Rise of The Demon General

"How absurd! I am my own master! I serve no one!" Yang Li uttered. Her face contorted hostilely. She was ready for a confrontation.

"Hehe, you are indeed fierce," Amon chuckled. "However, you are alone. You have no clan, no backer. You are indeed impressive to be able to get here by relying on your own. But one person has its limit. I'm sure you understand that as well. That's why you join this tournament, don't you? You wish to join the White Cloud sect, am I right?"

"So, what if I am?" Yang Li said, her face showing defiance.

"You think that entering the sect is better than entering a clan because a clan prioritized heavily on their direct descendants. Outsiders will only get minimum attention. If you are lucky, maybe you will get married to one of these descendants and your offspring will get the full benefit of being in the clan. But not you, you will always be an outsider. However, the White Cloud sect is different because it is not formed based on blood relations. Anyone who joins has the same chance to get better treatment, as long as one is capable enough. That's why you want to join the sect. You want to use your own strength to climb the ladder of power within the sect, am I right?"

"Hmph, so what if I do?" Yang Li said again.

"Well, then. Let me ask you a question then. Do you truly believe that bullshit?"

Yang Li's face contorted. She didn't say anything, but she glared at Amon sharply.

Amon chuckled. "In this dimension, I've met a boy and a girl from the sect. When I stumbled onto them, she was being raped by the boy. The girl is the daughter of someone with a high position in the sect, while the boy is a nobody who joins the sect thinking that he can make a name for himself just by relying on his ability. Apparently, the boy was raping the girl because she had been bullying him openly in the sect. She is weaker than the boy but she is still able to exert her dominance, simply because she is the direct descendant of a person in power within the sect. As you see, the tale that you heard is just that, a fairy tale. Wherever you are, whatever organization you join, relations matter. You won't get far just by relying on your own capability."

Yang Li was silent, but Amon could see from her eyes that she was having an internal debate. Amon let her think. He folded his arms and waited.

"Hmph, maybe it's true the sect is as you say, but so what? They are still better than a clan," Yang Li said. "As you say, I won't go far being by myself. I have tried it, training on my own. No matter how hard I train, I can't catch up to those clan and sect youths. I have to steal and do unscrupulous deeds just to get enough to buy the minimum resources for cultivating. The sect might not be as good as they say they are, but I'm willing to give it a try. Otherwise, what choice do I have?"

"That's what I'm offering you here, a choice. This is your chance to become my underling," Amon said.

Yang Li laughed at his words. "You? And who do you think you are?"

"The future ruler of this world," Amon said with a grin.

Yang Li was stunned by his words. She wanted to laugh again, to show him how absurd she thought his words are. However, her words were stuck in her throat. She had dealt with a lot of people. Good ones, bad ones, smart ones, stupid ones, or simply the naive ones. She could guess someone's intention just by looking at the person. And right now, all her experiences told her that the boy in front of her was serious. The boy truly believed the words he just said.

Even so, this just meant that the boy was one very confident boy. An overconfident boy, if she might add. Associating with him would bring nothing but trouble.

"Thank you for the offer. I'll pass," She said.

"All right. Even so, I would like to bestow you two gifts," Amon said. He was not perturbed by the girl's rejection.

"What gifts?" She asked.

"The carcass of this spirit beast," Amon pointed to the fallen two-headed beast.

"I fought that beast!" Yang Li uttered.

"And yet, I am the one who killed it," Amon returned. "As for the second gift, here."

Amon threw a book in her direction. She caught it. She read the title and was surprised to find that it was a book containing cultivation art.

"That is a high-tier practitioner-grade cultivation art," Amon informed. It was one of the many cultivation books he had gained from the pyramid legacy. "In case you don't understand what the grade means, that cultivation art can help you cultivate until the Mystic stage of the Martial Realm."

Yang Li's eyes bulged hearing that. She knew that most youths only have cultivation art for the Human realm. The cultivation art she had at the moment was a low-tier art she bought from the market after working very hard. Her current art only helped her cultivate until her current stage, the Strength stage. That's why she was desperate to join a sect.

Cultivation Art that could help one break through to the Martial realm was normally only reserved for the important members of clans or sects. Even if she joined the White Cloud sect, the best she could hope for was getting a cultivation art that helped her cultivate until the peak of the Transformation stage of the Human realm.

She had difficulty believing the book in her hand was a cultivation art that could be used until the Martial realm as Amon stated.

Amon saw the disbelief in her eyes. He chuckled and said, "It's up to you if you don't believe me. I have said already it was a gift. Do with it however you like. However, you should know that everything you get in this dimension will be confiscated by the sect. So, I suggest you learn the art fast. You have a good memory, you should be able to learn it within the few days we have left here. Afterward, you just need to practice based on your memory. That book could even let you earn enough points to impress the sect so they give you better treatment when you join them."

Yang Li looked at Amon, back at the book, then at Amon again. "What do you want in return?"

"Hehe, I said already. I would like you to be my underling," Amon replied. "But I understand if you are unwilling at the moment. Tell you what. Take that book as an incentive. In exchange, two years from now. Apply for the right to study at the Royal Academy."

"Royal Academy?"

"You should have heard something about that academy, haven't you? It is a place owned by the kingdom that nurtures talented cultivators. White Cloud Sect should be given some spots by the kingdom as well, but as I heard, they didn't value this spot much. They are not a group tied by blood, so their bond is less strong. If they send their most talented youths to the academy and the youths are impressed by the generosity of the kingdom. It will just mean they give their assets to the kingdom. A clan is different, even though the kingdom gives you much benefit, blood relation is still stronger. Clan youths will still act for their clan's benefit even after joining the kingdom. This means the competition to apply for the royal academy will be less fierce in the sect, because the sect will just choose mediocre disciples for the academy, simply to give face to the kingdom. You should be able to secure a spot if you insist on it."

"Why would I want to join the academy?"

"First, that place should be a better option if you wish to climb to power by relying on your own strength. Secondly, because I will join the academy as well."

"… Is that so?"

"I will give you the chance to be my underling again if we meet at the academy," Amon said. "And note this, being the first of my underlings means you have a higher chance to be my right-hand woman, which means you have the highest position available when I become the ruler of this world. Now, practice better. If we meet again at the academy and I find that your improvement is disappointing, the offer is off. So, don't disappoint me."

Amon then turned and left.

Yang Li watched him leave in bafflement. 'Is that boy for real?' She thought. However, she couldn't deny the confidence and power Amon projected. It was as if she could also believe that Amon would one day be the ruler of the world.

She shook her head. That was absurd, she thought to herself. She then looked at the book in her hand.

"Whatever, first thing first, I will take whatever valuable parts that spirit beast has, then I will study this cultivation art before the time limit ends," She said to herself.

Before she started dissecting the beast, she gave Amon one last glance. She wondered if she should try joining the academy two years from now.