The Path to Increasing Innate Dark Inner Spiritual Power

Long Xuanye's gaze paused briefly in the shadow beside the Bone Erosion Demon.

A Third-tier Shadow Demon, most skilled at concealment and assassination.

A standard formation of a Fourth-tier Captain leading Third-tier Members belonged to a Border Patrol Squad under Star Demon God Vasak, tasked specifically with exterminating human powerhouses.

Just as his thoughts raced, a familiar mechanical voice sounded in his mind.

[God-Tier Choice System activated—Fixed Mission Mode]

[Choice One: Escape with Saint Cai'er. Reward: 5,000 points]

[Choice Two: Wipe out the Demon Race Squad before you. Reward: 0.5 points of Innate Dark Inner Spiritual Power]

Long Xuanye paused, slightly taken aback.

Fixed Mission Mode?

And Innate Dark Inner Spiritual Power?

Could it be that killing demons would reliably trigger a choice, allowing him to obtain Innate Dark Spiritual Power?

His eyes lit up.

If so, accumulating Innate Dark Inner Spiritual Power might not be difficult!

After all, Long Xuanye's Light Spiritual Power had started at around seventy points, while his innate dark inner spiritual power had started at just [one].

Without a steady source, who knew how long it would take to accumulate enough?

However, Saint Cai'er, standing beside him, had just regained some light in her eyes. Now, that light was slowly fading.

She looked at the wooden post torn apart by the force of the claws, at the straw bedding they had just laid out, and at the Thatched Hut that had only just begun to feel a little like "home."

All the gentleness and serenity had vanished from her little face.

"How dare you... destroy the home Xuan Ye and I made..."

A gray-white light flashed in her eyes, replaced by an utterly still killing intent.

"Damn you!"

Before the words had even faded, Long Xuanye was already in motion!

Light Element burst beneath his feet, sending him shooting toward the Bone Erosion Demon at the head of the group like an arrow loosed from its bow!

"Looking for death!" The Bone Erosion Demon sneered, swinging its Bone Blade in a horizontal slash that brought with it a mournful rush of wind.

But Long Xuanye's figure twisted strangely in midair. Instantaneous Movement activated, and in the blink of an eye he appeared beside the Bone Erosion Demon!

At the same time, Saint Cai'er flashed forward.

She didn't charge at any of the enemies. She simply raised her right hand, and a phantom Gray Short Sword coalesced in her palm.

The Reincarnation Sacred Sword!

Cai'er could now wield some of the Sacred Sword's power!

Though it was nowhere near as strong as when she had faced the White-robed figure, it far surpassed ordinary extraordinary weapons.

"Pfft!"

A soft sound rang out. The Shadow Demon lurking in the darkness stiffened, a gray sword mark appearing across its neck as its life ended instantly.

A single strike, a killing blow!

The Rotting Mist Demon and the Sharp Claw Demon were stunned. Just as they were about to move, Long Xuanye slammed his fist into the Bone Erosion Demon's abdomen!

"Bang!"

The power of the Chaos Spirit Furnace erupted. The Bone Erosion Demon's hard body caved inward under the blow, and it flew backward!

Before it could hit the ground, Saint Cai'er appeared behind it like a ghost. The Reincarnation Sacred Sword silently pierced its back.

A Fourth-tier powerhouse had died without even knowing what had happened!

In a head-on fight, Long Xuanye could easily suppress it with his many mastered skills, but killing it would have been extremely difficult.

But the Reincarnation Sacred Sword's lethality—

Was far too high!

From the moment the Bone Erosion Demon was sent flying, its death had been inevitable!

The next moment,

Cai'er darted after the Rotting Mist Demon. Though they were both Third-tier fighters, the demon was beheaded by her in just a few exchanges!

The last one, the Dark Arrow Demon, had only just raised its Bone Bow when Long Xuanye rushed forward and drew the Short Blade at his waist.

Knight technique: Pure White Blade. Proficiency: Mastery Level.

Mastery meant years of training, day in and day out, honing the skill through countless repetitions!

With the system's support, its foundations were even more solid!

It was a level beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Whoosh!

The blade of light became a blur.

The Dark Arrow Demon had no time to react before the strike pierced its brow.

The battle ended in a matter of breaths.

[Choice complete. Reward received: 0.5 points of Innate Dark Inner Spiritual Power]

A pure, dark power appeared out of nowhere inside Long Xuanye and quickly flowed into his spiritual meridians.

He could clearly feel his innate inner spiritual power increase by a fraction, and his cultivation speed rise once more.

More importantly, the inheritance seal rooted deep in his bloodline loosened a little, too.

Long Xuanye nodded, his spirits lifting.

He had a feeling that once he accumulated ten points of Innate Dark Inner Spiritual Power, his Demon God Emperor bloodline might give rise to the first demonic ability of his own!

Long Xuanye felt the new dark power inside him and the loosening of his bloodline's shackles. His heart was full of excitement.

However, the joy didn't last long.

He turned around and saw Saint Cai'er standing motionless, dazed.

Her gaze wasn't on the demons' corpses. She was staring fixedly at the wooden post torn apart by the force of the claws, at the dry grass scattered across the ground, at the Thatched Hut that had just begun to feel a little like "home" but had been reduced to a mess in an instant.

The eyes that had just been filled with a still, murderous intent were now slowly clouding with tears.

Crystal-clear tears slid down her pale cheeks and fell into the dust.

The smile froze on Long Xuanye's face.

He suddenly realized that no matter how strong Saint Cai'er seemed, or how well she looked after others, she was still just a child.

A child who had suffered too much and seen too much cruelty—who might even have learned to be so strong because she was tired of crying.

Today, just as she had found the faintest sense of belonging, that fragile warmth had been torn away without mercy.

It had undoubtedly carved another wound into an old scar.

Long Xuanye's heart tightened. He stepped forward and reached out, wanting to pull the trembling girl into his arms.

Just as his hand was about to touch her shoulder, he heard her suppressed, tearful murmur.

Saint Cai'er's body trembled uncontrollably. Her tears poured down, yet in a voice only she could hear, she stubbornly repeated,

"I can't cry... I'm Xuan Ye's mother. I have to take good care of him... I can't cry..."

Long Xuanye's outstretched hand froze in midair.

His body trembled slightly.

The words on the tip of his tongue were swallowed back down.

A sour yet warm feeling welled up inside him, tightening his throat.

He looked at the battered "home," then at the girl before him, who wanted to cry but was forcing herself not to.

Long Xuanye slowly lowered his hand and clenched it into a fist.

He didn't say anything to comfort her. He simply walked to one side, picked up a few pieces of broken wood from the fight, and drew the Short Blade at his waist.

The blade flashed; wood chips flew.

Before long, a pile of evenly cut, neatly split firewood sat in the corner.

Saint Cai'er was roused by his movements. She hastily wiped her tears and sniffed, then quietly went over and crouched beside him, helping him stack the firewood one piece at a time.