a chill going down their spines, "N-no!" "Well, anyway, who''s the observer who guided you here? He should be here with you until I come and pick you up." No one answered until Ace took a step forward. "I-it was Observer Yu, the one who guided us was Observer Yu." "Observer Yu? That makes sense; Observer Yu doesn''t like to be bothered by this kind of activity." The pretty young lady looked at the three of them from head to toe and then said, "Well, you guys are lucky to have all your limbs still intact. But Observer Yu should be finishing his assignment of observing mortals by now, so he should be happy; that makes sense. You guys are lucky indeed." The pretty young lady started talking to herself, and Ace wondered why he felt something was laughing at him from afar. "Hey, you three, I don''t have much time, so get on already." The pretty young lady ordered the three, and Ace and the other two complied obediently. The four climbed the back of the Magical Beast. Seeing the three of them get on, the pretty young lady got on as well and instructed the giant feathered beast to go. Strong winds blew the surrounding dust with a flap of its gigantic wings; the feathered beast screeched and flew up the sky carrying four people on its back with ease. The three inexperienced youths almost fell from its back. "Make sure to hang on tightly!" Shouted the young lady. "Are you both okay back there?" Ace asked. "Yeah, don''t worry about it, Greed is having a slight problem, but it won''t get him blown off by the wind." The one who answered was Fatty Yuan. Ace heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing Fatty. Ace slowly tried releasing his grip on the feathered beast''s fur but kept his head down. In front of him was the pretty young lady who was leisurely sitting on the feathered beast''s back without caring for the world and the three passengers struggling behind her. His movement was slow, but Ace was finally able to sit up straight and finally saw what the young lady was seeing. The green ocean of trees below him was breathtaking. "Brother Yuan, Brother Greed, lift your head and watch this with me." Ace was in awe of what he saw, and he wanted to share it with his companions¡­ with his sect brothers. Fatty and Greed didn''t want to lift their heads. However, Ace''s voice pulled them up. How his eyes glittered at what he saw opted them to sit up straight and witness what he saw. The two of them tried sitting up straight, and the first person after Ace who was able to do it was Greed. Fatty didn''t want to be outdone by the two of them and pushed his fear down and copied them. It was just the normal act of sitting, but the three felt like they had accomplished something, and the beautiful scenery around them was their prize. "This is so awesome, Brother Ace. With the wind hitting my face and flying this monster, I feel like some kind of a General going to battle, alas a fat General." Fatty Yuan let out self-deprecating laughter. "Don''t worry about it; who said someone with your physique cannot become a great General like those in the legends? Elder Liu also has a round body, but he''s now in a position that can someday become a part of the Eleven Peak Elders, and we also have Great Elder Shi, who''s already a part of the Peak Elders." The one who said those encouraging words to Fatty was the pretty young lady who had been quiet. This young lady had seen many young boys and girls who could become outer sect disciples by being a servant, but most of them did not have the chance to enjoy their travel and were already in fear of dying when they got on her friend''s back. Being a cultivator requires a steady heart and strong willpower that doesn''t waver in front of danger; although it was a small matter for her to sit like this on the of her partner for these three, it was something that they only got to experience. It makes her happy to see someone could appreciate the beauty she held dear to her. ''At least they''re not screaming.'' With a smile, the pretty young lady ordered her beast companion to go already. The flight didn''t take long before they reached a populated area. There were buildings that house cultivators built below, while some facilities like a place where youths were constantly seen training and sparring. This place was the outer area of the sect where outer sect disciples resided; both their lodgings and food were provided here. The beast landed in front of a black palace known as the Judgement Palace. The three climbed down the feathered beast and thanked the pretty young lady. "Thank you, Senior Sister." The three of them were once again in synch. "Just wait here for a while, and you guys will be met by a member of the Punishers. When you meet them, you just have to show your medallions that Observer Yu gave you, and they would take you to the Elder in charge." The pretty young lady explained. Once again, the three thanked her in synch. "Thank you, Senior Sister." "Yeah, yeah, my name is Luo; the three of you look promising enough, so I will give you some advice if you want to advance to the inner sect conquer the Demon Rankings." Luo''s words were surprising as she had just explicitly said that these three juniors who have not even received the baptism of the Illusory Heart Mirror will one day enter the inner are and become inner sect disciples. 