Three months. Three months since the chaos began.

  It had been three months since Lin Feng was deployed with the Shadows to the eastern border. Three months of constant vigilance, brutal skirmishes, and mounting dread as the situation deteriorated faster than anyone had anticipated.

  The Eastern Shore outpost—once a quiet observation point overlooking the Demon Sea—had transformed into a fortified war camp. Tents sprawled across the once-pristine beach, formation flags hummed with protective energy, and cultivators moved with the practiced efficiency of soldiers who had seen too much combat in too little time.

  Lin Feng crouched at the edge of the Blighted Forest, his sword still dripping with viscous purple blood. The corpse of a Grade 4 Demon Hound lay at his feet, its fanged maw frozen in a final snarl. He cleaned his blade methodically with a cloth that was already stained beyond salvation, his eyes never leaving the treeline ahead.

  "That's the third one tonight," came a quiet voice beside him. Mei Xue materialized from the shadows, her black stealth robes making her nearly invisible in the pre-dawn darkness. As the only female member of the Shadows and Elder Mei's direct disciple, she commanded a quiet authority even among the elite group.

  Lin Feng nodded grimly. "Grade 4, just like the others. They're getting stronger."

  "And more coordinated," Mei Xue added, kneeling to examine the creature's remains. She pulled a small jade instrument from her sleeve and passed it over the hound's body. The device emitted a soft blue glow, recording energy signatures for later analysis. "This one was part of a hunting pack. They don't usually cross the barrier in organized groups."

  Lin Feng sheathed his sword and glanced back toward their camp a mile behind them. "The barrier is failing faster than the Patriarch estimated."

  "The Patriarch's estimates are rarely wrong," Mei Xue replied with a slight frown. "Which means..."

  "Something is helping them from our side," Lin Feng finished her thought. "Have your scouts found anything?"

  Mei Xue shook her head. "Nothing concrete, but Liu Chang reported unusual energy fluctuations near the Abares Mountain pass. He's maintaining surveillance."

  Lin Feng's brow furrowed in concern. "The mountains are too far inland. If demonic energy has already reached there..."

  "Then we're already surrounded," Mei Xue concluded grimly. "We should report back to the Commander."

  Lin Feng gave a final glance at the demon corpse before nodding. With practiced movements, he activated a minor fire talisman and set the remains ablaze. Standard protocol—demon bodies left intact too long could spawn lesser spirits even after death.

  As they moved through the forest with silent efficiency, Lin Feng's thoughts drifted to Lin Tian. The young master was still training in the Sacred Spirit Cave with Elder Jin, blissfully unaware of the growing crisis. Lin Feng had wanted to join him—to continue serving as his attendant—but the Patriarch had other plans.

  Three months earlier, Lin Feng had stood in the Lin Clan's grand hall, watching as preparations were made for Lin Tian's departure.

  "Sorry, Young Master," Lin Feng had said quietly. "I wish I could help, but the Patriarch clearly wished for me not to come or help."

  The Patriarch had overheard and turned to Lin Feng with a calm expression—none of the usual mockery he reserved for Lin Tian. "You know what you must do, no?"

  "Yes, Great Lord," Lin Feng replied with a bow, his tone serious. "Elder Mei already filled me in. Me and the rest of the 'Shadows' will start this evening."

  The Patriarch nodded once, then added in a voice only Lin Feng could hear, "The boy will need time to develop without distractions. Your duty now is to ensure he has a clan to return to."

  Lin Feng had bowed deeper, accepting the gravity of his assignment. The "Shadows" were the Lin Clan's covert operations unit—their very existence known only to the inner circle of clan leadership. Comprising seven elite cultivators at the Supreme Peak realm, they were deployed only in the most dire circumstances.

  As Lin Tian departed with Elder Jin, Lin Feng and six other black-robed figures slipped away in the opposite direction, heading toward the Eastern Shore where rumors of demonic activity had been growing for months.

  "Commander Zhou," Lin Feng greeted as he and Mei Xue entered the command tent.

