Heavenly Demon Ascending [Dark Fantasy | Cultivation | Multiverse | Antihero]

[The_BestX]

My little hand didn't stop shaking, even after I plunged the knife into his throat.

"Ukhh… kkh" Blood seeped profusely from the man's neck, staining it a bright red as he looked at me with pleading eyes, his mouth trembling and he looked like he was trying to articulate words but couldn't.

It was the first time I'd seen a pleading look, a look of fear of death… and since that day, I've seen many, a number I can't even remember.

I still remember my father standing behind me, his eyes cold as ice without a trace of mercy, before he said without even blinking, giving the instructions I had grown up hearing, which gave me a constant sense of necessity to carry out what he said: "Kill him, Mo Bai, don't hesitate, one cannot become strong in this world without killing."

I was scared and hesitant, but I didn't cry. Not a single tear fell from my eye. I also remember feeling a strange feeling, completely different, even contradictory from all the other feelings. A feeling I didn't know what it was at the time, and I still don't know what it is now.

Maybe it was satisfaction? Or relief? I don't know, but that's what I felt as I stared at the flowing blood covering his clothes, his trembling hand falling as the sound of his choking echoed, a strange gurgling sound that suggested his end was near.

Why? Why didn't I cry? And I'm just a six year old kid and I killed, that's probably what anyone would ask or think.

Because I was saturated with my father's teachings, words repeated thousands, even millions of times, to teach me, in the middle of meals, during ordinary conversation, without my realizing it, or in direct lessons from him.

He was teaching me that weakness is forbidden, indeed, the greatest sin in this world.

He was teaching me that the strong rules, the strong imposes control, whatever the strong wants happens, whatever they desire, it comes to them on a golden platter. Why? Because they are strong.

But the most important thing about these teachings is that power comes through killing. If I want to become powerful, I must kill.

And amidst these daily teachings, a great, even immense, longing for power was instilled deep within me, a longing that grows day by day, and I still have it to this day.

That was the reason, at least I think so.

Or maybe not? Maybe not, I really don't know. I'm not sure, and it's not as if I really care. The reasons don't matter, what matters is that the outcome is beneficial to me.

This is what I learned after years of experience, and what I did not know at the time, as I was only six years old, just a child, even though this child learns about life and reality early, but in the end he remains a child.

Now, I know very well why my father did this cruel act, which I did not know at the time due to my limited thinking.

And I thank him for that now whenever I remember this, because it was precisely because of this harsh upbringing that I learned to see the reality of this dark world at an early age, and this helped me a lot.

I was only six years old at the time, but my dream was very big, it was a dream that required many things, many of which I did not have, I was dreaming of the top, of rising above everyone else, which was really impossible just by thinking about it.

But the strange thing? My father was the one who planted this dream in me, he was the one who helped and encouraged me to follow this impossible dream, and I still pursue it to this day. I pursue the freedom to control my destiny, and to control everyone's destiny as well.

But before I got to my current stage, I went through many, many obstacles and stages, let's continue to remember the first one, it seems as if I got lost in my dreams and took a turn while thinking huh.

I still remember the scene of me pulling the knife from his throat, smelling that metallic smell and feeling the stickiness on my face, not because I really remember him personally, but just because I got used to that smell and feeling over the years, I can imagine it simply by remembering pulling the knife, maybe this is an amazing ability? Haha, but rest assured that you can't develop it until you kill at least millions of people.

This murder was the foundation of my journey, my first step toward my dream, and I have never regretted it.

Through it, I began my journey into the Shadow Blade Clan, a clan like all other clans where only the strong are respected and cruelty reigns supreme, with no turning back.

 

[The_BestX]

Ch1: First Blood - Heavenly Demon Ascending [Dark Fantasy | Cultivation | Multiverse | Antihero]

My little hand didn't stop shaking, even after I plunged the knife into his throat. “Ughh…kkh” Blood seeped profusely from the man’s neck, staining it (...)

www.royalroad.com

 

[The_BestX]

Hope you enjoy reading it

 

[Dao_of_Bibliomania]

Thanks for the chapter!
It seems interesting so far!

 

[The_BestX]

Four years after that night, inside the Shadow Blade Clan.

More than 200 ten-year-old children stood in neat rows inside a huge hall, black columns spread out on all it sides, and carvings of coiled dragons adorn it completely.

What's striking is that the different rows have completely different people, with children in each row wearing different but similarly quality outfits, making the difference in social status apparent at a glance.

Children dressed in rich gold-embroidered clothes or the finest silk lined up together, while other children dressed in shabby or rough clothes, and some even had clothes with holes in them, also lined up together.

The difference in appearance between these children is simply vast, and it seems that these rows divide children according to their social status.

But what united all these children was their eyes, which seemed fixed on the stone platform in the front, where an elder wearing a dark purple robe stood beside it, creating an atmosphere of tension within the hall.

'Finally, it's time to awaken the seals. For four whole years, I've been training and preparing for the day I obtain my innate seal.'

Mo Bai's eyes gleamed with intense determination like many others in the hall right now, but towards a different goal, a goal that was incomparable to anything in their minds and against any shred of logic.

