DSE Chapter 123: Master's Tribulation (Patreon)

Morvran stood at the edge of the courtyard, his eyes wide with disbelief. The scene before him was unlike anything he had ever witnessed in all his 300 years of cultivation. His master stood motionless in the center of the courtyard, facing off against the enraged Sect Master.

He couldn't help but flinch each time Malachar's fist or foot came within a hair's breadth of Slifer's face.

This can't be happening, Morvran thought, his bald head glistening with sweat. The Sect Master has gone mad!

Malachar was a blur of motion, his attacks coming from every conceivable angle. Yet, somehow, none of them seemed to land. It was as if an invisible barrier surrounded Slifer, deflecting each potentially devastating blow. It was as if he was merely watching a mildly interesting play rather than facing a berserk Half-Step Immortal.

How is this possible? Morvran wondered, his eyes darting between Slifer and Malachar. Master isn't even moving, yet the Sect Master can't touch him.

As Malachar's assault continued, Morvran's mind raced. He had served Slifer for years, had seen the Supreme Elder's power firsthand. But this... this was beyond anything he had imagined.

When was the last time anyone actually landed a hit on Master? Morvran wondered, squinting as he tried to recall. It's been... months? Maybe even longer?

The more he thought about it, the more certain Morvran became. No one had successfully struck Slifer in combat for a very long time, at least not to his knowledge. His master would always stand motionless as attacks would either pass right through him or be stopped by some invisible barrier.

Morvran had first assumed it was because of Slifer’s breakthrough to Ascendant Realm, after all, it wasn’t strange for an Origin Realm cultivator to not be able to harm an Ascendant cultivator. However, now seeing both the tribulation as well as the Sect Master be unable to even land a hit, he had a new theory.

It must be some kind of formation technique, Morvran concluded, nodding to himself. A barrier so advanced it can even deflect attacks from a Half-Step Immortal. I've never heard of such a thing!

As the battle continued, Morvran found himself struggling to breathe. The sheer power radiating from Malachar was overwhelming, even from his position away from the courtyard.

If I'm feeling this from here, what must it be like for Master? Morvran wondered as he wiped away the sweat from his brow, his admiration for his master growing with each passing moment. He's taking the full brunt of not just the aura but the attacks themselves, yet he looks completely unfazed.

Suddenly, Malachar came to a stop opposite Slifer. The Sect Master's chest heaved, his eyes wild with fury.

"Why won't you fight back?!" Malachar roared, his voice distorted, sounding inhuman.

Slifer raised an eyebrow. "Because I can defeat you without lifting a finger.”

Malachar's response was a bone-chilling howl. The red demonic qi surrounding him began to swirl violently, growing darker and darker until it was pitch black.

Morvran's jaw dropped as he watched the transformation unfold. Malachar's robes disintegrated, vaporized by the intense energy radiating from his body. His form began to change, growing leaner and more bestial.

What in the name of the Heavenly Dao is happening?

Black horns erupted from Malachar's head, curving wickedly. His fingers elongated into sharp claws, and when he snarled, Morvran caught a glimpse of razor-sharp teeth.

"M-master," Morvran stuttered, "the Sect Master... he's..."

"A demon," Slifer finished, his tone surprisingly casual. "Yeah, I noticed."

Morvran's mind reeled. The Sect Master is a demon? But how? Didn't he fight against the demons thousands of years ago?

As if reading his thoughts, Slifer spoke again. "Looks like our esteemed Sect Master has been keeping some secrets."

Morvran glanced at his master, searching for any sign of surprise or concern. But Slifer's face remained impassive, almost bored.

Did he already know? Morvran wondered. Is there anything Master doesn't know?

The demon let out another roar, this one shaking the very foundations of the courtyard. "I'll devour your soul, human!"

Slifer yawned. "You know, I've heard that one before. Can't you demons come up with some new material?"

Malachar's response was to begin inhaling deeply, his chest expanding to an impossible size. Dark energy swirled around him, condensing into a ball of pure destruction.

Morvran's eyes widened in horror. That attack... if it hits, even the Master might not survive!

"Master!" he called out. "You must stop him!"

But Slifer remained still, watching Malachar with mild interest.

"Morvran," Slifer said calmly, "you might want to retreat even further."

Morvran hesitated for a moment, torn between obeying his master and trying to help. In the end, his loyalty won out, and he retreated further from the impending clash.

Malachar's body had swollen to twice its normal size, pulsing with dark energy. With a final roar, he unleashed his attack.

A torrent of black qi, wider than a house, shot towards Slifer. The air itself seemed to scream as the attack tore through it, leaving a trail of destruction behind.

Morvran's heart stopped. This is it, he thought. Even Master can't possibly survive this.

But just as the beam was about to strike Slifer, something incredible happened. An invisible barrier flickered into existence, catching the attack. For a moment, the black qi swirled against the barrier, trying to break through.

Then the barrier suddenly reflected the attack back at Malachar.

