A Demon In A Human Skin

Four Years Later

The Hall of Elders was quiet, save for the faint crackling of incense that drifted lazily through the air. Bo Chen, the Sect Leader of the Iron Vein Sect, sat at the head of the long table, his expression calm but thoughtful. Across from him, Xu Zhi, head of the Discipline Court, stroked his beard in contemplation. Around them, the other elders listened in silence.

"It's been six years since Junior Brother Huzi secluded himself in the Scripture Pavilion, hasn't it?" Xu Zhi finally said, his voice carrying a note of curiosity.

Bo Chen nodded. "Yes. He hasn't stepped outside since the first year. To spend six years surrounded by nothing but books and ancient scrolls... such focus is rare."

"Rare?" Xu Zhi chuckled. "It's unheard of! Do you know how many disciples could endure that kind of solitude? And he's only twelve. At his age, most boys are running around causing trouble, not burying themselves in martial arts texts for years on end."

The other elders nodded in agreement. It was a feat that defied reason. The average disciple struggled to spend even a month inside the Scripture Pavilion without losing their mind, yet Xiao Huzi had remained there for six entire years.

Bo Chen exhaled softly. "Junior Brother Huzi is a once-in-a-century talent. But even with his genius, training in seclusion for so long must have its limits."

Bing Huo, the Head of Miscellaneous Services, leaned forward. "I can't help but wonder—just how far has he progressed?"

The room fell into a contemplative silence.

At the age of seven, Xiao Huzi had already refined natural energy, something that even talented cultivators struggled to achieve in their early childhood. But six years had passed since then. What realm had he reached now?

"I'd wager he's at the peak of the Meridian Strengthening Stage," Xu Zhi mused. "That would already be an extraordinary achievement for his age."

Bo Chen hesitated. "Perhaps. But Junior Brother Huzi is still young. At twelve, his body is naturally weaker than older cultivators. Even with his monstrous talent, reaching the peak of the Meridian Strengthening Stage in six years seems... optimistic."

Even with a genius like Xiao Huzi, there were natural limitations. At twelve, his body was still developing. It was one thing to comprehend techniques and another to have the raw foundation needed to advance.

"Maybe he has only just reached the Meridian Strengthening Stage," Bo Chen admitted after a moment.

Bing Huo sighed. "You two old men really have so little confidence in Junior Brother Huzi? Maybe he's already reached the Stone Core Stage by now."

Xu Zhi let out a scoff. "Stone Core Realm? At twelve? Now that's just ridiculous."

The Martial Academy Head shrugged. "Why not? Haven't his achievements already defied logic?"

Xu Zhi shook his head. "It takes years of refinement, precise control, and a level of energy cultivation that even elders struggle with. Even if he's a prodigy, reaching the Stone Core Realm in twelve years is unprecedented."

Bo Chen sighed, rubbing his temples. "Enough speculation. We will know soon enough."

But before anyone could respond, the world trembled.

A deafening boom resounded through the sect. The air turned heavy, charged with an energy so dense it felt like the sky itself was about to collapse. An invisible wave of power erupted from the direction of the Scripture Pavilion, spreading outward like a tsunami crashing against the heavens.

The very walls of the Hall of Elders trembled. Teacups cracked. Scrolls fell from their shelves. The iron pillars that supported the sect's great hall groaned under the sheer pressure.

Bo Chen's breath caught in his throat.

"This... this aura—"

Xu Zhi shot to his feet, face pale as the realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.

"No... No! This can't be!"

The elders froze, their faces draining of color.

From the depths of the Scripture Pavilion, a presence surged forth—vast, unrelenting, and utterly overwhelming. It was not the power of someone merely stepping into the Stone Core Realm. No, this was something far beyond.

"This... this is the aura of a Titanium Will Stage cultivator!" Bo Chen's voice trembled, his usual composure shattered.

Xu Zhi looked as though he had seen a ghost. "Impossible! When did a Titanium Will Stage expert appear in our sect?!"

But even as the words left his mouth, his gaze instinctively snapped toward the Scripture Pavilion, toward the source of that power. And in that moment, he knew.

"No... This isn't an elder. This power... it's coming from him."

The room fell deathly silent.

Bing Huo stumbled back, his body shaking as the truth clawed its way into his mind. "Y-You mean... this is Junior Brother Huzi's aura?!"

Bo Chen felt his heartbeat thunder against his chest. He turned his head slowly, as if afraid that looking too quickly might confirm something too monstrous to accept.

A Titanium Will Stage cultivator.

At twelve.

Xu Zhi swallowed, his throat dry. His fingers trembled as he pointed outside. "D-Do you have any idea what this means? A Titanium Will Stage expert is considered a pillar of the sect! Even in a hundred years, only one or two appear in the entire Dao Zhu Dynasty. And yet, this child—this boy—has reached that realm in just six years?!"

