The Black Dragon Faction's compound hummed with quiet tension beneath the soft glow of lanterns, shadows stretching across polished stone corridors like silent predators waiting for the signal. Lu Mao's footsteps were measured, deliberate, echoing faintly as he moved through the central courtyard. His eyes scanned the compound, taking in the recruits milling about, the seasoned disciples sharpening blades, and the subtle aura rippling through the air. Each breath, each pulse of qi, carried the weight of unspoken anticipation.
Li Xian walked beside him, her golden eyes narrowed with a mixture of pride and cautious concern. At twenty-two, she had seen more battles than most in the faction's history, but even she allowed herself a flicker of admiration at Lu Mao's presence. He had grown not just in power, but in command, the kind that could inspire fear in foes and loyalty in allies.
"Lu Mao," Li Xian's voice was low, tinged with restraint, "you are planning to strike at the Red Hawk, Moonfire, and Iron Fang factions all at once. They've been pushing the Black Dragon for too long, but it's risky. Are you certain about this approach?"
Lu Mao's lips curved into a faint, confident smile. "We can't wait for them to choose the battlefield. We define it ourselves. Moonfire and Iron Fang run missions outside the sect; that's where Bao Fu, Chen Yuan, and a few of the promising recruits will handle them. Red Hawk is another matter—they're aiming for Amber Viper's trading route, escorted by Wei Quing and his peak Spirit-Accession comrades. That's where I step in."
Li Xian inclined her head, considering. "And Bao Fu and Chen Yuan? You trust them to lead?"
He nodded. "They've grown. We'll send Liang Feng and Mei Ruo, two promising recruits I've been observing closely, along with them. Let them taste battle outside the sect. They need it, and it will thin Moonfire and Iron Fang's influence without risking the core disciples here."
Yan Mei, lingering near the edge of the courtyard, her delicate hands clasped, interjected, "Red Hawk has been bold. Striking Amber Viper's route openly is dangerous, even with Wei Quing overseeing them. You'll need precision, not brute force."
"Exactly," Lu Mao replied, eyes glinting. "That's why we strike after their ambush begins. They won't expect interference. By the time they realize we're there, their advantage will be gone. We'll cut them down fast, brutal enough to break bones, cripple their ranks, and leave a message they won't forget."
Li Xian's gaze softened, yet remained sharp. "Your methods… aggressive, but effective. Just… remember who we are. Control, even in chaos, or they'll exploit the momentary rage."
Lu Mao's black-gold veins pulsed faintly beneath his skin, a reflection of the God Devouring Vein's ever-watchful hunger. "I haven't forgotten. Discipline first. Rage second. And only when necessary."
By dusk, the plans were finalized. Bao Fu and Chen Yuan, accompanied by Liang Feng and Mei Ruo, slipped quietly through the eastern gates, moving like shadows toward Moonfire's mission teams operating on the outer plains. Their movements were swift, calculated; no mercy for hesitation, no room for mistakes.
Meanwhile, Lu Mao, Li Xian, Yan Mei, and a handful of reliable Spirit-Accession disciples positioned themselves along the northern ridges overlooking the Amber Viper convoy. Lanterns bobbed in the distance, wagons carrying rare herbs, pill ingredients, and spiritual jade, escorted by Wei Quing and his disciplined peak Spirit-Accession comrades. Wei Quing, a prodigy of the Amber Viper Clan, moved with calculated precision, orchestrating his team as they advanced cautiously, mindful of bandits and thieves who had struck them in the past months.
From the shadows, Lu Mao observed the Red Hawks, their elite Spirit-Accession warriors supported by twelve War Blood cultivators of the Jade Owl Syndicate, lying in wait. They had hidden along the narrow pass, biding their time, waiting for the Amber Viper convoy to enter range.
"The timing," Lu Mao murmured, eyes narrowed. "Wei Quing's men are skilled, but even the strongest can be pressured. We wait."
The Red Hawks finally made their move, descending upon the convoy with ruthless speed. Jade Owl cultivators struck alongside them, a calculated blitz meant to overwhelm Amber Viper's defenses. Wei Quing responded immediately, his strikes precise, a blend of poison-based martial arts, controlling the battlefield with unpredictable gases and subtle manipulations. Even as a peak Spirit-Accession practitioner, he moved with fluidity, taking out one of the War Blood cultivators in a single, explosive sequence of poison-infused strikes.
