Transmigration To Magus World-Chapter 46: Greed

The road wound upward, rugged and steep. It was a secluded and difficult path, overgrown with bushes and brambles, making the journey up the mountain an arduous task, filled with obstacles and discomfort.

Ordinarily, outer Clan disciples would rarely, if ever, take this path. After all, who would choose this treacherous and secluded trail when there was a well-paved, straight path of green stone leading directly to the mountain’s summit? Even the eccentric and unpredictable disciples of the Demon Clan would prefer comfort over unnecessary hardship.

People driven by the pursuit of profit always think about how to make their lives as comfortable as possible. Thus, when Aizen chose this rugged mountain path, the six disciples tailing him couldn’t help but feel puzzled. However, they quickly realized the reasoning behind his decision, and their evaluation of Aizen increased even further.

It was evident that Aizen had chosen not to take the main mountain road to avoid running into too many outer Clan disciples. Battles like the one he had earlier were best avoided if possible. If outer Clan disciples saw a black-clad disciple trying to ascend the mountain, especially under the suppression of the formation, those unaware of Aizen’s strength might underestimate him and start trouble.

Even if Aizen was confident in his ability to defend himself, facing a particularly powerful outer Clan disciple while under the suppression of the formation would put him at a disadvantage. Thus, taking the secluded path was the wisest choice. However, this path required immense courage and confidence in one’s abilities. Opting for the rugged, difficult route under the pressure of the formation showed Aizen’s absolute faith in his strength, which only made the six trailing outer Clan disciples more wary of him.

"Goro, what do you think of this person?"

One of the two groups of outer Clan disciples spoke up. The question came from a refined-looking young man holding an iron fan, his demeanor gentlemanly and his smile seemingly harmless. The iron fan youth’s eyes glinted with curiosity as he spoke.

In the other group of three, a large, corpulent man snorted, casting a wary sideways glance at the iron fan youth.

"Aren’t you always boasting about your cleverness, Vincent? Why are you asking me? In my opinion, this person might be able to reach the mountain, but he’ll surely be defeated by one of the senior disciples from the Clan."

The iron fan youth seeing Vincent laughed heartily at this. "I disagree. If this person dared to act as if we six didn’t matter and boldly ascended the mountain with his sword, he must have something to rely on. I think he’s very confident he can even defeat the senior disciples."

He glanced at the corpulent man, Goro, with a hint of suggestion in his eyes. "I heard that recently, a figure supported by the Left Faction in the black-clad disciples’ area died. That figure was the third-ranked black-clad disciple of this generation, named Leo..."

"But this person’s strength clearly surpasses Leo. He has been lying low for so long, yet today he’s making a high-profile ascent. He must have some secrets," Vincent remarked.

Goro’s expression shifted slightly. The two men standing beside him also exchanged glances, their eyes flickering with interest. However,Goro quickly let out a cold laugh.

"Vincent, I don’t care what secrets he has. If he’s stronger than me, that’s his business. Do you think I’ll be lured into provoking him over some imagined, possibly nonexistent secret?"

"Hahaha, Goro, I was just making conversation. No need to be so cautious. I actually think this guy is just putting on a show. Why don’t we join forces and test him out?" Vincent suggested, shaking his iron fan. His gaze followed Aizen’s figure, now partially obscured by the shadows of the trees dozens of Meters away.

Vincent was indeed tempted. Though he had observed from a distance, he had clearly seen Aizen’s powerful, sinister palm strike that had killed Horse-Faced Disciple and Lightning Blade earlier. The sheer force and venomous aura of that palm were truly terrifying.

After Aizen left, they had briefly examined Lightning Blade and Twin Blades of Death’s bodies. The deep, discolored palm imprints and the increasingly cold corpses left no doubt about the technique’s deadly potency. It was clear that Aizen had mastered an incredibly powerful palm technique.

For a black-clad disciple to have access to such high-level Sorcery arts was rare, but it wasn’t impossible. Sometimes, a lucky encounter would allow a disciple to secretly learn a strong technique, such as Leo’s Cloud Sparrow Movement or Red Lady Ada’s bizarre Poisonous Wine Skill.

Outer Clan disciples could learn ranked Sorcery arts, but each technique required a significant number of merit points. In the Heavenly Demon Clan, merit points were hard to come by. Aizen’s formidable palm technique hinted at a valuable Sorcery arts secret.

If Aizen happened to be carrying a Sorcery arts manual...

Vincent’s eyes glinted with cold calculation. His thoughts were interrupted by Goro’s blunt words.

"Vincent, I know what you’re plotting. You’re eyeing that palm technique of his. Sorry, but I’m not getting involved. That technique, while impressive, is likely no more than a seventh-rank skill. Anything higher would be beyond the physical and internal strength of someone at his level."

"I’m not taking that risk for a seventh-rank palm technique. If you want to, go ahead. I don’t."

With that, Goro glanced at his two companions and said, "Let’s go." He and his group left, unwilling to cooperate with Vincent.

"Brother Vincent, that fatso really doesn’t know what’s good for him. We don’t need them. The three of us can take down that kid ourselves," one of Vincent’s companions said coldly as Goro and his group departed.

Vincent shook his head, gazing up the mountain where Aizen’s figure had disappeared. "Don’t underestimate him. To be able to kill Lightning Blade and Horse-Faced Disciple in just a few moves, his strength must be close to the top hundred of the Clan. Even if Goro and I joined forces, there’d only be a sixty percent chance of winning. We might still fail..."

"But... is it really just a seventh-rank palm technique?" Vincent mused. His voice trailed off as he turned to leave. His two companions exchanged a glance, looking somewhat reluctant, but quickly followed him.

In the Demon Clan, small groups like this were common. Weaker disciples often banded together under a stronger leader to secure more resources. However, the disciples of the Clan were selfish by nature. Even when forming teams, the relationships were often temporary, with members frequently betraying or fighting one another.

Alliances and factions could be useful for the weak, but for the strong, they were unnecessary burdens. In the end, what truly mattered in the Demon clan was profit. The clan’s way was to exploit everything to the fullest, using any means necessary. Relationships were formed and broken based on interest alone.

If there was profit to be had, alliances existed. If not, they could be discarded at any moment.

Meanwhile, Aizen had already reached the halfway point up Demon Ox Peak, feeling the pressure of the formation pressing down on him...