Fort Blackthorn was initially territory of the Black Lotus Cult, but it had been occupied by the righteous forces after a tremendous win two years ago. Although the soldiers tried to make it look livelier with decorations, markets and training areas, the fort was designed to be crude and intimidating, so it was hard to enjoy their stay there.

The courtyard bustled with activity as soldiers drilled in formation, blacksmiths hammered away at weapons, and scouts returned with reports from the surrounding swamps. The ground was paved with dark stone, worn smooth by countless feet. Banners of the fort's insignia fluttered in the slight breeze, casting long shadows in the late evening light.

Colonel Hao, a tall, thin man with sun tanned skin, walked down the courtyard. Soldiers snapped to attention as he passed, and the respect in their eyes was enough to tell how good of a commander he was.

"Colonel Hao, sir!" a soldier greeted, saluting sharply.

Hao nodded curtly. "Status report."

"All patrols are in position. The walls are secure, and scouts report slightly more activity than usual in the surrounding swamps."

"Good. Maintain vigilance. The enemy is unpredictable," Hao warned. "And send someone to investigate the unusual activity of the insect beasts."

Another soldier stepped forward, his face lined with some concern.

"Sir, do you believe the Black Lotus Cult will attempt a direct assault?"

Hao paused, his expression thoughtful. "Their methods are more insidious. Be prepared for anything."

The two soldiers sighed and returned to their tasks, allowing Colonel Hao to continue his walk to the catacombs.

He retrieved the key from the pocket of his robe, unlocked the huge granite door, and descended into its depths. The catacombs of Fort Blackthorn were also designed by the demonic cultivators, a labyrinth of dark, damp tunnels and chambers used for the most secret and brutal interrogations. Torches cast flickering shadows on the stone walls, creating an oppressive, claustrophobic atmosphere.

Colonel Hao's nose twitched as the stench of blood and decay tickled his nostrils, mingled with the faint echoes of distant screams and the clinking of chains.

The two guards snapped to attention as he entered the torture chamber.

"Report," Hao commanded, his voice colder than before.

The dark-skinned guard turned a bit pale. "Sir, the prisoners remain defiant. No significant information has been extracted."

"Increase the pressure. We cannot afford any delays," Hao ordered, his eyes narrowing. "We don't know anything about this sudden appearance of a new Young Demon. They must have some information from before he or she was promoted."

"Yes, Colonel. We will redouble our efforts," the other guard assured him. It was hard to know what he was thinking since his face was almost entirely burnt.

"Ensure that Lieutenant Wong has everything he needs. I want results, and I want them soon," Hao said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

...

Inside the dimly lit torture chamber, demonic cultivators from the Black Lotus Cult were bound and beaten, reduced to broken, bloodied figures.

The walls were lined with various torture instruments, each designed to inflict maximum pain and extract information. Lieutenant Wong stood over the prisoners, his old, rugged face twisted with sadistic glee.

"Tell me about the Young Demon, and I might spare you more pain," Wong demanded, glaring at a bloodied Spirit realm cultist.

The demonic cultivator spat blood on him. "I know nothing of what you speak, worm."

Wong applied more pressure to the metal nail stuck on the demon's right leg, his frustration growing. "Lies will only bring you more suffering. Speak!"

The prisoner giggled and screamed simultaneously.

"You think this hurts? You have no idea what true agony is!"

"Perhaps not. But I'm eager to learn. Now, who is the Young Demon?" Wong pressed. His patience was wearing thin after days of the same results.

Even in the face of unbearable pain, the demonic cultivator laughed weakly. "Even if I knew, I would never betray him. Do your worst."

Wong kicked the nail with the tip of his foot and left the shrieking soldier alone. As he walked through the narrow corridor, the other demonic cultivators screamed and cursed from the surrounding cells.

"You think you can break us? We are the Black Lotus Cult! You will all perish!" one shrieked. If Wong wasn't wrong, she was the daughter of a lower Elder in the Black Lotus Cult. If he did not belong to the righteous forces, he would have already shown her what a true man was to shut her up.