4. Geniuses Ace watched Luo leave with the feathered beast. ''I wonder if I can have a beast companion when I grow strong enough?'' "What an overbearing name." Fatty praised reading the plaque on the pathway. "This place is also well known outside the sect for upholding the fair judgment in the Immortal Demon Sect, and for millennia, they were able to groom promising disciples that shook the world and became a strong and righteous immortal." Even Greed, who had kept to himself all this time, looked at the Judgement Palace in awe. On the other hand, Ace was relatively calm, but he was still happy to see such a magnificent place. ''Judgement Palace.'' Ace repeated in his head. While they were looking at the carved words, a young man wearing all white with blue lines walked out from Judgement Palace''s door. The youth saw and waited for them to take out the black medallion. Ace and the other two showed the young man their proof of legitimacy and followed him inside. Ace looked at the young from top to bottom man while walking behind him. ''This guy must be a member of the Punishers.'' He thought as he continued walking. The four of them reached a giant door. "Elder Li, I have brought them." The young man announced. "Enter." The voice from behind the door was dry, but it carried weight and followed the door''s opening. Ace followed the young man and saw a room adorned with marble stones and floating books. The room was spacious with a high ceiling and in the middle of this room was a man who looked like he was in his mid-forties, seated on a floating chair. Together with Greed and Fatty Yuan, Ace greeted the Elder with cupped hands. "So you three are the young blood entering the Sect this time. Naturally, the three of you should have already reached Core Formation gaining you the qualifications to enter the Sect, but before becoming official disciples, you must first be judged by the Illusory Heart Mirror." Elder Li spoke as he summoned a five-meter big mirror from thin air. The mirror had an elegant design, with mesmerizing twisting patterns. An image of a golden bird soaring through the sky was engraved on both ends. "One by one, you three need to stand in front of the mirror, and it will judge you without bias. If you do not have any ill will for the Sect, nothing will happen to you; however, if any of you carry any bad intention towards the Sect, the Illusory Heart Mirror will judge and send you to the afterlife." Elder Li explained in detail. The Illusory Heart Mirror was an Immortal Treasure owned by the first sect master, it had terrifying power when used in combat, but the Second Sect Master decided that it would be best to place it in the Judgement Palace, where evil could be rooted earliest. The Second Sect Master, dubbed the Crimson Moon Demon focused on killing the venomous snake that hid in the shadow. For the ten thousand years he spent as the Sect Master, the Crimson Moon Demon spent Nine Thousand Years plotting to kill every single black sheep inside the Sect. The Immortal Demon Sect was rid of any treacherous villain that would harm their own. Though the Illusory Heart Mirror was not perfect, its presence alone meant the future disciples would be more trustworthy. He became known as the catalyst for the Immortal Demon Sect''s Ascension to Immortal Rank. At the present time, under the rule of the Third Sect Master dubbed the Celestial Demon, the Immortal Demon Sect is focused on raising the future pillars of the Sect. However, knowing peace breeds a weaker generation, the Celestial Demon encouraged fierce competition between Elders through their disciples. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Though peace was achieved internally, the number of deaths increased, but disciples became stronger in return. It could be said that one of the foundations of the current Immortal Demon Sect was built from the Illusory Heart Mirror. "You''re first." Elder Li pointed to Greed, who followed immediately after hearing the instruction to step forward. Greed stepped forward and stood in front of the Illusory Heart Mirror, where his own image was reflected. Greed''s eyes had always been narrowed, making him look intimidating to many people but standing in front of an elder from an immortal sect, Greed''s eyes were even narrower than before to the point that he couldn''t almost see what was in front of him. Elder Li shook his head when he looked