As Lucifer delved into the information regarding the sects in Tianxia county, a plan gradually took shape in his mind. He discovered a general direction he needed to follow in order to attain power and destroy the Phoenix Feather sect.
He recognized the importance of joining a sect. While he could pilfer cultivation methods and resources on his own, certain invaluable elements were only accessible within a sect, such as array formations that enhanced various aspects beyond mere cultivation level.
Lucifer was well aware that standing against the Phoenix Feather sect required more than just his individual strength. To expedite matters and increase his chances, he realized the potential in harnessing the collective power of other sects.
When considering which sect to join, Lucifer established two main criteria. Firstly, the sect should be in opposition to or have strained relations with the Phoenix Feather sect. Secondly, the sect itself must possess significant power to provide him with the optimal environment to enhance his abilities and be capable of challenging the Phoenix Feather sect.
"Tell me, Wrath, which sect would be second in terms of power?" Lucifer inquired, his gaze fixed on the piece of paper.
"Umm... my Lords, that would be the Dragon Crest Sect," Wrath replied.
"They also have strained relations with the Phoenix Sect," Victor added.
Upon hearing this, although Lucifer showed no external reaction, he quietly raised his opinion of Victor and reminded himself to be more mindful of him.
Nevertheless, his decision had already been made. He would join the Dragon Crest Sect.
"Wrath, you will be joining the Pheo... hmm, your cultivation is at Qi condensation, correct? Is it possible for you to join the Phoenix Feather Sect?" Lucifer asked.
"Well, um... My Lord, I'm not exactly sure about that..." Before Wrath could finish, Victor interrupted.
"Oh, come on! Cultivators can easily join the Phoenix Feather Sect or any of the fourth-grade sects." Victor said, shaking his head disdainfully.
Lucifer took a moment to consider before continuing, "Wrath, I want you to join the Phoenix Feather Sect and gather as much information as possible about their internal politics. Also, keep a keen eye on all the Foundation Realm cultivators and gather detailed information about them."
"And while you're at it, focus on increasing your own power. Have you figured out how to harness the 'wrath' of others to enhance your cultivation and other abilities?" Lucifer added, genuinely curious about Wrath's progress.
"Yes, My Lord, I recently collected a huge amount of 'wrath'. I conducted some experiments with it, but I am far from fully understanding it," Wrath replied.
Lucifer continued his line of questioning, "So, did you collect this 'wrath' from the people of the city? And do you find that martial artists produce more 'wrath' than others?"
"Well, actually, My Lord..." Wrath hesitated, unsure how to phrase his response.
"What is it? There's no need to hesitate," Lucifer urged.
"Actually, My Lord... I collected all that 'wrath' from... you!!! I'm truly sorry, my Lord, but no matter what I did, I couldn't prevent it from being absorbed," Wrath confessed, his remorse evident.
Lucifer was momentarily stunned before he recalled the scene when he had just come out of the sect after learning about Emily's death. He had witnessed blood oozing from Wrath's ears and eyes, which he now suspected might have been a result of Wrath forcefully preventing the absorption of his 'wrath'. With this realization, he also understood how Victor had arrived at the conclusion that he harbored animosity towards the Phoenix Feather sect.
"Regardless, join the Phoenix Feather Sect and gather all the information that will be useful in their destruction," Lucifer finally stated.
Then, turning to Victor, he said, "You should also join one of the sects, other than the Dragon and Phoenix sects. Focus on becoming powerful and strive to attain a position where you can exert influence over their decisions... or, at the very least, where you can gain access to insider information," Lucifer instructed.
Victor simply nodded without uttering a word, but his expression conveyed a sentiment that seemed to say, 'How dare you question my capabilities.'
Suddenly, Wrath spoke up, "My Lord, may I ask what happened to your left arm?"
"No" Lucifer replied.
"..."
"....?"
"Ah, also keep an eye on this boy and his family. His name is Ethan," Lucifer said, recalling Ethan's existence. He swiftly used an illusion to show Wrath an image of Ethan and his family.
"Understood, but is there something special about this boy?" Wrath inquired.
"Hmm, he can see me in my ghostly form," Lucifer responded without much thought, but from the corner of his eye, he noticed a peculiar expression on Victor's face. It was distinct from the confused expression on Wrath's face.
The expression vanished as quickly as it appeared, but Lucifer caught it. He was quite perplexed—did Victor know something about Ethan, or was that reaction due to his ghostly form? Despite his doubts, Lucifer chose not to say anything.
After engaging in a lengthy discourse on various matters with Wrath and Victor, Lucifer gleaned further insights about the path towards, Dragon Crest Sect, compelling him to set forth in that direction.
His trajectory led him toward White Lotus City, nestled precisely betwixt the Phoenix Feather Sect and the Dragon Crest Sect, with its proximity favoring the former.
