Chapter 23: Whispers in the Shadows
The shattered canyon reeked of scorched stone and burning blood. Boulders hissed with lingering heat, and broken corpses lay strewn across the battlefield like shattered dolls. Demonic beasts, rogue cultivators, and lesser demons all littered the ground in ruin.
Amid this devastation stood six figures cloaked in black robes trimmed with violet. Their hoods bore a crescent devouring a sun—the unholy mark of the Night's Light Devouring Church.
Encircled by them was a massive crimson-skinned Silver-Tier Five demon. His claws were shredded, his wings torn, and black ichor poured from dozens of wounds. Yet his eyes still blazed with unbroken pride and rage.
"YOU FILTHY WORMS!" the demon roared, his voice shaking the cliffs. "This is my domain! Those treasures were mine! You dare take what belongs to me?!"
"Belongs?" one disciple answered coldly, his voice hollow as a tomb. "All things belong to the darkness eventually. You merely borrowed them."
The demon surged forward in fury, his body igniting with raw Ki and blazing demonic flame. The disciples moved as one, their precision refined by endless practice. One raised a wall of shadows, halting his charge. Another unleashed spiraling blades of cursed wind, cutting deep into his flesh. A third disciple swung a curved darksteel sword, severing tendon and bone with ruthless accuracy.
The battle dragged longer than expected. Despite his injuries, the demon fought like a beast cornered by fire. His strength forced the disciples to expend talismans and summon phantoms of twisted night. A serpent of shadow coiled through the battlefield, constricting him while black flames burned across his hide.
Finally, the demon collapsed to one knee. His roar carried curses into the sky before his head was severed cleanly by a falling crescent blade conjured by their leader.
Silence followed, heavy and suffocating.
"It is done," the leader breathed heavily. "Move quickly. Take everything."
The six disciples entered the demon's cave and stripped it clean. Essence stones, demonic cores, ancient scrolls, enchanted bones, and vials of corrupted blood vanished into their sacks. No one spoke as they worked. When finished, they disappeared into the forest shadows without a single glance behind them.
A deep rumble shook the canyon as another demon arrived. He was far larger, his body armored with natural plates, his limbs marked by jagged ridges of bone. Horns curled from his forehead like a crown. The sheer weight of his aura bent the surrounding Ki and Arcane energies.
He stared at his brother's broken corpse.
He did not roar.
He did not scream.
He inhaled slowly, his nostrils flaring. The scents of cursed magic, talisman smoke, and fading footsteps mingled in the dust. His left eye shimmered faintly, a perception enchantment sharpening every trace.
"Northwest," he growled.
The ground exploded beneath his foot as he vanished, leaving behind only a crater.
Elton's group advanced carefully through the thickening mist. Every step was deliberate, weapons and hands ready. Cedric crouched beside a cluster of bushes, carefully plucking crystal-rooted herbs and muttering about their value for Ki-nourishing brews. Christy flicked her fingers through the air, her red starry eyes glowing faintly as she traced subtle energy shifts. Zoro walked at the rear, silent and steady, his katanas ready to be drawn.
But Elton's thoughts were elsewhere. A strange tug pulled at his chest, faint but undeniable. A chill ran down his spine before the familiar voice returned, sharper than ever.
"It is here!" the inner voice boomed arrogantly. "Closer than I ever believed possible!"
Elton froze mid-step. Doubt gripped him. For years, he had dismissed the voice as trauma—an echo born from the explosion that changed his life. But this… this urgency felt terrifyingly real.
"What do you mean?" Elton whispered softly, careful not to draw attention.
The voice chuckled darkly, full of ancient confidence. "Do not play ignorant. You always wondered what I truly was. That tug you feel is truth. Follow it. That is all that matters now."
The pull was faint, like a thread winding through fog. Elton's brow furrowed, his pace slowing.
Christy caught his distracted expression. "Elton? Are you alright?"
He forced a nod. "Yeah. Just thought I sensed something."
Her eyes narrowed, unconvinced, but she let it pass.
The forest grew quieter as they pressed forward, the silence heavy with anticipation. Somewhere beyond the trees, something stirred unseen. And within Elton, the voice waited, eager for him to step closer to destiny.
Elsewhere
South of their path, the larger demon raced through the trees like a monstrous blur. His aura was suffocating, thick with vengeance and murderous intent. Beasts and bandits that crossed his way were shredded instantly, their bodies left broken in his wake.
He tracked the scent of his brother's killers to a rocky ravine. There, nine disciples of the Night's Light Devouring Church stood gathered. Their black robes shimmered faintly with glowing sigils, violet light burning in their eyes. Dark Ki coiled around them like serpents, always in motion. Four rogue cultivators stood nearby, their loyalty uncertain but their weapons sharp.
But they were not alone.
Another group faced them across the ravine, hostility simmering in silence. Spells and Ki flickered faintly between the factions, neither side willing to strike first.
The Silver-Tier Five demon crouched above them in the treetops, his aura suppressed, his eyes glowing with hunger for vengeance.
"Run. Hide. Flee. It will not matter," he whispered with venom.
"I will devour every last one of you."
The air grew heavier with each step. Christy adjusted her hair calmly, then glanced at Elton. "You are thinking too hard again."
Elton gave a quiet grunt, brushing at his neck in embarrassment. Cedric rolled his eyes and muttered, "Get a room already."
Christy ignored him, her smile calm and composed.
Zoro's eyes scanned the trees, his voice cold and steady. "Focus. Something is waiting ahead, and distractions will kill us."
Elton nodded slowly. The pressure around them was undeniable.
Somewhere deeper in the forest, destiny sharpened its fangs.