The Inner Sect City was a world of its own.
The moment Lu Mao and his teammates stepped through the towering gates, the air itself seemed to thrum with energy. Tall spires carved with ancient runes pierced the skies, while vast courtyards bustled with cultivators dressed in robes embroidered with the marks of their factions. The qi here was thicker than in the outer sect, so rich that even breathing it made one's inner world stir faintly.
Disciples walked in groups, some radiating arrogance, others quiet but carrying themselves with dangerous calm. Smithies clanged with the sound of forging spirit weapons, talisman shops glowed with light from freshly-inked charms, and mission boards buzzed with announcements of hunts, escorts, and monster subjugations.
"This is…" Bao Fu's jaw practically hit the ground. "Heaven!"
Yan Mei's eyes flicked across the bustling streets, cool and sharp. "No. This is the battlefield where everyone wants to climb over another's corpse."
Indeed, the air was filled with whispers, all about factions.
"Over thirty factions… and the top five dominate the rest."
"The Golden Flame Hall has already recruited six new prodigies this year. Their achievement board is untouchable."
"Azure Sky Pavilion and Nine Heavens Sword Sect aren't far behind… Serpent Fang Alliance is always ruthless, and Violet Moon Palace… tch, their saintess is terrifying."
Lu Mao caught the way disciples from other factions carried themselves—swaggering when wearing the crest of a top faction, looking down on the lesser ones as though they were ants. His fists itched, his blood stirred.
Chen Yuan muttered uneasily beside him. "Brother Mao… maybe we should consider joining one of those. Look, even the weakest faction still has more numbers than…" He trailed off as his eyes darted toward Li Xian, who walked ahead in silence.
Lu Mao didn't press her yet. He followed, eyes sharp. Wherever she was leading them, he intended to see.
⸻
They turned a corner, away from the bustling centers, toward a quieter part of the city. The path narrowed. The walls looked older, less maintained. Finally, Li Xian stopped before a tall archway where a faded banner hung. The crest of a dragon, once fierce, now cracked and weathered, its black threads fraying.
"This is it." Her voice was calm, but too calm.
Chen Yuan blinked. "…What?"
Bao Fu scratched his head, staring at the empty courtyard beyond. The tiles were cracked, the training grounds overgrown with weeds, and silence echoed where once there must have been disciples.
"This is… our faction?" Bao Fu said in disbelief.
Yan Mei's lips curved faintly. "A dragon that's already shed all its scales."
Lu Mao said nothing. He studied Li Xian's face, but she was unreadable, gaze fixed on the broken crest as if it carried weight none of them could see.
⸻
The main hall's doors creaked open. A man stepped out—his presence hit them like a blade unsheathed. His black robe hung heavily, and his eyes were sharp enough to flay skin. Even standing still, he radiated the aura of a cultivator who had killed without hesitation.
"Master Shen Mu," Li Xian bowed.
The man's eyes swept across Lu Mao and the others, cold and dismissive. "So. You have finally dragged this strays from the outer sect?"
Chen Yuan swallowed hard. Bao Fu looked away, sweat forming on his brow. Even Yan Mei's gaze sharpened.
Shen Mu's voice was like steel scraping stone. "Listen carefully. This is the Black Dragon Faction. Once, it soared above all. Now, it is ashes. If you think this is a shelter, leave. If you stay, you will bring merit, or you will be thrown out like trash—as all the weaklings before you."
His glare lingered on Lu Mao. "You especially. If you drag down Li Xian, I will cut you off myself."
Lu Mao felt his chest tighten—not with fear, but with anger. He almost stepped forward, but Yan Mei's hand touched his arm lightly, holding him back. Not now.
Shen Mu turned sharply to Li Xian. "Show them the library. Let them see what remains."
⸻
The faction's library was a single dusty chamber. Rows of shelves stood mostly empty, save for a few scrolls and manuals. Lu Mao ran his hand across a shelf and came away with dust.
Chen Yuan's jaw dropped. "There are… less than twenty manuals here…"
Bao Fu let out a dry laugh. "I've seen street vendors with more selection than this!"
Yan Mei's gaze slid across the shelves. "Most are low-grade. Barely useful past the earliest stages."
Lu Mao frowned deeply. "Why can't we access the central library? Don't the inner sect libraries overflow with thousands of manuals?"
Li Xian shook her head. "Access isn't free. Manuals are bound by credits. Every grade requires credits to unlock. High-grade techniques cost more. Credits are earned only through merit—missions, or contributing treasures, relics, glimmer crystals."
"Glimmer crystals?" Bao Fu tilted his head.
"Stones condensed with rich qi," Yan Mei explained softly. "Valuable for cultivation."
Li Xian nodded. "Yes. Other factions have stockpiles because their disciples succeed in missions. The weak… starve."
Later, outside, Lu Mao cornered her.
"Li Xian." His voice was low, but firm. "Why here? You could've joined any faction. Even the weakest ones have more numbers than… this." He gestured at the cracked courtyard.
For a long moment, she didn't reply. Then, her eyes softened, just slightly.
"Shen Mu once had a son."
Lu Mao stilled.
"He was a prodigy. Brilliant. The Black Dragon Faction soared under him, rising into the top three. He was admired, feared, followed by many. But he rose too quickly. The other factions conspired. His own followers betrayed him. He was ambushed and killed."
Her voice grew quieter. "Since then, Master lost faith. He keeps Black Dragon alive only in memory of his son. He throws disciples out, one after another. He doesn't want anyone here. Only me."
Lu Mao frowned. "Why you?"
"When I was a child, I admired his son. He was… everything I wanted to be. I was too weak then. Now… I stay. For his memory."
Silence hung between them.
Lu Mao's fist clenched. His blood boiled at the injustice. Then he grinned—sharp, wolfish.
"So that's it? The mighty Black Dragon reduced to a ghost faction, while its enemies fatten themselves on its corpse?" He stepped closer, eyes blazing. "Li Xian. You said you admired his son. Then I'll carry that banner for you."
Her eyes widened.
"I'll make Black Dragon the strongest faction in the Inner Sect. Stronger than the top five. Stronger than all of them. Because I don't accept being beneath anyone." His grin widened. "We are thieves, aren't we? Then let's steal the throne."
Bao Fu slammed his fist into his palm. "Now that's the Lu Mao I follow!"
Chen Yuan groaned. "You're insane. Completely insane. But…" He sighed. "…I'll follow."
Yan Mei's lips curved faintly. "Ambition suits you."
Li Xian stared at him for a long moment. Then, almost imperceptibly, she smiled.
⸻
From the shadows of the hall, Shen Mu watched, eyes narrowing. A faint, mocking smile tugged at his lips.
"Another loudmouth," he muttered. "Let's see how long this one lasts."