Duality of Shadows

After things calmed down, all clans quickly separated and began to search carefully for treasures. Each present clan already had records of thousands of years about many peculiarities of this prison. In theory, the beasts would be carrying the best treasures, but no one was bold enough to take that risk.

The treasures most safely found were near the volcanoes or buried in remote areas. Obviously, the danger was still immense, but by choosing to venture into the outskirts of the place and avoiding the central area, they would hardly encounter beasts; the real danger was always something else.

In these lateral regions, the treasures found were only slightly better than trash since the level of power they could provide to the diagram was limited. Thus, all clans needed to compensate for the lack of power in the items with quantity. The race and competition were bloody and intense among them.

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However, far from the eyes of the five larger clans present, the two lower-level demon clans did not venture into the sides. Instead, they took cautious steps toward the central area.

The words of the whale, spoken in the past before they left the clan, echoed relentlessly in everyone’s mind.

"Many will die, and most will not return alive. However, if you don’t take risks and wait for salvation to fall from the sky to change you, you will remain mediocre forever. Fight and create change with your own hands; the first transformation happens internally. I just gave you the tools; build something for yourselves."

At the present moment, the two clans were in a five-point formation, dividing all their thousands of members into groups. In the center of this formation were the two leaders, who could communicate with all members through the demon diagram, issuing joint orders.

Fire beasts emerged in various locations, unleashing bloody battles. The half-wyverns had gained practice in fighting as a group under mortal pressure, moving on instinct and partially overcoming the challenge of their limited intelligence. Their natural power was formidable, and even in case of mistakes, Runula was vigilant to correct them.

Runula trembled but remained completely focused; all the words and teachings of the whale repeated incessantly in her mind. Alm and Bruno took their time, transferring this directly to her soul. Although not intelligent, Runula’s determination and effort motivated the two to move to teach her. She was determined to make the most of the opportunity she had received, no matter the cost.

As for the half-demons, under the commands of Calirer, who watched attentively, they defended and attacked in rotation. The clan’s new technique was extreme in all aspects. One group advanced against the enemy, using the Manifestation of Instinct to increase their physical power and defend themselves. In the first opening, another group attacked using the Manifestation of Will to defeat the enemy.

After the victory, the two groups exhausted all their QI, even if the fight lasted only a few exchanges. Then, they were replaced by two other groups. Quickly, those who had fought earlier used the Manifestation of Greed to rapidly absorb the Yin from the pills that Almin had prepared in advance for everyone.

With this, the two clans fought uninterruptedly, collecting large quantities of treasures from this realm of flames. When high-level beasts appeared, the demon diagrams of the two leaders came into action, supporting and elevating the level of these treasures even more.

However, even with all the effort, dozens of demons had already lost their lives in just a few hours, being forever buried in the flames of this prison. Despite the losses, no one retreated or feared. Every few seconds, everyone heard explosive sounds coming from the center of the world. That was where the group commanded by the divine being was fighting fiercely, and these sounds echoed like war chants, renewing everyone’s wills.

In the centralmost fight, the trio now faced another golem. They adopted a cautious approach and repeated the tactic learned from the whale. Langrum attacked fiercely until exhaustion, then recovered in minutes with the help of pills and the vast Yang in her body, returning to battle with renewed vigor. Her technique and core control were rapidly refining.

Loeus, on the other hand, had already advanced to a new level and was about to rise again, his cultivation exploding rapidly. Almin, the busiest, defended and then accompanied Langrum at high speed to collect their golden sphere. He gained the most; his endurance, willpower, QI control, and fire laws were growing to another level.

Far from all who were fighting, at the foot of the gigantic volcano visible throughout the realm of flames, the whale finally arrived with quick steps. Anyone who could reach there would be surprised. Unlike almost the entire realm of flames, around that volcano, there was no sea of lava, only solid ground extending to the volcano.

Ruri jumped excitedly, stepping on solid ground, then turned to the whale with shining eyes and quickly held its hand, speaking.

"I’m ready to train."

"Don’t be so competitive. You must climb the mountain slowly. Your cultivation doesn’t rise, but your level of understanding is much higher than many cultivators. When the time comes, you will cross realms quickly." The whale snorted, gently stroking her hair.

They walked toward the volcano, attentive to their surroundings, but quickly, Alm and Bruno felt that there was no form of life there, only them. Then, sensing Ruri’s downcast expression, they spoke softly.

"Your mental cultivation isn’t progressing at all during this time. Mental power is entirely connected to your psychological state. You are unstable, and that’s why you’re not evolving. What’s bothering you?"

Ruri lowered her head slightly and clung to their arms without saying a word. They took calm steps toward the volcano, and only after a few minutes, she murmured.

"I... am afraid... sometimes I dream of waking up in my old room, surrounded by books, and realizing that I am a slave of the clan again. But... I am even more afraid of never being able to be like that again." She spoke, holding on even tighter to the whale’s arm.

Alm and Bruno were already expecting this and mentally sighed. After all, she was a child who had been repressed her whole life and was now living freely, receiving everything she never had. Alm then spoke calmly.

"Your life only begins when you lose your fear and insecurity. Suffering and pain exist in the world and are inevitable. If you’re not suffering now, you will suffer at some point. But how you deal with things and face them is what defines your future, not the tough moment."

Ruri’s eyes trembled gently, and Bruno took over, continuing. "You also don’t need to pressure yourself to cultivate quickly. Even if it’s slower, keeping your heart and mind in the right place is still worth more than anything. I will always teach you..."

Ruri interrupted firmly. "No. I don’t want you to see me just as someone to be taught. I will surpass everyone else, so never think of leaving my side. And besides..." She stopped, her face blushing slightly.

Bruno sighed and replied, "Alright, strive for it. But remember what I said before, your happiness depends on you, not on me. If you stand out among everyone, you will be someone special to keep close."

"Yes, I will grow, and no woman will compare to me. Promise you won’t go back on your words?" Ruri spoke quickly.

’What?’ Bruno thought confused. ’Wasn’t she talking about cultivation and power?’

’Idiot. Don’t feed into problematic things,’ grumbled Alm, taking over the conversation.

"The heavens are vast, and there will always be someone taller; don’t be presumptuous. For me, there’s no best, but the one who is closest..." Alm quickly stopped, with old memories permeating his mind. "But she..."

"There’s only me in that position! So, I’ll never leave your side and will grow strong enough not to let anyone get close. Just wait until I grow up." Ruri said confidently.

She knew her master, and she knew that all those he forcibly approached in the past, he barely knew their names. So, currently, she was the only one. Then Ruri clenched her fists in confidence. She was in the lead, way ahead; all she had to do was keep moving forward. And in that second, a fog in her mind seemed to evaporate along with her lack of confidence.

’Shit...’ thought Alm, frightened.

’You just made things a lot worse!’ exclaimed Bruno, astonished.