As the beautiful morning sun rose above the jagged western mountain peaks, a massive cyclone of spiritual energy hovered above a house nestled in these very mountains.
"Ahhh, almost there, just a hair's breadth away," Long Huang uttered as he sat in a meditation pose.
His meridians felt as if they were being poked with thousands of ice needles.
Then... Boom! A sound erupted as he finally tempered the seventh meridian, breaking through to the eighth stage. He felt refreshed, though the pain of tempering his meridian still lingered. Long Huang got up and stretched.
"I should have used those herbs before heading back to the Archdevil mountain range," he said, regretting his decision.
He figured that if he had consumed those herbs before receiving Bai Feng's legacy, he might have reached this stage earlier and would have been able to put up a better fight against Huang Min.
Motivated by his newfound strength, Long Huang began cultivating again.
That following night, under the glow of a beautiful full moon, the Savage Marquis made his grand return, hosting an eloquent banquet in the heart of the sect's main hall. Laughter and chatter filled the air as disciples and elders mingled.
Long Huang and Huang Min sat close together, their conversation barely audible over the festive atmosphere.
"Augh... and remind me why you dragged me to this?" Long Huang said, still a bit annoyed that Huang Min interrupted his cultivation.
He leaned in closer so only she could hear. "And didn't this guy say he was leaving by morning?"
Huang Min side-eyed him, looking at him as if he were foolish.
"You do realize that whispering won't do much good, right? He's a Profound Xiantian Realm expert," she replied.
Rolling his eyes, Long Huang turned his gaze toward the Marquis, who exchanged a knowing smile.
"Mood killer,"
Long Huang muttered under his breath.
"But really, why do you think he's still hanging around?" he added.
"I'm afraid my guess is as good as yours," she said, her attention drifting toward the dazzling spread laid out before them.
"And where are your parents, Huang Min?" asked Long Huang, noticing their absence in the hall.
"Mom is helping Dad with something," Huang Min replied, taking a bite of a chicken leg. At that moment, the Savage Marquis rose, glass in hand, commanding the attention of the room.
"A toast!" His voice dripped with false sincerity. "To unity and prosperity! May the Azure Lotus Sect thrive under new... leadership."
"And oh! One more thing," he continued, revealing a chest of gleaming spirit stones and a scroll sealed with the mark of the Northern Jain royal family.
"For Miss Huang Min," he said, locking his gaze onto her. "A betrothal offer from my son. It would be an honor to unite our bloodlines."
The hall erupted in whispers. Huang Min's fists clenched, her nails digging into her palms. This was no offer; it was a trap. Long Huang turned to her, meeting her gaze. Though her expression was neutral, the fire in her eyes spoke volumes.
"Play along," he whispered. Huang Min forced a smile.
"The Marquis honors me. But such matters require... consideration." The Savage Marquis chuckled, though his eyes remained cold.
"Of course. Take your time." As those words sliced through the merriment like a dagger, a muffled explosion erupted from the main gates, cutting through the festive atmosphere.
BOOM!
The sudden sound muted the rich revelry in the hall as startled elders and guests turned toward it. Long Huang's instincts kicked in, and he leaped up to investigate. Just in time, a bloodied disciple stumbled into the hall and locked the door behind him, barely managing to gasp out,
"Help! The sect is under attack!" He collapsed, and Long Huang rushed forward, catching him just before he hit the ground.
"Here," Long Huang said, retrieving a healing pill from his storage pouch. As he fed it to the disciple, he asked in a low voice,
"Who did this?"
"The Marquis's men... and others I... I couldn't recognize," the disciple gasped, fear etched across his face.
"Blasphemy!" shouted the Savage Marquis. Suddenly, slicing through the air with lethal precision, a spear hurtled toward them, aimed directly at the vulnerable disciple.
Long Huang barely had time to react, but before he could think of a way to intervene, Huang Min shot her hand out and caught the spear mid-flight.
"Done acting," she declared, her voice chillingly calm.
The Savage Marquis offered a disingenuous smile, his eyes glinting with malice.
"Of course," a sly smirk curled his lips.
