The War Begins – Sect Betrayal

The moment Xiao Lian and the surviving disciples emerged from the ruins of the pagoda, a chilling realization settled over them.

The battlefield was already drenched in blood.

Thick plumes of smoke coiled into the sky, and the scent of burning wood mixed with the iron tang of blood. Cries of battle rang through the air as warriors clashed in a chaotic frenzy. What should have been a triumphant return turned into a nightmare.

The sects, their homes, their clans, their people, were under siege.

Xiao Lian's grip tightened around her sword as her sharp eyes scanned the battlefield. Her sect, the Crimson Feather Sect, had once stood tall, an unyielding fortress of power. Now, its banners were torn, its disciples scattered, and its supposed allies…

They were the ones attacking.

Ji Ren, standing beside her, clenched his fists. His usual calm was replaced with a barely restrained fury. "Those bastards… they turned on us."

Xiao Lian had suspected treachery, but the depth of this betrayal sent a sharp pain through her chest. She watched as warriors they once called allies cut down Crimson Feather disciples with ruthless efficiency.

The Golden Crane Sect, the Azure Lotus Sect, even the so-called honorable Iron Sun Sect, all of them had banded together, turning their blades on those they once fought beside.

"This was never about unity," Xiao Lian muttered, her voice cold.

A familiar chime echoed in her mind as SIS, the system embedded in her soul, activated.

> > Analyzing battlefield…

Confirmed: This is a coordinated attack. A celestial faction is manipulating events from behind the scenes.

Her heart pounded.

"Celestial faction?" she asked silently.

'Affirmative. Their interference was detected during the pagoda trials. This war is merely a tool to eliminate threats.'

A tool to eliminate threats.

Xiao Lian felt her blood turn ice-cold.

That threat… was her.

The pagoda had given her the truth, the Crimson Feather Sect had been feared, its destruction orchestrated by those who saw it as a danger. And now, history was repeating itself.

The other sects weren't just afraid of the Crimson Feather Sect's potential.

They were afraid of her.

She turned to Ji Ren. His eyes were already locked onto hers, as if he had reached the same conclusion. "This isn't just about the sect anymore, is it?" he asked.

Xiao Lian exhaled slowly, gripping her sword. "No. It's about power. And whoever is pulling the strings from above doesn't want us to have it."

The ground shook as another explosion rocked the battlefield. Crimson Feather Sect elders were struggling to hold their ground, but they were outnumbered. Their so-called allies had planned this well, this was meant to be an extermination.

"What do we do?" one of the surviving disciples asked, his voice shaking.

Xiao Lian glanced at the terrified faces around her. These were warriors who had survived the pagoda's trials, endured its horrors, but even they were hesitating.

Because this wasn't just another battle.

This was war.

And they were standing at the center of it.

She had two choices.

One: Flee. Gather her strength, disappear into the shadows, and return when she was strong enough to challenge whoever had orchestrated this betrayal.Or,

Two: Stand and fight. Defend what was left of her sect, defy the celestial forces manipulating them, and prove that they weren't so easily broken.

Her fingers curled around the hilt of her blade.

A normal person would have run.

But Xiao Lian had never been normal.

"We fight." Her voice rang clear, cutting through the chaos. "If they want to destroy us, then we'll show them exactly why they fear us."

Ji Ren's smirk was sharp, dangerous. "I was hoping you'd say that."

The surviving disciples rallied behind her. Their fear was still there, but now it was sharpened into something else—determination.

"Then let's make them regret this."

With that, Xiao Lian surged forward, her sword flashing as she plunged into the heart of the battle.