The mission hall was bustling with activity when Haotian and Lianhua entered, hands interlocked as always. Behind them followed the six guards, whispering and teasing in loud enough voices to draw stares.
"See how tightly they're holding hands? It's like they'll fuse together any moment.""Our Young Mistress Lianhua glows brighter every day. Look at that radiant face!""She's glowing so much that even the dummies in the training ground would fall in love."
Lianhua's cheeks flared scarlet. She tried swatting them, but her smile betrayed her embarrassment. Haotian only shook his head with the patience of someone long used to their antics.
They reached the counter, where the female attendant looked up politely. Haotian's voice was calm, steady.
"I want to register a new faction."
The hall went silent.
Scrolls paused mid-scratch. The dice table froze. Dozens of disciples turned, disbelief written across their faces.
"A… a new faction?" the attendant echoed, blinking before quickly regaining composure. She pulled out a long scroll and brush. "Very well. Please provide the details. First… the name of the faction?"
The six guards immediately leaned in.
"How about Blushing Lovers Pavilion?" one smirked."No—Spears and Petals Alliance!" another grinned."Or The Unstoppable Honeymoon Sect!""Awful. All of you are awful."
The disciples nearby burst into muffled laughter. Lianhua hid her burning face behind her sleeve, though her giggles slipped out.
"Perhaps… we could combine our names?" she said softly. "Hao-Lian Alliance? Or Radiant Hearts Sect?"
"Too sweet! Too sweet!" the guards shouted, waving their hands as if warding off poison. "We'd choke on the sugar before our enemies do!"
Haotian sighed, though amusement glimmered in his golden eyes. Their banter was lighthearted, but the choice mattered. This name would become a banner, a legacy, a declaration of who they were.
He closed his eyes for a breath, then opened them with quiet certainty.
"The Raising Dragon and Phoenix Faction."
The words rolled like thunder through the hall. A dragon and a phoenix — symbols of strength, harmony, and destiny. The imagery was unmistakable: Haotian, the dragon rising to the heavens, and Lianhua, the phoenix soaring beside him.
The attendant's brush trembled slightly as she wrote the name onto the parchment. Around the hall, disciples exchanged wide-eyed looks.
"A dragon… and a phoenix…""They mean themselves, don't they? Haotian and Lianhua.""What arrogance… and yet… it feels right."
Lianhua's blush deepened, but she squeezed Haotian's hand, her eyes shimmering. "It's beautiful," she whispered.
The six guards, unusually quiet, exchanged looks. Then one finally grinned. "Now that's a name worthy of following."
And so, beneath the gazes of the sect, the Raising Dragon and Phoenix Faction was born.
The hall buzzed with whispers, admiration, and envy alike — but no one could deny it. A new power had taken root within the Burning Sun Sect, and its wings were already beginning to spread.
When the news reached the upper chambers, the Sect Master summoned the elders at once. The great council hall was filled with hushed voices as the parchment bearing the registration seal was passed around.
"The Raising Dragon and Phoenix Faction…" Elder Mei muttered, stroking her sleeve. "So they've claimed both symbols as their banner."
"A bold move," another elder whispered. "Too bold. It practically announces they are the twin pillars of the sect."
Elder Wu grunted, his brows furrowed. "They are the twin pillars. Even so, to consolidate power under their own banner… this could reshape the sect's future."
"Is that not good for us?" Elder Qingshan's voice was calm, though his gaze was sharp. "A faction built on Haotian and Lianhua's influence will anchor loyalty. It ties disciples to them — and through them, to the sect."
The Sect Master listened, saying little. His eyes glimmered with calculation. "The face of this faction remains uncertain. Will it be a nest of arrogance, or a crucible of discipline? Time will tell. For now… let it stand."
The council bowed in agreement, though unease lingered.
Meanwhile, in a private courtyard, Haotian gathered his companions — Lianhua and the six guards — to share his vision.
"The faction will not be one mass," he explained, his voice steady, his hand tracing lines across the air as if sketching the design of a formation. "It will be two wings of the same bird. The males will train under me, and the females under Lianhua. Balance. Growth in harmony."
