The morning sun rose over Shadow Mountain, casting golden rays that shimmered through the protective formation's transparent glow. Birds chirped softly, and the fragrance of fresh herbs from the alchemy hall lingered in the air. Disciples moved in formation, practicing combat drills while others collected herbs or carried crates of spirit stones.
But within the serene beauty of the mountain, a small heart still felt heavy.
Inside Xuan Long's residence, Xiou Xue sat quietly on a window bench. Her little arms were wrapped around her knees, and though she smiled faintly when Yue Mei brought her sweet fruit, her eyes still held a shadow of last night's sorrow.
Yue Mei puffed her cheeks. "Sister, you still sad? Look, look!" She held up a messy drawing—a stick-figure version of Xuan Long with giant muscles punching a demon into the sky. "That's Brother! See? Demon go flying! Pew!"
Xiou Xue tried to laugh but only smiled weakly. "Thank you, Mei... it's funny."
Xuan Long stepped into the room, watching the two little girls. He noted Xiou Xue's silence.
"Xiou Xue," he said gently, crouching beside her. "The mountain is quiet, but my little princess isn't smiling. That can't be right."
Xiou Xue looked up, her lip quivering. "Brother... I want to be strong too. But I can't."
He wiped a tear from her cheek. "You are already strong. It takes strength to carry a sad heart and still smile for your sister. That's more strength than many warriors I've met."
She looked at him with glassy eyes. "Really...?"
He kissed her forehead. "Of course. But today, I'm going to make you laugh. No matter what. That's my mission today."
---
Meanwhile, down the mountain, trade had erupted into chaos.
The name of the Hua Sect was now on every merchant's lips.
In the bustling cities, alchemists from other sects grit their teeth. Their shelves full of overpriced pills now gathered dust as buyers flooded to the Hua Sect stalls, where the same pills were sold cheaper, fresher, and in bulk.
"Twenty-five percent cheaper?! Are they mad?!"
"It's not madness, it's a miracle! I got ten Qi Refining pills, and they work better than my last batch from Jade Spirit Sect!"
Inside Hua Sect's inner hall, Sect Leader Huan Lian leaned back with a rare smile.
"We've recovered every lost spirit stone in fifteen days," said an elder, eyes wide. "And the market chatter—they now call our pills 'Mountain Blessed'... they think we're blessed by a deity!"
Another elder added, "More importantly, many smaller sects now approach us for alliance. They say the one behind this trade, Xuan Long... might be building an empire in the shadows."
Huan Lian held a porcelain cup, the steam curling around her fingers. "Perhaps... but if this Xuan Long is building something, then we're fortunate to have chosen his side early."
---
But not all parts of the realm basked in prosperity.
Far to the east, in the Dust Fang Valleys, screams echoed through smoky air.
A bandit camp, painted red with cruelty, loomed like a plague.
The Crimson Blade Fangs—a group of human traffickers and rogue cultivators—had begun spreading terror. Villagers were dragged from homes. Mortals were chained like cattle. The smell of fear clung to the wind.
"Please, my child… she's only eight..." a mother cried, crawling at the feet of a sneering cultivator.
He kicked her away. "Silence, insect. The prettier they are, the higher the price."
A burning hut collapsed nearby, the screams of those trapped inside muffled by the roar of flames.
The leader of the Crimson Blade Fangs, a man with jagged black tattoos and eyes like rotting embers, raised his blood-drenched blade.
"Next stop... the mountain city. If they resist, we slaughter. If they beg, we sell."
---
Back near Shadow Mountain...
Within a forested valley two peaks away, tents rose like silent teeth from the mist.
Zhou Yuechan stood tall, arms crossed as her long robe fluttered in the cold mountain wind. Fifty elite guards stood behind her, along with two Soul Sea Realm elders.
She stared up toward the direction of the shadow-covered peak.
"So this is where you hide, Xuan Long," she muttered. "My brother's death will be answered with rivers of blood."
A scout kneeled. "Young Miss, shall I test their boundary?"
She waved a hand. "Go. I want to know how strong their defenses really are."
The scout vanished into the trees.
Moments later—a shriek pierced the air.
Zhou Yuechan and her guards turned.
The scout's body came tumbling down the slope. His corpse was untouched—except his eyes, which were glassy and white, his soul completely drained.
"Soul-killing formation?" one elder murmured.
Yuechan frowned. "A soul-based barrier... this isn't just an overgrown sect. This is a fortress."
She turned to her troops. "Prepare. We strike soon. But we strike with caution. This... won't be an easy prey."
---
Back on Shadow Mountain...
Xuan Long had gathered the children in the inner courtyard. A spirit beast—a small, fluffy white fox with glowing red eyes—hopped around, balancing fruit on its tail.
Yue Mei clapped with delight.
Xiou Xue giggled for the first time that day.
Xuan Long smiled.
"See? Even if you can't cultivate right now, you can still enjoy the magic of this world. And someday, I'll find a way for you too. I promise."
Xiou Xue blinked. "You promise, brother?"
He held up his pinky. "I swear it."
She linked her tiny pinky with his.
Yue Mei giggled. "Now you have to! It's pinky law!"
Xuan Long chuckled. "Then pinky law it is."
As the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the mountain, none of them noticed the storm gathering on the far edge of the sky.
But Xuan Long... his gaze turned distant, and his smile faded just a little.
He had felt it. Danger approached.
And this time, it had a name.