The Mortal Empire ended at the edge of fertile plains. Beyond that stretched the Demonic Frontier—a vast wasteland of cracked earth and choking miasma, where no bird sang, no grass grew, and the air itself seemed poisoned.
Here, the sky was always dark, heavy with the weight of demonic qi. The soil reeked of rot, twisted by endless slaughter. Mortals never ventured here. Even powerful sect masters rarely dared.
But today, a lone farmer walked casually through the wasteland, hoe resting on his shoulder.
Lai's expression was calm, his pace unhurried, as if he were inspecting his fields instead of strolling into the jaws of hell.
He stopped at a dried lakebed, crouching down. His fingers brushed against the black soil. "Mm… Scan."
The single word rippled across the world.
In an instant, the entire wasteland unfolded before his mind's eye—every corrupted beast, every hidden cavern, every drop of foul qi. Nothing could escape his gaze.
And there it was: at the very peak of Demon King Mountain, a faint green glow pulsed. A legendary herb, said to restore vitality even to mortals on the verge of death. The Evergreen Essence Root.
Lai's lips curved into a faint smile. "Found you."
He could have created it with a word. But where was the fun in that?
The Generals of the Mountain
The moment he set foot on the blackened slope, the mountain groaned like a living beast. Shadows thickened, and demonic howls shook the air.
Figures emerged from the mist—towering generals, bodies plated with bone armor, eyes burning with malice. Each step they took made the ground crack.
"Human…" one snarled, its voice like grinding stone. "You dare enter the Demon King's domain?"
Lai tilted his head, eyes half-lidded. "Human? No. Farmer."
Before the general could laugh, Lai whispered:
"Die."
The first general exploded in a rain of gore. Flesh, bone, and soul disintegrated in silence.
The other demons howled, their killing intent erupting. Dozens charged at once, weapons of bone and flame swinging down like falling mountains.
Lai didn't even shift his stance. He simply tapped his hoe into the ground.
"Paralyzed."
Every general froze mid-motion. Their weapons halted inches from his head, trembling violently as their owners strained in vain. Their eyes bulged with horror, their mouths twisted in soundless roars.
Lai walked among them, humming a soft tune. One by one, he snapped his fingers, and each demon collapsed into dust. Some had their hearts torn out mid-beat. Others had their skulls crushed like fruit. Still others watched as their own shadows devoured them alive before vanishing into nothingness.
To Lai, it was no different from plucking weeds from his fields.
The Demon King
The mountain shook violently. From the peak, a colossal shadow rose, its roar shattering stone and shaking the heavens.
The Demon King emerged—horns scraping the clouds, wings blotting out the light, claws capable of rending cities apart.
"Insect!" it thundered, voice cracking mountains. "TREMBLE BEFORE YOUR KING!"
Lai looked up, expression faintly bored. He raised his hand.
"Die."
The word was soft, almost lazy.
The Demon King's chest caved in instantly. Its bones shattered like brittle wood, its wings shredded into ribbons, its heart imploded. The beast howled once before its body disintegrated into dust, scattering across the mountain peak.
The world fell silent.
Lai stepped forward and plucked the glowing Evergreen Essence Root from the blackened soil. Its gentle light contrasted with the carnage around him.
"Good," he murmured, tucking it into his sleeve. "This will help my cabbages grow."
The White Tiger
As he turned to leave, a faint rattling reached his ears.
Beneath a shattered altar lay a magnificent beast—a white tiger, chained by blood runes that burned its flesh. Its fur was scorched, its once-proud golden eyes dimmed with exhaustion.
Lai crouched. "A celestial beast… no, you're different. White Demon Tiger, aren't you?"
The tiger growled weakly, lips curling.
"Heal."
The word shimmered through the air. Instantly, the tiger's wounds closed, bones mended, fur regained its luster.
Lai's voice was calm. "Break."
The tiger's cultivation surged violently. Barriers shattered one after another. From Foundation Establishment, to Core Formation, to Golden Core—until finally, it roared, stabilizing at the Peak of Nascent Soul.
The beast trembled as its body shifted, transforming into a young man with flowing white hair and sharp golden eyes. He knelt before Lai.
"Master…"
Lai waved his hand lazily. "Don't call me that. Follow me back to the farm. You can chase birds off my cabbages."
The tiger's eye twitched. "…Birds?"
"Mm. I'll call you Garfield."
"…Garfield?" The proud celestial tiger nearly coughed blood. But under Lai's gaze, he swallowed his pride and bowed. "As you command."
Cliffhanger – The Abyss Stirs
The mountain lay in silence. Demonic corpses had turned to dust, their essence erased.
But deep within the shadows, a single remnant spirit slithered, trembling in terror as it escaped through cracks in the void.
"He… killed the King…" it whispered, voice shaking. "The Abyss… the Abyss must be warned!"
The air trembled. Somewhere beyond the Mortal World, ancient eyes began to stir.
End of Chapter 2