Slifer sat on his throne aboard the divine ark, legs kicked up and arms folded behind his head. He watched with amusement as Val zipped around the deck, her scales flashing in the sunlight.

Leah stood at the prow, eyes fixed on the horizon. "There it is," she said. "The Black Death Sect."

Slifer glanced over, taking in the sprawling sect grounds. Unlike the Black Heart Sect with its jagged obsidian walls, the Black Death Sect was shrouded in an eerie mist. Skeletal trees dotted the landscape, their gnarled branches clawing at the sky.

Charming place, Slifer thought wryly. Real welcoming vibe they got going on.

Of the three major demonic sects, the Black Death Sect had always been the most mysterious. Where the Black Rose Sect revelled in turning over a new leaf and the Black Heart Sect wore their cruelty like a badge of honour, the Black Death Sect... they were an enigma wrapped in shadows.

Val swooped down to sit on Slifer's shoulder, her claws digging in a little too tightly to be entirely comfortable. "Master, this place feels...wrong. Like something rotten and hungry." She shivered, tucking her wings close. "I don't like it. It scares me."

Slifer reached up to stroke her head. "There, there. Nothing to fear while I'm here."

But even as he comforted Val, Slifer's eyes narrowed. If even a dragon at the Nascent Soul stage is unsettled, something is very rotten in the state of the Black Death Sect.

He thought back to their recent conquest of the Black Heart Sect. Sure, that place had been gloomy and a bit murder-y, but it hadn't felt intrinsically wrong like this. There was something deeply, fundamentally off about the Black Death Sect, and Slifer assumed it was related to demons.

As the divine ark approached the border, a shimmering barrier sprung up, stopping their advance. Slifer raised an eyebrow. Well, well, seems they don't want uninvited guests. Too bad for them, I'm notoriously hard to refuse.

A figure in black robes flew up from within the sect, coming to a stop on the other side of the barrier. He was a middle-aged man with a hawkish face and cold eyes.

"Supreme Elder Slifer," the man greeted. "I am Mortis, the new Sect Master of the Black Death Sect."

Slifer raised an eyebrow. "Actually, it's Sect Master Slifer now. Of the Black Heart Sect, that is."

Mortis' eyes narrowed slightly at this revelation, but he remained silent. His face was an impassive mask, betraying none of his thoughts.

Slifer leaned back, taking stock of the elders and the disciples gathered below. Unlike the quaking disciples at the Black Heart Sect, these folks seemed...unruffled by his presence.

Hmm, either they're putting on a brave face or they really don't give a fig about little ol' me, Slifer mused. Insight!

What he saw made his blood run cold.

How in the nine hells are there so many demons in the Mortal Realm!? Slifer reeled. This isn't some piddly little infestation like I thought, this is a full-blown invasion force! There must be a portal to the Nether hidden somewhere in the sect...it's the only explanation.

He swallowed hard, keeping his expression blank even as his mind raced. Change of plans. Sweet talking these freaks won't cut it. Looks like it's time for a bit of good old-fashioned intimidation, demonic style. Whip 'em out and measure, as they say.

Slowly, deliberately, Slifer reached into his spatial ring. Val and Leah tensed, ready to leap into action at a moment's notice. But instead of a weapon, he withdrew a small urn carved from black jade.

He opened it to reveal a pile of ashes - all that remained of Vowron, the previous Sect Master of the Black Death Sect.

"Since I killed your Sect Master," Slifer said casually, "I'll be taking this sect for myself now." He closed the box with a snap, returning it to his ring. Never know when the remains of a Half-Step Immortal might come in handy for alchemy.

Mortis’ eyes widened slightly at the sight of Vowron's ashes. They had known Slifer captured him, but to think he actually succeeded in killing a cultivator at the Half-Immortal stage... that was no mean feat.

But the surprise faded quickly, replaced by a placid mask. "With all due respect, Supreme Elder, the Black Death Sect has no need of...outside leadership. We manage quite well on our own."

Translation: thanks but no thanks, now buzz off, Slifer thought dryly.

Out loud, he said, "Funny, I wasn't asking for permission. See, if I can singlehandedly crush a Half-Immortal...well. I doubt this little barrier of yours will give me much trouble."

To make his point, Slifer reached out and tapped the barrier with one finger. Ripples spread from the contact point.

Mortis's lips thinned. "I've heard tales of your prowess, Supreme Elder. But there are some things even you may not wish to meddle in. Consider this a...friendly warning."

Just then, a System alert pinged in Slifer's mind.

Ding!

New Mission: Investigate the Black Death Sect's secrets and eliminate the demonic threat.

