Night fell over the Mist Forest. The fog, usually white and drifting, turned into a suffocating shroud of ink-black darkness.
For the three thousand surviving disciples, this was the time of terror. Spirit Beasts were nocturnal hunters.
For Mo Tian, this was the time of harvest.
He moved through the undergrowth, his steps silent. The Bone-Masking Pill was still active, suppressing his deathly aura, but he didn't need it to terrify the forest. The local wildlife—wolves, vipers, shadow cats—could instinctively smell the predator in their midst. They scattered before him, whimpering.
[System Alert] [Digestion Complete.] [Experience Pool: 850/1000]
"Close," Mo Tian whispered. "One more decent kill."
He didn't want just any kill. He wanted the best.
He leaped onto a high branch, activating the [Eye of Truth]. The forest below lit up with data signatures. Most were dim white lights (Stage 2 disciples). But to the east, there was a cluster of bright lights surrounding a blazing red aura.
Target: Zhao Feng Identity: Zhao Clan Young Master / Top Outer Disciple Ranking Cultivation: Qi Condensation - Stage 5 (Early) Possessions: High-Grade Spirit Sword, Defensive Talisman, Storage Ring.
"A walking treasury," Mo Tian noted.
He vanished into the shadows.
In a clearing two miles east, a bonfire roared.
Zhao Feng sat on a portable silk chair, sipping wine from a silver cup. He was handsome in a sharp, cruel way, surrounded by ten sycophantic followers.
Around the perimeter of their camp, five bruised and bloody disciples were tied to trees. Their arms were cut, blood dripping slowly onto the forest floor to attract beasts.
"Young Master Zhao," a lackey snickered, kicking one of the bound disciples. "This bait is working perfectly. We've attracted three Iron-Back Bears already. Your point total is the highest in the exam!"
Zhao Feng swirled his wine. "Of course. Why hunt when you can make the prey come to you? These mud-legged commoners should be honored to serve as bait for the Zhao Clan."
The bound disciples wept silently. They had been ambushed, beaten, and used as meat shields.
"Something is coming," Zhao Feng said suddenly, sitting up.
The bushes rustled. But it wasn't a beast.
A lone figure walked into the firelight. He wore ill-fitting grey robes, his hair tied back with a rag. He dragged a rusted iron sword behind him that carved a line in the dirt.
"Who goes there?" a lackey shouted. "Kneel before Young Master Zhao!"
Mo Tian ignored the lackey. He walked straight toward the fire, his eyes fixed on Zhao Feng.
"You are noisy," Mo Tian said, his voice flat. "And your fire is too bright. It ruins the ambiance."
Zhao Feng laughed, standing up. "Are you an idiot? Or do you have a death wish? I am Zhao Feng. Drop your sword and lick my boots, and I might let you be bait instead of a corpse."
Mo Tian stopped. He tilted his head.
"Zhao Feng. Stage 5. The Zhao Clan possesses a hereditary technique called the Blazing Sun Art. It relies on anger and Yang energy."
Zhao Feng's eyes narrowed. "How do you know that?"
"Because," Mo Tian raised his left hand, pointing a finger at Zhao Feng, "I can see your Qi circulating. You have a blockage in your liver meridian. You drink too much wine."
"Kill him!" Zhao Feng roared, humiliated.
Four lackeys charged. They were Stage 3 and 4, wielding decent steel swords.
Mo Tian didn't retreat. He stepped into the charge.
[Skill Activated: Soul-Binding Chain (Consumable)]
Black chains erupted not from Mo Tian's hands, but from his shadow on the ground. They lashed out like vipers, wrapping around the necks of the four attackers.
Snap. Snap. Snap. Snap.
Four necks broke in unison. The bodies dropped mid-stride.
Silence descended on the clearing. The fire crackled.
Zhao Feng's wine cup fell from his hand. "Sorcery... demonic sorcery!"
"Demonic?" Mo Tian stepped over the bodies. "I prefer 'efficient'."
The remaining six lackeys scrambled back, terrified. Mo Tian was a reaper.
Zhao Feng gritted his teeth, his face flushing red. "I don't care what trickery you use! I am a Stage 5 genius!"
He drew his High-Grade Spirit Sword. The blade glowed with intense orange heat.
"Blazing Sun Slash!"
Zhao Feng swung. A wave of scorching fire Qi surged toward Mo Tian, turning the grass to ash. It was a strike capable of melting rock.
Mo Tian didn't dodge. He opened his mouth.
Inhale.
To the horror of everyone watching, Mo Tian didn't block the fire. He breathed it in. The Corpse-Refining Heaven-Eater Art viewed all energy as food. Fire was just spicy Qi.
