Admission into Timen Gate Sect

How could the sun emit such strong heat?

Surrdon's insides felt like they'd melt any second to leave behind nothing but a disgusting goo of flesh.

Maybe that was one of the reasons Agrerea had so many practitioners. Strengthening the body, mind, and mana gave one a chance to endure the harsh natural phenomenon of this world.

        As they waited for Elder Li to arrive, Surrdon took the opportunity to study the world from such a high point. All there was down the valley was a thick bamboo forest. The only sight of life was a village a distance away. It would have been impossible to spot it had it not been for the strings of dark smoke rising to the cloudy sky.

It was evening, daylight would soon be replaced by the frightening nightfall. The night creatures would come to life and humanity would go to a slumber. It was a perfect cycle for nonpractioners.

       "My-Master?" Azron called, stopping Surrdon's mind from drifting off any further.

   He tore his focus from the valley and fixed it on his servant. "What is it?"

   She went closer, but not too close for bodily distance was observed keenly in this world. "Are you sure you want to join this sect? They don't feel too welcoming," she whispered.

   Surrdon had to agree with her on that.

But he couldn't pull his 'I-am-the-demon-Lord' card unless it was a matter of life and death. There was no hospitality for the sect knew the person joining was a weak human who had just started his cultivation journey.

    If he had an influential level, they would have lined up to welcome him.

Surrdon's jaw clenched. One day, his name would go down in history. He'd make them cower.

   Even from the game, this world wasn't welcoming of the Demon Lord. All they wanted to do was kill him.

  A sudden light laughter echoed from the clouds. Surrdon and Azron both looked up to catch the old man in white robes riding on nothing but a cloud.

He appeared graceful, mighty, and respectable.

   The two disciples guarding the gates bowed to welcome the elder. "Elder Li," they chorused.

The old man stepped off the cloud and onto the ground to face the guests. His long white beard danced on his chest to a small breeze passing by, and so did his white hair.

   "Welcome to Timen Gate Sect. Let me take you to the stone immediately. You have had a long journey."

  Finally, someone with some integrity, Surrdon thought to himself.

"Of course."

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A large shiny green crystal stood at the center of what looked like an assembly ground. It towered above any human being to about ten feet tall.

Its sharp end pointed at the sky accusingly, as if it would one day split the world open like a mighty sword.

    "Place your hand on the Stone of Life," the elder instructed and Surrdon moved closer to the shiny giant of a crystal.

As he closed the distance, something inside his lower abdomen started moving.

There was no denying that uncomfortable feeling coming from his insides, but he ignored it and placed his hand on the stone.

   For ten seconds, there was no response.

Elder Li sighed to himself. He wondered why the chief had wasted a gold card on such a weak person. He had no trace of internal force. Not even a faint glow.

   The old man took a step forward, intending to comfort the young man of his failed test when a sudden bright light exploded from the crystal, illuminating everything around it in a terrifying aura.

   Surrdon gasped as the brightness weakened his vision. How could his average internal force make such a fuss?

Could it be that Anya was wrong about him? If so, then his system was faulty and unreliable.

       The slightest thought about her made his stats panel appear right in front of him.

Title; Demon Lord Surrdon

Level; 1

Mana; 300

Magic; 150

Pet; none

Weapons; devil Excalibur

"You've successfully drained all the two hundred years of accumulated mana from the Stone of Life," Anya's voice announced in an indifferent tone.

   "Oh no!" Surrdon regretted.

But it was already too late. The feeling of mana circulating through his body was like a warm fire in the middle of a harsh winter. The warm feeling was immediately drained into his abdomen, in whatever had moved when he had gotten closer to the stone before.

   The bright light faded till only a tiny fraction of the stone was glowing.

    "Two?!" Elder Li noted with a tinge of disappointment in his tone.

He has just made the whole stone glow but is only at level two?

   The old man scorned.

"Not bad," he praised stopping beside Surrdon. "You have some potential kid. Maybe in fifty years, you will have the power to make it glow up to the tenth level."

Surrdon snorted in his mind. The old man wasn't praising at all, he was looking down on him. Fifty years?

That was enough for an average practitioner to reach at least level nine overall.

   Azron rushed by Surrdon's side and smiled. "That was impressive Master. You have passed the test."

He nodded at her, moved by her unusual cheer. In his previous life, nobody celebrated his achievements. Not even his family. To them, he was a teenager with social problems that didn't need any more attention than necessary.

  They never saw the silent battles he fought with his weight. With the society.

  "What now?" He asked Elder Li who was busy caressing his beard, lost in thoughts.

"Uh, oh! You'll be admitted later as an outer disciple."

   "An outer disciple?" Azron echoed shocked. To her, her master was the most powerful demon to ever exist. How could they lower a Lord to the mere position of an outer disciple? She was expecting the least position to be a core disciple.

She turned to Surrdon and looked up at him cluelessly. "Master, he-"

    "I accept."

Azron sulked.

"What about my servant?" He enquired, genuinely concerned about her.

  Elder Li ran his sharp eyes over the girl. Her dressing was odd, but she emitted a powerful aura unlike her 'master'. She probably had more potential to break through the shackles of mortality than him.

   "You can take the test as well. But you won't be admitted. There was only one disciple slot."

Azron nodded. She'd do anything to stay close and serve her master.

  She went closer to the stone and placed her hand on its cold surface. The glow emitted was not as bright as Surrdon's, but her internal force level was a firm six.

Elder Li shook his head, why hadn't it been her enrolling in the sect?

   Surrdon smiled. He was genuinely happy that Azron would be accepted. Happy that she was strong enough to defend herself in such a world.

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     A single room, shared by at least six other disciples. It smelled of sweat, with a trace of dampness clinging in the air.

The sweat was coming from a disciple on the floor busy doing a set of push-ups using only a single finger. His breathing was controlled despite the physical exercises he was undertaking.

   "Huan, we have a new roommate," announced the disciple leading Surrdon inside the room.

Huan paused for a moment.

"Do not disturb me unless he's stronger than me."

   "Eeer..."

"Show me my bed," Surrdon spoke, dismissing Huan.

He just wanted to familiarize himself with the place to start his practice. Nothing else was allowed to steer him off that path.

   "This way," his guide directed. Han, a level two practitioner, level four internal force, two hundred level mana, and level two hundred magic. He was among the best of the average outer disciples and one of the humblest in the whole sect.

  He led Surrdon to a crooked old bed by the windows while carrying the beddings. There was a pitiful veil on his face as put the bedding on the wooden frame.

"This, this is the only empty be-"

"I'll take it," Surrdon spoke out. He was not happy that the sect was offering him such a thing to lie on, but he was in no position to complain. It'd be very difficult to adjust to such a life, but there wasn't any other way.

Huan took a sharp inhale as he lifted himself off the floor using his mana, curious about the new disciple. Why wasn't he complaining like any newcomer would?

Their eyes met, and Surrdon felt an air of familiarity. He could sense the demonic scent from Huan, leaving doubts about Huan's real identity.

"What are you staring at? I know my body is appealing but I am not into men," Huan bragged running a hand over his moist abs, satisfied with himself.