In the shadowed valleys of the Azure Cloud Sect, where mist clung to jagged peaks like the breath of ancient dragons, the world of cultivators thrived on a delicate balance of qi and ambition. This was a realm where mortals clawed their way toward immortality through rigorous cultivation, absorbing the essence of heaven and earth to temper body and soul. Sects dotted the landscape like fortresses of jade and steel, each vying for dominance in the endless pursuit of the Dao—the eternal path to transcendence. But for Lin Feng, a lowly outer disciple, the Dao felt like a cruel jest.
Lin Feng was no prodigy. At eighteen, his meridians were as narrow as a beggar's veins, his qi pool a stagnant puddle where others drew rivers. Born to a fallen clan in the remote Whispering Winds Village, he had been shipped off to the Azure Cloud Sect at ten, a "gift" from his desperate parents to secure a sliver of glory. But glory eluded him. His days blurred into nights of hauling spirit stones from the mines, his hands calloused and spirit unbroken only by sheer spite.
The sect's hierarchy was merciless, a pyramid built on talent and connections. Inner disciples, robed in flowing azure silk, meditated in pavilions overlooking cascading waterfalls infused with pure qi. Outer disciples like Lin Feng? They scraped by in drafty barracks, their cultivation manuals dog-eared relics passed down like curses. And atop it all loomed the core disciples—gods among men, their auras flaring like miniature suns.
Today marked the annual Trial of the Crimson Lotus, a rite where outer disciples proved their worth by delving into the Lotus Caverns, a labyrinthine dungeon teeming with spirit beasts and qi-infused flora. Success meant promotion to inner disciple; failure, expulsion or worse. Lin Feng adjusted the frayed hem of his gray robe, his heart pounding as he joined the queue at the cavern's maw. Around him, two hundred youths buzzed with nervous energy, their faces a mosaic of hope and dread.
"Look at the cripple," sneered a voice from the crowd. It belonged to Zhao Kun, a burly outer disciple with a face like hammered iron and a cultivation at the third layer of Qi Condensation. Zhao Kun's family supplied the sect with rare herbs, buying him favor and followers. He towered over Lin Feng, his qi coiling visibly around his fists like serpents. "Think you can even touch a single lotus petal without tripping over your own feet?"
Lin Feng's jaw tightened, but he said nothing. Retaliation meant punishment—outer disciples weren't allowed to challenge superiors without cause. Instead, he recalled the sting of last month's "sparring" session, where Zhao Kun had "accidentally" shattered three of his ribs with a palm strike disguised as friendly advice. The elders had turned a blind eye; after all, weeding out the weak was the sect's unspoken creed.
As the trial commenced, disciples plunged into the caverns in waves, the air growing thick with the metallic tang of blood and the hum of clashing qi. Lin Feng waited for the last group, slipping in alone as the sun dipped below the peaks. The cavern's entrance yawned like a beast's throat, veins of crimson crystal pulsing with latent energy. He ignited a basic illumination talisman, its feeble glow casting long shadows on walls etched with ancient runes—warnings from cultivators long ascended.
Deeper in, the air turned humid, laced with the sweet rot of devoured beasts. Lin Feng's senses sharpened; even his meager qi detected the skittering of shadow rats, vermin that feasted on residual essence. He pressed on, navigating twisting tunnels until he reached the first chamber: a vast dome carpeted in glowing fungi, at its center a Crimson Lotus blooming defiantly amid thorny vines.
But he wasn't alone. Three figures emerged from the gloom—Zhao Kun and his cronies, their robes splattered with ichor. They had claimed the lotus, its petals wilting in Zhao Kun's greedy grasp. "Well, well," Zhao Kun drawled, his voice echoing like cracking stone. "The rat scurries in last. Did you come to beg scraps?"
Lin Feng's hand drifted to the hilt of his iron sword, a hand-me-down blade notched from misuse. "The trial allows one lotus per disciple. Hand it over, and I'll leave."