The six guards exchanged glances, impressed. Lianhua's lips curved, though she remained quiet, listening as Haotian continued.
"More than that, I've been developing a new martial formation — a dual martial arts team method. Designed for pairs, but expandable to as many as thirty-two pairs. Each pair interlocks with another, the synergy amplifying their strength."
He gestured with his Fenlong Spear, sketching arcs in the dirt. "Any weapon may be used — spear, sword, fist, or bow. The heart of it is synchronization. The pairs feed into one another, then into the group, until the whole formation is one body. The stronger the bond between pairs, the stronger the whole. In battle, it will be like watching a single dragon with thirty-two heads — or a phoenix whose wings span the battlefield."
The guards leaned forward, eyes shining. Lianhua's brows lifted, pride glowing in her smile. "You mean to forge not just fighters… but a living tapestry of combat."
Haotian nodded. "Exactly. Unity stronger than any single cultivator's brilliance. A legacy that will outlast us."
The night air stirred, carrying with it the deep rumble of two familiar roars. Haotian and Lianhua turned toward the courtyard gate as Yueying and Xiaoque padded in, their massive paws striking the stone tiles with soft weight.
Yueying's silver-striped coat shimmered under the moonlight, her golden eyes fixed calmly on Haotian. Beside her, Xiaoque had grown larger, her frame broader, her aura stronger than before. Her tail flicked restlessly as she gave a low growl, her presence wild but not hostile.
Lianhua's face softened as she stepped forward, reaching out a hand. Yueying lowered her head, allowing her to stroke the smooth fur along her cheek. The tigress's deep purr rumbled through her body, vibrating against Lianhua's hand.
Haotian placed his palm gently on Xiaoque's head, his qi threading out naturally to connect with the familiar contract bond. Xiaoque leaned into the touch, exhaling heavily, her breath warm against his robes.
"You came at the right time," Haotian said softly, his voice carrying a warmth reserved only for them. "The Raising Dragon and Phoenix Faction… it won't be complete without you two."
The tigers rumbled in unison, their massive bodies lowering slightly, as if they understood.
Lianhua looked up at Haotian with a smile. "They've always been by your side. Now they'll be with us."
Haotian nodded, his gaze thoughtful as his hand trailed along Xiaoque's mane. "Yes… but it's not enough. Yueying and Xiaoque have grown stronger, but they've yet to take the next step." His eyes gleamed faintly, the weight of his intent settling in his tone. "It's time I focus on their evolution. They've given me everything — it's my turn to give back."
The Moonfang Tigers pressed closer, one on either side of him, their golden eyes glowing with a loyalty beyond words.
Haotian's expression softened, yet beneath it burned determination. The Raising Dragon and Phoenix Faction had gained its two silent guardians… and soon, perhaps, its twin evolving beasts.
Haotian secluded himself within his courtyard's alchemy chamber, the faint glow of spirit flames dancing around his hands. Before him, a golden cauldron pulsed with heat, runes etched into its surface flickering in response to his control.
The recipe he had uncovered in the ruin's library was ancient — a formula specifically designed to stimulate the evolution of spirit beasts. It was notoriously difficult, but Haotian's eyes burned with determination.
For days he worked tirelessly. The cauldron consumed rare herbs and crystalline ores one after another, each fusion requiring precise timing and control. Several batches failed, erupting into black smoke, but Haotian pressed on. His persistence was unshaken.
On the fifth night, his qi surged steady and sharp, flames dancing with perfect harmony. With a final flick of his wrist, the cauldron released a clear hum, and two gleaming pills floated upward. Their surface shimmered with silver and gold veins, exuding a potent aura.
Not satisfied with mere success, Haotian extended his finger, inscribing a rune of amplification directly into each pill. The runes glowed faintly, merging into the pill's core. He whispered to himself, "This will increase their effect by seventy percent. Enough to push them past their current boundaries."
When he emerged into the courtyard, Yueying and Xiaoque were waiting, their massive forms crouched in calm patience. Haotian approached, holding out the two pills.
