A Clash Approaches

A tense silence filled the main hall of the Void Immortal Sect.

Xu Tianran's calm words still lingered in the air.

"Let them come."

But the elders did not share his indifference.

Huang Zhenhai took a step forward, his voice filled with suppressed anger. "Sect Master, they killed our disciples. If we do nothing, what will the rest of the sect think?"

Wei Qingfeng clenched his fists. "This isn't just about vengeance. If we stay silent, they'll see us as weak. More sects will come to test us."

Song Bai, usually the voice of reason, furrowed his brows. "Sect Master, I trust your judgment, but do you mean to wait and let them strike first?"

Despite their frustration, Xu Tianran remained composed. He looked at them, his gaze unwavering, his presence suffocating in its stillness.

"If strength alone decided victory, the world would be ruled by beasts," he said. "Ironwood Sect is testing us, waiting for our reaction. If we rush into battle mindlessly, we are no different from a reckless brute swinging a sword without thought."

The hall fell silent.

The weight of his words sank in.

Huang Zhenhai exhaled slowly. "Then… what do you propose?"

Xu Tianran glanced at Yue Lingxi.

"Call the former bandit leaders."

Yue Lingxi nodded without a word and disappeared in a flicker of movement.

Minutes later, heavy footsteps echoed through the hall.

Yan Ruyue, Tie Shan, and Jiang Feng entered, followed closely by their seven elite subordinates.

Tie Shan cracked his neck. "Sect Master, what's the reason for calling us?"

Jiang Feng's sharp gaze flickered between the elders, sensing the tension. "Something happened, didn't it?"

Xu Tianran's tone was even. "Ironwood Sect disciples ambushed ours. Some were killed."

Their reactions were immediate.

Yan Ruyue's golden-amber eyes darkened. "Those bastards think they can bully us?"

Tie Shan's muscles tensed. "Then let's make them pay."

Jiang Feng, ever the strategist, narrowed his eyes. "Are they expecting retaliation?"

Xu Tianran gave a slight nod. "Yes. And that is why you will not go after them. You will guard the city entrance instead."

Tie Shan frowned. "Guard the city?"

Xu Tianran's expression was unreadable. "If they truly intend to escalate, they will attack the city first to test our influence. Your first mission under my rule is simple—if they come, kill them with everything you have."

Yan Ruyue's lips curled into a smirk. "A chance to prove ourselves? Fine. I like it."

Jiang Feng sheathed his sword. "Understood. We'll make sure no one passes us."

Xu Tianran's gaze sharpened. "Take Ling Hua with you."

The bandit leaders paused.

Yan Ruyue let out a light chuckle. "Oh? You're sending the little disciple into battle already?"

"She trained for this moment," Xu Tianran said. "It's time for her to prove her worth."

The three nodded. This wasn't favoritism—this was a test.

Just as the bandit leaders turned to leave, four figures suddenly entered the hall.

Lin Shaoyang led the group, his aura noticeably stronger. He had broken through to the Low Foundation Establishment Realm. Behind him stood three disciples, each at the High Qi Gathering Realm.

One was a tall, serious-looking young man with a refined sword strapped to his back.

One was a broad-shouldered youth with twin blades at his waist.

The last was a slender girl with piercing eyes, her long sword resting lightly at her side.

They dropped to one knee.

Lin Shaoyang's voice was firm. "Sect Master, we heard about the attack."

The three disciples spoke in unison. "We request to join the battle!"

Gasps echoed through the hall.

Wei Qingfeng's eyes widened. "Lin Shaoyang… you broke through?"

Even Song Bai looked impressed. "The eldest disciple is now a Foundation Establishment cultivator."

Lin Shaoyang kept his gaze forward. "Sect Master, I have trained hard, but I know I am still lacking. This is the perfect chance to temper myself—and them."

He gestured toward the three behind him.

Xu Tianran's gaze swept over them. "Names."

The first disciple, the tall and composed one, spoke first. "Li Heng."

The second, the broad-shouldered one, grinned. "Xu Kang."

The last, the slender girl, gave a confident nod. "Zhao Mei."

Xu Tianran tapped the armrest of his chair lightly.

"Very well."

They had potential, but talent meant nothing without experience.

"You will join the former bandit leaders in defending the city," he said. "If you survive, you will prove your worth."

Lin Shaoyang bowed deeply. "Thank you, Sect Master."

As they turned to leave, the tension in the hall lingered.

The Void Immortal Sect was done waiting.

two hours later

A dense, moonlit forest stretched endlessly, its towering trees casting jagged shadows over the 200 gathered Ironwood Sect cultivators.

They stood in perfect formation, their postures rigid and disciplined. Unlike ordinary sects, where disciples were rowdy and undisciplined, Ironwood Sect prided itself on its absolute order.

In front of them, ten kneeling figures pressed their heads low, waiting in silence.

At the forefront stood two men, their gazes sharp and suffocating—Ironwood Sect Elders.