  Commander Zhou Liang, a severe-faced man who had ascended to the Master realm through decades of border conflicts, looked up from the map spread across his table. Unlike most cultivators who focused on spiritual advancement through meditation and enlightenment, Zhou had forged his cultivation in battle, making him uniquely suited to lead this mission.

  "Report," he commanded simply.

  Lin Feng stepped forward. "Three Grade 4 Demon Hounds eliminated at the eastern perimeter. They were organized in a hunting formation, not random strays."

  Commander Zhou's frown deepened. "That's the twelfth coordinated attack this week. They're testing our defenses."

  "Sir," Mei Xue interjected, placing her jade instrument on the table. "I collected energy readings from all three specimens. The contamination levels are consistent with exposure to our realm for at least two weeks, not fresh crossovers."

  The Commander's head snapped up. "Two weeks? That's impossible. Our detection arrays would have..."

  "Unless they were suppressed," came a new voice from the entrance.

  All three turned to see Master realm cultivator Fang Wei enter the tent. Tall and imposing with a face weathered by countless battles, Fang Wei was the Patriarch's direct representative on this mission. His presence always brought a mixture of respect and unease—even to seasoned fighters like Commander Zhou.

  "Master Fang," Zhou acknowledged with a respectful bow. "You believe our arrays were compromised?"

  "Not compromised," Fang Wei corrected, approaching the map. "Bypassed. These aren't random incursions anymore. We're facing an organized infiltration." He pointed to several marked locations along the coast. "These attack patterns suggest intelligence—not just demonic instinct."

  Lin Feng stepped forward cautiously. "Master Fang, are you suggesting demonic cultivation?"

  The tent grew silent at the forbidden words. Demonic cultivation—the practice of harnessing demonic energy for power—was considered anathema throughout the cultivation world. Those who practiced it were hunted without mercy.

  Fang Wei's gaze was steel. "The Patriarch believes we may be dealing with a demonic faction within the Divine Templar Order."

  Commander Zhou inhaled sharply. "The Templars? They're supposed to be our allies against demonic threats."

  "Most are," Fang Wei acknowledged. "But the Patriarch has received intelligence about a growing movement within their ranks. The Divine Templar Order isn't a singular entity as many believe. Each deity and divine power maintains their own Order within the broader structure, united loosely under the Templar banner."

  Lin Feng's eyes widened slightly. "I'd heard rumors, but never confirmation."

  "Few outside the upper echelons of major clans know the truth," Fang Wei continued. "The Orders maintain an illusion of unity for political purposes, but in reality, they often pursue their own agendas.

  "But now we have received intelligence that a faction within their ranks believes they can harness demonic energy for 'righteous purposes.' They call themselves the Purified Flame."

  The "Purified Flame" draws members from multiple Orders—fanatics who believe cultivators are pests that tarnish the gods' images and corrupt the natural order."

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  "And they're using demons to eliminate us?" Mei Xue asked incredulously.

  Fang Wei nodded grimly. "They call it 'cleansing by fire.' They believe they can harness demonic energy for 'righteous purposes'—using the corruption to purge what they see as a greater corruption."

  Lin Feng felt a chill run down his spine despite his cultivation. If elements within the Divine Templar Order had turned against the cultivation world, the implications were staggering.

  "What are our orders?" Commander Zhou asked, his voice now grave.

  Fang Wei unrolled a new scroll onto the table. "Effective immediately, our mission parameters are expanded. We are to locate and neutralize any Purified Flame operatives within our territory while continuing to contain the demonic incursion."

  He turned to Lin Feng directly. "You and the other Shadows will focus on infiltration and intelligence gathering. The Patriarch specifically requested your involvement in this aspect of the mission."

  Lin Feng bowed. "I understand, Master Fang."

  "Good," Fang Wei nodded. "Because we have reason to believe the Purified Flame has established a base in the Abares Mountains—precisely where your teammate reported energy fluctuations."

  Mei Xue's eyes widened. "But the mountains are known for natural energy anomalies. How can we be certain—"

  "Because," Fang Wei interrupted, "three Divine Templar scouts were found dead near there last week, their bodies drained of spiritual energy and marked with signs of sacrificial ritual."

