This was no battlefield.
No armies clashed.
No siege towers roared.
Yet the air shook with power.
At the Gates of Xiangwu, under a sky so still it could shatter, two figures hovered in midair—surrounded by the hushed awe of thousands of watching warriors.
Long Wei, the Prince of Jiǔtiān.And The Sword Deity, the revered guardian of the city's martial honor.
One represented the might of the empire.The other, the unbending spirit of the old sects.
This was not war.It was a duel between legends.
The Duel Begins
Without warning, both moved.
Two flashes of light collided in midair—aura meeting aura, qi against qi. The sound echoed like mountains splitting open. Sparks of sword essence ignited the sky. They vanished—only to reappear again, steel clashing in a blur of motion that even trained eyes couldn't follow.
Sword strokes danced like lightning.
Figures appeared—vanished—reappeared above the clouds.
Down below, the soldiers and sect disciples shielded their eyes from the radiant shockwaves. Energy waves tore through the cliff edges, cracking ancient stones.
In a single breath, they descended to the ground—a thundering impact cratering the earth beneath them.
Now it was fists. Kicks. Martial art versus martial art.
The Sword Deity flowed like water—graceful, reactive, fluid. His movements were a form of art, blending speed and serenity.
Long Wei countered with a grounded power—firm stances, explosive strikes, and godlike strength that warped the air.
They moved in a deadly rhythm, like a song composed only for titans.
Then—
Long Wei spun backward, raising Tiān Míng overhead.
"You're fast," he said. "But this… is faster."
He focused.
The aura around him surged. His body shimmered with light as if the stars themselves bowed to his qi. His blade glowed white-hot.
And then—
Mighty Sword Splash.
A wave of sword energy burst from his blade, so precise and so fast it shattered the wind itself.
The Sword Deity's eyes widened—
Too late.
The force hit like a divine waterfall, knocking him from the air. He landed hard, sword digging into the stone just to stay upright.
Silence fell.
He knelt. But he did not frown.
Instead… he smiled.
"Good," he said, his voice carrying calmly. "You've surpassed even the legends whispered in your name."
Access Granted
The great doors of Xiangwu opened.
The city's banners shifted. The monks bowed in respect. And the army of Jiǔtiān entered—not as conquerors, but as earned guests.
The Sword Deity stood again and addressed his people.
"He is worthy. Let no man say otherwise."
The guards sheathed their blades.
The people watched Long Wei with new eyes—not just as a prince, but as one of the few who had faced the Sword Deity and stood tall.
Meeting the City Lord
The city's main streets were ancient but grand, paved in black stone that glowed under enchanted lanterns. At its heart stood the Lord's Residence, a multi-tiered estate nestled beneath a waterfall of glowing qi threads.
That evening, Long Wei and his elite warriors were summoned.
Inside the marble hall, surrounded by ancestral portraits, sat the City Lord—a robust older man in black robes trimmed with jade. His hair was white, but his eyes held strength untouched by age.
He rose as Long Wei approached.
"Prince of Jiǔtiān. I welcome you to Xiangwu."
Long Wei bowed.
"I come with respect. I seek not conquest, but allegiance. By tournament agreement, Xiangwu submits under the Empire's banner."
The City Lord studied him for a long moment.
"Do you know nothing about this city?" he asked, stepping forward."Do you know who I am?"
Long Wei blinked.
"Only that you are the Lord of this city."
The old man laughed, loud and genuine.
"So your mother told you nothing?"
Long Wei frowned.
"You know my mother?"
The City Lord gestured to a painting—of a younger woman in elegant robes, wielding a silver staff.
"Han Meiyin trained in these mountains. She was once a disciple of the Sect Leader. She is also… my brother's daughter."
Long Wei froze.
The realization dawned slowly.
"You… you're my grandfather's brother?"
"Indeed. Which makes me your great-uncle."
There was a pause.
Then both men smiled.
"You've grown into a fine warrior," the City Lord said. "Better than your father, perhaps."
Long Wei laughed lightly, shaking his head.
Nightfall
A residence was prepared for Long Wei and his warriors, nestled at the foot of the sect mountain—peaceful, with views of the glowing river that wound through Xiangwu.
The city pulsed with new tension and opportunity.
Tomorrow, they would meet the Sect Leader himself.
But tonight, they rested beneath foreign stars… in a city once forgotten, now tied to blood.
And in the distance, Long Jie rode ever closer.
Dawn in Xiangwu
The morning sun rose like a golden blade across the peaks of Xiangwu, slicing through the mist that still blanketed the city rooftops. The bustling streets below stirred with merchants, cultivators, and children chasing birds with laughter.
