Chapter Eleven: The First Devouring
Li Shen remained hidden within the forest for three days, unmoving for long periods, surviving on little, his eyes constantly fixed toward the distant path that led from the city walls, waiting in silence, waiting with a patience that no longer came from calmness but from emptiness, as if time itself had lost meaning to him, and during those days, he did not speak, did not think beyond what was necessary, his mind locked onto a single purpose that kept him rooted in place.
On the third day, movement finally came.
From afar, he saw figures at the city walls as the hanging bodies were taken down one by one, their lifeless forms handled without care, like objects that had already served their purpose, and as expected, new bodies replaced them soon after, continuing the cycle of fear and warning that the city thrived upon, while the old corpses were loaded onto a carriage, their limbs hanging loosely as they were stacked together without dignity, and an old guard took hold of the reins, guiding the carriage away from the city and into the forest.
Li Shen moved immediately silently following the carriage.
He followed the faint trail left behind by the carriage, his steps light despite the speed at which he moved, his eyes sharp, his focus absolute as he tracked the broken branches and disturbed soil, never losing the path even as the forest thickened around him, and he continued like that until the sun reached its peak, the heat pressing down from above as he finally caught sight of the destination.
The carriage had stopped.
The bodies had been dumped.
A piled carelessly
Showing how meaningless the corpse were.
Li Shen approached slowly, his expression unchanged, his eyes scanning the heap without hesitation before he stepped forward and began pushing the bodies aside one after another, his hands moving without pause, without emotion, as if he were searching through debris rather than the remains of once-living people, until finally he found her.
Beth.
Her body lay among the others, her face pale, her form still, untouched by the decay that would soon follow, and for a moment, his hands paused as they reached her, a faint tremor passing through his fingers before he carefully pulled her free from the pile.
She was heavy.
But he did not hesitate.
Lifting her into his arms, he carried her away from the others, step by step, until he found a spot a short distance away where he gently laid her down, separating her from the rest, giving her a place that was not among the discarded.
Then he turned back.
His gaze fell upon the remaining bodies, piled together without order, without respect,
for a moment,
Silence lingered in the air as he stood there, staring at them, his expression cold, his eyes empty of hesitation.
"Devour."
His voice was low and icy.
Within him, Dao froze for a brief moment, surprised by what it had just heard, as if it had not expected this choice to come so soon, and yet, that surprise quickly gave way to something else, something darker, something filled with satisfaction as a twisted sense of joy crept into its being.
"I see," Dao whispered softly to itself, almost amused, almost impressed, "so her death has truly broken you."
At that moment, the air before Li Shen distorted.
A dark red vortex appeared, spinning slowly at first before expanding outward, its presence heavy and oppressive as it pulled at everything around it.
Then the bodies began to move.
Dragged and pulled toward it.
One by one, they were consumed, their forms breaking apart as they were drawn into the swirling void, flesh tearing, bones shattering, everything reduced into raw energy that surged through the vortex and flowed directly into Li Shen's body, entering him like a flood that carried both power and something far more sinister.
His body trembled slightly.
Not from pain.
But from the sensation, it was overwhelming.
A strange warmth spread through him, reinforcing his muscles, strengthening his bones, filling the emptiness within him with something tangible, something real, and as the process continued, the pile of corpses grew smaller and smaller until, within ten minutes, nothing remained.
The forest fell silent once more.
Li Shen stood still, his breathing steady as he slowly raised his hand, his fingers curling slightly as he felt it, the difference, the change that had taken place within him, the newfound strength that now flowed through his body like a quiet current.
"How strong am I now?" he asked, his voice calm, devoid of excitement, as if this was nothing more than a step toward something greater.
Dao responded without delay.
"You are now at the third level of Rank One, the Body Refinement stage," it said, its tone measured, though there was a hint of approval hidden beneath it.
Li Shen's brows furrowed slightly.
"There were twelve bodies," he said, his voice carrying a faint trace of skepticism, "isn't that… too little?"
Dao let out a quiet scoff.
"They were ordinary humans," it replied, "not cultivators, their bodies contain little energy, the increase you gained is already reasonable, if you want faster growth, then you must devour stronger beings, beasts at your level or higher would be far more beneficial."
Li Shen fell silent for a moment, considering those words, his gaze drifting briefly toward the forest beyond, where danger and opportunity existed side by side.
Then he turned back.
Returning to Beth.
He lifted her once more, her body feeling lighter now, though whether it was truly lighter or simply his newfound strength, he did not question, and carrying her carefully, he walked deeper into the forest, his steps slow, deliberate, until he found a quiet place beneath a large tree where the ground was soft enough to dig.
With his bare hands, he began scooping the earth, digging while ignoring the strain.
Ignoring the dirt that gathered beneath his nails and across his skin.
He did not stop until it was done.
Gently, he laid her to rest.
Covering her one handful of earth at a time until she was no longer visible.
Until she had been returned to the ground.
Li Shen stood there for a long time after.
Silently mourning her.
"I will avenge you," he said quietly, his voice carrying no hesitation, no doubt, only a cold certainty that cut through the stillness of the forest.
The wind passed through the trees softly, almost like a whisper but Li Shen did not move.
Because now he had taken his first step to power and there was no turning back.