  The tent fell silent once more.

  Commander Zhou was the first to recover. "When do we move on the mountain base?"

  "We don't," Fang Wei replied. "Not yet. First, we need confirmation of their activities and intelligence on their strength. Rush in blindly, and we risk alerting their entire network."

  He turned to Lin Feng and Mei Xue. "You two will lead a small team to infiltrate the suspected base location. Observe only. Do not engage unless absolutely necessary."

  Lin Feng nodded, already mentally preparing for the mission. "When do we depart?"

  "Tonight," Fang Wei said gravely. "The longer we wait, the more demons they can summon through whatever breach they've created."

  As the meeting continued with tactical details, Lin Feng found his thoughts again drifting to Lin Tian, still training in isolation with Elder Jin. The young master had shown remarkable potential with his revolutionary cultivation theories, but he remained untested in true combat.

  Lin Feng silently hoped that by the time Lin Tian emerged from his training, this threat would be contained. But deep down, a growing sense of unease told him that the coming storm would engulf them all—trained or not.

  That night, Lin Feng led a team of four Shadows through the dense forest that bordered the Abares Mountains. Beside him moved Mei Xue, silent as a ghost. Behind them came Liu Chang, their best tracker, and Jun Wei, a formation specialist whose defensive arrays had saved their lives countless times over the past months.

  They traveled in absolute silence, their movements cloaked by concealment formations and their spiritual energy suppressed to near-mortal levels. Even the woodland creatures remained unaware of their passage.

  After four hours of steady progress, they reached the foothills of the Abares Mountains. Liu Chang raised his hand in a stopping gesture, then pointed toward a narrow canyon ahead.

  "Energy trails converge there," he whispered, barely audible even to cultivator hearing. "Fresh. Multiple sources."

  Lin Feng nodded and signaled for the team to spread out. They would approach from different angles, maximizing their observation points while minimizing the risk of detection.

  As they drew closer to the canyon, the air grew heavy with an oppressive energy that made Lin Feng's skin crawl. Not pure demonic energy—something worse. Corrupted spiritual energy, twisted and malformed.

  From his vantage point on a rocky outcropping, Lin Feng could see the canyon opening below. What he witnessed made his blood run cold.

  The canyon floor had been transformed into a massive formation array, its patterns etched into the stone with what appeared to be blood. At five key points stood robed figures, their Divine Templar insignias clearly visible even in the dim light of their ritual flames. Each wore differently colored sashes—marking them as members of different Orders. At the center of the array writhed a tear in reality itself—a small but expanding portal that pulsed with sickly purple energy.

  And emerging from that portal, clawing its way into their world, was no mere demon hound or lesser spirit. The creature's form was massive, humanoid but warped, with multiple arms ending in wicked claws and a head crowned with twisted horns.

  A Duke-grade demon, at minimum.

  Lin Feng had seen enough. This was far beyond their mission parameters. They needed to report back immediately and summon reinforcements—perhaps even request aid from neighboring sects. He signaled a retreat to his team, but as he began to back away from his observation point, a sudden flare of energy from below froze him in place.

  "Brothers and Sisters of the Purified Flame!" one of the robed figures called out, his voice carrying unnaturally in the night air. "The Hour of Cleansing approaches! With this Guardian's power, we shall purge the corruption of cultivators from our realm!"

  The gathered Templars raised their hands in unison, channeling energy into the array. The portal expanded further, allowing more of the monstrous demon to emerge.

  Lin Feng settled back into his hiding spot. This was too important to retreat now. They needed to learn as much as possible about these "Purified Flame" fanatics and their plans.

  As he watched, the lead Templar raised a familiar object that made Lin Feng's heart skip a beat—a jade talisman bearing the insignia of the Lin Clan.

  "With the secrets we've acquired from the Lin Clan's archives," the Templar announced, "and the knowledge stolen from the Celestial Dragon Sect, the Heavenly Sword Pavilion, and the Azure Sky Coalition, we can control even beings of this magnitude! The foolish cultivators hoard knowledge that could save our world!"

