Beyond the hazy summits of the Azure Sky Mountains, the sun was rising. The valley was filled with a morning melody created by the soft reverberation of bird cries. However, the pleasant dawn was marred by tension within the main hall of the sect.
Whispering, the disciples ran across courtyards. Anger permeated the central meeting room.
The Sect Master sat solemnly on the jade throne at the far end of the room. Seated on either side were the elders, their faces gloomy with perplexity. Two spies, men who appeared anxious and worn out from travel, stood in the middle of the hall.
For days, these spies had been scouring the sect and surrounding regions in search of the prophesied "Supreme Bone child." The vision that had appeared in the sky still haunted everyone's mind. Yet now, after days of endless searching, they had come back empty-handed.
The First Elder slammed his palm on the armrest. "Impossible! Entire skies trembled with that vision. Such a phenomenon cannot appear without cause. You're telling me you found nothing?"
The spies bowed deeply. "Elder, Sect Master… we searched every valley, every newborn child in the sect and the nearby villages. There are no traces of any child born with a Supreme Bone. No energy flow, no heavenly blessing. It's as if… it never happened."
"Never happened?" Another elder scoffed. "You fools, the heavens themselves trembled! Do you think the elders of Azure Sky are hallucinating?"
The two kneeling men dared not answer. Sweat dripped down their foreheads.
The Sect Master, expression unreadable, tapped one finger on the armrest. "Enough." His voice was calm but heavy. "If you could not find it, that means whoever bears the Supreme Bone has not yet revealed themselves. Continue the search, expand to the outer villages and border regions. Leave no trace unchecked."
"Yes, Sect Master!"
The men bowed lower before backing out swiftly.
The Sect Master's sharp eyes turned to the elders. "As for the rest, return to your duties. The sect will not rest until that child is found. Once discovered, the Azure Sky Sect will rise to heights unseen."
The meeting was dismissed. One by one, the elders stood and stepped out of the chamber. But though they left silently, excitement still burned in their hearts.
A Supreme Bone within their borders… it was enough to make even ancient sects bow their heads.
None of them—none—imagined that the very person they had cast away to die within the flames of the Abyss Tower was now the bearer of that bone.
Later that afternoon, deep within a valley shrouded in flowers, a light feminine voice echoed inside a graceful wooden hall.
"Master Jin Yuyan, you must give that Supreme Bone to Senior Brother Lin Shan. Only he can make proper use of it!"
Master Jin Yuyan was sitting elegantly on a jade-carved seat inside the room. Her perfectly composed face showed no signs of emotion, and her white robes flowed around her like mist. Her three junior disciples, Lin Shan and his two female senior sisters, were all dressed in anxious seriousness before she knelt, though there were hints of greed hidden in the corners of their eyes.
Lin Shan bowed low, acting the image of humble devotion. "Master, as you know, the sect is in chaos because of that vision. Everyone is searching for the Supreme Bone child. But we can't find him anywhere. If the heavens gifted it to the wrong person… if he ends up joining another sect, Azure Sky's future would be ruined."
His second senior sister nodded eagerly. "Yes! We need to make sure the sect keeps its strength. If we can transplant the Supreme Bone onto Senior Brother, the sect will have a true prodigy again! Moreover, Lin Shan can master it. A child cannot harness such heaven-defying power anyway—it would destroy him."
The first senior sister added coldly, "And even if that baby lives, without cultivation guidance or spiritual energy, he'll die before reaching adulthood. Why waste a divine gift?"
Jin Yuyan's gaze flickered between her disciples. Her fingers tapped the arm of her chair slowly. "You three are quite determined about this."
Lin Shan kept his head down but couldn't hide the satisfaction glowing in his eyes. "Everything we do is for the sect, Master."
Silence stretched for a few breaths before Jin Yuyan finally nodded. "Very well. I will discuss this matter with the Sect Master myself. If he agrees… we will proceed accordingly."
The words were all they needed.
Like a pack of wolves sensing blood, Lin Shan and the others broke into wide smiles. Their "thank you, Master!" rang in unison through the chamber before they rushed out excitedly.
None of them spoke aloud the truth in their hearts—if the Supreme Bone were to be forcibly transplanted from the chosen child, the child would die within minutes. But to them, the life of one child meant nothing compared to their ambition.
In the quiet room, Master Jin Yuyan's gaze lingered toward the distant peaks where the Abyss Tower stood like a black spear. Something flickered in her eyes… irritation, guilt perhaps, or annoyance she wouldn't name.
"Lin Xuan…" she whispered softly. "Perhaps if you hadn't fallen so far, none of this chaos would have happened."
That same night, in another part of the sect, laughter filled a luxurious cave mansion surrounded by faintly glowing spiritual herbs.
Seated leisurely on a soft couch was the Third Junior Sister, Mei'er, bathed in candlelight. Around her stood five disciples—three outer sect, two inner sect—each bearing the eager, fearful expressions of dogs before their mistress.
"Now then," Mei'er's tone was playful but laced with sharp intent, "I have a small task for you all. Something simple… yet rewarding."
An outer disciple stepped forward quickly. "Anything for you, Senior Sister Mei'er!"
She smiled sweetly. "Good. Because I want you to enter the Abyss Tower tonight."
All five froze. "T–The Abyss Tower?"
