The demon lunged.
Its six limbs shot forward like spears, slicing the air. Its tongue flickered, tasting the girl's fear, seeking her throat.
Jiang Xun didn't think. His body moved before thought could catch up.
He surged into the clearing, feet digging into the earth. The saber came free of its scabbard with a rasp of iron, and he roared a wordless challenge as he slashed in a rising arc.
Clang!
The blade met one of the demon's spindly limbs, shearing through brittle bone and black sinew. The beast shrieked, staggering back, ichor spraying across the grass.
[Demon Engaged – Spider-Eyed Bonefiend (Feral-Class)]
Weaknesses Detected: Joints, Inner Skull Cavity
Threat Level: Moderate
Combat Bonus: First Encounter + Saber Art Application (Minor Flow Bonus Active)
The girl collapsed behind him, wide-eyed and shivering. "P-please… help me—!"
"Stay down," Jiang Xun said, not turning.
The Bonefiend recovered fast. It hissed, bloodless jaws yawning wide. Its back arched like a bow, and then it leapt.
Jiang Xun didn't meet it head-on. Instead, he rolled aside, pivoting with a sharp step and bringing his saber down in a diagonal Falling Stone Cut.
The blade hacked into its flank—deep, but not enough to finish it.
The demon snarled, twisting mid-air. One limb slashed across Jiang Xun's shoulder, ripping cloth and grazing flesh.
Pain flashed white. He grunted, stumbling.
Bleeding: Minor
Recommendation: End combat swiftly. Extended fights drain stamina quickly at current level.
"I know that already," he muttered through clenched teeth.
He feinted to the left, baiting a swipe, then surged right into a spinning Crushing Arc. The saber slammed into the demon's side again—harder this time.
Crack!
The creature shrieked and toppled.
Jiang Xun didn't let it rise. He stepped in and drove the saber down, point-first, into its skull cavity—splitting the bone in two.
The creature went still.
A silence fell, broken only by the girl's soft sobbing and Jiang Xun's heaving breath.
[Demon Slain – Spider-Eyed Bonefiend]
+5 Essence Gained
Ironblood Saber Arts +4% Mastery (18%)
Cultivation Progress: +4% toward next breakthrough
Vital Strike Registered – Increased Efficiency Gained
[System Notice: Slayer Path Unlocked]
You have fulfilled the conditions to walk the path of a true Demon Slayer. Additional system features unlocked at later ranks.
Title Gained: Novice Demon Slayer
System Tip: Returning to a demon-cleansed location may cause passive cultivation effects to linger in the region. Consider training nearby.
Jiang Xun pulled his saber free with a grunt. Ichor steamed from the blade. His arms trembled—not from fear, but from the effort. His whole body ached, but a strange, molten strength churned beneath it.
Not just strength from battle—but from victory.
He turned to the girl. "You hurt?"
She shook her head, tears streaking her dirt-streaked face. "N-no. Just… scared."
He sheathed the saber and knelt beside her. "What's your name?"
"Lin... Lin Yue." Her voice was thin. "I… I was with a group. From Pine Hollow. But the demons came in the night. Everyone… they all…"
She couldn't finish. Jiang Xun rested a hand on her shoulder—lightly.
"You survived. That means something." His voice was low, but firm. "There's strength in you."
She looked at him, eyes wide and uncertain.
...
They walked back together. Slowly. Jiang Xun kept one hand on his saber at all times.
Back at the ruined village, the silence was still deep, but something felt changed. As though the air had warmed, just slightly. The stain of the Bonefiend's presence was lifting.
Jiang Xun felt the stirrings in his core—Essence settling into his bones like hot oil poured into a cold forge.
[Essence Reservoir: 5/10]
Breakthrough Possible (Unrefined Meridian Path – Stage 1)
Initiate Breakthrough Now?
[Yes] / [No]
He hesitated. Then selected [Yes].
...
He sat cross-legged in the ruined hall of the old shrine, the shattered altar before him. Lin Yue sat nearby, asleep, wrapped in an old cloak.
Jiang Xun drew his breath inward and let his focus fall inward. Into the sea of blood and fire that was this world's answer to power.
Essence stirred—drawn inward, compressed.
His muscles clenched. His blood surged like thunder. His bones groaned.
[Breakthrough Initiated]
Stage 1 → Stage 2: Meridian Opening (Lower Root Veins)
You have successfully opened the Root Meridian. Flow of internal energy has begun.
Passive Effects Gained: Slight increase in strength and endurance.
Training Efficiency Increased (Ironblood Saber Arts +5% Bonus while active)
He exhaled.
And for the first time, he felt a true pulse of power in his limbs—not just effort, not just adrenaline, but something real. Rooted deep in muscle, marrow, and soul.
He rose slowly.
Lin Yue stirred. "...Is it morning already?"
"No," Jiang Xun said quietly. "But it's a new day."