Kaelan spent the following days immersed in the River Intent.
Within his perception, the endless river flowed across heaven and earth.
Its waters never stopped.
Its current never ceased.
Again and again, Kaelan observed it.
At first, he focused on the river’s adaptability.
A river did not fight mountains.
When faced with an obstacle, it simply flowed around it.
A river did not stop because its path was blocked.
It changed course and continued forward.
No matter how many barriers stood before it, the river always found a way to the sea.
The insight resonated deeply with Kaelan.
Throughout his life as a Void Monster, his path had always been straightforward.
Devour.
Destroy.
Advance.
When faced with obstacles, he shattered them.
When faced with enemies, he consumed them.
The River Intent revealed an entirely different philosophy.
Persistence.
Adaptability.
Patience.
Not every obstacle needed to be broken.
Not every enemy needed to be destroyed.
Sometimes the wiser choice was to yield temporarily.
To flow around danger.
To wait for the right opportunity.
And continue moving forward.
The realisation gradually settled within his mind.
Day after day, he observed the river.
Its flexibility.
Its resilience.
Its refusal to stop.
By the fourth day, a subtle transformation occurred.
The river within his consciousness suddenly became clearer.
The flowing water felt closer than before.
More familiar.
More tangible.
A faint blue light appeared within his Soul Space.
Kaelan slowly opened his eyes.
The underground cavern returned to focus.
The pool.
The obelisk.
The surrounding cultivators.
Everything became clear once more.
A trace of understanding appeared in his gaze.
He had touched the threshold of River Intent.
Not mastery.
Not even true comprehension.
Merely the first step.
Yet it was enough.
From this moment onward, he could incorporate River Intent into his spells.
Even a trace of Intent would significantly enhance their power.
Especially techniques related to water.
Unfortunately, his current spell collection possessed little synergy with the Intent he had acquired.
Energy Bullet.
Energy Missile.
Shadow Demon Body.
None had any direct water connection.
Kaelan quietly considered the problem.
“I could create a Water Bullet Spell.”
The thought immediately revealed several possibilities.
Water possessed far greater flexibility than compressed Demon Energy.
Combined with River Intent, the spell could become far more versatile.
More importantly, River Intent would provide a foundation for future evolution.
However, Kaelan quickly dismissed the idea.
Now was not the time.
Creating a new spell required experimentation.
Testing.
Modification.
His week inside the cavern was too valuable to waste.
The first step of River Intent was merely the beginning.
According to his inherited Void Monster memories, Intent comprehension contained nine stages.
He had only taken the first step.
Eight more remained.
True mastery was still far away.
Kaelan looked toward the obelisk.
Three days remained.
Could he reach the second step?
Perhaps.
Could he reach the third?
Almost certainly not.
The deeper one’s comprehension became, the more difficult each advancement grew.
The first step represented recognition.
The second represented understanding.
The third represented integration.
Beyond that, the difficulty increased dramatically.
Three days was simply too short.
In truth, Kaelan considered it unlikely that he would even reach the second stage.
Yet he felt no disappointment.
Comprehension could not be forced.
Every moment spent studying the river strengthened his foundation.
Even if he gained no further breakthroughs, the insights would remain.
The understanding would remain.
The foundation would remain.
One day, those accumulated insights might allow him to cross the next threshold naturally.
With that thought, Kaelan closed his eyes once more.
His Spiritual Perception extended toward the obelisk.
The cavern gradually disappeared.
The pool faded away.
The monument vanished.
Once again, only the endless river remained.
Ancient.
Patient.
Unstoppable.
And Kaelan continued observing.
Learning.
Comprehending.
Preparing for the day he would take the next step along the path of River Intent.
Meanwhile, Lany Whiteleaf walked through the streets of Moonflow City.
The timidity she displayed before Kaelan had vanished completely.
As she entered the slums, confidence replaced her usual gentle demeanour.
She wrinkled her nose at the foul smell lingering in the narrow streets.
The slums were one of the few places in Moonflow City where violence remained common despite the protection of the Sky Tree Demon King.
Criminals.
Fugitives.
Outcasts.
Countless dangerous figures hid within the maze of alleys.
To discourage trouble, Lany released a portion of her aura.
The pressure of a High-Level Demon spread through the darkness.
Several figures lurking nearby immediately withdrew.
Shadows retreated deeper into the slums.
No one wanted to provoke a powerful demon over something so trivial.
Without sparing them a glance, Lany continued deeper into the district.
Eventually, she entered a narrow alley and stopped before a weathered wooden door.
The rhythmic sound of metal striking metal echoed from inside.
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
Lany knocked.
A hoarse voice answered.
“Come in.”
She pushed open the door.
A wave of heat washed over her.
The room was a smithy.
Furnaces glowed brightly.
Tools covered the walls.
At the centre stood a burly rabbit demon.
His broad back faced the entrance as he hammered a glowing piece of metal upon an anvil.
One arm was entirely mechanical.
So was half his face.
Lany’s eyes softened.
“Father.”
The hammer froze mid-swing.
“Our chance for revenge has finally come.”
The mechanical hand stopped moving.
Slowly, the rabbit demon turned around.
A familiar pain stirred within Lany’s chest.
Even after all these years, seeing her father’s injuries still hurt.
The scars had never faded.
Neither had the memories.
“Lucas will be leaving Moonflow City soon,” she said.
A dangerous glint appeared in her eyes.
“He intends to capture a Crow Demon.”
Her father remained silent.
Yet she saw the interest in his gaze.
