Kaelan’s Spirit descended upon the three eagle demons.
The brothers were caught completely off guard.
Unlike Spiritualists, demons did not cultivate Spirit directly.
Demon cultivation began with the body.
The body produced vitality.
Vitality merged with Spiritual Energy to form Demon Energy.
As Essence and Energy improved, Spirit received feedback from both and gradually strengthened.
Spirit was a byproduct of cultivation rather than its foundation.
As a result, most demons possessed souls that lagged behind their cultivation.
The three eagle brothers were no exception.
Although they had reached the Demon General Realm, their Spirits had not even entered Tier One.
Compared to Kaelan’s Tier Two Spirit, the difference was overwhelming.
Their mental defences collapsed instantly.
Kaelan’s Spirit smashed through them and entered their Soul Spaces.
One after another.
Memories flooded into his mind.
Childhood.
Cultivation.
Battles.
Techniques.
Relationships.
Secrets.
Nothing remained hidden.
The eagle brothers struggled desperately.
Their consciousness resisted with all its strength.
But the gap was simply too great.
Kaelan’s soul search was neither gentle nor refined.
It was brutal.
Direct.
Merciless.
Memories were torn from their souls by force.
Their consciousness shattered under the strain.
One by one, the brothers’ eyes rolled backwards.
Their bodies went limp.
Then they fell from the sky.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Three bodies crashed into the snow below.
Kaelan folded his wings and descended after them.
The cold mountain wind swept across the battlefield.
The avalanche had long since settled.
Only shattered trees and broken stone remained as evidence of the battle.
Landing beside the unconscious demons, Kaelan extended his Shadow Hands.
Darkness flowed from beneath his wings.
Three shadowy hands emerged and began searching the brothers.
Weapons.
Storage pouches.
Pills.
Cultivation resources.
Everything was collected.
Several minutes later, Kaelan frowned slightly.
There was no Spirit Dew.
Not a single vial.
Instead, he found dozens of golden pills engraved with orchid patterns.
The memories he had just acquired immediately supplied the answer.
Golden Orchid Pills.
A special cultivation resource.
Unlike Spirit Dew, which required crystal containers, Golden Orchid Pills could be carried conveniently.
There was no risk of containers breaking and wasting Spiritual Energy.
In terms of practicality, they were superior to Spirit Dew.
Unfortunately, they were far more difficult to refine.
That was why Spirit Dew remained the standard currency.
A vial of Spirit Dew and a Golden Orchid Pill contained roughly the same grade of Spiritual Energy.
However, three Low-Quality Spirit Dew Vials were generally considered equivalent to one Low-Quality Golden Orchid Pill.
The reason the brothers carried so many was simple.
The middle brother, Blaze, was an alchemist capable of refining them.
Kaelan stored the pills away.
Then his attention shifted toward a bronze token.
The moment he examined it, information surfaced from Blaze’s memories.
An Obelisk Token.
A cultivation treasure.
Moonflow City possessed an ancient obelisk left behind by the Night Dynasty.
Through this token, cultivators could enter the obelisk and comprehend Intent.
The particular obelisk within Moonflow City contained the River Intent of the Water Law.
Kaelan’s eyes narrowed.
Compared to pills and Spirit Dew, the token interested him far more.
Resources could always be acquired later.
Knowledge was different.
Knowledge often determined future growth.
Just as he stored the token away, two powerful presences descended from the sky.
Kaelan looked up.
A large metallic-feathered crow landed nearby.
Francis.
Denver jumped from the crow’s back.
Both immediately lowered their heads.
“Senior,” they said respectfully.
Kaelan studied them silently.
A thought surfaced in his mind.
Did they know each other?
Was it merely coincidence that they had arrived together?
Or had they been searching for him together?
His eyes narrowed.
“Are you two following me?”
Denver and Francis exchanged glances.
After a brief hesitation, Denver stepped forward.
“Sorry, Senior.”
“I came to ask for your help.”
Kaelan tilted his head slightly.
He had noticed something interesting.
Denver had said I.
Not we.
His gaze shifted toward Francis.
“Did you simply tag along?”
“Or did you also come for a reason?”
Francis immediately lowered his head.
“My grandfather wishes to meet you, Senior.”
“Grandfather?” Kaelan asked.
“The Iron Wings Demon Lord,” Francis replied.
“He sent me to invite you.”
Kaelan remained silent.
The conversation continued.
Gradually, the full situation became clear.
The Silver Fox Clan, the Blue Feather Sparrow Clan, and the River Hound Clan wanted him to accompany them into the ancient ruin near the Danube River.
Their goal was simple.
Protection.
Protection against the Blue Flame Demon Lord.
Protection against the Mysterious-Realm experts of the Silver Blade Kingdom.
Meanwhile, Francis carried a completely different request.
The Iron Wings Demon Lord was dying.
Once he died, the Iron Crow Clan would immediately face attacks from its enemies.
The old Demon Lord wanted Kaelan to become the clan’s Great Elder and protect the Iron Crow Clan after his death.
Several days earlier, Kaelan would have rejected both proposals immediately.
He disliked responsibility.
He disliked entanglements.
Most importantly, he preferred cultivating alone.
Yet things were different now.
Resources mattered.
Cultivation required resources.
Knowledge required resources.
Even the Shadow Demon Hand had required resources.
For the first time, Kaelan seriously considered the value of influence and alliances.
At the same time, another memory surfaced.
The Moon Wolf Store.
The three eagle brothers had been hired by its owner.
