Chapter 58:The Devil’s Crossing

The border between the Demonic Cult and the Murim Alliance was not marked by walls, flags, or grand fortresses.

It was marked by corpses.

The mountain range that separated the two powers stretched endlessly beneath dark clouds, its jagged peaks cutting through the sky like the fangs of some ancient beast.

This place had no laws.

No justice.

No mercy.

Bandits, smugglers, murderers, fugitives, slave traders, and criminals gathered here after fleeing both sides of the continent.

To survive in these mountains, one needed either overwhelming strength or overwhelming cruelty.

Most possessed neither.

An escort caravan slowly made its way through the winding mountain road.

Heavy wagons creaked beneath the weight of valuable cargo while dozens of armed warriors surrounded them.

Every face carried tension.

Every hand rested on a weapon.

Nobody felt safe here.

Not even veterans.

One young escort warrior swallowed nervously.

"Do we really have to go through this route?"

The older warrior beside him chuckled.

"What? Scared?"

The younger man looked around.

The silent forests.

The steep cliffs.

The countless places where death could hide.

"Who wouldn't be?"

he muttered.

"We could die at any moment."

The caravan leader rode at the front.

His weathered face remained calm.

"Our duty is simple."

His voice carried across the convoy.

"We protect the goods."

"No matter the circumstances."

"No matter the danger."

"That is what it means to be an escort warrior."

The younger warriors straightened slightly.

Their fear remained.

But so did their resolve.

Then—

A whistle echoed through the mountains.

Everyone froze.

The next moment dozens of figures appeared atop the cliffs.

More emerged from behind rocks.

More stepped from the trees.

Within seconds the caravan found itself completely surrounded.

Bandits.

Hundreds of them.

The escort warriors immediately drew their weapons.

The bandit leader grinned.

A massive scar stretched across his face.

"If you wish to pass through our mountain," he said lazily,

"You'll need to pay a toll."

The escort leader sighed.

He already knew where this was going.

Without arguing he tossed a pouch filled with silver.

The bandit leader caught it.

Weighed it.

Then casually cut the pouch in half.

Silver scattered across the ground.

His smile widened.

"I changed my mind."

The bandits laughed.

The escort leader's expression darkened.

The bandit pointed his blade toward the wagons.

"Leave the goods."

Then toward the escorts.

"Leave your weapons."

Then toward their clothes.

"And leave those too."

"Otherwise..."

His killing intent spread.

"Nobody leaves this mountain alive."

Silence.

Everyone understood.

Negotiations were over.

The escort leader slowly raised his hand.

Then whistled.

"Attack!"

Chaos erupted.

Steel clashed.

Arrows flew.

Blood splattered.

The mountain road became a battlefield.

At first the escorts managed to hold their ground.

But the bandits knew the terrain.

They had superior numbers.

Every fallen bandit was replaced by three more.

Within minutes the escorts were being overwhelmed.

Warriors fell one after another.

The younger escort who had spoken earlier watched his friend die beside him.

Despair began spreading through the caravan.

They were losing.

Badly.

Then—

A lazy voice interrupted the battlefield.

"Can't a guy take a nap in peace?"

Everyone froze.

Bandits.

Escorts.

Even the leader.

All eyes turned toward a large tree beside the road.

A young man sat atop one of its branches.

One leg dangling.

One arm behind his head.

Yawning.

As if the battle beneath him was merely background noise.

The bandit leader frowned.

"Who the hell is that?"

Lucifer slowly opened one eye.

His expression looked genuinely annoyed.

"You idiots woke me up."

The temperature around him seemed to drop.

"Now tell me..."

He stood.

"...how exactly are you planning to compensate me?"

The bandits burst into laughter.

One of them nearly fell over.

"This lunatic doesn't even understand what's happening!"

The bandit leader smirked.

"Bring him to me."

"I'll personally cut off his head."

One bandit charged forward.

Sword raised.

Murderous grin on his face.

"You should've kept sleeping."

"Now die!"

The escorts watched helplessly.

The bandit was a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

More than enough to kill an ordinary traveler.

Then—

The bandit disappeared.

For a moment nobody understood what happened.

