Dejiu was sprawled in ichor-soaked dirt, trying to catch his breath. The poor air made it exceedingly difficult. It was incredibly hot out, to the point that he was already thirsty again after a few minutes since he drank putrid blood.

  The monotone voice of the Seekers Accord echoed inside, replacing a certain tactless daimon in his head.

  [You have slain an Impure Daimon: Ebon Hunger]

  “Don’t forget the Hell Shard, little monk.” Bing Xin said.

  “I-I need a moment.” He croaked and rose to his knees. “Ah, what can I do for some cold rice poultry with onions? Miss Bing Xin, do you have the power to make a bowl appear in my hands? ”

  “Hmph, fool. You can’t rest in Hell.” She said.

  “What do you mea–”

  Clack! Clack!

  ‘Huh? Clack?’ He thought, but too slow to register the sound’s source.

  Dejiu yelped away from the corpse beside him as he fell back. Scrambling back to his feet, he horrifically watched something begin pushing out the Ebon Hunger’s flesh. A gruesome sound of tearing flesh sounded from within and another monstrous daimon burst out.

  He blinked twice to make sure he was seeing things right. What in the Seven Hells is tha–

  Just as reality dawned on Dejiu, the small daimon whipped its head at him. Two jagged and chitinous blades, no, pincers lashed where he stood. Dejiu rolled. Although his reaction was a little late, at least he avoided being injured or killed. He’s trying his best here in the face of hellspawn.

  Bing Xin erupted in laughter as he struggled for his life. The daimon within the corpse was small. Like a slender worm with two blade-like pincers for teeth. His spade’s shaft blocked the attacks before bringing the spade end flat overhead and slamming down on the daimon’s outstretched limb. A heavy thud and a strong tremor in his hands told him that his attack worked.

  His hands felt a little numb from how heavy his hit was, but he didn’t complain. He succeeded in crippling it.

  “Die!” He cried before thwacking the overgrown parasite.

  [You have slain an Impure Daimon: Wretched Corpse Lurker]

  [You have received a Soulbound Remnant: Lurker’s Disguise]

  “Damn right it is wretched. Amitabha, at least I am too small for the thing to lurk inside my corpse. I wouldn’t wish anyone to find a human corpse hosting this thing.” He groaned and cursed. “Miss Bing Xin, I would’ve appreciated you telling me about its presence in advance.”

  “But I did? Now get to it — the Hell Shard!” She said excitedly.

  “No, I wanna see this soulbond remnant first.” He said, willing it into existence. He felt a small tug at his prana, another thing he realized as his control became progressively better. It wasn’t enough to shift the number in his Seekers Accord, but manifesting a soulbound remnant took smidges of prana. Was the prana going to his soul? Was manifesting it a technique per se?

  But before he could further ponder on the intricacies of his new remnant, what revealed itself made him pause. Dejiu stood in silence, broken only by his raspy exhausted breath. The fuck is this?

  [Soulbound Remnant: Lurker’s Spinnerets ]

  [Remnant Grade: Low Impure]

  [Remnant Type: Tool]

  [Stripped from a lurker shunned by all — this one, in particular, finds solace inside the bodies of larger beings. Once activated, it envelops the user in a damp, mucus-like cocoon, mimicking the aura of a larger predator to deceive lesser beings. Provides no actual defense and minimal practical use except as a last-ditch attempt to avoid attention. ]

  It looked like… a mouth. Yes, that sounds about right — a malformed mouth. It was wet and silky. It's kind of hairy even. The description itself sounded odd. Why would it even be capable of that weak attempt? He couldn’t imagine a predatory daimon that would turn away from a meal wrapped in a cocoon no matter how strong it felt.

  “Stop gripping that thing and get to the Hell Shards!”

  The unusual forced cheerfulness in her voice made his stomach twist. I’ll deal with this mouth later. He dispelled the remnant.

  Moments later, he claimed the two Hell Shards.

  [You have acquired a Hell Shard (Impure)]

  [You have acquired a Hell Shard (Impure)]

  “You know, I really prefer the Seekers Accord’s voice over yours.” Dejiu attempted a weak laugh. “It's magnanimous monotony and all that. You lack it.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  “...One day you’ll regret your words.” She said.

  “Right, right. Hey, back to my meal plan, I’m going to eat the Ebon Hunger rather than the worm-looking lurker—” He froze. “Huh. Is that what I think it is?”

  Beside the Wretched Corpse Lurker was some hellish undergrowth. Most importantly, his eyes caught the appearance of something he didn’t expect he’d find here in hell — a bush of peppers. “Well, life finds its way everywhere.” He whistled with a smile.

  “Hey can I eat this? It looks like a pepper.” Dejiu asked as he picked the overly red pepper from its stem. “Finally a side dish to foul daimon meat.”

  “You could… if you’d like to poison yourself. It’s weak, but your robust insides could likely wane off most of the effects. Perhaps your affinity helps too.”

  Dejiu narrowed his eyes and pocketed some peppers. “I’ll keep a few to test then. Probably throw them somewhere inside the Pillarshard to store too. They also might be worth money, right?”

