Thousands of temporary tents sprawled across the clearing atop the cliff of Yi Jian Valley, their colorful fabric rippling gently in the spring breeze.

It was turning dark, but the disciples of the three sects moved between bonfires with excited faces as they prepared for the upcoming martial contest.

Compared to the smaller tents of the disciples, the Hidden Valley sect leader's place was grand and imposing. It was made of dark green fabric, decorated with wavy silver patterns. Inside, the air was heavy with the fragrant scent of strong poison, and several oil lamps brightened the space.

He Jian sat behind a small, rustic desk, his focus split between the document in front of him and the heroic teenager at his side.

This teenager was Tong Zi, considered by many as the greatest genius in the region. He had a tall, lean frame clad in dark green robes that emphasized his pale complexion. There was no emotion in his eyes as he looked at his teacher.

Finally, kneeling before them was Elder Jiang, her head bowed.

She had just finished recounting the events up to this day, including the blackmailing from Li An. Her eyes flickered nervously to Tong Zi, whose mere presence seemed to sap the warmth from the room.

"How is this monster releasing an aura of Spirit realm seventh stage?!" She thought with clammy hands. "Only a few months ago, he had been at the first stage."

His speed of cultivation was nothing short of monstrous.

He Jian paused his feather pen, lifting his gaze to Elder Jiang.

"Elder Jiang," he began, his voice low and serious, "this Li An possesses a very strong demonic nature."

Elder Jiang made a confused expression. "But sect leader, I was also a demonic cultivator in the past. How is this different from having a demonic nature?"

"There is a significant difference." He Jian leaned back, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Being a demonic cultivator means you train in demonic energy techniques. It is a path that sacrifices everything in exchange for quick power."

His eyes shone with some murderous intent. "However, having a demonic nature is much more terrifying. It is an inherent disposition towards manipulation and cruelty, a natural inclination to bend others to your will."

He Jian paused, allowing his words to sink in.

"Consider You Mei. Before meeting Li An, she had no strong drive. She was content, perhaps even complacent. But under Li An's influence, she is now burning with ambition."

Elder Jiang felt as if she were drenched in cold water.

"And You Meihong?" she asked.

He Jian's eyes darkened. "We tried to extract information from her, but it was a complete failure. Even killing her was not an option, as she was protected within the sect. Her death would arouse the suspicion of the Gentle Sword Sect, who knew she had ventured into the depths of the northern forest."

His clenched fists began trembling slightly. "Yet somehow, Li An was able to learn of this information from You Meihong, or the woman would not be dead right now. Li An is not a dumb person; she would not kill someone dear to one of her pawns so easily, especially when You Mei is important to that Song bastard."

Elder Jiang's eyes opened wide. Everything he was saying was true. There are plenty of strong cultivators in the sect with mortal family members. She didn't need to go after You Meihong to frame her, and doing so put Li An in danger of becoming the subject of the sect's thorough investigation.

He Jian leaned forward, his gaze dripping with venom.

"Li An has the pose of a great demon, Elder Jiang. She toys with lives as if they are no different than a pig's."

Elder Jiang felt a chill run down her spine. "What about the master behind her?"

He Jian stared at her as if he were looking at an idiot. Maybe his chess piece was not as smart as he thought she was.

"Has it never occurred to you that she was lying?" he sneered at her. "From what I can see, I am willing to bet my position as sect leader that Li An has no one backing her."

Tong Zi suddenly opened his mouth. "But we cannot forget about her way of placing other cultivators' attacks inside people. That method is dangerous. It needs to be in our hands."

"Haha, indeed." He Jian chuckled, proud of his disciple's foresight. "We can put it to much better u-"

He froze.

Tong Zi and Elder Jiang glanced at him, only to see cold sweat trickling down his forehead. Their hearts started to race, and He Jian's breath grew shallow.

"Who the hell is this girl?" After fitting together the pieces of the puzzle, the sect leader of Hidden Valley could only feel fear towards Li An.

A crippling, icy fear that crawled within his guts and pressed on his stomach.

"Are you okay, teacher?" Tong Zi asked with a furrowed brow.

