The journey back to the Silvermist Ravine Sect was supposed to be uneventful. Han Wei and his disciples moved swiftly through the forest, their pouches heavy with the treasures they had gathered from the hidden valley.

  The Spiritroot Fern, the rare herbs, and the Soulseeing Lotus were safely sealed in jade boxes, their spiritual energy preserved for future use. The disciples chatted quietly among themselves, their spirits high after the successful mission.

  But Han Wei’s senses were on edge. The forest was too quiet, the usual sounds of birds and insects conspicuously absent. His divine sense, prickled with unease. Something was wrong.

  Han Wei gestured for his disciples to be on-guard, his expression grim. “Stay close. Be ready for anything.”

  They had just crossed a narrow stream when the attack finally came. Shadows erupted from the trees, coalescing into four figures clad in dark robes. Their auras were twisted, their qi foul and corrupted to Han Wei’s divine sense.

  Demonic cultivators.

  Han Wei’s jaw tightened. He had encountered demonic cultivators before, but never so close to the territory of a righteous sect. Their presence here was a brazen provocation - and a dangerous one.

  Han Wei’s disciples tensed, their hands moving to their weapons. Xiao Lan’s fans snapped open with a sharp click, while Tie Zhu gripped his spear tightly. Lan Feng, though visibly nervous, drew his sword in sync with the other two - their coordination honed over the last few days.

  The leader of the group stepped forward, a sneer on his face. He was a tall man with a scar running down his cheek, his eyes glowing faintly with a malevolent light. Han Wei felt a shiver of fear run down his spine as he sensed that the man was a half-step Core Building cultivator - a major realm above his current cultivation.

  And worse, Han Wei wasn’t using his disguise technique, his Foundation Consolidation level of cultivation was on full display for those who had unlocked their spiritual senses. He couldn’t bluff his way out of this.

  “Well, well,” the demonic cultivator drawled. “What do we have here? A couple of Silvermist Ravine disciples returning from a hunt? How fortunate for us.”

  They hadn’t immediately attacked. Why? Their leader could think we are toothless compared to him - maybe he is gloating. Han Wei thought furiously. Or maybe they want us to attack first. A demonic counter-attack technique? He had heard of stranger things.

  The first rule of fighting demons is never to give them what they want.

  Han Wei stepped forward, his voice calm but firm - he had to project strength even if it was clear that the demonic cultivator had not recognised him as an elder. “You are bold to challenge us so close to the Silvermist Ravine Sect. Leave now, and I’ll spare your lives.”

  The demonic cultivator laughed, a harsh, grating sound. “Spare our lives? You’re in no position to make threats, old man. I can sense your weakness. You’re nothing but another failed cultivator stalled on the path. My followers will deal with your disciples, and I’ll take care of you myself.”

  Han Wei’s eyes narrowed. The demonic cultivator was right about one thing - Han Wei was weak. But he wasn’t defenseless.

  “You underestimate me,” Han Wei said quietly. “And that will be your downfall.”

  Reaching into his spatial ring, he mentally selected a talisman, its surface glowing faintly with dharmic energy. It was one of the few treasures he had left from his days as a full elder, a relic of his former power.

  The demonic cultivator’s sneer widened, his glowing eyes narrowing as he took a step closer to Han Wei. The air between them crackled with tension, the foul qi radiating from the demonic cultivator clashing with the faint, flickering aura of Han Wei’s weakened cultivation. Behind Han Wei, his disciples stood ready, their weapons drawn, their eyes darting between their master and the encroaching threat.

  “Underestimate you?” the demonic cultivator scoffed, his voice dripping with mockery. “You reek of desperation, old man. Your cultivation is weak and your path ended, and yet you dare to threaten me?”

  Han Wei’s expression remained calm, his voice steady despite the storm raging within him. He decided he would try to buy time - both to assess the situation, to understand why these demonic cultivators were here, and to figure out how to protect his disciples.

  He couldn’t afford to let his weakness show any more than it already had.

  “You speak as if you know me,” Han Wei said, his tone light, almost conversational. “But I don’t recall us ever meeting. Tell me, where do you hail from? Your accent is… unfamiliar.”

  The demonic cultivator’s sneer faltered for a moment, his brow furrowing in confusion. He had clearly expected Han Wei to attack already. But then he laughed, a harsh, grating sound that echoed through the silent forest.

  “You think I’ll just tell you my life story, old man?” he spat. “What’s next? Are you going to ask me why I’m here? Why I’m not trembling in fear of your precious Silvermist Ravine Sect?”

  Han Wei shrugged, his hands resting casually at his sides, though his fingers twitched slightly, ready to draw the talisman from his ring at a moment’s notice.

