Volume One: "The Nature of the Devil Does Not Change"
Da Fu and the Third Elder stood before the sect gate, while the Second Elder spoke sharply:
"We will leave now. You are free to explore the sect on your own."
Scarlet King clasped his hands and bowed respectfully, his voice calm and restrained:
"Understood, Elder."
He lightly tapped Lin Yuan's foot, signaling him to do the same. Lin Yuan immediately followed and bowed as well.
After the elders departed and flew deeper into the sect, Scarlet King turned, placed his hands behind his back, looked at Lin Yuan coldly, and spoke in a low voice:
"Learn this. Copy me first—ask questions later. Stop acting like a child. I may look younger than you, but I'm far more experienced."
Scarlet King turned and began walking into the sect. Lin Yuan clenched his fists, excitement surging through him as he thought:
(This is where my own great path begins. I won't need Ikalat's or Scarlet King's help anymore. I'll carve my way forward myself. I won't be a follower—I'll be free, chasing power and women… and more important than power are women, hehe. I'll create my own goal.)
But the thought suddenly felt distant, like a fragile dream. Scarlet King and Ikalat seemed like towering mountains he still needed to climb just to stand beside. Lin Yuan continued inwardly:
(But what if I fail? No—no. As long as I carry hope, perseverance, and ambition in my heart, I'll succeed.)
He hurried after Scarlet King.
When they entered the sect's outer district—a bustling marketplace where disciples traded goods and handled internal commerce—the Young Master's entourage appeared.
The Young Master was fat and ugly, and he spoke in an arrogant, domineering voice:
"I am the sect's Young Master—the son of the Sixth Elder, the most handsome and strongest man in the sect. You newcomers will receive my protection in exchange for twenty primordial stones per week."
Scarlet King felt irritation rise and thought coldly:
(The same clique in every hierarchical system—senior disciples exploiting newcomers. Repetitive. Ridiculous.)
Lin Yuan whispered excitedly:
"This is exactly the Young Master group from stories—the ones who bully the protagonist. Then the hero beats them, they get expelled, and he forges his own path and becomes a legend… just like in Eastern fantasy novels."
His thoughts were cut off by Scarlet King's voice, cold to the bone:
"No, thank you."
The Young Master snapped:
"What do you mean, no thank you?!"
Scarlet King replied sharply, his gaze unwavering:
"I mean I won't give you a single primordial stone. I don't need anyone's protection. I protect myself. I'm not a fragile flower drifting with the wind."
The Young Master flew into a rage and shouted:
"You've left me no other choice!"
He and his followers began releasing their power, while Scarlet King's expression remained completely blank. Behind him, Lin Yuan thought excitedly:
(Yes! I'm the hero who'll save my friend!)
Scarlet King's gaze shifted slightly to the right—toward Da Fu and the Third Elder, who were observing from afar. The Third Elder asked quietly:
"Master, did that little boy notice us?"
Da Fu replied calmly:
"I doubt it."
Scarlet King thought to himself:
(This is a test. If we accept, they'll mark us as weak—flowers meant to be trampled and controlled. If we refuse, we become trees that are difficult to uproot.)
Suddenly, mist spread around Scarlet King and rapidly expanded, transforming into Titan King.
In a single motion, Titan King swung his black crystalline sword, sending the group flying and shattering the ground. He followed with a brutal descent, firing the cannons in his hands and blasting fleeing disciples with destructive black spheres. He crushed one disciple's bones in his grip and kicked the fat Young Master so hard that he smashed into a building.
Titan King released an overwhelmingly powerful soundwave, forcing all nearby disciples to their knees. They screamed in agony and tried to flee.
He did not kill a single one—because he knew the elders were watching. This was a warning. He would not be controlled. He was not weak. He was not a sect slave.
From a distance, Lin Yuan watched with admiration and excitement:
(I'll become like him… but in my own way.)
Titan King thought to himself:
(Strange. None of the elders have intervened yet. I'll escalate things slightly and see how they respond.)
He raised his sword and aimed it at one of the disciples—but suddenly, an overwhelming force stopped the blade. Sect Master Da Fu appeared and spoke calmly:
"The test is over. You have passed."
Mist enveloped Titan King, and Scarlet King returned to his normal form.
The fat Young Master complained bitterly:
"Brother, this was just a test! Why such a violent beating?!"
Da Fu looked sharply at Scarlet King and said sternly:
"This was a test—and you passed it perfectly. You are now official disciples of the Heavenly Food Sect."
Da Fu turned and returned to his palace. As he walked, an attendant asked:
"Master, why do we always conduct this test?"
Da Fu replied while gazing out the window, his voice flowing like a quiet river:
"To see who will defend the sect with their life—and who will retreat and betray it at the first sign of danger. Those who accept 'protection' are ready to abandon the sect when their lives are threatened, relying on others instead of fighting to protect themselves. Such people are weak. Their loyalty belongs only to whoever shields them—and that loyalty can change just as easily."
"Power Stones + rating, please"