Chapter 44: Dancing with the Demon

Neo indeed woke up only because of the arrival of the official army. Gries awakened him, shouting, “Mine owner! Mine owner! The army! The elite forces of the Alliance!”
“So they’re elite, so what? What’s there to be so alarmed about?” Neo glanced at Gries with slight displeasure before his attention was drawn to the airships and light orbs in the sky.
It wasn’t the second-rate troops from the Valley of Refuge, nor the strongest forces of Hylfanis—the Inverse Cross Knights—but the Dandelion Parachute Regiment directly under the Alliance. Their airships were far less flashy than Victor’s Hurricane; they appeared simple, somewhat old-fashioned, and of limited size. Yet there were quite a few of them, accompanied by five aerial knights, giving them a somewhat imposing appearance. What truly caught everyone’s eye was how the members of the parachute regiment descended—some unknown technique allowed them to form fibers that pointed at the light orbs, creating large clusters that resembled dandelions floating in the sky, colorful and strikingly beautiful.
After descending from the sky, these elites quickly formed tactical teams and then, with great vigilance, established a protective circle centered around Neo’s ruined camp.
Watching this, Neo curled his lips in disdain. The performance of the Dandelion Parachute soldiers made him look down on these so-called elites. “They’re just a bunch of rookies untested by battle. What good does it do to have high levels and good equipment? No wonder it’s said that in Mestock’s eyes, aside from a few established units and the main border forces, the rest of the Alliance are just props to deliver equipment, looking intimidating but worthless.”
The soldiers’ heightened vigilance wasn’t for show or to protect Alliance citizens—it was because a high-ranking figure was coming.
“The Sacred One?” When Neo saw this figure from afar, he felt a surge of awe. The ordinary and the extraordinary were seamlessly blended in this person, making them seem to exist between distance and closeness, reality and illusion—as if standing behind the world, ready to vanish at any moment. Yet at the same time, their presence was exceptionally clear and tangible. This strange sensation was even more pronounced than his first encounter with the Swordman Quintus. While part of this was due to Neo’s improved strength, it also indicated that this Sacred One was still relatively new, unable to disguise themselves like the seasoned Quintus.
A sense of frustration arose in Neo’s heart. If he had known such a powerful figure was coming, he would have run away first. After all, with the Sacred One’s abilities, there was a high chance they could see through his true strength, and the gap between their powers was simply too vast.
Indeed, the mature Sacred One, whose presence resembled a honey-sweet peach, immediately fixed her gaze on Neo, then exclaimed, “Huh?”
A strange glow appeared in her bright eyes. Under that gaze, Neo felt as if he were being seen through and through. Then the Sacred One exclaimed, “Huh?” again.

“Your Majesty, how may I serve you?” Following beside the Sacred Realm was an elderly spellcaster in his seventies, clad head to toe in magical gear that shone brightly and vividly like Easter eggs. His power was unmistakable, akin to legendary weapons—sharpened and awe-inspiring. Yet in front of the Sacred Realm, he could only serve as a backdrop, the most splendid one with a striking contrast.

“This man must not be neglected. After the spellcasting, I have matters to discuss with him,” the Sacred Realm’s voice was gentle yet slightly deep, soft and melodious. ButNeo couldn’t feel happy at all. He knew he was essentially being kidnapped, and worse, with his current strength and situation, escaping was utterly futile.

“It’s an honor to be favored by Your Majesty! Hehe!” Since he couldn’t escape,Neo started to act stubbornly, with a pig-like expression. The gleam in his eyes was no different from that of Gris and the others when looking at the Sacred Realm—fear mixed with primal desire.

The spellcaster, resembling an Easter egg, felt displeased upon seeingNeo’s attitude, which led to contempt in his heart. He thought to himself, “Perhaps Your Majesty Stephanie wants to learn more about this situation.” But since Stephanie had said not to neglect him, the spellcaster wouldn’t skimp on effort. After all, he was usually a high-ranking figure devoted to magic and knew little about human relations. Not giving orders was already polite—how could mere mortals expect him to serve them like a lord?

