Chapter 11: A new world within darkgrove forest.

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The woman appeared deep within a forest known as the darkgrove forest, this forest was known for its dense demonic energy, moreover the heavenly demon sect was located deep within this forest, where the demonic energy was more abundant.

She appeared in front of the entrance of the sect which was carved with a gnarled, ancient oak tree, whose weathered bark bore countless runes and incantations in a language long forgotten by most. The sect itself was composed of a sprawling network of buildings and courtyards, each one more ornate and imposing than the last.

Yet despite its grandeur, there was an eerie stillness that pervaded the entire sect, almost as if the air itself was under a spell. This sect was known for their devotion to demonic art, every member in the sect harnessing the power of demonic Qi but surprisingly this demon sect was known for going against any form of forbidden art, and ritual that deal with harnessing the power of dark spirit and malevolent entities to gain supernatural strength

The demonic woman was walking toward the deeper region of the sect, and she wasn't hiding her presence at all. Some other member of the sect will greet her every now and then, " greetings to elder Xieling", they will say and bow in her direction, but she ignored them and kept walking deeper.

>>>>>>>>

Kai vision flickered in and out of focus. The last thing he had seen was a beautiful demonic woman, killing the old man and the other man with just a wave of her hand.

When he finally opened his eyes, he was in an unfamiliar room. The walls were dark with a faint glow emanating from somewhere behind them. He groaned and sat up. Suddenly, realization dawned on him, he remembered his main purpose which was to partake in the heavenly demon sect entrance exam. Then he started panicking and in his mind he hoped he hadn't missed his chance yet.

All of a sudden the door opened, and he saw the demonic woman walk in, her hair in a braid and dressed in the same black robe. She set down the bowl of water on the small table beside his bed.

"You're finally awake", she said, but Kai couldn't calm down because his mind was now on the entrance exam. "You've been out for three days".

Kai felt an explosion rang out in his mind upon hearing this news, he became depressed immediately, he felt disappointed in himself, for missing his only chance to enter a sect.

Kai took a deep breath to calm his raging mind, before he looked around the room, trying to figure out where he was and how he got here.

"Where am I?" He asked.

"You're in the Heavenly demon sect", the demonic woman said with a teasing smile, studying the multiple expressions that appeared on Kai's face in just a few minutes.

Then she gestured towards the door. "I brought you here because I thought it might be better for you to recover here".

Kai stood up, feeling much better now, and followed the woman outside. The woman led him to a small pond, where she was tending to a school of fish.

"You can call me xieling", she said.

"I owe you my life", Kai said gratefully. "But I failed to partake in the sect exam, which was my purpose in coming here in the first place. I can leave now".

"Don't be so hasty," Xieling replied, as she flicked her hand, sending a small ripple through the water, scaring the fish away. "I'm one of the core elders of this sect and I have a recommendation token that allows me to get someone inside the sect as an inner disciple without taking the exam. I can give it to you, but you'll owe me a favor in the future."

Kai felt a sense of gratitude mixed with confusion that Xieling offered her recommendation token, but he wasn't willing to lose his opportunity, so he accepted it. He would never forget this act of kindness, and he promised himself he would pay back xieling's kindness in the future.

"If you insist," Kai said, not wanting to come off as ungrateful. "But I still want to take the inner disciple exam. Not because I'm ungrateful, but because I want to have the chance to prove myself that I have the strength to become an inner disciple, not because of the recommendation".

Xieling face split into a grin, impressed with kai's resolve. "Very well," xieling said. "To become an inner disciple, you must prove yourself capable of handling the trial the sect proposes. You must be strong both physically and mentally and willing to face the consequences of your actions".

Kai squared his shoulder and nodded.

Xieling suddenly looked into Kai's eyes,"what do you know of being a demon?" She asked.

Kai was caught off guard with this question. To be honest, he knew nothing about being a demon, although he had heard news of how demonic cultivators kill innocent people and a lot of bad news about demonic paths. But his master has taught him that there is no good or bad cultivation path; there are only good and bad people.

He look at xieling before he replied, " according to my master teachings, there is no bad or good cultivation path, there only exist good and bad people, so the path is not what matter but rather the person following the path".

"Good, it seems your master is really a good person, to impact such profound knowledge to you, but let explain what true demonic path is and the difference between true demonic cultivation and heretic demonic cultivation". Xieling praise before she continues.

"The true demonic path is all about mastering the dark forces within yourself, it's about accepting your flaws, your fears, and your desires, and using them to your advantage. It's not all about channeling your energy through demonic techniques and using them to gain unparalleled strength and power. But most importantly, it's about being in control of your own mind and your own actions".

Kai nodded, feeling like he was starting to get a hang of what Xieling was speaking about.

"However, there are those who practice the heretic demonic path" Xieling continued. "These cultivators are so consumed by their hatred and thirst for power that they lose sight of what it truly means to follow the true path. They are consumed by their own darkness, and they will do anything to grasp at power, no matter the cost. The heretics are cruel and merciless, often inflicting pain and harm on innocent people just to satisfy their own twisted desires.

Xieling expression grew somber at the mention of heretics demonic cultivators."they've destroyed everything that we've worked so hard to build here in heavenly demon sect", she said. "Their actions and beliefs run in complete opposition to true demonic cultivation.

Kai listened intently, feeling both intrigued and slightly afraid by Xieling's words. He could tell that true demonic cultivation was not for the faint of heart, but he was determined to learn and walk the true demonic path.

"Thank you for explaining that to me," Kai said gratefully. "I understand now that the true demonic path is a path that requires an unwavering sense of morality and respect for all living beings."

Xieling smiled, pleased with Kai's understanding. "Yes, that is true," she said. "But it's not just about following a certain set of guidelines, it's about living with the knowledge that the power within you has the potential to be both a blessing and a curse. It's about being mindful of your own actions and the impact they have on the world around you".

Xieling took Kai away to help him register for the upcoming inner disciple exam. She led him to a small courtyard in the center of the sect, where the registration desk was set up, and it only took them five minutes considering that she was bringing kai along side with her.

As they approached, Kai could see that the registration area was bustling with other hopeful cultivators, all vying for a chance to become the inner discipline of the sect. A tall imposing cultivator dressed in black robes sat behind a wooden desk, taking notes on a scroll with a feather quill.

When xieling stepped forward with her black robe fluttering in the breeze, all the cultivators present immediately pave way for her and bow their head to show their respect. "Elder Liu, I'm here to register this young man behind me with my recommendation token". She declared.

Elder Liu looked up, his eyes fixed on xieling face, this elder also has demonic energy that is almost on par with xieling. "Of course, elder xieling," he said, his voice quiet and respectful. "Please fill out this form with the necessary details."

He handed xieling a parchment scroll and a quill, which xieling took with a nod of thanks, with a few quick strokes of the quill, she filled in the necessary details about Kai's cultivation level and experience, she didn't make anything obvious in her application.

"Alright, that should do it", xieling said, handing the form back to elder Liu. " when will the exam be held?"

"The exam will be held in a few hours," elder Liu said.