One was Qin Shan, a towering brute of a man with muscles like forged iron. His presence alone carried an overwhelming pressure, his mere stance enough to send fear into any lesser cultivator. A Mid Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Beside him stood Deng Kai, his sharp eyes gleaming with cold intelligence. While not as massive as Qin Shan, his aura was razor-sharp, slicing through the air with an oppressive weight. A Low Foundation Establishment cultivator.

They looked down upon their kneeling disciples like judges before criminals.

Qin Shan's deep, gravelly voice echoed through the forest, carrying unquestionable authority.

"Report."

Bai Mei was the first to raise her head, her fox-like eyes gleaming with amusement.

"We located and engaged a patrol from Void Immortal Sect," she said, her voice smooth as silk.

A pause. Then, a smirk. "They didn't last long."

Qin Shan's expression remained cold and unreadable. "Details."

Xuo Hei scoffed, gripping his Black Ironwood Spear tightly.

" Six of them. Weaklings. Five were Body Refinement trash, and only one had reached Low Qi Gathering Realm. They barely managed to lift their weapons before we cut them down."

Deng Kai tapped his fingers against his armrest, his tone devoid of emotion. "Then why do I sense hesitation in your words?"

The kneeling disciples tensed.

Zhou Men, the most composed of them, spoke in a steady voice. "One survived."

Qin Shan's brows furrowed slightly, his piercing gaze locking onto them.

Deng Kai's voice grew colder. "And you did not finish him?"

Bai Mei let out a light chuckle, her fingers lazily twirling her Twin Serpent Daggers.

"Not an accident, Elder. It was intentional."

Deng Kai's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Explain."

Xuo Hei sneered. "Slaughtering them all would have been a waste. That last one? We let him go—to spread fear."

Qin Shan's thick arms crossed over his chest, his expression unmoved. "And you assume this fear will cripple them?"

Bai Mei's smirk widened. "It already has."

Deng Kai's gaze darkened. "How can you be so sure?"

Zhou Men answered calmly. "If they had true strength, they would have retaliated instantly. Instead, their sect remains silent." He let the words settle. "That means hesitation. And hesitation means weakness."

A silence fell over the clearing.

Deng Kai's fingers tapped against his armrest once more, a slow, rhythmic sound. His gaze flickered with thought.

"Or," he said, voice cold and deliberate, "they are waiting."

Xuo Hei's smirk twitched slightly. "Waiting? For what?"

Deng Kai exhaled, his sharp gaze scanning the dark forest. "To prove us wrong."

A flicker of unease passed between the disciples.

But Bai Mei only giggled. "Let them wait, then. The longer they do nothing, the more cowardly they'll feel." She rested a hand on her daggers, her tone playful yet merciless. "Fear is a disease—it eats away at resolve. If they don't attack soon, they'll lose the will to fight at all."

Qin Shan let out a deep, rumbling laugh, his voice thick with undeniable dominance.

"And if they gather the courage to strike back?"

Xuo Hei spun his spear, slamming the butt of it into the dirt with raw arrogance.

"Then we'll crush them before they even get the chance to regret it."

Deng Kai watched them carefully before speaking. His voice was low but filled with finality.

"If Void Immortal Sect does not act, they will be deemed weak. If they retaliate… they will be crushed beneath our might."

Qin Shan nodded in agreement, his presence looming like an immovable mountain.

"We do not move. If they dare step out of their hole… we will grind them into dust."

Behind them, the 200 Ironwood Sect cultivators stood unmoving, their figures blending into the darkness of the forest.

Waiting.

Watching.

Ready to strike with overwhelming force.

At the gates of the city, a force stood assembled.

Yan Ruyue.

Tie Shan.

Jiang Feng.

Their seven elite subordinates stood beside them, their expressions grim but eager.

Behind them, the rest of the bandit members—115 strong—waited in disciplined silence, their hands resting on their weapons.

Ling Hua stood at the front, gripping her sword tightly.

This was it.

Her first real battle.

She exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of responsibility settle over her. Seven days of brutal training… and now, it would be tested.

Beside her, Lin Shaoyang stood firm, his aura steady.

Li Heng, Xu Kang, and Zhao Mei, the three High Qi Gathering Realm disciples, glanced toward the forest, their hands twitching toward their swords.

They had come here for one reason—to prove their worth.

The wind blew across the open land, rustling their robes.

Jiang Feng smirked, breaking the silence. "So… do you think they'll actually attack?"

Tie Shan cracked his knuckles, his voice like rolling thunder. "If they don't, then they're cowards."

Yan Ruyue's golden eyes gleamed, and with a slow, effortless motion, she raised her hand.

A flicker of scarlet flame danced at her fingertips.

She curled her fingers, and the flame expanded, twisting and coiling around her hand like a living entity.

"It doesn't matter," she murmured.

The fire crackled, growing brighter—fiercer.

"If they come—"

She waved her hand, and the flame coiled into the shape of a fiery blade, hovering in the air before vanishing in an instant.

"—they burn."

Ling Hua's grip on her sword tightened.

The battlefield had been chosen.

Now, all that remained—

Was for the enemy to make their move.