At this time, the elder standing beside the platform spoke loudly, expectation radiating from his gaze, but his wrinkled face showing no expression.

"Go Shen."

A small child, with brown hair, thin body, ragged clothes, and apparently malnourished, came forward.

He was trembling with fear, and stood for a few moments in front of the platform, sweat dripping from his forehead, before he bit his lips and climbed the stairs to the stone platform.

'Please show something, please give me a seal.'

Go Shen thought to himself repeatedly, feeling extremely nervous.

Despite his young age, he knows, like everyone else in the world, that this moment will determine the fate of an individual's life and his future. This is ingrained in everyone's mind from an early age. It's a simple logic and a rule that can only be broken very rarely.

The elder raised his arms and muttered in a low voice, "Activate."

Before a very complex symbol began to glow on the surface of the platform, directly beneath Go Shen's trembling feet.

Seconds passed: one second...

Two seconds...

Five seconds...

Nothing happened. No phenomenon occurred. No wind, no fire, nothing else appeared. Silence fell over the hall for a few seconds. Everyone's eyes remained on Go Shen, before he finally comprehended what had just happened.

"No... no... no, no, why?" Gu Shen whispered, his eyes wide and tears forming in the corners. His face was filled with despair as he stumbled backward, trembling.

Some sighed in pity, but looks of mockery and contempt filled the majority's faces as they watched what had happened. Meanwhile, the faces of the two elders and the clan leader, who were watching this test, turned slightly disappointed.

"There is no innate seal."

The purple-robed elder's voice echoed, his tone containing faint, undisguised contempt, as his eyes glazed over the small child as if he had become something less than human, a mere ant, not even worthy of a glance.

At that moment, two guards wordlessly moved in and grabbed the boy, who began to scream and cry.

"Please! Test me again! I'm...!"

But no one paid attention to his constant screaming and crying, the two guards continued dragging him toward a black iron table next to the platform after lowering him from it.

One of them forcefully placed his right hand on the table, before a short, muscular man mercilessly lowered the iron directly onto the back of his right hand.

The boy's voice was suddenly cut short by the sound of burning and cauterizing.

"Aaaah!"

A heartbreaking scream echoed through the hall as a brand was inscribed on the back of the child's right hand, a blazing red sun, the mark of a slave.

'Trash without a seal, that's what he deserves.' one of the children thought with deep disdain.

Whispers of disgust, contempt and mockery spread, the majority didn't care about the cruelty behind what had happened now, it was just something completely normal to them, an incompetent person becoming a slave, this was how the world had been for years, nothing strange.

Only a few looked at each other with silent sadness as they lowered their heads, a small number that could be counted on the fingers of one hand, and all of them had one thing in common: ragged clothes and thinness. They were the children of slaves, the ones who held out hope of changing the fate of their families from the current misery they were living.

Many also remained silent, their eyes shining with indifference, not caring about the suffering and cruelty of this act, not having any profit from mocking this fate, and Mo Bai was among them, as he was only thinking about this act.

'Hmm, that's cruel, making people slaves simply because they don't have a talent, but still... I like it.'

And amidst all this, a mixture of silence, whispers, and hidden sadness, in addition to the screams of the branded boy, there was a child among the crowd whispering to his friend standing in front of him in line: "Those who don't have an innate seal are supposed to be branded with the seal of slavery, but as you know, my cousin didn't have an innate seal and wasn't branded anyway. Why? I don't understand."

His friend replied with a puzzled look as if to say, (Are you stupid?) "Your cousin is from the Bai Faction just like us, you idiot, the Clan Leader Faction, how dare they brand him with the Slave Mark? and his father bought him a first-level Seal after that, so he's now a Seal Master too, don't mention such a thing again."

Meanwhile, the test continued as usual, with one child after another, each achieving a different result, but none of them achieve a very good result yet.

'This year's children have been average so far, with no outstanding talents emerging yet. But this year, all future heirs of the three factions will take the test, so we only have to wait a little longer before the good results come out. Today, the competition between the descendants of the three factions will be at its peak.'

The elder thought quietly, with anticipation in his eyes, before pointing to the next.

 

[Dao_of_Bibliomania]

Thanks for the chapter!

'Finally, it's time to awaken the seals. For four whole years, I've been training and preparing for the day I obtain my innate seal.'

Click to shrink...

I am gonna guess that his first challenge will be against some rich kid who also has a great amount of talent.

This is ingrained in everyone's mind from an early age. It's a simple logic and a rule that can only be broken very rarely.

Click to shrink...

Hmmmm, interesting, so there have been exceptions that have defied the norm. That makes sense since talent is not everything, even if a very large hurdle. It would require not just ambition but the will to seize the ambition as well as being able to make up for their lack of talent through other means to be able to defy the norm.
Exceptions are exceptions for a reason after all.

"There is no innate seal."

Click to shrink...

The concept of an innate seal makes me feel like there is the implied concept of seals being able to be artificially made. Which leaves me curious as to how that would all work but would probably be very resource intensive. With it being even more resource intensive to make the older and the higher the realm one is. Still, something interesting to think about.