"O-okay?"

He Jian started laughing hysterically out of nowhere, giving Elder Jiang goosebumps.

"I am definitely not okay," he replied, his voice hoarse from too much laughter. "Answer me this: why did Li An insert a spiritual energy bomb inside Su Bing?"

Elder Jiang frowned. "Wasn't it because she wanted to bring all the attention of the sect to me?"

"Correct." He Jian's lips shivered. "However, that doesn't make sense."

"What doesn't make sense?" Elder Jiang asked with a raised eyebrow.

"If Li An wanted to bring all the attention of the sect to you, couldn't she just send a letter or another object with the bomb inside?"

The more Elder Jiang thought about his words, the more her stomach churned. The only reason attacks cannot be inserted inside other cultivators is because of conflicting spiritual energies. This doesn't apply to objects.

"So you are telling me she revealed the method on purpose?"

He Jian nodded solemnly. "Yes. Why do you think You Meihong had parts of her corpse left? Because Li An wanted to show us that her method works both inside and outside people."

He let out a deep breath. "She chose to show us."

At this point, even Tong Zi could see where his teacher was going. "Li An wants to buy time."

Time was what she needed the most. If Li An has no master and she is the weakest party, she needs a reason for the others to keep her alive until she has the chance to win.

"'Let's keep her alive to learn that method' is exactly what she wants us to think." He Jian sighed. "How terrifying."

"Mhmm, are you sure you are not thinking too highly of her, teacher?" Tong Zi asked with a frown. "How could she know that anyone would pay attention to this?"

"That's the scary part, Little Zi... she couldn't! But she had nothing to lose and everything to gain! It was just a gamble, and we were about to fall for it." He Jian stared at his student with a deep frown. "In the martial contest, kill Li An."

Tong Zi nodded, his gaze shining with some curiosity. "As you wish, teacher."

Only now did He Jian realize why Elder Jiang lost against Li An. He did not blame her for it; it was not that Elder Jiang was dumb, but she was too weak against the young girl in a battle of wits.

"Little Zi, there is a secret scroll in our sect that talks about the famous meeting between our Ancestor and the Ancient Demoness Huli Jing. In there, she warns us about the dangers of demonic cultivators. It starts like this..."

...

The Ancestor of the Hidden Valley Sect sat down next to her childhood friend, Huli Jing, and asked the question she had always wanted to ask her.

"Huli, why did you abandon our sect and join the demonic dao?"

The Ancient Demoness stared at her with a smile. The Ancestor described her voice in the scrolls as a mesmerizing blend of silk and steel.

"Consider, if you will, the essence of human existence—it is like a banquet laid before the starving. These humans, they wander through life famished for meaning, each soul desperate to feast upon any semblance of purpose that might sate their gnawing hunger. To them, meaning is sustenance; without it, they are but walking corpses, devoid of life's true vigor.

Now, picture righteousness as mere utensils at this banquet—knife and fork. Those who belong to the righteous sects clutch these tools with both hands, priding themselves on the decorum they uphold. They slice, they spear, they consume in neat, constrained bites, ever fearful of breaching the etiquette that their morality dictates."

Huli opened her arms in an embrace towards the world, her eyes blazing with a dark, fervent light.

"But I, a follower of the demonic dao, I understand the primitive nature of this feast. I eat with my hands, with sticks, with stones, with whatever tool I grasp at the moment. My way is not the way of the knife and fork, bound by the rules of how one 'should' eat. I consume life in all its raw, unbridled intensity, embracing the chaos and freedom that true indulgence brings."

With a deep sigh, Huli turned again towards the Ancestor.

"This, Xue'er, is why the righteous can never surpass the demonic. They are too busy ensuring their cutlery is polished, too concerned with the manners of their meal, that they miss the feast before them. They starve in the presence of abundance, trapped by their own narrow definitions of propriety.

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But not me. I devour meaning with fervor, unrestricted by formality. I and all the other demons adapt, we overcome, and we use whatever means necessary to fulfill our desires. The world itself is our banquet, and we are not confined by a single set of utensils.

