Kaelan began searching through the man's soul.
He knew exactly what the consequences would be.
Once the process was complete, the man would become an idiot.
His soul would remain intact, but the memories that defined his identity would vanish forever.
A trace of discomfort surfaced within Kaelan.
In his previous life, he had been human.
Because of that, he still retained a measure of compassion toward humanity.
However, he refused to let such feelings influence his decisions.
Compassion was one matter.
Survival was another.
If he chose not to search the man's soul, he would need days to learn the local language.
Afterward, he would have to gather information through observation and conversation.
The process would consume valuable time and create unnecessary risks.
By sacrificing a single man, he could obtain everything he needed in moments.
The choice had been obvious.
As memories flowed into his mind, Kaelan immediately began sorting them.
Countless scenes flashed before his eyes.
Childhood memories.
Faces of family members.
Personal desires.
Regrets.
Pleasures.
Fears.
He discarded them all without hesitation.
Only four categories remained.
Language.
Geography.
History.
Transcendent cultivation.
Naturally, his attention focused first on cultivation.
The information rapidly organized itself within his mind.
The human race possessed two known paths toward transcendence.
The first path belonged to the overwhelming majority of humanity.
The Warrior Path.
The second belonged to a select minority.
The Spiritualist Path.
The requirements for becoming a warrior were simple.
A healthy body was sufficient.
No special talent or qualification was required.
The Spiritualist Path was different.
According to the man's memories, only individuals possessing a special qualification could become Spiritualists.
The exact requirement remained unknown.
Most people believed that only those blessed by the gods possessed the necessary talent.
Kaelan quickly set that information aside.
The man himself had been a warrior.
Although he was merely a Second-Rate Warrior, that was more than enough.
With a complete cultivation system as a foundation, Kaelan could deduce higher realms himself.
The Warrior Path began with the practice of fighting techniques.
Anyone who achieved proficiency in a Low-Level Fighting Technique became a Third-Rate Warrior.
Anyone who achieved proficiency in an Intermediate-Level Fighting Technique, or true mastery of a Low-Level Fighting Technique, became a Second-Rate Warrior.
The man belonged to this realm.
He had reached proficiency in an Intermediate-Level Fighting Technique.
True mastery of even a Low-Level Fighting Technique was considered extremely difficult.
To become a First-Rate Warrior, one had to either achieve proficiency in a High-Level Fighting Technique or complete mastery of an Intermediate-Level Fighting Technique.
Beyond that point, the man's knowledge became vague.
His status had been too low to access information regarding higher realms.
What interested Kaelan even more was what the man did not know.
There were no breathing techniques within his memories.
No methods for absorbing energy.
No circulation techniques.
No dantians.
No cultivation manuals.
Either such methods did not exist, or they were inaccessible to someone of the man's status.
Considering that the man had merely been a gang leader in a small town, Kaelan considered the latter possibility far more likely.
The faint guilt lingering in his heart vanished completely.
As he examined more memories, he witnessed how the man had spent his life.
Extortion.
Intimidation.
Beatings.
Threats.
The exploitation of weaker people.
The man had never committed crimes serious enough to attract official attention, but he had spent his entire life preying upon ordinary citizens.
Kaelan felt no regret.
If anything, he considered the outcome beneficial to society.
He continued examining the memories.
The historical information was limited.
The man had never cared much for history.
Still, Kaelan managed to piece together a rough outline of the world's recent past.
Five hundred years earlier, the Sacred Holy Empire had ruled all human territories.
Its authority had stretched across the entire continent.
Then disaster struck.
A rebellion led by the Divine Puppet Sect erupted throughout the empire.
The prolonged conflict severely weakened imperial authority.
Taking advantage of the chaos, seven powerful dukes declared independence.
The once-unified empire fractured into seven kingdoms and a diminished empire.
Humanity's political structure had remained largely unchanged ever since.
A century earlier, however, a new power had emerged.
Silver City.
Unlike the kingdoms and the empire, Silver City had not been founded by nobles or cultivators.
It had been established through an alliance of merchants.
Through wealth, trade, and influence, Silver City had gradually risen into a force capable of standing alongside kingdoms and empires.
After sorting through the historical memories, Kaelan turned his attention toward geography.
Unfortunately, the man's knowledge remained limited.
He had spent most of his life within a single region.
Even so, the information provided Kaelan with a basic understanding of his surroundings.
The town where he currently resided was called Brevis Town.
It had been named after the Brevis River, which flowed along the western edge of the settlement.
Brevis Town belonged to Bell Prefecture.
Bell Prefecture belonged to the Silver Blade Kingdom.
The kingdom was ruled by the Whiteheart Family.
To the south and west lay the vast Demon Territory.
To the north stood the Gallic Kingdom.
To the east lay the Tulip Kingdom.
Although the man's geographical knowledge was shallow, he knew the route to Bell City, the capital of Bell Prefecture.
That information alone was valuable.
A provincial capital would undoubtedly contain far more knowledge regarding cultivation than a remote frontier town.
After absorbing the final fragments of useful information, Kaelan slowly withdrew his Spirit from the man's Soul Space.
The mortal's eyes became dull and lifeless.
His expression froze into a vacant stare.
The man's future no longer concerned him.
Kaelan had obtained everything he wanted.
He now possessed a basic understanding of the world.
