Chapter 3: The Scarlet Venom Core and the Hidden Flower
The interior of the hidden cave was a prison of pain. Lin Feng lay curled on the floor, sweat and blood plastering his hair to his brow. The Golden Beast Blood, rather than simply refining the stolen spiritual essence, had conquered it. It had forcibly fused with the chaotic energies and the remnants of his shattered spiritual roots, giving birth to a terrifying new organ in his Dantian: the Scarlet Venom Core.
It was not a Golden Core, nor a traditional Foundation—it was a dark, throbbing gem the color of dried blood, radiating an icy, oppressive cold. It pulsed with a hunger that was not merely spiritual, but elemental.
The Core had granted him an immediate, terrifying upgrade: he now possessed the Aura of Essence Sight. With it, he could perceive the vital life force, or Jing Essence, of every creature around him, seeing their spiritual health like a glowing color spectrum.
He could see the Jing draining from the plants and trees outside his cave—a sign that his unstable Core was still leaching life from the environment.
But the Core demanded a horrific price. It needed high-purity Jing Essence to maintain stability, or the accumulated stolen energies would degrade, consuming him from the inside out. The golden color of the beast blood had faded, leaving behind this toxic scarlet hunger.
"Feed me," a cold, possessive whisper echoed in the depths of his consciousness, the residual will of the ancient beast merged with the Core.
Lin Feng gritted his teeth, forcing his mind to focus, to compress the Foundation he had built. He couldn't be consumed by the path he had chosen. "I must be the Master, not the monster. I must be the one in control and not get controlled."
Two days passed in a blur of agony and enforced meditation. Elder Lei's crushing spiritual sense had yet to penetrate his heavy stone seal, but Lin Feng knew the peace wouldn't last. He was almost stable, but critically, he needed one final, perfect infusion of pure essence to solidify the Scarlet Venom Core and silence its deadly demand.
Just as he was about to risk emerging, a faint, scent of fresh blood drifted through a small ventilation crack he had failed to seal perfectly. He felt attracted towards the scent of fresh blood.
Lin Feng's eyes snapped open. Using his newly acquired Essence Sight, he looked toward the sealed entrance.
Outside, leaning against the cold stone face of the buried entrance, was a figure radiating a pure, brilliant Silver Essence. It was the most potent, concentrated life force he had ever encountered, far surpassing the disciples he had consumed.
It was a woman. A young, beautiful woman.
She was dressed in simple but elegant white robes, currently torn and streaked with crimson where she had clearly been gravely injured in a fight. Her long, black hair was pulled back, emphasizing a face of striking, almost celestial beauty, currently pale with exhaustion. This was Su Mei, a legendary prodigy rumored to have the rare Icy Lotus Spiritual Root—a talent so great she was destined for Immortality.
She was currently hiding from pursuers, her Silver Essence flickering weakly. She was vulnerable, powerful, and utterly unaware of the Deviant buried beneath her feet.
The Core in Lin Feng's Dantian throbbed violently, not with pain, but with rapturous anticipation. The ancient will screamed its demand: "Consume her. Her essence will stabilize you perfectly. Her root will elevate you beyond measure!"
Lin Feng rose silently, the power making him light and swift. He touched the stone seal and felt the life of the woman on the other side. She was exactly what the Sutra demanded: a being of immense, pure cultivation potential. She was his salvation. She was exactly what he needed right now.
He channeled a sliver of dark Qi, ready to subtly breach the stone. But as he focused his Essence Sight on her Silver Essence, he saw a tiny, flickering shield of green light around her heart—a protective charm or talisman given by a loved one. And for a heart that had grown cold and corrupt, seeing that flickering sign of attachment and purity caused a strange, sharp pang.
He froze. To devour her would be to become the absolute monster the righteous world condemned him as, erasing the last vestiges of Lin Feng, the fallen disciple.
The ancient will within the Core grew angry, demanding action. Lin Feng hesitated, one hand pressed against the cold stone, the other clenched into a shaking fist. He needed her power, but his path would be easier if he could gain it without becoming a senseless beast.
He subtly shifted his intention, moving from attack to communication.
Bang!
Lin Feng knocked sharply on the stone.
Su Mei, exhausted and focused on staunching her wound, flinched, suddenly becoming alert. She immediately drew a razor-sharp azure sword, its tip aimed directly at the stone wall.
"Who's there? Show yourself!" she demanded, her voice strained but firm.