  “It’s a simple question. You’re clearly not local to this region. And you are bold enough to attack us so close to the sect’s territory. That takes either incredible stupidity or incredible confidence, and I am curious which one it is.”

  The demonic cultivator’s eyes narrowed, his lips curling into a cruel smile. “Confidence, old man. Confidence born of power. Your Silvermist Ravine Sect is weak, its elders divided, its disciples soft. You think your pathetic territory is impenetrable? You think your so-called ‘righteous’ cultivation makes you untouchable? Pathetic.”

  Han Wei’s mind raced. The demonic cultivator’s words were revealing more than he probably intended. The fact that he knew about the internal divisions within the sect suggested that he had inside information - or at least a source close to the sect. And his disdain for the Silvermist Ravine Sect’s strength hinted at a larger plan, one that went beyond a simple ambush.

  “Weak, you say?” Han Wei replied, his tone still calm, though a hint of steel crept into his voice. “And yet here you are, skulking in the shadows, attacking a group of disciples and a ‘failed cultivator.’ If we’re so weak, why not march up to the sect gates and declare your intentions?

  “Or are you afraid of what you might find there?”

  The demonic cultivator’s smile faltered, his eyes flashing with anger. “You think you’re clever, don’t you? Trying to goad me into revealing my plans. But it doesn’t matter. You’ll be dead soon, and your disciples with you. And when the time comes, your precious sect will fall, just like all the others.”

  Han Wei’s eyes narrowed. “Others? So this isn’t your first time. You’ve done this before - attacked sects. Tell me, who do you serve? Who’s pulling your strings?”

  The demonic cultivator’s expression darkened, and for a moment, Han Wei thought the man might fully reveal his sect’s identity. But then the man laughed again, though this time it was colder, more menacing.

  “You’ll find out soon enough,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “But not from me. I’ve wasted enough time talking to a dead man.”

  He raised his hand, and the other demonic cultivators stepped forward, their auras flaring arrogantly as they prepared to attack. Han Wei’s disciples tensed, their grips tightening on their weapons.

  Han Wei took a deep breath, his mind racing. He had learned what he could - these demonic cultivators were part of a larger plan, one that targeted the Silvermist Ravine Sect and others like it. They were confident, arrogant even, and they had inside information. But he still didn’t know who they served or what their ultimate goal was.

  “Very well,” Han Wei said, his voice calm but firm. “If you won’t talk, then I suppose I have no further use for you.”

  The demonic cultivator grinned, his eyes gleaming with malice. “I love it when they think they have a chance.”

  And with that, the forest erupted into chaos.

  With a roar, the demonic cultivator lunged forward. His hands twisted into claws and dripping with dark energy.

  Han Wei activated the talisman he’d been preparing.

  The talisman’s energy flared to life just in time, slamming into its target and knocking the demonic cultivator back then wrapping them in glowing bindings of dharmic energy.

  The force of the impact sent shockwaves through the air, but Han Wei held his ground with a calm and focused expression.

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  Behind him, the disciples sprang into action. Xiao Lan moved like a whirlwind, her fans slicing through the air as she spun around the group of demonic followers cutting off their chance of escape. Tie Zhu charged forward, his spear a blur of motion as he clashed with them directly, taking advantage of the distraction of Xiao Lan and pressing them hard.

  Lan Feng attacked from the side, his precise attacks darting in to distract and injure at exactly the right moment to support the other two. The movements of the three disciples were perfectly in sync even after only a week of live combat.

  Han Wei’s battle with the demonic leader was a test of skill and strategy. The talisman binding gave him an edge, its dharmic energy clashing harshly with the corrupt qi of his opponent. But it wouldn’t last forever. He needed to end the fight quickly while his opponent was still brought down to his own level of strength.

  The demonic cultivator attacked relentlessly, his movements fueled by rage and arrogance. But Han Wei was patient, waiting for the right moment to strike. When the demonic cultivator made a mistake he would be ready.

  Even with the suppression of the talisman his opponent was still a half step into the Core Building. Not to mention the strength boost gained from their demonic energies. Han Wei could do nothing but defend, sliding aside from powerful swings and parrying what he could.

  After defending against another furious assault , Han Wei saw an opening. His opponent had overextended - his claws just slightly out of position. He seized the opportunity.

  Channeling all his remaining qi into his blade he struck forward with blinding speed. His sword glowing with dharmic power as it burned through the corrupt qi in the air.

  It slid cleanly into his opponent's chest.

  The demonic cultivator screamed as the light tore through his corrupted meridians, shattering his core as it was directly pierced with antithetical energies. He stumbled back, his body convulsing as the last of the dharmic energy from the talisman purged the demonic qi within him now it was unbound by his dantian.

