My Monster-Derived Skills Are the True Power
Chapter 15: Secrets

Li Ye deployed three groups of "bait" to further his plans.

The first was Cao Bin, the chief disciple of Xuanguang Sect.

The second consisted of Wen Ziqian and He Zifan, disciples of the Third Elder of the Heavenly Dao Alliance. Their first journey down the mountain was intended to intercept Shi Xiang after hearing about the Dragon Emperor Technique. However, they lost their way and stumbled upon the Fun Seekers Club raiding Red Pavilion Stronghold, where they were promptly captured by Li Ye and his team.

The third group was made up of two captains from the Great Chu Kingdom's Inspection Bureau. This bureau held vast authority, monitoring officials and investigating rogue martial artists. The Fun Seekers Club’s actions caught their attention, and they naively came to investigate, only to be captured alive by Li Ye.

The impact of demonic energy on these martial artists was profound and fundamentally altered their understanding of the world.

Every intelligent being inherently seeks to evolve to higher forms of existence. To these martial artists, Li Ye represented a "third-kind encounter."

Even though Li Ye presented himself as a space pirate and a villain, it didn’t dampen their yearning for the "divine life" he depicted.

Hope, no matter how slim, was better than despair. After all, the "good guys" hadn’t been offering any such hope.

To Cao Bin and the others, bringing their masters or superiors to meet Li Ye wasn’t betrayal but rather a virtuous act. They firmly believed that even if their masters realized the deception later, they wouldn’t be blamed.

After sending off the two Inspection Bureau captains, Li Ye was preparing to return to Wolf Valley when a voice unexpectedly echoed in his mind:

"Li Ye, you’ve done well."

Startled, he stopped in his tracks and quickly pulled out the team badge, staring at it in disbelief.

"That’s right, it’s me," the badge said, emitting a faint yellow glow, as if it were breathing or speaking.

"You’ve gained sentience?" Li Ye’s heart raced. In three months of training with the Demon Hunting Bureau, no one had ever told him that demon artifacts could develop intelligence. He had only been warned that prolonged use could erode one’s nature, turning the user into a puppet of the artifact.

"We’re born with intelligence," the badge replied, its tone tinged with anger. "But the Demon Suppression Tower seals it away."

"Demon Suppression Tower?" Li Ye licked his lips, his curiosity piqued. "What’s that?"

"The name says it all. What else would it do?" the badge retorted, irritation evident in its voice. "Without it, how do you think you humans managed to tear through space?"

Li Ye finally understood.

He had long wondered how the Demon Hunting Bureau suddenly acquired the technology for time travel. The answer lay here: the Demon Suppression Tower.

Suppressing a chuckle, he shook his head. "Where did you come from?"

"I don’t know," the badge admitted. "From the moment I gained awareness, I was already inside the tower."

"Does every bit of demonic energy have consciousness?" Li Ye asked, a sudden idea forming.

"Of course," the badge replied confidently.

"Then, do all demon artifacts communicate with their users?"

"They can’t," the badge explained. "Any artifact connected to the Demon Suppression Tower has its intelligence sealed. I don’t know why, but for some reason, the tower’s seal on me has failed—perhaps because it’s too far away, or maybe you did something unknowingly."

Li Ye muttered to himself, wondering if his experiments with the badge’s abilities had caused this. He then asked, "Now that you’re sentient, what is your derived skill? How do I unlock it?"

"I don’t know," the badge said. "Although I’ve regained consciousness, much of my memory seems missing. I vaguely remember being very powerful, but I don’t know what my abilities were or why I was imprisoned in the tower. Right now, two things matter most to me."

"What are they?"

"Escaping the Demon Suppression Tower and growing stronger," the badge declared.

Li Ye recalled the Bureau’s warnings about demonic energy consuming itself to grow stronger. That part, at least, seemed consistent.

But the badge’s goal of escaping the tower raised questions. Did the Demon Hunting Bureau know this?

The badge continued, "The tower itself has intelligence. Otherwise, how could it seal us? It even tethered me with an invisible chain, ready to drag me back at any moment. Li Ye, let’s work together."

"Work together on what?"

"You help me break free from the tower’s control, and I’ll grant you immense power," the badge promised. "When the tower’s seal was breached, demonic energy escaped. Earth has the most demonic energy now, and as it devours itself, it will eventually create uncontrollable demons.

"Your Demon Hunters and weakened demon artifacts won’t stand a chance against them. If you return, you’re heading to your death. Why not stay in this universe and join forces with me to dominate this world?"

Li Ye froze.

For a moment, he couldn’t tell whether the badge had truly become sentient or if he was already losing himself to demonic energy.

The Demon Hunting Bureau had never recorded sentient artifacts. If they had, Yang Feng would’ve told him. Warning him in advance would’ve been common sense given the high mortality rate of Temporal Walkers.

Could every Demon Hunter have kept this secret?

No, something didn’t add up.

Had the Temporal Walkers really died?

An unsettling thought struck Li Ye, sending shivers down his spine.

If the badge’s sentience was due to distance from the tower, would any Temporal Walker, upon learning the truth, willingly return?

Earth was on the brink of apocalypse. As the badge said, the current peace was temporary. When super demons emerged, could the Bureau handle them?

In this world, however, Li Ye had become an Innate Expert within days with the help of demonic energy. Grandmaster status was within reach, and surpassing it wasn’t impossible.

Grandmasters were at the pinnacle of this world’s power structure. With the badge, Li Ye could live a life more luxurious than any emperor’s.

On Earth, his family had been ravaged by demons. Did he really need to go back?

One side offered comfort and glory, the other, a precarious existence.

Swallowing hard, Li Ye asked, "How do I break free from the tower’s control?"

"By devouring," the badge replied, its tone tinged with excitement as if sensing his hesitation. "I’ve detected two sources of demonic energy in this world. If I absorb them, I’ll be able to sever the tower’s chain."

Two sources of demonic energy?

Li Ye stiffened, a cold clarity piercing his thoughts.

He had assumed the Temporal Walkers faced only one demon. Now there were two.

No wonder their mortality rate was so high.

On Earth, teams of Demon Hunters tackled major demons. Here, he was alone against two.

Forget ruling the world—surviving was the priority.

Taking a deep breath, Li Ye said, "Fine, I’ll work with you. Let’s take down those two sources of demonic energy together."