Way of the Devil

“This sharp blade destroyed my home planet. From its appearance to my home planet’s destruction, the entire process took 100 years,” said Zhuang Jiu in deep voice.

Lu Sheng turned and looked downward.

On the ground below, a humanoid purple crystal organism was staring at the huge blade which bore down from the skies. This organism had one eye only, but the killing intent and hatred seething in the eye was so dense that Lu Sheng could not help but feel shocked.

“For 100 years, the Purple Crystal Tribe lived in constant fear and desperation under the huge blade. The crime rate soared as the apocalypse neared. Countless methods were tried out, but they could not destroy the huge blade. They did not even affect it one bit. It was indestructible, its trajectory couldn’t be changed, and there was no way to run. The population of 1,000,000,000 could only be trapped on the planet.

“Countless individuals led befuddled existence as they numbed themselves with drugs and alcohol.

“In a mere 100 years, the Purple Crystal Tribe which had flourished for tens of thousands of years was wiped out.”

Zhuang Jiu recounted the events calmly.

“I was the last one. I pushed the self-destruct button for the Purple Crystal Tribe.”

A row of tears flowed silently out from the organism’s single eye.

Lu Sheng hesitated, but he spoke up in the end. “This huge blade…”

“Is Void Underworld,” Zhuang Jiu replied. “This is a memory of destruction I’m sharing with you. It’s regarding the peak condition of the Void Underworld realm, the Underworld Net realm.”

“The name of this blade is the Void Illumination of the Empty Night.”

“Boom!”

In an instant, Lu Sheng snapped back to his senses. He was still standing in the palace.

However, the gray crack before him was much smaller in size.

He hastily tossed more crystals to replenish the formation. The gray crack expanded to its original size.

“Void Underworld is a great realm. What I’ve shown you is a recording of a peak Void Underworld expert whom I’ve encountered during my youth. However, I found the remains of this person in another galaxy. He’s been dead for quite some time now,” Zhuang Jiu continued in his detached tone.

“If you’re hesitating about the future, you can join a great organization or apprentice yourself to a great master. These two options can help you escape your current predicament to a great degree.”

Lu Sheng was invigorated. He continued asking his questions. “Please enlighten me, Brother Zhuang.”

“From the communication, you seem to be at the Green Branch Sect. I’m not overly familiar with that region, but I can suggest a few powerful beings there. It’ll be up to you if you can apprentice yourself under them or not. Naturally, you can join their sect, but that depends on the gravity of your ordeal.” Zhuang Jiu was an honest person. He quickly suggested a few solutions for Lu Sheng. Other than his tendency to kill, he did not seem like a Heavenly Devil King at all.

“Getting a master and joining a sect, huh…” Lu Sheng frowned slightly. The Mother of Pain was too powerful. There was no way he could go against them by himself. The only way out was for him to leave the vicinity temporarily.

If he thought about it this way, he reckoned that the strength of an ordinary sect’s disciple might not be sufficient to intimidate the Mother of Pain’s forces.

“I’ve provoked one of the Three Popes under the Mother of Pain’s charge. However, it’s not the pope that’s been provoked, it’s only a few experts under his charge,” Lu Sheng said honestly. “Brother Zhuang, what kind of sect can help me resolve this matter?”

“The Mother of Pain… This complicates things…” Zhuang Jiu started hesitating.

Lu Sheng’s heart skipped a beat. He was slightly dejected.

“Will there be a problem?”

The other side of the crack was silent for a long time…

“…I’m sorry. I’ve been searching… but I couldn’t locate which sect the Mother of Pain belongs to. There’s only the Green Branch Sect listed on the Star Diagram…” Zhuang Jiu’s tone was slightly awkward.

“Come to think of it, the Green Branch Sect was added by one of my disciples when he unintentionally came across it during one of his ventures… It can’t even be displayed on the Star Diagram because it’s too small…”

“…” Lu Sheng felt his chest tighten. He did not know what to say…

“Didn’t you say that the Void Underworld individuals were all great beings?” He could not help but ask. “The Mother of Pain is also of the Void Underworld realm. I’ve heard that the Three Popes under her charge are also of the Void Underworld realm…”

This time, the crack was silent for an even longer period of time…

Then, came the faint reply. “Actually, I’m also of the Void Underworld realm…”

“…” Lu Sheng’s eyes widened. He felt slightly overwhelmed.

“The Void Underworld realm is divided into several realms… It’s just like you with your mortal ranks, where a Spiritual Essence realm can be subdivided into a dozen realms. The Void Underworld… has 12 realms in total… Void Underworld is only an umbrella term…” Zhuang Jiu explained helplessly.

“The meaning of Void Underworld is to plunge into the underworld through illusions. As long as a person is capable of thoroughly understanding life and death, even at the beginner’s level, and establish reincarnation in his Heart World, it can be said that he’s at the Void Underworld realm. In that realm, even if one’s spirit is destroyed and one’s spirit mark disappears, as long as the Heart World is still functioning, the person will be able to derive a new life for himself with it. As long as the Heart exists, the person will never die.”

“As long as the Heart exists, the person will never die…” Lu Sheng pondered that statement. He had a vague understanding of it already.

The fact that Zhuang Jiu was also of the Void Underworld realm exceeded his expectations.

Also, from his tone, it seemed that the Green Branch Sect was not even worth mentioning.

That was scary.

Lu Sheng took a deep breath before continuing, “The Mother of Pain… is at about the same level as the Green Branch Sect. I’m told that their strength is about the same.”