at Greed, ''Seems like no surprises will appear this time.'' But his expectation was beaten almost immediately when the Illusory Heart Mirror shone at Greed with blinding light. "What''s happening?" cried Greed. Greed stood in front of the Illusory Heart Mirror, confusing the young man. He had to ask himself if he had done something wrong. The young Greed panicked, but he steeled his heart and stayed where he was. Knowing he held no grudge towards the Sect, he gathered what confidence he had left and stood his ground. Greed wanted to prove his innocence. Seeing Greed''s body shaking previously, Elder Li didn''t put much hope in this test, but the Illusory Heart Mirror reaction only means that a genius was amongst them. It wasn''t known to the public, but the Illusory Heart Mirror has another function other than confirming one''s intent, and that''s evaluating someone''s hidden talent and physique. Some elders even gave it another fitting name - The Golden Mirror of Truth. In the past, some people performed what many may call miracles when they entered the Sect even though they came from the servant''s quarters, and all those people created a scene like Greed''s. These miracles were more commonly known as Heaven''s Prophecy. Those who can manifest a Heaven''s Phopecy, if allowed to bloom, are known to become Warriors who stand at the very peak. Elder Li frantically got down from where he was sitting. Elder Li placed two of his fingers on Greed''s core, "Relax, I am only sending my heavenly essence in your body to check something; it will be done in five breathes time." Like Elder Li instructed and Greed eased his bodily muscles and surrendered his meridians to Elder Li. When Elder Li''s heavenly essence entered Greed''s body, his eyes showed genuine surprise, "T¡ªthis is a Revolving Sun Physique!!" Ace was standing on one side with Fatty Yuan with dumbfounded expressions. The two of them didn''t know exactly what a Revolving Sun Physique was, but it sounded truly overbearing from how Elder Li was reacting. "Wow, so he had such an impressive physique? Brother Ace, doesn''t this mean I have been living with such an amazing person without me knowing anything? This scary eyes guy is too much for an opening act; I will definitely get overshadowed by him. There go my dreams of standing out on the first day." Fatty was trying to sound saddened, but the smile on his face betrayed his words. Greed was a friend of his, at least he thinks of him like one, and seeing a friend having a moment like this where he can rise above the rest made Fatty Yuan both want to cheer him on and want to surpass him. Greed talked to Elder Li for a long time, so he could not return to Fatty Yuan and Ace''s side. The other young men present didn''t want to continue and wanted nothing more than to talk to Greed, who would become a successful cultivator in the future, so they called the next one. "You''re next." A young man beckoned Fatty Yuan to stand in front of the Illusory Heart Mirror. Fatty Yuan didn''t mind how they treated him as he leisurely walked up in front of the Illusory Heart Mirror, and with Elder Li being distracted by Greed, Fatty had nothing to be nervous about. Fatty Yuan stood in front of the Illusory Heart Mirror and waited for the result. This time everyone''s attention was not focused on Fatty Yuan, who was being judged but on Greed. Who would pay attention to bronze when a diamond was in front of you? However, their attention was again taken because another blinding light appeared, a phenomenon in no way lacking from Greed''s. Everyone was shocked because this kind of thing where two people were hidden away by chance. But, the one who was more surprised than the people in his surrounding was the one who caused it; Fatty Yuan could not believe that he had some kind of genius-level talent. Fatty Yuan couldn''t believe this was happening and thought that he was in a dream, but when he tried pinching himself on the arm and felt pain, he started laughing. "Haha, am I also a hidden dragon amongst my peers!? Haha, look, brother Ace and Greed, I am a genius, but you better be careful because the world may end tomorrow!!" Fatty Yuan was rattled to his very core when that bright light appeared. Who doesn''t at some dream of being a genius and being someone above the other people? Elder Li, who had turned his back to Fatty and Ace, once again came back to check Fatty Yuan''s body, and just like what he did to Greed, he reminded Fatty Yuan to relax his body and let him take care of it. Unlike with Greed, Elder Li took his time when he checked Fatty''s physique. It took Elder Li a couple of minutes, but he was finally able to make out what was happening, and after he checked, Elder Li''s face had a full smile when he announced what was special on Fatty Yuan''s body that he was considered as a genius by the mirror. "The Ancient