But no one paid attention to his constant screaming and crying, the two guards continued dragging him toward a black iron table next to the platform after lowering him from it.

Click to shrink...

Hmmmm, never mind on the rich kid with talent thing. It seems that the next test will be whether they can kill the kid that would have been their fellow student. It makes sense, in a world where cultivation gives power, being unable to go down the path would make them irrelevant in their eyes. And talent is but one requirement in order to be successful, one's will is also another key component.

Only a few looked at each other with silent sadness as they lowered their heads, a small number that could be counted on the fingers of one hand, and all of them had one thing in common: ragged clothes and thinness. They were the children of slaves, the ones who held out hope of changing the fate of their families from the current misery they were living.

Click to shrink...

This leaves me wondering what the ratio between those with seals and without seals are. And seals, are they hereditary or not is another question. The word seals would leave one thinking that they are not, but they could be. But I get the feeling that there is a genetic/bloodline/whatever aspect to innate seals, even if it is not everything.

'Hmm, that's cruel, making people slaves simply because they don't have a talent, but still... I like it.'

Click to shrink...

Either he is a bit sadistic, since he values strength so much he looks down those without strength and or are weaker than him, or both where he looks down upon those without strength and holds contempt for those without strength and enjoys seeing them suffer a bit.

His friend replied with a puzzled look as if to say, (Are you stupid?) "Your cousin is from the Bai Faction just like us, you idiot, the Clan Leader Faction, how dare they brand him with the Slave Mark? and his father bought him a first-level Seal after that, so he's now a Seal Master too, don't mention such a thing again."

Click to shrink...

Interesting, so I was right, Seals can be artificially made. I am guessing that a first level seal is the lowest level of seals. Artificial Seals probably are lesser due to having flaws as not being natural in one's body and so does not work as smoothly as an innate seal that those born with them would. Still this is all very curious and fascinating.
And I remember how it is mentioned to be something unique to this continent. Which means that other continents and other worlds would have their own unique power system and that Seals could potentially have been artificially created. With some sort of magic ritual having been made so that those born on the continent have seals. This is all very interesting indeed.
Also it seems that cultivators in this world are called Seal Masters, which makes sense.

'This year's children have been average so far, with no outstanding talents emerging yet. But this year, all future heirs of the three factions will take the test, so we only have to wait a little longer before the good results come out. Today, the competition between the descendants of the three factions will be at its peak.'

Click to shrink...

And now we know a few of the first major hurdles Mo Bai will have to surpass if he wishes to reach the pinnacle.

 

[The_BestX]

"Next: Ye Kang."

Whispers spread among the children in the hall.

"He's Ye Kang, the heir to the Ye Faction."

"They say he's more favored as a successor than his older brother because his brother's talent isn't at the level of a faction leader, he only has a second-level seal."

Amidst all the whispers, a boy with an ordinary face, coarse brown hair, and the same-colored eyes stepped forward.

He moved with confidence, even arrogance, and a smile that showed he was completely unafraid of the outcome that awaited him before he stepped onto the platform.

As soon as Ye Kang stepped onto the stage, it didn't take even two seconds before the symbol glowed brightly again, but this time, the outcome would be distinctly different from the previous ones.

Everyone felt a gust of wind at first, before the wind grew stronger until everyone inside the hall felt a slight push as a large green storm appeared, covering the entire platform, with Ye Kang at its center.

It slowly disappeared as an intricate green seal pattern appeared on the back of Ye Kang's right hand.

"Third-level Innate Wind Seal, a rare talent."

The purple-robed elder loudly announced that the first third-level talent in the Ye Faction this generation had finally appeared, bringing a wide smile to the face of Elder Ye, the leader of the Ye Faction, who was sitting on the left side of the Clan Leader.

"Old Mo, I'm glad you've been worrying about my faction these past few years, but I have a suitable heir now, now you only need to worry about whether your faction will find a worthy successor as my grandson now, I wish you good luck from the bottom of my heart."

Elder Ye said with a grateful smile, but with a clearly sarcastic tone.

"Hmm, that's okay, Old Ye. We're old friends. I was definitely lend you a helping hand if your grandson couldn't also acquire a good enough talent."

Elder Mo responded with a gentle smile that concealed his annoyance, before continuing with a clear sarcasm.

"But don't worry about my faction, my grandson won't get anything less than a third-level seal, as usual. My faction isn't like some others who have begun to weaken over the years and only produce a single third-level talent with difficulty, almost as if it were a miracle. On the contrary, it still maintains its strength and talents, and may even have begun to become better than before, haha."

As soon as he heard what Elder Mo said, the smile on Elder Ye's face froze as veins protruded from his clenched fist in hidden anger, but he quickly returned his friendly smile to his face as if he hadn't understood what Elder Mo meant at all or been affected.

'Unfortunately, if Ye Kang hadn't also obtained a third-level seal, my faction would have been able to completely suppress the Ye faction and absorb it even after years.'