This time,Neo was fortunate enough to witness the Sacred Realm’s spellcasting. It was an extremely complex sealing spell, so over 30 spellcasters above level 10, under the direction of the elderly spellcaster, assisted Stephanie by drawing components for a large magic circle. Naturally,Neo wouldn’t miss such an opportunity. Even if it meant annoying others, he wanted to see it clearly. Unfortunately, the magic circle was nearly circular, soNeo could only see the western half; he couldn’t reach the eastern side and thus missed it.

The Sacred Realm’s powers truly matched the legends, possessing almost earth-shattering strength. Under Stephanie’s leadership, a ten-kilometer-long fissure was completely sealed by massive ice formed from surrounding snow, ice, and moisture. Near the magic circle at the center of the continental road, the fissure also closed, and eventually the two semi-circles merged to form a huge three-dimensional triangular ice crystal monument.Neo saw that beneath the central base of the magic circle, a dark red beam, only as thick as a human arm, kept gushing out, coloring the core of the monument, with changes occurring extremely slowly. Thus,Neo roughly understood the meaning of this sealing spell—the true seal was this monument, where corrupt forces were restrained and absorbed into the ice monument. That was the true nature of the seal.

After casting such a massive spell to seal a ten-kilometer-long fissure, Stephanie also seemed tired. But judging by the situation, this team led by the Sacred Realm was like a fire brigade, with their tasks already full, so they were about to leave without pause. WhileNeo was watching the old man resembling an Easter egg set up protective barriers outside the seal with a group of mages, Stephanie approached him directly.

With just a flash in her eyes, Stephanie enteredNeo’s consciousness and brought his consciousness along with her.

“You’ve created something truly distinctive here,” Stephanie said as she looked around. “It’s clear you were completely focused—this place is so minimalist it’s almost monotonous, with no trace of frivolous elements.”

Neon followed behind Stephanie, looking helpless. He didn’t know any techniques for mental defense, and even his energy combat skills were quite rudimentary—completely different from his physical combat abilities. Once again, he was at a disadvantage.

Stephanie didn’t need to turn around to sense Neon’s emotions. This world was created from his consciousness, so any of his emotions would leave traces here.

“Don’t look so gloomy. I’m here to help you—just without all the formalities like invitations and appointments.”

“Lies, pure lies!” Neon really didn’t believe Stephanie’s motives were so simple. Not to mention the current situation or how busy she was—just think about the most basic thing: Stephanie wasn’t his biological mother. Why would she be kind to him for no reason?

“Pfft…” The Ice Spirit, who was playing with the power of the Wood Element, reluctantly gave up its only source of fun and threw itself into Stephanie’s arms with adoration, stretching out its little hands and pressing its big head against her magnificent curves.

“Heh, in your mind, how could the Ice Spirit be like this!?” Seeing Stephanie’s expression, Neon knew that this adorable Ice Spirit was doomed.

“Betrayal… such betrayal…” Neon sighed secretly.

As if by instant teleportation, in the next moment, Stephanie appeared atop the Summit of Elements. “Amazing! In such a short time, the Seed of Sacred Power has already sprouted!”

Neon raised his eyebrows but remained silent, thinking, “Take it! As long as I’m still alive, there will be a day when I’ll get revenge, with interest.”

Stephanie could naturally sense that the atmosphere was wrong. Although there were no obvious changes in the world of consciousness, a faint sense of menace was already spreading. Having gone through countless life-and-death struggles, Neon carried an aura of severity that far surpassed that of ordinary people. Even someone like Stephanie couldn’t help but frown. After all, not every sacred realm was built through endless battles and survival at all costs. When it came to combat, such realms were undoubtedly the strongest—even terrifying, capable of bringing down gods, especially their powerful inhabitants.

Stephanie knew well that if she took the Wood Element seed today, she would either have to kill Neon immediately or incur a deadly feud.

“Do you know? If I really intended to take this seed, I would kill you!” Although Stephanie said this smiling, it put immense pressure and menace on Neon.

“Oh? Interesting! Your true feelings say: If that’s the case, then if I don’t die today, I’ll kill you someday!” Stephanie spoke out what Neon was thinking. For her, Neon’s immediate emotions were no secret, allowing her to understand his true intentions without any obstacles.

