"The Soul Eater Cult… they earned their name. They practiced dark arts, harvesting the life force of innocents to fuel their evil cultivation. The suffering they inflicted… it was unspeakable." The Grand Elder's voice trembled with suppressed rage.
"They operated in secrecy, silencing anyone who discovered their existence. But rumors spread. And eventually… word reached the Yu Feng Clan."
"The Yu Feng Clan could not stand idly by. We assembled a force of elite disciples, tasked with eradicating the Soul Eater Cult and bringing its practitioners to justice."
The Grand Elder's face contorted in a grimace.
"I led that force," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "We were prepared for a fight, for any resistance the cult could muster. What we found…. What we found… " He stopped, his voice choked with emotion.
Xing Jue held his breath.
"We found the prodigal disciple." The Grand Elder's gaze turned distant, haunted by the past. "The missing Inner Palace prodigy. The boy… he'd become the Soul Eater Cult's leader."
Xing Jue's heart sank. It was as he had feared. The Grand Elder's grief… it spoke of a bond betrayed.
"He was… different," the Grand Elder continued, his voice strained. "His eyes… they were empty, devoid of recognition. He'd lost himself to the darkness he'd embraced."
"We tried to reason with him," the Grand Elder said, his voice thick with sorrow. "We told him who we were… reminded him of his home… his clan... But it was no use. The boy we knew… the prodigy we'd all admired… he was gone."
His weathered face twisted in a grimace of pain.
"We were forced to kill him." The words hung in the air, heavy with grief. "It was the only way to stop him…"
"We recovered his body," he continued, his voice a low murmur. "And with it… the source of his corruption. The Heaven Punishing Demonic Art, a forbidden text said to grant unimaginable power at the cost of one's very soul."
"We destroyed the Heaven Punishing Demonic Art, erased it from existence. Or so we thought..." The Grand Elder turned to Xing Jue, his eyes filled with a weary sadness. "Now, years later, it seems its taint lingers still."
"How… how is that possible?", Xing Jue asked, his blood turning cold. "Did you ever determine how Bai Yunfei obtained access to the Heaven Punishing Demonic Art?"
The Grand Elder shook his head. "We're still investigating. He refuses to divulge his source." He sighed. "We may never know the full truth."
"But one thing is certain," he continued, his voice hardening. "The Heaven Punishing Demonic Art is a cancer, a corrupting influence that cannot be allowed to spread. Those who dabble in its power… they are beyond redemption."
"What will happen to Bai Yunfei?", Xing Jue asked, dreading the answer.
The Grand Elder's expression turned grim. "Those who practice the Heaven Punishing Demonic Art… they rarely survive its embrace. It twists them from the inside out, consumes them in their lust for power. It is a fate far worse than death."
Xing Jue looked away, unable to stomach the Grand Elder's words. Was there truly no hope for Bai Yunfei?
"Grand Elder," he began, hesitantly. "Could I… could I speak with Bai Yunfei? Perhaps…"
The Grand Elder turned back, an eyebrow raised in surprise. "You believe you can get him to talk where we have failed?"
"It's possible he might be more… forthcoming with a peer," Xing Jue pressed. "He might see me as less of a threat."
In truth, Xing Jue's reasons were entirely selfish. He needed to know where Bai Yunfei learned the Heaven Punishing Demonic Art. Could the missing pages of the Soul Devouring Code be involved?
The Grand Elder studied Xing Jue for a long moment, then nodded curtly. "Very well, Xing Jue. You may speak with him. But be wary. The Heaven Punishing Demonic Art... it can corrupt even the purest of hearts."
Beneath the grand halls and training grounds, hidden from the sun and sky, lay a network of chilling dungeons. This was the underbelly of the Yu Feng Clan, where transgressions were met with swift and brutal punishment.
It reeked of fear and suffering.
Xing Jue made his way through the dark corridors to the prison's deepest recesses, following a jailor whose face was chiseled from stone. The air grew heavy, thick with the metallic tang of blood.
They reached a cell, its iron bars stained with rust. Inside, huddled on the cold stone floor, sat Bai Yunfei. His clothes were torn, his body covered in wounds, his usually proud demeanor broken.
As the heavy door creaked open, Bai Yunfei looked up, his eyes a mixture of pain and defiance. When he saw Xing Jue, a look of surprise flickered across his battered face.
"Xing Jue?"
"They've been… persuading you?" Xing Jue asked, his voice devoid of judgment.
Bai Yunfei let out a bitter laugh. "What did you expect? Tea and sympathy?"
"Get on with it, Xing Jue", he spat. "I'm assuming you're not here for chit-chat."
Xing Jue didn't hesitate. "You're right," he said, taking a seat across from Bai Yunfei. "I came to ask you about the Heaven Punishing Demonic Art."
Bai Yunfei scoffed. "Save your breath. I'm not telling you anything."
Xing Jue leaned closer, ignoring Bai Yunfei's venomous glare.
"You have a younger sister," Xing Jue said, his voice low and dangerous. "Think carefully, Bai Yunfei. Is protecting the secrets of the Heaven Punishing Demonic Art… worth risking her safety?"
Bai Yunfei froze, his eyes widening in alarm. He hadn't anticipated this. The Yu Feng Clan… they didn't resort to such tactics. But Xing Jue… Xing Jue played by different rules.
Xing Jue pressed his advantage. "What matters more, Bai Yunfei? Your loyalty to… to whatever corrupted you, or your sister's well-being?"