So let them cling to their knives and forks. We shall thrive in the chaos, rulers of the feast, masters of all tools. For in the end, it is not those who eat with politeness who are sated, but those who eat with passion."

Huli placed her arm around the Ancestor's waistline and caressed her cheek with the palm of her cold hand.

"Xue'er, do you know why the demonic dao can survive even in a world where the great majority of beings are righteous cultivators?"

The Ancestor shook her head with a lump stuck inside her throat.

"It's because the righteous tire, their strength waning, their hunger growing ever more desperate. It is in this moment of weakness that we make our move."

Huli's grin widened.

"Imagine the scene: a righteous man, his spirit exhausted, his hands trembling from the effort of maintaining his facade of decorum. He sees the demon approach, bearing an offer too tempting to resist. 'Let me feed you,' the demon whispers, 'in exchange for gold.' The righteous man, desperate to sustain his facade without tarnishing his precious reputation, accepts. He parts with his wealth, allowing the demon to nourish him, believing that his secret is safe.

But gold is finite, and soon the man's coffers run dry. The demon, ever patient, then demands his authority in exchange for sustenance. 'Give me your power,' the demon entices, 'and I will continue to feed you.' Driven by his insatiable hunger, the righteous man capitulates, relinquishing his control piece by piece, still clinging to the illusion of his uprightness.

Yet, even authority is not endless. When all his power is spent, the demon ceases to feed him. The man, now deprived of both wealth and power, looks to the demon with desperate eyes. 'Why have you stopped?' he cries. The demon, with a cruel smile, replies, 'You have nothing left to give me. You are empty.'

In that moment, the righteous man realizes the terrible truth. In his desperate quest to maintain his facade, he has forgotten how to feed himself. His reliance on the demon has stripped him of his ability to find meaning on his own. He is left with nothing but an insatiable hunger, a void that can never be filled. Unable to sustain himself, he withers away, a hollow shell of the man he once was, dying not from lack of food, but from the absence of purpose."

The Ancestor describes this moment as the scariest moment of her life. She could feel herself drowning in the darkness of Huli's eyes.

"This, Xue'er, is the fate of those who cannot see beyond their polished cutlery and their rigid manners. They become dependent on others to provide what they cannot find within themselves, and when their resources are depleted, they are left to starve.

But I, who embrace the demonic dao, do not depend on the constructs of society to dictate my worth. I carve my own path, forge my own destiny, and in doing so, I find a meaning that is indestructible.

That is why..."

Huli releases her hold on the Ancestor and vanishes into the night, leaving behind a spectre of her last words.

"...In the Banquet of Life, demons reign supreme."

...

"Are you telling me that righteous cultivators are weaker than demonic cultivators?" Tong Zi clenched his trembling fists.

"Of course not," He Jian denied with a smile. "Although demonic cultivators can improve their cultivation realm very quickly using demonic techniques, they are plagued by heart demons and have difficulties reaching the highest realms of power."

He stared at his disciple in the eyes. "Those words were just a warning Huli gave to her childhood friend before she left our unnamed region, in the hope that she would never be fooled by a demon."

"I see. You want me to be careful about Li An." Tong Zi narrowed his eyes. He was confident in himself, but he trusted his teacher's opinion more than anyone else in this world.

He Jian resumed his writing, his voice softer but no less serious. "Be cautious, Little Zi. Hunt her with all your strength and do not allow her to even talk."

"I shall follow your words, teacher."

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

The night was deep, shrouded in a cloak of darkness that seemed almost tangible. The moon hung high and cast a silvery glow over the valley, but clouds occasionally veiled its light. Li An moved swiftly from house to house, her bag of food securely strapped to her shoulder.

"This might be the last time I see the sect." Li An stared softly at her house in the distance. "It is time for me to leave. The situation is becoming too dangerous."

Her footsteps barely made a sound on the ground as she slipped through the shadows. Her senses were alert to the tight security around the sect. Guards at the ninth stage of the Foundation realm patrolled diligently the streets, swinging their lanterns in rhythmic arcs that illuminated patches of the night.

Li An could hear some of their hushed conversations, mostly mentions of the upcoming contest.

