The wind howled across Spirit Cliff.
Zhao Feng's sneer faded.
"That pressure… You broke through?"
Lin Kai didn't answer.
Inside his dantian, the black vortex rotated slowly.
Calm.
Patient.
Hungry.
Zhao Feng gritted his teeth. "So what if you reached Stage 5? I'm Stage 6. Trash is still trash!"
He lunged forward, palm glowing with pale blue Qi.
Flowing River Palm!
The air rippled as the strike came crashing toward Lin Kai's chest.
Three months ago—
Lin Kai wouldn't even see it clearly.
Now?
He saw everything.
The flow of Qi through Zhao Feng's arm.
The imbalance in his stance.
The energy leaking from his meridians with each step.
And most importantly—
He could feel it.
Feel it like heat before a flame.
Instinct moved him.
Lin Kai raised his hand.
Not to block.
But to grab.
Their palms collided.
A shockwave exploded outward.
Zhao Feng smirked—until his expression froze.
His Qi…
Was being pulled.
"What—?!"
Lin Kai's fingers tightened around Zhao Feng's wrist.
The vortex inside him roared to life.
A thin stream of blue Qi flowed from Zhao Feng's arm into Lin Kai's body.
It burned.
It hurt.
But it was intoxicating.
Zhao Feng's face turned pale.
"You're stealing my Qi?!"
Panic surged in his eyes.
He tried to pull back—but Lin Kai's grip felt like iron.
The vortex devoured greedily.
Stage 5 peak…
Half-step Stage 6…
Lin Kai's aura began rising again.
Zhao Feng screamed and kicked forward, striking Lin Kai's ribs.
Pain exploded through his side.
His concentration wavered.
The Qi stream broke.
Zhao Feng stumbled back, clutching his arm, breathing heavily.
His aura had weakened noticeably.
"You… demon!"
Lin Kai stood still.
His chest rose and fell slowly.
He had only absorbed a fraction—
But it was enough.
Enough to understand.
Enough to know.
This power… was terrifying.
And addictive.
The vortex pulsed again.
It wanted more.
Not herbs.
Not air.
Him.
Zhao Feng.
Anyone.
Lin Kai's vision darkened slightly.
For a split second—
He imagined draining Zhao Feng completely.
Imagined the surge of power.
Imagined stepping into Stage 6 instantly.
His foot moved forward unconsciously.
Zhao Feng staggered back in fear.
"Stay away!"
That voice—
Fear.
The same fear Lin Kai had felt for years.
Something inside him snapped awake.
He stopped.
The vortex trembled in dissatisfaction.
"Not today," Lin Kai muttered under his breath.
Before Zhao Feng could react—
A powerful aura descended from above.
"Enough!"
An Elder in white robes landed between them.
His eyes were sharp as blades.
"What is the meaning of this?"
Zhao Feng immediately knelt.
"Elder Xu! Lin Kai used a forbidden technique! He stole my Qi!"
The Elder's gaze shifted to Lin Kai.
For a moment—
Silence.
Then his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Qi Refining Stage 6…?"
Zhao Feng froze.
"What?!"
Lin Kai blinked.
Stage 6?
He checked inward.
The absorbed Qi had stabilized.
Without realizing it—
He had broken through.
In a single night.
Elder Xu's gaze deepened.
"Strange… I sense no orthodox circulation method."
Lin Kai bowed calmly.
"We were sparring. He overextended his technique."
Zhao Feng shouted, "He's lying!"
Elder Xu raised a hand.
"Enough."
His sharp eyes lingered on Lin Kai's chest for a brief second—as if sensing something deeper.
But whatever he searched for—
He did not find.
"Both of you will report to the Discipline Hall tomorrow. If I discover forbidden arts were used…"
His aura pressed down slightly.
"…the punishment will be severe."
With that, he rose into the sky and vanished.
The cliff fell silent.
Zhao Feng glared at Lin Kai with hatred.
"This isn't over."
He fled down the mountain.
Lin Kai remained standing alone.
The storm had fully disappeared.
Moonlight returned.
He closed his eyes and examined the black vortex.
It spun quietly.
But now he understood.
It was not just power.
It was hunger.
And hunger grows.
The ancient voice echoed once more.
"Mercy is weakness."
"Next time… finish the meal."
Lin Kai opened his eyes slowly.
The path ahead of him was no longer that of a normal cultivator.
If word spread…
If the sect discovered the truth…
He would be hunted.
Yet—
For the first time in his life—
He had a choice.
Be crushed.
Or devour.
Under the moonlight, Lin Kai made his decision.
"I will rise," he whispered.
"Even if I must consume the heavens themselves."