Douluo Dalu (Soul Land AU) : The Heavenly Demon

POV: First Person

We were all there, the children in red or white robes, lined up in front of Nu Li and that giant, Ji Tong.

"Most of you will be assigned numbers based on our judgment," declared the old woman, Nu Li, her clear and authoritative voice resonating in the air.

"Number 1 will be the strongest according to our judgment, and so on," she added.

I didn't immediately notice that she was pointing at me.

"You, you will be number 1," she said, in a categorical tone.

Shock painted my face.

"She chose me as number 1? So, according to her, no child here has more potential than I do?" The thought crossed my mind, distracted, as I failed to notice the envious gazes of the other children. They seemed to devour me with their eyes.

But among them, one gaze sent a chill down my spine. A harsh, merciless gaze, that of the gigantic man covered in scars: Ji Tong. His stare seemed to slice through me like a blade.

…

Time stretched on, and I let my mind wander as Nu Li continued listing the names of the children, one by one. Finally, she turned toward us, her voice taking on a new, more authoritative tone.

"It's time to explain where you will be for the next few years," she announced, instantly capturing our attention. Fear was visible on many faces, including mine, but I understood that death wasn't our first test yet.

"You will be trained to serve the cult in a new project: the Cave of Little Demons," she explained, her gaze briefly settling on me, as though she had a particular interest.

"A project to forge a bright future for the cult, thanks to talented young people like you." Her eyes hardened slightly as she fixed me with her stare, almost as if marking me for something.

"Your role in this cave will be simple: survive. You will come out stronger, and this will benefit both you and us."

She paused before continuing:

"I will now explain the main ranks within the cult, so you know where you will stand after the Cave of Little Demons."

"The cult consists of about 13,000 members, but only 4,000 are soul masters," she explained, making sure we understood.

"The demonic soldier is the lowest rank in the cult, but they are the ones who protect the sanctuary."

She paused. "From what I know of the outside world, a demonic soldier would be equivalent to a soul master or grand soul master (level 11-30)."

She took a breath before continuing.

"Then, there are the demonic warriors, the cult's main strength, and it is to this rank that you, the 500 children here, should reach by the end of the Cave of Little Demons."

"The demonic warriors are equivalent to an Elder Soul or Ancestor Soul (level 31-50)."

Honestly, I didn't understand everything. I had read a few books about this world before being kidnapped, but I thought those stories were just legends. Now, facing reality, all of this seemed as strange as it was intimidating.

Nu Li continued, seemingly unfazed by my confusion.

"Finally, there are the demonic kings (level 71-90), the absolute forces of the cult, to which I belong, just like Ji Tong." She gestured broadly toward the giant.

"Now that you know all of this, the children who have already reached the rank of soul master will step aside."

A dozen children, among the highest numbers, myself included, separated from the group and moved to the side. It was then that Ji Tong, who had remained silent until now, spoke in a deep voice, one that seemed to reverberate throughout the cult.

"Follow me. Each of you will receive a soul ring from the bamboo forest of the cult."

His tone left no room for doubt. We followed him, silently, like a group of ducklings behind their mother, until we arrived before a dense forest.

…

After a few minutes of walking, I began to lose my bearings. The silence was heavy, oppressive. Not a sound, not a breeze, nothing. It was as if the forest itself was waiting for something.

"We're here. Your first trial begins now," Ji Tong announced, with a detached tone that was almost surprising.

I looked at him, perplexed. "Your first trial is to find a soul ring in this forest? Seriously?"

I hadn't imagined that the Cave of Little Demons included a forest full of soul creatures. This wasn't what I had expected. But well, it was too late to turn back now.

The other children had already scattered, their martial souls awakened, and they entered the forest confidently. I followed them for a moment before separating, searching for my own soul ring.

…

A few minutes later, I began to lose all sense of direction. The silence was crushing, each step seemed to lead me deeper into a vegetative labyrinth. Then, a cold shiver ran down my spine.

I spun around suddenly. Something was wrong. Something was there.

SSSSS!!!

Before I could even understand what was happening, something massive sent me flying backward like a ragdoll, like Big Shaq charging full speed. My body slammed into the ground, shaken by the impact.

"What the hell is that?!" The thought crossed my mind, terror taking a tangible form in my chest.

It was a snake. A jet-black snake, over 52 feet, with blazing red eyes. An enormous snake, bigger than Ji Tong, with a mouth full of sharp fangs. "It's bigger than that giant!"

The snake hissed, its gaze fixed on me, the crest behind its neck bristling. It looked like an intimidation technique, like a cobra from my world.

And, oh, I could feel it. The pressure of its bloodlust filled me. The air around it became heavy, red, suffocating.

Then, without warning, it charged at an astonishing speed. The ground trembled under its weight, its movements like those of an unstoppable predator.

I didn't have time to think.

A colorless flame materialized behind me, like an instinctive extension of my soul. It rushed at the snake with incredible agility, but the snake countered, swaying to avoid it.

The flame hit, but left only superficial marks. It would take more than that.

I didn't have time to flee. If I retreated, the flame would dissipate, and the snake would pursue me relentlessly.

Looking around, I spotted a solution. I had to improvise.

Bamboo. Yes, that was it!

In a few seconds, I managed to cut some bamboo and quickly fashioned it into a makeshift spear. But the flame didn't give me much time. It was burning slowly, and I could feel I had to act fast.

I quickly coated the bamboo with my martial soul before the flame consumed it entirely. The snake approached, hissing furiously.

I had one chance.

I threw the spear with all the strength I could muster, the flame guiding its trajectory. But as the spear headed toward the snake's throat, it passed by, grazing only its scaly skin. The snake continued its charge, furious.

It was then that, in a desperate impulse, I leaped forward, grabbing the snake's tail. The creature thrashed and writhed, but I had no other choice. I gripped as hard as I could, despite the pain and fear flooding me.

While I was being dragged by the snake, I managed to take back the spear pushed into the ground.

I couldn't hold on. My hand was scraped, bleeding my own blood.

The shock hit me. I had taken this new world as a joke at first, but ever since I was kidnapped, nothing was going the way I wanted.

A peaceful life—that's what I wanted. And now I was about to be killed by a snake.

The shock was palpable; I couldn't even feel the snake constricting me, its strength crushing my bones.

I quickly lifted my head to see its massive mouth just above me, ready to swallow me whole, and by reflex, I sent the makeshift spear, enveloped in divine flame, straight into its throat, piercing through its glottis and then its brain.

I quickly felt the body that was crushing me loosen, enough for me to escape easily.

And I saw a yellow ring rising from the now-dead body of the snake.

It seems that I have to absorb it but how to do it ? Like in a cultivation novel?

I sat in a lotus position, despite the pain from my crushed ribs, to absorb the yellow soul ring. It was my only chance. I needed a soul ring, and I wasn't going to face another one of those beasts.

I absorbed it quickly, the flame doing most of the work.

And I stood up just a few seconds after sitting down.

Wasn't this supposed to be hard? And why had my pain faded?

I quickly felt that my power had progressed. "Level 13?"