Xiao Yan sat on a flat rock just outside the cave exit, trying to scrape a particularly stubborn piece of spider webbing off his boot. It was sticky, it smelled like a wet dog, and it was currently winning the fight.
"I'm never going into a cave again," Xiao Yan muttered, giving the web one last pull. "Next time someone says 'shortcut,' I'm walking the long way. I don't care if it takes ten years."
"Oh, stop crying," Shi Lieya said, though she was busy trying to wipe black spider guts off her gauntlets with a clump of grass. "At least you didn't get bitten. My arm feels like it's being poked by needles."
Jinyao was sitting a few feet away, her eyes closed as she performed a basic healing spell on Lieya's arm. Her hands were glowing with a soft green light, but she looked exhausted. "Be still, Lieya. The more you move, the more the sting spreads."
Tang Shuya, meanwhile, was looking toward the Mist Forest below. The black smoke was getting thicker, drifting through the trees like a poisonous blanket. "We can't stay here and lick our wounds forever. Look at that smoke. The demons aren't just looking for us anymore. They're flushing everyone out."
Xiao Yan stood up, his legs still feeling a bit like jelly. He looked at his torn sleeve and the shallow cut on his shoulder. It stung, but it wasn't deep. (Michael, how much energy do I have left? Be honest, even if it's depressing.)
[You're at about 40%, Master. If you keep running into 'Spider Mothers' and sprinting like a track star, you'll be fainting by sunset. Also, stop scratching that cut. You look like a mangy cat.]
Shut up, Xiao Yan thought, though he did stop scratching.
Deep in the Mist Forest...
The forest was a nightmare. While the "geniuses" from the empires were busy fighting over rare herbs or shiny rocks, the demons were busy hunting them.
A young demon with pale skin and jagged horns stood over the body of a fallen human disciple. He didn't even look interested in the treasures the human was carrying. He just wiped his blade and looked toward the center of the forest.
"Lord Shen Yuan's son is already near the heart," another demon whispered, appearing from the shadows. "He wants us to speed up. The 'trash' are resisting more than expected."
"Let them resist," the horned demon laughed. "It makes the meat taste better when it's full of adrenaline."
The Abyssal Palace (Demon Realm)...
Back in the dark, cold throne room, Lord Shen Yuan was staring into a pool of dark water that showed glimpses of the Sacred Mountain. His face was unreadable, but the air around him was vibrating with a heavy, suffocating pressure.
"Report," he commanded, his voice echoing like stones grinding together.
A subordinate knelt so low his forehead was touching the cold floor. "My Lord... the young elites have entered the second gate. Most of the human talents are trapped in the Mist Forest. However..."
"However?" Shen Yuan's eyes flickered with a dangerous purple light.
"One group... the one with the boy who uses the red lightning... they escaped the Spider Cave. They were supposed to be trapped by the Mother, but they made it through."
Shen Yuan remained silent for a long moment. "The boy with the red sparks. He is a variable. Tell my son to stop playing with the weaklings. Tell him to find that boy and bring me his head. If the 'Balance' is shifting, I want to be the one to break it."
"Yes, my Lord!" the subordinate scrambled away, glad to still have his head attached to his shoulders.
Back on the Ledge...
Xiao Yan's group was just about to start their descent into the forest when a sudden gust of wind blew past them. It wasn't a normal wind—it smelled like sulfur and old blood.
"Something's coming," Xiao Yan said, his hand automatically moving to his sword hilt.
"Is it another spider? Because I swear, if it's another spider—" Lieya started, but she stopped when a black blur slammed into the ground twenty feet in front of them.
The dust cleared to reveal a single demon. He wasn't big or bulky like the General Xiao Yan had fought in the city. He was thin, dressed in tight black leather, and had two long, curved daggers strapped to his thighs. He looked like he was built for speed.
"Found you," the demon said, a creepy, wide grin splitting his face. "The 'Red Spark' brat. You're a lot smaller than the rumors said."
"And you're a lot uglier than I expected," Xiao Yan fired back, though his heart started racing. This guy felt fast. Really fast.
"I am Kael," the demon said, ignoring the insult. "And I've been told that killing you will get me a seat at the High Table. So, if you could just stand still and let me cut your throat, it would save us both a lot of time."
"How about no?" Xiao Yan said. "Lieya, Jinyao—get back! This guy isn't a mindless beast."
Whoosh!
In a blink, Kael disappeared.
"Left!" Shuya yelled, snapping her fan open.
Xiao Yan pivoted just in time to see a silver flash. He blocked with his sword, but the force of the impact sent a vibration through his arm that nearly made him drop his weapon. Kael was already gone again, appearing ten feet away on a tree branch, spinning his daggers.
"Ooh, fast reflexes," Kael mocked. "But can you keep it up for ten minutes? Or five? I can do this all day."
"He's playing with us," Lieya growled, trying to track him with her eyes. "I can't hit what I can't see!"
Xiao Yan wiped a drop of sweat from his eye. He was tired, he was dirty, and he was really starting to hate this mountain. (Michael, give me the 'Slow-Mo' vision. Now.)
[Master, you only have enough energy for a thirty-second burst. If you miss, we're both cooked.]
Just do it!
Xiao Yan's left eye turned a sharp, glowing blue. The world suddenly slowed down. He saw the dust motes hanging in the air. He saw Jinyao's mouth opening to yell a warning. And he saw Kael, moving like a blur of black smoke, mid-leap toward his neck.
Kael's face was twisted in a confident smirk. He thought he was invisible.
Xiao Yan didn't move his whole body. He waited until the demon's dagger was inches from his throat. Then, he leaned back—just an inch—and grabbed the demon's wrist.
Kael's eyes went wide. "What—?"
"Caught you, you skinny freak," Xiao Yan hissed.
Red lightning exploded from Xiao Yan's hand, surging straight into the demon's arm. Kael screamed as the electricity cooked his muscles. Xiao Yan didn't let go. He swung the demon around and slammed him into the rock wall with a sickening thud.
The blue glow in Xiao Yan's eye faded, and he stumbled back, gasping for air. His lungs felt like they were on fire.
Kael slumped to the ground, his arm charred and useless, but he wasn't dead. He coughed up black blood and looked at Xiao Yan with pure hatred. "You... you think this changes anything? My brothers... they are already at the heart. You're just... a snack..."
Before he could finish, a bolt of ice suddenly shot out from the trees above, piercing Kael's chest and pinning him to the rock. He froze instantly, his body becoming a statue of black ice.
Xiao Yan looked up, his heart stopping for a second.
High above, he saw the white veil fluttering for just a second before it vanished into the mist.
"She's following us," Jinyao whispered, looking at the frozen demon.
"Or she's just cleaning up my mess," Xiao Yan grumbled, leaning on his sword. "Either way, we need to move. If that guy was just a 'scout,' the ones at the heart are going to be a nightmare."
He looked at the Mist Forest below. The fire was spreading, and he could hear the distant sounds of battle. The Sacred Mountain was no longer a test—it was a slaughterhouse.
"Let's go," Xiao Yan said, his voice cold. "I have a dragon to find, and I'm tired of being hunted."