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Volume One: "The Nature of the Devil Does Not Change"
Scarlet King sat on the bed of his prison cell, utterly bored, quietly staring at the concrete ceiling. Even the guards stationed to prevent escapes had grown uneasy because of his stillness. The prison echoed with the noise of other inmates—shouting, arguing, cursing—yet Scarlet King alone remained completely silent.
The prison door suddenly shattered from a single kick.
The Second Elder, Liu Zai Hang, strode inside. He had long black hair tied into a ponytail, gleaming golden eyes, and wore a flowing red robe. His energetic presence alone was enough to silence every prisoner instantly.
"Well, well, well…" he said with a grin. "Looks like my troublesome disciple ended up in prison on his very first day in the sect."
Scarlet King glanced at him briefly and thought to himself:
(Isn't this the master Da Fu mentioned? He looks more like a reckless youth than an elder.)
Scarlet King rose from the bed and walked toward the cell bars—but before he could reach them, every iron bar was cleanly severed and crashed to the ground. Scarlet King didn't even blink as Liu Zai Hang stopped in front of him, towering at nearly one hundred ninety-two centimeters.
Scarlet King spoke coldly:
"You could've just opened the cell door instead of cutting all the bars, Master."
Liu Zai Hang smiled inwardly.
(This child is violent and bloodthirsty… he killed Rank One Hundred without hesitation on his first day. A devil. But raising a monster and watching it devour people alive sounds entertaining.)
Liu Zai Hang's eyes locked onto Scarlet King's. He placed a hand on Scarlet King's shoulder and released a powerful aura as he spoke enthusiastically:
"Little disciple, let's properly get acquainted. As your master, I should at least know your name."
Inside, he thought:
(Let's see if he can withstand my aura… will he be a true predator, or just a grazing beast?)
Scarlet King met his gaze with icy indifference.
A crushing aura erupted outward—so dense it shattered the ground beneath Liu Zai Hang's feet. Guards trembled, prisoners dropped to their knees, and the air itself seemed to warp.
Liu Zai Hang immediately withdrew his aura and said:
"For a child, reaching the Qi Refining Realm, Third Level, is impressive. Tell me—does this strength come from talent… or external assistance?"
Scarlet King replied calmly:
"If I had true talent, I'd be more dangerous than monsters themselves. My body shattered from too many forced breakthroughs, and my realm collapsed due to a lack of stabilization. You could say my cultivation comes from external help."
Liu Zai Hang nodded in understanding.
"External forces, huh… doesn't matter. As long as you don't slack off in training."
Scarlet King asked:
"Then how do we train while I'm in prison?"
Liu Zai Hang replied:
"You're the Second Elder's disciple, so you're exempt from punishment this time. But—"
He released the aura of the Path Initiation Realm, cracking the wall behind him.
"If I hear that you've killed someone again, I'll let the Discipline Council deal with you… violently."
Before Liu Zai Hang could move, Scarlet King stepped forward first.
"Come on, Master. It's time to train. There's no time for meaningless talk."
Scarlet King walked past him and stepped into the open air beneath the blazing sunlight—his expression unchanged, cold and unreadable.