The Demon with Holy Radiance-Chapter 134 - 119: Above the Rules, Side-Effect-Free Technique Amplifier

The raging flames burned for more than ten breaths. The terrifying heat vaporized everything within a hundred meters of the Heavenly Respect Pavilion.

Elder Life Crane naturally wouldn't kill the two, but the fate of Wild Forbidden and You Hong'Er wasn't much better.

Although their Cultivation Levels were both high, they were utterly powerless when the old man truly unleashed his might.

Their bodies withered under the flames, unable to regenerate even with their Undying Body.

Watching their bodies shrivel, He Tou could no longer resist. It took a large bite, devouring everything below their necks, and then began to curse.

"Old man! They're burnt! Dry and not tasty at all!"

Amidst He Tou's angry curses, the flames gradually receded and finally vanished, leaving only a few embers flickering on Elder Life Crane's body.

At this moment, Wild Forbidden and You Hong'Or were nothing but heads in his hands. On their desiccated faces, they couldn't even form an expression, only stare at Elder Life Crane with eyes full of pain and killing intent.

Elder Life Crane was like a gentle, kind old man. The crazed smile on his face slowly faded as he gently stroked their heads.

"My disciples, my disciples, your master has always believed you to be the most unique. But I also don't want to see you lose that uniqueness."

"So this is just a lesson. You must remember this well: you exist beneath the Rules, while your master... is above them!"

These words seemed directed at Wild Forbidden and You Hong'Er, but in reality, they were meant for the entire Life Crane Sect.

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

He Tou laughed from the side.

Elder Life Crane casually tossed their heads to the ground, where the round skulls rolled a few times.

Freed from Elder Life Crane's grasp, new flesh slowly began to sprout from below their necks. Compared to the normal regeneration speed of their Undying Body, it was impossible to say when the two would fully recover.

Elder Life Crane paid them no more mind, vanishing in the blink of an eye and reappearing inside the Heavenly Respect Pavilion.

Seeing their miserable fate, Yang An was ecstatic, but he could only rejoice inwardly. He couldn't let the old man see it.

'The old man might still be angry. It's not impossible he'll turn on me next.'

When the old man returned to the Heavenly Respect Pavilion, both Yang An and Fu Ming were waiting below with their heads bowed.

"Little disciple, are you satisfied?"

Elder Life Crane spoke slowly, his tone exceptionally calm as he asked Yang An, waiting for his reply.

'Satisfied? I can't say that!'

Yang An's heart tightened. If he dared say he was satisfied, it would imply he had strongly demanded this, forcing the old man's hand. He would become the culprit, and he might be the next to suffer.

He wasn't an idiot. How could he stupidly take the blame for this?

So, Yang An's reply was:

"Master is wise!"

'Revenge is one thing, but you're the one who punished them. It has nothing to do with me, so don't even think about pinning it on me.'

"Hehehe."

Elder Life Crane and He Tou both laughed in unison, their thoughts inscrutable.

Yang An chose to remain silent, meeting change with constancy. The atmosphere seemed to turn a little strange.

After a moment, Elder Life Crane pondered briefly before speaking slowly to Yang An.

"Give your master the Cultivation Techniques."

He was naturally referring to the Cultivation Techniques on Yang An, from the Resonance Stage all the way to the Late Stage Primordial Feeding Realm. As for the technique for the Early Stage of the Viscera Stone Realm that Yang An acquired after killing Zi Luan, the Elder hadn't taken it back yet.

Because Yang An had already reached the Early Stage of the Viscera Stone Realm, this portion of the Cultivation Technique was useless to him and would naturally be taken back by Elder Life Crane.

Yang An's heart tightened. 'It's finally my turn.'

'The old man wasn't going to let him off so easily.'

According to what Senior Brother Fu Ming had told him, turning in all his Cultivation Techniques could be exchanged for one chance to perform visualization on the Earth Spirit Stele.

But now, the old man was demanding them, rather than Yang An offering them up voluntarily. The meaning was completely different.

"You weren't the only one who broke the rules. You violated them as well, but your master can give you a chance to atone."

"Just hand over the Cultivation Techniques, and this matter will be considered settled. Your master can also give you a chance to perform visualization on the Earth Spirit Stele. What do you think?"

Fu Ming, at the side, also looked at Yang An.

They both knew what Elder Life Crane meant by "breaking the rules."

Yang An, at the Visceral Stone Realm, had killed Zi Luan, whose Cultivation Level had been sealed. This was the violation he was referring to.

If it came to punishment, Yang An couldn't escape responsibility either.

At this moment, Yang An was pondering the meaning behind the old man's words. He also knew what the old man was talking about.

He had been a little nervous, but after hearing the old man's words, he calmed down.

These Cultivation Techniques were useless to him now anyway, and he had planned on turning them in. Since the old man was demanding them, giving them up made no difference.

As far as this matter was concerned, it wasn't his fault the old man hadn't noticed his breakthrough into the Visceral Stone Realm. The so-called punishment was just an excuse to demand the Cultivation Techniques.

What Yang An cared about was the chance to perform visualization on the Earth Spirit Stele. As long as he could get that, handing over the techniques was nothing.

