Ten Days Later...
Inside a magnificent hotel located within the largest and most prosperous Empire of the Nerathion Continent, an unusual commotion could be seen.
In every corner of the hotel, there was only one topic of discussion.
Demonic Master Kim.
Some people called him a ruthless Demonic Cultivator.
Some described him as a mysterious genius.
While others considered him the greatest threat of the future.
"Did you hear? He absorbed all the Death Energy on the battlefield by himself!"
"I heard that he can even control the souls of the dead!"
"Stop talking nonsense. But it is true that he escaped from Elder Zhen Luo of the Nine Heaven Authority Hall."
"If that is true, then he cannot be an ordinary person."
Similar discussions echoed throughout the entire hotel.
Many cultivators were drinking wine while debating the same topic.
Some spoke about him with fear, while others were filled with curiosity toward him.
However, none of them knew that the person they were discussing was sitting inside the very same hotel.
In a quiet corner of the hotel sat a young man dressed in simple robes.
That person was none other than Kim.
Within ten days, he had already arrived at the largest Empire on the continent.
However, no one here knew his true identity yet.
But the entire continent was searching for him.
Whether it was the Demonic Sects or the Righteous Sects...
Both sides were trying to find him.
Kim slowly placed his teacup on the table and looked out through the hotel's window.
A trace of helplessness could be seen in his eyes.
"Ever since my Inner Courtyard absorbed those souls and Death Energy, the entire continent has started treating me as a Demonic Cultivator."
"Now the situation has reached the point where both the Demonic Sects and the Righteous Sects are searching for me."
He thought bitterly to himself.
He had no desire to join any Demonic organization.
But the Righteous Sects had already regarded him as an enemy as well.
Kim felt as if he was trapped between both sides.
After some time, he left the hotel.
As he walked through the busy streets of the Empire, the events of ten days ago resurfaced in his mind.
"I only went to that war to kill my enemies..."
"The people who had turned my life into hell inside my Sect."
Kim took a deep breath.
"And to be honest, I became a little greedy as well."
"I thought I would be able to obtain a large number of Epiphany Points on that battlefield."
At that time, he had absolutely no idea what was about to happen.
After arriving at the battlefield, his Inner Courtyard had suddenly begun reacting on its own.
It had not only absorbed Death Energy but had also started drawing in Soul Energy.
That day was the first time Kim learned that his Inner Courtyard was not created merely for storing objects.
It could also absorb different types of energy.
And it was this very incident that completely changed his life.
A serious expression appeared in Kim's eyes.
He still remembered the final battle.
If he had not used his Space Skip ability, he might not have survived that day.
Elder Zhen Luo's strength was far from ordinary.
Especially his Cloud Step Movement Technique.
The speed of that technique was so terrifying that Kim could not even follow his movements.
It seemed as though Zhen Luo was directly teleporting from one location to another.
If his Inner Courtyard had not granted him the power of space, the outcome could have been completely different.
"My current strength is still not enough."
Kim clenched his fists tightly.
"If I encounter an expert like Elder Zhen Luo again, I might not be able to escape so easily next time."
As he thought about this, his gaze drifted toward the distant horizon.
He knew that his greatest goal was now clear—
To increase his strength.
Because on this vast Nerathion Continent, where powerful cultivators existed in every direction, strength was the greatest foundation for survival.
And for Kim, this journey had only just begun...
Kim suddenly stopped walking.
The battle he had fought against Elder Zhen Luo was still vividly etched into his mind.
"What kind of technique did that old man possess?"
Kim thought as he frowned.
"Every time I used Space Skip to change my location, he was able to detect my position almost instantly. It felt as if he possessed some special prediction or observation technique that allowed him to see through my movements in advance."
The more he thought about that battle, the more he realized his own weakness.
If he had not used Space Skip in time that day, he might never have returned alive from the battlefield.
Especially Elder Zhen Luo's Nine Heaven Authority Sword Art.
Every strike of that sword art was as deadly as death itself.
"I barely survived that day."
Kim let out a deep breath.
"If I had been even a moment slower, I would not be standing here today."
A cold light flashed across his eyes.
"But one day, I will definitely return."
"And I will settle my score with that Association Sect."
After a while, he glanced around.
There were too many people here.
In order to conceal his identity, he immediately used Space Skip.
Spatial Energy began rippling around him.
The next moment—
His body disappeared from that location.
When he appeared again, he was standing on the peak of a deserted mountain.
Cold winds blew in every direction.
A deep abyss could be seen beneath the mountain.