Since Stephanie had made things so clear, Neo knew that pretending any longer was like trying to steal while covering one’s ears. Boom! The entire consciousness world began to shake; the blood moon’s light intensified, and the elemental monoliths emitted a brilliance unimaginable under normal circumstances. Countless dark spots rose from the ground, unmistakable signs of a world on the verge of collapse.

Neo knew that fighting against the Holy Sanctuary would mean certain death! But after the Night of Massacre by the Migration Group, he had secretly sworn to avenge himself and repay kindness with kindness. There would be no second Manmoris family in this world.

“The Holy Sanctuary…” Neo spoke for the first time, his words laden with meaning. He was confident that even the Holy Sanctuary wouldn’t be able to escape unscathed from his final attack! “It’s a shame that only 2 drops of pure Essence Blood were used on Angus and Kara; otherwise, its power could have been increased by another 30%.”

“Calm down. I have no interest in your sealing power,” Stephanie said, frowning and sighing.

But Neo wasn’t willing to trust her easily. The full activation of his power continued. The only thing holding back was the fact that Nancy hadn’t shown up. Ever since meeting Stephanie, Neo had cut off all contact with her. But if he launched his final attack, Nancy would inevitably have to be involved. With her participation in the energy flow, the power would multiply exponentially—only then could he inflict damage on the Holy Sanctuary.

The Holy Sanctuary truly lived up to its name. Stephanie remained as gentle as ever, speaking slowly and steadily: “Inheriting the power of the Holy Seal isn’t that simple. By now you must know that this seal suppresses the forces of corruption. Once you inherit this power, binding laws will arise. I’m sure that shortly after gaining this strange life force, you must have carried out a ritual that was half-summoning and half-creation. It was improvised and cannot be replicated.”

Neo stared at Stephanie intently. Of course there was such a thing—Multiface was born that way, in Wurtzburg.

Stephanie continued, “In a sense, this summoned being is your counterpart. It may not possess all your powers, but it faces the same troubles as you—temptations from darkness—and now, in addition, a bloodthirsty nature. The only means to restrain or subdue it is this sealing power. Right?”

Of course there was. Multiface was a twisted soul that found satisfaction in all negative emotions. Only life energy influenced by the power of the Sacred Tree could subdue it, creating a struggle between life force and death force within its body, thereby allowing it to be controlled.

“The characteristics of this summoned being will become more and more like yours—its combat style, actions… Well, you used vines, so it will likely do the same. It also relies on skill and tactics, not brute force,” Stephanie explained further. “Where there is oppression, there is resistance. The greater the pressure, the stronger the resistance. This theory has already been demonstrated in us just now. What I’m saying is, the same applies to the Holy-level seal. Now you should understand what kind of embodiment that summoned being is, right?”

“A demon,” Neo said.

Nodding, Stephanie replied, “The larger your frame, the more formidable your shadow will be. Given your personality, this battle will surely be a long-awaited, life-or-death struggle.”

“It begins with the blade, and it ends with the blade!” Though Nio’s expression was cold, the effect of his consciousness world on the verge of collapse was clearly easing.
Stephanie smiled gently and sat down casually. “You’re smart. Good. I won’t take your Sealing Power, because it’s a huge hassle. Once it falls into my hands, a great demon will be revived immediately. And I’m not the kind to recklessly tear holes in the heavens. If we argue, the other side will create even more chaos, not only forging a deadly enemy for themselves but also dragging countless innocents into bloodshed. The more this happens, the lower my chances of winning—true to the saying, ‘As the Dao fades, the demon grows.’”
Sitting down to talk was clearly a gesture of goodwill, and Nio realized he might have misinterpreted Stephanie’s intentions.
Stephanie then said, “It’s normal. You’re on the path of bravery. When you truly feel fear, you’ll be stopped in your tracks. I owe you an apology for testing you in this way. You should know that what intrigues me isn’t the fact that you possess balance among the four elements, control over the four forces, and the ability to store energy at full capacity. It’s that the Sealing Power has taken root in you, and that demon obeys you willingly, under your control. You’re, without a doubt, the most dangerous person I’ve ever encountered. The Dark Tides, the Curses of Evil Souls, the Ancient Blood Energy, the Mark of Demonism—none of these are easy to deal with. Just one of them would turn an ordinary person into a puppet of power, yet you’ve found a way to achieve a balanced equilibrium and built a Soul Mill to gradually grind these forces into usable energy. It’s truly remarkable! As far as I know, no one has ever done this. It’s so intricate that not a single mistake is allowed.”
Nio certainly knew it was Nancy’smerit—those constant calculations and adjustments were beyond human capability. But he didn’t dare think about what would happen if Nancy’s identity were exposed; the situation might instantly reverse. Just imagine what Stephanie could achieve with Nancy’s help? Who said the Holy Land was the limit? Even someone like him could forge paths of divinity through divine and demonic refinement. With Stephanie’s resources, she could go even further. Such a treasure couldn’t be compared to mere plants of construction.
“From what you say, I’m not the first person you’ve encountered who wields the Sealing Power.” Nio was fearless—not out of ignorance or madness, but because the Holy Land itself was proof of strength and talent. When dealing with such beings, being polite wasn’t shameful, so he used the respectful term “you.”
“Yes. You can imagine that beings at our level naturally focus on these miracles and sacred signs. Information that can be found in public libraries—of course we’re aware of it. The Holy Seals are one of our areas of interest. Of the other four Seals of the Western Pentagram, three are in our hands, and one has fallen to the dark forces. Yet all four have activated without exception. Do you understand what ‘activated’ means?”
“The demon has escaped!”

