Lilith's sudden arrival was unexpected for Aizen, but it did not affect his plans for what was to come.
The Hall of Glory in the Heavenly Demon Clan is a special place where various internal tasks are issued. Of course, disciples who wish to be promoted also come to the Hall of Glory to register, completing the process of promotion under the witness of an elder.
Being promoted to a disciple in the Heavenly Demon Clan is considered a great honor by everyone in the Clan.
Although Aizen did not find it particularly honorable, it was something he wanted to do more than anything else, and something he needed to do.
Lilith was surprised by Aizen's sudden decision, but she did not object.
Despite her playful and lively appearance, she was quite ambitious and strong-willed. If Aizen had chosen to remain a servant for the rest of his life, she wouldn't have opposed it, but it would certainly have distanced them over time.
Now that Aizen had decided to become a disciple in the Heavenly Demon Clan, Lilith felt somewhat relieved.
She knew his character well — he was steady and patient. Since he was now stepping forward in an uncharacteristic way, he must have been confident.
Upon entering the Hall of Glory, Scar and his group glanced at Lilith after receiving their tasks and left in embarrassment. They had already discarded .
In the Heavenly Demon Clan, friendships like those between Aizen and Lilith were rare; most people banded together solely for mutual benefit.
Aizen approached the tall central counter in the hall, where an old man was lazily lying on a bamboo chair behind the desk.
This old man was the steward in charge of the Hall of Glory in the Eastern Courtyard of the Heavenly Demon Clan. It was said that he had once been an inner disciple but was demoted to the lower disciple region for offending someone in the higher ranks.
While the position wasn't prestigious compared to being an inner disciple, it still held some authority over the lower disciples. However, inner disciples generally didn't care much about such roles, as they saw little profit in them.
Aizen and Lilith both bowed to the old man.
No matter how close to death the old man might seem, they did not dare show him any disrespect since he had once been an inner disciple, a rank whose members had mastered authentic internal Aura techniques with unfathomable power.
"What do you want?" The old man remained lying on the chair, his eyes half-closed, not bothering to look at the two of them as he spoke in a weak voice.
Aizen bowed again. "Reporting to the steward Cassian , I, Aizen, a servant disciple, have come to request a promotion to black-clad disciple under your supervision."
In the Heavenly Demon Clan, servants were referred to as servant disciples, while low-level disciples were referred to as black-clad disciples.
"Oh?"
The old man opened his eyes and looked at Aizen. A sharp glint flashed briefly in his cloudy eyes.
Both Aizen and Lilith felt a chill in their hearts.
This old man clearly had immense internal Aura , and it was evident that he had reached the late stages of cultivation.
Aizen carefully pulled out five silver ingots from his pocket, each worth ten taels. He pretended to show a pained expression as he handed over the silver.
The steward Cassian glanced at the five ingots and smiled slightly as he slowly got up, took the silver, and pocketed it.
Aizen watched the man's expression carefully and felt a little relieved when he saw the steward Cassian seemed satisfied.
In the Heavenly Demon Clan, people weren't like those of righteous sects; many were greedy and ruthless. If the steward Cassian had been more greedy, he might have demanded even more silver from Aizen, which could have created a difficult situation.
The pained expression Aizen had shown was meant to indicate that he had already given everything he could, and it seemed the steward Cassian had noticed this and wouldn't push for more.
Lilith remained expressionless. She had accompanied Aizen to see how he would go about becoming a low-level disciple.
She was surprised that Aizen could produce fifty taels of silver, but she didn't show it. She was wise enough to understand the saying, "Money draws attention."
The steward Cassian lazily said, "Follow me. The promotion to a black-clad disciple is simple. You should know the rules. If you fail, it's not my fault."
He got up slowly and walked toward the back courtyard of the Hall of Glory.
Aizen and Lilith followed quickly. The fifty taels seemed to have made a positive impact on the steward's Cassian attitude.
In the back courtyard, there was a small training area with wooden dummies, sandbag formations, and plum blossom poles.
The steward Cassian stopped in front of a wooden dummy and motioned for Aizen to begin.
The wooden dummy was used to test one's reflexes and physical strength in Combat.
The wooden dummies in the Heavenly Demon Clan were made of ironwood, which was extremely hard and heavy.
For a typical servant disciple, striking a wooden dummy was difficult, even with iron gloves.
More importantly, the test required quick reflexes. If Aizen struck the dummy incorrectly, it would not only shake the dummy but could also cause the dummy to strike back, testing the disciple's reaction time.
Aizen wasn't nervous. Although he didn't want to use his internal Aura in front of the steward Cassian , his Star Absorption technique was circulating inside him, and as long as he didn't make direct physical contact, it would be hard to detect.
With his robust internal Aura protecting him, he could handle the test without needing to unleash his full strength.
"Ha!" Aizen approached the dummy and struck it with a technique called "two-word pincers."
Soon, the wooden dummy began to rotate from side to side. Aizen moved swiftly, reacting quickly with every strike.
As he trained, Aizen noticed with delight that his proficiency in basic Sorcery techniques was improving rapidly.
When he had fought Steward Edric and Stanley, he hadn't realized this, but now he saw that the more he practiced, the faster his skills improved, especially with such specific training equipment.
A series of rapid strikes echoed through the courtyard.
The steward Cassian nodded slightly, showing a hint of surprise.
Aizen's reflexes were quick, and his foundation was solid. The steward Cassian could tell from Aizen's movements that he had practiced basic Sorcery techniques.
Basic Sorcery techniques weren't particularly special; they were common and could be purchased for a few taels in most places. However, mastering them was another matter.
Watching Aizen's performance, Lilith was also slightly surprised.
She hadn't realized that Aizen had basic Sorcery training. She couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in him.
"That's enough. You've passed the wooden dummy test. Let's move on to the plum blossom poles."
The steward Cassian stopped Aizen from continuing.
To him, the wooden dummy test was just a small part of the trial, and Aizen had shown enough. It was time to move on and not waste any more time.