  “Likely.”

  He grinned. His coffers were empty like any monk, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t at least try filling them. After learning a daimonic cultivation method, does something as small as accumulating wealth matter at this point? How else would he obtain Hell Shards on the surface?

  Dejiu turned around and grabbed the Ebon Hunger’s carcass by its limp leg. He dragged it behind on his return to the Pillarshard and tossed the few peppers into a corner for safekeeping.

  “ Cultivate before you eat. It’s as safe as safe Hell could be for a while. Repeat the Dark Flower cultivation method for a few cycles. I’ll tell you when to stop.”

  “Oh yeah? Like I can trust you after that show!” He retorted. But his words said one thing and his body said another — he was already seated in a lotus position. Hey, it's almost a habit now to listen to someone who could force him to die.

  …It's been five days down here in the Seventh Hell’s surface. That leaves him about time days to confront the guardian. But it’s hard to say if his confidence is rising. In these five days, he’s only been able to secure the smallest of perimeters around the Pillarshard — a measly fifty or so steps from the wandering daimons. It fluctuated constantly. One moment he’d overextend a little past that only for Bing Xin to warn him of a swarm of abominations too powerful for him to fight brushing sides with his so-called “territory” and he’d return to the Pillarshard’s shelter.

  The volcanic hills to the east.

  The deep chasm to the west.

  The jagged obsidian spires to the north.

  The molten marches to the south.

  Each direction promised death. Each boundary teemed with daimons, no matter how many he slew — and this number wasn’t low over the two five he survived out here. Hell, a wandering flock of injured Hollow Talons managed to push him into the Pillarshard again! Repeatedly! Speak about mortifying! Is this a bird's nest?

  But all this death and battle wasn’t without purpose. Dejiu grinned as he cultivated and visualized the first petal unfolding before the rest followed suit.

  [Prana Core: Mid Initiate]

  [Prana:49/49]

  He could almost laugh! Well, if he wanted to lose concentration and spit out blood of course. His prana quantity has grown immensely, but a shift came with his gains. A side effect of the Dark Flower cultivation method that couldn’t truly be called a side effect was the refining of prana.

  The hell element prana has outweighed his ice element — slowly refined to reflect his surroundings and cultivation method. Well, and obviously the main source that propelled him through the stage — Hell Shards.

  Hell. Ice. Blood. Death. All things swirling in a vicious storm within.

  His prana elements were… morbid to say the least.

  Well… I wouldn’t have grown this strong without doing so. Besides, killing daimons would show my virtue. Right?

  As he coped in silence, he cultivated. Drawing upon the prana-rich expanse, he felt it. The onset of a breakthrough. The cusp. He’s reached the critical amount before High Initiate. Fortunately he could actually feel it this time without the need of looking at his Seekers Accord. Can’t make a mistake like last time.

  “Miss Bing Xin? I’m ready.” He said from the winter phase of the Dark Flower cultivation method.

  “Good, good! This part is vital.” Bing Xin paused and let him gather himself before she continued.

  “Focus on condensing your prana as densely as possible. Like burying your mountain avens under a winter storm.” She guided him.

  He listened intently, drawing in the ambient prana. Pushing it all down to his eight-petalled aspen core, he visualized the mountain avens under layers of snow, their fragile forms enduring the storm. The prana swirled chaotically, volatile and sharp, resisting his will.

  "Denser," Bing Xin urged, her voice cutting through his concentration. "The storm must crush it entirely. Do not let it scatter. A flower buried too shallow will die before the thaw. Living beings compete, the weak are eliminated. You are not of the weak."

  Dejiu grit his teeth, his breath oddly fogged in the Seventh Hell’s infernal air. His meridians screamed with strain as he compressed the energy further. The visualization sharpened — snow falling harder, winds howling louder. Each petal of the aspen core shuddered, threatening to collapse under the force.

  "More! Make it unyielding!" Bing Xin’s tone was almost forceful rather than guiding.

  The pain was unbearable now, his very core feeling as though it would fracture. But then, a shift — the storm in his mind began to solidify. The petals no longer trembled. They gleamed, frost-laden but steadfast. The prana compressed into a tiny, radiant point at the core of the aspen, dense and unyielding.

  Unknown to Dejiu, the air stilled. A translucent white avens flower bud appeared above his head. Slowly it bloomed, and two petals unfurled as Dejiu continued his inward breakthrough. However, it stopped. Its already translucent appearance waned and faded.

  In his focused daze, he couldn’t smell the rich scent that radiated from this dispersed projection. He only caught a faint, but fleeting hint as he opened his eyes as a High Initiate.

  “Hoo.” He sighed with a small grin.

  [Congratulations, Seeker Xue Dejiu. This step on your Path is but a mere speck that will lead to all you seek.]

  [Your Blood Deepens.]

  [Prana Core: High Initiate]

  [Prana: 55/55]

  “Wait, what?” He blurted at the characters before him. “An extra 5 above 50!?”

  Attainment Levels !!

  Ordinary < Adept < Expert < Master < Grandmaster < Great Grandmaster < ???