Desire of the demon

Li Huo stood on the roof of the dorm building, looking at the menacing figure climbing straight ahead, filled with bloodlust.

"Demon cultivators are one hell of mad dogs, aren't they?" Li Huo thought to himself. "You avoid confrontation with them, and they still bark and bite like rabid beasts."

After complaining about his misfortune, he focused. "Well, all said and done, it seems I'll have to beat him half to death to get out of this situation."

The demon cultivator climbed up, twisted his neck in an unnatural way, and screamed, "Hahaha! Run now, ant! Where will you go? This day next year will be your death anniversary!"

He drew his sword, channeling spiritual energy into it, and unleashed a powerful attack. "Nether Corrosive Sword Beam!" The demon cultivator screamed as a dark, red-brown beam shot toward Li Huo.

Li Huo barely dodged. The attack grazed his skin, leaving it rotten. Without hesitation, he cut away the infected part to stop it from spreading.

"Nether attribute... Damn it," Li Huo muttered solemnly. "If I fight him from this distance, I'm dead. I need to get closer."

He pretended to charge, only to suddenly leap off the rooftop, landing on a balcony of another dorm building.

The demon cultivator, realizing he'd been tricked, screamed in rage and gave chase, leaping from the roof to the balcony.

Li Huo burst into a random student's dorm room. The terrified student, hiding in a closet, nearly screamed but managed to stay quiet, covering his mouth.

Li Huo didn't stop. He grabbed a flower vase while running and hurled it at the demon cultivator. The cultivator dismissed it as a weak attempt to stall him and pressed forward.

But Li Huo abruptly turned, channeling all his internal energy into his palm, and struck directly at the demon cultivator's dantian.

"Puchi!" Blood poured from the cultivator's orifices as his energy flow went berserk.

"Crack!" The demon cultivator's dantian partially shattered, leaving him pale and horrified. He couldn't believe the ant he had been chasing had managed to cripple him.

Without hesitation, Li Huo disabled the cultivator's arms and legs, ensuring he couldn't move. Then, he rifled through his belongings, taking his storage ring and any hidden weapons.

Hoisting the cultivator onto his shoulder, Li Huo smiled at the trembling student in the closet and jumped off the balcony.

He dropped the demon cultivator on the ground and waited. "It looks like only mid-level Qi Compressors and early-stage Qi Gatherers are left. They should be able to handle it. After all, they have some internal energy masters among them."

He observed the battlefield. "If these demon cultivators had attacked collectively, they'd have overwhelmed the defenses. But their spread-out assault is making it easier for the instructors to hold them off."

Still, Li Huo knew he'd been lucky. "I only defeated him so easily because of his Nether attribute. It corrupts the user's mind, making them reckless they are more prone to take illogical decision than normal demon cultivators who don't use Nether attribute. But Nether cultivators are rare and terrifying. Those who survive the corruption are monsters among monsters. No one wants to get on their bad side."

As the sounds of battle died down, Li Huo realized the fight was over. The instructors began gathering the surviving students.

Li Huo watched as students emerged from their rooms, pale and shaken, following the instructors who knocked on their doors. Some hesitated, but eventually, they all came out.

Jumping back onto the balcony where he had left the demon cultivator, Li Huo entered the room. He quickly made a rope from bedsheets, tied the cultivator securely, and stuffed him into the wardrobe for safekeeping.

After ensuring the demon cultivator couldn't escape, Li Huo joined the line of students outside. Many were murmuring, their fear and unease evident.

"Was it even right to come here?" one student whispered. "I joined to become a hero, but I don't think I can do this anymore."

Another shouted, "I want to leave! I'd rather live a peaceful life than die like this!"

Hua Rong, one of the instructors, stepped forward and shouted, "Silence!"

The students fell quiet.

"I know you're terrified," she began, her voice firm. "Some of you lost friends today. I won't sugarcoat it—this was the academy's failure. We didn't provide enough protection, and the demon cultivators took advantage of that."

She paused, letting her words sink in, then continued. "If anyone wants to leave, you can do so now."

One student hesitantly raised their hand, but before others could follow, Hua Rong added, "But remember, these dangers won't disappear. Can you truly be safe anywhere? Living in fear isn't living at all."

Her tone softened. "To ensure your safety, we'll assign each group of five students an instructor. I'll personally take on only two students."

Disappointment and hope flashed across the students' faces. Many wanted to be under her care.

"Li Huo, Sha Li," Hua Rong called out. "From today, you're under my care."

After assigning all the students to specific instructors and issuing clear directives to clean up the aftermath Hua Rong left the podium she signaled Li Huo and Sha Li to follow her.

Midway, Li Huo asked, "What about the bodies and the damage? Aren't you going to help them clean it?"

"They'll handle the cleanup," Hua Rong replied curtly. "As for us, we need to leave immediately. I have to report this incident to the higher authorities. While they may already have some information, it's my responsibility to provide a detailed account since I'm in charge of this academy."

Li Huo's eyes lit up with a curious expression, though it was feigned. "So, there are other academies too?" he asked, his tone intentionally casual.

Hua Rong remained silent, her expression unreadable, as if she hadn't heard his question. Realizing he wasn't going to get an answer, Li Huo smoothly changed the topic.

"I need to grab something from my room," he said after a brief pause. "It's important."

She hesitated, then nodded. "Make it quick. Meet us at the gate."

Li Huo swiftly made his way back to the dorm balcony where he had left the demon cultivator. Entering the room, he opened the wardrobe to find the cultivator glaring at him with malice.

Ignoring the hatred in his eyes, Li Huo thought, "Now, what should I do with this one?"