Chapter 56 – An Unpleasant Awakening

  Jun De was jolted awake in the middle of the night.

  It wasn’t a sound that roused him, or a movement in the room. Instead, it was a feeling that an oppressive weight settled over him like a shroud of knives. It was murderous intent, cold and sharp, that seeped through the walls and coiled into the room like invisible smoke.

  His body had reacted before his thoughts caught up, warning him with a surge of golden Qi that rose defensively from his Dantian.

  Jun De’s eyes flicked down to see Lin Yue curled up next to him, her breathing soft and her head resting gently on his chest. Her face was peaceful, and she had a small smile on her lips as she slept.

  “Lin Yue, wake up.” Jun De whispered as she nudged her shoulder gently.

  She stirred slightly, murmuring something in her sleep, before settling again. He shook her again, firmer this time.

  “Yue, now!”

  Her eyes fluttered open, bleary and unfocused.

  “Hm? Jun De?”

  “Something’s wrong. Can you feel it?” His voice was low and tight, and she could sense the urgency in it despite still being half-asleep.

  Lin Yue looked at him silently in confusion, then her breath caught. Her eyes widened suddenly, and she snapped into clarity. Her body tensed as her own senses caught the wave of killing intent that now pressed down on the village like a tidal wave.

  They both moved immediately, pulling on their robes as quickly as possible while there was a tension in their movements that spoke of their concern for whatever was happening outside.

  Jun De left the small room with Lin Yue following close behind. Moving through the dark kitchen, he had just reached the front door when a sharp scream tore through the night.

  It was followed by another, and then a third.

  Jun De flung the door open, his golden Qi already swirling around his meridians in preparation for a fight. Cold night air rushed in, and it carried the sound of chaos. There were shouts, the ringing clash of metal on metal, and a wet, gurgling cry that turned his stomach.

  The peaceful village had become a battlefield, and several buildings were already in flames.

  Smoke rose in thick, black plumes against the moonlit sky. Dozens of demonic cultivators swarmed through the narrow streets, their wild laughter mixing with the screams of panic and death.

  Most of them were in the 1st and 2nd levels of Qi Condensation, dressed in mismatched armour or robes, and wielding mortal weapons that lacked spiritual energy.

  They tore through the hamlet like wolves, grabbing the young and the strong, while the elderly were cut down without mercy. The cries of the wounded and dying were silenced beneath their blades, and the bodies of the dead were thrown into the burning homes.

  The village guards who had greeted Jun De on the way in were already dead. They had been hopelessly outmatched, and the villagers weren’t faring any better. Even those with cultivation couldn’t compare to the level of violence being unleashed against them.

  Lin Yue launched herself forward with a cry, her eyes sharp and filled with fury. Dozens of paper talismans flew from her hands in a flash of light, each one flaring with spiritual force as it struck a demonic cultivator.

  Charred bodies hit the ground as explosive sigils tore through the raiders, and flames burst from the talismans.

  A blade came swinging toward her, but she stepped aside smoothly and pressed a talisman to the attacker’s chest, who turned to ash in a burst of searing fire.

  “Jun De! We have to protect the village!” Lin Yue shouted in order to be heard over the noise.

  But Jun De was already moving.

  His instincts took over, and his body responded while his mind was still trying to process what was happening.

  With a shimmer of light, Jun De vanished from in front of the house. The Luminous Step carried him forward in a blur of motion that resembled a meteorite descending from the sky. He reappeared in front of a terrified villager, shielding them just as a demonic cultivator raised their blade to strike.,

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  Jun De’s hand thrust forward, and it ignited with radiant gold Qi. The Dawnheart Flame within his Dantian flared to life in response to sensing danger, and it shimmered with celestial brilliance. The flame mixed with his Qi as Jun De struck.

  “Falling Star Palm!”

  When the attack struck the attacker’s chest, there was no time for them to scream. The demonic cultivator disintegrated, consumed in a burst of golden flame that reduced him to ash in a flash of light.

  The ground quaked as Jun De unleashed his full cultivation. When the spiritual pressure of a 5th Level of Qi Condensation Cultivator burst forth, it was brilliant and overwhelming. A wave of golden Qi surged outward from him like a rising tide, pressing down on the battlefield with oppressive force.

  The nearest enemies staggered, choking on their own breath as their Qi faltered under the pressure. Some fell with fear twisting their faces, while others looked at Jun De in panic as they realized that they had walked into the lion’s den and their plan to attack the village would fail.

  Jun De was about to call out to Lin Yue and coordinate the capture of the rogue cultivators when a tall figure stepped out of the darkness. He was cloaked in blood-stained robes and surrounded by an aura of malevolence.