"I heard Zhen Wu is still fuming," one guard murmured, his eyes scanning the darkness.

"Wouldn't be surprised," another replied. "The sect leader really showed him up. But let's stay focused. We can't afford any slip-ups during the next two weeks, or we're dead."

Li An paused behind a tree, her breath steady. She was observing the guards.

When the moment was right, she darted across the open space, slipping into another shadow before they could notice. Her heart was calm and focused.

"This is nothing," she thought, a slight smile curling her lips. "I've faced worse when I was being hunted in the past."

The worst that could happen in this situation was being sent back to her house or questioned for a while.

As she reached the edge of the sect grounds, the dense foliage of the northern forest loomed ahead. Li An paused briefly and waited for her eyes to adjust to the deeper darkness of the woods. Then, with a final glance over her shoulder, she plunged into the forest.

The air was far cooler here, and the earthy scent of moss had become stronger after the snow melted. Li An took out a white, long robe and wore it over her clothes. She could hear the faint rustle of nocturnal creatures in the distance.

"Avoiding detection is key," she reminded herself. "Although the great majority of the wild beasts in the northern forest are in the Foundation realm, there are still some stronger than that."

Li An ran while avoiding dry leaves and brittle twigs that could betray her presence. She kept low to the ground, her eyes and ears attuned to every sound.

She had been moving along animal trails that were less likely to be disturbed. The footsteps of these beasts still had a faint aura of spiritual energy, so it was unlikely for others to approach.

"It has been a long time since I used my survival knowledge." Li An placed her finger in the air and checked the wind direction. It was always better to be downwind of any potential threat in order to run away quickly.

Roar!

Li An halted, dropping to a crouch. Ahead, two wild beasts were engaged in a fierce territorial battle. A massive bear with dark brown fur stood on its hind legs, towering over the ground like a mountain. She could feel the spiritual energy aura at the fifth stage of the Foundation realm.

Opposing it was a python at least 20 meters long and as thick as two pine tree trunks put together. The scales of the beast were sickly green and shimmering with a ghostly sheen. The serpent coiled and uncoiled around the trees and bushes, its tongue flicking in and out as it hissed menacingly. The aura of the sixth stage was even slightly stronger than the one from the bear.

The bear roared again in warning and swiped at the python with bloodstained claws that glowed faintly in the mist. However, the python responded with lightning speed, its body darting forward to strike at the bear's exposed flank.

Li An watched the battle without blinking, her body pressed against the ground to avoid detection. "I feel like beasts are stronger than humans at the same level. It's a shame that their intelligence is a bit limited at this cultivation realm."

The bear's claws met the python's scales, and sparks flew. Li An had to put her hands over her ears due to the metallic screeching of the clash.

The python used this opportunity to wrap its body around the bear, squeezing it and crushing its bones. However, the bear's strength was not for show and it pushed back, breaking free after a mighty heave.

"Such raw, unrefined force," Li An thought, her eyes narrowing. "The body cultivation of wild beasts is really terrifying. They don't need to manipulate spiritual energy for their attacks at all."

"GGAAHHRR!"

The bear lunged again, its jaws snapping inches from the python's head. The serpent retaliated instantly and whipped its tail around to strike the bear's side, knocking it off balance. They were evenly matched, neither willing to yield an inch of territory.

Eventually, the battle moved deeper into the forest and the sounds of their clash faded into the distance. Li An exhaled slowly, her muscles relaxing as the immediate threat passed.

However, she remained in place for a few moments longer to ensure the coast was clear before rising to her feet.

"Keep moving," she urged herself.

Li An had around ten days before the martial contest starts. If she still didn't find a way to get whatever was inside the fog within the northern forest's depths, the only option would be to flee as far away as possible. Although Li An was not afraid to gamble, she would not risk her life if the probabilities of success were too low.

...

The sky above the northern forest grew darker, the moon now hidden behind a thick blanket of clouds. The temperature had dropped by a lot, but Li An did not want to waste spiritual energy on warming up her body.

She had been running for what felt like an eternity, each stride bringing her deeper into the heart of the forest. The landscape grew wilder, more untamed, with towering trees that stretched like giant pillars in the darkness.