Elder Mu thought with slight annoyance, which quickly turned to planning for the future.

'But never mind, not having a third-level talent for nine consecutive years is a good sign that the Ye Faction's bloodline is getting weaker and weaker. After a few years, they might not even be able to produce a third-level talent at all, and then it will be our chance.'

While there was a hidden conflict between the two sheikhs, or at least hidden on the surface but in reality known to everyone, the person who had obtained this result and caused the spark to ignite between them had a bigger smile on his face, much more arrogant than before, and carried an enormous amount of self-confidence.


But this was entirely understandable and expected, because he was now backed by a true talent to feel this confidence, not just empty talk like before. He had managed to obtain an amazing talent that qualified him to be one of the strongest in the clan in the future, and this arrogance was completely natural.

How could it not be, when he could definitely see himself above everyone else in the future? Everyone's fate was already determined by his talent in this world.

'Great! I've obtained a third-level seal, and now my future leadership of the faction is assured. That poor brother of mine is still hoping for that position, his expression will be astonished when he knows of my level of talent, his last vestiges of hope will be completely shattered.'

Ye Kang thought, his smug smile still etched on his face, his thoughts filled with extreme malice.

At the same time, after the seal appeared, the hall was filled with voices of admiration and envy. Many of the children stared at Ye Kang with eyes filled with jealousy and envy. A thought crossed everyone's minds, or at least the majority, and it couldn't be helped.

'If only I had such a talent.'

But talent is determined by lineage, not randomly. So this is, of course, impossible, since neither their parents nor their grandparents possessed such talent.

These are merely false hopes.

Amidst all this, Ye Kang descended from the stage with his condescending smile still on his face, clearly enjoying the looks of envy and admiration from everyone.

'Ye Kang has obtained a third-level Innate Seal then. Well, that's fine, it won't affect the plan in any way whether he has obtained a second-level or third-level talent. Maybe it can even benefit me in some way. I'll see in the future. There's no need to think about something so distant and unimportant now.'

Mo Bai thought analytically as he tried to find the pros and cons and also if there was anything that would help him carry out his plan, his expression calm as he watched the rest of the test waiting for his turn.

 

[The_BestX]

"Next: Jun Xiao"

A boy with a weak build and ordinary clothes walked towards the platform, like everyone else, nervous but also hopeful. But what distinguished him was something completely strange.

'I can't see him, I can't see this applicant's face or his body, all that appears to me is a strange blur and I can't distinguish anything about him, that means he's a protected person then huh, these strange people.'

Mo Bai thought as he still couldn't comprehend this strange phenomenon that had existed for thousands of years.

'I am also one of the few who experience this protection phenomenon. I cannot see or interact with these protected people, unlike most others who see them as normal people just like me and others. This mystery has never been solved, and I am certain there are many secrets behind it, but nothing can be known about it without sufficient power.'

'They're the only variable in our plan that could ruin it or make it go in a better direction. With their uncanny ability to predict the future, everything we've planned could go down the drain, so I must be extremely wary of them.'

While Mo Bai was lost in thought, Jun Xiao passed by and obtained a Second Level Fire Seal، as is usual with protected people, their talents are generally good.

Then the applicants continued to pass by as usual, one by one without any change or unexpected surprise.

...

"Next: Bai Ken."

There was a second of silence, followed by faint cheers and murmurs of admiration.

"It's Bai Ken!"

"His father is the clan leader, His seal must be amazing!"

A handsome young man, his eyes tinged with purple, his posture firm and confident, and his expression cold, stepped onto the stage with apparent indifference and stood waiting for his results.

"Boom!"

At this moment, the entire hall was suddenly enveloped in a deep darkness, blinding everyone, unable to see anything. Not even Mo Bai was an exception, except for the elders, who seemed strangely unaffected.

This lasted for about ten seconds, amidst the great confusion of the entire youth of the clan, who couldn't understand anything. It gradually faded away and condensed into a complex black seal pattern on the back of Bai Ken's right hand.

"A Level Four Shadow Seal, a unique talent!" the elder in charge exclaimed, his face revealing incomparable joy.

"Congratulations, Leader Bai!"

"Your son is truly a worthy heir to this clan."

The clan leader in the upper seats smiled quietly as he listened to the compliments of the two elders beside him, his eyes fixed solely on his only son, who had not disappointed him.

Meanwhile, the children didn't miss the opportunity and remembered their parents' instructions well, a large crowd gathered around Bai Ken to congratulate him and shower him with compliments and flattery.

"Congratulations, Young Master. You are truly the genius of the clan, as expected by the heir of our great clan." One of them said, and everyone continued to praise him in various forms without pause.

But Bai Ken paid them no attention at all, he completely ignored them and turned back to his seat with the same cold expression and indifferent gaze, as if he were completely unaffected, as if all of this had been expected from the start, at least from looking at him.

…

Amidst this dazzling atmosphere, where so many impressive talents were on display, the elder called out again:

"Next: Mo Bai."

At the sound of his name, Mo Bai straightened, the already prominent smile spreading across his face.