The Wolf Demon had attempted to capture him and force him to refine Flesh and Blood Pills.
A cold light flashed through Kaelan’s eyes.
He would never sell another Flesh and Blood Pill to that store again.
Whether the Wolf Demon lived or died would depend entirely upon his mood.
Still, Kaelan gave neither Denver nor Francis an answer.
Not yet.
Instead, he returned with them to Moonflow City.
After entering the city, the three separated.
Denver returned to his clan’s temporary residence.
Francis departed to report back to the Iron Wings Demon Lord.
Meanwhile, Kaelan returned to the inn.
After entering his room, he leapt onto the perch beside the floor-to-ceiling window.
Moonflow City stretched before him.
Countless lights illuminated the streets below.
Demons moved through the night markets.
Merchants continued trading.
The city remained lively despite the late hour.
Kaelan perched silently above it all.
One claw gripped the wooden perch.
His gaze remained fixed on the city below.
For the first time since arriving in this world, he found himself contemplating something beyond cultivation.
Power.
Resources.
Influence.
Knowledge.
They were all connected.
The question was no longer whether he wanted to become involved.
The question was which opportunity offered the greatest benefits.
And whether either was worth the risk.
There was another problem.
Even if Kaelan agreed to help them, he would eventually have to confront a Demon Lord and a human Mysterious-Realm cultivator.
That was merely the minimum.
He had no idea how many other experts might become involved once the ruin opened.
A ruin capable of attracting Demon Lords and Mysterious-Realm cultivators was unlikely to remain a simple affair.
Kaelan slowly tapped a claw against the perch.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Against Demon Generals, his advantages were overwhelming.
His Tier Two Spirit alone allowed him to dominate most opponents.
Few Demon Generals possessed Spirits that had reached Tier One.
However, Demon Lords were different.
The demon cultivation path did not end with the formation of a Demon Seed.
The Demon General Realm itself contained several stages.
The first stage involved nurturing the Demon Seed with Spiritual Energy while continuously tempering it with the power of its chosen attribute.
Fire.
Water.
Wind.
Shadow.
Whatever path the demon had selected.
Over time, the energy-based seed gradually transformed into a true material existence.
A real seed.
Not merely condensed energy.
When the Demon Seed fully materialised, the demon gained perfect control over their body.
Every muscle.
Every organ.
Every strand of Demon Energy.
Nothing escaped their awareness.
More importantly, they became capable of perceiving their Soul Space.
Only then could Spirit directly participate in cultivation.
The demon would guide Spirit into the body and use it to refine the Demon Seed further.
Most demons never advanced beyond that point.
The ancient curse blocked their path.
The curse damaged Spirituality itself.
Without sufficient Spirit, the final refinement became almost impossible.
There were only two reliable solutions.
Consume humans.
Or comprehend the Laws of the world.
Most powerful demons used both methods simultaneously.
Only after accumulating enough Spirituality could the Demon Seed be transferred into the Soul Space.
That step marked the beginning of advancement into the Demon Lord Realm.
The breakthrough strengthened the Spirit dramatically.
A true qualitative transformation.
As these thoughts circulated through his mind, Kaelan’s eyes narrowed slightly.
His Spirit might dominate Demon Generals.
Against Demon Lords, that advantage could no longer be guaranteed.
Even if his Spirit remained stronger, the difference would not be sufficient to decide victory instantly.
The Blue Flame Demon Lord had ruled his territory for centuries.
Underestimating such an opponent would be foolish.
Kaelan looked toward the bronze token resting beside him.
The Obelisk Token.
Immediately, another thought surfaced.
His current cultivation path was clear.
He had two methods of increasing his strength.
The first was comprehending the River Intent contained within the Moonflow Obelisk.
The second was continuing to develop the Shadow Demon Hand Spell.
A faint smile appeared beneath his beak.
Shadow Demon Hand.
The name no longer suited it.
The original spell merely attached a shadow hand to the user’s body.
His version was completely different.
He had fused his entire shadow with himself.
Every part of his body was connected to it.
The shadow strengthened his claws.
Strengthened his feathers.
Strengthened his wings.
Even his cultivation was affected.
Calling it Shadow Demon Hand was no longer accurate.
Shadow Demon Body.
That name suited it far better.
Kaelan considered both options carefully.
The Shadow Demon Body could certainly become stronger.
Yet improvement would require time.
A great deal of time.
The Obelisk, on the other hand, represented an immediate opportunity.
Comprehending Intent would not directly increase his cultivation.
But it would deepen his understanding.
And understanding often produced the greatest leaps in strength.
After several minutes of consideration, Kaelan reached a decision.
Tomorrow, he would visit the obelisk.
Tomorrow, he would comprehend the River Intent.
As for tonight—
Practice.
His gaze shifted toward the darkness beneath his perch.
The shadow slowly spread outward.
Like liquid darkness, it flowed across the floor.
Kaelan closed his eyes.
His Spirit entered the shadow.
The darkness immediately responded.
It climbed the walls.
Spread across the ceiling.
Soon, the entire room was covered by a thin layer of living shadow.
Then the shadows began moving.
Forming claws.
Spears.
Blades.
Wings.
One shape after another emerged before collapsing and reforming.
Kaelan quietly experimented.
Refined.
Improved.
Outside, Moonflow City gradually fell silent.
Merchants closed their shops.
The crowds thinned.
Moonlight bathed the city in silver radiance.
Inside the room, however, darkness continued dancing beneath Kaelan’s control.
The Shadow Demon Body had only just begun revealing its true potential.