The old man in the cell next to her laughed maniacally, his voice echoing through the catacombs. "Your tortures are pathetic! The War Demon will rip your souls apart!"

Wong glanced at him and saw a wide toothless smile.

"Enjoy your victory while it lasts, mortals. Darkness is coming for you all!"

Wong ignored him and kept moving deeper in the catacombs.

In a specially constructed cell right at the end of the corridor, hung a middle-stage Core Formation expert and one of the most feared members of the southern demonic army. He was nicknamed the Warden since it was almost impossible to take him down with his metal qi protecting him.

His limbs were locked by a powerful formation, preventing any movement and draining his spiritual energy. His eyes glowed with a malevolent light, and a perpetual, twisted grin stretched across his bloodied face.

Despite his confinement, an aura of unrestrained madness and danger emanated from him. He would occasionally chuckle to himself, a low, guttural sound that echoed through the cell. His head twisted unnaturally, and he whispered incoherent but sinister phrases, as if conversing with unseen entities.

Lieutenant Wong approached the Warden's cell, his confidence faltering slightly in the presence of such unrestrained malevolence.

"Tell us about the Young Demon," he demanded, trying to maintain his composure.

The Warden's eyes locked onto Wong, his grin widening. "The Young Demon? He is a shadow, a whisper in the night. You will never find him," he hissed. "And if you do... you will wish you hadn't."

Wong's frustration grew to the point of boiling. That was the same as telling him he knew nothing about the new Young Demon of the cult.

"We need that information, Wong. The Young Demon is a threat we cannot ignore," Colonel Hao said, stepping into the shadows of the cell. "Every Young Demon until now has been an abomination among cultivators, just like our Young Leader. If he or she is in the southern front, we have to make sure we do not underestimate their strength and end up suffering losses."

"I understand, sir. I will intensify the interrogations, but these cultists are hardened. Their loyalty is beyond anything we've encountered," Wong replied, his voice tinged with desperation.

Most demonic cultivators didn't have any loyalty, but the direct disciples of the Black Lotus Cult were different in one aspect: they were cultists, which meant they were devoted to their God. As for who was their God, it was naturally the Faceless Demon. The Young Demon could be considered their next God in the hierarchy, so betrayal was unacceptable.

In this aspect, they were even worse than the rogue demonic cultivators who roamed the wilderness.

"Do whatever it takes," Hao commanded coldly.

"Yes, Colonel. I will break them, one way or another."

"And Wong, remember—we need them alive long enough to talk. Do not let your methods kill our only leads," Hao cautioned before turning to leave.

A cruel smile returned to Wong's lips. "Understood, sir. I will extract what we need, no matter the cost."

Suddenly, the unmistakable rhythm of war drums echoed through the stone corridors, startling both men slightly.

"What is that?" Wong asked, his voice tense. He knew what the sound meant, but he didn't want to believe the time had finally come.

Hao's eyes narrowed, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face. "War drums," he muttered. "But why now?"

The Warden, still hanging in his cell with a twisted grin, stared at them intently.

"I hear the echoes of your doom, righteous scum," he rasped. "Your fortress will fall, and you will be devoured by the darkness you so fear."

"Silence!" Wong snapped, but the Warden only laughed, a chilling sound that reverberated through the catacombs.

"Rejoice, for your end is near," the Warden continued, his voice filled with dark glee. "Death is coming for you all."

Ignoring the Warden's taunts, Hao turned to Wong. "I'm going up. Stay here and keep them under control."

"Yes, Colonel," Wong replied sharply.

With a determined stride, Hao ascended from the catacombs, moving at full speed. He emerged into the chaotic scene of the fort, where soldiers were running everywhere, preparing for battle.

His frown eased slightly. Despite the urgency, there was a noticeable lack of worry among the troops.

Hao approached one of his lieutenants, who was directing soldiers to their positions.

"Report!" he barked.