'Finally, it's my turn. Let's see what my innate seal will produce. Although the outcome is predictable, the odds are never certain.'

'I'm so excited. The plan is finally taking shape. Either I ascend to the top and break the shackles of this illusory talent that's supposed to determine my fate, or I die trying. I will never allow my life to be predetermined!'

Mo Bai's eyes gleamed with determination as he took his first steps toward the platform, toward the very thing that determines everyone's fate and status.

 

[Dao_of_Bibliomania]

Thanks for the chapter!

Hmmm, so faction number on is the Ye faction.

"They say he's more favored as a successor than his older brother because his brother's talent isn't at the level of a faction leader, he only has a second-level seal."

Click to shrink...

Hmmmm, interesting. I am gonna guess that one is the lowest level seal and the higher the level the seal the better the talent one has.

"Third-level Innate Wind Seal, a rare talent."

Click to shrink...

It seems that I am right regarding the level of seals corresponding to talent.
Now I wonder if having an elemental affinity is standard or not.

"Hmm, that's okay, Old Ye. We're old friends. I was would definitely lend you a helping hand if your grandson couldn't also acquire a good enough talent."

Click to shrink...

Edit suggestion.

It seems that Mo Bai is born into the Mo faction, let's see how that will affect things. It seems that he will have a decent backing at least.

But talent is determined by lineage, not randomly

Click to shrink...

Interesting. I wonder if this is completely true, to a degree. Or just a conclusion the people of the continent came up with.

 

[Dao_of_Bibliomania]

Thanks for the chapter!

'I am also one of the few who experience this protection phenomenon.

Click to shrink...

Interesting, I bet that it is related to innate seals, but who knows.

'They're the only variable in our plan that could ruin it or make it go in a better direction. With their uncanny ability to predict the future, everything we've planned could go down the drain, so I must be extremely wary of them.'

While Mo Bai was lost in thought, Jun Xiao passed by and obtained a Second Level Fire Seal، as is usual with protected people, their talents are generally good.

Click to shrink...

Wow, what the what. Is there some sort of mechanism that makes it so that certain people regress into the past in order to manipulate events into going in a more beneficial direction to whoever is behind the said regression if not the potential ritual that is behind seals?
Whatever the answer is, it will likely be crazy.

"A Level Four Shadow Seal, a unique talent!" the elder in charge exclaimed, his face revealing incomparable joy.

Click to shrink...

Hmmm, okay so seals also come with an elemental affinity it seems. I wonder if one can have multiple and if not why not?

Mo Bai's eyes gleamed with determination as he took his first steps toward the platform, toward the very thing that determines everyone's fate and status.

Click to shrink...

I bet that he will have a level 2 innate seal.

 

[The_BestX]

"You likely have a second-tier talent; my innate seal was also at that level," Mo Bai's father said in his usual calm tone, clasping his fingers as he sat opposite his son.

"But! Don't think your future is truly predetermined, as most of these ignorant people assume," he continued, his voice serious, his eyes filled with determination and ambition.

"There is a way to break those supposed boundaries, and you... will break them, Mo Bai." Mo Xin's eyes shone confidently at his son sitting in front of him, which Mo Bai fully accepted with a slight smile drawn on his lips as he murmured audibly.

"Of course I will."

…

Mo Bai remembered his father's words from last week, word for word, as he walked towards the platform until he finally reached the shining crystal in front of him, which renewed his confidence and determination that this was just the beginning of a long journey, one that required intelligence and courage, while talent was merely a secondary matter that would be better if he had it.

As Mo Bai's name was announced, of course, as is obvious, many people started talking to each other again, but this time not just for no reason, but because Mo Bai really is famous.

"Mo Bai, he's the little monster. I wonder about the level of his innate seal. My father always calls him a combat genius, and everyone says so," one of them said with curiosity and respect mixed with jealousy, before his friend replied with a sigh.

"Of course he is! Have you ever heard of a six-year-old hunting monsters?"

"He's been doing it almost every day for four whole years, not to mention the battles against adults. If he's not a genius, then what is? My head is full of how much my parents praise him and compare me to him. They always tell me that if I could do even half of what he does, I'd help a lot with expenses. But he's simply abnormal. Don't you agree?"

While various conversations raged among the children in the classrooms, a slight smile played on Elder Mo's face as he watched Mo Bai with evident interest.

'Mo Bai... this boy, everyone I sent to observe him told me the same thing: he has an extraordinary talent for fighting! It's fortunate he's Mo Xin's son; he'll be a great help to my grandson.'

'It seems that he has already learned the arts of combat from his father. His battles in the tower are amazing and show his strong will. His instincts and reactions are also very impressive, but what is impressive is his intelligence and his ability to use different weapons and set traps while hunting. He's truly an amazing talent. He just needs to have at least a Level 2 Innate Seal, and then I can be sure he's useful and start recruiting him to my side.'

All this thinking and conversation happened as Mo Bai moved toward the platform. As soon as he arrived, the symbol ignited with a majestic blue light that quickly transformed into a thunderous flash of lightning, accompanied by numerous clouds that obscured the sun, but strangely, only around Mo Bai.