  The leader of the Demonic Cultivators walked calmly through the chaos, his bone-carved sword resting lazily on his shoulder. His Qi flared weakly to fight against the pressure Jun De emitted. He was at the 3rd Level of Qi Condensation, but his foundation was weak and unstable.

  Jun De took one look at the man and frowned.

  “You’re the one in charge?” Jun De asked. The man sneered before replying.

  “I expected to harvest a group of villagers, not Sect Disciples. It’s too bad for you that you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time.” The leader said mockingly, and Jun De wondered where the man got his confidence from.

  Jun De was two levels higher than him, and his cultivation was firm and stable. Elder Shen had told him that defeating someone with a higher cultivation was difficult and required powerful techniques, exceptional talent and a solid foundation.

  ‘This man doesn’t seem to have any of those.’ Jun De thought.

  “You should surrender. Order your people to stand down, and we will spare your lives.” Jun De offered.

  The demonic cultivator leader laughed hoarsely, revealing his teeth that were stained with something dark, making them appear to be rotting.

  “Spare me? You don’t know what you’re facing here. You Sect Disciples are always looking down on us, but you’ll find that having to fight for power is worth more than talent!”

  The leader’s face twisted into a snarl, and he leapt forward. Spiritual energy flared around his sword as he slashed down in a jagged arc, aiming for Jun De’s neck.

  Jun De raised a single hand and channelled his Qi.

  “Heavenly Deflection Art.”

  The sword struck a glowing plane of invisible force and twisted to the side. The blade was ripped out of his hand and stuck into the ground, while a backlash sent the man skidding backward, coughing violently as the strain tore at his weak foundation.

  The Leader groaned and wiped blood from his mouth.

  “Fine, then I’ll show you real power.”

  He pulled a small object from his sleeve, and Jun De’s expression shifted. It was a twisted black object the size of a peach pit, covered in tiny spikes and pulsing faintly with crimson spiritual energy.

  “That’s…” Jun De exclaimed as he recognized it as a similar item to the one Ren Sihan had used during the duel with Ren Qiu. It had caused his Qi to surge, breaking through to a higher cultivation level.

  The man swallowed the pill-like object whole before Jun De could stop him. His body began to convulse violently before going completely rigid. A scream ripped from his throat, and he collapsed to his knees while clutching his chest.

  The veins on his face and neck turned red, then black as his body began to glow with a foul light.

  All around the village, the other demonic cultivators suddenly cried out in unison. They dropped their weapons and writhed on the ground. Their flesh began to liquefy as their Qi unravelled. Their screams turned to gurgles as their bodies melted into reddish-black blood that formed dark puddles.

  Then, as if drawn by some unheard command, the blood drifted into the air and shot toward the Leader. Streams of gore congealed in midair and slammed into him, coating his body before seeping beneath his skin.

  Jun De’s eyes widened in shock.

  “He’s refining them!”

  The man’s cultivation surged, from the 3rd Level, to the 4th and into the 5th. When it hit the 6th Level of Qi Condensation, it slowed. The spiritual pressure that rolled out from him was incredibly unstable and chaotic, while his eyes were bloodshot, and a black mist surrounded him.

  Jun De felt the temperature drop, and even Lin Yue, who was standing further back, stumbled as the pressure the Leader was emitting slammed into the area.

  “HAHAHA, it worked! Let’s see how smug you are now, you Sect bastard!”

  The man stood upright, and his voice sounded odd and warped. The air twisted around him as Qi billowed off of him in violent gusts. Although his cultivation had surged to the 6th Level of Qi Condensation, Jun De could clearly see that the man’s foundation was cracked.

  It was as if he had built a house on sand. The power was there, but it flickered and surged. It was barely contained within the man’s Dantian, and it threatened to break at any moment. Even if he could keep it stable, Jun De doubted that he would ever be able to use it without risking his life.

  Even so, the man’s demonic technique was destructive and wild. Nearby homes crumbled when it touched his Qi, and the very earth beneath his feet began to crack.

  Jun De was surprisingly calm amongst the chaos. Every time the leader’s Qi would send out a shockwave that threatened the village, Jun De would deflect it with a flick of his wrist or a shift of his stance. The Heavenly Deflection Art was easily able to prevent the damage from spreading.

  But the Leader was unpredictable, and his Qi was so unstable that Jun De worried about what would happen if they fought.

  “Lin Yue! You need to get the villagers out of here. Take them to Tranquil City!” Jun De called out.

  “But, what about you?” Lin Yue replied, fearing for Jun De’s safety. She could feel that the Leader’s Qi was stronger than his, and she was worried that Jun De would be in danger if she left.

  “I’ll handle this one, but I can’t protect everyone here at the same time.” Jun De said, his voice steady and reassuring.

  Lin Yue hesitated for a second before nodding.

  “Please be careful.”