Dawn crept across the jagged peaks of the Ironspine Mountains, painting their black ridges in pale silver. A cold wind whistled through the narrow valleys, carrying faint echoes — the kind that made even seasoned cultivators tighten their grip on their weapons.
Tian Shen and his companions had been following the qi traces for three days now. The deeper they went, the denser and more unstable the spiritual energy became. Spirit beasts prowled the slopes, and the air shimmered faintly, warped by residual formations left by someone whose mastery once approached immortality.
"According to the jade map," Liang Rui said as he crouched near a stone ridge, "the energy fluctuations converge right beyond this ravine."
Mei Ling swept her crimson hair behind her shoulder, flames flickering faintly around her fingers. "Then that must be it. The hidden cave."
Hao Feng tightened the strap of his hammer and cracked a grin. "Finally. I was starting to think the 'immortal's resting place' was just a rumor."
Tian Shen, standing slightly ahead of the group, narrowed his gaze. "Be on guard. The mountain's qi feels… disturbed."
No sooner had he spoken than the wind shifted — carrying a foreign presence. Footsteps echoed from across the ravine.
A group emerged from the mist — five cultivators in dark blue robes marked with the insignia of the Iron Serpent Sect, a rival sect from the western territories. Their leader, a tall man with sharp eyes and a cold smile, stepped forward.
"Well, well. Azure Cloud disciples," he said mockingly. "What a coincidence. I didn't expect to find your kind this deep in the Ironspine Range."
Mei Ling's gaze sharpened. "Coincidence or not, the sect authorized this expedition. You should turn back."
The man chuckled. "Turn back? Don't be naïve, girl. The Iron Serpent Sect has as much right to explore this place as you do. Or do your elders now claim dominion over every relic in the realm?"
Hao Feng's aura flared in irritation. "You talk too much for someone standing in another sect's shadow."
The Iron Serpent leader's smile vanished. "Careful, boy. Words can kill as easily as blades."
Liang Rui, ever calm, placed a hand on Hao Feng's arm. "Don't," he murmured. "We're not here to start a sect war."
But before the tension could ease, a sudden tremor shook the ground. Pebbles tumbled from the cliffs. From beneath the ravine, a roar erupted — deep and guttural.
The earth split open.
A Steel-Scaled Basilisk, a beast at the Peak of Qi Awakening Realm, surged from the chasm. Its silver hide gleamed like molten armor, and its eyes burned with primal fury. The force of its emergence sent shockwaves through the air.
"Spirit beast!" Mei Ling shouted as she leapt backward, flames igniting around her.
The Iron Serpent disciples reacted instantly, forming defensive stances — but the beast's tail lashed out, sending two of them flying into the rocks.
"Damn it!" their leader spat. "We'll deal with this first!"
The two groups scattered, yet the basilisk's ferocity didn't discriminate. It lunged at Tian Shen, jaws wide enough to crush a boulder. He drew his sword in one smooth motion, channeling qi through its blade. Wind and lightning intertwined, surging forward in a brilliant arc.
Boom!
The strike tore through the mist, slamming into the beast's neck — but its scales only cracked slightly, blood glimmering like liquid steel. The creature roared and retaliated, slamming its massive tail down. The ground erupted under the impact.
"Too tough!" Hao Feng growled, slamming his hammer into the earth. A golden shockwave rippled outward, halting the beast's charge.
"Cover me!" Mei Ling called out. Her hands moved rapidly, forming a fiery seal. The temperature spiked as a lotus of flame spun into existence above her palm. "Blazing Lotus Technique!"
The fiery lotus shot forward, detonating upon impact. The explosion engulfed the basilisk's head in roaring flames. Its scream echoed through the mountains — and when the smoke cleared, its left eye was gone.
Seeing the chance, Tian Shen's aura flared. Space shimmered faintly around his blade as he lunged forward. The beast tried to retreat — too slow. The sword pierced its throat, energy bursting outward in a controlled wave.
The basilisk collapsed, shaking the ground as it fell. A final hiss escaped its throat before silence claimed the valley.
The Iron Serpent cultivators backed away warily, their leader breathing hard. His eyes flickered between the corpse and Tian Shen, who stood calm and unscathed, his sword faintly humming with residual qi.
"…You've grown stronger since the trials," the man muttered, his earlier arrogance fading. "No wonder people talk about you."
Tian Shen didn't respond. He wiped his blade clean and turned to the ravine. "The entrance… it's beneath us."
Liang Rui approached the cracked ground, tracing faint energy lines with his fingers. "He's right. The beast must have been guarding it."
Slowly, as the dust settled, the earth revealed a narrow stairway spiraling downward into darkness. Ancient runes pulsed faintly along its walls.
The Iron Serpent leader scowled. "Looks like fate isn't done testing us."
Before anyone could speak, another voice echoed from above — calm, confident, and unfamiliar.
"Well, well… seems we arrived just in time." From the cliffs, a group of cloaked cultivators descended — unaffiliated rogues by their lack of insignia. Their leader, a woman with silver eyes and a faint smirk, drew her curved blade. "How about we share that entrance… or spill a little blood deciding who gets to go first?"
The wind grew colder. Four Azure Cloud disciples, five Iron Serpents, and six unaffiliated cultivators now stood before the same gate — their gazes locked, the faint shimmer of killing intent already thick in the air.
Tian Shen's hand hovered over his sword hilt, his expression unreadable. So this is how it begins, he thought. The path to power was never a solitary one — and never without blood.