The lieutenant turned, saluting crisply. "Sir, our scouts have detected a small group of around one hundred enemy soldiers approaching the fort."

A chuckle escaped Hao's lips. "A hundred soldiers? This is what they send to challenge us?" He shook his head, a smirk forming. "Massacre them with projectiles before they can even reach the walls."

The lieutenant nodded, a fierce grin spreading across his face. "Yes, Colonel!"

As the lieutenant turned to relay the orders, Hao's expression suddenly darkened. He raised a hand, stopping the lieutenant. "Wait. Make sure our men don't shout. Finish them as quickly and quietly as possible."

The lieutenant looked puzzled. "Sir?"

"Insect beasts tend to come after a big battle," Hao explained, his voice lowering. "We don't want to attract a huge beast tide and suffer unnecessary casualties."

The lieutenant's eyes widened in understanding. "Understood, Colonel. We'll handle it swiftly and silently."

The soldiers set up the ballistae and arrows along the walls, preparing for the incoming battle. Hao watched them for a moment, his eyes scanning the horizon. The war drums had ceased, leaving an eerie silence in their wake.

"Colonel," one of the archers called, "we're ready to engage the enemy on your command."

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Hao nodded. "Hold your fire until they're within range. We'll take them down swiftly."

As the moments ticked by, the tension in the air grew palpable. The soldiers waited in silence, their weapons poised and ready. Hao stood at the forefront, his gaze locked on the darkness of the trees.

Finally, the small group of enemy soldiers appeared, emerging from the edge of the swamp. They moved carelessly, clearly aware that the righteous forces knew about them. Except for the low Core Formation expert at the front, they all looked like anxious farmers with no fighting experience.

"Now," Hao commanded softly.

A deadly volley of arrows and bolts was unleashed from the walls, darkening the sky momentarily as they arced towards the enemy. Some of the projectiles were imbued with different types of qi from the strongest soldiers, lighting up the darkness with rainbow colors.

The enemy soldiers reacted immediately, raising shields of spiritual energy to protect themselves. However, they were just at the beginning stage of the Foundation realm, so twenty of them died immediately.

"Shields up!" the enemy commander shouted.

The soldiers complied, forming a shimmering barrier of spiritual energy above their heads. The second wave of projectiles slammed into the shields, shattering them with explosive force. Shards of energy and splintered wood rained down, causing chaos and confusion.

"Run! Get to the walls!" the commander screamed again, her voice barely audible over the din of battle.

Without hesitation, the enemy soldiers dashed forward, their speed unnaturally fast, enhanced by whatever spiritual energy they could afford to spend. They sprinted towards the fort walls, heedless of the deadly rain of projectiles continuing to fall upon them.

Colonel Hao watched the scene unfold, a bad premonition gnawing at his gut. The desperation of the enemy was too intense, too focused. He turned to his archers and ballista operators.

"Don't let them reach the walls! Do whatever it takes!" he shouted, his voice urgent.

The defenders redoubled their efforts, launching wave after wave of arrows and bolts. The sky seemed to rain death upon the herd of sheep below.

The enemy soldiers were cut down mercilessly. Those who tried to run were hit in the back, their bodies crumpling to the ground in twisted, bloody heaps. Screams of pain and terror filled the air as the projectiles found their marks, tearing through flesh and bone all the same.

"Keep firing! Don't let up!" Hao commanded firmly.

A soldier near the front, his shield shattered, cried out as an arrow pierced his throat, blood spurting from the wound. Another tried to flee, only to be struck down by a bolt that impaled him through the chest, pinning him to the ground.

Only the commander, the low Core Formation expert, managed to reach the wall. Her eyes were wild with fear and determination. Hao's heart pounded in his chest as he saw her approach, a sense of impending doom washing over him.

"Something's not right," he muttered, turning pale. "Stop her! Stop her now!"

The woman reached the base of the wall and turned, her gaze meeting Hao's for a split second. Then, with a look of grim resolve, she began to prepare to run again.

"Fire the ballistae!"

