Volume One: The Devil's Nature Never Changes
End of Arc: The Inheritance of the Immortal Shrine — Beginning of Arc: The Strategic Sect War
Scarlet King entered the gateway.
It was similar to the one they had entered before, and beyond its walls, he noticed large numbers of Primordial Chaos Beasts.
Scarlet King smiled and thought:
(Well, they can sense the extremely pure and highly compressed Primordial Chaos Energy inside me. That's why they want to eat me.)
(But they can't.)
(Also, time flows differently inside the shrine. Perhaps two months—or two and a half—have passed in the First Dimension.)
Half an hour later, a gateway opened in front of Scarlet King.
He adjusted his body, shot out of it with tremendous force, and planted himself into the ground like a nail.
Lin Yuan and Ikalat were nearby.
Liu Zai Hang, however, was nowhere to be seen.
Ikalat immediately spoke:
"Man, we've been waiting for you here for two weeks! Now tell me—what treasures did you get?"
Scarlet King calmly thought about the difference in time scales.
(Hmm… it seems I miscalculated…)
(No, no. My calculations were almost correct. The three of them left only a short time ago, while I calculated the entire duration of the trials.)
(So I wasn't wrong.)
Scarlet King had initially thought his calculations were incorrect, but logically, they had been nearly exact.
The total duration of the three trials, combined with the time after the other three had been eliminated while he remained alone, amounted to roughly two and a half months.
Ikalat approached while rubbing his hands together eagerly.
Scarlet King placed one hand against his face.
"We'll discuss that later."
He continued:
"Well, it seems Liu Zai Hang was punished because he disappeared for two months."
"According to the twenty-ninth sect law in the Elders' Book, page forty-two, elders are forbidden from disappearing for more than one week without a valid reason."
"They must also return and leave their spiritual imprint once every week."
Scarlet King thought lightly:
(Beings are restrained by rules, judgments, and laws more than almost anything else.)
(Even with their savage instincts, rules, judgments, and laws restrain them.)
(Two people from the same clan could sit in the same room while one desperately wants to kill the other because he believes that person will become a massive disaster.)
(But if he possesses no evidence, he cannot simply kill him.)
(The judgments restrain him from killing someone from his own clan, the laws prohibit murder, and the rules determine when killing is permitted.)
(Although I do not worship such things, their importance cannot be denied.)
(Without them, the Primordial Origin World would become immeasurable chaos—decentralized, with nothing stable for people to gather around.)
(Naturally, different places possess their own rules, judgments, and laws, all different from one another.)
(Sometimes, having restrictions is beneficial.)
Scarlet King's view of laws and judgments went deeper than that.
They were genuinely important.
But he was still perfectly willing to break them whenever obeying them offered less benefit.
Lin Yuan approached and began pulling Ikalat away.
"Brother, we can look at the treasures later. Right now, we need to tell him about the war between the sects."
"It has gotten much worse, and Tian Lang has trampled all of them."
He continued:
"Also, Liu Zai Hang was punished a little. Since he's a high-ranking elder rather than an ordinary one, he was sentenced to two weeks in prison, and his trial is today because he violated an important law."
Scarlet King grabbed both of them.
But first, he contacted Liu Zai Hang spiritually.
"Vaporization."
Then he sent him a message.
(I know what you're thinking.)
(Don't run.)
(I'll get you out with the least possible damage.)
Mist appeared around the three and began transporting them into Scarlet King's residence.
The place was filled with dust.
Ikalat laughed.
"Man, I really like this technique. But ever since you entered the sect, you've only come here two or three times."
"It would've been better to rent the place out to someone else so we could make some Primordial Stones."
Scarlet King replied:
"Logical."
He continued walking with one hand behind his back while remaining in his small human form.
His face was beautiful in this form, unlike his adult appearance.
When he became an adult, his face looked ordinary.
But when he appeared young, it was beautiful.
That had been part of his plan from the beginning.
Beautiful children naturally made others less cautious.
Meanwhile, an ordinary-looking adult man was harder to remember, track, or suspect.
And to Scarlet King, appearance was merely cosmetic anyway.
He could manipulate his looks whenever he wished.
"Let's go to Liu Zai Hang's trial."
"On the way, tell me through spiritual communication what has happened in the war."
"I have several plans, but if the scenario in my head has already happened, then all of them are useless."
"I'll have to create new ones."
Ikalat and Lin Yuan began explaining.
"Tian Lang has been moving constantly between battlefields, crushing every army he encounters."
"That has allowed the Moon Sect to advance far beyond the other three sects."