Just then, a series of loud booms echoed throughout the hall as the main doors splintered. Like a dark tide, the Black Viper Mercenaries surged in, their blades glistening with the distinctive Northern Jain sigil. Among them were even some disciples of the sect.
The banquet's atmosphere shifted dramatically from celebration to chaos in an instant.
Flames erupted through the outer walls as anguished screams filled the air, creating a nightmarish song that echoed throughout the sect.
In the heart of the turmoil stood Chi Qide and Chi Wei, their fine robes now stained with the crimson sigil of the Savage Marquis.
"You traitors!" Fu Heng roared.
Swish!
His sword sliced through the air as he dispatched a Black Viper Mercenary with brutal efficiency, mirroring the rage boiling within him.
With a fierce flick of his wrist, Zhao Gun unleashed his Thunderous Fist Art, arcs of electric energy tearing through the enemy's ranks.
"You sold out your own sect!" he barked, his voice cutting through the chaos like a blade.
Chi Wei's laughter danced through the turmoil, wild and unhinged.
"The Azure Lotus is rotten to its core! The Marquis offers us real power!" His eyes glinted with madness, relishing the surrounding discord.
The elders and disciples who had defected revealed their true colors, striking down their former allies with cool precision, turning the hall into a gruesome slaughterhouse thick with the stench of blood and treachery.
Meanwhile, in the Huang Manor,
"I sense danger," said Huang Peng.
"Indeed, I smell blood," replied Su Yan, glancing toward the source of the threat.
"I should go check what's happening," Huang Peng insisted as he tried to rise.
"No, you stay," Su Yan said, pushing him back down.
Back in the hall, Long Huang wielded his Frostbite Serpent Sword, carving a path through the frenzy with calculated grace. Each stroke was precise, with one to three moves needed to kill an enemy, yet even he could not hold off the tide forever.
Huang Min surged forward, her fierce spirit igniting the battlefield. Surrounded by a whirlwind of energy, she unleashed a flurry of strikes, her fan flashing in the dim light.
With every enemy she defeated, her determination grew stronger, the fierce glint in her eyes reflecting her desire for triumph and reminding her of her time in the trials.
She wove through the enemy ranks like a phantom; each time she reappeared, another body or two would fall, the victims unaware of what had killed them.
"She's a monster! Run!" shouted one of the Black Viper Mercenaries as he frantically fled for his life.
Nearby, Long Huang rallied a group of disciples, his commanding voice cutting through the chaos.
"Press on! We've come too far to falter now!"
He fought, offering support wherever he could, his spirit unwavering even in the face of despair.
Clang!
Suddenly, one of the elites of the Black Viper Mercenaries appeared, attempting to kill Long Huang.
Boom!
As Long Huang clashed swords with the enemy combatant, he remarked,
"Why rush your death? I was just getting to you."
"Did anyone ever tell you that you talk too much?" the enemy retorted.
As Huang Min pressed deeper into the enemy ranks, the tide in the hall began to shift.
The Savage Marquis, engaged in combat with three elders, sensed defeat looming over him like dark clouds, accompanied by an aura that rivaled his own.
"Fall back!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.
The enemy fighting Long Huang seemed reluctant, eyeing him with the sharp gaze of a predator. "This isn't over!" he declared before disappearing.
Meanwhile, Chi Qide faded into the darkness and chaos of the battlefield.
Chi Wei, still fighting Fu Heng, managed a backflip to escape, his laughter haunting the air like an ominous omen.
"Hahahahaha! See you soon, Long Huang!" Chi Wei shouted, a bloodied smirk on his lips.
"Damn it!" Long Huang cursed, frustration radiating from him as he surveyed the aftermath of betrayal.
"I'm sorry I let him escape," Fu Heng said, disappointment evident in his voice.
"Don't sweat it; that guy's a slippery eel! It's not your fault," Long Huang reassured Fu Heng, patting him on the back.
With their enemies retreating, Long Huang and Huang Min locked eyes, a silent understanding passing between them.
They might have won this battle, but the war was far from over. The fire of determination ignited within them.