Kaelan and Soraya, battered and bleeding, land outside Changye City the next evening.
Before them, on a small hill, stands a ruined temple surrounded by whispering bamboo trees.
Soraya glances at him and says, "Thank you. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to return with the Light Lotus. Don't worry about the Black Tiger Clan—I'll try to talk them down."
Last night, after Heiyu killed Lareth, he turned on Serina.
She barely escaped, sacrificing a spiritual weapon and fleeing on her flying chariot.
Then, like a mad beast, Heiyu came for them.
His two protectors joined in, forcing Kaelan and Soraya into a desperate fight.
Kaelan subdued Heiyu, but instead of surrendering, Heiyu detonated himself.
The blast killed one of his protectors and worsened Kaelan and Soraya's injuries.
They suppressed the damage, knowing eyes were still watching, and any weakness would invite more demons.
Kaelan gathered a few intact items from Heiyu's remains—lucky survivors of the explosion, even though they'd been inside his body.
He left Lareth's corpse untouched, bait for the other demons, ensuring they wouldn't pursue.
For reasons unknown, they didn't.
Kaelan nods. "Okay. And I don't care if they try to attack me."
Soraya frowns. "There are Spirit Realm demons in the Black Tiger Clan. You've seen how terrifying their strength is."
Kaelan turns toward the distant city, his eyes cold. "I'm leaving."
Soraya steps closer. "Don't go through the gate. With your injuries, your demon aura isn't fully hidden—there are faint traces of it. And because of your reputation, the guards will be extra cautious. They might uncover your identity."
Kaelan frowns and checks himself.
She's right.
From his unhealed wounds, threads of demon aura leak out, faint but real.
His mana feels thin, unstable, and unable to suppress it completely.
Soraya gestures toward the ruined temple. "Behind the statue inside, there's a tunnel that leads straight into the city. Or you can come with me to my market."
Kaelan shakes his head. "Thank you for the offer, but the marriage is in two days, and I still haven't met my wife's family."
Soraya tilts her head. "Are you sure about marrying a human? It could bring you trouble."
Kaelan's voice is calm. "I try to keep my identity hidden, and even if they find out, I don't think they'll cause trouble."
He walks toward the temple, steps echoing faintly against the cracked stone.
Following Soraya's directions, he moves behind the statue and finds a narrow tunnel shrouded in dust and moss.
He enters without hesitation.
The tunnel is damp, the air heavy with the scent of old earth, but soon a faint light appears ahead.
He emerges onto a quiet side road beside a small shrine dedicated to the Day Goddess.
Evening has settled, and the city's main streets are still crowded with people and noise.
Kaelan slips through the alleys, silent as a shadow, until he reaches his home.
He enters through the back door, careful not to alert the maids or servants.
Inside his room, he sits cross-legged and begins to meditate, drawing in spiritual energy to replenish his mana.
After a few minutes of recovery, he channels energy into his wounds—injuries his body cannot heal because of lingering foreign powers.
Lareth, Heiyu, and Heiyu's protectors have all left their marks, traces of their laws embedded deep within his flesh.
Those traces won't fade on their own.
Minutes later, Kaelan opens his eyes in the dark room, his breath steady.
"At this rate, I won't be able to remove the traces before the wedding."
His spirit spreads outward, flowing through the house and into the one beside it.
Chen Qi and Chen Wei live next door.
Sensing Chen Qi inside, Kaelan's spirit voice murmurs into his mind.
"Come to me."
A few minutes later, a soft knock sounds on the door.
Kaelan senses Chen Qi's aura on the other side and says, "Come in."
Chen Qi steps inside and bows. "Lord, do you need anything?"
Kaelan reaches into his stomach, pulling out a sack heavy with spiritual stones.
He takes out hundreds of mid-grade stones and lets them float through the air before dropping them onto the chair nearby.
"Go to the demon city," he says. "Bring back energy recovery and healing pills. The best ones you can find."
Chen Qi nods, quickly finding a cloth to wrap the stones.
He ties it securely, bows again, and leaves, closing the door behind him.
Silence returns.
Kaelan resumes his meditation, his breath steady, his mind sharpening.
For too long, he's devoted nearly all his focus to cultivation alone.
In battle, his flaws had become obvious—his techniques lacked precision, and his spells weren't refined enough.
If they had been, that fight would've ended far more easily.
It's only been five years since he took over this body and began cultivating, yet his progress is already monstrous by any measure.
Now that his cultivation grants him some measure of safety, he knows what must come next.
He needs to refine his fighting method—so that next time, victory won't demand so much blood.
A few hours later, Chen Qi returns with two bottles of pills.
