In the Mortal Realm, within the dominion of the Xie Clan, the grand Moonlit Hall radiated an air of oppressive authority. A middle-aged man clad in a luxurious gray robe sat alone upon a chair draped with the pelt of a ferocious beast. Behind him, mounted on the stone wall, was a wooden relief depicting a scene of epic combat. The carving showed a man draped in animal hide, wielding an immense black-iron greatsword, charging a three-headed, six-eyed behemoth of a monster. Its gaping maw threatened to devour the swordsman whole. This artwork immortalized the Xie Clan's first patriarch, who gained renown by slaying the legendary beast—the Tri-headed Demon Lion, once the king of the Demon Beast Forest. It was through this conquest that the patriarch secured territory near the forest and founded the Xie Clan, which had flourished ever since.
The man on the beast-pelt chair, Xie Mo, glared ferociously at the trio of armored men kneeling below him. They trembled under his piercing gaze, their foreheads beaded with sweat.
"Pathetic! A pack of useless fools!" Xie Mo's voice thundered through the hall, making the kneeling men bow even lower, their heads nearly touching the ground. "Two entire years—and yet, nothing! Not a trace of that old bastard. No news, no leads. What exactly is my so-called elite guard doing?"
"Master Xie," one of the men stammered, his voice quivering with fear, "we've scoured every inch of the Demon Beast Forest, but we couldn't find any sign of the former patriarch… or Elder Xie Lun. He may have fled beyond our territory, or perhaps even to the Demon Realm."
Before the man could finish, Xie Mo's expression darkened. He raised his leg and delivered a swift kick, sending a blast of energy surging forward. The force struck the armored man, flinging him across the hall until he slammed into a pillar, spitting blood as he lost consciousness. The remaining two guards froze in terror, their faces pale. A mere wave of Xie Mo's power had incapacitated one of their own, a seasoned warrior at the sixth or seventh tier of cultivation.
"Utter nonsense!" Xie Mo roared. "That cripple couldn't possibly escape my grasp. With the entire forest sealed off, do you think he could magically vanish into the Demon Realm? Your incompetence is clear, and now you dare make excuses?" His hand rose again, poised to mete out further punishment.
"Master Xie, calm yourself!"
An eerie voice echoed through the hall, cold and unsettling.
Xie Mo froze at the sound, lowering his hand. He quickly stepped down from the dais, a trace of apprehension in his demeanor. "You've arrived at last, Great One."
The two kneeling guards exchanged glances, relief briefly flickering across their faces. They recognized the voice—its sinister tone was unmistakable. This was the mysterious figure from the Demon Realm, the very one who had helped Xie Mo wrest control of the clan. Even the formidable Xie Mo treated this shadowy benefactor with deference.
A swirling mass of black mist entered the hall, drifting past the massive gates and settling upon the beast-pelt chair. As the mist coalesced, it took on a human shape—a man cloaked in black robes. His face remained hidden beneath a deep hood, obscuring his features entirely.
"Master Xie, I've upheld my end of the bargain," the robed figure said, his voice dripping with icy authority. "Where is what I asked for?"
Xie Mo's confidence faltered. "Great One, despite our efforts, there has been no sign of Xie Lun over these two years..." His words trailed off as a cold sweat broke across his brow. He knew well the power of the figure before him—an entity who could erase him from existence with a mere flick of the wrist.
The robed man chuckled darkly. "No matter. We will find him eventually. But incompetence must be punished."
He raised his right hand, and a black flame ignited within his palm. The eerie fire pulsated with an ominous energy, hungrily absorbing the surrounding spiritual essence.
Xie Mo stepped back instinctively, a heavy pressure weighing down on him. The two kneeling guards were paralyzed with fear, unable to move as the robed man unleashed the flame. A serpentine dragon of black fire burst forth, coiling and striking with terrifying precision. It engulfed the two guards in a fiery inferno.
The men screamed as their bodies were incinerated, their souls visibly struggling against the consuming flames, only to be devoured by the dragon. Without pause, the fiery beast turned and targeted the unconscious guard. The result was the same—utter annihilation. Once the three souls were consumed, the black flame retracted, returning to the robed man's palm. He extinguished it with a simple gesture, his aura growing more potent.
Xie Mo, having witnessed the display, felt an icy chill run down his spine. The Black Infernal Dragon Flame… Is he from the Sima Dragon Clan? But that clan has long since fallen, save for Sima Juekong. And he'd never involve himself in mortal affairs… Could it be someone else? The more Xie Mo speculated, the less he understood, and the more he feared.
"Only three souls of the sixth and seventh tier. A paltry harvest," the robed man muttered, disappointment tinging his tone. "But once I have Xie Lun, my breakthrough will be assured."
His piercing gaze locked onto Xie Mo. "One year. That's all you have. Fail me again, and you know the consequences."
"Yes, Great One," Xie Mo replied, trembling as he bowed.
With a sinister laugh, the robed man dissolved into black mist and vanished.
Xie Mo stood in the now-silent hall, his heart still pounding. After a long moment, he barked out, "Guards!"
Another armored figure entered the hall, kneeling in deference.
"Mobilize all squads. I want Xie Lun found within seven months. Fail, and you'll face military punishment!"
"Yes, Master!" The guard swiftly departed to carry out the order.
Alone once more, Xie Mo strode to the wooden relief. Running a hand over its surface, he muttered coldly, "The Xie Clan is mine now. No one will take it from me. No one."
In the Demon Beast Forest, at the legendary Beast King Cliff, a middle-aged man sat in a wheelchair surrounded by ninety massive boulders. He gazed up toward the cliff's peak, a small land dragon perched on his shoulder mimicking his focus. Not far from the summit, in a cave carved into the rock face, a young man was hard at work training his body.
The youth leapt from the cave, scaling the sheer cliff with ease. His animal-skin garb, crudely fashioned from the hides of the beasts he had hunted, clung to his muscular frame. His transformation over the past two years was evident; once a slender boy, he had become a figure of raw power and determination.
Reaching a smooth section of the cliff, he clenched his fist, channeling energy into a devastating punch that carved out a new cave. He repeated the feat again and again, the sound of his strikes echoing through the forest.
At last, he reached the summit. With a final, tremendous blow, he completed his task, creating eighteen more caves to add to the ninety below.
The youth didn't rest. Instead, he launched himself into a freefall, hurtling toward the ground at breakneck speed. At the last moment, he flipped and landed with a force that shook the earth, scattering debris. With practiced ease, he caught the falling boulders, one by one, stacking them with precision.
"Well done," the middle-aged man praised, a rare smile on his face.
The youth grinned, but his triumph was short-lived as a familiar voice echoed in his mind.
"Fill the caves."
The youth's joy turned to frustration. "You're kidding me! It took me over a year to carve those out!" He kicked a nearby boulder in annoyance, sending it flying into the cliffside, where it perfectly plugged one of the caves.
The man chuckled as he wheeled himself over. "Don't worry about that for now. There's something more important to focus on."
"What is it?" the youth asked, curious.
With a knowing smile, the man said, "I'm going to teach you the full set of the Evil King Combat Arts."