Something rolled across the ground.

Stopped at the bandit leader's feet.

A head.

The bandit's head.

His eyes still carried confusion.

Silence.

Absolute silence.

The bandit leader slowly looked up.

Lucifer was still standing in the same place.

As if he had never moved.

The leader's smile vanished.

"Kill him."

His voice trembled slightly.

"Kill him!"

Dozens of bandits rushed forward.

Lucifer sighed.

"Annoying."

Then he raised one hand.

"Dismantle."

The mountain became quiet.

Terrifyingly quiet.

Bodies collapsed.

Pieces of bodies.

Blood painted the rocks red.

The escorts stared with wide eyes.

A single word.

One attack.

And dozens of bandits had simply ceased to exist.

The bandit leader's face turned pale.

His instincts screamed.

Run.

Run now.

But his legs refused to move.

For the first time in years...

He felt fear.

Real fear.

He quickly bowed.

"Senior!"

His tone changed instantly.

"I apologize for offending you."

"May I know your esteemed name?"

Lucifer tilted his head.

"Why?"

The bandit leader forced a smile.

"So I may know who I am speaking to."

Lucifer pointed at him.

"You don't need my name."

Then smiled.

"I need yours."

The bandit leader blinked.

"What?"

"Where's your hideout?"

The question confused everyone.

Even the escorts.

The bandit leader hesitated.

"Why do you want to know that?"

Lucifer yawned again.

"I was wondering how strong I've become lately."

A grin spread across his face.

"Maybe I'll wipe out your entire forest."

The bandit leader nearly laughed.

His hideout was Green Forest.

A criminal organization rivaling small sects.

Thousands of members.

Numerous experts.

Their leader was a Peak Transcendent Realm cultivator.

This lunatic wanted to attack them alone?

The bandit leader bowed deeply.

Hiding his smile.

"Of course, Senior."

"I'll gladly guide you."

Inside his mind he sneered.

You're walking toward your own grave.

Several hours later.

The Green Forest stronghold appeared.

Wooden walls.

Watchtowers.

Hundreds of buildings hidden within the mountains.

Thousands of criminals called this place home.

Lucifer stood before the massive wooden gate.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

A guard shouted from above.

"Who is it?"

Lucifer smiled.

"The Devil."

Then—

BOOM!

The gate exploded.

Fragments scattered everywhere.

The guard vanished.

Lucifer stepped through the wreckage.

"Why isn't anyone welcoming their guest?"

Alarm bells immediately rang.

Bandits flooded from every direction.

Archers.

Sword users.

Formation masters.

Everyone.

Thousands surrounded him.

Lucifer looked around.

Then nodded.

"Much better."

The massacre began.

Bandits rushed him from all sides.

Lucifer swung his hand.

"Raging Tempest."

A storm of demonic qi erupted.

Bodies exploded.

The survivors activated chain formations.

Dozens of spiritual chains shot toward him.

Trying to lock his movements.

"Sin of Sloth."

Lucifer vanished.

"Sin of Greed."

Time seemed to slow.

"Dismantle."

The chains shattered.

The cultivators behind them followed.

Sliced apart before they even understood what happened.

Talisman users stepped forward.

Protective barriers covered the battlefield.

Lucifer drew Chirin.

One slash.

"Cleave."

The barriers shattered.

The people behind them died immediately.

The surviving bandits screamed.

"Why are you doing this?!"

"What did we ever do to you?!"

Lucifer paused.

Then genuinely thought about it.

After a moment he answered.

"Nothing."

The bandits froze.

"What?"

Lucifer shrugged.

"I just felt like it."

Their faces twisted.

"Monster!"

"We've never even met you!"

Lucifer laughed.

"You loot people."

"You kidnap people."

"You murder people."

"Did you ask them for a reason first?"

Nobody answered.

Because they couldn't.

Lucifer pointed his sword.

"Exactly."

Just as he prepared to finish the remaining bandits—

A terrifying aura descended.

The ground cracked.

The sky darkened.

The Green Forest Leader had arrived.

A giant man stepped forward.

His cultivation exploded outward.

Peak Transcendent Realm.

