Morning came too quickly.
The Rising Sun Sect was already buzzing.
"Did you hear? Lin Kai reached Stage 6 overnight!"
"Impossible."
"Zhao Feng said he used a demonic technique."
Rumors spread faster than wildfire.
Lin Kai walked through the stone courtyard calmly, ignoring the stares.
Inside, however—
The vortex was restless.
Hungry.
The taste of Zhao Feng's Qi lingered like a memory it wanted to repeat.
He clenched his fists.
Control.
The Discipline Hall doors opened.
Inside stood three elders seated behind a long stone table.
Elder Xu stood to the side.
The air felt heavy.
"Kneel," one elder commanded.
Zhao Feng immediately knelt.
Lin Kai followed.
Elder Chen, the sternest of the three, spoke first.
"Zhao Feng accuses you of stealing his Qi. What do you say?"
Lin Kai lowered his head respectfully.
"We exchanged blows. His technique was unstable. I merely countered."
Zhao Feng shouted, "He grabbed me and drained me! My cultivation dropped half a stage!"
Gasps echoed among observing disciples.
Elder Chen's eyes sharpened.
"Extend your arm."
Lin Kai obeyed.
A strand of spiritual sense entered his meridians.
It swept through his body.
His dantian.
The vortex slowed.
Silent.
Hidden.
The elder frowned.
"His meridians are… unusual."
Zhao Feng smirked. "You see?!"
"But," the elder continued, "there is no trace of demonic corrosion."
Silence fell.
Zhao Feng's face turned pale.
"That's impossible—"
Elder Xu spoke calmly.
"His breakthrough may be sudden, but talent sometimes awakens late."
Some disciples scoffed quietly.
Late talent?
After three years?
Unbelievable.
Elder Chen withdrew his spiritual sense.
"No evidence of forbidden arts. However…"
His gaze hardened.
"Rapid advancement without guidance is dangerous. Lin Kai, you will be confined to Spirit Cliff for one month. You are forbidden from entering the inner sect grounds."
Zhao Feng's expression twisted.
"That's it?!"
Elder Chen's aura flared slightly.
"Do you question this hall?"
Zhao Feng immediately lowered his head. "No, Elder."
The gavel struck.
"Case dismissed."
Outside the hall—
The sky was bright.
But Lin Kai felt something darker approaching.
Confined to Spirit Cliff?
Perfect.
No interruptions.
No prying eyes.
Yet as he turned to leave—
A soft voice stopped him.
"You're hiding something."
Lin Kai paused.
A young woman stood under a willow tree.
White robes.
Calm eyes.
Cold aura.
Mu Xue.
Inner sect genius.
Qi Refining Stage 9.
Ranked third among disciples.
She studied him carefully.
"Your Qi doesn't flow like ours."
Lin Kai met her gaze evenly.
"Does it matter?"
She stepped closer.
The pressure from her cultivation weighed heavily.
"You advanced too fast."
"And?"
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Power without foundation leads to deviation."
For a moment—
The vortex inside him reacted violently.
Her Qi was pure.
Refined.
Far stronger than Zhao Feng's.
The hunger surged.
Devour her.
Just one touch—
Lin Kai's breathing grew uneven.
Mu Xue noticed.
Her hand subtly moved toward the hilt of her sword.
"…Your aura just changed."
Silence.
The wind rustled the leaves.
Lin Kai forced the vortex down.
With immense effort.
The hunger receded.
"I'll be careful," he said calmly.
Their eyes locked.
A battle without movement.
Finally, Mu Xue turned away.
"See that you are."
As she walked off, she murmured softly—
"If you fall into demonic deviation… I will personally kill you."
No threat in her tone.
Just fact.
Lin Kai watched her leave.
The vortex pulsed slowly.
Interested.
Very interested.
He exhaled deeply.
Spirit Cliff confinement.
A month alone.
Time to grow.
But deep down—
He knew something else.
The more he devoured…
The more the hunger would grow.
And one day—
Control might not be enough.