"But we heard a rumor about a secret agreement."
"Apparently, they still have to complete the Bloody Sect War even during the current war so the disciples and elders can ascend to the Second Dimension."
Ikalat continued:
"You can imagine the map as a nearly rounded rectangle."
"Each sect occupies one of the four directions, with each represented by a different color."
"The Moon Sect alone now occupies an area equal in size to all the other colors combined."
"Also, the Moon Sect took control of the Food Sect's largest branch—Branch G6."
Scarlet King remained silent as he continued walking.
(Well… this isn't what I imagined.)
(I expected the sects to resist much more strongly, but Tian Lang seems overwhelmingly powerful.)
(Now I need to modify my plans.)
(Every plan I constructed was built around several main pillars: Tian Lang not intervening, the sects holding their ground, and the Bloody Sect War.)
(All of those pillars have collapsed except the Bloody Sect War.)
(So I need to rebuild the parts of the plan that relied on the first two while creating a backup plan for the Bloody Sect War itself.)
Scarlet King finally spoke:
"Well, that was unexpected."
"I need to rebuild my entire plan, but I can still help the sect advance further."
"In the end, whether we lose or win, I'm the only one who benefits."
He looked ahead.
They had reached the entrance to the courtroom.
"But first, we need to make Liu Zai Hang give me the greatest possible benefit."
[Meanwhile, Far Above the Dimensions…]
[Headquarters of the Great Concepts]
The Concepts floated within White Nothingness.
There was Black Nothingness, the most widespread form, surrounding the Void.
White Nothingness, however, was different.
It was a special region created by the Great Concepts themselves, resembling an enormous council chamber.
The Concept of Source spoke:
"Do you think Fang Chen will succeed this time?"
The Rebirth Wheel answered:
"I don't think so… It will only delay him temporarily."
"That devil is overwhelmingly intelligent. None of us can truly compete with him except Heaven's Will and a few individuals such as Zahawa Qing and others."
"As for everyone else, it is difficult for them to make him lose."
"And his strength is increasing at an insane rate, especially because he keeps finding legendary and rare things by coincidence."
"That worries me."
"This is the first time he has gathered three fragments this quickly."
"We need to send some people to deal with him."
The Concept of Perseverance spoke as its green, star-shaped eye turned toward the Rebirth Wheel.
"I suggest sending Thomas Andre, Antares, and Christopher Reed."
"I noticed that immediately after leaving the First Dimension, he said he wanted to go to Hell."
"We should send them there to deal with him—or at least stop him temporarily."
Heaven's Will suddenly appeared.
"[Information Deleted] is extremely dangerous."
"Although he does not hate us, he does not revere us the way other beings do."
"Even so, he is not invincible."
"He can die, lose, or be defeated."
"He is simply an anomaly."
"But even anomalies have limits."
"He is not omniscient."
"Rather, he is nearly omni-intelligent—not nearly omniscient."
"Near-omniscience means knowing almost everything, while near-omni-intelligence means possessing intelligence in nearly everything."
"I am nearly omniscient, except when it comes to his chaotic mind, because [Information Deleted]."
"His mind is so chaotic that it cannot be read."
"He is nearly omni-intelligent rather than completely omni-intelligent because he is still partially human."
"He can make mistakes."
"He can lose."
"As long as the information available to him is incomplete."
"But if he obtains even the smallest fragment of information, he can reconstruct the rest almost completely because of his overwhelming experience, which surpasses even ours as Concepts."
"He existed before us in the first place, and [Information Deleted]."
"He may appear reckless, but he is extremely cautious."
"He only acts recklessly when the benefit is worth the risk."
"He is not stupid."
"He is intelligent…"
"Overwhelmingly so."
[Back to Scarlet King and the Other Two]
Scarlet King approached the courtroom gate.
The two guards immediately stopped him, crossing their spears before the entrance in the shape of an X.
"Hey, you! This is an internal trial. You don't have the right to enter whenever you please!"
Scarlet King took out several black-and-white Primordial Stones.
He threw them directly into their faces.
"Move."
The two guards immediately stepped aside and scrambled to pick up the stones.
Scarlet King pushed open the gate with his small hand and calmly entered the courtroom.
He walked between the elders as they all turned to look at him.
The Fourth Elder, who had red hair and a thin mustache, spoke:
"Boy, you have no place here."
Liu Zai Hang looked toward Scarlet King and smiled faintly.
(Well, this is unexpected.)
(I'll leave with the least possible damage…)
(But he'll leave with the greatest possible benefit.)
