Transmigration To Magus World-Chapter 43: Challenging the Rules

How many thirty years can one have in a lifetime? There’s a saying that goes, "Thirty years on the east bank of the river, thirty years on the west." It serves as a reminder that time is enough to transform a person from insignificant to powerful—or to lead them from promise to ruin. Thirty years is no short span; it’s long enough for the tides to change, for the weak to become strong, or for the strong to fall into obscurity.

For over thirty years, no disciple in the Heavenly Demon Clan has managed to ascend to the rank of outer disciple by directly breaking through the barriers set by the Clan. It’s a challenge few would dare to attempt, and even fewer have the strength to accomplish. The process for an ordinary disciple to advance is governed by strict rules and regulations, structures that only the powerful elders of the Clan—the very creators of those rules—can circumvent for their children. Their privilege allows them to bend the regulations and grant their offspring easier access to opportunities others must struggle for.

So, there are generally two ways to rise within the Clan: adhere to the rules and succeed through submission, or wield enough influence to benefit from the system that you or your family have helped create. But there is a third way, a path that the Heavenly Demon Clan has always publicly encouraged: the way of challenging the rules.

Challenging the rules is not the same as breaking them. No Clan, not even one as chaotic and defiant as the Heavenly Demon Clan, tolerates those who blatantly destroy its laws. Even a place as focused on selfish ambition as this recognizes that some order is necessary to protect the interests of those in power. Demons in the Clan embrace selfishness to the extreme, and no one wants a rule-breaker who endangers their own gains.

Still, the higher-ups of the Heavenly Demon Clan, those who think of the long-term survival and supremacy of the Clan, hope for individuals who can challenge the rules within reason. Rules are created by people, and though they cannot be broken, they are meant to be tested. The Clan sees great potential in those who can defy regulations and still succeed. These rule-challengers often grow into extraordinary figures.

The Heavenly Demon Clan needs such people. They embody the Clan’s guiding principle: "Do as you please." Even if their actions grow increasingly outrageous, they do not cross into breaking the law, and instead, they become powerful demons who are still tied to the Clan. True threats are those who ignore and break the rules entirely, undermining the system and jeopardizing everyone’s interests. Such individuals, if they survive, become demonic overlords of unparalleled power.

Although the Clan claims to support the rise of such individuals, in reality, it fears them. The leaders may talk about embracing these giants, but they often suppress or even eliminate them when necessary.

Now, Aizen was preparing to do something that would challenge the rules. He had arrived at the base of Demon Bull Peak, one of the four outer Clan mountains in the West Courtyard. Since he had no desire to wait for the Grand Tournament, nor did he have the influential connections needed to be promoted by inner Clan deacons, his only option was to shatter the constraints of the rules with sheer strength. He would have to prove he deserved to be recognized as an exception.

Strength is the ultimate currency in the demonic Clan, but it must operate within the framework of established rules. If you are strong enough, you can challenge these rules, and if you are powerful enough to force people to compromise and surrender benefits, you can even reshape the rules.

As Aizen approached the base of the mountain, two outer disciples in purple robes descended the stone path. They were deep in conversation, laughing and carefree, but their expressions darkened when they spotted Aizen. It was rare for a black-robed disciple to approach the mountain of the outer Clan, and they were displeased, to say the least.

"Hey, you there! Stop right now and come over here!" One of the outer disciples, his eyes narrowed dangerously, shouted at Aizen, his voice harsh and commanding.

The other disciple, silent but equally hostile, fixed Aizen with a cold glare, his lips pressed into a hard line. They couldn’t believe the audacity of a mere black-robed disciple approaching this sacred area.

Aizen glanced at them briefly, his brow furrowed, but he didn’t stop. Instead, he took a detour along a rugged, narrow trail leading up Demon Bull Peak. It was a less traveled path, rocky and overgrown, but with Skylark Flight partially mastered, Aizen could traverse it with ease. His goal was to reach the Heaven’s Path formation without engaging any outer disciples prematurely.

But it seemed fate had other plans. He hadn’t even started his ascent when trouble found him.

Aizen knew better than to expect the outer disciples to ignore him. He always liked to give people a chance, to let them walk away if they chose to. But he also knew this was unlikely. In a place like the Heavenly Demon Clan, mercy was a luxury no one afforded.

Sure enough, the outer disciples were not about to let him pass. Aizen sighed internally. When cornered, he had no choice but to kill.

"Are you deaf, you little bastard?" shouted the first disciple, who had sharp, almost triangular eyes. "Looking to die today?" He stormed down the path, his robes flaring, and hurled several throwing knives at Aizen.

Aizen paused, sidestepped two of the blades, and deflected the third with a swift swipe of his iron sword. He turned to see the disciple’s face twist with surprise and a murderous glint.

"Not bad," the disciple sneered, drawing closer. The throwing knives had been a casual attack, but now he was ready for serious combat. He pulled a short sword from his sleeve, moving with a fluid grace, like a predator cutting through water.

The disciple lunged, his sword strike swift and deadly, with an undercurrent of further attacks. Aizen knew that any attempt to dodge or counter would be met with even fiercer blows. But Aizen didn’t retreat or flinch. Instead, he waited until the last moment, then deflected the strike with a precise movement of his iron sword. The disciple, surprised, crouched low and aimed another short sword at Aizen’s lower body.

A dual-wielding technique, fast and merciless. The disciple’s blades glowed with a sinister energy, ready to pierce Aizen’s defenses. The second outer disciple watched from a distance, his arms crossed, a smirk playing on his lips. He was looking forward to seeing Aizen cut down.

In the Heavenly Demon Clan, the rules were clear: outer disciples could not slaughter black-robed disciples indiscriminately on Demon Cloud Peak, but here at the foot of Demon Bull Peak, there were no such protections. The strong preyed on the weak, and life was cheap.

For Aizen, however, power would be the final word.