Devil Emperor bloodline flows in your veins. Haha, this explains your bloated body!!" Elder Li was laughing, but one sentence caught Fatty Yuan''s attention. "Elder Li can I ask what you mean when you said why my body is like this?" Fatty was curious because, for the longest time, he had been trying to slim down and lose all this excess fat so he could move more efficiently; alas, he failed. "It is simple, the Ancient Devil Emperor''s bloodline at its early stages won''t let you go slim. Until you reach the right age of eighteen, the Ancient Devil Emperor bloodline will come to life, and most of your vitality will be drained, so if you slim down before your bloodline comes to life, you will become dry rations with your life and vitality being drained out of you until you die. Aiya, but if you didn''t know, that could only mean we must provide you with foo so you can prepare for the bloodline''s awakening!" Elder Li didn''t mind explaining everything to Fatty Yuan as he was in a good mood at the moment, Elder Li led Fatty to Greed''s direction, but he remembered there was one more person who had yet to be judged, ''Is he a genius just like them?'' he questioned himself and stayed to watch this Ace. His expectations were already broken so many times in a single day. Two physiques that would cause envy across the Four Worlds surfaced right before him; he should be happy, but Elder Li wanted to hold hope that Ace was also like them. ''Can he also possess something out of this world?'' Ace was called to stand in front of the mirror after Fatty Yuan. Ace walked at a leisure pace, not too quick and not too slow; he didn''t show much emotion like the other two making Elder Li''s attention focus even more on him when he finally stood in front of the Illusory Heart Mirror Ace''s heart was already racing. He was praying inside his mind with all his heart, and like the heavens were answering his plea for help, alas, the world was not so kind¡­ the illusory Heart didn''t show any reaction and only showed a regular flash of light confirming that he didn''t have any ill will. Ace turned to Fatty and Greed, "It was short, but it seems like we have to part here. Till we meet again." Ace knew that with the hidden potential that the Fatty and Greed had shown, they would become inner sect disciples, and with his poor performance, Ace was sure that he was bound to become an ordinary outer sect disciple. But from how he acted, Ace didn''t mind being a regular disciple. 5. It was a Cheat Skill After the judgment from the Illusory Heart Mirror was finished, Ace was accompanied by one of the young men from Judgement Palace into a room. Fatty and Greed were no longer with him as Elder Li personally guided them. The two he met by chance were geniuses that the heavens favored. ''So both of them were geniuses? Well, that''s something you don''t see on normal days.'' He thought after they were separated. Ace wasn''t saddened, even if he''s not called a genius. Ace''s body was average in quality, same as his comprehension of words and mysteries was nothing to be proud of. He could use a bow, but he preferred to use his fist just like his father. A man must use their body to fight, as his father claimed. Besides, he was unique in his own right; his Soul Seed was different after all. The Soul Seed inside his body was not ordinary; based on its appearance alone, Ace knew how different he was from the others, and with the System inside his head, Ace didn''t want his secrets getting discovered. "Hand me your medallion." The young man demanded. The young man fiddled with his black medallion before giving it back. When Ace took the black medallion from the young man, a voice spoke inside his head. [Ding¡­ acquired Black Medallion of the Outer Circle.] [Black Medallion of the Outer Circle: Crafted using high-quality minerals that change color in response to the holder''s cultivation level. Proof of outer discipleship to the Immortal Demon Sect.] ''Is this... from that System?'' seeing a new message written before him, Ace could not help but be befuddled, ''Does this mean the System''s function is not just leveling?'' His mind wandered. The mystic of the System brought him untold confusion. "-Id." ''I wonder, what else can the system do?'' he asked himself. "Kid, did you hear me!?" "Ahh! Y-yes!" Ace jumped back as a hand grabbed him from the back. His face paled as he saw the young man from the Judgement Palace look at him with pity, "Look, kid, not everyone is blessed by the heavens, but that doesn''t mean you can''t catch up to them. If you try hard enough, you can stand on the same level as your friends one day." "Tha-thank you?" such was the only response he could muster. "Anyway, as per Sect regulations, I linked your medallion to the Sect Records. As of today, you are now an official Outer Circle disciple of our sect. The current color of your