Ironwood Sect – Two Days Later
The air in the Ironwood Sect's inner hall was still, heavy with tension. Wei Zhong, Sect Master of the Ironwood Sect, stood tense, fists clenched so tightly the veins bulged along his forearms. Beside him, Elder Huo Qing remained silent, though the scowl etched into his scarred face said enough.
"How can they be defeated?" Wei Zhong growled. "The Void Immortal Sect—those cripples—they were nothing! How could they possibly slaughter Qin Shan, Deng Kai, even the elites?"
Huo Qing's lips twitched. "...Perhaps we underestimated their new leader. The Cloud Sect we knew is gone. Whoever leads them now... they aren't the same."
Wei Zhong slammed his fist against the table. The stone cracked. "We lost our strongest. The Sect's foundation is broken. If they come for us now, we won't be able to hold."
Silence settled between them. Then Huo Qing spoke again, voice low. "Should we seek help?"
Wei Zhong looked at him sharply.
"We're not the only ones uneasy about this Void Immortal Sect," Huo Qing continued. "The Cold Sun Sect, Blackwood Sect, even the Stormcloud Sect, Blazing Fang Sect... they'll be watching. If we extend a hand now, we might still stand a chance."
Wei Zhong grunted. "I won't beg. But... alliances might be necessary."
He turned toward the iron doors. Outside, a cold wind howled through the peaks. The once-proud banners of the Ironwood Sect fluttered in tatters. Wei Zhong clenched his jaw. "Send the messages. Let's see who will answer."
Cold Sun Sect – Outer Gates
The great gates of the Cold Sun Sect groaned open as Wu Jinhai and Feng Liancheng marched at the head of their returning expedition. Behind them, Han Yueling and Han Xinyue strode in silence, followed by their five elite disciples and the rest of the 250-strong force.
A guard stepped forward, bowing. "Elders, have you destroyed the Void Immortal Sect and Ironwood forces?"
The elders gave no reply. Wu Jinhai's eyes flicked toward the man, cold and unreadable, before he walked past without a word. Han Yueling didn't even glance in his direction, her face an icy mask.
Their silence spoke volumes.
The procession entered the sect in heavy quiet. Even the disciples, usually so boastful upon returning, moved as if burdened by an invisible weight. As the last disciple passed through the gate, the guard called out again, voice more hesitant this time.
"Wait… you didn't engage them?"
The disciple paused. "No. We never fought. The Ironwood Sect was already crushed."
The guard's eyes widened. "What? By who?"
"The Void Immortal Sect," the disciple said grimly. "They were… stronger than we imagined."
He turned and walked into the mist beyond the gates, leaving the stunned guard staring after him.
A few minutes later, in the Grand Hall—
Sect Master Han Wuying's icy gaze fell upon the returning group. "What you say... it cannot be true."
Feng Liancheng bowed. "It is, Sect Master. We watched the battle from afar. The Ironwood Sect was annihilated. Their strongest fell. The Void Immortal Sect… fights with monsters."
Han Yueling narrowed her eyes. "Bandits fought beside them. And not just fought—followed orders, acted with discipline. That is no ordinary alliance."
Luo Xiulan, standing beside the Sect Master, spoke up for the first time. "How could bandits serve a sect without rebellion?"
Wu Jinhai snorted. "They didn't just serve. They obeyed like dogs. Something—or someone—made them bend the knee."
Han Xinyue, usually quick to speak, remained silent. His hands trembled slightly at his sides.
Han Wuying's expression remained unreadable. "You're saying the Void Immortal Sect… no, its new master... bent ruthless killers and a dying sect to his will?"
"Yes," Feng Liancheng said. "And more. He turned them into an army."
The hall was silent.
Luo Xiulan's eyes narrowed. "We should eliminate them before they grow further."
Han Wuying finally spoke, voice cold. "We do nothing. Not yet. If we strike blindly, we might end up like the Ironwood Sect. We wait. We watch. Until the perfect moment arrives."
Within the dark, root-laced chamber of the Blackwood Sect's grand hall, Elder Wu Zhen stood before Sect Master Hei Mu and the three gathered elders.
"They wiped out the Ironwood Sect," Wu Zhen said flatly. "Their top disciples, elders—gone."
Hei Mu's brows furrowed. "The Cloud Sect had no such strength. What changed?"
Wu Zhen's green-glowing eyes narrowed. "No one knows. And the strangest part is—those bandits are now part of that sect."
Elder Bai Rong's expression remained impassive. "Even bandits crave power. Perhaps they saw something… terrifying."
Hei Mu nodded slowly. "Who leads them?"
Wu Zhen shook his head. "No one knows. Their Sect Master has yet to appear."
Elder Xue Fan let out a slow, eerie chuckle. "Then perhaps… it is time we meet them."
Hei Mu's smile was thin. "No. Not yet. Let the others bleed first. Let us observe… and start our game."
The flickering lanterns cast twisted shadows across the root-carved walls.
And in the Blackwood Sect, the roots of a deadly scheme began to stir.