More importantly, he had discovered the first stepping stone toward understanding its transcendent paths.
For the moment, that was enough.
He decided to return to his cave.
He had yet to reach Tier One Transcendence.
Remaining within human territory for too long carried unnecessary risks.
Before leaving, he glanced at the man lying upon the bed.
The man's mouth hung open.
A string of saliva dripped from the corner of his lips.
His eyes stared blankly at the ceiling without the slightest trace of intelligence.
The man had been little more than a parasite upon society.
Yet he had provided Kaelan with valuable assistance.
Kaelan decided to grant him one final mercy.
Silently, he landed upon the man's chest.
His claw flashed.
A deep wound opened across the man's throat.
Blood immediately poured from the cut.
The vacant man offered no resistance.
Within moments, his life slipped away.
Kaelan watched briefly before spreading his wings.
Then he flew through the open window and disappeared into the night sky.
His destination remained the small cave hidden deep within the forest.
The journey passed without incident.
By dawn, he had already resumed cultivation.
The following morning, three rough-looking men approached the dead man's house.
After receiving no response to their knocking, they forced the door open.
The moment they stepped inside, they froze.
The body lay motionless upon the bed.
Dried blood covered the sheets.
The man's eyes remained wide open.
One of the gang members stumbled backward in shock.
"Captain is dead!"
The shout quickly spread throughout Brevis Town.
Within hours, the entire gang descended into chaos.
Their leader had been murdered inside his own home.
There had been no signs of struggle.
No witnesses had seen the killer.
No clues had been left behind.
Fear rapidly spread among the gang members.
If their leader could be killed so easily, none of them was safe.
Rumors soon circulated throughout the town.
Some claimed a powerful cultivator had eliminated him.
Others whispered that he had offended a hidden expert.
A few even believed demons had taken his life.
While the town buzzed with speculation and panic, the true culprit sat quietly within a hidden cave deep inside the forest.
Kaelan remained completely unaware of the chaos he had left behind.
His attention remained focused entirely upon cultivation.
Compared to the pursuit of transcendence, the affairs of a small town held no importance.
Far from Brevis Town, Denver walked into the main chamber of his clan.
The vast hall fell silent as he entered.
He could feel the gazes of the clan elders and the Clan Chief upon him.
Some eyes carried disappointment.
Others carried anger.
Denver stood at the center of the chamber with his head lowered.
The Clan Chief's voice echoed throughout the hall.
"Denver, as an elder of the clan, you set such an example for our younger generation?"
Denver lowered his head even further.
As an elder, he had been entrusted with an important responsibility.
He had been stationed in Brevis Town to monitor human activity near the border.
At the same time, he had been expected to uphold the clan's traditions.
One of those traditions was absolute.
No member of the clan was permitted to form a relationship with a human.
Within the Silver Blade Kingdom, the influence of the Demon Hunting Association was immense.
Because of their pressure, relationships between humans and demons had become forbidden.
Denver spoke quietly.
"I am deeply sorry, Clan Chief. I fell in love with Linda and could not stop myself."
Several elders snorted in disapproval.
One elder even shook his head.
The Clan Chief remained expressionless.
"Your punishment will be decided later."
Her gaze sharpened.
"For now, tell us how you escaped."
Denver immediately recounted everything that had happened.
The pursuit by the three human warriors.
Being cornered at the cliff.
The mysterious crow that had driven away his pursuers.
As he spoke, the hall gradually fell silent.
Many elders exchanged shocked glances.
The Clan Chief narrowed her eyes.
"A Crow Demon Lord..."
Her voice softened.
"So close to human territory."
Denver raised his head slightly.
The Clan Chief appeared to be an elegant elderly woman.
Only the two fox tails resting behind her revealed her true race.
Silence lingered throughout the hall.
Then a thoughtful expression appeared on her face.
"Could this be the opportunity we have been waiting for?"
One elder immediately understood her meaning.
His eyes widened.
"The ruins?"
The Clan Chief slowly nodded.
"I was hesitant to contest the ruins."
"The humans and the Blue Flame Demon Lord have already gathered considerable strength around that location."
"However, if a Demon Lord is willing to support us, the situation may change."
Excitement gradually spread among several elders.
The ruins had only recently been discovered.
Both the humans and the demons desired the treasures hidden within.
For months, neither side had dared to make a decisive move.
The participation of a Demon Lord could completely shift the balance.
Denver listened silently.
He had never expected the appearance of the mysterious crow to attract such attention.
The Clan Chief suddenly looked directly at him.
Her gaze became sharp and serious.
"Denver."
"Where exactly did you encounter the Crow Demon Lord?"
Every elder in the chamber focused on him.
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
Denver took a deep breath before answering.
"It was near the Southern Demon Forest, close to Brevis Town."
"The Crow Demon Lord appeared while I was being pursued."
"He never revealed his true form."
"He only released his Spirit."
Denver paused.
The memory of that overwhelming pressure resurfaced in his mind.
Even now, recalling it caused his heart to tremble.
He continued.
"Clan Chief, his Spirit was unimaginably powerful."
"I have never felt such pressure before."
"It was like standing before an endless ocean."
The elders exchanged uneasy glances.
The Clan Chief's expression grew increasingly solemn.
If Denver's description was accurate, then this mysterious Crow Demon Lord was likely far stronger than they had initially assumed.