A thought sparked in Luo Zhen's mind, and reality bent to accommodate his will. Two magnificent azure wings, crafted from pure spiritual energy and scaled flesh, erupted from his shoulder blades. With a powerful, singular flap, the air compressed beneath him, launching him skyward.
He ascended above the chaos, a lone predator claiming the domain of the sky.
Below him, the scene was one of desperate, terrestrial struggle. Nearly a hundred cultivators—a mix of human martial artists and monstrous Demon Generals—scrambled over the rugged terrain of the Secret Realm. They were powerful in their own right, earth-bound titans capable of shattering boulders, but gravity held them in chains. Among them all, Luo Zhen alone possessed the gift of flight.
He held the ultimate tactical advantage.
His wings beat a steady rhythm against the wind as he banked, locking his gaze on the streak of white light tearing across the landscape below. It was fast, blurring through the underbrush, but Luo Zhen was faster. He cut through the air, closing the distance until he hovered directly above the fugitive light.
Looking down, the true form of the prize revealed itself. It wasn't a beam of magic or a gemstone; it was a Ginseng Doll, barely a foot long. It looked like a chubby, pale infant, absurd and surreal, pumping its two stumpy root-legs as it sprinted for its life.
Behind the sentient root, a dust cloud billowed, kicked up by dozens of greedy pursuers. It seemed as though half the powerhouses within the Secret Realm had converged on this single point, their eyes red with avarice.
Luo Zhen smacked his lips, his serpentine pupils narrowing. A translucent interface shimmered into existence before his eyes, analyzing the target.
[Target: Ginseng Spirit]
[Rank: Saint Tier 1]
[Attribute: Wood]
[Description: A Spirit Ginseng from the Spirit Pool Secret Realm. Through a convergence of fortune, it has gestated a physical form, breaking the shackles of the soil to roam freely.]
"A shapeshifting Spirit Ginseng. A rare find indeed." Luo Zhen's heart hammered against his ribs. Saint Tier. This was the kind of resource that started wars.
He folded his wings tight against his body, surrendering to gravity. He dropped like a hawk diving on a field mouse, the wind screaming in his ears.
Whoosh!
A gale-force wind announced his arrival. In the blink of an eye, Luo Zhen materialized behind the sprinting Ginseng Doll. The creature started, its wooden joints locking up in terror, but it was too late. Luo Zhen's hand lashed out, fingers clamping around the root with the force of an iron trap.
"Got you."
The pursuit team skidded to a halt, their momentum turning into collective outrage.
"The audacity!"
"Put the doll down, you filth!"
Luo Zhen's interference had shattered the fragile truce of the chase. Enraged, the mob didn't hesitate. Human martial artists drew their steel; Demon Generals bared their fangs. The air grew heavy with killing intent as a barrage of martial arts and elemental spells tore through the space, aiming to turn Luo Zhen into a fine mist.
But the sky belonged to him.
With a violent thrust of his wings, Luo Zhen rocketed upward, spiraling out of the kill zone. Fireballs, ice shards, and sword beams exploded harmlessly against the ground where he had stood a microsecond before.
"That guy..." One of the human warriors squinted against the sun, realization dawning on his face. "That's the Demon General! The one Senior Red Face put a bounty on!"
"Since when do Demon Generals have wings?" another shouted, his voice laced with disbelief. "What kind of abomination is he?"
"Who cares about his pedigree?" a man in heavy armor roared, shaking his spear at the heavens. "He has the Ginseng Doll! That is a Saint Rank spirit! It can take human form! We cannot let a prize of that magnitude simply fly away!"
The human faction bristled with hostility, their weapons tracking Luo Zhen's flight path. The Demon Generals, however, wore expressions of dark conflict.
Though they shared the broad classification of 'Demon Race' with Luo Zhen, the label was a deceptive umbrella. The Demon Race was a fractured mosaic of tribes—Snake, Tiger, Wolf, Eagle—countless species with ancient blood feuds. There was no solidarity here. In fact, the animosity between different demon species often eclipsed their hatred for humanity.
To the Demon Generals on the ground, Luo Zhen wasn't a brother-in-arms; he was a competitor who had just stolen their meal.
"Hey! You, surnamed Luo!" A Demon General at the peak of the Demon Core Realm stepped forward, projecting his voice with spiritual energy. "Hand over the Ginseng Doll! Do this, and I pledge on my honor that no one in this Secret Realm will dare touch you!"
"Correct!" another chimed in, desperation creeping into his tone. "Give it up, and we will ensure your safe passage!"
Hovering high above, Luo Zhen looked down at them with a look of genuine amusement.
"Why on earth would I do that?" Luo Zhen asked, his voice carrying clearly over the wind. "This doll is just as useful to me as it is to you. I caught it. Naturally, I'm going to eat it."
"You dare swallow a Saint treasure alone?" The leading Demon General sneered, his diplomatic facade crumbling. "Take a look at your position, fool. You've offended the Human Race; they want your head to trade for resources. Now you want to offend us, too? Without our protection, you won't take a single step in this realm without bleeding."