Reward: 25,000 Karmic Credits

Failure Penalty: -10,000 Karmic Credits

Of course. It's never simple, is it? Slifer complained. But he knew he couldn't back down now, not with the System breathing down his neck.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Unlike the Black Heart Sect, where a flashy show of force had been enough, it seemed the Black Death Sect would require a more...hands-on approach.

Slifer sighed, sliding open the System shop interface. His eyes skimmed the list of available cards until he found what he was looking for.

Name: Heaven's Unravelling

Rank: Heaven

Cost: 15,000 Karmic Credits

Effect: Instantly dismantle any spirit barrier or formation below the Immortal Realm.

Expensive, but cheaper than brute-forcing my way in, Slifer reasoned. He purchased the card, feeling the Credits drain away.

Mortis watched him like a hawk, clearly expecting some kind of attack. Slifer just smiled, all teeth.

He pressed his palm against the barrier, channelling the Heaven's Unravelling card. The barrier shuddered, cracks spiderwebbing out from Slifer's hand. With a sound like shattering glass, the barrier collapsed into motes of light.

Mortis reeled back, shock plain on his face. Then his expression twisted into a snarl

"You can’t enter!" he spat, black Qi gathering around his hands.

He thrust his palms forward, launching a roiling wave of necrotic energy at Slifer. But before it could land, a portal opened up, swallowing the attack whole.

A heartbeat later, the portal reopened behind Mortis. His own death Qi blast slammed into his back, sending him tumbling from the sky with a scream.

Slifer dusted off his hands, not a hair out of place. At this level, the Barrier Reflection Card is more useful than a Critical Block Card, works for both offense and defence!

He then levelled a flat stare at the shocked sect members below.

"Last chance," Slifer said coolly. "Submit, or face the consequences."

For a moment, everything was quiet. Then, all at once, the eyes of every disciple and Elder turned bright red. Their human forms melted away, revealing their true demonic nature.

Demonic Qi burst out, changing into something much darker and fouler. The air itself seemed to pull away, filled with a sickening smell of sulfur and rot.

Val watched in terror as the cultivators transformed into horrible monsters. Their skin split open, exposing scales, fur, and insect-like armor underneath.

Their faces stretched into animal-like snouts filled with sharp teeth. Horns grew from their heads like terrible crowns. Hands turned into claws, feet into hooves or insect legs.

In just a few seconds, the human-looking cultivators had become a horde of demons, their real selves now visible to everyone.

Val stumbled back, her eyes wide with shock and disgust. "Master...those are...those are demons!" she cried out, her voice shaking with fear.

Beside her, Leah recoiled, her face twisting with a mix of shock, revulsion, and raw terror. In all her years as a demonic cultivator, she had never seen anything like this.

Demonic cultivators, for all their wicked ways, were still human at their core. They pursued power through unsavoury means, true, but they were a far cry from the soulless abominations that now stood before her.

These were true demons, born of the Nether Realm itself. The sworn enemies of all life in the Mortal Realm. Even the most depraved demonic cultivator would balk at cooperating with such vile creatures.

Slifer sighed, not surprised but still sickened by the ugly sight. I should have known it wouldn't be that easy.

He looked at Leah and Val, his face serious. "Stay on the ship, you two. Things are about to get ugly."

Val lashed her tail, smoke coming from her nose even as she shook. "But Master, I can help! I'm not scared of a few weak demons!"

But Slifer shook his head, his voice firm. "Not this time, my little fireball. These aren't your snacks."

Val shrank back, her courage fading when she saw how serious Slifer was. She had never seen real demons before, only heard scary stories about how cruel and evil they were.

Seeing such a horrible thing for herself...it shook her to her very core.

Slifer turned back to the mass of demons, his eyes hard as stone. He could feel their bloodlust washing over him, a sickening feeling that threatened to choke the life from the air.

These weren't the weak, half-formed demons that sometimes crawled into the human world. No, these were born in the Nether Realm, soaked in the most evil qi.

And they were hungry, so very hungry. Slifer could see it in their glowing red eyes, a terrible desire to rip and tear until nothing was left but blood and ruin.

Well, who am I to say no to their last meal?

But before Slifer could make a move, a voice cut through the tense atmosphere, “Supreme Elder Slifer, why am I not surprised to see you here?"

Slifer froze, caught off guard by the sudden presence so close to him that he hadn't noticed. Hiding his surprise, he turned to face the speaker.

There, standing in the air beside him, was a young man clad in pristine blue and white robes. His white hair was tied back in a simple topknot, secured with a white jade pin.

The man's face was youthful, with delicate features that belied the overwhelming power radiating from him. His eyes, a striking pale blue, seemed to stare straight into Slifer's soul.

Slifer plastered on a smile, falling back on his usual confident demeanour. "Ah, you must be the Sect Master of the Heavenly Light Sect…”