Kaelan, Bai Huli, Huang Lang, and the other three step into the rift, shadows swallowing their forms as most of the demons trail closely behind.
The passage twists underground, narrow at first, then widening as they descend deeper, damp stone walls glowing faintly with hidden veins of light.
At last, the passage opens, revealing a vast ruined city, its air heavy with dust and silence, broken towers leaning and crumbling on either side of the worn path.
Their steps echo as they press forward, until the way halts before a towering black obsidian obelisk planted in the heart of the street.
Bai Huli's voice cuts sharply through the air, "Enlightenment stone!"
The other four demons echo her cry in shock, their faces pale with awe, the demons behind them murmuring restlessly, dread rippling through their ranks.
Only Kaelan stands unmoved, confusion shadowing his eyes as he steps forward and stretches out his spirit toward the strange monument.
At once, sound flows into him, faint at first, then rising clear—a voice preaching, solemn and eternal, pressing into his very soul.
His spirit sinks against his will, and a vague image begins to form in his mind, threads of truth weaving like chains to bind him.
Kaelan's breath sharpens as he rips his spirit back, face turning solemn, feathers shivering faintly.
The obelisk had not been silent.
It had been trying to influence him.
Kaelan keeps his discovery to himself, silent while the others argue over their next move.
The demons whisper among themselves, voices trembling as they name the obelisk a holy relic of the Night Dynasty, a monument once placed only in their greatest cities.
A thousand years ago, the Night Dynasty ruled the entire continent, ushering in the golden age of demons, until the gods descended and shattered their empire.
The gods declared every obelisk a forbidden item, and now even finding one meant danger if they failed to report it.
Kaelan learns all of this through the lesser demons, their fearful thoughts spilling freely as they debate.
The five stare at the obelisk, reluctant to give it up, for the voice within reveals fragments of heaven and earth's intention.
Comprehending even a trace of such intention could propel one directly into the Core Formation Realm.
But Kaelan remains unmoved, his gaze cold, for he knows the voice is not truth but the imprint of another's understanding.
Repeated listening would indeed bring advancement, but it would also chain the listener's will to the owner of that voice.
And in Kaelan's mind, there can be little doubt—the voice belongs to the Night God himself, the vanished ruler of the Night Dynasty.
Legends claim the Night God was slain by the Shining Sun Goddess, while others whisper he survived, wounded, and waits in the dark to strike against the gods.
After a long debate, Bai Huli breaks the silence and urges them to report the discovery to the Demon Temple.
Kaelan quietly pulls the truth from the minds of the lower demons—the Demon Temple is one of the great powers born after the fall of the Night Dynasty, sworn to restore it and rule all demonkind.
If such a force learns of the obelisk, they will guard it at all costs.
Kaelan has already achieved his purpose and has no wish to linger.
He says flatly, "Send me my share of demon stones. I am leaving."
Without waiting for a reply, he turns, flies back through the passage, and steps out of the rift into open air.
His figure cuts across the sky, heading for his cliff.
An hour later, the slope beneath his dwelling comes into view, with wooden houses scattered along the path.
As he descends, Chen Qi steps out from one of the houses.
Since becoming Kaelan's dependant, his thoughts are an open book, and Kaelan hears his worry—whether his master has found a way to solve their cultivation problem.
Kaelan lands, calm as stone.
Chen Qi bows deeply, voice steady, "Master, the mission is complete."
Through his thoughts, Kaelan already understands the rest.
"Bring out the four bandits," he orders.
Inside one of the houses, Nie Hou, Gong Er, Li Wen, and Li Qiang sit, untied, yet too fearful to flee under Chen Qi's watch.
Li Qiang mutters, "Something heavy landed on the cliff."
They feel the ground's tremor, hear a door creak open.
Gong Er stiffens, whispering, "The demon must have returned."
His eyes dart to Li Wen. "Third brother, what should we do?"
Li Wen slowly opens his eyes, breath shaky, and sighs. "What can we do, except wait for our fate?"
Nie Hou frowns. "Third brother, don't be so down."
Li Wen's voice trembles as he snaps back, "Brother, you didn't listen to the stories… how demons eat humans? Chen Village is going to sacrifice us to the demon."
Fear creeps into Gong Er's and Li Qiang's eyes.
Nie Hou leans forward. "Brothers, do you remember I went to Qinghe City a few days ago?"
