Deep within the shattered lands beyond the known borders of the beast world, blood soaked into the blackened ground.
A massive demonic beast collapsed with a thunderous crash, its lifeless body convulsing once before going still. Its throat had been ripped open brutally, dark blood spilling freely across the scorched earth.
A lone figure stood over the corpse.
The Side Demon Lord was tall and imposing, his presence alone warping the air around him. Black-scaled markings crawled across his skin like living armor, but his condition was far from stable. One arm hung stiffly at his side, and a deep wound in his chest continued to leak corrupted blood despite the dense demonic energy sealing it.
He exhaled slowly.
The breath came out rough and uneven.
With a curl of his fingers, the remaining blood inside the beast's body was pulled out in thin crimson streams. The blood flowed toward him and sank into his skin, temporarily soothing the damage within his core.
But only temporarily.
"…Not enough," he muttered.
Once, even six-star beasts had been nothing more than nourishment. Now, draining one barely kept his shattered core from collapsing.
Anger burned in his eyes.
At that moment, a faint ripple passed through the air—news carried through fear, whispers, and spiritual transmission.
The Demon Lord lifted his head.
"…Speak."
A lesser demon immediately knelt, pressing his forehead to the ground. "My Lord. News from the inner territories. The Hawk Clan has slain a six-star demonic beast."
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then the Demon Lord laughed.
Low. Hoarse. Dangerous.
"A six-star?" he said. "By a mere clan?"
The demon hesitated. "There is more."
The laughter stopped instantly.
"…Continue."
"Feng Lihan of the Hawk Clan absorbed the purified core," the demon said, voice shaking. "He has broken through. He is now a six-star warrior."
The air around them trembled.
"…What about stability?" the Demon Lord asked quietly.
"Stable," the demon replied. "Dual-element awakening has been confirmed—wind and fire."
The Demon Lord slowly straightened, pain tearing through his chest as he did so. His expression darkened, then twisted into something colder.
"So even he has reached that realm," he murmured.
His gaze shifted unconsciously toward the direction of the Hawk Clan.
"And the purification?" he asked.
The demon swallowed. "It was caused by a man named Lin Yue. Witnesses reported golden life-element energy. He healed warriors during battle and completely erased corruption from the core stone."
For a brief moment, the Demon Lord's breathing faltered.
Then his lips curved upward.
"…Lin Yue."
The name lingered in the air.
Suddenly, everything made sense.
It wasn't strength he lacked.
It was that blood.
Golden life essence—capable of restoring what corruption had destroyed.
"I want him," the Demon Lord whispered. "No matter the cost."
The demonic pressure surged violently, forcing the lesser demon flat against the ground.
"But not yet," the Demon Lord said, forcing his rage back into control. "The time has not come."
He turned toward the corpse once more.
"I will recover," he said coldly. "I will hunt until my core is restored."
His eyes burned with killing intent.
"And you, Feng Lihan… just wait."
Far away, beneath the skies of the Hawk Clan, shadows moved silently.
Three figures cloaked in dark, scale-patterned robes stood atop a distant ridge. Their presence was carefully concealed.
Snake Clan observers.
One of them raised a crystal artifact, its surface reflecting golden fluctuations from deep within the Hawk Clan's inner territory.
"Target confirmed," he whispered. "Golden energy remains active."
Another observer narrowed his eyes. "So the rumors were true."
The third smiled faintly. "Do nothing. Simply observe."
"The most dangerous existences," he said softly, "reveal themselves in time."
Above them, the wind carried faint traces of fire.
And far beyond the horizon, a wounded Demon Lord licked blood from his claws—
And waited.