Bai Yunfei's defiance crumbled. He looked away, his jaw clenched in frustration. "You… you wouldn't…"
Xing Jue said nothing. He simply met Bai Yunfei's gaze, his silence speaking volumes.
Bai Yunfei sighed. "Fine", he muttered. "I have one condition."
"Tell me what you want."
"Protect my sister," Bai Yunfei pleaded, a flicker of desperation in his eyes. "Promise me, Xing Jue."
"Rest assured, your sister will want for nothing. I'll make sure of it," Xing Jue said, his voice firm and reassuring. He could see the deep love Bai Yunfei held for his younger sister.
Bai Yunfei looked at Xing Jue, a flicker of genuine trust replacing the suspicion in his eyes. For the first time since his imprisonment, a true smile touched his lips. "Thank you, Xing Jue", he said, his voice raspy but sincere. " Ask away."
"Tell me how you found the Heaven Punishing Demonic Art," Xing Jue said, leaning forward. He had a hunch that Bai Yunfei had stumbled upon the forbidden knowledge rather than inherited it. Otherwise, Bai Yunfei would have known the devastating consequences of cultivating such a dangerous art.
Bai Yunfei took a deep breath, steeling himself before delving into the past. "Ten years ago... I was just a kid... My father and I were gathering firewood in the mountains, deeper than we'd ever ventured before. We stumbled upon a hidden entrance, concealed by vines and covered in moss. It was… as if it were meant to stay hidden."
He hesitated, his eyes clouded with a haunting memory.
"Curiosity got the better of us. We thought… perhaps it was an old tomb, or maybe… just maybe… it held treasure." Bai Yunfei chuckled humorlessly. "We were fools."
"As soon as we entered… the air turned cold. It was more than just the absence of sun, Xing Jue. It was… unnatural. We walked for what felt like hours, the passage winding deeper and deeper into the earth. And then… we found it."
"A chamber. Massive. Its size...it defied logic. It was as if someone had carved out a piece of the mountain itself. And dark… so dark I couldn't see my hand in front of my face." Bai Yunfei shuddered. "My father… he told me to wait near the entrance. Said it was too dangerous. But he… he wanted to see what lay ahead."
"There was a scream," Bai Yunfei whispered, his voice breaking. "And then… and then… a sound. Like… like nothing human could make. A guttural roar, filled with… with a hunger that chilled me to the bone."
"What happened next?", Xing Jue asked, his curiosity piqued.
Bai Yunfei swallowed, his throat dry. "My father... he never came back. I… I ran. I could still hear it… that sound… echoing in my nightmares."
"My sister and I… we were orphaned," he continued, his voice hollow. "We begged on the streets, survived however we could. Eventually, a martial arts family took me in. Not out of kindness… but because they needed someone to train, to mold into a weapon."
He laughed, a harsh, empty sound.
"They sent me to the Yu Feng Clan, hoping I'd amount to something… bring them some glory. But my sister… she stayed behind. A servant in their house. "
"A year passed. I trained, I grew stronger. But the memory of that mountain... of that sound... it never left me. So I returned."
"The chamber… it was as if it were alive. Paths shifted, traps snapped at my heels. I never found my father… but I found… something else."
"The Heaven Punishing Demonic Art. Hidden away, as if it were waiting for me." He looked down at his hands, his fingers trembling slightly. "I thought… I thought it could give me the power to protect my sister… to make sure no one could ever hurt us again. I was a fool."
"Can you take me to the chamber?", Xing Jue asked, his voice barely a whisper. There was a chance… a slim chance… that the missing pages of the Soul Devouring Code were hidden there, as well.
Bai Yunfei nodded, providing detailed instructions to the chamber's location. He didn't hesitate, didn't try to mislead him. Xing Jue sensed a genuine desire to help, a way to atone for his mistakes.
"Be careful, Xing Jue," Bai Yunfei warned. "There's something… else down there. Something ancient and powerful. I could feel it… watching me."
"I will," Xing Jue promised. "And your sister… I'll take care of her, I swear." He meant every word.
Satisfied with Bai Yunfei's cooperation, Xing Jue left the dungeons and emerged into the bright morning sun.
The following morning, the new Inner Palace disciples, Xing Jue among them, assembled before the grand gates. Excitement crackled in the air. This was it. Their ascension.
The gates swung open, revealing a sight that stole their breath.
Gone were the modest buildings and familiar training grounds of the Outer Palace. In their place… a city of jade and gold shimmered under the morning sky. Towering palaces reached for the heavens, connected by winding bridges that arched gracefully over sparkling streams.
This wasn't just a place of learning… it was a place of power.
Xing Jue and his fellow disciples, twenty in total (Xiao San had taken Bai Yunfei's place), followed the Grand Elder into this unfamiliar world.
Gone were the shared dormitories and communal spaces. Each Inner Palace disciple received their own private residence, luxurious compounds staffed with servants. No wonder the Outer Palace disciples dreamed of reaching this place.
Xing Jue's residence, the largest and most opulent of them all, was a testament to his victory.
Standing on the balcony of his new home, Xing Jue surveyed his surroundings, his purple robes billowing in the gentle breeze. Inner Palace disciples moved with a purposeful grace, their cultivation evident in every step. Most were at the Wu Zong realm, their strength a testament to the Inner Palace's rigorous training.
He spotted several individuals whose cultivation he couldn't even fathom. Wu Zun experts, no doubt. He was truly among the elite now.
Xing Jue turned towards the tallest structure in the Inner Palace, a monolithic palace that seemed to pierce the heavens themselves.
"Xiao Han," he murmured, his gaze fixed on the distant palace. "You're in there… I know it."