Nolan didn't know how much time had passed when he finally ended his meditation session. The ant-man had long ago finished reciting the Killing Scripture and was still lost in thoughts even after the scripture was no longer being recited. When he woke up this time, he felt something different about himself but couldn't yet describe.
He felt his body was very light, he felt that he could think faster and analyse information faster without burdening his mind.
|You're finally awake. Here, take this. It'll activate once you register yourself in the sect. I expected that your realm would advance by a few stages after your Enlightenment but it didn't budge an inch.| said the ant-man.
“Oh, that's because my Meditation Art doesn't depend on Enlightenment to improve but on hard work, pain and a glimpse into the netherworld.” said Nolan.
The ant-man didn't believe a word Nolan said because what he said made no sense. The first few Star Realm Stages only need one to accumulate energy to grow stronger but the later realms require comprehension in order to advance through the stages, energy alone is no longer enough. And for Nolan to say that his Meditation Art didn't require comprehension was absolute bogus.
|Anyway, there's something I want to ask you before you leave. It's not a compulsory question so it's fine if you don't want to answer.|
“Please ask.”
|To you, what do you think is most important in a cooperation between two or more people? Especially a leader and follower, boss and subordinate type of relationship or cooperation.|
“Simple. Trust and loyalty. As long both people have and get this, we're gonna get along just fine.”
|Trust and loyalty. I'm satisfied with that answer, you can keep the storage artefact with your pet inside.|
Nolan looked down and saw a ring on the ant-man's palm and took it. He was holding a storage ring in his left hand and a token in his right hand.
|You may leave now.|
Nolan wanted to say something but in a blink of an eye, he found himself in an unfamiliar area. The sun was out and the sky was red, the clouds in the sky white. In front of him was a massive wall and a plaque written ‘Demonic Sect’ at the entrance gate.
Two guards wearing armour stood on the sides of the gate. Nolan approached them with the token in hand, the ring was already on his finger.
“Hey guys, I'm the new recruit in the sect, does one of you mind giving me a tour of the place?” said Nolan.
The guards wanted nothing more than to kick this naked pervert away but the way he appeared here made them tread carefully. The Star Watches on their wrists translated Nolan's words so they could understand. Nolan was surprised by this and also activated his translator.
“Who are you and where do you come from?” asked one of the guards.
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“As I've said before, I'm the new recruit, personally scouted by Elder Lalabu. Here's my token.” answered Nolan.
The guards were just that, guards, they didn't know anyone by the name of Lalabu, their status was too low to know upper echelon people. They were about to kick Nolan away but stopped when they saw the token or rather the words written on it. Since they were written in a different language, Nolan didn't know what they meant but just because he didn't didn't mean that it was the same for others.
Plop!
“We apologise for our transgression Sire, please find it in your heart to forgive us.”
“Sire, please give us a chance to redeem ourselves. We truly didn't mean to waste your time.”
The two guards fell on their knees after seeing the token and started begging Nolan for mercy and forgiveness.
“Enough. Just take me inside and be my guide on the way.”
“Thank you Sire for your magnanimity, we shall guide you to the best of our abilities. Right this way Sire.”
…
Inside the Demonic Sect, it was quite different from what Nolan had imagined. The place was clean firstly, there were no hawkers or anything like that, along the way, he saw many pagodas, houses, altars. In short, the architectural style of this place was the same as that of mediaeval China.
The guards led Nolan to a place with the tallest pagoda built parallel to one another and in the middle of that was a building that looked like the imperial house and was as tall as the two pagodas. Nolan saw the long flight of stairs and felt slightly uncomfortable.
“Sire, this is a far as we can take you. We'reforbidden from going any further.” said the guards.
“Good. You can leave now.”
“Thank you Sire.”
The two guards then ran off at their greatest speed, afraid that Nolan might change his mind and make things difficult for him. Nolan wanted to enter the pagodas but the guards had led him all the way to the staircase which meant that what he wanted was here.
Without a choice, Nolan started to climb up the stairs but he couldn't but feel that something wasn't quite right with these stairs but he didn't know what exactly. After thinking for a while and not finding an answer, Nolan continued walking up the stairs that seemed to reach the heavens.
…
In one of the pagodas, there was a group of young fellas standing on the balcony and chatting happily. They wore dark red robes with a bull ant's emblem on the chest, they carried swords on their waists.
One of the guys from this group who was lost in thoughts suddenly noticed someone climbing up the tall stairs.
“Hey guys, come check this out. A pervert guy is climbing up the Steps Of Despair!” The youngsters rushed over when they heard what he said.
“Shit, it's true! There really is a pervert climbing the Steps Of Despair!”
“Who is he?”
“I know him. It's the guy we're seeing for the first time whom we actually know nothing about.” answered someone sarcastically.
These guys were on the lower floors on the left pagoda and they weren't the only ones who'd been on the balcony to enjoy the view. Others who also saw the naked guy climbing up the stairs called their friends over to watch this spectacle.
In no time, the left pagoda was filled with disciples wearing different coloured robes. Those on the lower floors wore dark red robes, those on the middle floors wore scarlet red robes and those on the higher floors wore blood red robes. The commotion the disciples on the left pagoda caused caught the attention of those on those in the right pagoda.
A few middle aged men and geezers came out of their rooms. All of them wore black robes and exuded mistrust auras, incomparable to the disciples. These were the elders of the Demonic Sect.
‘Who's that pervert and who let him in?’ Those were their first thoughts when they saw the person climbing up the stairs.
Nolan on the other hand was focused on climbing up the stairs that he didn't notice the audience he had attracted.
‘At this rate, it'll probably take hours before I reach the top. It's best if I increase my speed.’ thought Nolan as he started running at full speed up the stairs.
Seeing the naked guy running up the stairs, the spectators on both pagodas were shocked by this.
“WHAT THE FUCK!"