The first light of dawn crept over the horizon, casting a crimson hue over the desolate mountain range. A chilling wind swept through the air, rustling the cloaks of the warriors assembled below. Shao Xian stood at the highest point of the cliff, his gaze fixed on the distant silhouette of the Celestial Dragon Sect's grand fortress.
His forces had grown. Hundreds of warriors knelt in disciplined silence, each one a cultivator of considerable power. They were once scattered remnants, outcasts, and exiles—warriors who had been crushed under the heel of sects that deemed them unworthy. Now, they stood united under one banner.
At Shao Xian's side stood Yan Yue, her expression as unreadable as ever. Beside her, Wei Tian, the leader of the Bloodsteel Division, clutched his war halberd tightly.
"The scouts have returned," Yan Yue reported. "The Black Dragon Guards are stationed at the main gates of the Celestial Dragon Sect, reinforced by several Elders. They anticipate an attack."
Shao Xian smirked. "Of course they do."
Wei Tian stepped forward. "Then we should move before they can strengthen their defenses further."
But Shao Xian merely raised his hand, silencing him. His eyes flickered with amusement.
"They are waiting for an army to march upon them," Shao Xian said. "Let's not give them what they expect."
Yan Yue's lips curled slightly. "You have a different plan?"
Shao Xian turned toward the gathered warriors. His voice rang out, steady and commanding.
"You have all waited for this moment. Some of you have been wronged, cast aside, and trampled underfoot. But today, you will carve your names into history."
The warriors pounded their fists against their chests in silent acknowledgment.
"However," he continued, "this is not a battle for an army."
A murmur of confusion spread through the ranks. Shao Xian's golden eyes gleamed.
"The Celestial Dragon Sect believes they are safe within their fortress. They believe their walls will protect them." He raised a single hand, his fingers curling as if grasping an unseen force. "We will not fight them at their gates. We will strike at their very heart."
Yan Yue's eyes widened slightly. "You mean… infiltration?"
Shao Xian nodded. "A full-scale assault will only make them more desperate. But if we move from the inside, their defenses will crumble before they realize what has happened."
Wei Tian exhaled sharply. "Then… how do we breach their walls?"
Shao Xian's smirk widened. "We don't breach them. We walk through them."
---
Celestial Dragon Sect - Midnight Intrusion
The Celestial Dragon Sect's grand fortress loomed against the mountains, its towering gates adorned with dragon carvings that pulsed with protective runes. Guards patrolled the walls, their eyes sharp and alert.
A lone figure approached through the mist. Clad in a dark robe, Yan Yue moved like a specter, her presence blending seamlessly into the shadows. With practiced ease, she leapt onto the outer wall, her fingers brushing against the carved runes.
Barrier detection talismans.
She smirked. Predictable.
With a flick of her wrist, she produced a small jade token, a perfect replica of the sect's identification sigil. The moment she pressed it against the barrier, the runes flickered for a brief second before allowing her entry.
She vanished into the fortress without a sound.
Moments later, another figure appeared in the mist.
Shao Xian.
Unlike Yan Yue, he did not move stealthily. He walked forward openly, his hands clasped behind his back, his golden eyes gleaming with amusement.
Two guards stationed at the outer gate turned, their expressions quickly shifting to shock.
"Who goes the—"
Before the words could leave their lips, their bodies froze.
A pulse of pure Dao energy rippled from Shao Xian's form, and the two guards collapsed to their knees, their eyes widening in terror. Their cultivation bases trembled, their meridians locking in place.
Shao Xian did not even lift a finger.
With an indifferent glance, he stepped over their kneeling bodies and disappeared into the fortress.
---
Inner Courtyard - A Night of Chaos
The heart of the Celestial Dragon Sect pulsed with activity. Elders and disciples moved through the halls, their footsteps hurried. The recent disappearance of several scouting parties had put the entire sect on edge.
Within the main chamber, Xie Tianlong sat upon his throne, his expression dark. Before him, several Elders stood, their voices filled with concern.
"More guards have vanished."
"We are being hunted in our own stronghold."
"The Supreme Elders must be summoned—"
Xie Tianlong slammed his fist against the armrest, silencing them.
"We do not summon the Supreme Elders over ghost stories." His voice was cold. "Whoever dares infiltrate our sect will not leave alive."
A sudden gust of wind swept through the hall. The flames of the lanterns flickered violently.
Then—
A single voice echoed through the chamber.
"You seem confident, Xie Tianlong."
A deathly silence filled the air.
Every Elder froze as a figure stepped forward, his black robes billowing despite the still air.
Shao Xian.
His golden eyes burned like twin suns, his presence suffocating.
Xie Tianlong's knuckles turned white. "You—"
But before he could finish, a blade sliced through the air.
Yan Yue materialized from the shadows, her dagger aiming straight for Xie Tianlong's throat.
At the last second, a barrier erupted around him, deflecting the strike with a deafening clang.
Xie Tianlong snarled and leapt backward, his palm igniting with dark flames. "You dare?!"
The Elders immediately sprang into action, their combined auras surging like a tidal wave.
But Shao Xian did not move.
Instead, he smiled.
The walls trembled. The very air shifted.
And then—
The fortress's grand gates exploded.
A torrent of warriors flooded into the chamber—Wei Tian leading the charge, his war halberd cleaving through the first Elder in his path.
The Celestial Dragon Sect had expected a siege.
They had not expected the war to begin from within.
---
The Fall of the Unprepared
Screams filled the night as the battle erupted within the sect's very core.
Elders scrambled to rally their forces, but chaos reigned. The fortress's own defenses were useless, bypassed before they could even be activated.
Xie Tianlong's eyes burned with rage as he locked gazes with Shao Xian.
"You…" he growled. "I should have killed you myself."
Shao Xian chuckled, stepping forward. "You still can try."
Xie Tianlong roared, unleashing a devastating wave of black dragon fire. The flames engulfed the entire hall—
—But when the fire receded, Shao Xian stood unscathed.
Golden Dao energy coiled around his form, effortlessly dispersing the attack.
Xie Tianlong's pupils shrank. Impossible.
Shao Xian lifted a single hand.
And with a flick of his fingers—
The entire chamber collapsed.
---
A Night That Would Be Remembered
By the time dawn arrived, the Celestial Dragon Sect's stronghold lay in ruins.
Xie Tianlong was gone.
The Elders had fallen.
And the name of Shao Xian once again shook the world.