The morning sun rose over the eastern ridges of Imperial Sun City, casting brilliant golden beams across the wet tile roofs and bustling market avenues. While the common folk went about their daily routines, an ominous, suffocating tension hung over the grand headquarters of the Overlord Sect in the northern district.
Inside the sect's high council chamber, built from colossal blocks of black granite, the atmosphere was as heavy as a storm cloud. Sunlight filtered dimly through narrow arched windows, illuminating a massive carved wooden table at the center of the hall.
At the head of the table sat Sect Patriarch Meng Tian-Xiong—a formidable Stage-4 Middle-tier cultivator whose presence alone made the surrounding air vibrate with suppressed heat. He wore sweeping crimson robes embroidered with black dragons, and his heavy, scarred face was contorted into a mask of cold, murderous rage.
Flanking him were six high elders and dozens of elite captains, all sitting in absolute, nervous silence.
CLANG!
Patriarch Meng slammed his heavy fist onto the granite tabletop, shattering a stone tea cup into fine powder!
"Search again!" Meng Tian-Xiong's deep, guttural voice echoed like thunder inside the high chamber. "An elder of our Overlord Sect and four elite Iron-Blood Enforcers disappeared without a trace on the western mountain pass last night! How can there be no blood, no bodies, and no traces of a fight?!"
A senior scout captain stepped forward, bowing so low his forehead nearly touched the cold floor. "P-Patriarch... our scouts searched every inch of the pass where the Blood-Iron Isolation Array was deployed. The array flags were found shattered, completely drained of spiritual energy. The ground was covered in a strange, deep frost... but Elder Meng and the enforcers have vanished entirely. Their life-tokens in the ancestral hall broke simultaneously at midnight!"
BANG!
A collective gasp echoed through the council chamber!
Simultaneous destruction of five life-tokens meant only one thing—Elder Meng and his four Stage-3 guards were killed in the exact same instant, rendered into dust before they could even send out a soul-transmission warning!
"Who was the target?!" Patriarch Meng demanded, his dark eyes burning with crimson Qi. "Who did Meng Zhen-Shan target on that mountain pass?!"
The scout captain trembled, reaching into his robe to present a detailed intelligence report with both hands. "R-Reporting to the Patriarch... Last night at the Grand Aurora Auction, Elder Meng engaged in a fierce bidding war over the Ancestral Northern Rune Slab with a mysterious guest in VIP Box Room 7. The guest bought the slab for two thousand mid-grade spirit stones. Elder Meng... tracked him after the auction ended."
"VIP Box Room 7..." Patriarch Meng muttered, his narrow eyes squinting with lethal intensity. "Did the Central Merchant League reveal his identity?"
"No, Patriarch," the captain replied nervously. "Vice-President Lin Xuan personally declared that the League maintains absolute neutrality and will not disclose the personal details of their Crimson Pass holders. However... our scouts managed to record a brief description of the target before he left the pavilion."
The captain unrolled a dark parchment, revealing a portrait drawn by the scouts.
"A towering man in a plain dark coat, carrying a broad blade wrapped in thick cloth across his back," the captain read aloud. "He was accompanied by a small child—a girl around six years old holding a pink lotus lantern."
Silence fell over the high council hall.
The elders looked at each other in confusion. A man carrying a small child? Walking openly through the city streets after outbidding an elder of the Overlord Sect?
"Patriarch," a senior elder with long white hair stepped forward, his eyes sharp. "For someone to eliminate Elder Meng and four Stage-3 enforcers in a single instant without leaving a trace of blood, his cultivation must be at least at the Stage-4 Peak... or even higher. Moreover, the lingering frost on the battlefield suggests he masters an extremely high-tier ice or blade art."
Patriarch Meng stood up slowly, his tall frame emitting an aura of terrifying pressure that forced several lower-tier captains to drop to their knees.
"I do not care if he is a Stage-4 master or an itinerant cultivator from the northern wilderness!" Meng Tian-Xiong growled, his voice laced with unbridled malice. "In Imperial Sun City, anyone who slaughters an elder of my Overlord Sect must pay with his head and his entire lineage! Seal all city gates! Mobilize the Shadow-Tracking Squads! Find this man and the child!"
