Rise of The Demon General

Amon opened his eyes and glanced at the quarreling pair. He wondered why Wu Di defended him. But he closed his eyes again soon. He didn’t care for Wu Di’s reason.

He also saw other students’ eyes on him when he took a look. Several of them had a pitying look. He was amused. He couldn’t remember anymore when was the last time that someone else pitied him.

Contrary to what those students thought, Amon himself didn’t think the fact that he had no affinity to be a big deal. It’s not like this was the first time he was dealt a bad hand. This was not enough to discourage him. Many people could become successful even if they were given a bad start. Like being born into a poor family, having no talent, or having a disability. What’s important was to never give up and continued to make an effort.

He had been born an orphan in his past life, in a war-torn country. But he could still climb up the world and become the most feared military leader in existence. He had been born in a declined and poor Hei clan in this new world, but he could still fight his way and was accepted into this royal academy for elite youths.

He was never one to depend on privilege. If he got an advantage, he won’t hesitate to use it. If he didn’t, he would create his own advantage. Having no affinity meant he wasn’t tied by any one element. He would just learn all of them. Maybe it would cost him more time for learning them without affinity, then all he needed to do was choose the correct arts to learn. So that he won’t waste time on art that he didn’t need.

Yan Long and Wu Di had cooled down after Li Niang’s rebuke. The reading process continued. There were only a few students left. No big surprise again after Amon. After another half an hour, the last student completed the reading.

Once everyone’s affinity was recorded, Li Niang spoke again, ”Now, everyone, please go to the Theory class building. There will be a theory class this afternoon. On the way, you can check on the message board for the next theory class and also the map of this academy. If you have any more questions, you can go to the information center. I wish everyone a good study. Do your best, all of you!”

She and Lao Zen flew away afterward. The students started to walk toward the theory class building. Amon rose and went over as well. Xin Wuming walked by his side, still unsure of what to say.

Some of the students ran towards the building because they were afraid that if they were late, they have to queue up behind the ones who arrived first before they could see either the message board or the map. But after coming up near the building, they realized they didn’t have to. The message board practically filled up one side of the wall next to the entrance. On the other side, an equally large display of a map was shown.

Amon was walking normally and was standing behind the crowd, but he could still see both the message board and map clearly.

On the message board, several notes were written. In about half an hour from now, there would be a class about cultivation levels and art classifications. The next class would be three days later, touching on the subject of various spirit beasts. Two days after that was a class about history.

In total, there were three theory classes this week, with one to two days between them. Amon assumed those empty days were for the students to attend the other classes.

Amon then studied the map of the academy. There were clear notes on the map indicating the buildings. Since Li Niang had explained each function of the buildings, it was easier to understand the map. The ones that the principal didn’t mention were the administration building and Tutor Hall. Amon assumed those were off-limit to students.

Two compounds looked exactly like the plaza they were at. The plazas on those two compounds were also surrounded by identical buildings to the ones here. Amon deduced those were the main study places for the upper-grade students, the junior and senior classes. The general buildings, which consisted of the library, shops, mess hall, and the like which were accessible to all students, were in between the three main study compounds. There were also gardens and ponds separating those buildings.

Amon committed the map to his memory. He went into the theory class building afterward.

Several students had entered as well. Not only because they were afraid that they would be late for the class, but also because they were curious about the inside.

A large hallway greeted them after they entered. A staff who was there instructed them to just follow the hallway. As they walked through the hallway, they saw a few doors on both sides. A few students with high curiosity tried to open the doors but they were locked.

Coming out of the hallway they came upon a very large amphitheater. The ceiling was half-opened, exposing the sky above. At the far end was a stage that should be the place where the tutor delivered the lecture.

Everyone wandered around the large hall, trying to check everything out. Amon just walked to the frontmost seat closest to the stage. He sat there and resumed his cultivation. Xin Wuming, who had been following him, sat beside him and did the same.

Half an hour later, most students had settled down. They sat on the circular seats around the stage and waited for the class to begin.

When some time had passed and they were wondering if perhaps the schedule on the notice board had been mistakenly written, a man in an ornate robe floated down from the open ceiling. He landed on the stage and said, ”I see everyone was here. Good, it will not do if you are late for your first class.”

Everyone wanted to throw something onto the stage. Wasn’t it you who are late?

”All right, everyone. First, I will introduce myself. My name is Tao Su. Today I will talk about our cultivations. I bet most of you think that you know a lot about this subject already, but you will see that there is still much to be learned. Now, most of you have better take notes if you want to score a good number of academic points because this subject will surely come up in the term test.”

Tao Su then proceeded to explain the cultivation levels. The stages of each realm until the divine realm. Although Amon had already known about this from the pyramid legacy’s books, he still paid attention. However, he did it while shutting his eyes and cultivating. He just needed his ears to listen to the lecture, after all.

Aside from the levels, Tao Su also elaborated on each stage’s characteristics and abilities. Like how a strength stage cultivator was able to jump the height of five meters. A transformation stage cultivator was ten meters. When one entered the mystic stage of the martial realm, one would be able to jump thirty meters up. Not only that, such cultivators could glide in the air and slow their descent significantly. When one reached the spirit stage, one would be able to fly.

Tao Su explained that while every attempt to break through a realm was progressively difficult, the divine realm was special. As one would receive a tribulation when one attempted to break through to the divine realm. If one failed, there was a chance that one could even die from the tribulation.

Of course, Tao Su said that all this was what they had learned from texts left behind in the past. Most of the cultivators who reached the Demigod realm tended to move on to the upper world, so no one in this world had witnessed such a tribulation. Amon assumed this upper world Tao Su mentioned was the same world that the cultivator who left the pyramid legacy had gone to.

Tao Su then proceeded to explain the classifications of arts.

’No mention about the cultivation of the infernal branch?’ Amon thought. Was it that most cultivators in this world unaware of this branch? Or they simply chose not to acknowledge it?

Amon had been hoping to get some information about this infernal branch inside this academy. Since Wei Sui had confirmed the energy from his black core was the demon energy, he speculated only the infernal branch cultivation method could nurture this black core. Still, he couldn’t just ask anybody about this. It could cause people to become suspicious of him.

”You there, the one who is cultivating in my class,” Tao Su called.

Amon opened his eyes. He wasn’t sure if he was the one getting called but since he was cultivating, there was a high chance that he was. And it was indeed so, Tao Su was looking at him.

”Is it not allowed?” Amon asked.

”It is fine as long as you are listening. Otherwise, you might as well go out and use the pagoda to cultivate,” Tao Su replied.

”I am listening,” Amon said.

”Really? Then can you tell me how far away a spirit stage cultivator can sense someone’s aura?” Tao Su asked.

”Five blocks away,” Amon answered.

Tao Su raised his eyebrows. The boy had answered without any pause. He then gave another question, ”What about the average life span of a Lord stage cultivator?”

”Eight hundred years,” Amon again answered promptly.

”How many years are normally needed for someone of the mystic stage cultivator to cultivate to the spirit stage without using any external help like cultivation pills, aetherium stone, and the such?”

”You didn’t mention that,” Amon answered.

Tao Su smiled. The last question was a trick question. Amon was indeed listening. ”All right, you can proceed,” Tao Su said.