He places them in his palm and says, "Lord, this bottle contains Blue Light Pills, a mid-grade type, and the other holds Rose Heart Pills, also mid-grade. Ten pills in each."
Kaelan nods silently.
Chen Qi bows. "Lord, I'll take my leave."
Kaelan waves his hand. "You can go."
Once alone, he takes one healing pill, waits a minute, then swallows an energy recovery pill.
Power flows through his meridians as he resumes clearing the foreign laws lingering in his body.
This time, his speed doubles—the holy fetus within his spirit space joins him, guiding the energy like a second mind.
The holy fetus, once a mere visualisation, now acts almost as his clone.
By dawn, he stops.
Not because he's fully healed, but because his spirit power is nearly spent.
Healing twice as fast comes with a cost—his spirit drains just as quickly.
He opens his eyes and stands, stretching his stiff body.
His mind drifts.
"Let's eat something," he mutters.
Two days without food have dulled his hunger, but not the habit.
A meal will calm his mind and help his spirit recover.
But before that, he decides to examine what he had hastily taken before escaping.
He reaches into his storage and draws out three items—a jade box, an old scroll, and a ring.
The jade box catches his eye.
It bears the crest of the Red Swan Clan's auction house.
He recalls the Black Tiger Clan bidding for many treasures there, one of which had stirred his curiosity.
He opens the box.
Inside lies a single grass leaf, dark as the night sky, with roots glowing a faint crimson.
Night Blood Grass.
He holds the leaf in his palm, studying its quiet radiance.
"With this, I can heal all my wounds," he murmurs. "But not now—later."
He places the grass back inside the jade box and closes it carefully.
Next, his fingers brush against the scroll.
The material feels rough and firm—made from the beast hide of a demon likely at the Core Formation Realm.
Such quality means whatever is written inside holds real value.
He unrolls it slowly.
A sword technique.
Its script flows in elegant strokes, teaching the application of the Law of Light.
But it's incomplete—the middle section of a greater work.
The creator must have drawn inspiration from the colours of the rainbow.
The technique is divided into two distinct forms: the Green Light and Yellow Light sword techniques.
He studies them closely.
The Green Light sword focuses on balance—parries and counters woven with precision.
The Yellow Light sword, on the other hand, thrives on deception.
When performed, the sword flashes in golden brilliance, momentarily blinding the opponent before striking.
Kaelan frowns slightly.
His laws are Darkness and Death.
Until he masters both completely, delving too deeply into other laws will only scatter his focus.
To even attempt this technique, one needs moderate comprehension of the Law of Light.
He rolls up the scroll and sets it aside.
Finally, he lifts the ring.
Its surface glimmers faintly, but its magical core has been completely destroyed.
Now, it's nothing more than an ordinary ring.
Still, it's finely crafted—simple, elegant, and beautiful.
A perfect gift for the princess.
He smiles faintly.
She may have proposed to him first, but a groom should still offer something in return.
Looks like Chen Qi will have to visit the demon market again.
Kaelan slips the ring into his pocket and steps out of his room.
He finds the housekeeper and instructs him to prepare lunch.
While waiting in the garden, he sends a servant to summon Chen Qi.
Since spreading spirit sense across the city is frowned upon, he can only sense within and around his estate.
Chen Qi is likely working—and the Wuya Agency lies far south, while Kaelan's residence is in the west.
By the time he finishes eating, Chen Qi arrives.
He stands before Kaelan and bows. "Lord."
Kaelan asks, "Did anything happen during my absence?"
Chen Qi shakes his head. "The princess came to see you two days ago, my lord. Aside from that, nothing."
Kaelan leans back slightly, thoughtful.
He can now conceal his demon aura, as long as he avoids using mana.
But stepping outside still carries risk.
He has already offended the Demon Hunting Association.
They may not know the extent of his injuries, but they might strike just to test his strength.
And they're not the only ones—several noble families are likely watching as well.
After all, he created and advanced an entirely new martial realm: the Holy Fetus Realm.
Curiosity always draws danger.
He says, "Chen Qi, go and politely invite the princess."
Chen Qi bows and turns to leave.
"Wait," Kaelan says suddenly.
Chen Qi stops and faces him again.
Kaelan takes out the ring. "After bringing the princess here, go to the demon market and find a refiner to repair this. Tell them to imbue it with a barrier spell."
Chen Qi accepts the ring and departs.
Kaelan then orders a maid to clear the plates.
"Tell the chef the princess will be visiting. Prepare tea, sweets, and biscuits."
The maid nods and hurries away.
Left alone in the garden, Kaelan waits quietly for the princess's arrival.