194. Fear energy

Two days had passed.

From high above Moon City, Li Wen, in his crow form, circled the sky, his piercing black eyes observing everything below.

For the past two days, he had remained within the Ancient Mountain Range, allowing himself time to recover and adapt.

The influx of fear energy had surged dramatically ever since the humans of Moon City had witnessed his battle against the Demon Hunters.

They had watched him defeat them with ease, their once-proud airship now reduced to an eerie ice sculpture, still floating lifelessly on the Moon River—a frozen monument to his power.

The city was buzzing with activity.

On the major roads, servants worked tirelessly, sweeping away debris and setting up festive decorations. Banners of crimson and gold fluttered in the cool air, lanterns hung from every archway, and the streets were filled with a subdued but growing excitement.

A celebration was coming.

Outside the eastern gate, Li Wen noticed something else—

The Demon Hunter camp was gone.

Expected.

After the humiliating defeat he had given them, there was no way they would dare show their faces here again.

He smirked inwardly.

Li Wen's wings spread wide as he glided over the city, contemplating his next move.

The fear he had instilled was strong, but it wasn't enough. He needed more.

If he could flood Moon City with terror, his power would surge.

His mind drifted to possible methods.

A plague?

It would spread panic like wildfire. But—

Too obvious.

He would be the first suspect. And if the gods intervened, they would be an inconvenience.

Not that he feared them.

With time, he had fully mastered the strength of this body.

But unnecessary trouble was not in his plans.

Now, his strength was comparable to an Initial C-rank in the Radiation World.

But he knew—

He had not yet reached the level of a Demon Lord.

The power of fear he had absorbed was potent, yet it had only pushed him to about 20-30% of the Initial C-rank limit. The ceiling remained—just out of reach.

Demon Lords were born as Demon Lords.

For them, power did not come from external cultivation but rather through exercising their given authority.

Back in Red Leaves City, he had tested this principle—

By unleashing a plague upon the people.

Even when they knew did not he was responsible, he felt the power of fear coming toward him as the people feared the plague.

And that fear?

It had flowed into him—consistently, steadily.

Even now, he could still feel traces of it trickling into his core, feeding his existence.

Once he had gathered enough power, he could begin to comprehend the Law of Plague.

Unlike other worlds, he did not need to absorb the world's spiritual energy to advance in the beginning realm.

Here— only understanding the world's fundamental laws could allow one to ascend.

For combat, it was the same.

He did not rely on external energy; instead, the Demon Source within his body provided him with limitless power.

That was why third-rank beings in this world were so difficult to kill—

To destroy them, one had to obliterate their source.

And from everything he had learned so far—

There was no fourth realm in this world.

There was no one in this world— not even a so-called god— who could destroy a Demon Source.

And now—

He had a plan.

In this world, demons typically generated fear by directly attacking humans— slashing, burning, devouring. Crude. Inefficient.

But he?

He understood fear on a deeper level.

True terror wasn't found in immediate death—

It was in suffering.

Lingering. Prolonged. Inescapable.

A world where humans watched everything crumble around them— where they dreaded each sunrise, uncertain if they'd make it to the next.

That was the kind of fear that lasted.

And the best way to create it?

Take away their food.

Now, he just needed to decide—

Would he target a major food source?

Or start with something smaller?

He hesitated.

Not because of morality— no, that was a relic of a past life.

But because... somewhere deep inside, there was still a shred of something human.

His past life had been human. His two other bodies in separate worlds were also human. Even his third body— though only half-human— still identified as one.

But this body?

This body belonged to something entirely new.

So why hesitate?

The choice had already been made.

Because in the end— his obsession with immortality overrides his humanity.

Maybe the demon energy affected him but it did not matter he wanted to gain immortality where nothing could threaten him.

In this world, he had been given immortality—

But it was borrowed.

The world could take it back at any time.

Unless—

He acquired it for himself.

And he would.

But for now—

"Let's see how Pian Ran is doing. Has she formed her Demon Source yet?"

With a powerful flap of his wings, he soared over the city, his shadow passing over the rooftops.

Then— a burst of magic energy.

His form disintegrated into the air— and reassembled inside the throne chamber.

The moment he materialized—

Steel flashed.

A chorus of shouts erupted.

"Who goes there!?"

Blades cut through the air— slashing toward him.

But they struck nothing.

His body shifted— turning to pure demon energy, bypassing their attacks with ease.

In the blink of an eye, he was on the platform, standing before the throne.

And there—

Pian Ran lay curled in her demon form, her breath steady, her power settling.