"Protection?" Luo Zhen threw his head back, his laughter booming like rolling thunder. "If you want the doll, come up here and take it!"
He didn't wait for a response. With a powerful stroke of his wings, he turned and sped toward the horizon.
"Don't let him escape! Sword Control Technique!"
A human cultivator roared, performing a complex hand seal. A flying sword detached from his back, shrieking through the air as it homed in on Luo Zhen. It was the signal the mob needed. The sky lit up as dozens of attacks were launched in a final, desperate volley.
Luo Zhen didn't even look back. He banked left, dipped right, and ascended into the cloud layer, weaving through the attacks with contemptuous ease. Within moments, he was nothing but a speck in the distance, leaving the mob raging at the empty sky.
Silence descended on the group, heavy and bitter.
"Boss," a young human martial artist broke the silence, turning to his leader. "He's gone. And we can't fly. What do we do?"
The leader, a scarred veteran of many expeditions, stared at the horizon where Luo Zhen had vanished. He remained silent for a long moment, calculating.
"It's fine," he said finally, his voice cold. "He may have the doll, but the game isn't over."
"How so?"
"What is the primary objective of this Secret Realm?" the leader asked. "It isn't the herbs. It's the Spirit Pool. Compared to the Pool, the Ginseng Doll is merely an appetizer."
He turned to address his men, a cruel smile touching his lips. "Every living thing in this realm is drawn to the Spirit Pool. If that snake, Luo Zhen, wants to absorb the Spirit Water, he has to land. He has to come to the water's edge. And when he does, we will be waiting."
"We kill him then," the youth realized, eyes lighting up. "We take back the doll from his gut and trade his corpse to Senior Red Face."
"Exactly. We go to the Spirit Pool and wait for the rabbit to run into the tree stump."
The surrounding cultivators and demons nodded in agreement. It was a sound plan. The logic was flawless.
"There is one problem," a Demon General interjected, his voice dropping an octave. "The Crystalline Light Beasts."
The mention of the name sucked the enthusiasm out of the air.
The Crystalline Light Beasts were nightmares indigenous to the Secret Realm. Their taxonomy was a mystery, but their lethality was a known fact. They were fearless, heavily armored, and incredibly strong. A single adult beast could fight a Late-Stage Demon Core General to a standstill. And they never traveled alone.
Worse, every pack was led by an Alpha—a beast bordering on the level of a Demon King.
"The beasts occupy the Spirit Pool," the Demon General continued. "Whenever the pool fills, they swarm it. To get to the water, we have to butcher the pack."
A silence stretched out, filled only by the wind.
"The beast pack is a hurdle, yes," a peak Origin Core human martial artist mused. "But we have numbers. Here is the plan: we scatter now. Scour the area for other herbs and resources. When the time is right, we converge on the Spirit Pool. We combine our strength to wipe out the Crystalline Light Beasts, and then... we ambush Luo Zhen."
It was an alliance born of necessity and greed.
"Agreed," the crowd murmured.
Slowly, the mob broke apart, dissolving into small squads that fanned out across the wilderness, each harboring dreams of slaughter and riches.
Miles away, Luo Zhen touched down in a secluded ravine, sheltered by high rock walls.
He scanned the perimeter with his spiritual sense. Detecting no heartbeats, he finally allowed himself to relax and inspect his prize.
The Ginseng Doll writhed in his grip. Up close, its humanoid features were crude—more caricature than creature. Its skin was fibrous, and root-whiskers sprouted from its joints. It possessed no true intelligence, only a rudimentary instinct to flee. It was, for all intents and purposes, a magical vegetable.
"A wooden lump with no mind," Luo Zhen observed, his stomach growling in anticipation. "I won't stand on ceremony."
He didn't bother with alchemy or preparation. He lifted the squirming root to his mouth and bit down.
It crunched like a crisp apple and old earth. He chewed vigorously, grinding the fibers between his teeth before swallowing.
The moment it hit his stomach, the physical matter dissolved. It didn't digest; it detonated. A torrent of pure, concentrated spiritual liquid flooded his system. It rushed through his meridians like a breaking dam, washing away fatigue and impurities. It was an intense, overwhelming heat that bordered on pain but settled into a profound ecstasy.
Ding.
The mechanical voice of the System echoed in his consciousness.
[You have refined a Saint Rank Spirit Ginseng.]
[Experience Points Gained: 500,000]
[Host, your Experience Points have reached the critical threshold. Initiate Level Up?]
"Yes," Luo Zhen thought, not hesitating for a heartbeat.
[Experience Deducted. Upgrading...]
[Upgrade Successful.]
[Congratulations, Host. You have advanced to the Late Stage of the Demon Core Realm.]
A shockwave of light exploded from his body, illuminating the dark ravine. It lasted for several seconds, a visible manifestation of his expanding aura. When the light faded, the pressure radiating from him had deepened, becoming heavier, more ancient.
Luo Zhen exhaled a plume of white mist and pulled up his status panel.