medallion is black, but that is because your cultivation is at Core Formation; after you advance in your cultivation, it will change to a corresponding color." The young man then took a slip from his sleeves and passed it on to Ace. "I see." "Here, take this." The young man handed over a leather bag and a red paper slip. [Ding¡­ acquired Immortal Demon Sect Outer Circle Disciple Start Bag.] [Immortal Demon Sect Outer Circle Disciple Start Bag: the essential items given to every Outer Circle Disciples of the Immortal Demon Sect.] [Ding¡­ acquired Martial Pavilion Red Slip.] [Martial Pavilion Red Slip: A ticket to get a Martial Technique from the First Floor of the Martial Pavilion.] Ace looked inside and saw various things that he needed, like clothes. It also contained a white bottle, the address and location of his new house, and some low-quality crystal essence, and the red paper had the words [Martal Pavilion] written on it. "Take that red slip to the Martial Pavilion to pick a Martial Technique. The red slip can only provide you a single book so decide well. The map to the Martial Pavilion is illustrated on the back of the red paper."This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The young man beckoned Ace out of the Judgement Room and was sent to fend independently. "You can get your food in the Cafeteria every Noon and at the 18th hour. Lessons are not mandatory, but you can go to the Scholastic Demon Hall and apply for classes if you want to. Good luck on your journey, Junior." After thanking the young man who guided him, Ace was left to decide what he should do. Fatty Yuan and Greed will most definitely enter the inner circle of the sect and join the ranks of the geniuses. ''I first need to get a Martial Technique, find my lodgings on my own, and find out more about the System.'' He finally made the decision after calming himself. After Ace leveled up the previous day, he discovered many new things, like how his body was referred to by the System as ''Character.'' ''Ding¡­ character level up'' was said after the experience points reached one hundred. The System inside his head remained a mystery. For Ace to improve, he was aware he must first understand the System, but the thought was overwritten by his drive to get his first Martial Skill, so he checked the red paper and looked at the map written on the back. Ace followed the map and passed different places but, oddly enough, didn''t see many disciples on the way. Ace used what was left of the morning to find the Martial Pavilion, and just when the sun hit its highest point, Ace finally stood in front of a Towering Pavilion. He confirmed that he was in the right place after seeing the carved sign of the Martial Pavilion. ''Finally, I can learn proper Martial Techniques.'' Taking a deep breath, Ace entered the Pavilion with excitement and expectations. The inside of the Martial Pavilion was spacious and had a simple design, but its black walls gave it heavy pressure. Walking up to the attending disciple behind the reception desk, Ace showed him the red paper slip. After checking the red paper slip, the female attending disciple raised her brows, "Are you new here?" Ace nodded. "Sigh, listen well, I''m only going to explain this to you once. Pick one book to be rented, bring it to me, and you can take it out for free this time. Next time, you will need Crystal Essence as compensation. You got that?" "Yes, thank you." The female attendant then pointed to the rows of bookshelves behind her, "Pick one and take it back to me. Do it quickly, will you?" "Thank you." Ace ambled and entered the forest of bookshelves of the lowest levels. He took a book from one of the bookshelves, opened it, and began reading. Ace read one of them but found that all were basic introductions to the actual Martial Technique. "<> a technique that lets the practitioner burn their enemies by using only one finger. With this technique, you would easily burn through the wood. " "<> rip your opponents to shreds by strengthening all your fingers until they are comparable to a tiger''s claw. It has three levels of mastery but once trained to the peak, one will be able to dig through a mountain by using only your bare hands." "<> a movement technique that will let you move in the air as if you are dancing on the biggest stage." Ace shook his head as he couldn''t find any appeal to the Martial Skills he had just read. Its names and descriptions were all domineering, but nothing stuck out to him enough that he wanted to train in that skill. ''If I can''t find any offensive Martial Skill, I''ll go with body tempering, or should I just use defensive techniques?'' He thought as he considered many possibilities, but when he was about to go over to the section where the body tempering techniques and the defensive techniques were placed, Ace saw a thin red book resting in the middle of