The doors of the meeting room creaked open, and a hush fell over the room. A priest shuffled forward, hunched and bald, his head shining faintly in the candlelight. His body seemed so frail that one might wonder if the man could even walk unaided. His steps dragged across the marble floor, every motion stiff, as though his joints had long since betrayed him. Yet no one mocked him. No one even whispered. The moment he entered, everyone Hunters, guild leaders, and even officials stood in quiet respect.
The old man raised a hand in silent greeting. His voice, when he finally spoke, was dry but steady. "Shall we begin?"
The atmosphere loosened slightly. Papers were exchanged, words signed, and the contract process unfolded with the same measured pace as every other bureaucratic formality. For something so important, it was almost dull. But dullness was preferable; it meant no tricks, no accidents, no last-minute betrayals. When the final seal was pressed and the agreement settled, a collective breath escaped the room.
Now came the part everyone had been waiting for.
"Ren Hector," Sir Armand said, his tall frame cutting a sharp figure in his tailored suit. "It is time. Let us hear about your skill."
Ren inclined his head, not speaking, but signaling Evan with a glance. Evan understood and, with a flick of his wrist, tossed the written report toward Armand Claymoor, the Judicator of the Divine Scale. The document skidded across the table.
Armand picked it up, his expression as stone faced as ever. But before he could respond, two figures leaned over from either side: Elias Thorne of the Wing of Freedom, and Veyra Mornveil of the Darkness Guild. Both had eyes sharp as blades, hungry for secrets.
Their gazes skimmed across the details, and the change in their expressions was impossible to hide. Curiosity gave way to awe, awe twisted into horror, and horror lingered with a reluctant hint of admiration.
"What… what the hell is this?" Veyra broke the silence, her voice rising.
"Destroy anything considered negative? What kind of bullshit skill is that? Why isn't this labeled as a Myth Rank ability? This is insane!"
Her outburst startled the room, and her usually composed demeanor cracked. She rarely lost control. Yet here she was, her face flushed, practically yelling at the page in front of her.
Elias's lips parted in amusement, though his tone carried a sharp edge of sincerity.
"Negative entities… Does that include monsters? They're negative by nature, aren't they? Are they counted too?"
The question pulled Ren's attention. His brow furrowed.
"Wait… does it?" He muttered it half to himself.
Until now, he had never thought carefully about it. His Trial had been chaotic enough, and he had used the skill instinctively. If it really worked that broadly, then in their eyes he would instantly become something beyond terrifying.
"Shit," he thought,
"I need to fix this before they start imagining me walking around wiping out half the continent."
Aloud, he forced a measured explanation. "No. It doesn't work on everything. Only specific monsters the kind that emit pure horror, creatures overflowing with negative energy. For example, in my Trial there was the Dream Devourer, a spider like monstrosity the size of a cathedral. It collapsed instantly under the effect of my skill. But its spawn… the smaller ones, still enormous at two meters tall… the ability didn't trigger at all. I had to fight those things normally."
He paused, giving them time to digest the distinction. "So yes, it works, but only on certain types. And it also applies to concepts. Darkness, for instance, or forces tied directly to negativity." His eyes slid to Veyra almost deliberately.
Elias leaned back with a grin.
"So, what I'm hearing is that you're like a high priest, but on steroids. Except instead of waving around staff, you swing tentacles."
He clapped his hands once, too delighted by his own phrasing.
"Cool. Terrifying. But still cool."
Veyra groaned, slumping back in her chair with one hand dragging down her face. She looked one step away from fainting, or perhaps throttling Elias.
Armand finally set the document down, his voice calm but steady. "If I understand this correctly, then should we drop you into an Undead Gate, you could… deal with it alone? The ability seems passive, activated simply by presence."
Ren's mind raced. If he admitted that, they would label him a walking calamity.
He needed to tone it down.
"Not exactly. It's not free. I need mana to fuel it, and I have to make a deliberate strike. I can't just stand in the middle of an army of skeletons and wait for them to vanish. The effort matters."
Elias whistled. "Still overpowered."
Even Lu Changcheng, who had been silent until now, stirred. His voice carried the weight of authority, deep and measured.
"Brother Ren," he said, his words deliberate.
"Can that skill of yours destroy inner demons?"
The question landed heavily. For most cultivators, inner demons were personal shackles traumas, obsessions, or spiritual weights that stalled cultivation and progress. Many never advanced beyond their own minds. If Ren's ability could erase such things, it would be priceless.
Ren hesitated, considering. "I've never tried. So I don't know. But… there's a possibility."
Lu Changcheng's eyes narrowed slightly, but his tone grew warm.
"If so, then I must make my offer far more generous than what I had planned."
That statement shattered the composure of nearly everyone else at the table.
Evan, Elias, and Veyra exchanged looks, their expressions bordering on panic.
The very idea of Lu Changcheng laying claim to Ren was something they could not afford.
In Qintara, influence was already divided precariously among the three great factions. If Ren tipped the balance in favor of one, the others would crumble.
"No," Evan thought grimly, his jaw tightening. He whispers to Veyra and Elias
"We must not let him fall into Lu Changcheng's hands."
The truth was simple: in all of Qintara, there was no one stronger than Lu Changcheng. His Dao Guild did not hold as many Gates as the Darkness Guild or the Wing of Freedom.
They did not hoard monster cores with the efficiency of the Knight of Justice or the Bureau. But none of that mattered. Their true advantage rested in one man alone.
Lu Changcheng, the Daoist Tribulation Transcendent.
He was not just the pillar of his guild but the pillar of the nation itself. His mere existence balanced the scales against the combined might of all others. With him alive, no one dared push Qintara too far. Without him, the entire structure would collapse into war.
The other guilds had power, influence, and resources. But Lu Changcheng had something greater. He had himself.
The strongest Mythical Rank Hunter in the world.