One second… two seconds… The deafening, majestic lightning continued its relentless barrage for several seconds before slowly fading away, as if everything that had just appeared was merely an illusion—truly astonishing.

But it didn't disappear; instead, it condensed into a small, blue glow directed toward the back of Mo Bai's hand, before a glowing, light blue seal appeared, as intricate as the seals before it, but clearly less complex than Ye Kang's.

"A Level 2 Innate Lightning Seal, an uncommon talent." The elder announced Mo Bai's result loudly, and Mo Bai smiled slightly upon seeing it.

'If the prediction was correct, after all, both my parents had Level 2 seals, so the probability of me having a similar one was over 80%. Very good, this is excellent.'

Mo Bai clenched his fist as he felt power coursing through his veins, a strange power he had never felt before, but it made his body much stronger in these few seconds and the boosting was still going on. He could feel this very clearly without even being able to see that strange energy flowing throughout his body, Nia.

After seeing Mo Bai's result, looks of envy and unsurprise also appeared in the eyes of many, as this was expected, but they still could not stop themselves from envying and desiring a similar talent.

'The little monster has earned a Level 2 seal, so Mo's faction has surpassed ours in Level 2 talent again this year. Damn it!'

'And there are still children from the Mo faction who will pass the test more than children from my faction. It seems that the progress of the Mo faction is not stopping and has been increasing for ten years. Slowly but steadily, they have begun to get closer and closer to matching the number of talents of the Bai faction and leaving my faction in the wind, If things continue like this, my thousand-year-old clan could be wiped out. I cannot allow this!'

Elder Ye thought intensely and nervously, and drops of sweat began to trickle down the side of his face, while he clenched his fist so tightly that the veins in it stood out.

'It all started because of what happened ten years ago. If it weren't for that strange and collective disappearance of more than half of my faction's capable talents in one day, my faction's situation wouldn't have turned out like this. Damn it! I even thought that my faction had been blessed with a miracle generation and its path to the top was paved, until I found them all gone overnight. Ahhhh, if only I could find out the reason for this strange disappearance that happens to the protected ones.'

At this time, Mo Bai walked calmly to his place in the row of those who had already taken the test, with a genuine happy smile on his face. Even though he had expected such a result, he could not help but feel joy after actually getting it.

 

[Dao_of_Bibliomania]

Thanks for the chapter!

"Mo Bai, he's the little monster. I wonder about the level of his innate seal. My father always calls him a combat genius, and everyone says so," one of them said with curiosity and respect mixed with jealousy, before his friend replied with a sigh.

"Of course he is! Have you ever heard of a six-year-old hunting monsters?"

Click to shrink...

As they have said, talent is not everuthing and it seems that they have been building themselves up and preparing for a while. That is good, he is backing up what he said with his actions.

"A Level 2 Innate Lightning Seal, an uncommon talent."

Click to shrink...

Hmmm, lightning, interesting.

Slowly but steadily, they have begun to get closer and closer to matching the number of talents of the Bai faction

Click to shrink...

It seems that the Bai faction is the third faction as well as the most predominant.

'It all started because of what happened ten years ago. If it weren't for that strange and collective disappearance of more than half of my faction's capable talents in one day, my faction's situation wouldn't have turned out like this. Damn it! I even thought that my faction had been blessed with a miracle generation and its path to the top was paved, until I found them all gone overnight. Ahhhh, if only I could find out the reason for this strange disappearance that happens to the protected ones.'

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Hmmm, this is strange. If such a large amount disappeared surely the sect would have investigated. Unless the sect knows and hid it for some reason. Hmmmm.

 

[The_BestX]

After Mo Bai, the test continued as normal, with one child after another passing through for over three hours while everyone stood under the scorching sun, without exception.

No one was allowed to leave before the test was over, not even the clan leader's son, Bai Qin. This was considered a sacred ritual for any clan, and it would be considered completely disrespectful to leave without permission in the presence of the clan elders and rulers.

Several other remarkable talents emerged among these 200 children besides Mo Bai, Bai Qin, and Yi Kang, including the heir of the Mo faction, Mo Fan.

As expected of an heir, he obtained a Level 3 Lightning Seal and did not disappoint his grandfather or the faction behind him, fulfilling the sole requirement to become the faction's future leader: acquiring a Level 3 Innate Seal.

There were also about 20 talents with a Level 2 seal, which is normal—neither bad nor good for the clan, just the average number of Level 2 talents for the year.

After all the children had finished the test, the elder in the purple robe announced in a gruff voice.

"The test is over. You may leave now."

"And come to the academy tomorrow. Anyone who doesn't attend without an excuse will be expelled immediately."

Most nodded before they began to leave the vast hall, scattering in all directions under the scorching midday sun.

Mo Bai returned home, a large, multi-story house. He knocked on the door, and a beautiful woman in her twenties opened it, greeting him with a small, respectful bow.

"Welcome back, young master."

Mo Bai nodded calmly as he entered the house, and she spoke to him immediately afterward.

"The master is waiting for you in his office, young master."

