What do you plan to do?" I asked.
I had finally processed the shock of what I'd seen; now, I needed to keep the conversation going and dig for more information.
"I don't quite follow, Master Lin. If demons are capable of this—if they can literally erase the Moon—what kind of countermeasure can humanity even take? We lack the tech and the knowledge to stand against that. How are cultivators supposed to fight back?"
Bao Zhan's fist tightened. I could see the veins bulging on his forehead, his teeth grinding with audible tension. He remained silent, but only for a moment.
"Demons have invaded the human realm before," he began. "Back then, people were intoxicated by their own greatness. They stopped progressing and spiraled into hedonism. Strong cultivators were a rarity; they had a highly advanced society, but that was it. That's how humanity met the first invasion: unprepared, weakened, and drowning in vice. Back then, our situation was far worse than it is now..."
Bao Zhan paused for a beat.
"But the Great Sect Leaders didn't break. The Overlords and the monks didn't surrender. Instead, they fortified their cities and refined their techniques. Every faction, every single person back then pushed past their limits, cast aside their petty feuds, and survived the onslaught. Honestly, Master Lin, even though I don't have all the intel, I'm certain humanity is much better prepared this time. Once we reach the city, we'll find out more. Do not underestimate us. We have teeth, and we will fight to the bitter end."
The Elder's words, delivered with such conviction and righteous fury, sparked a glimmer of hope even in a coward like me. Besides, if I got lucky and the System dropped a powerhouse Hero like Thor or Hulk into my lap, the scales might actually tip in our favor.
As I was lost in thought, I felt something—like a hand, but different. Thousands of tiny, shifting ripples sent a chill down my spine; it took every ounce of my willpower not to flinch. Then, Spider-Man spoke to me:
"We're picking up heat signatures below. Could be people."
"Mister... Spider-Man, are you sure?"
"Positive. Our senses rarely steer us wrong."
Bao Zhan frowned and began to decelerate until we came to a full stop.
"Stay here. We'll be right back."
The Elder's gaze swept over his disciples, sharp as a hawk's. When they gave a brief nod, he dove the "Bird" downward. Spider-Man's hand pointed the way. Within minutes, we were in the thick of the forest, hovering just a few meters above the ground. The first thing that hit me was the smell—charred meat. The savory aroma of succulent roast and pungent spices caught Bao Zhan's attention immediately. His senses were far beyond a normal human's, and he was already flying toward the scent.
Soon, we were hovering over the source: a pit about thirty feet deep.
Bao Zhan activated a Stealth Scroll, using his Qi to completely mask our presence.
It took a second to identify the group below, and another to scout the area.
A pack of Demonic Cultivators were shooting the breeze—some sat on logs, others leaned against the pit walls, while one stood by the fire, rotating the meat. They were speaking a language that sounded just like English. That hit me hard; hearing a familiar tongue in this world for the first time was surreal.
Then, my eyes locked onto what they were cooking. Total shock. Then, pure revulsion. My stomach lurched, and I almost lost it. If I had looked for even one more second, I would have vomited right then and there. It was human meat. A raw, skinless humanoid body—the silhouette made it undeniable. They were roasting a person whole. I started shaking, but the terror was quickly replaced by something else: righteous fury.
"That... that's..."
"Human " Bao Zhan finished for me.
"Demonic Cultivators eats humans. It's part of their lifestyle, an attempt to emulate true demons. They believe that the stronger the cultivator, the more potent and delicious the meat."
Bao Zhan's face flushed red, the veins in his neck throbbing. He unsheathed an elegant white sword engraved with hundreds of intricate runes.
"None of these freaks are at the Second Order. They're all First Order or at the Peak of the First. Mister Spider-Man, I don't think you should even get your hands dirty with this filth. A dragon shouldn't debase itself by hunting carp. Leave them to me."
Spider-Man just gave a slight nod. Maybe because of his own specific diet, it was easier for him to keep his cool. Bao Zhan swept his hand through the air, and the barrier vanished.
POV: Third Person
The barrier's disappearance was marked by a blinding flash of energy. The sword was already in Bao Zhan's hand when the air hissed—two spears shot toward his heart. With a casual flick of his wrist, the warrior swatted both projectiles aside. The spears slammed into tree trunks with a crack, but only for a moment; a second later, they flew back into the hands of two twins—demonic cultivators. Without a word, the brothers launched themselves off the ground like a twin-headed cyclone. Simultaneously, a third opponent lugged out a massive war hammer, while the group leader drew a heavy bone-bow.
Bao Zhan was faster. He gracefully sidestepped the first spearman's thrust and met the second's attack with a hard parry. Using his opponent's momentum, he executed an explosive spin and delivered a devastating back-kick straight to the man's gut. The cultivator went airborne, smashing through several trees before hitting the dirt, coughing up dark blood.
In the same breath, a bowstring sang. Without even looking back, Bao Zhan caught the incoming arrow between two fingers an inch from his head. A brute with a hammer was already swinging from his blind spot, but Bao Zhan doubled over, slipping the line of fire. A sharp pivot—and he drove the captured arrow through the hammer-wielder's throat.
Refusing to let the giant fall, Bao Zhan grabbed the man's arm with a vice-like grip and swung the dying body toward the archer. A fresh volley of arrows meant for Bao Zhan thudded into his own comrade's back until the brute's momentum finally bowled the archer over, pinning him to the ground. The last surviving spearman lunged in a desperate counter-attack. Bao Zhan stepped aside, letting the spear point whistle past, and delivered a lightning-fast riposte.
A flash of steel—and the cultivator's head spun several meters into the air as his body collapsed into the dust.
The hammer-wielder, still choking on his own blood, tried to reach for his wound. Bao Zhan didn't give him time for a final prayer. Reversing his grip on his sword, he drove the blade up under the man's chin, piercing through the skull. The giant went limp, and Bao Zhan kicked the corpse aside.
The archer barely had time to scream before Bao Zhan was on him. The movement was so fast the air itself seemed to hum. With one short, vertical stroke, Bao Zhan cleaved both the bone-bow and the archer's head in half. The leader's body slid down the tree, leaving a thick streak of gore on the bark.
Only the first spearman remained—the one who had been kicked through the trees. He struggled to one knee, spitting blood and fumbling for his weapon. Bao Zhan didn't waste any more steel. Instead, he made a subtle motion with his hand. A spiritual thread, thin as a cobweb but strong as steel cable, shot from his sleeve. With a quiet whistle, it coiled around the survivor's neck and limbs.
Bao Zhan yanked the thread taut. There was a sickening crunch of joints, and the spearman shrieked as he was bound tight in a "prayer" position, his elbows pulled so close to his shoulder blades that any movement was agony.
The barrier had vanished, and five seconds later, the ground was littered with corpses and a trussed-up prisoner. The raw power, the insane speed—the entire fight had been a blur. How wide was the gap between me and Spider-Man if even Bao Zhan was nearly invisible to my eyes?
Standing at the edge of the pit, I watched the Elder leap across the gap with ease. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the scumbag's body flying upward to land right at our feet.
"I think," Bao Zhan said coldly, "it's time we had a little chat."