Thank you for reading this entire story. To complete and meet the required word count for this month, I will include several chapters from my next book, titled “The Rise of the Sword of Darkness.” *** Mao Tung nodded solemnly. After paying their final respects to the late Mahaguru, the three of them turned back toward the palace in the heavenly realm. The journey took them two days, yet they encountered no significant obstacles along the way. Once they arrived, Li Jie immediately made his way to the grand hall, eager to meet Xiao Chen. The Heavenly Palace, which had been left in ruins from the recent war, was slowly but steadily being restored. Gods and Demons, once adversaries, now worked together in harmony to rebuild what had been destroyed. Even the demon troops that had been enemies only a few days ago now joined in the restoration efforts, contributing their strength to the reconstruction of the palace. Upon entering the grand hall, Li Jie approached Xiao Chen and Zhu Fe

The young man—only twenty-five years of age—hurried out of his house, his steps swift and uneven as he made his way to his neighbor’s home to report the terrible tragedy that had just befallen his family.Moments later, the sharp, rhythmic sound of a wooden alarm drum—the kentongan—echoed through the quiet village. In the countryside, such frantic beating meant only one thing: a calamity. It could mean a murder, a fire, or another grave disaster.Aji sat silently on a wooden chair as a dozen of his neighbors moved about, helping to prepare the burial of his wife and children. His eyes were hollow, devoid of light—his soul seemed to have left his body. Grief crushed him so completely that he no longer had the will to live.Tears streamed down his face as memories of his cheerful little son and his gentle, loving wife replayed in his mind. He could not believe that the warmth of their home—so full of laughter just yesterday—had been snatched away so cruelly.

Prayoga slowly shook his head. “I cannot make you strong, young man. Only you can forge your own strength. I can merely guide your path.”Aji nodded firmly. “I understand what you mean, Master.”“Good. For now, I will focus on restoring your body. You must recover completely before you can endure what I am about to teach you.”The old man rose to his feet and walked toward a small wooden cabinet. On top of it lay a pitch-black sword, its blade gleaming faintly in the dim light. Prayoga lifted it with care, then stored it safely inside the cabinet.“My name is Prayoga. What is yours, young man?”“My name is Aji, Master.”Days passed as the two of them worked to heal Aji’s battered body. Whenever Prayoga went out to gather medicinal herbs, Aji refused to remain idle. Even with his wounds yet to fully close, he practiced preparing herbal mixtures, observing every motion of his teacher’s hands.Prayoga also taught

With such force in Aji’s inner power that the gate splintered and crashed with a thunderous roar.Winarto, having only just stepped out of his residence, was furious—especially when he saw Aji standing there, staring at him with a cold, hard gaze.“You’re still alive, you stinking bastard! I swear no one will save you today!” Winarto snarled.Behind him, forty of his men already gripped their weapons, ready to strike. They waited only for Winarto’s order to tear Aji to pieces.“You’re overconfident, Winarto. I won’t let anyone here leave alive,” Aji hissed. Quietly, he channeled his inner power into his hands.“Bastard! Cut him up!” Winarto barked, issuing the command to his men.Forty of Winarto’s thugs surged forward together. The whine of their blades split the air as their attacks aimed for empty space.Aji moved with calm precision, evading every strike as if he had anticipated each one. There was not a trace of panic on the muscular, handsome man’s face.“Argh!”One by one, Wina

Aji frowned slightly as he noticed the confusion on the beautiful girl’s face. The handsome young man asked softly,“Is something wrong? Do you need any help?”The girl glanced at Aji for a brief moment, then lowered her head. She was afraid—afraid that if she accepted his help, he might demand something in return. Worse still, she feared he might expect her to repay his kindness with her body.A shiver ran down her spine. Yet she couldn’t ignore the embarrassment of her situation. Not being able to pay for the food she had already eaten was mortifying.“Why are you so quiet?” Aji asked again. “Is there something I can do for you?”At last, the girl decided to accept the handsome stranger’s offer. At least she could deal with this small humiliation first. If her worst fears came true, she would fight back—even if it cost her life.After taking a deep breath, she finally answered, “My money pouch is gone. Someone must have st