Lord of the Demon Sect

Jiang Chen opened his eyes, only to feel a fiery pain all over his body. He struggled to get up and found himself in a lush forest. Little birds occasionally flitted by, chirping with their high-pitched calls, while in the distance loomed a towering mountain, shrouded in mist halfway up, exuding an air of mystery.

He took a deep breath, feeling the fresh air filling his lungs, and realized how comfortable and smooth it felt to breathe here-something he could never experience in the bustling metropolis he came from.

“Where am I? The last thing I remember is playing a cultivation game on my computer, and I had just chosen to join the Demonic Sect. How did I end up in this place?”

Grumbling, Jiang Chen took a few steps, when suddenly a melodious female voice echoed in his mind: “Host body scan complete. Conditions for activating the Holy Lord System met. The Holy Lord System is now officially activated!”

“What? Holy Lord System? Inside my body?” Jiang Chen was taken aback.

Before he could process what was happening, the enchanting voice continued sweetly, “Do you, Host, wish to become the Demonic Sect Holy Lord, unify the Demonic Sect, eradicate the righteous path, and establish your supremacy for all eternity?”

“Yes! Of course I do!” Jiang Chen’s heart soared upon hearing this. He had always favored the straightforward and bold nature of the Demonic Sect over the hypocritical righteous path. Choosing the Demonic Sect in the game felt only natural. Every man harbors dreams of being above others, of becoming the Holy Lord and dominating the world-who would refuse that?

At that moment, the gentle voice in his mind spoke again, “The Holy Lord System is now officially activated. You have received your first task-join a Demonic Sect within a year and become a disciple of that sect. The faster you complete this task, the greater the rewards. If you fail to join within a year, you will be eliminated by the Holy Lord System!”

“What? If I fail the task, I’ll be eliminated?” Jiang Chen was shocked! Though he wasn’t well-versed in the workings of this world, he knew that no sect would easily accept a newcomer; they would certainly have their trials and tests, including measuring spiritual roots and understanding. Besides, it seemed like all those sects liked to hide away in lofty mountains, and he had no idea if he could even reach one of them within a year.

“Is… is there any way to give up this task?” After considering briefly, Jiang Chen felt that while the allure of being the Demonic Sect Holy Lord was great, it paled in comparison to his own life.

“If you abandon the task, it will be seen as a betrayal of the Demonic Sect, and the Holy Lord System will eliminate you!” The voice replied coldly, devoid of any softness.

Jiang Chen was at a loss for words, feeling tears of frustration welling up. However, he was also a resolute and decisive person; since he had boarded this troublesome ship, he could only find a way to row it forward.

After thinking for a moment, he asked, “Can I see what the upcoming task prompts are?”

Knowing what tasks the Holy Lord System would assign next would help him plan his actions for the year ahead, allowing him to make the best choices.

At that moment, he saw six tasks displayed in his mind, arranged in two rows. The left row contained the main quests, with three tasks listed.

The first was the one he had just received: to join a Demonic Sect within a year and become a disciple.

The second task required him to become the Sect Leader of that sect within a hundred years after joining.

The third task was to unify the Demonic Sect and become the Holy Lord within five hundred years.

However, the last two tasks were still grayed out, not yet activated, but each had a timer counting down next to them. For instance, the first task displayed: “364 days, 23 hours, and 58 minutes remaining until the task deadline.”

The right row contained side quests, which had no deadlines and no risk of elimination for failure. These were related to his cultivation level.

The first task required him to reach the Qi¹ Refinement Stage, the second required him to reach the Foundation Establishment Stage, and the third required him to reach the Golden Core Stage.

Jiang Chen further realized that while the tasks did not specify the rewards for their completion, they did indicate: “The faster the tasks are completed, the better the rewards.”

Time was indeed pressing! Jiang Chen quickly dashed toward the edge of the forest.

He thought to himself that he urgently needed to find a place where cultivators gathered to inquire about the Demonic Sect. Since the ultimate task was to become the Demonic Sect Holy Lord, it would be best to join a powerful Demonic Sect. This would facilitate the completion of his third task. Otherwise, if he joined a weak sect, even if the Sect Leader handed him the position on the first day, he would likely achieve little, and could end up being eliminated by stronger sects in no time.

Just as Jiang Chen had run a few miles, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps approaching.

Peering into the distance, he saw five or six hunters in deep brown leather armor, carrying short bows and quivers, scrambling out of the woods in a panic.

Jiang Chen was momentarily stunned. Why were these hunters fleeing in such a frenzy? Was a ferocious beast chasing them?

At that moment, a kindly old hunter hurried past Jiang Chen and, seeing him standing dumbfounded, quickly shouted, “Young man, you’d better run! The devil is coming!”

“The devil? What devil?” Jiang Chen was puzzled.

Footnote:

1. Qi(气):Qi is a term in Chinese martial arts and fantasy literature that describes a powerful internal energy capable of breaking through opponents’ defenses.