Heroines, I'm Really not the Devourer
Chapter 55: He is... Unmatched in terms of talent

Chapter 55: He is... Unmatched in terms of talent

His bloodshot eyes fixed on BaiShe.

"That waste! He must have used an immoral art."

His breathing was erratic, his chest rising and falling frantically. He had no options left.

"If only I had found him sooner... I would have killed him, and the heir position would have been mine! Damn it! There must be a way..."

He clenched his teeth even tighter, his knuckles whitening under the strain. But the blood loss was weakening him. He swayed slightly.

Hu Zhen, standing beside him, sighed before speaking.

"You should calm down, Guowei. BaiShe is..."

He glanced toward him. BaiShe was speaking calmly with Qing Long.

"...different from the past. Your chance of becoming the heir is slim."

Guowei coughed violently, a sharp pain piercing his chest.

"It doesn’t matter, big brother... I will become the heir, even if I have to die!"

Hu Zhen observed him for a long moment, his eyes narrowing in an indecipherable expression. Then he slowly nodded.

"It’s always hard to bow down when you’ve tasted the top..." he murmured to himself before walking away toward Ling’er.

...

Farther away, having finished speaking with the Imperial Prince, BaiShe was surrounded by the warriors of the Hu family.

His dark gaze swept over the assembly before he spoke, his tone cold and detached.

"What are you doing here?"

An awkward silence fell. Some lowered their heads, others exchanged nervous glances.

"Shouldn’t you be by Guowei’s side?" he continued.

One of them, bolder than the rest, cleared his throat before replying:

"Young Master Hu, we have an obligation to protect the Matriarch’s son. With these monster waves, we couldn’t leave you unprotected."

An obvious lie.

BaiShe let out a slight sigh. He knew them too well. They were nothing but opportunists. When he was weak, everyone scorned him. But now that he was rising again, they bowed with eagerness.

It didn’t bother him; it was one of his goals.

He crossed his arms and shifted his attention back to Qing Long, the man he had just been speaking with.

Information flashed through his mind.

[ Qing Long

Seven spiritual roots

Ashkharsh, 2nd stage: Understanding of laws

Bones of Transcendence / Azure Dragon Physique

Dharma Ruler ]

BaiShe’s blood ran cold.

’He is... Unmatched in terms of talent.’

He swallowed hard, a cold sweat forming on his neck.

’Xuan Shen was mocking me... How am I supposed to beat such a monster?’

His gaze lingered on the young man. An absolute calm emanated from him, an unshakable confidence. BaiShe couldn’t fully fathom him, which made him all the more dangerous.

"Is his bone age really twenty-two?" he murmured to himself.

There was no mistake. Even using his Devourer power, nothing guaranteed he could defeat him. Worse still, Qing Long surely possessed hidden treasures, further increasing his strength.

’A year at most... and he’ll create his own inner world.’

At this level, Qing Long was no longer a mere genius. He had the potential to reach the hypothetical Ruler Incarnation.

’I must not be his enemy... If I want to survive, I must play smart.’

BaiShe clenched his fists.

’But I haven’t even found clues about the first Devourer and his legacy. Even the natives remain elusive.’

"You’ve gone overboard with these monster waves," BaiShe remarked.

[ It wasn’t me. ]

A voice resonated in his mind. It was Hu Fei, speaking through spiritual transmission.

BaiShe furrowed his brows.

’What do you mean?’

A shiver ran down his spine.

Hu Fei continued in a more serious tone:

"You should get out of here. I’m searching for the natives as you asked. But strange things are happening in these ruins. I suspect a powerful expert is actively involved."

BaiShe felt a heavy weight settle in his chest. He glanced around furtively. He narrowed his eyes.

’Daiyu? Xuan Shen’s sister?’

"She must be coming for my skin."

***

POV: Qing Long

In my eyes, BaiShe was ambitious, perhaps too much. His goal far exceeded his current power. He moved with confidence, but he was still just a pawn on the chessboard of destiny. It was the destiny of the Immortal Lotus to kill the Devourer, not him.

I, on the other hand, was born under a different sign.

On the day of my birth, the sky had ignited with a divine radiance. A sacred chant resonated in the air, accompanied by the roar of a dragon. A colossal silhouette, that of an Azure Dragon, had formed amidst the clouds, casting its shadow over the world below. This event marked my existence with an indelible seal.

I was given the name of my ancestor: Qing Long.

From a very young age, it was clear that my destiny was tied to something far greater than what my ancestors had accomplished. My talent surpassed that of my peers, and very quickly, I understood that I could not settle for a life as a prince and cultivator.

My goal was clear.

The wars, on both the upper and lower planes, the futile conflicts where millions of mortals perished at the whims of the gods—all of it had to end. A new era needed to dawn. An era of peace.

But to achieve such a vision, I needed trustworthy allies.

I still remember that moment, years ago. I was barely fourteen when my father, the Celestial Dragon, sent me on a mission at the head of the imperial army.

My objective: to pacify the Yama domain of the Underground Plane.

The Kitsune, those cunning spirits, had asked for the help of the Eastern Celestial Kingdom to face the Yama, who had allied with the Titans of the Upper Plane. The situation was unstable, and I knew my father was counting on me. It wasn’t a test of power—after all, I was barely in the Nascent Soul stage at the time—but rather of pragmatic decisions, ruthless strategies. Proof that I would be as unyielding a ruler as he was.

But there was one thing no one had anticipated.

"Amateratsu..."

Her name brushed my lips in an almost unconscious whisper. A smile formed at the corner of my mouth.

She was the princess of the Yama.

And she had completely captivated me.

Between her and me, there was a world of difference. She was over four hundred years old, and I was barely a teenager starting my cultivation. Yet, when our eyes met for the first time on the battlefield, I understood immediately.

It was mutual. We both had the same goal: to end all wars. She was the first person who didn’t want to kill for the sake of others. She was different from the other bloodthirsty demons and purer than most of the monks in the Forbidden Grotto.

In that precise moment, everything changed.