The Sect Master's eyes widened in shock, his demonic face twisting in disbelief. He had no time to dodge. The reflected beam struck him squarely in the chest, sending him flying backward with tremendous force.

Malachar's body crashed through the walls of the Supreme Elder’s house, disappearing into the structure.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then, BOOM, the house exploded.

Debris rained down across the courtyard. Dust and smoke filled the air, obscuring everything from view. Morvran threw up his arms to shield himself, coughing as the smoke reached his lungs.

As the dust began to settle, Morvran lowered his arms, squinting through the haze to find his master. To his relief, he saw Slifer standing exactly where he had been before, completely unharmed.

Slifer brushed some dust off his shoulder, looking mildly annoyed. "Well, that's just great. Do you have any idea how much it costs to rebuild a house these days?"

Morvran couldn't help but chuckle, relief washing over him. If his master was joking, then surely the danger had passed.

He watched as Slifer's gaze drifted upward, focusing on something Morvran couldn't see. A small smile played across the Supreme Elder's lips.

What does he see? Morvran wondered, following his master's gaze but seeing nothing but empty sky.

Turning back to the ruins of Slifer's house, Morvran realized something was missing. There was no sign of Malachar's body among the debris.

The Sect Master... he's gone? Morvran thought, bewildered. Did he flee? Or was he... destroyed?

As Morvran stood there, trying to process everything that had happened, memories of recent events flooded his mind. Just a few months ago, his master had struggled to breakthrough to the Origin Realm. The failure had been devastating, and when Slifer had rushed off to stop his disciple Tyrus from leaving the sect, Morvran had feared the worst.

I thought that would be the last time I'd see him. His cultivation was crippled. I didn't think he could survive against Tyrus, let alone... this.

But Slifer had returned, and since then, everything had changed. His master seemed more powerful, smarter, and even... kinder?

As Morvran pondered these changes, Slifer turned to face him. "Well, Morvran," the Supreme Elder said with a wry smile, "it seems I'm in need of a new house. Any suggestions?"

Morvran blinked, caught off guard by the casual nature of the question after such an earth-shattering battle. "I... I'm sure we can arrange something suitable, Master," he stammered.

Slifer nodded, seemingly satisfied with this answer. "Good, good. Oh, and Morvran? Let's keep what happened here today between us, shall we? No need to cause a panic in the sect or alert the other sects about my tribulation. I’ll release a statement after I consolidate my breakthrough."

"Of course, Master," Morvran agreed quickly. "But... what about the Sect Master? Should we pursue him?"

Slifer waved a hand dismissively. "No need. I have a feeling we won't be seeing Malachar for a while. Now, why don't you gather some disciples to help clean up this mess? And see if you can salvage any of my belongings from the rubble."

As Slifer turned away, Morvran found himself rooted to the spot, his mind still reeling from everything he had witnessed. With a shake of his head, Morvran set off to carry out his master's orders.

"You there!" he called out to a group of junior disciples who had gathered at the edge of the courtyard, drawn by the commotion. "Start clearing away the larger pieces of debris. Be careful not to disturb any formation remnants you might find."

As the disciples scurried to obey, Morvran found his thoughts drifting back to his master. How did Master Slifer become so powerful in such a short time? he wondered. And why does he seem so... different?

He remembered the Slifer of a few months ago - still formidable, but nothing like the invincible figure he had witnessed today. That Slifer had been more prone to outbursts of anger, more focused on personal gain and power. This new Slifer seemed calmer, more thoughtful, and oddly enough, more human.

Morvran's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of loud chewing. He turned to see his disciple, Dusty, stuffing his face with a steamed bun, crumbs falling onto his robes.

"Master?" Dusty mumbled through a mouthful of food, his eyes wide as he looked at the destruction. "What happened here? We felt the ground shaking all the way in the dining hall."

Morvran's eye twitched at the sight of his disciple eating at a time like this. He hesitated, remembering Slifer's instructions to keep the incident quiet. "Just a small accident during the Supreme Elder's cultivation," he said finally. "Nothing to worry about."

Dusty swallowed hard, nearly choking on his bun. His eyebrows shot up in disbelief as he pointed at the aftermath. "A small accident? But the entire-"

"That's enough questions," Morvran cut him off, snatching the half-eaten bun from Dusty's hand. "And enough eating! This is no time for snacks. Make yourself useful and help with the cleanup."

Dusty's shoulders slumped as he watched his master toss the bun aside. "But Master, I'm still hungry-"

"Now!" Morvran barked, pointing towards the rubble. "Before I decide you need extra training on an empty stomach!"

Grumbling under his breath, the little fatty trudged off to join the cleanup efforts, casting one last look at his bun.

We have an Immortal, Morvran thought as his gaze drifted back to where Slifer stood amidst the rubble, a small smile playing on his master's lips. Our very own Immortal in the Black Rose Sect.

Author's Note

Next chapter, we return to Slifer's POV and you'll see what rewards he got from the breakthrough!