He nodded again before placing his hand on his stomach, his face listless. "Very well, and prepare a meal for me. I'm starving. I haven't eaten anything for hours because of that damned exam."

"Yes, sir," the maid replied with complete seriousness and professionalism, completely unconcerned by Mo Bai's behavior.

'Ha, as cold as ever.' Mo Bai rolled his eyes after receiving her usual cold response, before heading towards his father's office.

Then, after seeing Mo Bai leave and not giving her any further instructions, the maid finally departed to begin carrying out Mo Bai's task, her face expressionless from beginning to end, like ice devoid of emotion.

Mo Bai knocked on his father's office door, and after receiving permission to enter, he opened it and went straight in to find him sitting with a smile on his face. His father's expression exuded quiet confidence and a commanding presence stemming from his strength. Just by looking at his face, you could tell he was related to Mo Bai; the resemblance between them was undeniable.

"Sit down, Mo Bai. Tell me how you did on the exam."

Mo Bai sat relaxed opposite him in a simple chair that appeared to be made of a durable material, as the entire office was simply furnished without any decoration or excessive luxury, just an office desk, three chairs, and a bookshelf.

"Well, as expected, I obtained a Level 2 Innate Lightning Seal. Even for the others, nothing out of the ordinary, Mo Fan and Ye Kang each obtained a Level 3 seal, and Bai Ken obtained a Level 4 seal. There was no surprising superhuman talent or anything like that."

Mo Bai relaxed, placing his arms behind his head, as he recounted the details of the test to his father. He told him how many had achieved each seal level and how many belonged to each of the three factions or any other faction.

This demonstrated Mo Bai's keen attention despite his apparent indifference, and his ability to leave no detail unnoticed.

"Hmm, good, very good indeed! All the conditions are now favorable for putting the plan into action." Mo Xin chuckled softly, a broad smile spreading across his lips, clearly pleased with the way things were progressing.

At this point, Mo Bai, looking a little curious, asked, "What should I do now? What's the next step? You haven't explained each step in detail."

Then he continued, his tone surprised, "I've asked you several times to explain everything in detail so I can understand each step and what I need to do, but I really don't understand why you always refuse. Isn't this better?"

Mo Shen replied firmly, "When the time comes to know part of the plan, I'll tell you. There's no need for unnecessary details. I know what's best for you."

Before he could continue, he said, "The next step is to get close to Mo Fan, make him trust you completely, consider you his brother, or whatever the relationship is, the important thing is that it be blind trust without the slightest doubt in you, this is necessary, don't fail at it."

"Well, there's no need to worry, that's easy. But I already knew this. Tell me the details of what needs to be done now. I trust your plan won't rely on me simply dragging Mo Fan to my side without any preparation or other objective, will it, Father?" Mo Bai asked calmly.

"Of course... you know me well, my son." Mo Shen smiled mysteriously, a grand plan seemingly brewing in his mind.

 

[The_BestX]

"But there's no need for you to worry about that now. Just focus on your task of gaining Mo Fan's trust. The most important thing for you is to concentrate on becoming stronger. As for the plans, leave that to me." Mo Shen clearly divided the tasks between himself and Mo Bai, leaving his son ample free time to focus on his training.

Meanwhile, Mo Shen took a small, rectangular box that appeared to be made of iron from his pocket.

"As you know, Mo Bai, the most important thing is to increase personal strength, isn't that right? But because of the innate seal, it remains dependent on bloodline and luck as well as how much maximum strength a person can reach. There are, of course, ways to obtain higher-level seals and enhance the previously assumed maximum, but there are many difficulties behind it and it requires a long time."

He paused for a moment, then continued in a completely serious tone, "There are natural treasures that contribute to increasing a person's talent and bringing them closer to a certain trait, and others that contribute to increasing an individual's physical and mental strength, and others... but they are very rare, and even the weakest of them, which only increases by about 5%, are considered very valuable, and even fourth-grade Seal Masters like our clan leader will fight over them."

"And the one in this box, Mo Bai, is called the Gene Boosting Medicine. I don't know its exact effect, but what I do know is that it provides a massive increase in both Nya and physical strength, since they're interconnected anyway, at least by 30% or maybe even more!"

"What?!" Mo Bai jumped up, screaming, his mouth wide open in involuntary shock.

"More than 30%! Are you sure, Dad?!" Mo Bai slammed his hands on the desk and instinctively moved his face close to his father's, a deep shock still evident in his eyes, along with a subtle anticipation of what this meant.

"Yes, I'm absolutely sure, Mo Bai." A faint smile appeared on Mo Shen's face as he watched Mo Bai's expected reaction.

"Hahaha, amazing, this is so amazing! How did such a treasure fall into our hands? This is not luck, this is divine will, desiring that I should prosper and achieve what I aspire to." A manic smile appeared on Mo Bai's face, covered with incomparable ecstasy, as he fully opened his arms, raising them with boundless happiness.

Before a voice with a sternness could break through Mo Bai's daydreams and make him wake up, a slight frown appeared on Mo Shen's face.

