"I never expected cultivators of this world to be so… nourishing," A-Niu thought, a thrill coursing through him. "With just one, my injuries are completely healed… and my mana has even increased."
For five long years, the only targets of his Devour technique had been low-tier beasts nearby. The results were limited, and his cultivation had progressed painfully slowly. Five years had only seen him rise from Necromancy Third Circle to Fourth Circle. Now, these cultivators were like prepared sustenance, capable of pushing him beyond his current limits—toward the Fifth Circle of Necromancy, and perhaps even restoring him to the peak he once held in the Middle Earth. One day, he might even fulfill the deepest wish buried in his heart: to become the only Eighteenth Circle Necromancer.
To outsiders, such cultivation might seem cruel, even abhorrent. Yet for a necromancer, this was the only path to power. In the human world of Middle Earth, necromancers were extraordinarily rare. Few could accept such dark arts, and even fewer dared practice them openly. As a result, necromancers lived like plague spirits, mistrusted and shunned by all. Even A-Niu had once hidden his true identity carefully.
Falami, his previous self, had become a necromancer out of necessity. Orphaned early, he had been adopted by a Fifteenth Circle Necromancer, who had nurtured him in seclusion deep within the mountains. Far from the eyes of the world, father and son had spent years together. The elder taught him every secret of necromancy, carefully guiding Falami's growth, hoping that one day he would surpass even himself. That ambition—his adoptive father's hope—had become A-Niu's own: to become the legendary Eighteenth Circle Necromancer, a fitting tribute to the man who had raised him.
"Father… I wonder how you are faring in Middle Earth now," A-Niu murmured, his steps never faltering.
He approached another body, extending his hand, and unleashed Devour.
Sure enough, his mana surged. The threshold of Necromancy Fifth Circle was within reach. The cultivators of this world were, indeed, perfect nourishment for a necromancer—beasts from Middle Earth, even orcs or goblins, could not compare.
Hours passed in careful exertion. By the time he finished, A-Niu had ascended to Necromancy Fifth Circle. He had also used the Revive technique to awaken the cultivators he had absorbed—now his necromantic army included an elite cadre of skeletal cultivators.
Yet what concerned him most was whether, now at Fifth Circle, he could summon special species from the Necromancer Realm, instead of being limited to reviving the local species of this world.
Upon reaching Fifth Circle, a necromancer gains access to a new skill: Initial Summoning. It allows them to call forth winged creatures from the Necromancer Realm to assist in battle. Though the summoned creatures are random, they grow alongside their summoner and eventually become an unmatched force.
Falami had once unlocked Initial Summoning at Fifth Circle and Intermediate Summoning at Tenth Circle, successfully calling forth Winged Demons and Lucifer. These demons, though notorious, had been loyal allies in his campaigns across Middle Earth—but were ultimately destroyed in his battles with Rofeit and others.
A-Niu knew now was not the time to employ Initial Summoning. From the senses of the skeletal Wind Wolves, he learned that a group of humans was approaching—likely allies of the attackers he had just faced. He retracted his summoned skeleton army, leaving a single skeletal Wind Wolf to scout in the shadows, and began swiftly retreating toward the village.
The woman he had rescued earlier was already taken care of. Two skeletal Wind Wolves had escorted her to safety, hiding her in a secure location. Her mental state was fragile; she was still traumatized and exhausted, and leaving her alone would be fatal.
Crossing the creek, A-Niu lifted the unconscious Xiao Fu and Xiao Gui into his arms, running swiftly toward the village.
Meanwhile, Lin Fan and his group arrived at the scene. Lin Fan had regained composure and carried himself with newfound confidence. Three elders accompanied him: two at the peak of Qi Refining Fifteenth Circle, just half a step from Foundation Establishment Realm, and one at the early stage of Foundation Establishment.
These three were among the strongest in the Southern Region, especially the Foundation Establishment Realm elder, whose power alone could command respect. Lin Fan's status within the sect was exceptional.
"Lin Fan, is this the site of the incident?" asked a gray-robed elder, his tone deferential.
Lin Fan ignored him entirely, as if the elder did not exist. The elder felt a twinge of awkwardness—he was far too polite for the treatment he received.
"This is where Xiao Wei and I were ambushed," Lin Fan said, turning to glare at the three elders. "These dogs dared attack from the shadows. If they had faced me directly, I would have crushed them! You must find these scoundrels!"
The three elders' faces darkened. Though their positions were significant, they dared not confront Lin Fan due to his family influence. Anger simmered silently, yet they obeyed.
"Search immediately!" one elder barked, directing his frustration toward Lu Ting's disciples. They fumed but complied, splitting into smaller units to scour the area.
Lin Fan, meanwhile, kept his gaze sharp, hoping to find the woman. Her naked body haunted his thoughts, desire and fear intertwining. The terror she had experienced moments ago was forgotten; with the three elders present, he felt no threat.
"Damn it! If that hero hadn't shown up, I would have enjoyed myself thoroughly!" Lin Fan muttered through gritted teeth.
After half an hour, the scattered squads regrouped. They found no trace of Xiao Wei or Xiao Yan—they had vanished without a trace.
"Elder Liu," one disciple reported, "we discovered a small village not far from here."
Liu, the green-robed elder leading them, deferred to Lin Fan's decision.
Lin Fan, lost in thought, finally snapped out of it. He had expected the mortal who intervened to have killed Xiao Yan, yet no corpse was found. Could this attacker have a strange habit of taking the dead?
"Go," Lin Fan ordered, cutting off Liu before he finished. "We must go there immediately!"
He reasoned that even if the woman had fled, she could not have gone far. The small village would provide a perfect hiding place.
"Lead the way!" Liu commanded.
"Yes… yes…" The disciple, though resentful for revealing the village's location, obeyed, guiding the group toward Longjiao Village.
A-Niu delivered Xiao Fu and Xiao Gui safely to Cui Hua Sao, emphasizing that they not wander recklessly. Cui Hua Sao, though puzzled, agreed; the children would be safer under her supervision. Watching them sleep peacefully, A-Niu finally allowed himself a moment of satisfaction.
Yet he remained vigilant. His skeletal Wind Wolf scouts had reported that the group of attackers was approaching, and he realized his momentary mercy had potentially endangered the entire village.
His elation from earlier was gone. Now, he was filled with regret. He had allowed compassion to interfere, and it could have cost the villagers their lives.
"I must find a way…" A-Niu thought, determination hardening in his chest. Over five years, he had come to view these villagers as family. He would not allow them to face danger unprotected.
With purposeful strides, he advanced toward the looming threat. Even with his current power, this would not be an easy task.