Stephanie nodded. “More or less. Under normal circumstances, after the seal is broken, the power of the seal is greatly diminished. Originally, it was used to suppress the other side, but now it’s the other side that drives this one. In other words, those who possess the seal power end up in a passive position. The demons will keep growing because they have an interactive relationship with the seal power, much like light and shadow. So the seal power also grows. We expect the seeds to sprout around June this year. Honestly, your situation is really frustrating.”

“To save all of you some trouble, you might as well find a way to deal with those escaped demons first.”

“It’s not that simple. As long as the sacred power remains, the demons won’t die. And if we simply weaken the sacred power, the demons will break free again. Killing them won’t work—it will only lead us into their system and rhythm. The key is transformation; that’s the real solution to the problem.”

“The Soul Mill.”

“Hmm, you’ve done well in this regard. Your full-power storage can be considered a form of sealing, while the Soul Mill represents transformation. It’s just that your compatibility with the mainstream trends of this world isn’t high, so the mill’s power is limited.”

“How can I improve my compatibility?”

“Compliance!” Those two words capture the essence.

Of course, Neo wouldn’t choose compliance. That would mean upholding the current human-dominated system, meaning he would dedicate himself to protecting the existing power structure. The difference is like working for a high salary versus starting one’s own business. What’s truly difficult to decide is whether to work as a police officer or become a criminal.

“Harmonious coexistence—I’m seeking a balance between nature and life.” Neo didn’t hide his beliefs.

Stephanie was surprised. She really hadn’t expected Neo to have such ideals. Using harsh methods yet showing kindness—countless predecessors’ failures proved this path wasn’t easy. Not fully on the side of life nor nature, if not for his aggressive tactics, it would be the motto of a peacemaker.

Still, idealists who choose the path of coexistence are generally more likable. In ordinary terms, if their intentions are good, it shows they have a kind heart. Taking this opportunity, Stephanie, who was actually quite easy-going, got along well with Neo. Sure enough, as Stephanie had expected, he was a young man with a disguise and a sincere heart. The hardships he had endured had refined his thoughts, making them profound and not extreme. Being friends with someone like this—treating them with sincerity—would never lead to disappointment.

In the end, the Ice Spirit followed Stephanie. Stephanie also helped Neo remove the magic array obtained from the Moon Goddess Well. She was an expert in water magic, far surpassing Nancy in her field. Of course, Neo was even further behind. He had so much to learn and master right now. Since he wasn’t planning to invest much time in elements, he was essentially relying on what Nancy had prepared for him. It’s easy to see that as long as his energy supply remained sufficient, improving his control over the four elements would be a distant goal.

With Stephanie’s help, the Moon Spell Array freed the power of the moon from the influence of blood energy. Neo knew that in the long run, this was more advantageous—otherwise, the moon would eventually be eroded by blood energy and vanish. Constant blood moons were like forcing growth too quickly; true mastery lay in being able to control and switch between energies freely.

