The heart-shaped stone pulsed beneath Lu Xuan's palm, its rhythm syncing with his own heartbeat. The altar's whispers slithered into his mind, promising power—real power—the kind that didn't just make him strong, but made him unstoppable.
"You are the heir," the voice murmured. "The last true Devourer. Take what is yours."
Su Xue's hand clamped around his wrist. "Lu Xuan, don't—"
He didn't pull away. He didn't even look at her.
He devoured the altar's energy whole
The Feast of Power
The cavern screamed. Crimson light erupted, swallowing the chamber in a vortex of corrupted qi.
Lu Xuan's body convulsed as the energy flooded his meridians, reshaping them into something older, darker. His veins burned black, then gold, then black again, his skin cracking and reforging itself in waves.
Breakthrough: Body Refining → Foundation Establishment
His muscles hardened like tempered steel. His bones resonated with the hum of ancient power. His right eye—already tinged crimson—deepened to the color of fresh blood.
And the hunger…
The hunger grew.
Not just for qi.
For more.
The Blood Lotus Ambush
They came like shadows given form—six assassins of the Blood Lotus Sect, their daggers dripping with soul-severing poison.
"The Sect Master wants that artifact," their leader hissed, a man with no lips, only teeth. "But we'll settle for your head."
Lu Xuan moved.
Faster than before.
Stronger.
His fist caved in the first assassin's chest, and before the body could hit the ground, he devoured the dying man's cultivation. The energy surged into him, a wildfire in his veins.
The remaining assassins struck as one.
Lu Xuan let them.
Blades scraped against his skin—and broke.
Poons dissolved against his flesh—useless
He grabbed the nearest assassin by the throat and sucked the qi from his dantian, reducing the man to a withered husk in seconds.
The others froze.
Lu Xuan smiled.
.Su Xue's Horror
She had seen him devour before.
But this was different.
This wasn't survival.
This was indulgence.
"Lu Xuan!" she shouted, her frost qi flaring. "Stop!"
He turned to her, his crimson eye gleaming. "Why?"
The word was a challenge. A dare.
"Lu Xuan!" she shouted, her frost qi flaring. "Stop!"
He turned to her, his crimson eye gleaming. "Why?"
The word was a challenge. A dare.
She stepped forward, Frostbane humming in her grip. "Because this isn't you."
"Isn't it?" He flexed his fingers, watching the black veins pulse beneath his skin. "Maybe this is the real me."
The tension between them crackled, thick enough to choke on.
She had come back in time to save him from this.
He was looking at her like she was standing in his way.
The Breaking Point
The last assassin lunged—a desperate strike aimed at Su Xue's back.
Lu Xuan moved faster.
His hand pierced the man's chest, fingers closing around his still-beating heart.
"Mine," he growled—and crushed it, absorbing the last dregs of the assassin's power.
Silence.
Then—
"You enjoyed that," Su Xue whispered.
Lu Xuan met her gaze, his breath steady, his expression unreadable.
"Yes."
The word hung between them, heavier than any blade.
What Comes Next
The cavern trembled, the altar's power now fully absorbed.
Lu Xuan turned away, his new strength humming beneath his skin.
Su Xue didn't follow.
Not yet.
Because for the first time, she wondered:
Had she come back to save him…
Or to stop him?