Upon standing Xiao LingYue could feel the Demonic Lotus leaf fortifying and nourishing his first spiritual meridian.
The trace of Demonic Qi mingled continuously with his blood as it pumped vigorously around his body.
He as looked at himself he notice he had grown larger; now looking like a 14-year-old boy, devilishly handsome features were complemented with a slightly unruly air.
He soon readied himself as he donned his black outer Cult robe which added to his cold charm; looking back at his abode, he quickly reactivated the guarding formation before he left the Cave of Feasting Demons. . .
*************
The morning was now here as it had a lingering chill that rode upon the air.
That creepy undying cloud continued to swirl above like a gaping maw ready to devour whoever came near.
Sunlight peeked through this cloud cover like heavenly stairs as they fell, bringing the thought that one could reach the heavens upon climbing them to their peak.
LingYue stood outside the Cave of Feasting Demons as he breathed in deeply as the moist almost mouldy air was dragged into his lungs.
His view was filled with outer cult disciples as they were hurrying to their destinations, regardless of peak, palaces or valley.
The department Xiao LingYue wanted to join was Hollow Heart Peak.
The peak was famed for its body tempering techniques since he wanted to fix any weaknesses he may have and from the memories of the mines, he knew how useful body tempering methods were.
Xiao LingYue made his way through the Cult as he saw everyone running to and fro, while the slight scent of blood lingered in the air. . .
As he visited the palaces, valleys and peaks, the things he saw made him absolutely revolted and disgusted with the human race.
Any shred of morality he felt they had was completely thrown out. . .
His face was cold while he tried to keep his emotions suppressed.
The more he saw the more his heart filled with fury towards the human race; faes and humans alike were only resources here.
He saw human and fae newborns, young children and virgins being refined into ghostly tools and Yin spectres in Ghost Gorging Valley . . .
In Carefree Valley, both races were used as cauldrons; males and females alike were siphoned of their innate Yin or Yang Qi, leaving them shrivelled and lifeless, gasping as they died in horror and agony.
They were used as breeding grounds in the Phantom Gu Valley as they were writhing in pain, their blood vessels threatening to pierce their skin while Gu could be seen feasting or crawling within their skin as they lay paralyzed on the floor.
Their skin yellowed and cracked as it clung desperately to their bones, while contrasted their stomachs bulged and squirmed, as their sunken bloodshot eyes begged for death.
Humans, Faes and Ferocious beasts were all treated equally as they were hung like pigs, their throats slit as they bled, kicking and gurgling as they died full of grievances; their blood to be used in Demonic arrays and Devil talismans by the Bagua Demon Palace.
Upon reaching the final destination Hollow Heart Peak, his heart reflected the name of the peak.
His face was cold but his heart seemed to be empty, he had encountered too much and he was no longer surprised or shocked by the behaviour of these vile beings around him.
Not even children and newborns were let go . . .
Even using their own race, torturing them all the while to get the best out of them as they were all only treated as resources.
Xiao LingYue committed this all to memory as he made sure to vow within his heart, that once he had enough strength, he'd wipe this vile unscrupulous Cult from the face of the earth.
His eyes focused on the last peak as his eyes were now surrounded by a darkened ring from the psychological burden he went through the past few hours. . .
As he slowly climbed the steps towards Hollow Heart Peak, his eyes focused on the disciples he saw above him as he saw them eating humans, fae and Ferocious beasts.
They munched away as he turned and saw a leg formerly belonging to a type of scaled fae while a man with a wildly Demonic aura tore into it as he held it in his hand.
The Spiritual pressure from him felt similar to the Meridian realm but not quite, it reminded him of his physical breakthrough when his neidan was formed but he wasnt completely sure.
As his brows furrowed slightly, he turned his face away as he continued up the mountain, the black jagged rocks and darkened grey trees placed a deep and oppressive aura within the surroundings.
LingYue soon got to the peak's registration building as he stepped over the threshold, an earth-shattering spiritual pressure began to suppress him, trying to force him to bow before it.
LingYue's entire body trembled vigorously as he forced his head upwards, his body felt like it was
being pressed to the floor by the palm of a God.
This sight caused the expressions of the Hollow Heart Peak disciples to turn contemptuous as they observed him with a sneer.
"How long do you think pretty boy here can last?" One said as he laughed.
"With looks like that I'm surprised Carefree Valley hasn't snatched this newbie to be some inner disciples cauldron, heh heh" Another chucked.
The contemptible remarks floated in and around Xiao LingYue's ears as his head began to slightly lower.
LingYue ignored all provocation as he focused, raising his head yet again as his flesh trembled while the blood vessels under his skin began to bulge and rupture, while tears of blood flowed from his eyes.
His will didn't falter as the more it tried to suppress him, the more he rebelled.
He refused to lower his head within the presence of humans, furthermore to ever bow to them!
Soon his full inner qi billowed out as a Demonic Fog floated around him like a demonic raiment as the blurry image of a demonic lotus soon appeared behind him.
ARRGGHHHHH!!!!
LingYue roared with all his might as the suppression reached its apex, his nose and ears bleeding as he forced himself to stand straight under the suppressive pressure.
In the next moment, the suppression soon began to recede like a tide as LingYue almost collapsed with its sudden withdrawal.
A roar of laughter was heard from the spectators as if they had gotten a free show before going their ways chuckling and speaking as they did.
LingYue felt bitter like he was made a spectacle of, as he wiped the blood from around his face with his sleeve.
Blood trickled down his lip still as he had suffered slight internal injuries and would have to go back and heal as soon as possible.
This place wasn't an area you could be injured within, at any point in time you could lose your life here, becoming just resources to others. . .