“My personal suggestion is that your order of power development should be moon, blood, life, and dark. Moon energy is a variant of sun energy—a form of light energy that supports life. Your blood energy enhances the ability to transmit power, and when combined with moon energy, it ensures the healthy growth of life energy. As for dark energy, it’s your inherent attribute. Previously, your dark energy advanced rapidly, but you had to suppress it with life energy and adjust using the other two forces. Suppression is a poor strategy, restraint is a moderate one, while true mastery lies in control—using the rapid development of moon, blood, and life energy to always stay above dark energy, allowing it to grow without ever surpassing you, and even using the other three forces to stimulate it. That’s a healthy balance. To achieve this, it’s best to start by intentionally using less dark energy, so as to create a gap.”

Upon reflection, using less dark energy meant temporarily abandoning combat energy and replacing it with one of the other elements. But using any one element also meant cultivating the others, as maintaining balance among the four elements was crucial for developing life energy. Wind, rain, proper temperature, and fertile soil—all were essential.

“It’s all about cultivation!” Anyway, it aligned with the strategies they had set earlier. It was time to put the “Wild Boar Man” plan into action. Besides, he indeed needed some time to stabilize his state after breaking through level 5. With blood energy as a supplement, he wouldn’t lack variety.

As a being of the Holy Realm, Stephanie naturally wouldn’t take advantage of Neo. When she left, she not only filled all 12 main runes of the Four Elements Monument but also gave Neo the four elemental spirits—wind, fire, water, and earth. Though they weren’t as rare or powerful as the ice spirit, the ice spirit was useless in Neo’s hands compared to these four. They could help Neo with cultivation, strengthen his elemental skills, and enhance his life energy system—such as accelerating plant growth. This wasn’t about forcing growth but creating a better environment for plants to thrive. It was highly beneficial for Neo’s potion cultivation and extracting life energy from plants.

Filling the main runes also set Neo on the right path. He didn’t need to play tricks with the four elements; the purest form was sufficient. From then on, he wouldn’t deviate.

Yet, more than any of these, Neo considered Stephanie’s greatest gift to be an identity card—Elemental Tower VIP. Someone of Stephanie’s status wouldn’t give anything mediocre. This Elemental Tower VIP status offered many benefits: it allowed the holder to withdraw 100,000 gold dinars from any Elemental Tower-related business using their credit, not to mention protection, discounts on purchases, access to spell rooms, summoning rooms, and libraries.

Stephanie gave Neo this card with the intention of preventing him from “getting disconnected” from reality. After all, Neo had successfully contained the Seal of Darkness, and even in the Holy Land, it would be impossible to locate his exact position without any clues. Additionally, Stephanie was truly amazed by Neo’s power framework system. In her words, it was “a complex micro-world!” She never expected these words to come true—many years later, Neo’s power system was indeed called the Micro-World, and he created internal spatial worlds similar to mages’ demi-planes, yet far more intricate.

Stephanie also gave Neo the Element Tower VIP Card with the aim of further observing his character. No matter how extraordinary one’s talent might be, without good character, they were nothing but ordinary. If Neo showed greed or couldn’t resist temptation, Stephanie wouldn’t mind losing him—after all, spending 100,000 gold to assess a promising talent wasn’t costly to her. But if Neo could withstand such temptations… Stephanie believed he would truly be worth the effort to cultivate a relationship with. Even in the Holy Land, there were hierarchies, and relationships mattered greatly—especially help in times of crisis and guidance in difficult situations; those were the most valuable investments.

“If he could become part of the Holy Land…” Stephanie thought she had long been tempered by reality enough to abandon fanciful dreams, but this time, she couldn’t help but let her thoughts wander.

“Even if his total professional level exceeds 20, he would be a terrifying existence! And judging from that grand framework, his path seems to go far beyond that. If his total professional level reaches 30… the entire world will likely remember his name…”

Meanwhile, in his temporary room, Neo stared at the shiny metal card adorned with beautiful and intricate engravings, his eyes gleaming. “An identity card! It will open the doors to the Tower’s library. Nancy, our Dawn, is about to arrive…”

Braving hardships, with darkness at his heels, guided by conviction, he was determined to create an immortal legacy. As a new chapter unfolded, Neo knew his future was worth looking forward to.

Volume 6: The Dark Empire