"Yes, Patriarch!" the elders and captains roared in unison, bowing deeply before turning to execute the command.
While the Overlord Sect was turning the city upside down in a frenzy of rage, the Autumn Water Courtyard in the quiet western hill district remained a haven of absolute tranquility.
The warm morning breeze rustled the delicate leaves of the ancient plum blossom tree, scattering pale-pink petals across the clean jade stone path. The Grade-3 Spirit-Gathering Array hummed softly around the perimeter, filtering out the distant noise of the bustling metropolis below.
Li-Wen stood in the center of the yard, wearing his simple dark robe. His broad back was as straight and unyielding as a mountain peak. He held his heavy blade in his right hand—the thick dark cloth wrapping had been removed, revealing the dark, rustic iron scabbard beneath.
Standing ten paces away was Xiao-Yue. She wore a small, bright yellow tunic with neat white cuffs, her silver hair ribbons fluttering in the breeze. She held her wooden practice sword with both hands, her small face filled with absolute focus.
HAH!
Xiao-Yue stepped forward with a crisp, nimble movement, executing a clean, straight thrust.
Unlike yesterday, the movement of her small wooden sword no longer produced wild, flickering sparks. Instead, a smooth, concentrated ring of pale-golden warmth flowed smoothly along the grain of the wood, extending three inches beyond the tip like a sharp, translucent needle of light!
WHIRRRR!
The faint heat sliced through a falling plum blossom petal ten inches away, neatly bisecting it before the petal touched the stone ground!
"Brother Li-Wen! Look! I didn't burn the wood, and I cut the petal!" Xiao-Yue lowered her wooden sword, her big dark eyes sparkling with joy as she looked up at him.
A rare, faint trace of approval appeared in Li-Wen's calm eyes. He walked forward smoothly, stepping beside her and placing his broad palm gently on her small head.
"Very good," Li-Wen said, his low voice warm and steady. "Control over internal energy is the true foundation of martial practice. Violence is easy; restraint requires absolute clarity of mind."
Xiao-Yue beamed with pride, hugging her wooden sword tightly. "I remembered what you said! Let the Fire-Lotus warmth flow like a quiet river!"
Li-Wen nodded softly. He looked down at her warm, healthy face, noting that her complexion was now rosy and full of life. The refined power from the Ancestral Northern Rune Slab he had absorbed last night had subtly enhanced the surrounding spiritual density of the courtyard, accelerating Xiao-Yue's meridian nourishment even further.
Suddenly, Li-Wen's dark eyes flickered slightly. He turned his head toward the outer gates of the courtyard.
Through his vast divine perception, he sensed a calm, refined aura approaching the entrance—not the aggressive, bloody intent of the Overlord Sect, but the familiar, balanced resonance of the Central Merchant League.
TINK. TINK.
The spirit-bell at the outer gate chimed softly.
"Stay here and practice your balance stances," Li-Wen told Xiao-Yue gently.
"Okay, Brother Li-Wen!" Xiao-Yue nodded obediently, standing on one foot on a round stone tile, balancing her wooden sword carefully on her fingertips.
Li-Wen walked smoothly to the heavy iron-wood gates. With a slight flick of his fingers, the brass bolt slid back, and the twin gates swung open silently.
Standing on the immaculate stone steps outside was Vice-President Lin Xuan of the Central Merchant League. He was dressed in a simple, high-grade purple silk robe, unaccompanied by any guards or attendants.
When Lin Xuan saw Li-Wen open the gate—his towering stature, his dark eyes containing a star-like glint of divine frost, and the absolute, mountain-like tranquility surrounding him—Lin Xuan's eyes widened slightly in deep, unspoken shock.
As a high-ranking figure of the League, Lin Xuan had received the urgent intelligence report three hours ago: Elder Meng and four Iron-Blood Enforcers had vanished completely on the mountain pass, leaving behind only deep frost on shattered stone!
