From DEMON to TRASH: The rise of Demonic Emperor Zhiyun

As the sun dipped lower on the horizon, casting long shadows through the forest, Zhiyun silently followed the group of mercenaries. His posture was slouched, his steps uneven—an act to maintain the facade of weakness and helplessness. Yet, his sharp eyes missed nothing.

The forest around them was ancient, its towering trees stretching hundreds of feet into the sky, their canopies forming a dense, shadowy roof. The air was thick with the hum of spiritual energy, so potent it prickled against Zhiyun's skin like static. He inhaled deeply, his lips curling into a faint smirk.

'This isn't just any forest. Something powerful is ahead'

The journey dragged on for hours, the only sounds being the crunch of leaves underfoot and the occasional rustle of unseen creatures in the foliage.

Zhiyun's mind churned with possibilities as he observed the mercenaries. Their leader, cautious but arrogant, kept his focus ahead, while the others seemed wary, their eyes scanning the surroundings nervously.

Finally, the leader raised his hand, signaling the group to stop. Zhiyun came to a halt at the rear of the group, his eyes narrowing at the sight before them.

Suspended between two towering mountain peaks was a wooden hanging bridge, its weathered planks swaying slightly in the wind. The bridge was impossibly long, stretching over 200 meters, and beneath it was a chasm shrouded in thick, rolling fog. The depth was immeasurable, and the foreboding silence made it clear—a single misstep would mean certain death.

The leader turned to address the group. "Keep your wits about you. This bridge isn't just old it's unstable. Watch your step, and don't stop for anything. If you fall… there's no saving you."

Zhiyun's gaze lingered on the bridge, his thoughts already calculating. 'Something lies beyond this point, something they're after.'

As they stepped onto the creaking wooden bridge, the fog below began to rise, wrapping around them like a suffocating shroud.

The once-visible surroundings faded into an eerie blur of white, reducing their vision to just a few feet ahead.

"Keep your heads low! Don't look down, and don't stop!" the leader hissed, his voice sharp but subdued. The group instinctively followed his command, tightening their formation.

Zhiyun's lips curled into a faint smirk. 'They're afraid of something.'

A dark and twisted idea formed in his mind as he glanced at the thick fog veiling their movements.

Masking his intentions, he tapped the shoulder of the man walking in front of him.

"Huh? Who—" the man started to turn, but before he could finish, a hand clamped over his mouth, silencing him.

With a quick and practiced motion, Zhiyun drained the life force from the struggling man.

The victim's movements weakened within seconds, his body shriveling as his vitality was sucked away. When the process was complete, the man's lifeless, withered form looked like dried jerky. Zhiyun tossed him over the edge of the bridge with ease, the body vanishing into the fog below.

The faint scuffle caught the attention of the leader, who turned his head slightly. "Keep it down!" he barked in a hushed tone. "The guardian will hear us if you make too much noise!"

'To think that my demon devouring soul would work, it seems the book not only protected by soul but also all the martial arts I learned and accomplished during my tine as an Emperor'

Zhiyun's eyes gleamed with cruel satisfaction as he felt a small surge of energy course through his weak body. While it wasn't enough to restore his meridians, it had significantly bolstered his strength. 'Not enough… but it's a start,' he thought, already plotting his next move.

Quietly and methodically, he repeated the process, eliminating two more mercenaries. Each time, he grew stronger, his power now four times greater than when he first crossed the bridge. His muscles felt less frail, his control sharper. 'Three more,' he calculated. 'Three more, and I'll have the strength to unclog my meridians.'

Just as he prepared to target his next victim, a violent gust of wind swept across the bridge, causing it to sway dangerously. The mercenaries grabbed onto the ropes in a panic, their collective weight making the wooden planks groan in protest.

"That's not normal wind…" Zhiyun muttered to himself, his sharp instincts flaring.

Another powerful gust followed, this time almost ripping some of the men off the bridge. The sound of massive, leathery wings flapping grew closer, sending chills down their spines.

"What's that?!" one of the mercenaries shouted, his voice trembling.

"Run! Get to the edge of the bridge!" the leader bellowed, his tone laced with fear.

Panic erupted among the group as they scrambled forward, their hurried steps causing the bridge to sway wildly. The chaotic movement made it almost impossible to maintain balance.

'Idiots,' Zhiyun thought with disdain. 'Their panic will kill them faster than whatever's coming.'

He maintained his footing with ease, his demonic instincts honed from centuries of experience. But the mercenaries' erratic movements slowed his pace, trapping him in their chaos.

Suddenly, he felt a searing heat behind him. His instincts screamed a warning, and he threw himself forward just in time to avoid the razor-sharp claws of a massive, grotesque creature. Its body resembled an oversized bat, its wings spanning several meters as it hovered menacingly above the bridge.

"How dare a mere animal target me," Zhiyun snarled, his eyes glowing with a dangerous light. With a surge of his demonic energy, he unleashed a fragment of his soul's oppressive aura, aiming it directly at the beast.

The creature hesitated, its instincts overwhelmed by the unnatural force. It screeched and veered away from him, its fear evident in its frantic movements.

Zhiyun smirked, satisfied. 'Even in this weakened state, animals can still sense who they're dealing with.'

But the bat wasn't done. It turned sharply, redirecting its fury at the nearest mercenary. The man screamed as the creature descended upon him, its claws tearing into his flesh. The chaos deepened as the remaining mercenaries ran, their panic amplifying the bridge's instability.

