Chapter 19: Dual-Rule Synergy |
"There is no need for you to know that," Nemus stated, unwilling to bring up his unbearable past.
When he first crossed over into this world, he experienced a classic Warlock genre beginning—occupying the identity of the second son of a minor noble.
Just as he thought he would start on the knight''s path before transitioning to a Meditation Method to become a Warlock, he caught the eye of the Church and became a member of the Precept Church.
Nemus rode high on success for a time, and it was during this period that he acquired the Breath of Holy Precepts.
However, his ultimate fate was plummeting into the Abyss and becoming a Heterogeneous Demon.
The past flashed through Nemus''s mind before settling back into silence.
He would not waste time lamenting over what had already transpired.
He would only seize every opportunity to reach the pinnacle and welcome his own future!
The effect of the Breath of Holy Precepts was incredibly prominent. It allowed the practitioner to immerse themselves in a specific law while breathing.
In other words, by using the breath to sense the Laws of Heaven and Earth, one could comprehend the vastness of the world, thereby gaining ample opportunities to elevate their own Number.
If cultivated to a profound level, advancing to the Iron Rank would be a given; even reaching the Golden Rank or Legend Rank would not be impossible.
It was said that practitioners would continuously receive "Revelation", eventually acquiring enough fortunate encounters to perfect their own Number.
Rumor had it that the practitioner would gradually develop the ability of foresight, learning their own destiny and consequently forging their personal Life Precept.
As long as they strictly adhered to that precept, they could avoid all disasters and ultimately usher in the sublimation of their destiny.
And according to Nemus''s own practical cultivation experience, all these rumors and tales were by no means false.
Of course, this technique was not quite as beautiful as one might imagine.
It was just that there was no need to let Downs know about its hidden pitfalls.
"Cultivating the Breath of Holy Precepts will grant you a special kind of evolution. The demonic aura within you will act as nourishment, fueling your body''s rapid growth," Nemus explained.
"After that, the matter regarding the demon will turn into a unique "precept". As long as you can uphold it, outsiders will find it incredibly difficult to detect the demon residing within your body."
Nemus then roughly outlined the cultivation method for the Breath of Holy Precepts, yet Downs simply stared back at him with a blank, dazed expression.
Even though he understood every single word Nemus said, his current comprehension of the Breath of Holy Precepts still stopped at the simple fact that he needed to breathe.
Nemus was not surprised by this.
Profound secret manuals were not something just anyone could pick up and learn.
Downs was merely a shepherd who had never attended a single day of school. Even now, he likely could not spell his own name correctly. If you asked him about the habits and moods of sheep, however, he could talk for hours.
But when faced with a breathing technique that required an extremely high level of cultural literacy to grasp, he was utterly lost.
"Fortunately, I never expected you to learn it relying on your own ability!" Nemus declared. The Oath Rope on his body flickered, and a single cord split off from the rest.
Except this time, the more one looked at this cord, the less it resembled a rope. Instead, it looked like a snake covered in scattered black scales.
This was the "Aberration" trait brought about by his contract with the Watchman.
The "black snake" sprang forward, its sharp tip instantly piercing Downs''s chest. The rope then slightly dispersed and unraveled, sending fine, fibrous threads deep into Downs''s lungs.
The next moment, Downs felt as though he could no longer breathe.
His original breathing rhythm, habits, and even his very method of respiration were sealed away in an instant.
The Oath Rope became the medium for his respiration. This living entity seized control of Downs''s breathing, guiding it toward the Breath of Holy Precepts that Nemus had described.
A few seconds later, as his breathing changed, Downs''s physical state shifted as well. "Not understanding the meaning yourself, and only relying on someone else''s assistance to forcibly simulate the breathing frequency—this is probably the most inefficient version of the Breath of Holy Precepts," Nemus mused after observing him for a moment.
Although the Breath of Holy Precepts was a breathing technique, this top-tier method no longer solely relied on utilizing Life Aura.
A portion of it inherently involved the soul and spirit.
For most top-tier breathing techniques, entering an advanced state required making one''s very soul breathe as well.
Only when life and soul worked in harmony could one acquire all sorts of Extraordinary Traits.
Downs simply lacked the intellect for that, and Nemus did not need him to reach such a level anyway.
As long as it was barely sufficient, that was fine. The primary objective was for Downs to use this breathing technique to quickly master demonic power, then conceal his own abnormalities so he would not be discovered by the Church.
As for true power...
"You should have understood it, Krog," Nemus said, directing his words inward.
Although the Lesser Demon was equally brainless, the advantage lay in the fact that the Abyss possessed things like Demonic Inheritance.
Whenever a demon underwent Advancement, they could obtain sufficient information from the Abyssal Will.
Among this information were profound truths related to the world itself.
While the Lesser Demon had not acquired much, it was at least more than Downs. Having listened to the complete cultivation method, and with Downs serving as a forced "example", taking the initiative to execute the Breath of Holy Precepts would not be a major issue for it.
"After fumbling around for a bit, I can probably use parts of it," Krog admitted, acting exceptionally docile at the moment.
No matter how foolish it was, it should know by now that neither Nemus''s identity in life nor his status after falling into the Abyss were simple.
A mere Lesser Demon like itself could never outplay him. By obediently following orders now, it might even use this opportunity to quickly become a true demon.
"Then, later, I will impart to you the Dual-Rule Synergy that I figured out," Nemus offered, presenting another secret technique.
The purpose of this secret technique was to make the demon the internal core and Downs the external shell.
The two of them would simultaneously use different parts of the Breath of Holy Precepts, achieving the technique''s advanced effects through cooperation.
This would allow them to unleash combat power far beyond imagination.
After instructing his subordinate, Nemus returned to his own quarters.
There, he commenced his personal cultivation.
His daily sword art practice maintained the existence of his Sub-Rule, and following that, he began cultivating his breathing technique.
However, his current situation was grim. All the aura within Nemus''s body was dim, and no matter how he breathed, he could not mobilize it.
Seven Holy Nails were firmly embedded in his flesh. While they helped Nemus possess the Grace of Precepts, they also restricted his future.
With every breath Nemus took, the Holy Nails across his body throbbed with a faint pain.
Relying on his two Extraordinary Traits, his personal combat power was actually already sufficient.
His current cultivation was merely to further explore the Power of Faith.
As Nels breathed, deep within his soul, a cluster of soul energy with a structure entirely alien to this local world began to breathe in tandem.
Dual-Rule Synergy, initiated!