They turn to him, desperate for any thread of hope.
Nie Hou lowers his voice. "I heard of a Qi Refining sect that attacked the demon… but he let them all go."
A spark of light flickers in their eyes, but the moment is cut short.
The door creaks open, moonlight spilling across the floor.
Chen Qi stands in the doorway, shadow tall, voice calm. "Follow me."
They exchange nervous glances. Nie Hou nods, and one by one they rise.
Stepping outside, their heads tilt upward—and their blood runs cold.
Hundreds of crows perch along the cliffside, eyes glowing in the pale light, watching.
As they follow Chen Qi up the slope, their gazes lift further—to the largest crow they have ever seen, its presence suffocating.
They halt before the demon. Its beak does not move, yet the words echo inside their skulls.
"Tell me about the antidote."
The lanky bandit trembles, thoughts racing, panic shaking his knees.
Kaelan brushes his mind, pulling the knowledge before his lips can form a word.
"Silverleaf frost herb, Blackiron marrow stone, Ghostvine root… and the blood of a Double-Horned Sheep."
Li Wen's face drains of all colour. His knees buckle, slamming against the earth.
Head pressed into the dirt, he sobs, voice breaking.
"Please, great demon… don't eat me… spare me, I beg you!"
Kaelan does not react to Li Wen's desperate cries.
His gaze shifts toward one of the waiting crows. "Go inform Chen Village to purchase these ingredients and bring them here."
The crow bows its head, cawing, "Yes, Master," before spreading its wings and vanishing into the night sky.
Kaelan's attention returns to the bandits. His voice is calm, detached. "Now, there is no need for you four. What am I to do with you?"
Nie Hou drops to his knees, forehead pressed to the ground. Gong Er and Li Qiang follow immediately, trembling, and finally, Li Wen collapses again.
Nie Hou's voice cracks as he pleads, "Great Demon, we surrender to you! Do not eat us—we can bring more humans for you to consume!"
Li Qiang, Gong Er, and Li Wen nod frantically, echoing his words.
Kaelan's gaze remains steady, though his thoughts stir. For the sake of survival, they would sacrifice their own kind. He does not blame them. Perhaps, if he had been in their place, he would not have acted differently.
From the feathers along his side, a faint glow flickers.
The golden sword slips free, small as a pendant, floating into the air. In an instant, it expands, gleaming in the moonlight.
Kaelan gestures toward the weapon. "Do any of you recognise the symbols drawn upon this sword?"
Chen Qi and the bandits peer closely at the blade. Their eyes trace the strange, twisting markings.
Li Wen and Chen Qi speak at once.
Li Wen stammers, "Great Lord… they are called runes."
Chen Qi bows slightly. "They are runes, Master."
Kaelan's eyes narrow with thought. "Is there any book that teaches runes?"
For a long moment, none of them answers. Silence presses heavily, broken only when Nie Hou hesitates, then speaks, "There… may be, in Mist Lake Town."
Chen Qi and the other three bandits echo in confusion, voices overlapping, "Mist Lake Town?"
Kaelan's gaze sharpens. He cannot pierce Nie Hou's thoughts—his cultivation as a master shields his mind. "Where is Mist Lake Town?"
Nie Hou swallows hard. "Inside Yunmeng Lake."
Kaelan's tone is final. "Then bring me a few books about runes, you four."
Four black feathers drift from his body, twisting midair before hardening into small blood seeds. They plunge into the bandits' flesh.
Agonised screams erupt as the seeds writhe through their veins, warping bone and blood, their bodies convulsing under Kaelan's power. Madness paints their faces as they claw at the earth, until at last the transformation settles.
By the time the first rays of dawn crest the horizon, the four kneel before him, their breaths ragged, their eyes glazed with hunger.
Kaelan waves a wing. "Go. Feed."
Without hesitation, the bandits leap from the cliff, racing down into the world below, wild with their new thirst.
Only Kaelan and Chen Qi remain.
Chen Qi steps forward, bowing low. His voice carries unease. "Master… there are troubles in my cultivation."
Kaelan does not look at him. His voice is steady, absolute. "I will fix it after seeing Chen Wei break through to the Master Realm."
With that, he turns, settling at the cliff's edge.
The wind carries the scent of the morning sun as his spirit sinks into the jade stone, the Death Spirit cultivation technique unfurling within his mind.