Her guards, the same ones who had attacked him moments ago, stood frozen— their weapons lowered but still tense.

One of them finally spoke, her voice careful.

"Sir, is there anything wrong with the goddess?"

Li Wen lifted his gaze, his expression unreadable.

"She is fine. Only sleeping."

The formation of her Demon Source had drained her spirit— a natural consequence.

Still, she had succeeded.

For now, that was enough.

He exhaled, rolling his shoulders as if shaking off a passing thought.

"Take me to a room to rest."

The woman hesitated only for a moment before bowing.

"Sir, please follow me."

She led him through the halls, past flickering braziers casting long, shifting shadows. The scent of incense and burning oils lingered in the air.

Upon reaching a chamber, Li Wen paused before closing the door behind him.

A thought surfaced.

He had left behind an identity in Red Leaves Town.

He turned back to the guard.

"Send someone to Red Leaves Town."**

He gave her an address.

"Find a man named Tong Wen. Bring the two maids in his service. Show him this."

He produced a token— Tong Wen's symbol of authority— and handed it over.

The woman took it carefully, her expression unreadable.

"Yes, my lord."

With that, he closed the door.

Lying on the bed, Li Wen stared at the ceiling, his thoughts already wandering.

Time moved differently here.

In this world, he had spent nine days.

But in the other three worlds— barely eleven hours had passed.

He murmured to himself.

"The first three worlds share the same time speed… only their days and nights differ."

"Is it because they are visible in the Black Weird Ocean?"

His gaze darkened.

"And this world—the Three-Realm World—is not."

The implications stirred something in him.

He needed more data to confirm his suspicions.

Lifting his palm, he summoned Demon Energy— and let it manifest.

It slithered around his fingers, shifting between forms.

His mind wandered back to the night he had attacked the demon hunters at Moon River.

Back then, he hadn't consciously used fire or ice spells.

Yet—

They had emerged, as though the Demon Energy itself had known what to do.

He focused.

The energy in his palm shifted— condensing into a small, dark-red flame.

The air around it warped.

Slowly, the fire grew lighter— its hue shifting, evolving—

Until it burned a dazzling white.

The room's temperature skyrocketed.

Sensing the heat spreading, he instinctively raised a barrier around it.

But the transformation stopped there.

The flame refused to shift beyond white.

Li Wen narrowed his eyes.

This is the limit of my knowledge.

Demon Energy reacted not just to intent—but to understanding.

The highest flame he knew was white fire, burning at 1,500 degrees Celsius.

So that was its limit.

For now.

He spent two hours probing the nature of Demon Energy— attempting to comprehend it on a deeper level.

But no matter how much he studied it—

It remained an enigma.

Until—

A knock at the door.

Li Wen's eyes flickered.

He sensed the energy behind it.

A slow smile curled his lips.

"Come in."

Pian Ran stood outside.

A moment later, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Li Wen activated his Spirit Vision, his gaze piercing through her form as she shut the door behind her.

Her Demon Energy was still in flux, conflicting ever so slightly with the lingering traces of faith power in her body.

It was negligible, but present.

At the core of it all was the Moon Demon Source she had formed—slowly, steadily converting the power of faith into fuel for its growth.

Incomplete.

If she were to absorb fear energy instead, the process would accelerate.

As it stood now, her incomplete Demon Source was consuming most of her Demon Energy, leaving her in a weakened state.

If she advanced to Demon Lord before her Demon Source fully stabilized, she wouldn't be able to wield her true strength.

While he silently observed her, Pian Ran crossed the room, moving toward him.

Without a word, she sat beside him—close, her presence deliberate.

Li Wen let his Spirit Vision fade, his gaze returning to normal.

"How long until your Moon Demon Source is fully formed?"

Pian Ran tilted her head slightly.

"Around two months."

She leaned back against the bed, one hand tracing idle patterns across his chest.

Li Wen didn't react—only continued speaking.

"Why is the city being cleaned and decorated?"

Pian Ran exhaled, her fingers still moving.

"The prince and princess are coming."

Li Wen nodded.

"Do you know why?"

"No. But if you want, I can find out."

He considered it for a moment before shaking his head.

"It doesn't matter. Whatever they're planning is of no concern to us."

He paused, then added—

"Focus on gathering more believers. The faster you do, the faster your Demon Source will be completed."

Pian Ran smirked, tilting her head up to meet his gaze.

"Mmm… I'll do it later."

Her hand drifted lower.

"But right now, my lord, I have something else in mind."

Her voice was low, playful—yet laced with something deeper.

Li Wen understood her suggestion immediately.

And as a demon, he acted accordingly.