Rise of The Demon General

Amon helped Xin Wuming prepare the Thousand-Year Mandrake. He boiled it until the mandrake's poison was gone. He then handed it to Xin Wuming.

Xin Wuming knew what this Thousand-Year Mandrake could do. He was stunned that Amon had the mandrake. He was sure that Amon had gotten this mandrake from the secret dimension. What puzzled him was, how did Amon smuggle such a valuable thing past the White Cloud's inspection? Furthermore, Amon even gave such a valuable treasure to him. He was extremely touched by this. He knew then that following Amon was indeed the correct path.

Xin Wuming consumed the mandrake without hesitation. Amon wanted Wuming to do it right here because if he took it back to the clan, there was a chance of the mandrake being discovered and taken by someone else in his clan.

After finished consuming the mandrake, they just sat there and waited silently.

After a while, Amon saw the change in Xin Wuming's expression. Xin Wuming's face changed to a grimace. He soon started clutching his body and uttered a repressed groan. When he couldn't take it anymore, he started screaming. He fell to the floor and curled up in pain.

Amon just watched him silently without expression. 'Good,' he thought. The Thousand-Year Mandrake was not wasted.

Xin Wuming felt that the pain lasted for a very long time. It felt like hours, but Amon who watched the progress knew that it only lasted for around five minutes. After enduring the extreme pain, the pain suddenly vanished just like that. Xin Wuming sat up from the floor and inspected his body. He was full of sweat. His shirt was also in tatters because he had ripped it apart when he was in pain.

"What kind of special constitution have you gotten?" Amon asked.

"I… I'm not sure," Xin Wuming answered.

Amon didn't find this strange. Most who had gotten a special constitution didn't know it until a specialist check their body. Or when they found out they could do something others normally couldn't. For those who managed to trigger the emergence of their special constitution, every single one was unique.

Xin Wuming then noticed Amon was still watching him. He felt embarrassed about his appearance.

"I'm sorry!" He said. He hurriedly got up and turned around. He took off his tattered clothes and cast them away. He took a cloth from his space ring to wipe his sweat before taking out a clean set of clothes to wear.

While he was doing that, Amon's eyes never left his body.

"Hm?" Amon's brows were lifted. Xin Wuming's body had lots of scars when they entered this room, testaments of his experience inside the secret dimension. But now, his skin was as smooth as a newborn baby's.

Xin Wuming went back to sit beside Amon after he was done donning new clothes.

"Thank you, big brother Lin Mo. I'm forever in your debt. If you need anything…"

Before Xin Wuming could finish his sentence, the Swan Dagger appeared in Amon's hand and he slashed it without warning. Xin Wuming's exposed right arm was slashed, resulting in a long cut along the arm. Blood spurt from the open wound.

Xin Wuming reflexively jumped back in consternation while holding his wounded arm. "Bro–brother Lin mo…! What do you mean by this…?!"

Amon didn't answer. His gaze stayed on the cut he had caused.

"Bro… Brother…!" Xin Wuming called again.

Instead of answering, Amon pointed at Xin Wuming's right arm. Xin Wuming looked down. The long cut that he was holding, was closing at a speed visible to his eyes. Blood had stopped coming out. Xin Wuming also realized he no longer felt the pain, just a faint tingling as his wound was closing. Not long after, the long cut was completely closed and just a long scar was left. He moved his arm near his eyes to have a better look. Soon, that scar was also gone.

"This…," Xin Wuming was lost for words.

"It seems that you have gotten a rather interesting special constitution," Amon said. "Your body can heal at an extreme speed all by itself. You will be a very hard person to kill from now on."

After hearing the explanation, Xin Wuming immediately went down on all four before Amon. He lowered his head and said, "My debt to big brother is one I won't be able to pay for my entire life. If big brother has any needs, just say the words."

"For now, keep this ability to yourself," Amon said. "Although you are hard to be killed, you are also still very weak. Exposing it will only bring trouble if someone else captures you to study your ability."

"I… I understand," Xin Wuming understood what Amon meant.

"I understand your clan will have spots for the entrance to the royal academy two years from now, am I right?" Amon asked.

"One," Xin Wuming answered. "My clan is a small clan, so we are only offered one spot."

"Fight for that spot. I will be going to the royal academy. I want you there as well," Amon said.

Xin Wuming bowed. "I will make sure I am there for big brother," he promised.

"Good. Now, take this as well. I believe you don't have one yet," Amon took out one of the two normal aetherium stones he had smuggled inside his black space ring.

"That... That's an aetherium stone!" Xin Wuming uttered. "My clan has one but it is reserved for our clan's head. This thing is very expensive. Only the most wealthy clans have ones to give to their top prodigies."

"Take it," Amon handed the aetherium stone to him.

Xin Wuming looked at Amon with eyes full of admiration. He slowly accepted the stone. While still holding the stone, he knelt and bowed to Amon again, without saying anything this time.

"Use it to increase your cultivation speed, but use it discreetly. You should know it will just get confiscated if your clan finds out," Amon said.

"I understand," Xin Wuming answered, his head still bowing.

"Good," Amon stood and went to the door. He opened it, but before he walked through, he called without looking back, "Wuming."

"Yes, big brother?" Xin Wuming said while still kneeling.

"Do not disappoint me."

Amon then left.

*

When Amon arrived back at the Lin estate, the first order of business was going to the spot in his courtyard where he had buried the space ring that contained all his belongings.

"Hm?" He noticed the grass that he put in place was no longer there. It was an exposed ground that had a trace that it had been dug.

Frowning, Amon dug the ground. He dug until he reached the depth where he remembered he had hidden the space ring, but it was not there. He continued digging. Nothing.

Someone had taken the ring.

While he was making an estimation as to who had the access as well as the intention to come to this place, his ears picked up footsteps approaching. He recognized the footsteps. He closed the ground he had dug and walked away from the spot before the person entered through the entrance of his courtyard.

"Mother," Amon greeted.

"You've returned," Madam Lin replied the greetings with a smile. She came over and hug him. "I am very glad. From what my brother told me about the finals, I understand not everyone returns from that secret dimension. Come, tell me all about your adventure inside."

They sat under the gazebo in the courtyard. Amon recounted his tale as Madam Lin requested. But of course, he left out the parts where he had killed the other youths. As well as the part about the Thousand-Year Mandrake or the pyramid's legacy. He mentioned his harvesting of the various spirit herbs, plants, and fruits, but he didn't mention that he kept all those things. He also mentioned his fights with the numerous spirit beasts.

"That dimension is indeed a dangerous place," Madam Lin touched the scar on Amon's right arm, where the arm was severed when he was fighting the Ethereal Bronze-skinned Snake. "It was a good thing you found that regrowth pill. Those pills are very expensive. They are also very rare, even if I have enough aer stones to buy them, there is no guarantee that a stock is available."

"Unfortunately, I have to give the remaining pills away to the White Cloud sect," Amon lied.

"It can't be helped," Madam Lin said.

"Mother, do you know who has come to this place when I'm away?" Amon asked.

"I don't let anyone enter your place except for me and the maids who keep this place clean," Madam Lin answered.

"I wish to know the names of the maids who have cleaned this place during my absence."

Instead of answering, Madam Lin pointed to the spot where Amon had hidden the space ring which was now gone. "I saw you walking from there when I entered," She said.

She then placed a space ring on the table. "Are you looking for this?" She asked.