Scarlet King ignored the Fourth Elder and stopped beside Liu Zai Hang.
"I'll serve as Liu Zai Hang's defense lawyer this time."
"If you allow me to do so, I'll construct teleportation formations in exchange."
Sect Master Da Fu looked at him.
"Well, that's interesting… Agreed."
"And if you can get Liu Zai Hang out of this, I'll reward you, boy."
The trial began when Judge Wu Fa struck the Yan Qing Gong.
"The accused: Elder Liu Zai Hang."
"Charges: violating the laws, refusing to comply with the rules, and breaking the established judgments."
"Proposed sentence: one and a half years."
Liu Zai Hang was momentarily shocked.
A year and a half was an extremely long time.
Elder Wu Fa looked toward Scarlet King.
"Do you have a way to get him out?"
Scarlet King stepped forward and placed one hand behind his back.
"I have no objection."
"Master Liu Zai Hang is guilty."
"But instead of imprisoning him, wouldn't it be more beneficial to make him fight on the battlefields and support the sect?"
"He is the strongest elder in the sect."
"He is stronger even than the Sect Master himself."
"So why imprison him when we can make use of his strength?"
The judge replied:
"If every powerful elder violates the law and we simply say they're useful in war, then the law becomes meaningless."
Scarlet King smiled faintly and narrowed one eye.
His expression remained calm.
He had more than one plan for getting Liu Zai Hang out.
"Not everyone possesses Master Liu Zai Hang's level of strength."
"He is different."
"The strong cannot be easily replaced."
"The weak can."
"Would you rather have a group of weak people protecting you, or one overwhelmingly powerful person?"
"And I'm not asking you to remove his punishment."
"Simply convert it into compulsory military service."
"Strip him of his privileges."
"And require that every treasure he obtains from the war be handed over to the sect."
The judge stroked his beard.
"And what guarantees that he won't flee from conscription?"
Scarlet King replied casually:
"He has been an elder for more than a hundred years."
"His loyalty to the sect will outweigh his pride."
"Also, even if you imprison him, the prison can withstand, at most, a fighter at the seventh level of the Beginning of Path Realm."
"Master Liu Zai Hang is at the ninth level."
"He could escape easily."
"He is also the strongest elder here and could simply escape from all of you as well."
"But he hasn't."
"Therefore, sending him to the battlefield is the most beneficial decision."
Liu Zai Hang glanced sideways at Scarlet King.
(I'll castrate myself if you didn't plan all of this.)
After a faint hum, the judge spoke:
"If Liu is stronger than the prison and stronger than the elders, then that makes his violation more dangerous, not less."
"The institution would be relying on his willingness to obey rather than its ability to force him."
Scarlet King laughed lightly.
"Hah. Even if that's true… Master won't do it."
"He knows that if he escapes, the sect won't pursue only him."
"It will pursue everyone close to him as well."
"And I'm one of those people."
"I am his disciple."
"As my master, he cannot simply abandon his disciple."
"That gives him another reason not to flee."
The judge replied:
"A weak argument… He could simply escape with his disciple."
Scarlet King laughed.
"Incorrect conclusion, Your Honor."
"I'm standing right in front of you now."
"If he attempted to escape, you could capture me quickly."
"Also, with so many forces currently spread across the sect's borders and battlefields, escaping alone would be far easier for him than smuggling someone else out with him."
"You could simply keep us separated so we never meet."
"That way, he would be unable to escape with me."
Scarlet King smiled madly inside.
(That way, I'll remain far away from Liu Zai Hang.)
(Perhaps inside the sect, or stationed on a border opposite his.)
(And then…)
(I can do what I planned.)
The Fourth Elder suddenly noticed something everyone else had overlooked.
"Boy! How are you at the third level of the Beginning of Path Realm!?"
Scarlet King laughed.
"Heavenly luck."
Everyone's attention immediately shifted from Liu Zai Hang to Scarlet King.
Scarlet King thought:
(And this is the second new pillar after the first.)
(I'll become the center of attention.)
(That way, I can do what I want without anyone suspecting me or accusing me of doing it.)
(Everyone will be watching me.)
(So they cannot accuse me while I'm standing right where they can see me.)
Da Fu asked curiously:
"Heavenly luck? Sounds convincing."
"Well then, Judge, what is your ruling now?"
Da Fu thought with intense curiosity, his expression concealing a faint internal smile.
(Heavenly luck?)
(What kind of idiot would believe that?)
(We'll discuss this in the Elders' Hall and send people to watch him.)
(That way, we'll find out how he broke through more than one level in only two months.)