Suddenly, she stopped.

"What's this smell?"

A revolting, metallic tang.

Blood.

A shiver crawled up her spine.

Li An grew more tense and slowed her pace. The atmosphere seemed heavier, more oppressive. Her instincts were screaming at her to be cautious. The once distant sound of running water grew louder, drawing her attention.

Li An moved towards the noise and soon reached the source.

Her breath caught in her throat.

The small underground pool was a nightmarish scene of carnage. The water was tainted a deep crimson, swirling with blood and visceras. Floating in the pool were the dismembered limbs and torn flesh of wild beasts, their bodies mangled beyond recognition.

"What the hell happened here?"

Li An crouched down, her eyes narrowing as she inspected the scene. The remains were not just of ordinary animals; many bore the distinctive auras of Spirit realm beasts. Their corpses were completely twisted and broken by whatever or whoever had befallen them.

"They were barely eaten. What's the reason for killing?"

The rustling of the leaves appeared to be giggling at her.

Li An went completely still.

She had noticed a disturbing pattern. Each carcass, no matter how mutilated, had one thing in common: their hearts were missing. The cavities where their hearts should have been were torn open, and the flesh around them was ragged and raw.

"Something or someone is harvesting the hearts..." Li An thought, her expression hardening. She reached out, her fingers lightly brushing the edge of the pool.

Feeling the cold, sticky residue of blood.

Flies buzzed incessantly, drawn to the rotten feast. Li An felt her stomach churn, but ignored it. She had seen scarier sights in her past.

"The carcasses are old, but not too much. This place was abandoned more or less two months ago."

She scanned the area for any clues. The ground around the pool was churned and muddy, marked with the tracks of both predator and prey.

"This place... it's a feeding ground, a hunting ground for something far more dangerous than these beasts."

Li An forced herself to breathe steadily, to maintain her composure. She was familiar with the records of the northern forest; even the stronger beasts here were supposed to be in the lower stages of the Spirit realm. Yet, more than a dozen of them were tortured to death in this clearing.

Swoosh

Li An's eyes shot to the trees, her muscles tense. A crow surfaced behind the branches and took flight.

She realized that it was better to leave and stepped back from the pool, continuing on her journey forward. It didn't take long to reach her destination.

The fog was dense here, a swirling mist that clung to the ground and rose up in spectral tendrils.

It almost felt like it was welcoming her.

Li An approached it cautiously, her eyes squinting. She extended her hand, letting a thin stream of her spiritual energy reach out towards the fog. To her dismay, the energy dissipated upon contact, absorbed and nullified by the thick mist.

"This fog is weird. How did You Meihong investigate it? Essence Condensation experts cannot fly." Her brow furrowed as she pulled back.

A scarier thought flashed in her head. "Did she even investigate it in the first place?"

Goosebumps spread across her flesh, rising like a thousand tiny needles pushing out from under her skin.

Li An retrieved a small, unconscious animal from her bag, a mouse, and gently placed it near the edge of the fog. She used a tiny bit of her pure spiritual energy to wake it up.

Squeak

The creature sniffed the air tentatively before darting forward into the mist.

Li An watched closely, her eyes widening as the mouse began to stagger. Moments later, it squeaked frantically, spinning in circles as if pursued by unseen demons. It collapsed, twitching, before lying still.

She picked up another small animal, a bird this time, and repeated the test. The bird flew into the fog, only to emerge one minute later. It flapped desperately before crashing to the ground.

Li An studied its corpse and found that the bird's eyes were bloodshot, with twitching veins moving in its pupils.

"Hallucinations... and death," Li An noted, her expression tightening. "This fog is more dangerous than I thought. How am I going to go past it?"

While she was thinking, her body froze.

"Why is it so silent?"

The usual night sounds—the chirping of insects, the rustle of small animals—had all but disappeared.

Her instincts screamed at her that something was wrong. Very wrong.

Rustle

Li An spun around and threw herself to her right without even thinking.

But she wasn't fast enough. A blur of movement and a flash of pain.

Her arm... was gone.