There were no cultivators there, nor could he sense the presence of any living creature.
Kim sat down on a large rock.
There were still some injuries on his body from the previous battle.
Although they were not fatal, they would still require time to heal completely.
He remained silent for a while.
Then the same question that had troubled him for the past ten days surfaced in his mind once again.
"Why did my Inner Courtyard absorb Death Energy in the first place?"
"If it had not done that, the entire continent would not be treating me as a Demonic Cultivator today."
A trace of bitterness appeared on his face.
"I don't even know how many sects and clans will start targeting me now."
"The Righteous Sects want to kill me, while the Demonic Sects want to recruit me."
"All of this happened because of that Death Energy."
After thinking for a few moments, Kim made a decision.
If he wanted answers, he would have to understand his own Inner Courtyard.
He slowly closed his eyes.
Focusing his consciousness, he sent a portion of his soul into the Inner Courtyard.
The next moment—
A completely new scene appeared before him.
This was his Inner Courtyard.
However, when he saw the scene inside, even he was stunned for several moments.
Where he had expected to see a vast world or some mysterious land, there was only an endless void.
A massive, empty, and lifeless space.
Darkness stretched endlessly in every direction.
And within that darkness, countless streams of Death Energy were rotating at incredible speed.
The black Death Energy would sometimes form a giant vortex and at other times surge through the entire space like a raging storm.
Its speed was so intense that the entire Inner Courtyard appeared to be trembling continuously.
It looked as if this place had entered a completely unstable state.
If this situation continued for too long, a major problem might arise in the future.
However, Kim did not panic.
Instead, he carefully observed everything around him.
His gaze remained fixed on the swirling Death Energy.
"This cannot be meaningless."
He muttered inwardly.
"My Inner Courtyard absorbed such a massive amount of Death Energy. There must be a greater reason behind it."
"The System never does anything without a purpose."
"And if all this Death Energy has gathered here, then it is definitely connected to the evolution of my Inner Courtyard."
Thinking this, Kim began studying his Inner Courtyard even more carefully.
He could feel that he was standing before the entrance to a tremendous mystery.
A mystery that could completely change his entire cultivation path in the future.
Then Kim's gaze suddenly fell upon a special location inside the Inner Courtyard.
That place seemed to be located at the absolute center of this vast empty world.
Kim noticed that the Death Energy revolving throughout the area would, from time to time, surge toward that direction at an extremely high speed.
As if an invisible force was pulling it toward itself.
But the problem was that Kim could not clearly see the center point.
He could only tell that the Death Energy was repeatedly being attracted toward that location.
Even after observing for some time, he was unable to understand the mystery behind it.
Then a thought suddenly appeared in his mind.
"Every world has a center point."
"If this truly is my Inner Courtyard, then it must also have its own center point."
Thinking of this, Kim focused his consciousness even further.
His soul power gradually spread throughout the entire Inner Courtyard.
He began carefully observing every direction.
After some time—
He finally found that center point.
But the moment he saw it, surprise appeared on his face.
Because the density of Death Energy at that location was several times greater than anywhere else.
From all directions, Death Energy was continuously flowing toward that center point.
Slowly, the energy began gathering around that location.
Within a short period of time, a massive Death Energy vortex was formed.
A black whirlpool revolved at the center of the entire Inner Courtyard.
Its speed continued increasing without pause.
It felt as though it could destabilize the entire Inner Courtyard at any moment.
Kim's expression became serious.
If he did not do something quickly, the situation might move beyond his control.
Without hesitation, he made a decision.
He began preparing to seal the Death Energy within that center point.
Using his soul power, he attempted to control the Death Energy.
However, the result was completely different from what he had expected.
The Death Energy was extremely violent.
He was unable to fully control or seal it.
Even after multiple attempts, he achieved no success.
In the end, Kim had no choice but to temporarily withdraw from his Inner Courtyard.
As soon as his consciousness returned outside, he took a deep breath.
Only one thought remained in his mind.
He needed some special treasure, item, or resource that could help condense and stabilize Death Energy.
With that thought, he turned his attention toward the System.
He began searching to see whether there was any item within the System that could solve this problem.
Even after searching for a long time, he could not find any easy solution.
But Kim was not someone who gave up easily.
After resting for a short while, he once again sent his consciousness into the Inner Courtyard.
This time, he started working with far greater caution.
He slowly began trying to control the Death Energy.
Although he encountered numerous difficulties and obstacles during the process, he continued persevering.
Time passed.