  With a final, desperate cry, he collapsed, his lifeless body hitting the ground with a dull thud.

  The remaining demonic followers hesitated on seeing their leader fall. And that moment of hesitation was all the disciples needed. Lan Feng struck first grievously injuring his opponent, before Tie Zhu’s spear found its mark and obliterated the chest of the man he was fighting.

  The last remaining follower tried to flee, trying to use his injured ally as a distraction - darting behind him as the injured one tried to disengage.

  But both were thwarted by Xiao Lan who stalled them just long enough for Lan Feng and Tie Zhu to finish them off from behind.

  The forest was silent once more, the echoes of battle fading into the stillness of the night, the only sound was the heavy breathing of Han Wei and his disciples. Han Wei surveyed the scene, his expression grim.

  The battle had been won, his disciples stood beside him, their faces pale but resolute. They had fought well, their unorthodox training and new coordination paying off in the heat of battle. But the victory felt hollow.

  The encounter had left too many unanswered questions, and the implications were troubling.

  “Master,” Xiao Lan said, her voice tinged with concern. “Are you alright?”

  Han Wei nodded, though his body ached from the strain of fighting a cultivator that should have been beyond him. “I’m fine. But this… this concerns me. Demonic cultivators shouldn’t be this close to the sect. They’re growing bolder.”

  Han Wei sheathed his sword, the blade still humming faintly with residual qi. He turned to his disciples, his expression stern but not unkind. “Gather their belongings,” he instructed. “Anything that might give us clues about who they are and where they came from. Be careful - demonic cultivators often carry cursed items.”

  The disciples nodded, their movements quick and efficient. Xiao Lan knelt beside the leader’s body, her fans tucked into her belt as she searched his robes. Tie Zhu and Lan Feng worked together to inspect the other cultivators, their hands steady despite the lingering tension in the air.

  Lan Feng frowned. “Do you think they were really plotting to move against the sect?”

  “I don’t know,” Han Wei admitted. “But we need to report this to the other elders. If a demonic sect is moving against us, we need to be prepared.”

  As they worked, Han Wei’s mind raced. The demonic cultivators had been too confident, too well-informed. Their attack had been brazen, almost reckless, but their words had hinted at a larger plan. And then there was the matter of their leader’s cultivation - a half-step Core Building cultivator.

  A half-step Core Building cultivator could not be a simple disciple of any sect. The resources needed to push a Foundation Consolidation cultivator into the next major realm through a false breakthrough were not easily obtained - though Han Wei supposed it would be easier for demonic cultivation.

  Still this would have been no disposable minion of a demonic sect, and someone would no doubt come looking for them.

  When the disciples had finished their search, they gathered around Han Wei, their findings in hand. Xiao Lan held a small jade token, its surface etched with strange, twisting symbols. Tie Zhu carried a scroll, its edges singed as if it had been exposed to fire. Lan Feng clutched a pouch filled with dark, crystalline shards that pulsed faintly with malevolent energy.

  Han Wei examined the items carefully, his brow furrowed. The jade token was unfamiliar, but the symbols bore a vague resemblance to those used by demonic sects he had encountered before in the southern regions.

  The contents of the scroll was written in language completely unfamiliar to Han Wei. It also contained fragments of a map, though the locations were coded and combined with the damage it was hard to guess what it was off

  And the crystalline shards… Han Wei’s stomach turned as he recognized them. Soulforged Spirit Stones - a forbidden material used to amplify demonic cultivation techniques. Their presence here was deeply concerning.

  “Yes, we need to report this to the sect,” Han Wei said, his voice low. “These demonic cultivators were definitely not acting alone. There’s something bigger at play here.”

  The disciples nodded, their expressions grim. They packed the items carefully, worry clearly etched on to each of their faces.

  Han Wei realised that their morale had plummeted despite their win. They had survived the ambush, and the disciples had proven themselves in true battle. This was something they should celebrate. It was a small victory, but a victory nonetheless. And in the treacherous world of cultivation, even small victories were worth celebrating.

  “You did well.” Han Wei said simply, though his disciples startled at the praise. “You fought together and fought to each of your strengths. Even without the distraction that ended the battle, I believe you would have prevailed against them in time, and that is no small feat.”

  He could see the change as they stood taller under his praise. It was a simple thing, but even this little boost to their confidence could help them overcome their next challenge.

  As they continued their journey back to the sect, Han Wei’s mind raced. The encounter had been a stark reminder of his own vulnerability. His cultivation level was still stalled, and his strength far from what would be expected of him. If the demonic sect was indeed planning an attack, he would need to find a way to regain his strength - and quickly.

