Rain poured over Star City, turning the streets into silver rivers beneath the neon lights.
Inside his dim apartment, Lin Tian sat cross-legged on the floor, the glow of his "Heavenly Communication Artifact" illuminating his calm face.
But his mind was anything but calm.
The echo of that voice from the network still lingered—
"Found you…"
He opened his eyes. They gleamed faint gold.
"Demons from the Heavenly Realm," he whispered. "You've found your way here too."
[System Alert: Traces of demonic energy detected in the city's data grid.]
[Origin: Unknown. Signature similar to that of Mo Xuan's Dark Soul Technique.]
Lin Tian clenched his fists. "Mo Xuan… even in this mortal realm, your shadow hunts me."
He rose and walked to the window. Far below, the city pulsed with electronic life—lights, screens, and wires weaving like veins.
He could feel it: a darkness slithering through those veins, feeding on data, on fear.
"Demons," he murmured, "have traded souls for signals."
⚙️ The Virus of Souls
The next morning, news spread across the university.
"Did you hear? Students' phones started acting weird last night!"
"Yeah, screens turning black with red eyes flashing—creepy!"
Lin Tian overheard the chatter. His heart sank.
"This is no ordinary malfunction," he muttered.
[System Report: A malicious data entity—classified as Digital Demon—has infected several network nodes within 5 kilometers.]
[Recommendation: Purge the corruption before it evolves.]
Lin Tian nodded. "Show me the source."
A holographic map projected before him, pinpointing a location: The Computer Science Lab, Building 7.
He strode across campus, his steps steady and silent. Rain still dripped from his coat, his aura suppressed beneath mortal calm.
Inside the lab, computers flickered with distorted images. The lights dimmed, screens bleeding crimson.
From one monitor, a shadow slithered out—like smoke made of static.
A low hiss echoed:
"Lin Tian… my master remembers you."
Lin Tian's gaze sharpened. "You carry Mo Xuan's will."
The shadow twisted into a humanoid form, half-digital, half-demonic. Its eyes glowed red like molten code.
"You defied destiny once, Immortal. But this world belongs to us now—its technology, its data, its minds."
Lin Tian extended his hand. Lightning danced across his fingertips.
"I have walked among gods and slain devils in a thousand realms. You are nothing but corrupted dust."
The demon laughed, its voice glitching. "Let's see if your ancient arts can defeat modern power."
⚔️ Battle in the Machine Realm
The demon lunged—its claws passing through the physical world and into the data streams.
Every computer in the lab erupted with red static.
[System Alert: Entity attempting to pull Host into Digital Space.]
"Let it try." Lin Tian smirked. "I've conquered heavens more dangerous than this."
He drew the Azure Heaven Symbol midair—his palm glowing with ancient sigils.
Lightning flared, the world blurred, and suddenly—
He was inside the network.
A vast realm unfolded before him: a boundless ocean of light and data, where towers of information rose like mountains and electric rivers flowed endlessly.
The demon's laughter echoed through the realm.
"Welcome, Immortal… to my world."
Lin Tian hovered above a glowing grid, robes fluttering in an unseen wind. His presence alone distorted the digital current.
He raised his hand; electric threads coiled around his arm like serpents.
[System Notice: Host has entered 'Digital Realm'. Energy amplification: +400%.]
"Perfect," Lin Tian whispered.
The demon roared, unleashing waves of corrupted code that crashed toward him like black fire. Lin Tian sliced through them with a blade of pure lightning, each strike erasing streams of malicious data.
"Your strength may corrupt machines," Lin Tian said coldly, "but the Dao purifies all."
He pressed his palms together. "Heavenly Purge Technique!"
A radiant sigil exploded behind him, forming a massive wheel of light. Bolts of divine lightning struck the demon, tearing its body apart bit by bit.
The creature screamed. "No! You cannot destroy me—my code is eternal!"
Lin Tian's eyes flared gold. "Then I'll rewrite eternity."
He thrust his hand forward—his lightning merged with the demon's digital core, rewriting its structure line by line until the red light dimmed into nothing.
Silence.
[System Notification: Digital Demon eliminated. Energy absorbed: +25 Spirit Points.]
[New Skill Acquired: Data Purification Technique.]
Lin Tian stood in the fading light of the Digital Realm, breathing steadily. "So… even technology can harbor souls. This world's Dao is more dangerous than I imagined."
🌑 The Echo of the Past
The world snapped back into reality. The lab lights flickered on. Students outside peeked in nervously.
Lin Tian brushed dust from his sleeve.
"Problem solved," he murmured.
But deep within the city's underground servers, a faint voice whispered—
"The host has resisted the corruption… tell Master Mo Xuan…"
"...the Immortal has adapted."
⚔️ Mo Xuan's Domain
Meanwhile, far across the globe—in a secret base built within the ruins of an abandoned space observatory—
a man sat surrounded by holographic screens. His eyes glowed faint red as countless data streams reflected in them.
He smiled faintly.
"So, my old master still lives… and even tames my Digital Demons."
He rose, his long coat sweeping across the floor.
"Good. I would've been disappointed otherwise."
Behind him, hundreds of demonic cultivators merged with AI systems, their bodies connected to cables like roots of a metallic tree. Each whispered in unison:
"All hail the Digital Sovereign… Mo Xuan."
Mo Xuan's gaze turned toward a hologram of Lin Tian standing in the university.
"Teacher… when I kill you again, it will be on a world of my creation."
He raised his hand, and the network across the planet flickered momentarily.
"Let the game begin."
Back on Campus
That evening, Lin Tian sat by the window of the university library. Outside, the city sparkled under a pale moon.
He stared at his reflection — half-immortal, half-mortal.
"Mo Xuan… you've turned demons into machines. Perhaps this time, our war will decide not heaven, but the fate of this world."
[System Reminder: Next Mission Unlocked.]
[Title: "Awakening the Spirit Network."]
[Objective: Infuse spiritual energy into Earth's data grid to create a safe channel for cultivation.]
[Warning: Doing so will alert global surveillance systems and possibly… Mo Xuan himself.]
Lin Tian smiled faintly.
"So be it. If I must light a fire that wakes the heavens once more, then let this mortal world burn bright."
Thunder rolled across the night sky.
The immortal had chosen his path.
🔥 End of Chapter 4: Digital Demons 🔥