Volume One: The Nature of the Devil Never Changes
Arc: The Great Guerrilla War
Guards appeared behind Liu Zai Hang.
Without hesitation, Liu Zai Hang produced a pair of shackles, fastened the assassin's wrists tightly, and hoisted him over his shoulder.
His voice was cold.
"Very well. The trial begins tomorrow—for attempting to assassinate my disciple.
That is something I will not tolerate.
The investigation will be thorough."
He moved swiftly.
Before long, he arrived at the dark underground prison, heavily guarded and silent.
The moment the guards saw him, they straightened and bowed.
"Greetings, Second Elder Liu Zai Hang."
He stepped inside.
The prison was built of cracked gray stone, dimly lit by faint torches.
He unlocked one of the filthy cells and threw the assassin inside without ceremony.
The guards exchanged uneasy glances.
(Why is Elder Liu personally imprisoning this man?)
(Did he offend the elder himself?)
Liu Zai Hang rested a hand at his waist.
"Ensure he remains detained."
He paused.
"When Gu Yue arrives tomorrow to retrieve him—
and to retrieve Long Wei as well—
you will not interfere."
The guards bowed again, tension clear in their voices.
"Yes, Elder!"
A faint yellow aura flickered briefly around Liu Zai Hang.
Then he turned and left.
[Heaven's Grip Sect]
Ikalath stared at Scarlet King in disbelief.
"Why would it be foolish for Long Wei to send an assassin after you?"
Scarlet King chewed a piece of chicken calmly before answering.
"Because I have no enemies other than the Dragon Gang.
If someone dispatches an assassin against me,
Long Wei becomes the primary suspect.
He would have to be a complete fool to make such an obvious move."
Ikalath narrowed his eyes.
"Who is stronger—you or Long Wei?"
"Long Wei."
Ikalath nearly choked.
"How could he possibly be stronger than you?"
Scarlet King's expression remained neutral.
"I've heard he has broken through to the Beginning of Path."
He took another bite.
"At that level, one may destroy entire existential domains—
from a billion to a quadrillion ordinary universes with a single strike."
He wiped his fingers clean.
"But strength is not measured by how many universes one can shatter."
"It is measured by the type of universes whose laws one can influence."
"The laws of a dimension surpass any individual."
"They decide who can destroy whom."
Ikalath frowned.
"What do you mean by 'ordinary universes'?"
Scarlet King drank from his cold qi-infused juice before responding.
"In the mortal dimensions, universes are classified into four types:
Mundane Universes.
Ordinary Universes.
Higher Universes.
Immortal Universes."
He continued:
"The Immortal Universes are where the Four Great Sects reside.
They possess the strongest laws—
the highest narrative, cosmic, temporal, and existential scales."
"They cannot be destroyed
unless struck by a being from a higher dimension."
"As for the other types—
they may be destroyed if a force that surpasses them exists."
"In the First Dimension, these universes are scattered randomly.
There are no fixed territories dividing them."
He set down his cup.
He opened his second eye.
His gaze was lifeless.
His voice calm—like air passing through a corpse.
"In the mortal dimensions, there exist twenty-two Absolute Ranks."
"Those capable of manipulating and destroying Mundane and Ordinary Universes
belong to Absolute Rank One."
"Those capable of destroying Higher Universes
have surpassed Absolute Rank One."
"This system exists solely to distinguish cultivators by the scale of universes they can affect."
He paused.
"In the Immortal Dimensions, however, such classification does not exist.
There, the universal hierarchy is as follows:
Trans-Absolute — Seventh Dimension.
Sassanian — Eighth Dimension.
Akharseasian — Ninth Dimension.
Ghairgohiya — Tenth Dimension.
Holghiya — Eleventh Dimension."
Ikalath slowly lowered his food.
"That's unbelievable… you're like a walking archive."
"How do you remember so much without forgetting?"
Scarlet King continued eating.
"That is a secret."
Inwardly, he thought:
(It is because of the Black Spirit of Darkness and the White Spirit of Darkness.)
(They preserve and categorize my memories like a vast internal library.)
(They shield me from spiritual intrusion and mental surveillance.)
(My memories are structured—archived—sealed.)
(Without my will, no one can access them.)
(That is why I remember events from thousands of existential eras past.)
(And why even near-omniscient entities—such as the Twenty-Two Great Concepts—
cannot read my mind.)
He spoke again.
"Finish eating. We're heading to the Heavenly Food Sect afterward."
Ikalath lifted his glass.
"You know, the juices here are exceptional. Infused with qi—ideal for cultivation—"
Scarlet King interrupted smoothly.
"They can be used to destabilize the Dragon Gang's economy."
Ikalath blinked.
"How? …Oh."
Understanding dawned.
"You intend to import these juices and sell them in the Heavenly Food Sect."
"That would cause severe losses for the Dragon Gang's taverns."
A faint smile curved Scarlet King's lips.
"Correct."
He added calmly:
"That is why I consider you useful, Ikalath."
"You possess some degree of intelligence."
"If you were even slightly more foolish…
I would have discarded you long ago."
Ikalath leaned back slowly.
He understood the underlying meaning.
Be useful… or be eliminated.
He forced a grin.
"Oh? Are you threatening me?"
Scarlet King rose from his seat.
"What do you think?"
He pushed open the dark wooden door and left.
Ikalath watched him disappear.
"Hah… a devil."
"And the nature of a devil never changes."
After some time, Ikalath finished the remaining food.
He muttered to himself:
(That fool left half the meal.)
(If he had stayed and eaten more, he might have reached the tenth level of Qi Refinement.)
The waiter approached cautiously.
"The bill… sixty green primal stones."
Ikalath froze.
"What?! That's absurd! We barely ordered anything!"
He slammed his hand onto the table.
The cups rattled violently.
The waiter trembled.
"S-Sir… the man in black ordered additional dishes."
"He exited through the front, circled to the back, and collected them."
Silence.
Ikalath exhaled slowly.
In the end, he paid.
Muttering under his breath:
"What a schemer…"
"He threatened me to distract my thoughts…
then left without paying…"
"Ordered more food and took it with him…"
"And I'm the one footing the bill."
He shook his head.
"I wonder…"
"What kind of plan is forming in that man's mind?"