THE DEVOURER

*'Flame of Destruction? Alderbaran?'*

Shen continued talking, but Bai She remained silent.

*'In my previous life, we spoke of mythical figures like the Son of the Phoenix, but now... There's no doubt, I'm in the past? Probably a much older era.'*

Bai She closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

*'So the heir of the Phoenix and the heir of the Dragon are alive in this era... But why do they have a son instead of fighting to the death? Could it be an even more distant era?'*

As he pondered the implications, Shen drew his attention again.

"What did you say?"

"That we need to return to the Upper Plane as soon as possible?"

"No, before that."

"About the Devourer we came to hunt?"

"Devourer?" he muttered to himself. In his previous life, his law was *Devour*, and now he found himself hunting a so-called Devourer with his 'martial brother'.

*'It seems I have a lot to uncover before returning to the Upper Plane.'*

"So, where is this Devourer now?"

"Ah, that bastard! He's like a cockroach. But I've managed to locate him near the tombs. The inner disciples are currently searching the ruins."

"This Devourer... he can copy abilities?"

Shen nodded. "This guy devours essences, he's a scourge that needs to be eradicated! We don't have time to waste, big brother, I'm sure he hasn't left this kingdom yet."

*'Just like me! Who is this Devourer?'*

"You're right, Shen. Let's go, I'll be right there."

Shen stood up with a smile. "Big brother, we must absolutely kill this Devourer, otherwise we might really be forced into seclusion, hehe," he said, leaving nonchalantly.

The room fell silent after his departure. Bai She looked at his palm, still unable to sense the mana he once used. But his interaction with Shen had made him think of something.

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Calming his mind, he felt his body float. His soul's energy began to surge, but suddenly, this pure energy became increasingly violent, slipping out of his control. On his forehead, an omega symbol slowly appeared, accompanied by green scales under his eyes. His long silver hair turned black-olive. When he abruptly opened his eyes, his irises were reptilian, olive, with red sclerae. His appearance was close to Linfer's, except his wings were absent.

He opened his palm, revealing a reddish-green energy, poisonous, unhealthy, interspersed with destructive lightning.

"I'm here to hunt the Devourer? In fact, I'm hunting myself, haha."

A wide smile, revealing his canines, stretched across his face.

***

[A/N: From now on, Linfer will be called Hu Bai She.]

Bai She left the meditation hall, leaving behind residues of corrupted energy.

"I need to find a way to get rid of this," he thought, though he maintained a serene demeanor. Despite a slight unease, he was satisfied to have regained his mobility and the power of his body, even if he didn't yet possess all its memories. For now, he could only fly and use this unhealthy energy, already familiar to him. It was the same energy he used before.

Bai She crossed the courtyard, where servants guided him to Xuan Shen.

"Let's go, little brother," he said. Shen nodded and took flight, leaving behind a green trail. Bai She followed, but with less ease, still unaccustomed to this way of moving and the monstrous gravity.

They soon arrived at the ruins, where the tombs had been desecrated. Withered corpses lay there, their essences drained.

"This Devourer is truly despicable," Bai She muttered with disgust.

"You said it, big brother. He's always been everyone's enemy."

Bai She nodded, an enigmatic smile on his lips. *'No matter the era, I'm destined to be alone against all,'* he thought.

Inner disciples approached and greeted them respectfully:

"Honors to the young masters Hu and Xuan!"

"No need for formalities," Bai She replied casually. "We're of the same generation, after all. How's the excavation going?"

The disciples explained that the place was filled with traps, slowing their progress.

"As I thought, this cockroach is probably hiding here," Shen growled, while the eye in the center of his forehead opened.

Bai She, meanwhile, was silently thinking.

*'As the Devourer, respected and feared in the Upper Plane, why would I come to this insignificant kingdom to hunt myself? And the fear and disgust I inspire—I'm actually quite weak right now... Don't they know the true power of the Devourer?'*

He observed the corpses, an indecipherable expression on his face.

"They're too weak. It's unlikely their essence is what I've come all this way for. Unless… I'm the one who set the traps in these catacombs. But for what purpose?"

A disciple interrupted his thoughts:

"Fortunately, Young Master Xuan is here. With his Eye of Truth, the traps are easier to spot."

A fleeting smile stretched Bai She's lips.

"So that was it..."

Walking beside Shen, Bai She deliberately triggered a trap, suddenly reshaping the entire structure of the catacombs. The two martial brothers found themselves isolated in the same room.

"That bastard, he was among the inner disciples and activated a trap to isolate us," Shen muttered, furrowing his brows as he scanned the area with his Eye.

But something was off.

"Big brother?"

Bai She stood still, his head tilted to the side, a wide, eerie smile on his face.

"What's—"

Before Shen could finish, Bai She appeared in front of him and struck him violently in the chest. Shen was thrown against a wall. Wiping the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, he stared, dazed, at the corrupted and unhealthy aura emanating from the one he called his big brother.

'I refuse to believe... maybe he's possessed... He's been acting strange lately,' thought Shen.

Bai She's omega lit up, emanating such toxic energy that Shen already felt poisoned just by his presence.

"Little brother, you're far too naive. I'll put your ability to good use," Bai She declared coldly, slowly advancing towards him. Shen fell to his knees, coughing up blood.

"I can't believe it!"

"It was YOU, THE DEVOURER." Shen spat out a puff of blood,