The Immortal Born from Ashes

Inner Demons. 

No matter how strong you become—even if you've crossed into immortality—the Inner Demon never leaves. Because here's the truth:

Your Inner Demon is you.

It's your regrets, your fears, your darkest thoughts, all twisted and amplified. The stronger you get, the stronger it gets.

Even ancient cultivators with glowing eyes and legendary power have fallen to their Inner Demons. No exceptions.

> Inner Demons live inside everyone — mortal or immortal.

If you think you're safe because you're just a mortal? Nope. Regrets don't discriminate.

Here's some secret knowledge about these demons:

When someone dies from their Inner Demon, their body doesn't fully let go. A tiny part of their soul gets trapped inside their corpse.

For mortals, this fragment fades away completely within one year.

But for Nascent Soul experts, their immense cultivation power keeps their souls locked inside their bodies for at least 100 years.

That's the cruel nature of Inner Demons.

…

Now, back to our story.

Yun Wao's body still lays in the cave beside the glowing pond. But this pond isn't just any pond. It's special.

A rare herb grows beneath its surface. Not incredibly rare, but valuable enough. The pills made from this herb are known to instantly restore cultivation energy. Even repair your soul to a degree.

But there's a catch:

> This herb only works for cultivators at Golden Core level and below.

It has no effect on Nascent Soul experts or beyond.

This means…

Yun Wao's soul, shattered by his Inner Demon, can't be fully healed. The little bit of soul energy left — barely visible to ordinary cultivators — can only survive because of this herb slowing its decay.

But even with this, his time is running out.

> If Yun Wao doesn't recover within one year, his soul will vanish forever.

No reincarnation. No second chance.

The sect didn't bother trying to heal him because…

> If someone couldn't overcome their Inner Demon, what's the point of saving them?

Han Wu didn't know this. To cultivators below Golden Core, the faint soul energy was invisible.

The only reason someone suspected Inner Demon was the cause of Yun Wao's death was because they sensed that faint trace of soul energy — a hallmark sign of Inner Demon destruction.

…

Now, shift scenes:

Han Wu is sitting alone in a small, dingy restaurant. He's dirty, bleeding, and exhausted. His clothes hang in tatters. He looks worse than when he was just a mortal.

He picks at the food he bought with the last money he has. Five days have passed since he escaped the sect. He's been running non-stop, surviving on scraps.

Suddenly, he slams his fist on the table.

> "I'm out of money."

He looks around, eyes burning with frustration and a little hunger.

> "Guess I have no choice… time to start hunting."

…

Cut to the Crimson Moon Sect 

The leader of the Demonic Courtyard groans loudly as he awakens.

The battlefield is silent except for the crackling of dying flames.

He looks around — his entire sect has been killed. He's the only survivor.

"You old—" he curses under his breath.

Then, with rage boiling inside, he roars and releases a burst of terrifying power that shakes the land.

> "I will destroy every single person from the Crimson Moon Sect!"

…

Back to Yun Wao.

But something is different.

He's no longer lying in that cave.

Instead, he floats there — transparent, ghostlike, his body shimmering softly.

Is his soul really gone? Or is something else keeping him tethered between worlds?

…

End of Chapter 20.

…

🔥 Author's Note 🔥

This chapter dives deeper into inner demons, lost souls, and the calm before the storm.

I'm excited to see what you all think will happen next. Will Han Wu survive? What secrets lie ahead? 👀

Feel free to share your theories, and if you're enjoying the story, don't forget to follow for more updates.

Stay alert — the darkness is coming. ⚔️🌑

…

Question of the Day:

What do you think—where is Yun Wao's soul trapped?

And how is he floating like that?

Share your thoughts! 👀

…