Way of the Devil

World of Pain.

“Green Branch Sect’s Sky Cloud Pavilion has vanished?!”

In the depths of the dark ruins, a pitch-black figure made up of dancing shadows suddenly stood up.

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

Before the black figure stood a few strange men with stand-shaped shadows as hair. They were giving their report with their heads lowered.

“The target has used some unknown method and participated in the special disciple selection rounds of the Green Branch Sect at the Sky Cloud Pavilion. However, during the selection process, something unusual happened. We have no way of finding out what actually happened. The planet on which the Sky Cloud Pavilion was located was completely destroyed. No information could be sent out in time. There’s also no word from Hong Yao and her team.”

“What about the Mother of Pain’s sculpture?” the black figure asked again.

“We couldn’t locate it, either… but we believe that the Mother of Pain has limitless powers. The sculpture must’ve been dropped somewhere, it’s just that we haven’t found it yet,” the others responded in soft voices.

“What about the target?”

It never crossed the black figure’s mind that this was Lu Sheng’s doing. This level of destruction could not even be achieved by a Confusion Realm, let alone a person in the Army Raising realm. Even among the Void Underworld experts, only a handful of them could actually produce this effect.

“The entire planet which the Sky Cloud Pavilion was on is destroyed. The energy had erupted all too suddenly. I’m afraid the target has…” His subordinate did not finish his sentence, but his thoughts were clear—he was of the opinion that Lu Sheng had not survived it. In the face of such a destructive calamity, their target, at his level of strength, would most probably be destroyed, body and spirit alike.”

The black figure nodded. “Keep a close eye on the being which destroyed the Sky Cloud Pavilion. Find out who made this move, their motives, and names.”

Compared to the secret of a person at the Army Raising realm, the domineering being which destroyed the entire Sky Cloud Palace was the one he should be focusing on right now.

If it was sent by another Heavenly Devil from another world to search for a new nest, they would have to clash and wage war.

“Understood,” the subordinates quickly responded.

….

Half a month later…

Prime Devil Sect.

The Lu Manor was deserted. There were only 100 individuals from the Prime Devil Sect somehow occupying the vast empty space that had been the Devil Palace.

The Lu Manor and Prime Devil Sect were moving away. Their peculiar actions seemed to be under the help of some mysterious force. Most of the tribesmen had safely left Great Yin, and were now on their way toward Great Song.

In the Nine Bright Province, by the time the Three Sects and the other forces noticed this, the core elite powers of the Lu Manor and Prime Devil Sect had already vanished without a trace without anyone noticing.

The First Sacred King’s forces were the first to react. They wanted to give chase, but they were unexpectedly intercepted by Li Shunxi and his men.

The First Sacred King’s main body was being stopped by the Third Sacred King. Since assassination was not an option, the First Sacred King could only return and start investigating in the shadows.

However, with this delay, Lu Manor’s and the Prime Devil Sect’s forces were already gone from Great Yin’s territory.

Everything was arranged in perfect order. It was clear that they had planned this early on.

Weapon Grandmaster Aurora Polaris was also mum on this incident until the very end. When Lu Sheng’s letter reached the East Sea, there had been no reply.

At this moment, the aftermath of the Sky Cloud Pavilion’s planet’s destruction sent ripples through Great Yin as well. An unprecedented great earthquake finally erupted.

For a time, the ordinary citizens, who had barely recovered from the Evil Spirits’ oppression, were on the edge of breaking down. The great earthquake had instantly destroyed nearly 60% of Great Yin’s tall buildings. Many civilians had lost their lives.

Under such circumstances, the Three Sects and Tribes put their enmity aside and made a temporary pact among themselves. Also, they managed to secure a truce with the Devil World.

Both parties sent out armies to help with the disaster-stricken areas. However, another, more troublesome, disaster befell them…

The World of Pain’s harvest had begun prematurely because of this earthquake…

Chaos descended onto the land. The apocalypse was upon their world. At times like these, a trivial matter such as the disappearance of the Prime Devil Sect and the Lu Tribe was instantly put at the back of everyone’s minds.

The consecutive great disasters made everyone who lived on the Yellow Springs Planet experience unfathomable pain.

…..

At Great Song’s borders.

Among an unbroken strip of mountain forest.

Lu Family’s cavalcade transported a huge amount of packages, luggage, and food. It proceeded slowly toward Song Nation’s capital.

“Shunxi, this place is fine. Thank you for giving us help. If not for you…” Lu Quanan cupped his fists at Li Shunxi. He was genuinely thankful for the aid which Li Shunxi had given them.

Li Shunxi smiled. “Uncle, there’s no need for such words. Big Brother Lu had saved my life several times. Now, I finally have an opportunity to repay him. I feel nothing but gladness in my heart.”

Liu Shanzi sighed from the side, and exclaimed, “Little Sheng is Little Sheng. He’s already made preparations for this sudden change even before the chaos happened. We all know how much we’ve gained and lost.”

“Don’t worry, Uncle. Big Brother Lu Sheng has exceptional strength. Something must’ve happened, tying him down. That’s why he chose to leave Great Yin for the time being. I have men from the Third Sacred Gate stationed at Great Song as well. When we’re there, I can make arrangements for everyone to stay in the new capital city.” Li Shunxi was a thorough person. He had made all the necessary arrangements for the people of the Lu Manor.

“Thank you for going through the trouble, my good nephew Shunzi.” Lu Quanan sighed.