The flames swirled into Mo Tian's mouth, disappearing into the vortex of his stomach. His skin glowed red for a second, then returned to pale white.
[Absorbed Fire Qi.] [Constitution +5]
"Tasty," Mo Tian remarked.
Zhao Feng trembled. His world view was shattering. "Monster..."
Mo Tian vanished.
He reappeared directly in front of Zhao Feng. He didn't use his sword. He used his hand, punching directly through Zhao Feng's defensive Qi barrier.
His hand clamped onto Zhao Feng's face.
"My turn."
[Devour.]
"NNGGGGHHHH!"
Zhao Feng's struggles were titanic, but useless. His High-Grade Spirit Sword clattered to the ground. His rich, pill-cultivated Yang Qi flowed into Mo Tian, a river of pure power.
The breakthrough barrier inside Mo Tian shattered instantly.
[System Notification] [Breakthrough Successful!] [Current Realm: Qi Condensation - Stage 4]
Mo Tian didn't stop. He drained Zhao Feng until the genius was nothing but a husk, then tossed the body into the bonfire.
The flames turned green as they consumed the dry corpse.
Mo Tian turned to the remaining lackeys. They were on their knees, kowtowing so hard their foreheads bled.
"Spare us! We will serve you! We will be your dogs!"
Mo Tian looked at them. He looked at the disciples tied to the trees.
"I don't need dogs," Mo Tian said, picking up Zhao Feng's Spirit Sword. It hummed with power in his hand. "And I don't leave witnesses."
The screams lasted less than a minute.
When silence returned, Mo Tian walked over to the disciples tied to the trees. He sliced their ropes.
They fell to the ground, weeping with relief. "Thank you! Thank you, Senior Brother!"
Mo Tian looked down at them with his cold, black eyes.
"You misunderstand," he said softly.
The Soul-Binding Chain lashed out again.
[Villain Merit: +50] [Villain Merit: +50] [Villain Merit: +50]
Mercy was a risk. Survivors talked. Dead men built his foundation.
Outside the Forest - The Monitoring Hall
Elder Liu, responsible for the exam, stared at the massive formation board. It displayed the lifeforce of every disciple in the forest as a light.
"Strange," he muttered.
"What is it, Elder?" a deacon asked.
"The lights in Sector East... they are extinguishing. Not one by one. But in clusters." Elder Liu frowned. "And the speed... it's too fast for a Spirit Beast. Even a Stage 3 Tiger takes time to chew."
Suddenly, a disciple burst into the hall, holding a projection stone. He was pale and sweating.
"Elder! The retrieval team found... they found something."
"Speak!"
"They found the corpse of a disciple near the entrance. But... look at the forehead."
The disciple activated the stone. A holographic image of Brother Zhang's corpse appeared. The rune for "Doubt" was drawn in blood, stark and terrifying.
Elder Liu's eyes widened. He recognized the script. It wasn't standard calligraphy. It was Old Script, used during the Great Sect War a thousand years ago by the Blood Devil Sect.
"Is there a demonic cultivator in the forest?" the Deacon gasped.
Elder Liu slammed his hand on the table. "Seal the forest! No one enters or leaves until we scan every disciple!"
Back in the Forest
Mo Tian felt the shift in the air. The massive arrays surrounding the forest flared with warning light.
[System Warning] [Sect Alert Level Raised to: Crimson.] [The Elders suspect an intruder.]
Mo Tian wiped the blood from his new Spirit Sword. He looked at his pouch, now filled with twenty Beast Cores and the stolen wealth of Zhao Feng.
"They are locking the doors," Mo Tian smiled, his teeth white in the darkness. "Good. That means I have all night to finish my meal before they come to check the plates."
He checked his Status.
Host: Mo Tian Realm: Qi Condensation - Stage 4 (Middle) Villain Merit: 280 Shop Unlocked: Tier 1 Inventory: High-Grade Spirit Sword, Storage Ring (Zhao Feng).
"System. Purchase [Technique: Face-Changing Bone Art]."
[Cost: 250 Merit. Confirm?]
"Confirm."
Knowledge flooded his mind. This was far superior to a pill. This allowed him to physically shift his bone structure and facial features for a limited time.
Mo Tian's face rippled. His jaw squared, his eyes changed shape, and his height dropped by an inch. He no longer looked like the "Wang Er" he had possessed, nor his original self. He looked like a generic, forgettable disciple.
"Now," Mo Tian said, looking toward the center of the forest. "To hunt the biggest game."
Deep in the forest, a roar shook the trees. The Mist King, a Stage 3 Spirit Beast (equivalent to a human Stage 9), had awoken.
And Mo Tian was hungry.