The Martial Academy Head let out a breathless laugh, one that was half disbelief, half hysteria. "Six years of silence... and he emerges as a Titanium Will Stage cultivator?! Do you understand what kind of demon this makes him?"

Bo Chen felt his hands clench into fists. He had always known that Xiao Huzi was a prodigy. He had known since the day the boy refined natural energy at six. But this... this was beyond anything he had ever imagined.

Xiao Huzi had not just surpassed his peers.

He had shattered every expectation, every natural order of cultivation.

And the most terrifying thought of all?

"If this is his power at twelve... then what will he become in another ten years?"

In the secluded retreat of the back mountain, Mu Yang, the sect's strongest expert and Xiao Huzi's teacher, was meditating when the energy wave struck him like a physical force. His eyes snapped open, and for a moment, he simply sat there, stunned.

"This... could it be...?" His voice wavered as he rose to his feet, his gaze locked on the distant Scripture Pavilion.

It took him a long moment to collect himself, but when he finally spoke, his words carried a mix of disbelief and resignation. "Did Huzi... reach the Titanium Will Stage?"

Mu Yang's mind raced. When he took the boy as a disciple six years ago, he had been astounded by his innate talent. Xiao Huzi's comprehension of martial arts was monstrous, to say the least. Mu Yang had privately speculated that his disciple might reach the Heavenly Ascension Stage within a century, perhaps even faster.

But six years? Six short years, and the boy had already reached his own level?

"This isn't talent. This is... this is blasphemy," Mu Yang muttered, his expression a mix of pride and envy. "I've spent decades clawing my way to the Titanium Will Stage, enduring countless hardships, and this brat does it before his voice even deepens. Is there any fairness left in this world?"

He shook his head, a rueful smile tugging at his lips. "If he keeps this up, he'll reach the Heavenly Ascension Stage by the time I need a cane to walk. What a monster."

Inside the Scripture Pavilion

I sat cross-legged, my body utterly still, yet my mind swirled like a storm. The power I had just unleashed had now settled, compressed back into the depths of my being.

My fingers curled slightly, and at that mere thought, my spirit will surged outward.

"Spirit will..." I murmured under my breath.

I thought of the Psyche Masters from the human civilization in the main universe, those who had walked a path similar to this. Their method required stimulating the neural pathways around the brain, unlocking the deeper reserves of the mind, and shaping thought into tangible force.

But what I wielded now—this Titanium Will—was not the same.

The Psyche Masters' abilities were impressive—mind reading, illusions, and bending perception itself—but their bodies were weak. Their strength lay in manipulation, in careful precision.

My path was different.

"Martial arts," I mused, "in the grand scale of the universe, could this be a new Ascendant Pathway?"

A flicker of excitement danced through me. If I could push this world's martial arts to its zenith and develop it into something beyond —then upon my return, I could submit it to NovaSys for appraisal.

Merit points.

Recognition.

Freedom from the compulsory military draft that loomed over every citizen like an unbreakable chain.

If I succeeded, I would rise beyond what fate had dictated for me.

A small smirk played at my lips.

I could sense them waiting outside. Their presence was impossible to miss—Mu Yang, Bo Chen, the other elders—standing in silence before the Scripture Pavilion. My spirit will stretched beyond the walls, feeling their anticipation, their uncertainty. Master was among them. Did they already know I had broken through to the Titanium Will Stage? It was inevitable, I supposed. The moment I condensed my spirit will, its fluctuations would have rippled outward, touching the senses of those powerful enough to perceive them.

The higher one stands on the path of cultivation, the more attuned they become to the world's subtle changes. The elders of the Iron Vein Sect would not have missed it.

Outside, Mu Yang and the others shifted uneasily. The oppressive aura lingering in the air was enough to weigh down even the most seasoned among them.

Bo Chen exhaled slowly, muttering under his breath, "A kid like that… No, this isn't natural talent. It's as if he's the reincarnation of some ancient powerhouse."

His words did not go unnoticed. The others exchanged glances, their silence betraying their unspoken agreement. I could feel Mu Yang's thoughts, the uncertainty clawing at him. Was I truly who I claimed to be? What did I intend to do with the power I now wielded?

Before they could spiral further into doubt, I reached out. My voice echoed in their minds. "Please come in."

For a moment, they hesitated. Then Mu Yang took the lead, his movements measured, his expression unreadable.

They climbed the steps to the fifth floor, each footstep ringing through the quiet halls. When they entered, I sat at the center of the chamber, my posture relaxed, my presence unshaken.

Mu Yang, always composed, inclined his head in a slight bow. "I greet Senior."

The others followed suit, their voices betraying their unease. "We greet Senior."

A smile played at the corners of my lips.