Laughter barked from the group. "Rules? For trash like you?" Zhao Kun's qi erupted, a wave of pressure slamming Lin Feng against the wall. Pain lanced through his chest as ribs protested. One crony, a wiry youth named Li Tao, flicked a dart—poisoned, no doubt—from his sleeve. It grazed Lin Feng's arm, numbness spreading like fire.
They closed in, Zhao Kun's fist glowing with the Azure Fist Technique, a low-tier martial art that could pulverize stone. Lin Feng dodged clumsily, his own Body Tempering stage offering scant defense. A kick from the third thug caught his knee, buckling it. He fell, sword clattering away, vision blurring as Zhao Kun loomed.
"Pathetic," Zhao Kun spat, raising his foot for the killing blow. "In the cultivation world, the weak are devou—"
A roar shattered the chamber. From the shadows erupted a Crimson Fang Boar, a mid-tier spirit beast drawn by the spilled qi. Its tusks gleamed like scimitars, eyes mad with hunger. Chaos exploded. Zhao Kun's group scattered, their bravado crumbling as the boar charged.
Lin Feng rolled aside, snatching his sword. The beast ignored him, barreling into Li Tao, who screamed as tusks rent flesh. Blood sprayed, qi essence flickering like dying embers from the corpse. Zhao Kun unleashed a flurry of punches, cracking the boar's hide, but it wheeled, goring his shoulder. Cursing, he fled deeper, abandoning his fallen comrade.
The boar turned to Lin Feng, snorting steam. Desperation fueled him; he lunged, sword thrusting at its eye. The blade sank shallow, drawing a bellow. It swiped, claws raking his side, tearing cloth and skin. Agony blurred the world, but Lin Feng twisted, driving the sword deeper. With a final, gurgling roar, the beast collapsed, its massive form shuddering into stillness.
Panting, Lin Feng slumped against the wall, blood pooling beneath him. The chamber reeked of death—Li Tao's mangled body nearby, the boar's carcass steaming. His vision darkened, meridians fraying from blood loss. This is it, he thought bitterly. Die nameless, forgotten.
Then, a chime echoed in his mind, cold and mechanical.
[Emergency Quest: Survive the Trial. Devour the fallen to awaken your potential. Reward: Devourer System Activation. Failure: Death.]
Lin Feng blinked, hallucinating? But words hovered in his vision, ethereal blue script:
Devourer System Initialized.
Host: Lin Feng
Cultivation: Body Tempering Peak (0% to Qi Condensation)
Essence Pool: 0/100
A translucent panel materialized, stats scrolling like a forbidden scroll. Before he could process, instinct surged—an alien hunger gnawing at his core. His hand trembled toward Li Tao's corpse, fingers brushing cooling flesh. Devour? The word tasted like ash, but survival whispered louder.
Gritting teeth, Lin Feng pressed his palm to the body. Qi threads, invisible to the untrained eye, snaked from the corpse into his pores. Warmth flooded him, the numbness receding. Li Tao's essence—meager, tainted by poison—integrated seamlessly.
[Devoured: Outer Disciple Li Tao. Gained: 5 Essence Points. Minor Poison Resistance Skill.]
The body crumbled to dust, qi fully siphoned. Revitalized, Lin Feng turned to the boar. Larger, wilder essence beckoned. He devoured it next, the process visceral: visions of forest runs, primal rages flashing through his mind.
[Devoured: Crimson Fang Boar. Gained: 20 Essence Points. Boar Charge Technique (Basic). Vitality +10%.]
Strength coursed through him, wounds knitting closed. His meridians widened fractionally, qi stirring like a wakened serpent. The system chimed again:
[Quest Complete. System Fully Unlocked. Daily Quest Available: Hunt 3 Shadow Rats. Reward: Stat Points x3.]
Lin Feng rose, sword steady in his grip. The lotus lay forgotten; power was the true prize. As he ventured deeper, a grin cracked his bloodied face. The weak were to be devoured. And he? He would consume the world.
Deeper in the caverns, Zhao Kun nursed his wound, rage boiling. "That cripple... if he survives, I'll end him personally." But unknown to him, the shadows stirred with a new predator.