Fallen Heaven: Rise of Faizi Tian
Episode 58 – Shadows on the South Road
The scream still echoed when Faizi Tian leapt onto the narrow trail, his sword gleaming in the pale morning light. The forest around him seemed alive — every branch, every leaf shivering with an unseen malice.
He moved swiftly, following the scent of iron in the air. When he reached a clearing, he found a bloodied cart overturned, its wheels still spinning weakly. The horses were gone — ripped free of their harnesses. Splintered wood was scattered everywhere, and crimson streaks marked the dirt.
But no bodies.
Only silence.
Faizi Tian's grip on his sword tightened. *Too clean… too precise. Whoever did this didn't just kill. They took.*
From the shadows of the trees, a whisper rolled out. Not words, but a sound like claws dragging across stone.
His eyes narrowed. "Show yourself."
The forest obeyed.
A black mist rose from the ground, twisting into the form of a humanoid figure. Its eyes burned like embers, its grin stretched unnaturally wide. Around it, fragments of soul energy flickered — remnants of lives it had consumed.
"Another traveler," the shadow rasped, its voice echoing like two tones at once. "Your soul smells… different."
Faizi Tian stepped forward, his presence sharp as a blade. "And yours reeks of rot."
The shadow hissed, lunging.
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### Clash in the Clearing
The first strike came fast — claws like jagged blades aiming for Faizi's chest. But his sword moved faster. A single arc of golden Qi split the mist apart, scattering the shadow like smoke.
Yet, instead of dying, the mist reformed, thicker and darker. Now three shadows rose, each bearing the same burning eyes.
Faizi Tian exhaled slowly. *A fragment demon… devouring souls to multiply itself.*
His Qi surged, golden light wrapping his blade. He shifted his stance, invoking the **Heaven-Breaking Sword Art**.
The ground cracked beneath his feet as he charged.
One swing — a shadow exploded.
A twist — another scattered, shrieking.
But the third slipped past, slashing across his arm. Blood welled, sizzling where the claws touched. It wasn't just a wound — it was corrosion, a demon's venom sinking into flesh.
Faizi Tian's eyes flared. He forced Qi into the wound, sealing it instantly.
"You think corrosion can touch me?" His voice was cold. "I am not prey."
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### The Hidden Quarry
As the last shadow broke apart, it screamed — not in pain, but in warning. Its body dissolved, streaming into the ground like water finding its source.
Faizi Tian frowned. His instincts told him this was no random ambush. The south road was cursed because something was *nesting here*.
Following the trail of corruption, he moved deeper into the forest. Hours passed until he reached the mouth of an abandoned quarry. Jagged rocks jutted upward, and a foul stench of rotting spirit energy hung thick in the air.
He stopped at the entrance, hand tightening on his sword. The quarry walls seemed to pulse faintly, as if veins of shadow ran through the stone itself.
Inside, he could hear faint cries — human cries. Survivors.
Faizi Tian's jaw clenched. "Demons."
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### Descent into Darkness
He stepped into the quarry, each stride heavy with killing intent. The air grew colder, darker, pressing against him like an ocean tide. Strange runes glowed faintly on the walls, demonic sigils carved with blood.
At the center of the pit, a great black cocoon pulsed like a heartbeat. Around it, dozens of villagers lay bound, their souls being siphoned by tendrils of shadow into the cocoon.
And guarding it — a figure wrapped in armor of bone, its body towering twice the size of a man. Its face was hidden behind a skull mask, but its aura screamed one word:
**Demon General.**
Faizi Tian's sword hummed in his hand, golden light spilling across the quarry walls.
The Demon General turned, its voice booming like thunder.
"You dare step into my nest, human?"
Faizi Tian's gaze was steady, unyielding.
"I am not here to dare. I am here to destroy."
With that, the quarry erupted in battle.
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⚔️ To be continued in Episode 59 – The Demon General's Nest