Spirit Cliff was silent once more.
No disciples.
No mockery.
No witnesses.
Only wind… and hunger.
Lin Kai sat cross-legged at the very peak where the storm had once descended. Below him, clouds drifted like an endless white sea.
He closed his eyes.
The black vortex in his dantian spun slowly.
Stage 6.
Stable.
But not satisfied.
He began circulating the Heaven Devouring Art.
Unlike normal techniques that guided Qi through meridians gently, this one did not guide—
It pulled.
The surrounding spiritual energy trembled.
Then flowed.
Thin streams of Qi spiraled toward him, vanishing into the abyss within his body.
At first, it was manageable.
Warm.
Controlled.
Then—
The vortex accelerated.
Grass around him began to yellow.
Tiny cracks formed in nearby stones.
Lin Kai's breathing grew heavy.
"Slow down…"
It didn't listen.
The more Qi it consumed, the faster it spun.
Like a beast tasting blood.
A sharp pain pierced his chest.
His vision darkened.
The hunger deepened.
Not just spiritual Qi.
Life.
Essence.
Anything.
The cliff trembled faintly.
Small insects crawling in the soil shriveled into dust.
Lin Kai's eyes snapped open.
They were darker than before.
The ring around his pupils had thickened.
"No…"
His hand slammed onto the ground, trying to steady himself.
But the vortex had tasted something purer—
The faint spiritual vein beneath Spirit Cliff.
A hidden stream of concentrated Qi flowing underground.
The vortex locked onto it.
And pulled.
A low rumble echoed across the mountain.
Deep within the sect, Elder Xu's eyes shot open.
"The spirit vein—?"
Back on the cliff—
A torrent of energy burst upward from the ground, slamming into Lin Kai's body.
He screamed.
His meridians expanded violently.
Stage 6 peak—
Half step Stage 7—
His bones cracked.
Blood seeped from his pores.
The power was overwhelming.
But the hunger still wasn't satisfied.
It wanted more.
It wanted—
Movement.
Lin Kai sensed it.
A presence approaching the cliff at high speed.
Strong.
Pure.
Mu Xue.
She must have sensed the spirit vein disturbance.
The vortex reacted instantly.
Predatory.
Devour her.
Break through.
Evolve.
Lin Kai's breathing turned ragged.
For a terrifying moment—
He wanted it.
Power beyond imagination.
One grasp—
And he could leap forward in cultivation.
The hunger surged uncontrollably.
His body rose to its feet on instinct.
Wind exploded outward from him.
Mu Xue landed twenty meters away.
Her sword was already half drawn.
"I knew it," she said coldly.
"You're absorbing the spirit vein."
Her eyes narrowed as she felt the oppressive aura radiating from him.
"You're losing control."
Lin Kai tried to speak—
But the vortex roared in his mind.
"Consume."
His foot moved forward.
Mu Xue's aura flared in response.
Qi Refining Stage 9.
Overwhelming pressure crashed into him.
The clash of their energies shook the cliff edge.
For one second—
Two—
Lin Kai's vision flickered between clarity and darkness.
If he stepped forward again—
He would attack.
And once he began—
He wasn't sure he could stop.
Then—
A memory surfaced.
Three years of humiliation.
Powerlessness.
The desire to rise without becoming a monster.
He bit his tongue hard enough to draw blood.
Pain surged through his mind.
With a roar, he forced his palms together.
"Seal!"
The vortex trembled violently.
He reversed the Heaven Devouring Art.
Instead of pulling—
He compressed.
Compressed everything inward.
The spirit vein energy inside him exploded against his meridians.
Agony tore through him.
But slowly—
The vortex shrank back to its core.
The surrounding land stopped withering.
The rumbling ceased.
Silence fell.
Lin Kai collapsed to one knee.
Breathing heavily.
Stage 7.
He had broken through.
But barely.
Mu Xue stared at him, sword fully drawn now.
Her expression was serious.
"You stopped yourself."
He wiped blood from his lips.
"Barely."
She studied him for several long seconds.
"If you hadn't…"
Her grip tightened slightly.
"I would have cut you down."
Lin Kai met her gaze calmly despite the exhaustion.
"I know."
Wind passed between them.
For the first time—
She did not look at him with pure suspicion.
But caution.
"You're walking a dangerous path," she said quietly.
He gave a faint smile.
"Then I'll walk it carefully."
She sheathed her sword.
"For now."
She turned to leave, then paused.
"The sect's Grand Tournament will be announced tomorrow."
Her voice was calm.
"If you truly want to prove yourself… survive that."
She vanished down the cliff.
Lin Kai remained kneeling.
Inside him—
The vortex spun slower than before.
But deeper.
Stronger.
And more disciplined.
He exhaled slowly.
"I won't lose control again."
The ancient voice whispered faintly—
"Control… is only temporary."
Far below, unseen by both of them—
A shadowed figure stood atop a distant pavilion roof.
Watching Spirit Cliff.
Watching Lin Kai.
"…Interesting."
The figure smiled.
"A devouring technique."
"And he thinks the sect hasn't noticed."