Chapter 13: The Eastern Wilderness

The eastern wilderness was everything Liu Chen's notes had promised—and worse.

Unclaimed territory stretched for thousands of miles beyond the boundaries of orthodox sect influence. Here, the corruption from the ancient war had never been contained, creating landscapes where reality itself seemed unstable. Mountains shifted position between dawn and dusk. Rivers flowed uphill. The sky changed colors without warning, cycling through hues that had no names in human languages.

"This is insane," Su Mei breathed as they navigated through a forest where the trees grew sideways, their roots reaching into void rather than earth. "How does anything survive here?"

"By adapting," Lin Xiao replied, his enhanced senses constantly scanning for threats. "The creatures that live here have evolved—or been transformed—to thrive in chaos. Normal rules don't apply."

*This land remembers what it was during the war. A battlefield where demonic and human armies clashed for decades.* The Emperor's voice carried something like nostalgia. *I fought here, once. The corruption you're seeing is the echo of battles that ended ten millennia ago.*

"Encouraging."

They traveled for days through increasingly unstable territory, surviving encounters with creatures that defied classification. Things made of crystallized hatred. Beasts that existed in multiple places simultaneously. Spirits that fed on confusion and grew stronger the more lost their prey became.

Lin Xiao's infernal abilities proved invaluable. The corruption that destabilized the land responded to his demonic essence, creating pathways where none existed and smoothing terrain that would have been impassable for orthodox cultivators.

"You're more comfortable here than in the sects," Su Mei observed during one of their rest periods.

"The corruption doesn't try to destroy me. It recognizes me as... similar." He examined his hands, watching scales shift beneath his skin. "The orthodox world considers this land cursed. But for me, it feels almost welcoming."

"Because you're becoming like it."

"Yes." He met her eyes. "Does that worry you?"

"It worries me that you're asking if it should." Her smile took the edge off her words. "The Lin Xiao I'm watching isn't losing himself. He's finding places where he belongs."

*She's perceptive. And kinder than most humans deserve.*

Their destination appeared on the seventh day—a structure that shouldn't have existed in this chaotic landscape. A temple, ancient beyond measure, its architecture predating any style Lin Xiao recognized. It sat in a clearing where the corruption seemed to have stabilized, creating an island of stillness in the surrounding madness.

"What is that?" Su Mei asked.

*Old Ghost Feng's resting place,* the Emperor said. *A cultivator who discovered the infernal path centuries ago—one of the few who mastered it without losing himself. His tomb has been waiting for a worthy inheritor.*

"You didn't mention this."

*I wasn't certain it still existed. The wilderness changes constantly—landmarks rarely survive for long.* A pause. *But if the tomb has endured, the knowledge inside might be exactly what you need.*

---

The temple's interior was surprisingly well-preserved.

Spiritual formations maintained the structure against the chaos outside, creating an atmosphere of stillness that contrasted sharply with the wilderness beyond. Murals covered the walls—depictions of battles and cultivation techniques that predated orthodox traditions.

And at the center of the main chamber, a wispy figure materialized.

"Well, well." The ghost was translucent, his form incomplete—just a torso and head, scholarly robes, and the tired expression of someone who had been waiting far too long. "Another infernal cultivator. The Emperor's essence, no less."

"You know what I am?"

"I can sense what you carry. A fragment of the Core—the Demon Emperor's central consciousness." Old Ghost Feng drifted closer, examining Lin Xiao with eyes that saw more than physical reality. "Plus one of the aspects. Wrath, if I'm not mistaken. Recently absorbed."

"You seem to know a lot about the fragments."

"I spent three centuries studying them. Understanding the Emperor's nature was the only way to survive inheriting his power." The ghost's expression shifted to something almost fond. "I see you've figured out the integration method. Good. Most vessels destroy themselves trying to suppress what they've been given."

*He was one of my students, in a sense. Not directly—he discovered the infernal path independently. But his insights contributed to techniques I use today.*

"The Emperor says you contributed to infernal cultivation theory."

"Did he? How flattering." Old Ghost Feng settled into a seated position, his form flickering slightly. "I assume you're here for more than sightseeing. What do you need?"

"Knowledge. Training. Understanding of what I'm becoming before the power overwhelms me."

"Direct and honest. I appreciate that." The ghost studied him for a long moment. "The path you're walking is dangerous—I assume you know that. Every fragment you absorb will change you. The being you become after gathering all seven won't be the person you are now."

"Will he be someone worth being?"

"That depends entirely on you." Old Ghost Feng gestured, and images appeared in the air—scenes from his own cultivation journey. "When I discovered the infernal path, I was a failed orthodox cultivator. Rejected by every sect for lacking sufficient spiritual roots. I found the demonic alternative out of desperation, the same way you probably did."

"And?"

"And I spent centuries learning that the path doesn't determine the destination. The power I gained could have made me a monster—I saw plenty of other infernal cultivators become exactly that. But I chose differently. I used what I learned to protect people who needed protection, to preserve knowledge that would otherwise be lost, to prove that demonic cultivation didn't have to mean demonic intent."

*He's speaking truth. His choices made the infernal path more than just a tool for destruction.*

"You made the path into something new."

"I contributed to making it something new. Others did the same. And now you have the opportunity to contribute as well." Old Ghost Feng's expression grew serious. "The Emperor's fragments are gathering—you've absorbed Wrath, and the others will eventually find their way to you. The question is what you'll do with that power once it's complete."

"I don't want to become the Demon Emperor."

"Good. Because you can't—he was a product of his era, his experiences, his choices. You'll become something else. The only question is what."

Lin Xiao absorbed this while Su Mei explored the temple's other chambers. The ghost's words aligned with what the Emperor had been telling him, but hearing it from an outside source made it feel more real.

He wasn't destined to repeat history. He was something new. Whether that new thing was worth becoming—that was still an open question, and he suspected it would stay open for a long time.

"Will you teach me?" he asked.

"I'll share what I know. It's why I've been waiting here—for someone worthy to inherit my understanding." Old Ghost Feng's form solidified slightly, as if the prospect of a student had given him renewed energy. "But be warned: my methods aren't gentle. The infernal path demands confrontation with your own darkness. If you're not prepared for that..."

"I've spent ten years confronting darkness. I'm ready for more."

"Then let's begin."