Early March, in the southern reaches of Qingzhou. Misty rain blurred the world, and the scent of wine drifted through the narrow alley paved with bluestone.
Inside a small tavern by the street, a young man in a coarse robe quietly wiped the tables. His face was ordinary, unremarkable. No one knew that he was once the young master of the most powerful sect in the northern lands—the Tianling Sect. His name: Xiao Chen.
Three years ago, the Tianling Sect was annihilated in a single night. Rivers of blood flowed. His parents, the elders, his fellow disciples—all perished in that meticulously orchestrated catastrophe. The mastermind behind it all had never revealed their identity. Xiao Chen survived by a miracle. Since then, he buried his name and past, blending into the mundane world under the alias "Ah Chen," living like a lowly tavern servant.
But he never forgot.
As a mere mortal, he wandered the lands, piecing together every clue he could find—seeking the truth behind that fateful night.
Until one day—
A veiled woman in white entered his life. She called herself Yan Yao, a descendant of the most prestigious cultivation clan in Central State—the ancient Yan family. She seemed to be pursuing a secret tied to the Tianling Sect massacre, following the trail of a mysterious artifact known as the Demonic Heart Token.
"You're someone with secrets," she said the first time they met, her voice calm and cool.
Xiao Chen said nothing—but did not deny it.
Then, on another day, a celestial fire fell into the forests of Qingzhou, drawing cultivators from all directions. In the chaos that followed, Xiao Chen unleashed his spiritual power to save a youth poisoned to the brink of death. With one strike of his sword—blindingly brilliant—he split mountains and shattered the earth, his sword qi stretching three thousand miles.
The young man's name was Chu Yuan, a banished prince from a minor northern kingdom, exiled in a deadly struggle for power. From that day on, he pledged his loyalty to Xiao Chen, calling him "Brother."
Thus, the three began to travel together—Yan Yao, calm and intelligent; Chu Yuan, hot-blooded and impulsive; and Xiao Chen, a silent blade cutting through the shadows of the world. They crossed sects, explored hidden realms, delved into ancient tombs. The deeper they ventured, the more entangled the mysteries became—and the closer they drew to the truth.
One name, long buried in history, began to surface—Palace of Eternal Night.
A demonic sect thought to have been eradicated a thousand years ago by the righteous path was now showing signs of resurgence. The massacre of the Tianling Sect… had been the work of its surviving remnants. And behind it all lay a connection to the ancient Yan clan—one shrouded in secrecy.
Each step forward brought them closer to the truth—and to the edge of destruction.
Xiao Chen's power, too, began to awaken. The Nine Nether Star Soul sealed within him stirred. His severed Heavenly Spirit Root slowly regenerated. He was a forsaken child of the heavens, yet also the one destined to shake the Three Realms.
"You seek revenge?" Yan Yao asked.
"I want them to know," Xiao Chen replied, "that no matter how vast this world may be—it cannot hide their sins."
In the end, they would face a battle that would shake the mortal world to its core.
This was no longer one man's revenge.
It was the journey of those who carried light, forging forward with blades drawn—into the heart of darkness.