  Lin Feng's mind raced. Not just a breach in the Lin Clan's security, but multiple major sects compromised? This mission had just become far more complicated—and personal.

  Suddenly, the demon in the portal roared, a sound that shook the very mountains. Something had gone wrong with the ritual. The creature was fighting against the control mechanisms, its massive form struggling against the dimensional tear.

  "Hold the formation!" the lead Templar screamed as cracks began to appear in the array beneath them. "The binding is not complete!"

  Lin Feng knew they had only moments before chaos erupted. He signaled to his team: Prepare for emergency extraction.

  The demon let out another earth-shattering roar as one massive clawed hand fully breached the portal, slamming down onto the canyon floor. The impact shattered the blood-drawn array, sending the Templars flying in all directions.

  In the ensuing chaos, Lin Feng made a split-second decision.

  "Jun Wei, containment formation, now!" he ordered, abandoning stealth for immediate action. "Mei Xue, Liu Chang, target the Templars! Priority is the leader with the Lin Clan talisman!"

  As his team leapt into action, Lin Feng drew his sword and channeled his energy into the blade. It blazed with golden light as he descended toward the partially manifested demon. They couldn't allow a Duke-grade demon to fully enter their realm—the devastation would be catastrophic.

  The demon's multiple eyes fixed on Lin Feng as he approached, burning with ancient malice. One massive hand swung toward him with devastating speed.

  Lin Feng twisted in mid-air, barely avoiding the blow. He landed on the creature's forearm and ran up its limb, his sword leaving a trail of golden flames in its wake. If he could damage the demon before it fully materialized, they might force it back through the portal.

  Below, Jun Wei had already erected a hasty containment formation, working frantically to stabilize the collapsing portal. Mei Xue and Liu Chang engaged the scattered Templars, who had recovered enough to mount a defense.

  "Blasphemers!" the lead Templar screamed, seeing the Lin Clan emblem on Lin Feng's stealth robes. "You cultivators are the true corruption of this world! The gods demand your extinction!"

  Lin Feng didn't waste breath responding. He reached the demon's shoulder and plunged his sword into what appeared to be a vital point. The creature howled in pain, its partially manifested form shuddering.

  For a moment, Lin Feng thought they might succeed—but then the demon's form solidified further, another limb breaking through the portal. With a swift movement that belied its massive size, it seized Lin Feng in a crushing grip.

  Pain exploded through his body as the demon began to squeeze. Through dimming vision, Lin Feng saw Mei Xue locked in combat with the lead Templar, both of them moving so fast they appeared as mere blurs. To his horror, he saw Liu Chang fall, a blast of corrupted energy catching him in the chest.

  As the demon's grip tightened around him, Lin Feng felt his ribs beginning to crack under the immense pressure. His vision darkened at the edges as he struggled to maintain consciousness. The other Shadows were fully engaged with the Templars—no help would come from them.

  Lin Feng had avoided using IT thus far in the mission. As an attendant to Lin Tian, he had always remained in the background, observing, supporting—never drawing attention to himself. Even among the Shadows, few knew his true capabilities. His role was to watch, to assess, to judge—but never to be the center of attention.

  But now, with the Duke-grade demon partially breaching their realm and his comrade fallen, Lin Feng had no choice.

  He closed his eyes briefly, knowing what the cost would be. Manifesting an inner world into physical reality required immense spiritual energy—energy he would need for their escape. But there was no alternative.

  "World Declaration..." Lin Feng's voice grew in power as his eyes snapped open, blazing with blue light. "Observing Void!"

  The air around Lin Feng shattered like glass as reality itself bent to accommodate his manifesting inner world. The demon's grip faltered as waves of pure spiritual pressure washed over it.

  Above them, the night sky seemed to tear open, revealing not stars but countless eyes—hundreds upon hundreds of piercing gazes that focused downward with cold, impartial scrutiny.

  And then the world went dark.