Looking at Li-Wen standing peacefully before him, completely unharmed and unbothered, Lin Xuan knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that his evaluation last night was entirely correct—this man was an absolute dragon hidden among mortals!
Lin Xuan immediately cupped his hands and bowed deeply in a formal, respectful salute.
"Greetings, Esteemed Senior," Lin Xuan spoke politely, his tone exceptionally humble. "I hope my unannounced visit has not disrupted Senior's peaceful morning."
Li-Wen stood calmly on the threshold. "Vice-President Lin. Speak your purpose."
Lin Xuan straightened up, looking around the quiet, secluded avenue before lowering his voice respectfully. "Senior... I have come today to deliver a piece of critical news, as well as a gesture of goodwill from the Central Merchant League."
Lin Xuan reached into his wide sleeve and brought out a small, exquisite silver token carved with an intricate cloud-and-mountain motif, along with a sealed black envelope.
"Two hours ago, Patriarch Meng Tian-Xiong of the Overlord Sect issued a secret blood-execution order across the entire city," Lin Xuan explained solemnly. "They have deployed over three hundred scouts, array masters, and shadow-trackers to search every inn, courtyard, and residence in the western district. It is only a matter of time before their search perimeter reaches this hill."
Li-Wen took the sealed black envelope, his face remaining as unmoving as stone. "And the silver token?"
"That is the Central League's Sovereign Pass," Lin Xuan answered warmly. "With this token, Senior and the young lady can access the private spirit-vessel docking station at the Central Plaza at any time. Furthermore, three days from now, our League's flagship spirit-galleon, the Floating Cloud, will depart Imperial Sun City for the prosperous Central Imperial Capital."
Lin Xuan looked at Li-Wen with sincere eyes. "Imperial Sun City is merely a regional border city. The Overlord Sect holds considerable local influence here, but their reach cannot extend to the Central Capital. If Senior wishes to leave this local storm behind, the League would be honored to provide absolute protection and luxury transport."
It was a brilliant, masterfully crafted gesture. Lin Xuan was not trying to recruit Li-Wen by force, nor was he trying to probe his secrets. He was offering a smooth, honorable bridge—a way to build a long-term friendship with a formidable, top-tier powerhouse.
Li-Wen looked down at the silver token in his broad palm, feeling the cool, high-purity spatial silver from which it was forged.
He knew very well why Lin Xuan was doing this. The Central Merchant League was a business organization; investing in a nameless, terrifying expert was far more valuable than siding with a arrogant local sect like the Overlord Sect.
"You are very efficient, Vice-President Lin," Li-Wen said smoothly, his low voice calm and steady.
Lin Xuan smiled humbly. "Serving supreme masters like Senior is the core foundation of our League's survival."
Li-Wen tucked the silver token and the black envelope into his sleeve. He looked at Lin Xuan and bowed his head slightly. "I accept the gesture. If the Overlord Sect comes to my door, your League need not interfere."
Lin Xuan's eyes glinted with admiration. He bowed deeply once more. "Understood. The Floating Cloud will be ready at the central docks in three days. I shall not disturb Senior's morning any further."
Without another word, Lin Xuan turned and walked smoothly down the quiet hill path, vanishing into the green pine shadows.
Li-Wen closed the heavy iron-wood gates, the brass latch clicking back into place with a solid sound. He stood in the quiet courtyard, looking down at the simple wooden sword in Xiao-Yue's hands as she practiced her balance stances under the blooming plum blossom tree.
He knew that the quiet peace of this courtyard was drawing to its natural conclusion. Patriarch Meng Tian-Xiong and the Overlord Sect were closing in, driven by blind arrogance and revenge.
Li-Wen reached out his right hand, his fingers lightly gripping the dark iron scabbard of his heavy blade.
Deep within his dantian, the newly refined ancestral Frost-Blade energy pulsed with a soft, resonant hum, eager to show its true, unsealed sharp edge to the world.
"Three days..." Li-Wen murmured softly to himself, his dark eyes looking up through the pink petals toward the clear blue sky. "Enough time to clean the road before we leave.
See you in next chapter...