Rise of The Demon General

For the Cultivation level, he learned that there were four main levels. Each of these main levels had three sub-levels. Each of these sub-levels was further divided into beginning, intermediate, and peak. The four main levels were: Human realm, Martial realm, Demigod realm, and Divine realm.

The Human realm had three sub-levels: Mortal stage, strength stage, and transformation stage. Amon was currently at the intermediate Strength stage of the Human realm.

The Martial realm was divided into Mystic stage, Spirit stage, and Lord stage. The strongest practitioner Amon had met till now was the master of the Lin clan, who was at the peak Spirit stage of the Martial realm.

After the Martial realm was the Demigod realm. Once one reached this level, one could be said to have put one foot into the realm of God. This realm was divided into King stage, Emperor stage, and Ancestor stage.

The highest realm which was also something everyone in this cultivation world was aspiring for, was the Divine realm. One who reached this level of cultivation could be considered an immortal and a God amongst men. This realm also had sub-levels: Sovereign God, Heavenly God, and True God.

The book informed that once one entered the Divine realm, one could enter the higher world, which was the home to Gods. This higher world was probably the one this dimension's creator had migrated to.

After learning about these levels, Amon had a clear goal in mind. He was determined to reach the True God level. He didn't care how many obstacles or men got in his way, all would be obliterated.

However, the book also described that those four cultivation levels were from the divine branch of cultivation. He was surprised that the book mentioned another branch of cultivation, the infernal branch. Amon never heard nor read any mention about this infernal cultivation before reading the book here.

Unlike the divine branch that was divided into four realms, the Infernal cultivation had only three realms. However, each of these realms was divided into four sub-levels instead of three. The three realms were: Acolyte realm, Monster realm, and Devil realm.

The Acolyte realm had four sub-levels: Damned stage, Wicked stage, Malevolent stage, and Diabolic stage. The Monster realm had: Malicious stage, Fiendish stage, Supreme stage, and Mammoth stage. While the highest realm, the Devil realm was divided into Overlord, Unholy Monarch, Infernal Devil, and True Devil.

Amon wondered what this meant? Were there two types of cultivation in this world? But after all these years, why he had only seen or heard about the divine cultivation? Was it that the infernal cultivation had been lost to time?

After learning about this infernal cultivation, Amon went to the bookshelves containing the Arts section. The information mentioned that these two cultivations had distinct differences. One had pure energy, while the other was corrupted and chaotic.

The elements manipulated from these two branches also differed. Practitioners who cultivated divine cultivation could manipulate the elements of Wood, fire, earth, metal, water, and light. Providing that they possessed the corresponding arcane arts.

Practitioners of infernal cultivation, on the other hand, had the elements of Lightning, wind, ice, gravity, and darkness. Same as its cultivation, Amon had never heard about Arts or any cultivators that used these five elements.

After searching through the collection of arts on the bookshelf, Amon didn't find any cultivation art book that cultivate infernal energy. Nor did he find any arcane art books that utilized the five infernal elements.

'So, it's just a story?' Amon thought. Or perhaps because the creator of this dimension cultivated divine cultivation, so his library only possessed the cultivation art and the elements of the divine branch? The book did mention that the practitioners from the divine cultivation won't be able to learn the arcane arts of the infernal elements and vice versa.

In any way, Amon was just curious about this infernal cultivation. He didn't intend to learn it. The book mentioned that one could only cultivate one type of energy. If one cultivated infernal cultivation, one would have to let go of the original divine cultivation in one's body. Amon had worked hard to reach his current cultivation level. He had no intention to let it go.

He also went through Pai Ning's space ring and the ring of the man who raped her. Nothing much from them. Just some mundane items, her clothes, recovery pills, a strange-looking compass, and a few spirit herbs that they must have gathered from their brief journey through this dimension. However, he found one interesting thing in Pai Ning's belongings, a martial art book. The book contained the technique of Poison Claw art.

It must have been the art she used when she tried to poison him. Amon wondered why Pai Ning brought this book. Others who had the proper backing of a clan normally left their precious belongings when they ventured out of the clan, only bringing the essentials to avoid being robbed. The reason he could think of was that Pai Ning had not yet completely learned this art. Since she would be here for three months, she must have brought this book so that she could continue practicing it in this dimension.

Amon took this book and the spirit herbs and threw the rests out, including their space rings. He didn't want to take the chance if the rings were marked. He planned to learn the poison claw if he had the time. Combined with the deadly poison he created from the 101 Primal Poison Tome, this could be his next trump card in addition to the poison knives.

*

After half a month, Amon could finally start moving again. Albeit in a very limited capacity. His broken bones had come together, but it still hurt every time he moved. So he continued to stay inside the cavern as he used the Nine Moon Restorative Mantra to speed up his healing, in addition to consuming his recovery pills daily. Luckily, he had many recovery pills to spare.

He also consumed the spirit herbs and the spirit fruits from the tree regularly. The dense aether they provided gave his body the energy it needed to heal itself.

After the constant usage of the Nine Moon Restorative Mantra, he became more proficient. His proficiency in the art increased to the Skilled level. His healing was further enhanced at this level. With this breakthrough, his healing speed increased.

After a month had passed, Amon could move normally already. His burned hands still had some scars, but that was of no importance to him. He couldn't continue to stay here. He probably had less than one month now. He needed to do a lot of things.

He started to move the earth in this garden into his black space ring. The earth in this garden was especially fertile. He spent days transferring a large amount of the earth. Afterward, he started to use his space ring to absorb the water from the stream inside this cavern. Like the earth, the water here also contained a large amount of aether, allowing it to provide much nutrition to the spirit herbs.

After being done preparing the small garden inside his black space ring, Amon moved the spirit herbs and the tree inside. They now sat inside his ring's space.

It's time to leave, Amon thought. After learning his black space ring's ability to hold living things, he could now better utilize it.

The space inside had the size of a town. The garden inside was just a tiny spot. He planned to put in much more. With the various plants that existed in this dimension, he would have no problem getting ingredients for his poison and his pills anymore. He could just grow them inside his black space ring.

For that, he needed to go out there and collect as many different types of plants as possible. He also wanted to bring in more of the trees where he had plucked the spirit herbs before.

"Are you leaving?" The spirit asked.

"I am. Are you tied to this place? Or can you follow me?" Amon asked. He felt no attachment to the spirit, he just thought that if the spirit could follow, he could ask things in case he needed information.

"I can't follow, I'm bound to this place. But since you have taken everything, once you leave, I will disperse," the spirit answered.

Amon nodded. "Do I exit from where I came in? Or is there another way to go out?"

"From the way you come in, the door will automatically open once you approach."

"All right," Amon said and turned. He walked out the exit. He tried jumping over the maze's stone wall. He was successful in doing it now. The maze didn't hinder him. He ran to where the stone staircases were and started climbing them.

The spirit watched him running up the stairs. There was a sense of sadness in his eyes. His body started to slowly fade as Amon climbed higher.

Amon returned to the dark corridor as he continued to ascend. He took out his Bright Flare Stone to illuminate the way.

When he came near to the closed ceiling where the stairs ended, the ceiling started to slowly open by itself, just like what the spirit had said.

He hid by the side of the stairs as the secret door opened, ready with his Swan dagger and poison knife. He didn't want to be caught off guard in case one of the finalists stumbled upon this place while the secret door was opening.

After it was completely opened, Amon stayed hidden as he listened intently.

He heard nothing, so he came back up. He looked around. No one, just the decomposing corpse of Pai Ning. Her body was starting to liquefy. Amon left the pyramid without sparing her another look.

He looked around the landscape once he was outside.

'Okay, time to work,' he thought.