Fenlock felt like it was time to return, killing 10 demonic cultivators should be enough to meet his master's expectations. A sigh slipped from his lips as he stepped onto the sect grounds. Unlike many others in the sect, he never found joy in tormenting the weak. Engaging with cultivators at the same cultivation had always been a walk in the park for him, particularly since his specialization in sound cultivation often gave him an unexpected edge.

His master had sent him on this mission, perhaps hoping it would steel his resolve against his senior brothers' so-called 'bullying'—a term Fenlock found exaggerated. In his view, restraint was a virtue; sharp words were something he could bear with without lashing back.

Senior brothers aren't bullying; they're just... giving advice, he rationalized.

Shaking his head, he admitted to himself that his nature had always been to sidestep conflict—a trait that had put him at the receiving end of many beatings from his former master, Elder Fron.

Lost in thought, Fenlock was suddenly jolted from his reverie by a sudden appearance. A silver-haired girl appeared before him, her abrupt presence making him tense instinctively.

Oh, what does she want now? he thought, barely suppressing a sigh.

"Junior Brother, you're back!" she exclaimed, a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

Fenlock nodded slowly, opting for silence. He had learned the hard way that his Junior Sister, Amelia, had a knack of looking for a petty excuse to instigate a fight. Less talk, less trouble with her.

"Master is out. He went to fetch Hughie," she said, her excitement palpable at the mention of their Junior Brother.

Fenlock found her enthusiasm strange. Why is she so excited about Hughie? he wondered, but then shrugged it off, it was not his problem to worry about. Perhaps Hughie's her next target.

He realized that his master had been right; he was being bullied. But it wasn't by his senior brothers. No, the real bully was the little silver-haired tornado standing in front of him. Yet, confronting her seemed more trouble than it was worth. Ignoring the girl was, after all, the path of least resistance.

Amelia's chatter blended into the background as Fenlock's mind drifted away. However, a few moments later, a voice snapped him back to the present, breaking through his haze. "Hey, Fenlock, where have you been hiding? It's been a while since we've seen you."

Both Amelia and Fenlock turned, spotting three male cultivators approaching them. The leader, a tall man with black hair streaked with silver, was flanked by two others—one slender with a quick, darting gaze, the other more muscular and carrying a large halberd.

"Senior Brother Zonrak," Fenlock greeted with a bow, clasping his hands together in respect. Zonrak was more than just a fellow cultivator; he was Fenlock's unofficial relationship guru. Without his advice, I'd have never mustered the courage to ask out Junior Sister Lenvari.

Zonrak chuckled heartily, patting Fenlock so hard on the shoulder it almost made him stumble. "Ah, Fenlock, still as stiff as ever!" he laughed.

Amelia's brows furrowed slightly at this interaction, but she remained silent.

Zonrak's teasing then took on a sharper edge. "Still meddling with that sound cultivation, huh? That's… hardly a man's art."

The slender cultivator chimed in, "Yes, it's rather... enchanting, in a way." He giggled.

The larger cultivator added, "A method more suited to serenading ladies than real combat, I'd say."

Fenlock, ever-oblivious, mistook the jibes as genuine advice, nodding in appreciation. "True, I always look for ways to enhance it."

Amelia's face twisted into a scowl, her short temper getting the better of her. With a sudden push, she sent Zonrak stumbling back. "Do you think I'll just stand here and let you bully my Junior Brother like that?" she spat out.

Fenlock waved his hands in a placating gesture. "Senior Brothers are only offering their guidance," he tried to explain.

Amelia scoffed. "If you think that's advice, then you're more naive than I thought."

Zonrak, red-faced from the unexpected shove, retorted, "Mind your place, little girl!"

Amelia's laughter chilled the air. "You won't find me 'little' when I stand over your corpse," she sneered. With each word, her appearance shifted horrifically. Her skin paled as her eyes hollowed out leaving a blue glow. Black veins snaked across her face and neck. Her mouth opened grotesquely, revealing a maw filled with jagged, menacing teeth. "I bet," she whispered, her voice echoing as if from a deep cavern, "your soul tastes delicious."

Zonrak's stance shifted subtly, betraying a hint of unease. Not because of Amelia's grotesque transformation, but due to her notorious reputation. The girl was infamous for her random assaults on disciples. Lately though, she had been suspiciously quiet, but Zonrak couldn't shake off the unsettling feeling that he might be her next target.

In the meantime, Fenlock stepped in, the peacemaker between two rising storms. "Senior Brother, Junior Sister, please, this is unnecessary," he urged, hoping to diffuse the tension.

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Amelia released a resigned sigh as she let her ghastly features revert to her usual delicate appearance, the last thing she wanted was for her master to catch her attacking another innocent disciple. Her master's prohibition against bullying had been a thorn in her side so she had hoped to goad Zonrak into a fight, giving her the perfect pretext to claim his soul. But unfortunately, her plan had failed.

Seeing Amelia back down, Fenlock's shoulders sagged in relief, he wasn’t entirely confident in restraining his junior sister, she did have a tendency to…lose control.

However, Zonrak's pride had taken a blow, and seeing Amelia stand down only boosted his confidence. "Look at the mighty predator," he sneered, eyeing her small stature, "barely taller than a child."

Fenlock's heart raced, well aware that height was Amelia's sensitive spot. He quickly spun around, confronting Zonrak. "Senior Brother, she stepped back. Let's leave it at that."

Zonrak scoffed dismissively. "Perhaps you're accustomed to being spoken to like that by a woman, but I am a real man."