"Here. This is for you both," he said softly. "Take them… and rise higher."
The Moonfang Tigers leaned forward without hesitation, swallowing the pills in single gulps. For a heartbeat, silence hung in the air.
Then their roars split the night.
Their auras exploded outward, a tidal wave of beastly qi that made the courtyard tremble. Lianhua shielded her face as the wind whipped around them, her eyes wide in awe.
Golden light surged from Yueying's body, her silver-striped fur gleaming with renewed brilliance. Her aura sharpened, purer, as her meridians widened and her qi channels expanded, carrying energy in thicker, more refined streams.
Xiaoque's body quivered as the pill's power surged through her, her muscles tightening, bones reforging themselves under the pressure. Her growl deepened into a thunderous roar as her physique tempered — her striped hide shimmering with a faint metallic sheen. When she flexed, the air around her rippled, blades of qi scattering harmlessly against her skin.
The transformation lasted hours, the tigers' roars echoing through the night sky like thunder rolling across mountains. When it ended, Yueying and Xiaoque stood taller, stronger, their gazes burning brighter.
They were no longer merely sect guardians in hiding. They were evolving into true beasts of legend, their very bodies capable of deflecting swords and spears.
Haotian stepped forward, laying his hands gently on their massive heads. "Good. This is only the beginning. We'll take you further still."
The Moonfang Tigers rumbled in unison, their loyalty clear in the golden fire of their eyes.
Once the announcement of the Raising Dragon and Phoenix Faction spread through the Burning Sun Sect, the weight of responsibility came crashing down. Unlike simple teams, a faction was akin to a sect within the sect — requiring its own land, resources, and structures to flourish.
Securing the Grounds
Haotian wasted no time. Leveraging the immense stockpile of contribution points he had earned from missions, alchemy, and forging, he bid for a parcel of private land on the sect's inner grounds — one large enough to house not only residences but also training fields and workshops.
The disciples who watched were astonished. Such a plot would bankrupt ordinary cultivators, but Haotian paid without hesitation. With his own hand, he laid down the first formations:
A Chi-Gathering Array, drawing spiritual essence into the land so thick it shimmered like mist at dawn.
A Concealment Array, blurring the faction's qi signatures and veiling it from prying senses.
A Defensive Array, layered and unyielding, capable of fending off intrusions.
A Killing Array, dormant unless triggered, designed to annihilate any who dared breach their borders with hostile intent.
The land responded to his intent, humming as each rune settled into place. Within a month, the land had become their fortress.
At the heart of the grounds rose a six-story pavilion, crafted from reinforced spirit wood and etched with supportive arrays. Each level had its purpose: strategy halls, cultivation chambers, meeting rooms, and scroll archives.
Beside it stood a private estate — a cluster of elegant courtyards and residences where Haotian, Lianhua, the six guards, and now Yueying and Xiaoque would dwell.
To one side, Haotian oversaw the construction of a dual-purpose workshop, combining forging halls and pill-refining chambers. The heat of flames and the scent of herbs soon became constants there, as disciples trained in their crafts under Haotian's occasional guidance.
At the rear of the pavilion, a treasury and storage vault was built, heavily fortified, to house their spirit stones, weapons, and medicinal stockpiles.
By the end of two months, the Raising Dragon and Phoenix Faction had a foundation that rivaled small sects in their own right.
At first, only Haotian's closest companions — Lianhua, the six guards, Yueying, and Xiaoque — formed the faction's core. But word spread quickly, factionless and also disciples from smaller factions began drifting toward them.
Some chose to merge completely, dissolving their old banners to join Haotian's. Others became subsidies, retaining their names but acknowledging the Raising Dragon and Phoenix as their overlords.
Several of the larger factions, with dozens of members and even core disciples, chose alliance rather than submission. They did not wish to bend, but neither did they dare make enemies of the rising faction backed by Haotian's name and strength.
Still, not everyone welcomed them. A number of factions remained openly neutral, preferring to wait and see which way the wind blew. And a few — proud, entrenched groups with their own ambitions — began whispering their opposition.