Her red lips curved into a lazy smirk. "Yes. That's right. You see… there's a rat inside I'd like confirmed dead." She leaned forward, eyes shining with cruel amusement. "My dear Senior Brother Lin Xuan."
The disciples exchanged nervous glances. Even in whispers, the Abyss Tower was spoken of as a death pit.
"B–But Senior Sister…" one outer disciple stammered. "Even elders wouldn't dare—"
Mei'er clapped her hands, cutting him off with an amused laugh. "Don't be cowards. The first floor merely has fire essence. With your cultivation, you'll survive for a few minutes. All I need you to do is check if that cripple is still alive. If he is… kill him. Loot whatever treasures he's hoarded in there and bring them to me. You can keep a tenth as reward."
The promise of reward and her seductive tone drowned their fear.
The three outer disciples—late Qi Condensation stage—exchanged greedy smiles. The two inner disciples, one at early Foundation 5 and the other late Foundation 5, nodded solemnly.
"As you command, Senior Sister Mei'er."
She waved a hand dismissively. "Good dogs." Her voice dripped with ridicule as they turned to leave. "Try not to die, will you? It'd be such a shame to waste pawns prematurely."
The group bowed and hurried out into the night.
The Abyss Tower was silent as usual, endless flames rippling across the red cavern floor. Lin Xuan sat cross-legged, his body wrapped in faint crimson aura. His breathing was calm, steady—his cultivation even smoother than before.
After days of constant refinement, he finally opened his eyes. His spiritual energy pulsed strongly through his body, each breath bursting with fiery essence.
"Time for another check-in."
His voice echoed faintly.
"System, check-in."
A familiar chime sounded immediately.
Ding! Congratulations host, you have obtained a pet: Greater Demon – Magma Lord
Lin Xuan nearly jolted upright. "A what?"
The temperature in the tower suddenly dropped before he could finish speaking. The red flames flickered fiercely against the darkened ceiling until the floor was completely dark. Odd glowing symbols started to emerge on the stone floor, following round lines that pulsed like lava veins.
His gut told him it was dangerous.
"W–What's happening?"
A tremendous pressure slammed down upon him. He gasped as his knees hit the stone floor involuntarily. It was as if an ancient beast had awakened, and he was standing before the throne of hell itself.
The circular pattern in front of him burst into bright crimson light. Out of its center rose two enormous, burning red eyes—eyes that pierced through the air like twin suns.
A shadow stepped from the darkness. Its footsteps shook the ground.
Lin Xuan's heart hammered as the figure came into focus—a towering humanoid form with crimson skin covered in black flame markings, two curved black horns extending from its skull, and long dark-red hair falling across its broad shoulders. Its eyes glowed with intelligence, power, and something ancient.
It was dressed in armor and robes of molten metal, every movement releasing faint traces of burning energy.
And then, the creature knelt.
"I am here to serve you… Master."
The deep, rumbling voice made the entire floor tremble.
Lin Xuan blinked in sheer shock. "…You're serious?"
Before he could react, the system's voice calmly echoed inside his head:
System Notice – Demon Hierarchy Information
Lesser Demon (Qi Condensation – Foundation)
Common Demon (Foundation – Golden Core)
Greater Demon (Golden – Nascent Soul)
Great Greater Demon (Nascent Soul – Ensoulment)
Demon General (Ensoulment – Mahayana)
Demon Duke (Mahayana – Great Ascension)
Demon Lord (Emperor)
Arch Demon (????)
Primordial Demon (????)
System Note: These are creatures from the Infernal Hell World, separate from typical spiritual monsters. They are ancient, cunning, experienced in combat, and extremely dangerous if not bound properly. Exercise caution. Current demon servant: 100% loyalty detected.
Lin Xuan read the information twice, his jaw slightly dropped. "So this thing… is actually from the Hell World?"
The system responded instantly.
Affirmative. Demon's class: Greater Demon, subtype: Magma Lord. Current strength: Nascent Soul Peak (8th Stage). Combat evaluation: Can simultaneously contend with three Nascent Soul 8th Peak human cultivators.
Lin Xuan stared at the kneeling demon, trying not to look too dumbfounded. "So… you're telling me this monster can defeat three top Nascent Soul experts at the same time?"
Affirmative.
For a long while, Lin Xuan was completely silent. Then, a slow grin spread across his face. He clenched his fists until his knuckles cracked and laughed quietly, the sound echoing in the fiery chamber.
"Finally," he whispered, voice trembling with excitement. "Finally… I have more than just survival."
He looked at the Magma Lord again. The demon remained kneeling, head bowed in unwavering loyalty.
"Rise," Lin Xuan said at last. "From today onward, you'll follow me. Guard me until the day I don't need guarding anymore."
The Magma Lord's burning eyes lifted, glowing with fierce devotion.
"As you command, my master."
The demon rose; the tower floor shook beneath its weight. The surrounding flames responded, swirling and bending toward Lin Xuan as if bowing along with the demon.
He couldn't suppress his grin. His destiny, once torn away, had begun to mend itself.
From a discarded cripple to the master of a Greater Demon… his new path had truly begun.
Somewhere far above, beyond the stone ceiling of the Abyss Tower, the five assassins chosen by Mei'er stealthily approached the tower gates, unaware of the nightmare waiting within.