At the royal residence, nestled at the foot of the mountains, Long Wei stepped outside to the scent of dew and incense. His sword rested against the railing as he looked out over the city he'd just earned by strength.
Then came the thundering sound of hooves.
Guards at the gate turned in alarm, but Long Wei's eyes widened with shock.
"Long Jie?" he called out.
The Second Prince dismounted, his royal insignia faint beneath travel dust. His cloak fluttered behind him, and though his boots were torn and his shoulder bruised from the ambush two nights prior, his eyes burned with urgent fire.
Long Wei descended the steps, confused.
"What are you doing here?"
Long Jie stepped forward and handed him a sealed letter from the Empress, her personal sigil hidden in the wax.
"Mother sent me. She's under house arrest for questioning the Emperor about this mission."
Long Wei's jaw clenched.
"House arrest? For protecting me?"
The energy around him trembled slightly—his fury simmering beneath his skin.
Long Jie placed a hand on his shoulder.
"She feared this wasn't a mission… but a test. A political tactic."
Long Wei turned away, pacing.
"I felt it, too. The City Lord… he's our great-uncle."
Long Jie nodded.
"And that's not all. The Sword Deity you fought—he's our mother's younger brother. The one she used to speak of before entering the palace."
Long Wei stilled.
The truth cut deep.
"Then I wasn't sent to conquer strangers…" he whispered. "I was sent to fight my own family."
A heavy silence followed.
Behind them, their four elite warriors stood speechless.
Jin Mu frowned.
"If this is politics… then something big is brewing in the capital."
Yue Lan glanced between the princes.
"Your Highnesses… this is no longer about conquest. This feels like the beginning of a deeper game."
To the Heart of the Sect
Later that morning, the group—Long Wei, Long Jie, and the four elite warriors—dressed in formal silks and armament, made their way through the vibrant streets of Xiangwu.
Everywhere they passed, citizens stopped and bowed.
Vendors knelt.Children pointed.Elders whispered praises.
They were not viewed as enemies.
They were respected.
The roads curved upward, winding through hills until they reached the towering gates of the Heavenly Phoenix Sect, carved from obsidian stone and etched with ancient runes that shimmered faintly with qi.
At the inner threshold stood a solitary figure.
He was tall, wrapped in robes of bronze and violet, a long spear taller than any man planted beside him, its edge humming with pure qi. His expression was serene—but power radiated from him like a dormant volcano.
As they neared, the ground suddenly quaked.
The spear glowed.
Boom!
He slammed its butt into the marble floor. A ripple of raw essence surged outward.
Long Jie and the four elite warriors were instantly pinned—crushed to their knees by invisible force, their limbs trembling, unable to rise.
Only Long Wei remained standing, though his breathing grew shallow. Sweat beaded at his temples.
He looked up.
"This pressure… stronger than the Sword Deity…"
The man spoke, voice deep and regal.
"Welcome to the Heavenly Phoenix Sect, Prince of Jiǔtiān.I am Yu Qian, Spear Deity and Gatekeeper.The Master is expecting you."
Long Wei stepped forward slowly.
"Then why pin us down if you expect us?"
Yu Qian raised a single brow.
"To see if you could still walk under pressure. The weak don't meet the Master."
One of the elite warriors, Ren Kai, grunted from the ground.
"We can't walk at all with your spear crushing our bones…"
The Spear Deity allowed himself a small, amused smile.
With a flick of his fingers, he grasped his spear again and lifted it slightly.
Instantly, the crushing force vanished.
Long Jie and the others gasped, catching their breath and rising slowly.
"Come," Yu Qian said. "You've passed."
The Inner Sanctum
They passed through a second gate carved with phoenix wings and entered the main sect compound.
What met them was breathtaking.
Stone pavilions floated above serene lakes. Waterfalls flowed in reverse, up the mountain instead of down. Statues of legendary martial heroes stood among towering cherry trees. Dozens of disciples trained in different styles—barehanded combat, elemental blade work, qi-channeling arts, and spiritual formations.
The air shimmered with sacred energy.
All turned as the group entered, bowing in unison.
"Welcome, Princes of Jiǔtiān," the voice of a senior disciple announced.
From a higher balcony, a cloaked figure in long robes watched silently—the Sect Leader, though not yet ready to be revealed.
Long Wei glanced at Long Jie.
"This… is not just a city of warriors."
Long Jie replied,
"No. This is the cradle of martial bloodlines."
And now… they were walking into its heart.