And eventually, his efforts began to bear fruit.
Kim gradually started directing the Death Energy toward the center point.
The speed of the massive vortex began slowing down.
The violent Death Energy slowly started calming.
After tremendous effort, he successfully restricted most of the Death Energy around the center point.
Afterward, Kim carried out another important task.
He created a special pathway for the flow of Death Energy.
That pathway began functioning like a Spiritual Vein.
Now the Death Energy started flowing directly through that pathway and into the center point.
As a result, the flow of Death Energy became organized and orderly.
And most importantly—
The Death Energy could now pass through the center point smoothly without affecting the other areas of the Inner Courtyard.
The massive vortex had not completely disappeared, but it had reached a far more stable and controlled state than before.
Seeing this, Kim let out a sigh of relief.
At least for now, the crisis within his Inner Courtyard had been resolved.
Present Time...
During the past ten days, the situation across the entire continent had completely changed.
Only one name was echoing in all directions—
Demonic Master Kim.
After that war, his fame spread across the entire continent like wildfire.
Whether it was the Righteous Sects, Demonic Sects, powerful Clans, or independent Cultivators—everyone was talking about him.
Even the Association Sect had officially issued an order against him.
According to the announcement—
Anyone who killed the Demonic Cultivator Kim or captured him alive and brought him before the Association Sect would receive a special reward.
They would be given the opportunity to become a direct disciple of the Association Sect.
And if they were already a member of a powerful force, they would be granted the right to have one special wish fulfilled by the Association Sect.
After this announcement, countless cultivators set out in search of Kim.
Meanwhile, meetings were continuously being held among the great clans and powerful factions.
Inside enormous assembly halls, Clan Patriarchs, Great Elders, and representatives of various forces gathered together.
The main topic of discussion among all of them was the same mysterious Demonic Master.
"Who exactly is this person?"
"Is he truly that Kim?"
"How could someone who was considered trash become so powerful in such a short period of time?"
"Could an ancient soul have possessed his body?"
Questions like these continued to arise one after another.
Even the higher authorities of the Association Sect were discussing the same matter.
According to them, this new Demonic Master was extremely strange.
Previously, he had been considered a weak and insignificant individual.
Yet suddenly, his strength had increased explosively.
Furthermore, he possessed mysterious techniques that nobody knew anything about.
Especially his ability to change locations in an instant.
Many people believed that he was using some extremely ancient Demonic Art.
Because of the seriousness of the situation, many major sects and clans increased their security several times over.
Additional guards were stationed at the main gates.
The inspection of outsiders became much stricter.
The entire continent seemed to be filled with an invisible tension.
Yet amidst all of this, one person remained completely calm.
Kim.
The man whom the entire continent was desperately searching for had already arrived at the largest empire on the Nerathion Continent.
And the surprising thing was that not a single person had noticed.
No one could imagine that the person being hunted across the entire continent was openly walking around within the most powerful empire.
At that same time—
Preparations for a grand ceremony were underway within the most powerful empire of the continent, the Nine Heavenly Empire.
The Imperial Ranking Ceremony.
It was one of the most prestigious events on the entire continent.
Every year, countless talented cultivators traveled from distant places to participate.
Young geniuses, powerful disciples, sect prodigies, and heirs of great clans—
All of them eagerly awaited this opportunity.
Because obtaining a high rank in this competition was not merely a matter of honor.
It was an opportunity capable of changing one's future.
If a cultivator managed to enter even the Top One Hundred Rankings, they would receive enormous amounts of resources, rare treasures, cultivation techniques, and various special opportunities.
The Empire itself supported and nurtured those talents.
And if someone reached the highest rankings, their name would become famous throughout the entire continent.
Most importantly, the ceremony was personally organized by the Nine Heavenly Empire.
As the most powerful force on the continent, no faction dared to create trouble in its presence.
This was the reason why the competition was regarded as the safest and fairest stage on the entire continent.
At this moment—
Kim had also arrived within the empire.
However, his purpose was not merely to participate in the competition.
He had another reason.
The System had already informed him that his Second Reward would be obtained during this competition.
That was why Kim had decided to participate in the Imperial Ranking Ceremony.
As for the Third Reward—
The System had only told him that he would need to wait.
Therefore, for now, Kim's entire focus was concentrated on the upcoming competition.
He did not know what kind of massive changes this competition would bring into his life.
But one thing was certain—
His journey within the Nine Heavenly Empire had only just begun.
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Chapter 29 End.
But...
Chapter 30 Coming Soon...