Having distanced himself from the city, Lucifer cast his gaze upon his left arm, swathed in a bandage adorned with the curative essence of Renewal Blossom. The application had been executed prior to his encounter with James, signifying a mere span of five to ten hours since its inception.
As he contemplated his arm, he mused upon Wrath's inquiry regarding his injury. It wasn't that Lucifer harbored any shame in disclosing the cause, but recent events had sown seeds of distrust within him. He especially found it difficult to place his faith in anything associated with the system.
The system, in its cryptic ways, had declared Wrath to be bound by a slave seal, a mere pawn manipulated to follow Lucifer's lead. Yet, how could he be certain of the system's words? The absence of a palpable presence or tangible control over the slave seal raised doubts within him. Perhaps Wrath was, in truth, enslaved to the system itself, not to him.
And then there was Victor—a figure devoid of a slave seal, yet Lucifer's wariness toward him surpassed even that directed at Wrath. Recent events and Victor's own peculiar behavior only served to intensify his suspicions.
A sense gnawed at him, a premonition that every action orchestrated by the system since its inception had been imbued with purpose. Nay, it went beyond a mere inkling; he knew it to be true. Alas, he struggled to ascertain the underlying motive driving its machinations.
Drawing close to a stately tree, he settled beneath its branches, the nocturnal hour enveloping him. Although he could use the Ghost Transformation Skill, allowing him to traverse the terrain with impunity, he opted to bide his time until night's veil had lifted before resuming his journey.
As he sat quietly and focused, he started thinking about everything the system had done until now. Using a branch from a nearby tree, he wrote down all the questions that came to his mind on the ground. He also tried to answer those questions and wrote down any other details he could remember about them.
The initial perplexing point emerged, he recollected the first occurrence upon his arrival in this world. The system had failed to procure a suitable vessel for him, opting instead to create an entirely new species capable of surviving in soul state. This bewildered him initially, but he eventually obtained an answer: the system was conducting an experiment, using him as a guinea pig.
What occurred thereafter remained unanswered. He was released in his ethereal form before a wolf, a creature relentless in its consumption of his life essence—a threat capable of extinguishing him effortlessly. It seemed inconceivable that a system capable of birthing new species would be unaware of the consequences when faced with such a dire situation.
"It's as if the system wished to plunge me into the energy-saving mode," he pondered.
Yet, why resort to such a foolish method? The system could have effortlessly cast Lucifer himself into the abyss of Energy Saving Mode, he was powerless to do anything anyways. And what was the purpose behind subjecting him to this energy-saving mode? Was it to erase his memories?
Then there was the matter of the name 'Lucifer', a triviality that held little importance and warranted only a passing thought.
Furthermore, he pondered the significance of the very place in which he found himself. Was there something peculiar about Greenfield Village? Could there exist some hidden connection to White Lotus City or Tianxia County? Certainty eluded him, but he couldn't shake the conviction that the system had chosen his location with meticulous care.
"Now that I consider it, isn't lightning often associated with the heavens or heavenly punishment in cultivation novels?" Lucifer wondered, reflecting upon the events that transpired in Greenfield Village. At the time, he hadn't made the connection, but now he tentatively linked it to such notions.
And if his memory served him well, was not the department of physical bodies governed by the Heavenly Dao, as mentioned by the system? Could it be that the system, cognizant of this, had birthed a new species instead of molding a physical form for him?
If the domain of the soul resided within the realm of nature, then could the system itself be linked to nature? Could this resolve the mystery of Frederick's soul transforming into Victor's soul?
"Wait, is my encounter with Emily, William, Frederick, and that other boy—what was his name again? Ah, yes, Henry—truly a coincidence?"
It so transpired that William and Henry arrived in Greenfield Village, the very place where he found himself.
Emily, in some unfathomable manner, was entwined with William, and unknowingly, Lucifer became the harbinger of her father's demise.
Frederick, William's kin, and the three of them—William, Henry, and Frederick—possessed souls that eclipsed all others in the city. Could this truly be mere coincidence?
Moreover, Emily possessed a unique constitution that enabled her to perceive his ghostly form. Was this all truly a series of chance events?
"Shit!!! Why didn't I immediately chase after Leonard as soon as he kidnapped Emily? Instead, I wasted a whole day before heading to the Phoenix Feather Sect, and by the time I got there, Emily was on the verge of death."
"Why did I hesitate? And why did I let him take her in the first place? Was it really my own choice, or was I somehow influenced by the system?"
The more he ruminated, the more unease and shock coursed through him. Was anything real, or was everything fabricated by the system?
"BUT THEN, WHY IS IT DOING THIS TO ME? Is there something special about me?"
As his thoughts threatened to consume him entirely, he sought refuge in the sanctuary of meditation, endeavoring to still the tempestuous whirlwind within.
He resolved that he needed to transcribe every iota of his inner turmoil onto paper, for his own mind had become an untrustworthy vessel.
But as the notion of writing coalesced in his mind, he became aware that the words he had etched upon the ground were inscribed in the English language.