“That makes things easier. Why don’t you try joining the Ghost Borneo Sect, which I’m currently in? The distance might be an issue, though. Also, in the galaxy near you, Master Ran Jin is recruiting disciples. You can try and apply for a place. Tan Jin is the most popular Void Underworld expert in the galaxy where you’re. He rose to fame 700,000 – 800,000 years ago. He once wiped out 32 planets in one go just to exact vengeance.”

“Master Ran Jin…” Lu Sheng felt as if he had come into contact with a whole new, wide world.

“In the Void Underworld realm, there are 12 realms which can be categorized into three stages. The final stage is the Master Void rank. It’s still too early for you. Let’s deal with your problem first.” Zhuang Jiu gave it some simple consideration.

“If you’re in a hurry, I can immediately send someone over to bring you here. I’ll have to notify the Green Branch Sect, that is all. It should be easier if we have their help.

“If you’re not in a hurry, then you should go and apply to become Master Ran Jin’s disciple. Ran Jin is a gentle person. You won’t have to worry about running into great problems. If you can’t make it as his disciple, you can still return home.”

Lu Sheng started to consider the proposal. If everything was just as simple as Zhuang Jiu had said, he wondered if he should move away from Great Yin, and from the Yellow Springs Planet.

“Do think this through. If you squander the favor I owe you now, there won’t be a next time,” Zhuang Jiu reminded him seriously.

“Can you give me some time to think about it?” Lu Sheng asked.

“Of course. I’ll give you another reminder. I can give you a recommendation to enter the final selection round of Master Ran Jin’s apprenticeship audition. You won’t have to go through the preliminary rounds. If you’re planning on joining a sect, other than the Ghost Borneo Sect I’m in, you may choose to join the Green Branch Sect, the Three Sacred Spirit Gates, or the Wind Transformation Sect. They are sects similar to the Green Branch Sect. They seem to be quite powerful in your galaxy.”

“Three Sacred Spirit Gates?” When Lu Sheng heard this name, he made some faint connections in his heart. The sound of this name alone suggested that they had some connection with the Three Sacred Gates.

“If I choose the path of apprenticeship, it means that it’s possible for me to become an apprentice of a peak expert, is that right?” Lu Sheng asked.

“Yes.”

“If I choose to join a sect, is there any guarantee that I’ll get in?” Lu Sheng continued.

“It’s possible. I can ask my friends to recommend you, and there won’t be an issue in joining the sect. However, you’re on your own if you want to be entrusted with missions or rise through the ranks. You should also consider this: Master Ran Jin only has three disciples. If you join him, you’ll be the fourth. The resources for growth that you’ll get will far surpass what you can get in a sect. In a sect, even if you’re a core inheritance disciple, it’s still a far cry from being Master Ran Jin’s disciple,” said Zhuang Jiu.

“That’s alright. I’m more inclined to join a sect.” Lu Sheng had his own considerations. His secret was too great. Even if he became Master Ran Jin’s disciple, he might still cause a stir because of his improvements.

It was better for him to join a sect for now and leave this galaxy before he attracted more attention. He would go to some isolated place and cultivate.

After all, his main mode of ranking up now was to Arrive in Other Worlds. There was not much requirement for his surroundings.

“In that case, which sect would you like to join? These sects are similar, but the Green Branch Sect is slightly stronger. It’s your call.” Although Zhuang Jiu did not understand it, he respected Lu Sheng’s choice.

The information regarding these sects was quickly conveyed to Lu Sheng through the gray crack.

The great galaxy sects had completely different systems compared to ordinary sects.

When Lu Sheng saw the materials, he was slightly surprised as well.

The Green Branch Sect was acceptable since it followed the conventional sect system, but the others did not. The rule of the Three Sacred Spirit Gates was that a set of Three Sacred Spirit secret art would be given, and the disciples would have to split their own bodies into three kinds of sacred spirits within one universal month. Then, the disciples had to merge them back together, attaining the unique three sacred bodies state. It was actually the process of splitting one’s spirit into three distinct persons, have them cultivate three different powers, and combine them in the end.

Lu Sheng did not wish to see the vile appearance of the three sacred bodies for a second time. The six eyes, three mouths, nostrils, and ears were scattered all around a person’s body. It appeared as if the organs of a human were wantonly planted onto a person’s body.

Next up was the Wind Transformation Sect. This sect was even more unique. Its objective was to understand the nature of the flow. Its disciples were largely unorganized and unrestrained. There were no channels for disciple recruitment, nor were there any detailed skill formulas. The disciples were only given a general aim to work towards.

Also, aside from the main branch, there were no side branches in any other location.

Their requirement was for the disciples to at least master the nature of wind. Lu Sheng flushed all thoughts of joining this sect based on this alone. He had only understood Yin Flame’s nature now. It would take him far too long to understand the nature of wind. He would be investing too much into it, and he would be on the losing end.

“Are there any others? These don’t really suit me.”

Zhuang Jiu pondered briefly. “Actually, there is one. At the periphery of your galaxy, there’s another organization you can join. However, it depends on whether you’re able to adapt to it or not…”

“Please tell me.” When he heard Zhuang Jiu say this, Lu Sheng started to grow curious as well.

Zhuang Jiu paused slightly before continuing, “This organization is more powerful than the Green Branch Sect. However, its nature is somewhat special. It’s because of this that I didn’t suggest it to you.”

“May I know what’s so special about it?” Lu Sheng was starting to get curious. If this was an organization that made a Void Underworld expert such as Zhuang Jiu feel that it was troublesome, it definitely possessed extraordinary strength.

Zhuang Jiu hesitated, but he eventually slowly said, “It’s called Libra City. Anyone with an absolute sense of justice and fairness embedded deep within his heart can join.”