A World Measured in Realms
In the world of Tianxuan, strength was measured not only by one's spirit but by the heavens they could touch through cultivation. From the Body Tempering Realmto the fabled Demon God Realm, each step marked a rebirth, a transformation of the soul.
Lu Xuan stood at the edge of a precipice—both literal and metaphorical. Though only at the early Foundation Establishment Realm, his Immortal Demon God Body and Devouring Skill made his aura twist like a storm. He was no longer bound by normal progression. He walked a different path, and the world trembled with every step.
Before him, the Obsidian Monolith towered like a scar on the horizon. Behind him, the war party advanced under the crimson-hued sky.
---
March to the Monolith
Ming Zhao walked ahead, tactical scrolls hovering by his side, glowing with sigils. A late Foundation Establishment cultivator, his control over formation spells made him invaluable.
Fei Yan, at early Core Formation, strode beside him. Her twin sabers hummed with barely-contained lightning, eager for combat. She didn't speak much, but when she did, swords usually followed.
Su Xue marched quietly behind Lu Xuan, her late Core Formation cultivation hidden beneath serene frost. Her qi was sharp, her gaze sharper.
Yao Lin walked barefoot, her early Nascent Soul aura unusually calm for someone so volatile. Her yellow bond tattoo pulsed like a ticking clock.
"The Obsidian Monolith is a relic of the ancient sky wars," she murmured. "Sealed deep within are forbidden scriptures. The Blood Lotus Sect believes it holds the key to reshaping fate."
"And what do you believe?" Su Xue asked.
Yao Lin smiled faintly. "I believe fate is already unraveling."
---
A Village in Silence
Behind them, Green Lantern Village had fallen into uneasy quiet. Since the Crimson Demoness' projection had appeared, the spiritual balance had warped.
Old men refused to speak her name. Children stared at Lu Xuan with awe and fear.
Mei, the young girl with the time-sight, sat by the spring. She clutched the flower Lu Xuan had given her, now fully stained crimson.
"He's not just coming," she whispered to the serpent spirit that lingered in the spring. "He's already here."
The serpent's ancient eyes glimmered. "He never left. He merely sleeps in new skin."
---
Between Flames and Frost
As the party paused near a mountain ridge, a sudden wind brought the scent of blood.
Scouts returned.
"Blood Lotus assassins ahead," Fei Yan reported. "Their vanguard is led by Zhou Jin—the Sect's 'Blade that Bites Twice'. He's at mid Core Formation."
Su Xue's eyes narrowed. "We'll be outnumbered."
Lu Xuan nodded. "Good. I'm hungry."
She stared at him. "Don't joke about that. Not when you—"
He looked over, grinning faintly. "Would you prefer I sulk and spiral?"
She rolled her eyes. "I'd prefer you not laugh like you're about to devour the sky."
"Too late. I'm getting a taste for it."
Their bickering, though darkly tinged, held a strange comfort. It reminded them both they weren't just warriors—they were still human, or something close.
---
The Battle Begins
The mountain pass funneled into a narrow battlefield. The Blood Lotus forces emerged with crimson robes and dark halberds, their banners fluttering like torn skin.
Zhou Jin stood at the forefront. His weapon was jagged, forged from a spine of some long-dead demon. His qi burned violently, tainted.
"Lu Xuan," he sneered, eyes glinting. "They say you carry a cursed body. Let's see if you bleed like one."
Lu Xuan stepped forward.
"You'll find out soon enough."
The clash was sudden. Lightning from Fei Yan's sabers cracked the sky. Ming Zhao erected barrier formations, layering defense over the war party.
Yao Lin summoned golden chains of time that slowed enemy movement.
Su Xue danced into the fray, Frostbane slicing through cultivators with glacial elegance. Her ice met flame, and her footwork never faltered.
And Lu Xuan—
Lu Xuan tore through the battlefield like a god reborn.
Every punch shattered bone.
Every enemy's qi, devoured.
Every fallen foe, fuel.
His demon eye glowed, pulsing like a second heart.
Zhou Jin lunged, his blade singing.
Lu Xuan caught it.
With one hand.
Then broke it with a twist of his fingers.
The look on Zhou Jin's face was that of a man seeing his death before it arrived.
Lu Xuan obliged.
---
Aftermath
The battlefield quieted.
Of the Blood Lotus vanguard, none remained. Only smoldering soil and the iron scent of defeat.
Lu Xuan stood atop a mound of fallen cultivators. His robes were tattered, his aura burning wildly. But his eyes... his eyes were calm.
Su Xue approached slowly. "That wasn't just a victory. That was a warning."
He looked at her. "To whom?"
She hesitated. "To yourself."
He said nothing.
Yao Lin joined them. "This was only the beginning. The true Blood Lotus force waits beneath the Monolith."
Fei Yan wiped her blades. "Then we carve our way through."
Ming Zhao nodded. "The sect will see this and think you're either their hero or their doom."
Lu Xuan smiled. "Why not both?"
---
That Night
Camp was made beneath twisted pines. The fire crackled, shadows dancing across their worn faces.
Mei's dried flower lay beside Lu Xuan's sleeping mat.
He stared at it long after the others slept.
From the firelight, Yao Lin sat awake, watching him.
"Do you remember more each time you fight?" she asked softly.
"Yes."
"Then you know what waits beneath the Monolith."
Lu Xuan nodded. "The throne. The pact. The Devourer's true seat."
She looked toward the sky, where the stars bled light.
"And do you know who sealed it away?"
He didn't answer.
But his eye gleamed—and far above, the stars shifted.
**End of Chapter 19**