Four ballistae bolts were loosed simultaneously, cutting through the air with terrifying speed. The woman's eyes widened in horror as the qi reinforced bolts struck her, skewering her body and pinning her against the wall.

Her mouth opened in a silent scream, blood spilling from her lips as her body convulsed in its final moments. The light in her eyes dimmed, and she slumped forward.

The battlefield fell silent, the last echoes of the massacre fading into the stillness of the swamp. Hao took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over the fallen enemy soldiers. His bad premonition lingered, but for now, the immediate threat had been neutralized.

"Good work," he said quietly to his men. "Clean up the battlefield and prepare for whatever comes next. We can't afford to let our guard down."

However, Colonel Hao's command hung in the air, unanswered. A chill crept down his spine as he noticed the soldiers standing motionless, their eyes fixated on something amidst the carnage.

Time slowed down. Hao turned, his gaze following the line of the soldiers' stunned stares. There, standing amid the twisted, bloodied bodies, was a human figure.

A girl.

Barely in her teenage years, yet there was an unnatural mature aura about her. Her hair was as black as the darkest coal, cascading down her back in a flowing waterfall. Her eyes looked hollow and reflected no light.

As for her skin, it was alabaster drenched in moonlight, a stark contrast to the blood-soaked ground beneath her feet. The girl stood perfectly still, an island of eerie calm in the midst of the chaos, with a giant war scythe strapped to her back. The weapon was taller than she was, its blades curved like the crescent moon.

Thump

Hao's heart raced a bit faster. He sensed the aura of a ninth-stage Spirit cultivator emanating from the girl, yet something felt profoundly amiss.

Aura served as a means to display the density of one's spiritual energy, indicating their cultivation realm. The denser the spiritual energy, the further it could be projected, making it easier to detect.

So why was the aura of this girl enveloping nearly the entire fort?!

Hao could feel it; the aura wasn’t particularly dense. This led to a disturbing conclusion: the girl possessed an horrifying amount of spiritual energy.

However, even this realization left him puzzled, for maintaining such an aura required an extraordinary rate of energy recovery, a feat beyond the limits of the normal meridians in a human body.

Nothing made sense, and that unknown was worrying Colonel Hao.

The girl's figure amidst the trees seemed to absorb the surrounding light, casting an unnatural shadow that writhed and twisted as if alive.

But her smile...

Her smile was the worst of all—a slow, creeping curl of her lips that revealed a deep satisfaction at the carnage before her. It was a smile that felt like a thousand ants crawling beneath Hao's skin, a maddening sensation that made him want to tear at his flesh to escape its grip.

Hao swallowed hard, his throat dry as he managed to speak, his voice regaining a bit of its strength. "Who... who is that?"

No one answered. The soldiers remained transfixed, as if under a spell. Hao forced himself to take a step forward, his eyes never leaving the girl.

The girl turned her head slightly, her black eyes locking onto Hao with an intensity that froze his blood.

Her smile widened.

Hao realized that the battle hadn't even started yet.

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

Li An cast an indifferent glance at the skewered corpse of Colonel Zi. "I told her she could go home if she managed to touch the wall and return, but I didn’t expect her to actually complete half the task without giving up."

It had proven to be a more fruitful investment than she anticipated. Li An had always appreciated competent individuals... even more when they were dead.

She had to admit she was slightly excited. This would be the first time she employed her new offensive technique, something she had only been able to theorize but never practice.

Her fully released aura contracted back into her artificial meridians. "Five minutes should have been more than enough. The dinner guests will arrive soon."

While the soldiers of her company ran and died in vain, Li An had not been idle. She had cultivated up to the ninth and final stage of the Spirit realm, effortlessly reaching the next significant bottleneck.

Regrettably, breaking through to the Core Formation realm would be impossible without at least fifty times the amount of treasures and pills she currently owned... and even that might be an underestimation.

"First, let’s deal with the trapped rats. My final goal is the inheritance in the South," she mused. That inheritance surely had more resources than she could imagine, considering whom it belonged to.