The strongest person in these mountains.

Every surviving bandit cheered.

"Boss!"

"Kill him!"

"Destroy him!"

The leader glared at Lucifer.

"You've gone too far."

Lucifer smiled.

"Finally."

The leader roared and attacked.

A punch powerful enough to collapse buildings.

Lucifer didn't move.

"Sin of Greed."

The world slowed.

"Sin of Envy."

Every movement became predictable.

Lucifer stepped forward.

One slash.

"Severance."

The world seemed to split.

The leader froze.

His body remained standing for several seconds.

Then separated cleanly in half.

Dead.

Silence.

The cheering stopped instantly.

Hope disappeared.

The remaining bandits stared in horror.

Their strongest protector.

Their invincible leader.

Gone.

With one attack.

Then they ran.

Men.

Women.

Children.

Everyone ran.

Not because they thought they could win.

But because they wanted to survive.

Lucifer watched them scatter.

Then smiled.

"Did I say you could leave?"

The hunt began.

Hours later.

Green Forest no longer existed.

The buildings burned.

The trees burned.

The mountain itself seemed soaked in blood.

Nobody survived.

Nobody.

Not the warriors.

Not the elders.

Not even the families.

Lucifer hunted every single one.

Relentlessly.

Mercilessly.

The mountain that had once been a haven for criminals had become a graveyard.

Only one person remained alive.

The original bandit leader.

The man who had disturbed Lucifer's sleep.

He sat among mountains of corpses.

Trembling.

Broken.

Destroyed.

He had watched everything.

Every death.

Every scream.

Every plea.

Lucifer slowly approached.

The bandit couldn't even lift his head.

"What..."

His voice cracked.

"What are you?"

Lucifer crouched beside him.

Then whispered.

"Live."

The bandit blinked.

"What?"

"Live."

Lucifer's smile widened.

"Remember this scene."

"If you ever build another family..."

"If you ever find happiness again..."

"I'll find you."

"And I'll do it all over again."

The bandit's soul nearly shattered.

Lucifer stood.

Turned away.

And left.

Leaving behind a living witness.

A reminder.

A curse.

As he descended the mountain, Chirin finally spoke.

"This feels familiar."

Lucifer scratched his head.

"Hm?"

"You wiped out an entire bandit organization in your previous life."

"The exact same reason."

Lucifer thought for a moment.

Then shrugged.

"Did I?"

"You don't remember?"

"Why would I remember losers?"

Chirin sighed.

"Right."

Victims.

Not opponents.

Victims.

The border of the Murim Alliance finally came into view.

Lucifer smiled.

The wind carried the scent of something new.

Something exciting.

Something violent.

"Looks like the real fun is about to begin."

Meanwhile.

Several days later.

The Murim Alliance finally dispatched a task force to eliminate Green Forest.

Five Dragons.

Three Phoenixes.

The rising stars of the righteous factions.

As they traveled, one of the Dragons groaned.

"Why do we have to clean up bandits?"

Another replied.

"Because that's our duty."

A Phoenix added softly,

"Remember."

"Protect the innocent."

"Leave the elderly and children alone."

Everyone nodded.

Then they arrived.

And froze.

The entire mountain was dead.

Burned.

Destroyed.

Silent.

Not a single survivor.

Not one.

The air itself felt heavy with death.

One Phoenix whispered.

"What happened here?"

Another crouched beside a corpse.

"Demonic Cult."

"The demonic qi is overwhelming."

A Dragon snorted.

"Then they fought each other."

"Good."

"Let evil kill evil."

But just as they prepared to leave—

They noticed someone.

A lone man sitting beside a mountain of corpses.

The surviving bandit leader.

His eyes were hollow.

Empty.

Broken.

The Phoenix approached carefully.

"Who did this?"

The man slowly looked up.

His lips trembled.

Then he whispered.

"The Devil."

The Dragons exchanged looks.

"There was more than one attacker?"

The bandit shook his head.

His face turned pale.

His entire body began trembling.

"Just..."

"...one."

The wind howled across the mountains.

And for the first time—

The future heroes of the Murim Alliance felt a chill run down their spines.

To be continued...