Jin-seok continued to train in secret, honing his skills and mastering techniques that would normally be far beyond the reach of someone his age. However, even as he made progress, he couldn't shake the sense that there was a greater power within his reach—one that could lift him from his place as the overlooked middle child.
Then, one day, a breakthrough occurred. While practicing his Memory Reading with the Demonic Emperor, he managed to glimpse a brief but startling vision. Although his current strength prevented him from fully accessing his father's memories, he caught sight of a scene from years before—a conversation between his father and grandfather, the previous Demonic Emperor.
In the fragment of memory, Jin-seok's grandfather was describing a legendary heirloom—a mysterious book hidden in the deepest vaults of the sect. According to legend, the founder of the Demonic Sect had discovered this book and claimed that whoever could understand it would rise to become the world's strongest. Yet, for generations, no one had been able to unlock its secrets, and so the book lay forgotten in deep storage.
The memory ended as abruptly as it had begun, leaving Jin-seok breathless. The mere idea of such a powerful artifact was intoxicating, but he couldn't tell his father about the memory. It would be impossible to explain how he knew of it.
Instead, he made a bold decision. As the son of the Demonic Emperor, he was permitted limited access to the deep storage, and he would use that privilege to find the book for himself.
---
The deep storage of the Demonic Sect was a vast and silent chamber filled with relics of the past. As he wandered through the vault, he felt a thrill of anticipation. Finally, at the far end, he found it—a worn, ancient book resting upon a stone pedestal.
Jin-seok's heart raced as he approached it. His hands trembled as he opened the cover, and he froze when he saw the writing inside. The book was written in Korean, his native language from his previous life on Earth.
For a moment, fear and disbelief threatened to overwhelm him, but he forced himself to push through. Using his Memory Reading ability and keen intellect, he quickly began to understand the book's contents, absorbing the secrets of the technique it described. Before long, a notification appeared in his mind:
[New Skill Acquired: Heavenly Devourer]
With this, Jin-seok had gained his fifth skill. Reviewing his abilities, he saw a path forming before him—a way to achieve the power he craved.
1. Memory Reading: The ability to access and read the memories of others, allowing him to learn skills and knowledge they possess.
2. Illusion Manipulation: The power to create illusions, bending others' perceptions to deceive or manipulate his opponents.
3. Skill Acquisition: By focusing on a skill, he can absorb it into his own repertoire, bypassing years of training.
4. Whispering Wind: A speed-enhancing technique that allows him to move swiftly and silently, giving him an edge in both offense and evasion.
5. Heavenly Devourer: A powerful cultivation method that enables him to absorb energy from his surroundings, refining and enhancing his own strength. This technique also allows him to consume the entire cultivation, skills, and stats of others upon their death, adding their power to his own and accelerating his growth beyond the limits of conventional cultivation.
As Jin-seok closed the book, he felt the vastness of his journey unfolding, each step upward within the Demonic Sect and beyond filled with potential. Cultivation itself was a ladder of immense realms, each a breakthrough toward becoming a force to be reckoned with:
1. Foundation Establishment: Initial stages of cultivation, laying the groundwork.
2. Qi Condensation: Ability to gather and control Qi.
3. Bone Tempering: Strengthening the body against ailments and forging resilience.
4. Profound Heaven: Attaining deeper levels of spiritual power.
5. Radiant: Advanced Qi control and purification.
6. Ethereal: Mastery over Qi, bending it to one's will.
7. Soul Harmony: Harmonizing Qi and spirit, blending power.
8. Genesis: Tapping into Heaven's energy, extending life and understanding.
9. Spirit King: Spatial manipulation and extended longevity, entering realms beyond human reach.
10. Saint: Acquiring the revered Saint Body, a pinnacle of cultivation.
11. Emperor: True mastery and unmatched authority, rivaling the world's most revered.
Each level represented not just power, but a gradual transcendence over mortal limitations. With Heavenly Devourer now in his grasp, Jin-seok felt himself on the path to conquer them all, destined to rise from an overlooked child to a legend in his own right.