37 The Secret Art of the Cult

37. The Secret Art of the Cult.

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"Did you comprehend it?" came a heavy voice from the other side of the training room.

"Yes master" Alaric replied solemnly.

"Good this might be my last teaching to you, who knows if I could come out of the hidden realm alive unlike my predecessors" the heavy voice said.

"Master will surely survive and come out victorious" Alaric said with a soft tone to only get a small smirk from the Heavenly Demon.

This always confused Alaric, whenever Alaric would lie or reply fraudulently, his master seemed to smirk at him, or is he just imagining things? Alaric just shrugged at this, as it did not overly concern him.

The Heavenly Demon just taught his last teachings to his sole successor, with this his promise to his disciple and his predecessor is complete, he could go into the hidden realm without any remorse now.

Just as Alaric expected, his master's last teaching was the secret technique he coveted.

'The Heavenly Demon's Devouring Art'

As simple as the name sounds, it is completely otherworldly in its nature. This technique was the sole reason his master could live for 800 years! When using this technique, the cultivator can steal the Life Qi or what is simply known as life energy/essence from another cultivator.

This cultivation technique gave his master another 100 years to live! This is definitely the greatest treasure of the demonic cult. There was no scripture or manual for it, it had to be passed on directly. There were some restrictions to this technique, such as stealing life Qi from mortals or animals was not possible and if overly done, the side effects could kill the practitioner.

Alaric was content with it, as this was more than what he bargained for. A technique like this in the system shop would be tens of thousands of coins, but his master taught him this after killing his family and torturing him for 13 years straight in the name of teaching, It was a good bargain in his opinion.

"There is one last thing to do before I finish my teachings, come to the Ancestral Hall at midnight" the heavenly demon disappeared into the darkness after saying those words.

Alaric did not know what it was about as he put this words in the back of his mind, this technique was truly priceless in this simple world of martial arts, he once again praised the first heavenly demon for coming up with something like this, or maybe he just stole it or just found it. No matter what, this was in his hands now. Alaric went to his residence made for the young lord and waited for midnight.

Shi Ya was undergoing training under the personal servants of the Heavenly demon, so she was nowhere to be seen. BaiYing was hunting in the demonic forest near the cult, it had become its den for a while now, BaiYing's core was Light Yellow color, and its strength has greatly increased with all the food and training Alaric was providing it for.

Soon the time for the meeting neared as Alaric walked to the Ancestral Hall with steady steps, he did not fly or float as he stopped practicing the 'Sky Monarch's Step', he did not want to be suspicious and get killed by the heavenly demon, so he kept the technique hidden for now.

The door to the large Hall opened and at first glance, several trophies, mementos, and paintings could be seen inside the hall, Alaric was here numerous times as the servants of the heavenly demon never stopped boasting about this place while touring him around. Only a selected few can enter the hall, as if anyone entered inside without permission, their heads would fly before they knew what happened.

'Six people hiding their presence, wait…seven' Alaric thought as he failed to detect the heavenly demon's presence first, his master was always good with every technique, but even when Alaric surpassed him it took him some time to discover him.

'Maybe experience is a factor to it' Alaric said to himself.

"Show yourself, you six" Alaric ordered, deliberately showing that he failed to detect is master.

*Swoosh* x6

And as the order of their young lord, they could not be so impudent to disobey. Soon six figures came out of darkness showing their figures.

"We greet the young lord!" x6

The six figures bent one knee and clasped their hands to greet Alaric with respect, their faces were looking at him.

Soon another figure came out of darkness with his hands behind his back carrying the same smirk, he looked dangerous at first glance.

"Disciple greets master!" this time it was Alaric who bowed a little and clasped his hands while looking at his master, while the six figures completely looked towards the floor with one hand on their thigh and another on the ground. It was a salute to their lord, while Alaric was their young lord they were not completely loyal to him, their loyalty only belonged to the heavenly demon who they cannot dare to meet the eye.

While Alaric may seem impudent, meeting the eye of his mater and lord, a young lord should never bow his head down completely subserviently. This was mentioned in the 'Will of the first Demon God', which his master passed on to him. It was also mentioned that there can only be one Heavenly Demon in the demonic cult, if there ever arises a situation where two heavenly demons meet, they have to decide who would be the last one standing. This rule applied when a heavenly demon from the hidden realm came back, the 'Chun-Ma', the first heavenly demon seemed to predict that his successors would go missing in the hidden realm and came up with this rule.

"Let's start with the ritual" said the heavenly demon with the same damn smirk he always had while putting Alaric through hell during the training.