Chương 93: First Steps on the Demonic Path (Part 5)

Half a month later. In a dim underground chamber. Su Chen opened his eyes. Beside him lay a shriveled, desiccated corpse, its features completely unrecognizable. The remains belonged to Mu Yingyi. After refining the origin essence of a prodigy, Su Chen clearly felt improvements in both his aptitude and cultivation. His current realm had caught up to where Mu Yingyi had stood: seventh layer of the Spirit Soul realm. He clenched his fist, then slowly released it.

Pure white qi gathered in his palm like a condensed orb. Such a pace of cultivation… it was simply too fast. Fast enough to intoxicate, to make one revel in slaughter, to crave the rush of growing stronger. Su Chen's mind quickly steadied. The Heaven-Devouring Earth-Swallowing Divine Art was powerful, but it could not be used frequently. Otherwise, the technique would eventually dominate its practitioner, turning them into a mindless puppet. The qi in his hand enveloped Mu Yingyi's corpse.

In an instant, both the energy and the remains vanished without a trace. With everything handled, Su Chen left the chamber and returned to the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land. He went straight to the mission hall to submit the completed task. The elder on duty gave Su Chen a brief, indifferent glance and nodded in acknowledgment. After leaving the mission hall, Su Chen returned to his cave abode. Zhou Hanchan, having learned of his return, had already bustled about preparing a lavish dinner well in advance.

The brother and sister savored the rare moment of warmth and peace. After the meal, Zhou Hanchan looked at Su Chen with blazing determination in her eyes.

"Brother… I want to become stronger!" Su Chen studied her seriously for a moment before replying calmly, "With me protecting you, that's enough." Zhou Hanchan threw herself onto him, shaking his arm and whining coquettishly, "Brother, you're already an inner disciple, and I'm your little sister, but I'm still only at the ninth layer of Spirit Gathering—I haven't even reached the Spirit Vein realm yet! I want to get stronger. I don't want to hold you back!" Her pleading was earnest and adorable.

Su Chen rubbed his forehead, a touch helpless.

"Getting stronger means enduring a lot of hardship. You'll have to suffer through endless pain and trials." Zhou Hanchan shook her head firmly.

"Brother, I'm not afraid of hardship. I'm not afraid of trials!" In the end, Su Chen could only compromise.

"Then let's talk about it tomorrow." Zhou Hanchan's small face lit up with excitement. Her impossibly cute bun-like cheeks were too much for Su Chen to resist; he reached out and pinched them twice. The next day. Su Chen began guiding Zhou Hanchan on the path to greater strength. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Three days later. Zhou Hanchan pouted miserably.

"Brother, I don't want to get stronger anymore. I just want to lie flat." Su Chen sternly refused and, for good measure, pinched her cheeks again. Day after day passed like this. Before long, a full year had slipped by. The once-sensational death of Prodigy Ranking genius Mu Yingyi gradually faded from memory amid the relentless flow of time. Su Chen visited the mission hall once more and accepted another assignment. After he left the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land… Outside the sacred land's gates.

Su Chen spotted a familiar figure. Zhou Yi stood waiting, as though he had anticipated Su Chen's departure.

"Zhou Yi pays respects to the Sovereign. The inner sect is crawling with Zhou Hao's dogs. To avoid exposing our Primordial Remnant Clan and drawing their attention, I dared not seek you out again until now. Please forgive my absence." Su Chen was inwardly surprised.

'So there are still remnants of the Primordial Remnant Clan inside the inner sect… and ones in positions of real power!' For Zhou Yi to know the exact timing and details of his mission so quickly, someone with authority in the mission hall must have leaked the information.

"Zhou Yi, you risked coming to find me. Is there something urgent?" Zhou Yi nodded.

"The elders hope that the Sovereign will participate in the true disciple trial one year from now and ascend to become a true disciple of the sacred land." Su Chen frowned.

"Ascend to true disciple? Isn't that a bit too soon?" He had only recently become an inner disciple. Zhou Yi replied calmly, "Sovereign, rest assured. The elders will help conceal your… special circumstances. The true disciple selection a year from now involves a major event within the sacred land. Your ascension will bring immense benefits. As for the specifics, forgive this subordinate for keeping it veiled. The matter is of grave importance—only a true disciple may be entrusted with the knowledge."

Su Chen nodded. He could understand the caution displayed by the clan elders of the Primordial Remnant Clan. After all, a single lapse in vigilance would have led to their complete annihilation long ago. Having delivered the message, Zhou Yi vanished once more like a ghost. Su Chen stared at the spot where Zhou Yi had stood, lost in thought for a moment, before continuing toward his assigned mission location. One month later.

Xie Feng, the prodigy ranked eighty-third on the Western Regions' Prodigy Ranking, vanished without a trace—presumed dead. The Xie Clan erupted in fury. They posted an enormous bounty, vowing to hunt down and execute whoever had dared slay their clan's prodigy and avenge Xie Feng. Yet no matter how thoroughly the Xie Clan searched, they found not the slightest clue. Some speculated that Xie Feng had provoked a formidable enemy and been slain.

Others believed he had encountered a powerful demon beast and been devoured. Still others guessed he had ventured into an ancient ruin and perished there amid unknown dangers. This continent had never lacked for tragedy. As one generation faded, new legends rose to take their place. Su Chen returned to the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land. He submitted his mission as usual, then spent time guiding Zhou Hanchan in her cultivation. Her progress had been steady.

She now stood at the fifth layer of the Spirit Vein realm, and her Spirit Vein carried a rare purple quality. Time flowed swiftly. Another year passed.

"Brother, are you really going to compete for true disciple status?" Zhou Hanchan looked at him with a mix of shock and worry. Su Chen nodded.

"True disciple—I will claim it without fail." Zhou Hanchan's small face crumpled.

"Brother, it's too dangerous! You've only been in the inner sect for two years. How can you possibly compete with those senior brothers and sisters who have been here far longer?" Su Chen rolled his eyes and reached out to knead her soft bun-like cheeks.

"What's that supposed to mean? Don't you trust your big brother?" Zhou Hanchan's voice came out muffled and garbled.

"I… trust… you…" Su Chen released her and turned his gaze toward the entrance of the cave abode. One after another, figures exuding powerful auras returned to the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land. Without question, these were all inner disciples of the sect. All of them had come for the same reason: to vie for the position of true disciple!