"Don't get carried away with your dreams, Mo Bai. This is not divine will or anything like that. This medicine was left to you by your mother before she died. Don't start dreaming and thinking that you are the chosen one, the son of heaven whose path is paved with beautiful roses."

"You are an ordinary person, your destiny is average, and if you want to achieve anything above average, you must go through a path full of thorny roses covered with hard work, sweat, and blood. If you do not understand this, do not think that you can achieve anything in your life!"

"I know that, Dad, I just got a little too excited." Mo Bai came to his senses, secretly clenching his fist tightly, clearly dissatisfied with his father's words.

"Good, then. Take it. Let's go down to my private training room so there's no disturbance." Mo Shen stood up and handed the iron box to Mo Bai, who gripped it tightly, his eyes blazing as his mind raced.

"Mother, thank you for letting me do this. Even though I've never seen you before, I will make sure to avenge you. I will never let your blood be spilled in vain."

 

[The_BestX]

Mo Bai and his father descended a few steps until, at the bottom, they found a sealed, underground room, completely isolated from the noise of the outside world, an ideal place for meditation and training.

Mo Bai and his father entered after Mo Shen unlocked the securely closed door with his key. Then Mo Shen spoke.

"The walls of this room are soundproof, so no one outside this room will hear anything, and vice versa, of course. You can focus entirely on absorbing the power of the medicine without distraction."

Mo Bai nodded before taking the box out of his pocket and carefully opening it, since this miracle medicine was a syringe filled with a golden-colored liquid that looked perfectly ordinary, at least from Mo Bai's limited perspective, who could only use his eyesight to judge.

"What is this thing, Father? I have never seen or even heard of anything like it before. As far as I know, natural treasures, as their name suggests, come from nature, herbs or something like that, but this iron thing that contains this miraculous liquid, what is it? Even in the few books I have read, I have never seen anything like it."

Mo Bai asked with a hint of curiosity, having never seen a syringe before.

"That's not important now, Mo Bai. This thing is called a syringe. It's simply an aid to help a person safely absorb the liquid. Swallowing it would cause the person to explode instantly. This syringe allows it to be injected directly into a vein in the arm, and it's the safest and most effective method."

"Oh, that's good. It doesn't have much benefit, almost none at all, but it's truly the most suitable thing for this particular medicine, as if it were designed specifically for it. If it weren't for your knowledge, Father, I would have swallowed it recklessly like the rest of the medicines and elixirs. Knowledge is truly the most important thing sometimes."

Mo Bai exclaimed in surprise as he began to remove his shirt, revealing a beautifully defined body with clearly defined abdominal muscles that indicated his hard training and strength. With his height being above average for his age, at 1.70 meters, this makes him look truly perfect when combined with his handsome face and warm smile.

"Of course, that's why I'm telling you not to neglect reading books. Knowledge is sometimes just as important as power."

"Now go on, hurry up and get your injection. It's almost half the day; there are only about 18 hours left. I don't want you missing your first day at the academy. It would be hard to explain."

"Alright, alright, I myself am incredibly excited and don't want to waste a single second. Let's witness the miracle that will be the first step in my defiance of fate, hahahaha."

Mo Bai grabbed the syringe and, without the slightest hesitation, violently injected it directly into the vein in his arm, a manic, anticipatory smile on his lips.

Once he did so, it didn't even take a second for his expression to vanish.

"Aaaah... Ah, uh, uh... Aaaah!!!"

An unimaginable, unbearable pain coursed through his body, unlike anything he had ever felt before. He screamed at the top of his lungs, his eyes bulging so wide they seemed about to pop out of their sockets, blood gushing from his nostrils and ears, along with a torrent of bloody tears.

Veins bulged all over his body, threatening to burst, as he writhed helplessly on the ground in agony, like a worm.

But even his only means of relieving his pain, however slightly, was no longer available after a few minutes. Mo Bai could no longer even scream, for his vocal cords had been completely destroyed by the drug.

If anyone could see what is happening inside Mo Bai's body right now, they would surely be filled with endless shock at how he is able to survive. Every one of Mo Bai's internal organs, even his heart and every part of him, is constantly being broken down and regenerated just so that the cycle can start all over again a huge number of times.

This gene-enhancing drug works by constantly destroying and regenerating cells—a massive number of them—eliminating any unnecessary cells and instantly replacing them with flawless ones.

Impurities began to leave Mo Bai's body, expelled as continuous sweat and then a black fluid that oozed from every pore. Any internal injuries he had also begun to heal.

This continued, under the watchful eyes of Mo Shen, whose conflicting emotions played out as he witnessed this horrific scene unfold before him, his expression betraying his deep concern for Mo Bai's condition.

'Endure, Mo Bai, endure, my son. This is the only way for people like us, abandoned by the heavens, without talent, to overcome our destiny.'

'I couldn't, but you... can, and you will avenge your mother instead of your useless father. So, become stronger, much stronger, for what awaits you in the future is beyond anything you can even imagine!'

 

[The_BestX]

What do you guys think of Mo Bai? Do you like his personality??