He acted swiftly, pulling several scrolls from his Meat Burial Talisman—all the Cultivation Techniques he possessed.

With a light wave of his hand, Elder Life Crane took all the Cultivation Technique Scrolls.

But just then, He Tou let out a sly laugh from the side.

"Old man, you're letting this kid off too easy! No, no, let me handle this!"

It then turned its head to look at Yang An.

"Little disciple, your master knows you want a chance to perform visualization on the Earth Spirit Stele. Fine! But you did make a mistake, so there's a condition!"

"When you become your master's seventh disciple, the opportunity to perform visualization on the Earth Spirit Stele will be yours."

"What do you think?"

"..."

'Dammit, I've been screwed over!'

Seeing He Tou's treacherous expression, Yang An's heart went cold.

The old man first made him hand over all the Cultivation Techniques, only for He Tou to go back on their word.

'One plays good cop, the other plays bad cop. They'll really stoop to anything.'

But there was nothing Yang An could do. If the old man had used force, he would have had to hand over the Cultivation Techniques anyway. At least for now, he still had the qualification to perform visualization on the Earth Spirit Stele; it just came with a seemingly difficult precondition.

Perhaps in the old man's eyes, he only had the Cultivation Technique for the Early Stage of the Viscera Stone Realm, while the former Eighth Senior Brother, now the Seventh, had already obtained the technique for the Late Stage of the Viscera Stone Realm.

If he wanted to kill the Seventh Senior Brother, he would have to face a Late Stage Visceral Stone Realm cultivator with only an Early Stage Cultivation Level. This was by no means an easy task.

But!

'Who said I only have the Cultivation Technique for the Early Stage of the Viscera Stone Realm?'

A cold sneer formed in Yang An's mind.

'Old monster, oh, old monster... you forced my hand.'

"This disciple is willing to accept."

Yang An seemed to hesitate, remaining silent for a long while before responding, as if he had made a very difficult decision.

He Tou wore the sinister smile of a successful schemer. If Yang An had dared to say no, his fate today would likely have been no better than that of Wild Forbidden and You Hong'Er.

"He who understands the times is a wise man. My good disciple."

"..."

He Tou was generous with its praise, but it sounded more like mockery.

With the matter concluded, Elder Life Crane still had things to discuss with Fu Ming, so Yang An took his leave from the Heavenly Respect Pavilion.

Outside the Heavenly Respect Pavilion, his Senior Brother and Third Senior Sister were gone. They had probably recovered and left.

On the ground were two patches of rendered fat from where they had been scorched, leaving two stains and a faint, lingering scent of roasted meat.

Yang An frowned, glanced at the sight, and headed back to his residence. The old man had been ruthless. He didn't believe Wild Forbidden and You Hong'Er would dare cause trouble for him now, so he wasn't too worried on the way back.

Upon returning to his residence and seeing the Corpse Slaves still guarding the entrance, Yang An immediately thought of the former Eighth Senior Brother, who was now the Seventh Senior Brother.

The situation now was that only a few of his peers remained above him.

Seventh Senior Brother Jiang Hechuan, Sixth Senior Brother Jin Tong, Fifth Senior Brother Ji Bu, Second Senior Brother Fu Ming, and Senior Brother Wild Forbidden.

Looking at it this way, if the Seventh Senior Brother's Cultivation Level was now Late Stage Visceral Stone Realm, then the Sixth Senior Brother was very likely in the Corpse Transformation Realm!

These fellow disciples were indeed even more terrifying than he had imagined.

After entering the Corpse Transformation Realm, one could amplify the power of their Techniques. It was truly not a level the Visceral Stone Realm could contend with.

Yang An's previous fight with Wild Forbidden was a perfect example.

Wild Forbidden hadn't used his full strength, yet Yang An, despite giving his all, was still completely dominated. The gap between the Corpse Transformation Realm and the Visceral Stone Realm was truly vast, so large that it was nearly impossible to succeed in a challenge across realms.

'If I could get my hands on the Corpse Transformation Realm's Cultivation Technique...'

A strong sense of anticipation grew in Yang An's heart.

He was different from others. Although a Cultivator in the Corpse Transformation Realm could amplify the power of their Techniques, they also had to bear the amplified cost.

But he didn't!

Once he entered the Corpse Transformation Realm, it would be like mastering a Technique amplifier with absolutely no side effects. With his enemies weakened and him strengthened, the benefits he would gain would be greater than anyone else's.

At that time, he might even have what it takes to face Wild Forbidden head-on!

But, anticipation aside, there was still an old problem that Yang An had always been forced to face.

He had the subsequent Cultivation Technique, but he lacked a suitable Dao of Destiny Technique. Cultivating the *Mystic Path Decoded* required both the Cultivation Technique and the Technique; lacking either one made it impossible to advance to the next realm.

His other fellow disciples might not have such high requirements for their choice of Dao of Destiny Technique, so they could fuse any Technique to create one.

But Yang An couldn't. His initial choice had already set his path. In the future, he could only become a being of light and heat.

This was a path he had to see through to the end, or not walk at all.

Otherwise, if he switched to a different type of Dao of Destiny Technique later and abandoned Light Magic, it would only result in a half-baked failure, destroying his own foundation.

'That's not an option.'