the shelf. Ace took that book and saw the worn-out, almost ancient-looking cover with four words, ''<>.'' "<>: create a serpent out of flames and burn everything to ashes; in the early stages, the Flame serpent will only be as big as half an arm, but after reaching its peak, it will become a meter long serpent that will burn anything." The description was too over the top, but Ace could not care less because he was attracted by the idea of summoning a serpent made of flames and devouring everything and fighting with it. One man controlling a serpent made of flames while flying in the sky was the awe-inspiring image Ace drew inside his head. Ace went to the reception with much glee and excitement and passed it to the attending disciple. "One last thing, if you want to borrow another manual in the future first return the one you first borrowed, then you can proceed to find another Martial Skill that suits you after paying with Crystal Essence. I almost forgot, as a new recruit, you can review your chosen Martial Technique once and decide if you want to change it for something else. After three days, and you haven''t decided yet, the privilege will expire." the attendant explained before leaning closer to Ace, "Between you and me, I''d copy the first one first and then get a new one." She laughed before handing the true <> manual. "I will keep that in min~" At that instant, when Ace''s fingers touched the manual, he heard an echo in his head! ''Ding¡­ acquired <>¡­ learn?'' A translucent flying board appeared in front of him like before. However, unlike the previous boards, this one was actually trying to interact with him. The voice announced what was happening, and Ace stood there unmoving. In other people''s eyes, Ace was just looking at the manual he was holding when in fact he was looking at the translucent board. "Are there any problems?" the attendant asked in concern. "Yes, learn." Ace mumbled under his breath, and information on how to utilize the <> appeared inside his mind; and he didn''t even need to spend a single second, but he was able to comprehend its deep meanings as if he had been practicing it for years. ''Ding¡­ Learned <>¡­ 1st level (0/50).'' "Junior brother, are there any problems?" the receptionist once again asked in concern. Ace noticed the attendant''s concern and chose to speak with a laugh, "Hahaha, senior, can I please change my choice now? I just changed my mind that I actually want a body tempering technique first, so can I change this <> for one?" Ace asked as he tried to make his lie believable as much as possible. The receptionist smiled and answered him. "Really? Now? I''d say it''s a waste, but it''s your choice." This attendant has been stationed here for two years already, and, for the first time in a long time, she had not seen someone as wasteful as Ace, ''He''ll regret it later.'' Ace nodded his head and returned the manual to the attendant. After giving the book, Ace hurriedly went to the place where body tempering techniques were placed, tried to calm himself down, and checked the System. Name: Ace Level: 1 Experience Points: (0/200) Stored Experience: 0 Martial Technique: <> 1st level (0/10) Cultivation: Core Formation (To be unlocked: Minor Saint) Career: Cultivator Lv. 1 Extra Career: ''I-it changed!'' Ace had seen the change that occurred to the System the previous day, and he was surprised to see those changes. From what was written on the System, Ace already had an idea that this System may not be a bad thing for him after all and that it might have been something good, but instantaneously learning a Martial Technique like that was simply cheating. At that moment, Ace wanted to go and try the <>, but he suppressed the urge after thinking that there were too many people. Ace turned around and checked the body tempering arts to take his mind off the <>. Ace was prepared to spend a long time browsing through the many Martial Techniques, but after randomly picking a Martial Technique from the abundant body tempering arts present, Ace already found the one he was trying to find. He quickly returned to the attendant and handed over the Martial Technique he replaced the Flame Serpent with. The attendant saw the Martial Technique he had taken and nodded her head in agreement with Ace''s taste. Though she still thinks what he''s doing was a waste, at least now she understands why Ace had a change of heart. The receptionist handed Ace the manual and said, "Oooooh, you actually chose a decent one." Ace nodded his head and took the manual from his hands; ''Ding¡­ <>¡­ learn?'' "Learn." "Ding¡­ Learned <>¡­ (0/50).'' Like the <>, Ace absorbed the knowledge and comprehension in the manual with a single touch. As Ace was heading out of the Martial Pavilion, his face possessed the brightest smile out of everyone. ''Two Martial Skills learned!'' Ace was smiling from ear to ear.