They were mere mortals. For the elderly who looked forward to a stable life, experiencing this number of changes and having to move about was not a good thing.

However, the Lu Family was currently his son’s, Lu Sheng’s, vassal. His personal influence was greater than the entire Lu Family. If they did not leave at the same time, Lu Sheng’s former enemies would never let the Lu Family off the hook easily.

Such as was the case with the First Sacred King.

Lu Ning embraced Chen Yunxi’s arm, and asked softly, “Mother, where is Father? Why isn’t he back yet?”

When the young voice reached them from afar, Lu Quanan and Li Shunxi fell silent. They talked no more.

Even with the great disturbances happening outside, Lu Sheng still did not show himself. The situation he was in was imaginable. He might’ve even been involved in some tricky incident, unable to free himself from it.

Even Li Shunxi’s ability to foresee was not able to completely predict Lu Sheng’s future movements.

“Well then. Have a safe journey.” Li Shunxi cupped his fists solemnly at Lu Quanan.

“You should go back now, my good nephew.” Lu Quanan sighed. He turned around and went into the carriage. The cavalcade started moving slowly toward Great Song’s capital.

The gray snake-like cavalcade went further and further away, and grew smaller and smaller. Eventually, it vanished in the mountain mist completely.

Li Shunxi retracted his gaze.

“Is everything settled?” A blurry spectral image slowly surfaced beside him.

“Yes, Teacher.” Lu Shunxi nodded. “Big Brother Lu has saved my life numerous times. I can’t ever repay his favors. Even this gesture today can only repay him a little. This is my karma.”

The spectral image nodded slightly.

“You know the truth now. We are all livestock under the Mother of Pain’s whip. The Harvest is upon us, so you must make all preparations now.”

Li Shunxi nodded.

“I understand, Teacher. Are you done with the negotiations on your side?”

“The arrangements have been made. Whether it’s for the people or for yourself, you must persevere,” the spectral image spoke solemnly.

“I know… I know…” Li Shunxi mumbled. He thought back to his life of running and fleeing. The only peaceful days he knew were the ones when he was still naïve and knew nothing about the world, when he was protected under Big Brother Lu’s wings.

Those were the days when he felt the most at ease.

“Senior Chong Sha and Her Majesty Anza… Why did they want to break free from all this?” Li Shunxi suddenly asked.

The spectral image was silent for a while.

“When you suddenly find out that the nation you’re in, everything that you were ruling over, were given to you out of charity, and everything you have can be taken away from you just as easily… What are your thoughts on this?”

“I’m actually… just an average guy.” Li Shunxi wore an expression of helplessness.

******************

An oval green leaf blocked Lu Sheng’s view.

Sunlight shone through the leaf’s veins. It was illuminated with a lively emerald color.

‘…After deriving it to the extreme, the Breath Holding Art is now Suspended Animation Art. Not bad.’

Lu Sheng slowly straightened his body in silence. The leaf fell from his face. He felt an extremely immense aura that was so powerful he could not even gauge its might covering the skies around this area.

He had no idea how powerful this aura was, but it was much more powerful than he was.

This powerful aura could come crashing down at any moment and shatter his bones.

“You’re awake?” A cold-looking man half-squatted beside him. The green fluorescent light slowly went out in his hand.

The man was wearing a sleeveless half-body robe. Rough-looking stalks of wheat and patterns of leaves were sewn on the upper part of his garment. He kept his hair long and tidy in a ponytail. His eyebrows were faint, and his skin tone was fair. He seemed as if he had not seen the sun for a long time.

“I’ve saved you. You have to pay me for the treatment. At the same time, you have to compensate me for the energy and time I’ve spent on you,” the man said in a dry tone. “I’ve did some calculations, it’ll be around 320 ice money.”

“Uh…” Lu Sheng was slightly disoriented. What was ice money? From the looks of the laws of the world, this place merely had different atmospheric composition. He did not think that he had Arrived in an Other World.

He was still in the same universe as Great Yin.

However, he had no idea which part of the universe he had landed himself in.

“Can you… tell me what is this place?” Lu Sheng heard that the man was speaking in the Language of E. Hence, he asked his question in the Language of E as well.

The man stood up.

“Libra City, Fourth Ward, Confusion Forest. This is the northeastern corner of the Confusion Forest. I don’t know where you come from, and I have no wish to know. That’s enough, pay up. I’m a doctor, so I should get paid for saving people.”

“Uh…” Lu Sheng was slightly stunned. How did he end up in Libra City from the Cloud Sky Pavilion?

“If you have no money, you should pay off your debt through labor. It just so happens that I’m in need of an assistant to help me gather herbs,” said the man drily.

“Indeed, I have no money. If you’re willing, I can pay it off with my labor,” Lu Sheng hastily said.

“Stand up, then. As I’m a professionally licensed Healer in Libra City, being my assistant isn’t some easy task. Let’s go, we’ll return to my house.” The man led the way through the dense forest.

Lu Sheng flexed his limbs. He did not feel any injuries on himself. His spirit had never felt this lively and powerful before.

He had forced his way through dimensions. Although he had tested the crow sculpture before this, and confirmed that he could indeed travel through dimensions even in those dire circumstances, when he had actually put it to use, he still underestimated the domineering might of the space-time undercurrent.

The sculpture shuttered halfway through the travel. His progress was forcibly cut off, and he fell out from between the dimensions. His spirit was shocked the instant space and time were distorted, and he fainted from the impact.

When he came to, he was already here.