The Immortal Alliance Summit convened atop the Celestial Spire, a floating mountain wreathed in clouds of pure qi, its peaks crowned with pavilions of star-forged jade. Representatives from the Azure Cloud Sect, Jade Serpent Clan, Iron Fist School, and a dozen lesser sects gathered, their auras clashing like thunderstorms. Lin Feng, now a celebrated Rift Slayer, stood beside Huo Yan and Zhao Kun, their core disciple robes shimmering under the dawn's light. The Devourer System thrummed in his soul, its interface sharper since the stele's revelation: a tool of a fallen god, its purpose veiled.
[New Quest Chain: Secure Alliance Favor. Stage 1: Prove Strength in the Summit Duel. Reward: Immortal Token (Access to Forbidden Dao Vault).]
Sect Master Yun Hao addressed the assembly, his Nascent Soul aura a tranquil ocean. "The Void Lord's remnants fester in the Abyssal Depths. Unity is our blade; division, our doom."
Patriarchs nodded, but tensions simmered. The Crimson Flame Sect, now led by Huo Liang's successor, Elder Huo Shen—a wiry man with eyes like smoldering coals—cast veiled glares at Huo Yan. His dialogues dripped venom: "The phoenix fledgling spurns her blood. A pity, for her wings could burn empires."
Huo Yan's flames flickered, her arc defiant. "Empires built on chains crumble, Elder Shen."
Lin Feng scanned Shen with Essence Scan: demonic taint lingered, subtle but present. Crimson's still corrupted. Zhao, beside him, muttered, "He smells of the same rot as Liang. Watch him."
The summit's first trial: a ceremonial duel to showcase each sect's rising stars. Lin Feng, Huo Yan, and Zhao represented Azure Cloud, pitted against Jade Serpent's venomous prodigy, Mei Xing, and Iron Fist's mountain-like heir, Duan Kong.
The arena, a floating platform ringed by qi barriers, hummed with anticipation. Lin Feng faced Mei Xing first, her serpent qi coiling like living ropes. "Let's see if the Rift Slayer bites as hard as rumors claim," she hissed, her voice a sibilant melody.
Battle erupted. Mei's Serpent Bind Technique lashed, qi ropes seeking to crush. Lin Feng countered with Ghost Step, blurring through bindings, his Essence Avatar summoning the Boar Warrior—a spectral charge shattering her defense. Her eyes widened: "What sorcery?"
"Evolution," Lin Feng replied, Abyss Grasp extending tendrils to siphon her qi mid-fight. [Essence +20. Gained: Serpent Bind Fragment.]
Mei yielded, exhausted but alive. The crowd murmured—Lin Feng's devourer style unnerved even elders.
Huo Yan faced Duan Kong, her phoenix flames clashing with his earth-shattering punches. Their duel was a spectacle: fire against stone, her agility against his immovable force. She won narrowly, using a new Flame Cascade Technique, learned from Liang's essence, to overwhelm.
Zhao's match against a lesser sect's spear user was brutal—Tempest Vortex now laced with void ferocity, scattering foes like chaff. His redemption shone: no longer the bully, but a warrior carving respect.
Post-duel, Huo Shen approached, his smile a blade's edge. "Impressive, Rift Slayer. Join Crimson Flame—we value... unique talents." His offer reeked of ulterior motives, system pinging: [Hidden Motive Detected: System Extraction.]
Lin Feng declined coolly: "My path is my own."
Night brought the summit's true purpose: strategizing against the Void Lord. Scouts reported a new rift in the Abyssal Depths, spawning demonic generals—Nascent Soul-level threats. Lin Feng volunteered his trio for recon, earning Yun Hao's nod: "Prove your title, Devourer."
Huo Yan confided later, under starlight: "Shen's plotting. My bloodline's a prize for their rift allies." Her vulnerability deepened their bond; Lin Feng's thoughts: Protect her, devour threats.
Zhao, less poetic, cracked knuckles: "Let's gut Shen before he tries."
The trio departed at dawn, system quest updating: [Recon Abyssal Depths. Reward: Void General Essence.] Their descent into the Depths was a plunge into nightmare—air thick with miasma, shadows writhing like living ink.
They encountered a patrol: void imps led by a general, a horned fiend with twin axes. Battle was swift—Lin Feng's Storm devoured qi, Huo's flames scorched, Zhao's tempest pinned. The general fell to Lin Feng's Grasp: [Devoured: Void General. Gained: 80 Essence. Twin Axe Dance (Advanced).]
But the general's dying words chilled: "The Lord sees your hunger, Devourer. It mirrors his."
Lin Feng's soul stirred—system's shadow master flickered, a presence watching. What am I wielding?
Returning, they reported: rifts spawning faster, generals amassing. The summit rallied, but Shen's absence raised alarms. Spies confirmed: he'd slipped to the Depths, allying with demons.
Lin Feng's progression surged: Layer 6 (10%), Avatar now summoning Phoenix alongside Boar. Huo's synergy amplified it, their qi intertwining like lovers' breaths.
Zhao, introspective, shared: "Thought I'd die a villain. Now? I fight for us." His arc completed: from static cruelty to dynamic brotherhood.
As they prepared for deeper incursion, a system alert: [Warning: Shadow Master Stirring. Complete Quest Chain to Suppress.]
Lin Feng gazed into the Depths' darkness, thoughts resolute: Devour or be devoured.