Devil's Shadow, Heaven's Bane

Zhang Yan's breath came in ragged bursts as he and Shi Lihua sprinted deeper into the Bone-Eating Forest. His veins still burned with the lingering corruption of the qi he had absorbed, a searing fire that both empowered and tormented him. Every muscle in his body felt sharper, every movement more precise, as if the darkness within him had honed his very essence. He could sense the shifting of the wind, the trembling of leaves, the faint hum of life—or death—all around him. The forest seemed alive, its gnarled trees whispering secrets of blood and betrayal.

Shi Lihua stole a glance at him, her expression wary. She had seen the way he fought, the unnatural precision in his movements, the way his eyes glinted with a feral light. There was something different about him now, something dangerous. Yet she said nothing, her lips pressed into a thin line as they ran.

Before Zhang Yan could dwell on it, the sharp snap of a twig shattered the silence. They froze. His newly heightened senses flared, detecting multiple presences lurking just beyond the mist—cold, calculating, and hungry.

Shi Lihua's voice was a whisper, barely audible. "We're not alone."

A shadow moved—then another. Figures emerged from the trees, their ragged robes marking them as fellow disciples of the Outer Circle. Their eyes gleamed with bloodlust, their weapons glinting in the dim light. There were five in total, but one stood apart from the rest. He was lean, with piercing eyes and a calm yet dangerous air. His stance carried a weight that set him apart, a predator among scavengers.

"I had a feeling you'd survive, Zhang Yan," the disciple said, his voice smooth and dripping with mockery. "But you're not the only one who's grown stronger in this trial."

Zhang Yan's gaze narrowed. There was something different about this one—something familiar. His qi pulsed with a dark undercurrent, controlled but menacing, like a coiled serpent ready to strike.

Shi Lihua tensed beside him, her needle-dagger flashing in her hand. "Another awakened," she muttered, her voice tight with unease.

The realization settled over Zhang Yan like a shroud. This disciple had also awakened his Demon's Seed. He wasn't just another scavenger seeking to loot the fallen—he was a rival, a true threat.

" It's Qian Feng," Shi Lihua stated, her body growing taught as she could feel just how dangerous this new foe was.

Qian Feng smirked, his black hair falling across his shoulders, his cruel slender eyes reminiscent of a snake glaring at its prey, as his lips curling into a cruel smile. "I wonder, Zhang Yan… whose seed is stronger?"

Then he attacked.

The world seemed to slow as he lunged forward, his sword a blur of silver. Zhang Yan barely had time to parry, the clash of their blades sending sparks flying. Qian Feng's movements were quick, refined, deadly—each strike aimed with surgical precision.

The difference between him and the other disciples was like night and day...