Wolves Among Sheep
The towering gates of the city stood as silent witnesses to the impending battle. The Ironwood Sect's army—more than two hundred strong—stood in formation, their weapons gleaming under the fading evening sky. The setting sun bathed the battlefield in hues of deep orange and crimson, casting long, eerie shadows. Even as the light stretched thin, the unease in their hearts remained thick.
A formidable force awaited them.
At the front stood Yan Ruyue, Tie Shan, and Jiang Feng—three former bandit leaders, now united under the banner of the Void Immortal Sect.
Behind them stood their seven elite subordinates, their expressions unreadable, their weapons resting in their hands with deadly ease. Further back, 115 bandits stood ready for bloodshed, alongside Ling Hua, Lin Shaoyang, and the three Void Immortal Sect disciples—Li Heng, Xu Kang, and Zhao Mei.
A suffocating silence blanketed the battlefield.
Then, Ironwood Sect Elder Qin Shan stepped forward, his voice breaking through the tension.
"What are you three doing here?" His sharp gaze locked onto the former bandit leaders, his disbelief evident.
Yan Ruyue smirked, arms crossed. "What do you think?" Her sharp eyes gleamed with amusement. "We're defending this sect."
Qin Shan's brows furrowed. "Defending? Why would a pack of bandits risk their lives for a dead sect?"
Yan Ruyue let out a soft laugh—mocking, yet eerily composed. "Dead?" Her gaze turned razor-sharp. "Oh, you really have no idea who you're dealing with."
She tilted her head slightly, her smirk deepening.
"We're no longer 'bandits.' We are members of the Void Immortal Sect."
A wave of shock rippled through the Ironwood Sect's ranks.
Deng Kai, the second elder, clenched his fists. "You… joined them?"
Tie Shan—a hulking brute whose arms were thick as tree trunks—cracked his knuckles. "What else? Strength rules the world, doesn't it? And their strength convinced us." His grin was savage, a predator baring its teeth.
Jiang Feng, his lean frame deceptively relaxed, gave a slow chuckle. "Even an idiot can see where true power lies. Why cling to a weak sect when a greater path is before us?"
The strongest three Ironwood Sect disciples—Zhou Men, Bai Mei, and Xuo Hei—exchanged uneasy glances. This was beyond anything they had anticipated.
Yan Ruyue's smirk widened. "You understand now, don't you?" Her voice turned sharp, taunting. "There is no going back. Your sect master already decided your fate when he sent you here. Whether you live or die—it doesn't matter."
The weight of her words crushed the morale of the Ironwood Sect disciples. Their number advantage meant nothing against overwhelming strength.
But they had no choice. Retreat was no longer an option.
Qin Shan exhaled heavily, his muscles tensing. His next words came cold and resolute.
"Enough talk. We fight!"
A deafening battle cry erupted from both sides.
Ironwood Sect's Qi Gathering and Body Refinement cultivators charged forward, weapons flashing in the last golden rays of sunlight.
On the Void Immortal Sect's side, the bandits surged like a pack of wolves, their bloodlust roaring through the battlefield.
At the forefront were Ling Hua, Lin Shaoyang, and the three Void Immortal Sect disciples—Li Heng, Xu Kang, and Zhao Mei.
The battlefield exploded into chaos.
Ling Hua faced three High Qi Gathering Realm cultivators at once.
One slashed at her with a curved blade—she shifted her stance fluidly.
Her Moonlit Swordflow technique guided her movements. With a single, precise counter, her blade sliced through his chest, blood spraying in an arc.
The second attacked from behind—she sensed the shift in the wind, twisted just enough to evade, and with a flick of her wrist, her sword flashed like flowing moonlight.
A clean cut across his arm—severed.
The third hesitated.
A fatal mistake.
Ling Hua vanished from his sight—then reappeared behind him.
A blur of silver.
His throat was cut cleanly.
In Lin Shaoyang side,
Lin Shaoyang struggled.
His Blazing Sun Strike clashed against an opponent's saber, sparks flying. He was strong—but unlike Ling Hua, he lacked true battle experience.
His footwork—slightly stiff.
His reactions—a second too slow.
But his pride refused to let him fall. "Damn it… I can't lose here."
Li Heng fought cautiously, maintaining a defensive stance, countering only when necessary.
Xu Kang gritted his teeth, parrying with raw determination.
Zhao Mei barely kept up, her movements just a fraction too slow against her agile opponent.
Despite their efforts, the Ironwood Sect disciples held their ground.
Then, the seven elite subordinates stepped forward.
The tide of battle shifted in an instant.
Shen Yue – The Phantom Assassin
A disciple barely registered a faint whisper behind him—before his vision spun.
His head had already left his shoulders.
Shen Yue flicked her Phantom Dagger clean of blood, vanishing into the battlefield like a shadow.
Another enemy turned, eyes widening as he slashed wildly—only to meet empty air.
A second later, cold steel pierced his throat.
Silent Phantom Arts.
She was untouchable.
Mu Qing – The Ember Trickster
"Where is he?!" A disciple shouted in panic.
Mu Qing's illusions danced across the battlefield, mirages flickering between flames.
One enemy struck out—only to hit empty air.
Behind him, the real Mu Qing chuckled.
A burning dagger slid into the disciple's spine.
Infernal Reflection—his enemy's own strength, turned against him.
Zhao Ren – The Blazing Blade
His sword burned like molten fire.
With each swing, arcs of flame carved through the battlefield, turning men to ash.
A disciple blocked his strike—only for his weapon to glow red-hot before shattering.
Zhao Ren smirked, delivering a devastating Inferno Slash.
The disciple's body was engulfed in flames.
Han Wei – The Colossal Crusher
A blade struck Han Wei's shoulder—only to bounce off uselessly.
The attacker barely had time to panic before Han Wei's Crushing Fang cleaved his entire torso in half.
Another disciple lunged—only to be sent flying as Han Wei's Earthquake Rend cracked the ground beneath them.
Brute force. Absolute domination.
Duan Li – The Iron Titan
A spear stabbed toward him—Duan Li didn't move.
The tip barely left a scratch on his reinforced body.
He grinned.
His fist crashed into the attacker's chest.
Ribs shattered instantly.
With an Iron Mountain Strike, he sent another disciple flying twenty meters, breaking bones upon impact.
Wei Tong – The Shadow Fang
Darkness flickered.
A disciple felt a cold breath behind his ear.
Then—nothing.
His throat had been slit.
Wei Tong's Silent Fang claimed another victim before he melted back into the night.
Lu Chen – The Twin Serpent Swordsman
Two swords flashed in unison.
One parried, the other slashed.
Enemies fell before they could react.
His Serpent Fang Strike targeted weak points with brutal precision—one blade feinted, the other delivered the fatal blow.
Two disciples tried to corner him.
He smiled.
Coiling Twin Dance.
A whirlwind of steel engulfed them—when he stopped, only corpses remained.
In seconds, the battle turned into a massacre.
Zhou Men, Bai Mei, and Xuo Hei watched in silent horror.
"We can't win," Bai Mei muttered.
Xuo Hei's grip on his spear tightened. "Escape. It's our only chance."
They turned—bolting away from the battlefield.
But then—
A shadow flickered.
Ling Hua appeared in front of them.
Her Ironleaf Sword gleamed under the last light of the sun.
Her cold gaze locked onto them.
"Running away?"
A sharp chill crawled up their spines.
Her sword flashed forward.
The battle was far from over.