Memories surfaced.
A peaceful village.
A happy family.
Then Lucas arrived.
The village burned.
Most of its inhabitants died.
Only she and her father escaped.
Lany survived unharmed.
Her father did not.
He lost an arm.
Half his face was torn away.
Later, he survived only by joining the Divine Puppet Sect and replacing his injuries with mechanical components.
Yet neither of them had forgotten.
Nor forgiven.
That was why Lany joined the Moon Wolf Store.
Not for wealth.
Not for status.
But to get close to Lucas.
To wait.
To endure.
To seize the opportunity when it finally appeared.
And now, after fifty years, it had arrived.
Her father’s rough voice interrupted her thoughts.
“What is the Crow Demon’s cultivation?”
“Demon General.”
Disappointment immediately appeared in his eyes.
Lany quickly continued.
“Father, he isn’t an ordinary Demon General.”
“He defeated the Three Eagle Brothers of the Karlis Mountains by himself.”
Her father’s eyes narrowed.
Lany pressed on.
“If he can seriously injure Lucas, you’ll finally have the chance to kill him.”
Silence returned.
The rabbit demon slowly turned back toward the anvil.
Then the hammer descended once more.
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
The rhythm remained steady.
To anyone else, it might have seemed meaningless.
Lany smiled faintly.
She understood.
Her father had agreed.
The desire for revenge had never faded.
Not after fifty years.
Not after a hundred.
Perhaps not even after death.
Far away, beneath Moonflow Mountain, Kaelan remained immersed in the River Intent.
The endless river flowed through his consciousness.
Its waters stretched beyond the horizon.
Ancient.
Boundless.
Eternal.
Then a voice suddenly echoed through his mind.
“Time is up.”
The voice belonged to the Illusion Vine Lord.
A moment later, the river vanished.
The illusion shattered.
Kaelan opened his eyes.
The cavern returned.
The blue pool.
The towering obelisk.
The surrounding cultivators.
Everything came back into focus.
Groans immediately sounded throughout the cavern.
Many demons wore expressions of disappointment.
Others appeared mentally exhausted.
A few looked delighted, having gained valuable insights during their week of comprehension.
Kaelan remained calm.
His harvest had been considerable.
Although he had only reached the first stage of River Intent, the foundation he gained would benefit him for years to come.
He rose from the stone spike and quietly departed with the others.
Several hours later, he returned to his room at the inn.
After closing the door, he settled onto the perch beside the window.
Moonflow City’s lights glittered beneath the night sky.
Only a few minutes passed before a knock sounded at the door.
Kaelan already knew who it was.
“Enter.”
The door opened.
Denver stepped inside first.
Francis followed behind him.
Both immediately bowed.
“Senior.”
Kaelan looked at the two demons.
“I’ll be leaving Moonflow City tomorrow.”
Denver and Francis exchanged glances.
Both immediately understood what that meant.
The time for a decision had finally arrived.
“Senior, will you be going with us?” Denver asked eagerly.
Kaelan nodded.
“I will.”
Both demons’ eyes lit up immediately.
Denver’s face broke into a wide smile.
“Senior, you won’t regret helping us.”
Francis nodded enthusiastically.
“My grandfather will be ecstatic to meet you, Senior.”
Kaelan looked at Denver first.
“I have not agreed to help your clan.”
Denver’s smile froze.
Kaelan continued calmly.
“I will meet your clan leaders first.”
“After that, I will decide whether your proposal is worth my time.”
Then he turned toward Francis.
“The same applies to your grandfather.”
Francis immediately nodded.
“Of course, Senior.”
Neither felt disappointed.
The fact that Kaelan was willing to meet their leaders at all was already a success.
Kaelan stepped off the perch and walked toward the door.
As he passed through the room, the shadow beneath his feet suddenly stretched across the floor.
The darkness climbed the wooden door.
Then, with a soft click, it pulled the door shut behind him.
Neither his beak nor his wings touched it.
Denver and Francis stared at the moving shadow.
Even now, neither fully understood the extent of Kaelan’s abilities.
Francis recovered first.
“Senior, are you going somewhere?”
Kaelan did not bother hiding it.
“I want to buy some spells.”
Denver blinked.
“Spells?”
Kaelan nodded.
The River Intent he had comprehended opened several new possibilities.
He could certainly create water-based spells himself.
Given enough time, experimentation, and testing, he would eventually succeed.
However, reinventing existing knowledge was rarely efficient.
If suitable spells already existed, purchasing them would save considerable effort.
More importantly, he wanted something else.
Shadow spells.
The Shadow Demon Body had become the foundation of his cultivation.
The more he understood Shadow Energy, the stronger that foundation would become.
And perhaps…
His gaze briefly drifted toward the shadows stretching between the buildings.
…perhaps they would eventually guide him toward Shadow Intent.
River Intent had shown him the value of comprehension.
If he could comprehend Shadow Intent as well, his strength would increase dramatically.
With that thought, Kaelan walked toward the stairway.
Denver and Francis quickly followed behind him.
The three descended into the bustling streets of Moonflow City.
Night had fallen.
Yet the city remained alive with activity.
Countless lanterns illuminated the roads.
Merchants continued advertising their wares.
Demons moved between markets, taverns, and restaurants.
Above them, the immense branches of the Sky Tree Demon King spread across the city like a second canopy.
Meanwhile, Kaelan’s thoughts were already focused on the spell markets.
Water spells.
Shadow spells.
And the knowledge hidden within them.