Gentiri’s eyes widened until they seemed ready to burst from their sockets. He understood the young man’s words for what they were — a deliberate insult. Arya was mocking him, implying that his martial mastery was far too feeble to pose any real threat.“Silence, you insolent wretch!” Gentiri barked, his voice booming with fury. “Your insolence has gone too far! I will be the one to end your life!”Arya responded with nothing more than a faint, mocking smile. There was not the slightest trace of fear in his expression. Even if Gentiri’s roar could make lesser men turn pale as death, it seemed to slide off Arya like rain off a stone.“No matter what happens to me, do not interfere,” Gentiri warned, placing a firm hand on Prasojo’s shoulder. “I’ll silence this arrogant boy myself.”The old man stepped forward, his boots grinding against the dirt until only five paces separated him from Arya. He began to summon his killing aura, a suffocating pressure that could shatter the will of ordin

At one point, Arya deliberately allowed the old man to attack him. It was not because he underestimated him, but rather because he had a plan—one that would only succeed if the old man’s confidence broke once more.Sensing what seemed to be an advantage, Prasojo launched a relentless series of strikes. Yet no matter how fierce or skillful his attacks were, Arya deflected each one with ease, as though the old man’s every movement had already been predicted. Prasojo, blinded by pride and desperation, still did not realize that Arya was toying with him—methodically dismantling his spirit while letting him believe he was gaining ground.Powerful bursts of inner energy continued to surge from Prasojo’s palms and blade. He had stopped conserving his strength altogether, pouring everything he had into the assault, unaware that every ounce of energy he spent only deepened his defeat.“You’ve made a grave mistake siding with Sastra Wijaya, old man,” Arya said calmly while evading another blow

Sastra Wijaya slowly opened his eyes, which had been tightly shut for the past month. His face appeared far younger than before—almost youthful—despite his true age being well over a hundred years.“At last, you’ve succeeded, Sastra.”A humanoid figure without a face suddenly appeared before him.“Thank you for the guidance you have given me, My Lord. But if I may ask—while I was in that place, I heard countless screams of agony, cries that never stopped. What was that place called?” Sastra Wijaya asked with curiosity.“That place is called the Valley of Hell—a realm of torment reserved for souls who dared to oppose the demon race. Now, your task is to conquer this world. When the time comes, someone will aid you in accomplishing that mission.”Sastra Wijaya’s brow furrowed. He hadn’t expected the condition to be so heavy. Even if he could rule the mortal world, he realized he would still remain a subordinate.“Are you hesitating, Sastra? I could strip away your power this very instan

Although both Ki Mangkubumi and Elder Wiyasa were astonished and impressed, deep down they still harbored doubts about whether this man named Prasojo would remain loyal.It was no secret that warriors of the dark arts were notoriously difficult to trust—especially in matters as important as this.Unlike them, however, Rengga wasn’t troubled by such doubts. He was certain that Arya had made a calculated decision before recruiting a dark-arts warrior to join him. After all, the same had happened with Wiguna and his comrades who faithfully followed Arya to this day.“Brother, I’ve promised Uncle Prasojo a position. Please find an empty post suitable for him,” Arya said to Suryalaksana, before walking toward Prasojo, who was still stunned by the unexpected turn of events.“For now, get acquainted with the others. If you need anything, you can speak to Rengga. I’m going to meet my mother and wife. We’ll talk again tomorrow morning,” Arya cont

The leaders of the dark sects, once anxious that their followers’ morale might crumble, gradually regained their fighting spirit. At the very least, while waiting for the grand war to be declared, they had something to occupy themselves with. Moreover, the small raids against the white sects or nearby provinces served as a way to weaken the enemy’s strength little by little.Sastra Wijaya deliberately refused to follow the Demon King’s envoy’s advice to attack the kingdom directly. Instead, he preferred small-scale assaults—battles where victory was far more attainable.It was clear that Sastra Wijaya’s true intention was to conserve his forces. The combined strength of all the dark sects barely reached a hundred thousand men—an insignificant number compared to the alliance of white sects and royal armies.Thus, small-scale attacks were far more effective in securing victories.“Songgogeni, give instructions to everyone here. Show which points we’ll strike first,” ordered Sastra Wijay