Xu Tianming's mind swirled with questions as he followed Mo Yanluo through the quiet halls of the Demon Sect.
He had expected darkness.
Cruelty.
Monsters.
Instead, he found silence.
Order.
Peace.
No one attacked him. No one insulted him. No one treated him like a disposable tool.
It was nothing like what his master had described.
Finally, they arrived in a vast chamber.
A throne stood at its center.
And upon it sat Li Feng.
The Shadow Emperor.
His presence alone made the air feel heavier.
Xu Tianming hesitated, but forced himself to speak.
"Do you… want to kill us?" he asked cautiously.
Li Feng looked at him.
His expression did not change.
"No," he replied calmly.
Xu Tianming frowned.
"Then… why do our people try to kill you?"
For a moment, silence filled the hall.
Mo Yanluo stood nearby, watching quietly.
Li Feng's eyes darkened slightly.
"I will tell you a story," he said.
"This is my story."
Xu Tianming leaned forward.
Listening.
"I was once part of the Heavenly Sect," Li Feng began. "I held a position second only to the Holy Son. I had people I trusted. People I loved."
His voice grew colder.
"But they betrayed me."
Xu Tianming's breath caught.
"They feared my strength," Li Feng continued. "They feared what I could become. So they chose to destroy me before I could surpass them."
His fists tightened slightly.
"My family turned against me."
"My sect abandoned me."
"They took everything."
He paused.
"They even killed Mo Zhu's parents under the Heavenly Emperor's orders."
Xu Tianming's eyes widened.
"They called themselves righteous," Li Feng said quietly. "But their hearts were more cruel than any demon."
Silence fell again.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Li Feng looked directly at Xu Tianming.
"You must be careful," he said.
"Never reveal weakness to those who only value power."
Xu Tianming felt something shift inside his heart.
Everything he had believed suddenly felt incomplete.
Broken.
Before leaving, Li Feng stopped beside him.
"We will meet again," he said quietly.
And then he was gone.
That night—
Xu Tianming returned to his master's residence.
He acted normal.
Obedient.
Silent.
Waiting.
Later, as he passed near the inner chambers—
He heard voices.
He froze.
His master.
And another man.
"I killed his mother for one reason," his master said coldly.
"To take her Golden Pupils."
Xu Tianming's entire body went still.
His heart pounded violently.
His master continued.
"I raised this child only to harvest his Supreme Bone."
"It has not fully matured yet."
There was a pause.
"In two more years… I will take his Supreme Bone."
"And then kill him."
Silence.
Then the servant spoke respectfully.
"It is an honor to serve you, Master."
Xu Tianming's vision darkened.
His hands trembled.
Rage surged inside him like a storm.
This man—
This monster—
Had killed his mother.
Raised him like livestock.
Planned his death.
Xu Tianming wanted to burst into the room.
To kill him.
To destroy everything.
But he did not move.
He endured.
He waited.
Because now—
He knew the truth.
And he would survive.
No matter what.