Name: Luo Zhen
Race: Green Scaled Wyrm (Tier 1 Saint Beast)
Bloodline: Green Scaled Bloodline (Saint Tier 1)
Realm: Demon Core Realm (Late Stage)
Experience: 1,520,000 / 3,000,000
Innate Abilities: Elemental Sorcery (Water, Fire, Ice, Lightning), Winged Flight.
Skills: Phantom Eyes, Wild Thunder Strike, Demon Shadow Descent, Poison Arrow, Bind.
Defense: Green Jade Spirit Body.
Equipment: Thunder Cloud Saber (Pseudo-Magic Treasure).
"Incredible," Luo Zhen whispered, clenching his fists. The power coursing through him was intoxicating. "A single Saint herb pushed me through the bottleneck."
He glanced at the experience bar. To reach the peak of his current realm, he needed three million points. Thanks to the potent Ginseng, he was already halfway there.
"A few more top-tier herbs, or a session in the Spirit Pool, and I'll break through again."
He considered the Spirit Pool. He knew the location, and he knew about the Crystalline Light Beasts. He wasn't arrogant enough to charge into a nest of monsters alone.
Let the others do the heavy lifting, he decided. I'll stay in stealth. Once the humans and the other demons bleed themselves dry killing the beasts, I'll step in to reap the rewards.
For now, the hunt continued.
Luo Zhen flicked his tail, propelling himself out of the ravine and toward the East. His senses were picking up a signal—a dense concentration of spiritual Qi, stronger than usual.
But beneath the sweet scent of magic, there was the copper tang of blood.
Conflict. Struggle. Death.
Someone was fighting over treasure. And if the fight was this brutal, the treasure had to be worth it.
The valley was lush, a paradise of greenery that was currently being painted red.
Two squads were locked in a vicious skirmish. On one side, a group of Demon Generals; on the other, a team of human martial artists.
It was a massacre.
The demon squad, led by a female demon named Hong Yu, was being systematically dismantled. Twenty minutes ago, they had found a rare Spirit Fruit. Ten minutes ago, the humans had arrived. Now, Hong Yu's cousins lie dead or dying in the mud.
Only three demons remained: Hong Yu, her First Cousin, and her Second Cousin. They were backed into a corner, bleeding from a dozen wounds, their energy reserves critically low.
The humans, by contrast, were fresh. They were Sword Cultivators, and they moved with the terrifying synchronization of a machine. They had deployed a Sword Array—a formation that linked their spiritual energy, amplifying their attacks and creating an impenetrable defense.
"Stop! Please, stop!" Hong Yu's First Cousin screamed, parrying a blow that nearly took his arm. "We yield! Take the fruit! We don't want it! Just let us leave!"
"Let you leave?" A human swordsman laughed, his face twisted in a sneer. "You filthy beasts tried to compete with us. Death is the only currency we accept."
"Kill them all," another human commanded coldly. "The fruit is already ours."
The humans shifted their stance. The Sword Array hummed with power, the air vibrating as spiritual energy coalesced into a unified point.
Slash.
A massive beam of sword light, thick as a tree trunk, erupted from the formation.
Hong Yu and her First Cousin threw themselves to the ground, rolling through the dirt in a desperate bid for survival. They barely cleared the blast zone.
Her Second Cousin was not so lucky.
"Argh!"
The scream was cut short as the sword energy engulfed him. There was a wet, tearing sound, and then... nothing. Just a crater filled with red mist and ruin.
"Second Cousin!" Hong Yu shrieked, tears blurring her vision.
"No!" the First Cousin howled.
"Save your breath," the human leader taunted. "You'll see him again in hell."
The Sword Array flared again. The hum rose to a shriek. This time, two massive beams of energy materialized, locking onto the two survivors.
Hong Yu looked at the incoming death. She looked at her cousin, whose face was drained of all color. They were exhausted. Their weapons were chipped, their spirits broken. They had burned every ounce of energy dodging the last attack.
There was no way out.
"I... I shouldn't have brought us here," her cousin whispered, his voice cracking with regret. "The Secret Realm... It's a graveyard."
Hong Yu lowered her shattered weapon. A profound exhaustion settled over her bones. She closed her eyes, the image of the oncoming light burning behind her eyelids.
"Just make it quick," she whispered to the void.
She waited for the pain. She waited for the end.
Instead, the world exploded.
BOOM!
A shockwave rattled her teeth, but it didn't feel like the cutting edge of a sword. It felt hot. It felt electric.
Hong Yu flinched, opening her eyes in confusion. She wasn't dead.
The sword beams were gone. In their place, the air was filled with dissipating sparks of lightning and the scorched smell of ozone.
"Who is there?!" the human leader roared, spinning around to face the dense foliage on the valley's flank. "Who dares interfere with our kill?"
Hong Yu followed his gaze.
Standing on a ridge, silhouetted against the sun, was a figure. He was a hybrid of man and nightmare—green scales covering his skin, eyes like molten gold, holding a long saber that crackled with arcs of blue lightning. The lingering energy from his strikes sizzled on the blade.
He looked down at the battlefield with an expression of utter indifference.
Hong Yu's breath hitched in her throat. She knew that silhouette.
"Brother Luo?" she gasped, hope flooding her veins like fire.