Fenlock's brow furrowed in confusion. What does being a man have to do with this petty squabble? He suspected Zonrak's pride was clouding his judgment.

Unsatisfied with Fenlock's lack of response, Zonrak pushed further, a wicked grin on his face. "Perhaps a real man should keep Junior Sister Lenvari company tonight, instead of a mere sound cultivator like you, hmm?"

The color drained from Fenlock's face, replaced by a deep blush. His threshold for personal insults was high, but dragging Lenvari into this… that was a different matter entirely. The fire in his eyes revealed a rare anger.

A slight smirk curled the corners of Amelia's lips, which went by unnoticed as Fenlock's mouth opened and an ear-piercing sound erupted forth. The waves of sonic energy caused Zonrak and his cohorts to clamp their hands over their ears, their faces contorting in agony.

Fenlock honed the sound on Zonrak, amplifying its intensity. The senior brother crumpled to his knees, blood trickling from his ears as his screams punctured the air. The pained cry snapped Fenlock out of his blind rage, and he quickly closed his lips, his expression morphing into one of shock.

Zonrak lay slumped on the ground, whimpering in pain, as Amelia delivered a hearty slap on Fenlock's back. "Master would be proud," she exclaimed with a wide grin.

Fenlock shook his head, a look of regret washing over him. "This…this isn't me," he whispered.

They were interrupted by a soft thud. A bald man, Boss Morvran, glided down gracefully from his sword. Amelia's face lit up at his sight. "Boss Morvran!" she greeted.

Morvran's sharp eyes darted between Amelia, the fallen trio, and Fenlock, his expression serious. "Your master won't be pleased when he hears about this," he warned as his gaze returned on Amelia.

Amelia, always one to relish in mischief, declared, "Oh, this wasn't my doing." She pointed at Fenlock. "It was all him."

Attacking fellow sect members... Fenlock's thoughts churned, he had always felt a sense of loyalty to his sect, but for what reason, he could not explain. Cultivators outside the sect are one thing, but this...

Morvran's eyes widened ever so slightly. "Didn't peg you for the type, kid. Always thought you were too... gentle," he remarked.

Fenlock's gaze fell to the ground, the afterimage of his actions etching themselves into his conscience. This isn't the path I wanted to walk...

Morvran remembered Slifer’s instructions to Fenlock on how the boy needed to learn to stand up for himself. Approaching the conflicted disciple, he offered what he felt was encouragement, "You've showed spine for once, but it isn't over yet."

Fenlock looked apprehensively at Morvran. I've already done too much! he thought.

Unperturbed by Fenlock’s silence, Morvran pressed on. "I wasn’t too pleased with your performance in our last lesson. I expect more from you this time." He paused, eyeing Zonrak's bloodied ears. "Sound attacks seem even better than breaking bones," he muttered to himself. Turning to Fenlock, he commanded, "Well? Don't stop now!"

Fenlock's head shook vehemently. No. I won't be pressured into torturing my own sect members. Not again.

Morvran's frown deepened at Fenlock's reluctance. It was then that Amelia stepped in, her smile beaming with mischief. "I'll heal Zonrak, so Junior Brother doesn't have to worry about accidentally killing him," she volunteered cheerily.

Without waiting for a reply, she positioned herself beside Zonrak, her hands radiating a green hue as she channeled the Essence Mend technique. Typically, the technique would soothe and heal, but as Amelia applied it, Zonrak's screams of pain pierced the air as he regained consciousness.

Amelia's smile only widened at the sight, it was no fun when they weren’t awake to feel the pain.

Morvran, observing the scene, couldn't help but nod in approval. "Healing to inflict pain... The juniors these days are indeed creative in their methods of torture," he remarked.

Amelia beamed at the compliment, her mind wandering. Perhaps Master made me learn healing arts for this very reason? she pondered, she always found it strange that her master wanted her, a demonic soul cultivator, to learn healing.

During this exchange, the other two disciples, sensing an opportunity, began to slink away discreetly. Although Morvran noticed their exit, he made no move to stop them, his attention focused on Amelia's unique application of her skills.

Nodding his head a few times, Morvran then turned to Fenlock and studied him intently before speaking. "To survive in a demonic sect, or even in the vast immortal world, one can't avoid the darker aspects." He sighed, attempting to be encouraging, "At least today marked progress for you."

Fenlock remained silent, he had accepted that it was useless to argue with crazy people.

"Oh yes, the real reason for my visit," Morvran suddenly recalled. "Your master has yet to return to the sect. As his disciples, you're required to attend the Disciple Selection Ceremony in his stead. Follow me."

Amelia's eyes lit up, thinking about the possibilities of a new junior brother to toy with. She leaned down to Zonrak's semi-conscious form and whispered menacingly in his ear, "I’ll be back for you, big boy."

Pulling back slightly, her lips brushed against his in a mockingly tender kiss. She hummed appreciatively, "Mmm... delicious," tasting the lingering fear and pain that clung to him.

A feeble groan escaped Zonrak as he trembled under her soft touch, his vision dimmed as he once again lost consciousness.

Fenlock, trailing behind, couldn't help but shudder at the sight. His head hung low, a thought crept into his mind. Would life have been easier if an immortal cultivator had discovered me instead?

----------------------------------------

In the desolate expanse of the Void Realm, Slifer's expression darkened as an unexpected system notification appeared before him.

Ding! Your Disciple Fenlock’s Loyalty Has Decreased By 10%

10%? What the devil did I do? Slifer nearly let a curse slip. He was baffled at the drop in loyalty when he hadn't even interacted with Fenlock.