A breeze blew and her black hair fluttered gently. Li An had begun to channel her spiritual energy.

She formed intricate rings of spiritual energy in the air before her. Each ring pulsed with golden light, their edges crackling with raw energy. Li An extended her hand, and the rings began to rotate, faster and faster, creating a vortex of ionized particles at their center.

The air around her shimmered with intense heat, the ground beneath her feet scorched by the sheer power she was harnessing.

She allowed a small smile to grace her lips upon witnessing a modified form of a weapon from her past. "Let us see if cultivators like the introduction of plasma cannons."

Her eyes narrowed as she observed the enemy soldiers atop the battlements, preparing their bows and ballistae with remarkable speed. "But they are still too predictable."

With a mere thought, Li An activated the four hexanodes she had secretly implanted inside Colonel Zi. She had wanted to place more, but unfortunately that was the limit for a low Core Formation expert.

Bang!

Flesh and bone were ripped apart, sending a shower of blood and gore splattering against the fort's surface. The force of the blast cracked the wall, creating spiderweb fractures that snaked across the stone.

Panic spread like wildfire among the soldiers atop the walls. They stumbled and fell, letting go of their weapons in an attempt to not end up crushed below the walls.

Li An watched with a detached amusement, her smile widening. The rings of spiritual energy had finally reached their peak.

With a flick of her wrist, Li An unleashed the cannon for the first time. The vortex of ionized particles shot forward with a deafening roar, the air around it distorting from the immense energy.

"Good luck, Colonel Hao," Li An thought, her eyes glinting. "You'll need it."

It was too fast for the enemy to react.

The projectile struck the wall like a knife cutting through butter, a blinding explosion of light and energy that obliterated everything in its path. The wall was already weakened by the hexanode explosions and shattered instantly. Chunks of stone and debris were hurled into the air, and the ground trembled from the impact.

Its spinning nature allowed it to cover a wider area, destroying all the buildings closer to the wall and setting fire to whatever could be burnt.

The fort's defenders had been thrown into utter disarray. The once impregnable wall now lay in ruins, a gaping hole exposing the fort’s interior. Screams of terror and pain filled the air as soldiers scrambled to regain their footing, their faces pale with fear.

"Around three hundred dead, I think," Li An estimated. It was challenging to guess with all the dust obstructing her view, but she inferred that the wall had collapsed upon the majority of the archers and ballista operators.

Li An's smile widened at the panicked shouts echoing from the distance. It amused her to think that they believed the ordeal was over.

"Shall we indulge in another volley?"

· · ────── ·𖥸· ────── · ·

Colonel Hao struggled to his feet, his body aching and his clothes torn to shreds. The force of the explosion had thrown him to the ground, and he could feel the sharp sting of cuts and bruises all over. As he stood, he was confronted with a scene of absolute devastation.

The frontal wall was no more.

The dust and debris created a thick, choking fog that obscured everything. The stench of burning flesh and the coppery tang of blood hung heavy in the air, making his nose twitch. All around him, the bodies of his soldiers lay strewn about, lifeless and broken. The screams of the dying and the groans of the wounded only added a haunting chorus to the chaotic sight.

Hao's eyes darted from one fallen comrade to another, his heart pounding in his chest. The soldiers who had been closest to him, men and women he had fought alongside for years, were now nothing but mangled corpses.

"This... this isn't real," he muttered, his voice trembling slightly. "How... how could this happen?"

His thoughts turned to the girl he had seen—the one who had caused this apocalypse. "A ninth-stage Spirit realm cultivator? Impossible!" Hargrave's mind raced, trying to reconcile the overwhelming power he had witnessed with the supposed limitations of her cultivation level.

"No," he whispered, shaking his head in denial. "An attack like that... it has to be the work of an Essence Condensation expert, maybe even close to the Nascent Soul realm. But that would break the rules of the war. None of the parties would dare to break them... would they?"