But Haotian did not care.
Where other factions scraped and clawed for sect-issued resources, Haotian looked outward. He secured herbs, ores, and treasures from his own connections, from missions, and from his control over the Radiant Forge Pavilion's flourishing trade. His faction's prosperity did not drain the sect's coffers. If anything, it expanded them.
By the end of the second month, the Raising Dragon and Phoenix Faction had grown exponentially. Their ranks included rising talents, skilled alchemists, blacksmiths, and formation specialists. Their alliances gave them reach. Their resources gave them strength.
And at the heart of it all, Haotian and Lianhua stood side by side, their hands resting on the heads of Yueying and Xiaoque — symbols of the faction's dual spirit: fierce as dragon and phoenix, steady as moonlight and fire.
The Burning Sun Sect had not yet seen a faction rise so quickly, so completely. And though rivals whispered, and elders watched with narrowed eyes, one truth was becoming clear:
This was no mere gathering of disciples.
The Raising Dragon and Phoenix Faction was becoming a power unto itself.
With the foundation secured and members streaming in, the Raising Dragon and Phoenix Faction could no longer remain loosely organized. To thrive, it needed a core structure, discipline, and identity.
Haotian stood before the gathered disciples in the great hall of the pavilion, the banners of dragon and phoenix newly hung upon the walls. His gaze swept across them, firm but steady.
"From this day," he declared, "our faction will stand as one body — dragon and phoenix, strength and grace, man and woman in harmony. But unity does not mean uniformity. Each of you has your strengths. We will sharpen them."
He gestured toward the left. "I will oversee the training of the male disciples. Combat, formations, weapons, and battlefield coordination will be my responsibility."
Then he turned to the right, where Lianhua stood radiant, her poise firm yet gentle. "Lianhua will guide the female disciples. Sword arts, agility, elemental control, and cultivation discipline will be under her care."
Lianhua stepped forward, her voice carrying clearly. "Do not mistake division for separation. This is balance. The phoenix does not weaken the dragon — nor does the dragon overshadow the phoenix. Together, we rise."
A ripple of agreement moved through the disciples, the men glancing toward Haotian with respect, the women looking to Lianhua with admiration.
Once the divisions were clear, Haotian brought forth a new idea — one that would set their faction apart.
On the training fields, he gathered the disciples into pairs. "Our greatest strength will not be individual skill," he said, his voice like steel ringing against stone. "It will be unity. The Raising Dragon and Phoenix Faction will wield an art no other faction has: the Dual Martial Arts Team Formation."
He raised his Fenlong Spear, driving it into the earth with a resonant hum. Around him, runes lit up as if the ground itself acknowledged his words.
"This system is designed for two. Each pair will be bound not only by camaraderie but by synchronized cultivation and combat techniques. As pairs grow, they can link into squads, then into entire units — up to thirty-two pairs at once. With each bond, the formation grows in complexity and power."
He demonstrated with Lianhua. The two moved in harmony — his spear thrust sweeping aside invisible foes while her sword traced arcs of light that filled the openings he left. Alone, each movement was strong. Together, it was seamless.
"Pairs will not weaken individuality," Haotian continued. "Instead, each partner amplifies the other. The spear finds space because the sword clears the path. The shield holds because the fist supports it. Each movement in this art is designed for trust."
The disciples watched, awestruck, as he and Lianhua finished their sequence, their qi resonating together like dragon's roar and phoenix's cry.
By dusk, training pairs had already begun forming. Some were awkward, others natural, but all were eager. The men drilled under Haotian's sharp instruction, while the women refined their forms under Lianhua's graceful but demanding eye.
The six guards took lead as examples, demonstrating discipline and setting the pace for newcomers. Yueying and Xiaoque prowled the training grounds silently, their looming presence ensuring discipline without a word.
Haotian looked upon the field, watching pairs move together, stumble, then improve. His expression softened, but his heart burned with quiet pride.
The Raising Dragon and Phoenix Faction had more than land, more than numbers. Now, it had identity.
And identity would become legacy.