The chaos soon die down as the remaining mecenaries including Zhiyun reached the end of the bridge, the bat seems have no intention of following them as if it was restricted to go near the edge of the bridge, it give them one last look and fly down deep the cliff away to everyones sight.

"What was that, boss?" asked by the thin man, his voice trembling slightly.

"It was the guardian," the leader replied, his tone grim. "It always attacks anyone who dares to cross the bridge."

He scanned the group, his eyes narrowing as he counted the survivors. Out of the original fifteen mercenaries, only ten remained. His gaze lingered on Zhiyun, who stood at the back, looking disheveled but unharmed.

"I'm surprised this kid is still alive," the leader muttered suspiciously.

Something about the boy felt… off.

Zhiyun, noticing the scrutiny, let out a nervous chuckle. He scratched his head and hunched his shoulders, making himself appear small and harmless.

"I'm surprised too, leader!" he said with an awkward laugh. "I thought I was done for, but I guess the bat didn't care about someone as weak and useless as me…"

"The boy's so pathetic, even the guardian didn't find him appetizing," sneered the thin man, prompting laughter from the rest of the group. Zhiyun joined in, his grin wide and foolish, hiding the sharp gleam in his eyes.

The leader shrugged and motioned for the group to move on. They continued their trek until they reached a massive cave at the base of the mountain.

Zhiyun stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowing at the sight before him. The air outside the cave was heavy with miasma, a thick, toxic fog that oozed out in waves. The surrounding plants had withered and died, leaving a barren zone at least twenty meters wide around the cave's entrance.

"Is this the place, boss?" asked the man with the ponytail, his voice tinged with unease.

"Yes," the leader said firmly, but his expression darkened as his gaze flicked toward Zhiyun. He exchanged a knowing look with the man in the ponytail, one that didn't escape Zhiyun's sharp eyes.

"Oy, you beggar," the ponytailed man said, stepping toward Zhiyun with a smirk.

"This is where you repay us for helping you," he said, his tone dripping with malice.

Zhiyun blinked innocently, keeping his expression blank and emotionless. The blankness in his stare unsettled the man, sending an inexplicable chill down his spine. For a moment, he felt goosebumps crawl over his skin.

But when he looked again, the boy was smiling awkwardly, looking harmless as ever. The man shook off the strange feeling.

"Uh… yes, sir! But what do you need me to do?" Zhiyun asked, his voice laced with hesitation.

"We need you to scout the cave," the man replied, his smirk widening. "Go inside, take a look around, and let us know what's in there."

Zhiyun feigned alarm, his brows furrowing as he clutched his chest. "But sir… my meridians are broken! I can't cultivate or defend myself. I won't survive in there for more than a moment. The miasma will kill me before I can even be of use…"

The ponytailed man hesitated, glancing toward the leader. What the boy said made sense—without the ability to cultivate and form a protective barrier, he wouldn't last against the miasma.

"Tch, useless brat," the ponytailed man spat before walking over to the leader. He whispered something into the leader's ear, earning a thoughtful nod.

The leader reached into his pouch and handed the man a small bag. The ponytailed man returned to Zhiyun, tossing the bag at him.

"Here. Take this pill," he said impatiently. "It'll make you immune to the miasma for 12 hours. But when it wears off, you're on your own, so you'd better hurry back after scouting the cave. And just so you know, this pill costs 10 taels. We're adding it to your tab."

Zhiyun caught the bag and opened it, revealing a single yellow-brown pill. He sniffed it discreetly, his mind quickly analyzing its composition.

As expected.

The pill was, in fact, a low-grade immunity pill. But contrary to the man's claims, it didn't protect against all poisons—only insect-related toxins. Worse, its effects would last no more than five hours, far from the promised twelve.

However, what intrigued Zhiyun was the faint trace of an additional herb within the pill. A smile crept onto his face as he glanced at the ponytailed man.

"Sir, can I also have a torch and a weapon? As you can see, I'm completely unarmed," Zhiyun said, his voice trembling as he played the part of a helpless boy.

The man rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. Hey, you!" he barked, pointing at a stocky mercenary with short brown hair.

"Give him a torch and a dagger."

The stocky man complied without question, handing Zhiyun the requested items.

After securing his supplies, Zhiyun popped the pill into his mouth and swallowed it. He gave the group a cheerful wave as he walked toward the cave.

"Be careful, little beggar," the thin man muttered under his breath with a sneer.

"What a waste of a good pill," added the leader, shaking his head. "But it doesn't matter. All sacrifices are necessary. We'll give him one hour before it wears off, then we'll enter the cave ourselves."

The group nodded in agreement, their attention shifting away from Zhiyun as he disappeared into the cave.

The moment he was out of sight, Zhiyun's expression darkened. His harmless façade melted away, replaced by a predatory grin.

"Let's see who the real fool is here," he muttered to himself, his voice dripping with disdain.

As he ventured deeper into the cave, the poison in the air grew thicker, each step testing the limits of the pill's protection. But beyond the suffocating miasma, Zhiyun detected a faint, distinct scent.

A familiar scent.

His heart quickened. If his suspicions were correct, the source of this scent could hold the key to restoring his meridians.

His pace quickened, excitement bubbling within him.

"Whatever lies in this cave belongs to me."