Hao's hands trembled as he brushed the dust from his face. His breaths came in ragged gasps, his eyes open wide. He felt a cold sweat break out across his skin, his body shivering despite the heat of the battle's aftermath. Even fighting against the Warden hadn't felt like this.

"What kind of monstrosity have we unleashed upon ourselves?"

He lifted his head, his gaze drawn to a faint, golden light in the distance. Colonel Hao was squinting through the dust and debris, trying to make sense of it.

As it grew larger, his eyes widened in utter horror. The realization struck him like a physical blow—it was another shot from the strange weapon wielded by the girl.

"By the gods... another one!" he gasped.

He turned to his soldiers, his voice booming with the aid of his spiritual energy. "Prepare for impact! Take cover! Now!"

Hao had no idea how the girl could unleash such devastating attacks two times in a row, but there was no time for questions. The demon was using the wounded from the first blast as bait, drawing more soldiers into the kill zone.

"We've been caught in her trap," he muttered, fury and frustration seething in his voice. "Damn it!"

And then it was unleashed once more.

The golden light reached them with terrifying speed. Hao barely had time to react, only able to summon a shield of fire qi.

"Hold the line!" he shouted. "Do not falter!"

But the light struck with a force beyond comprehension. The vortex of plasma tore through the fort, turning everything inside into ruins and fire. Buildings crumbled into heaps of ash and stone, their structures unable to withstand the destructive energy. Flames roared to life, consuming wood, metal, and flesh indiscriminately.

Colonel Hao was thrown across the fort like a ragdoll, his body slamming into a tall building that had seen better days. Pain exploded through him, and he felt his ribs crack and his skin burn from the intense heat. His vision was blurring, but he forced himself to stay conscious.

"I can't... I can't let them die like this..." he thought, grimacing against the pain. These were his people, more important to him than the righteous sect he was from. Hao didn't even want to think about how many had died from that last blast.

However, as always, he knew what he had to do.

With his clothes singed and torn, and blood dripping from his multiple wounds, Colonel Hao staggered to his feet. His left arm hung uselessly at his side, and his vision swam from the concussion, but a leader had to lead until he had no breath left.

Using a significant chunk of his remaining spiritual energy, Hao shouted with all his strength, his voice echoing across the ruins of the fort.

"Soldiers! Attack the enemy! If you want to live, fight now, or die without crossing swords!"

The remaining soldiers snapped to attention at his command. That's right, they would die like rats trapped in a cage if they did not move to attack the enemy outside.

Though smoke and flames, the soldiers rallied under his command, prepared to move forward as soon as the order was given.

"Fight! Fight for your lives!" Colonel Hao roared, his voice hoarse but unwavering. "Do not let that demon claim our land! We are-"

"Fight for your lives, you say?" A soft, almost melodic voice cut through his words, silencing the colonel mid-sentence. This voice was polite, perhaps slightly amused, carrying an undercurrent of mockery. "Fair, but quite pointless."

Hao froze, the blood in his veins turning to ice. Through the thick, swirling dust, a figure began to emerge.

"Do you truly believe you stand a chance?" Li An asked, her voice smooth and devoid of emotion. "Against me?"

The soldiers stood paralyzed. There was something terrifying about the girl. Perhaps it was the way she walked among the enemy without fear, or the fact she could slaughter hundreds with a single attack, or maybe it was her gaze that seemed to devour anyone who dared meet her eyes.

Hao himself felt a cold sweat break out across his brow, his mouth dry and his mind reeling.

"You..." Hao began, his voice shaking. "Who are you?"

The girl tilted her head slightly, as if pondering the question.

"Who am I?" she repeated, almost to herself. "Strange. I thought my name would have spread far and wide by now."

As the girl took another step forward, Colonel Hao finally recalled a story he had recently heard from the command center, about a young girl who carried a giant war scythe and massacred high-ranking officers of the left flank during the last battle in the Crimson War.

His eyes widened. Could it really be? The Young Demon about whom no one knew anything.

"...the Death Maiden?" he whispered.

Li An met his words with a smile.

"Perhaps. But corpses have no need for names."