  The journey was tense, every shadow and rustle of leaves setting their nerves on edge. But they reached the sect’s gates without further incident, the familiar sight of the towering peaks and mist-shrouded courtyards offering a small measure of comfort.

  Leaving his disciples to rest and recover from the ordeal, Han Wei went straight to Elder Guo’s residence - the elder in charge of the sect’s external affairs.

  Elder Guo was known for his jovial nature and booming laughter, but tonight, his usual exuberance was absent. He greeted Han Wei with a somber expression, his eyes narrowing as he took Han Wei’s unexpected presence and somber expression.

  “Elder Han,” Elder Guo said, his voice uncharacteristically serious. “As much as I would welcome you as a guest in my home - I suppose you are bringing some emergency to my door. What happened?”

  Han Wei wasted no time. As soon as they were seated within a privacy array he recounted the encounter in the forest, detailing the demonic cultivators’ strength, their confidence, and the items they had carried. He handed over the jade token, the damaged scroll, and the pouch of Soulforged Crystals, watching as Elder Guo’s expression grew darker with each revelation.

  Elder Guo examined the items carefully, his fingers tracing the symbols on the jade token. “This is bad,” he muttered. “Very bad. Demonic cultivators haven’t been this bold in centuries. And Soulforged Spirit Stones… these are highly rare, even in the demonic sects supposedly.

  “Whoever these cultivators are, they have powerful backing.”

  Han Wei nodded. “That’s what I feared, Elder Guo. They were confident - arrogant, even. They spoke as if the Silvermist Ravine Sect was already weak, as if they had nothing to fear from us.”

  Elder Guo sighed, running a hand through his beard. “The timing couldn’t be worse. The sect master has already stepped into closed-door cultivation. He won’t be reachable for months, possibly years. That leaves the rest of us to handle this mess.”

  Han Wei’s eyes widened. “The sect master is unavailable? That’s… not ideal.”

  “Understatement of the century,” Elder Guo said with a grim chuckle. “Without him, the burden of defending the sect falls to me and the other elders. And let’s just say we’re not exactly united in purpose at the moment.”

  Han Wei frowned. “Elder Mei said something similar. What is the conflict between you? What could prevent you from acting together to defend the sect?”

  Elder Guo’s expression darkened, clearly upset by the question. “I’m afraid I can’t say.” He sighed. “But I wonder if the sect master suspected the demonic sects were moving and that’s why he accepted you as a guest elder at this time. It did raise some eyebrows…

  “I’ll talk to Elder Zhang about this.” Elder Guo concluded. “As the elder of discipline he’ll be able to help ready the sect for any trouble. Don’t worry we will make sure that we are fully prepared for any incidents.”

  Han Wei’s unease grew. Elder Zhang had been consistently hostile to him in all the interactions he could remember. He didn’t know if there had been some conflict between them that he couldn’t remember or whether Elder Zhang simply feared that Han Wei was brought in to replace him as the elder of discipline.

  Han Wei could admit that a dharmic cultivator would be a practical choice for the position, even if it would not be one that he wanted.

  “Elder Guo,” Han Wei said carefully, “we need to be prepared. These demonic cultivators weren’t acting alone. They’re part of something bigger, and if they’re bold enough to attack us this close to the sect, it’s only a matter of time before they strike again.”

  Elder Guo nodded, though his expression was far from reassuring. “I’ll do what I can, Elder Han. I’ll call a meeting of the elders, try to get everyone on the same page. But… don’t expect miracles. The Silvermist Ravine Sect hasn’t faced a threat like this in generations. We’re not ready.”

  Han Wei clenched his fists, his mind racing. He couldn’t rely on the other elders, not when their loyalties were so divided. And now, with the sect master unavailable and the sect’s defenses in disarray, the timing couldn’t be worse.

  He would have to take matters into his own hands. He would have to prepare his disciples and strengthen his own cultivation as quickly as possible, that was given. But he would also have to reach out to the other elders to convince them of the sincerity of the threat. He could do nothing else.

  “Thank you, Elder Guo,” Han Wei said, bowing slightly. “I’ll do what I can on my end. If there’s anything else you need, let me know.”

  Elder Guo nodded, though his usual joviality was nowhere to be seen. “Be careful, Elder Han. These are dangerous times. Do not commit yourself too thoroughly to any one faction - I would hate to see such an asset forced out of the sect while a threat is at our door.”

  Han Wei left Elder Guo’s residence, his mind heavy with worry. The sect was vulnerable, its leadership fractured, and a storm was brewing on the horizon. He had survived the encounter in the forest, but he knew it was only the beginning. The real battle was yet to come.