Lu Mao watched, noting the rhythm, the timing, and the weaknesses forming as the Amber Viper forces struggled against overwhelming numbers. The convoy had fought valiantly, but the Red Hawks and Jade Owl disciples began to suppress them. Four War Blood cultivators of Amber Viper remained standing, with a handful of Spirit-Accession disciples clinging desperately to the defensive perimeter. Across the battlefield, the Jade Owl War Blood cultivators had already lost three, and several Red Hawk Spirit-Accession warriors had fallen—but the attackers still seemed to hold the advantage.
Zhou Feng, the Red Hawk commander, roared in frustration, his presence dominating the battlefield. "This ends tonight!" he bellowed. "Amber Viper's fools will die, and those pills will be ours! Wei Quing, your talent ends here!"
The moment of opportunity had come. Lu Mao signaled, and the Black Dragon strike began.
From the northern ridge, the first movement was a blur. Lu Mao surged forward, Phantom Veil activated, his Moonveil Dagger slicing through the air with lightning speed. One of the War Blood cultivators was struck from behind, ribs shattering as his body crumpled to the earth. Simultaneously, Yan Mei's Chain Whip spiraled with lethal precision, snaking around another War Blood cultivator's neck in a spiral twist, bones snapping under her controlled force. Li Xian, moving with Martial King speed and deadly precision, pierced the heart of a third War Blood cultivator from behind, while another fell to her Golden Needle Strike. The Spirit-Accession disciples moved swiftly, taking out several of the Red Hawk elite practitioners caught in their path.
Zhou Feng's eyes widened as he realized the ambush, his rage flaring into the night. "Black Dragon…!" he bellowed, swinging his great blade at Li Xian, intent on revenge.
Li Xian met his attack without hesitation, displaying the mastery of three combat martial arts in rapid succession. Qi threads lanced through the air, shattering his guard, tearing at his limbs and leaving him severely injured. Yan Mei, still in motion, activated her Treasure Flute, releasing disruptive qi waves that unsettled the remaining War Blood cultivators, throwing off their attacks and coordination.
Lu Mao's gaze shifted, and he activated the Golden Orb. Its surface pulsed as it absorbed the disrupted qi from his opponents, glowing brighter with every strike it intercepted. As Zhou Feng's remaining forces lunged at him, the Lunar Reflection ability of the Moonveil Dagger returned their combined energy back upon them. A powerful Qi Pulse Blast from the orb tore through the attackers, knocking several back with concussive force. Following immediately, Lu Mao advanced with the Ways of the Dagger, his movements a perfect fusion of precision and lethality, dismantling a War Blood practitioner with swift, methodical strikes.
The battlefield fell into chaos. Red Hawk and Jade Owl disciples were driven back, their formations shattered, morale crumbling. Wei Quing, observing Lu Mao's intervention, nodded sharply. "You've come at the perfect moment," he called, his voice cutting through the clamor. "Attack with us!"
Together, Lu Mao, Li Xian, Yan Mei, and Wei Quing pushed forward, their combined skills overwhelming the remaining War Blood and Spirit-Accession disciples. Moonveil Dagger flashed, Chain Whip struck, qi pulses exploded, and shadow illusions fractured the battlefield, leaving the Red Hawks and Jade Owl cultivators disoriented and broken. Zhou Feng, the only one to survive, retreated heavily injured, his pride shattered, leaving behind the battlefield strewn with the corpses and broken forms of his men.
The Amber Viper convoy, battered but intact, paused as the dust settled, eyes wide with disbelief. Wei Quing's comrades steadied themselves, acknowledging the Black Dragon's timely intervention.
As the convoy slowed, Wei Quing approached Lu Mao, his silver eyes shining with renewed respect. "You've done more than I expected," he said. "I also have something I wanted to discuss with you… but it's closer to Amber Viper Clan now, and our home is still far. Will you come with me?"
Lu Mao allowed a faint grin. "Lead the way. Let's settle this properly once we reach your clan."
The Black Dragon disciples regrouped silently, surveying the devastation they had wrought—every movement measured, every strike precise, leaving behind not just defeated enemies but a lesson in fear and strategy.
As dawn broke over the mountains, the Black Dragon Faction's disciples returned to their positions alongside the Amber Viper convoy, bruised but victorious, carrying tales of broken bones and shattered pride. Lu Mao's team had struck not just with strength, but with precision, terror, and control—a clear message to any who dared challenge the Black Dragon.
And deep within Lu Mao's inner world, the obsidian cat stirred faintly, its hunger quiet but aware, as if sensing the shift in its master's strategy.
The path of the hunter had begun, and prey would tremble at the whisper of the Black Dragon's shadow.