Demonic Cultivator System

The settlement's cramped streets pulsed with chaotic energy. Merchants bellowed over each other, hawking everything from dubious spirit stones to stolen cultivation manuals. Hollow-eyed children flitted through the shadows, pilfering pockets with unsettling ease. Tension clung to every corner, as if the slightest spark could ignite the whole place.

Lian Yue stayed close, her sharp gaze scanning the crowd. "We shouldn't linger. They're watching, waiting for us to slip."

She was right. The stares were unmistakable—hungry, calculating. To these people, we were outsiders: prey at best, competition at worst.

"Let them watch," I said, my voice cold. "If they try something, they'll regret it."

Her lips twitched in something resembling a smile. "Confident, aren't you?"

I didn't answer. Confidence wasn't optional; it was survival. Hesitation here meant death.

We stopped at a cluttered stall run by an old woman whose sharp eyes belied her warm smile. Her wares—vials, spirit grasses, talismans—were stacked haphazardly.

"What do you seek, young ones?" she asked, her tone saccharine.

"A cultivation manual," I said. "Something rare but discreet. And information about the local sects."

Her eyes gleamed. "A bold request. Rare goods aren't cheap."

I placed three mid-grade spirit stones on the counter. "This covers your time."

She pocketed them with practiced ease. "You're new to the region."

"Does it matter?" I asked, holding her gaze.

"Only if you don't know who to avoid." She leaned closer, her voice dropping. "The Azure Blade Sect controls the east, but their grip here is weak. That's why this place crawls with rogues and fugitives."

"What about the Azure Blade Sect?" I pressed.

"They're strong," she replied, sliding a thin book across the counter. "And they don't forgive. If you cross them, make sure they're all dead. Otherwise, they'll hunt you relentlessly."

I nodded, pocketing the manual. "And the Crimson Moon Sect?"

Her expression darkened. "Rumors say their remnants hide in the north, near the Obsidian Hills. Scattered, weakened. Easy prey for those seeking favor with larger sects."

I glanced at Lian Yue. She gripped her dagger tightly, her tension palpable.

"Thanks for the advice," I said, turning to leave.

"Be warned," the old woman called after us. "This place may be neutral, but it's far from safe. Stay too long, and you'll be caught in the crossfire."

We found an abandoned corner to examine the manual. The worn cover and faint mildew scent couldn't hide its value.

"Shadowfang Sword Technique," I read aloud. "Mid-tier. Focuses on speed and precision. For those with sharp instincts and a ruthless edge."

"Fits you," Lian Yue said, her tone unreadable.

"Does it?" I smirked, flipping through the pages and absorbing the intricate movements. The system hummed its approval.

"Host, this skill can be integrated. Initiate automatic comprehension?"

"Yes," I thought, closing my eyes. A surge of pain shot through my head as knowledge flooded in: stances, grips, strikes. When I opened my eyes, it felt like I'd practiced the technique for years.

"What just happened?" Lian Yue asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about," I said, unsheathing my sword. I swung it in a wide arc. The blade hummed, leaving afterimages. Each strike was swift, lethal.

"Impressive," she admitted.

"It's a start," I said. "We'll need more to survive."

As night fell, the settlement's mood turned darker. The streets emptied, replaced by figures lurking in shadows, their intent unmistakable.

We holed up in a crumbling shack at the settlement's edge. Its roof leaked, and the walls barely held, but it offered cover.

"Do you trust her?" Lian Yue asked, lighting a small fire.

"No," I said. "But her information was useful."

She nodded, staring into the flames. "If the Crimson Moon Sect's remnants are in the Obsidian Hills, I have to find them. Their legacy can't die."

"Legacy won't keep you alive," I said flatly.

Her gaze hardened. "No, but it gives me a reason to fight."

The silence that followed was heavy, but I didn't argue. Everyone clung to something, even illusions.

In the dead of night, footsteps broke the stillness. Lian Yue stirred, dagger in hand. "What is it?"

"Trouble," I whispered, drawing my sword.

The door creaked open, revealing three figures cloaked in shadow. Their weapons glinted ominously.

"Outsiders," one sneered. "Hand over your spirit stones, and you might live."

Lian Yue smirked. "Do we look like easy marks?"

The man's sneer turned to a scowl. "Your funeral."

They charged. My first opponent fell to a sidestep and a precise slash, the Shadowfang technique cutting him down before he realized. Lian Yue dispatched the second with brutal efficiency.

The third hesitated, fear in his eyes. "Wait! We can—"

I silenced him with a flash of steel. The system's voice echoed in my mind.

"Energy absorbed. Progress to Foundation Establishment, third stage: 50%."

Lian Yue wiped her blade clean. "They underestimated us."

"They won't be the last," I said. "And we won't always have the advantage."

"Then we get stronger," she said, her eyes fierce. "No matter the cost."

Her resolve mirrored my own. In this world, strength wasn't a choice. It was survival. And I would pay any price to walk that path.