A golden sun bathed the lands in radiant light, but the skies above the inner hall of the Thousand Sword Pavilion felt unnaturally cold. Heavy silence lingered within the stone chamber, where four powerful sects had gathered around a grand obsidian table.
Representatives from the Thousand Sword Pavilion, Nine Phoenix Valley, Stormbreaker Hall, and the Eternal Sky Sect sat with grave expressions. Murmurs passed between them like venomous whispers.
"Heavenly Flying Sect... destroyed."
"The Lu Family—gone."
"Zhou Family? Crushed."
"Even the Tiger Demonic Clan has been wiped out."
Each sentence spoken made the air colder.
"And all of this... by a single man," an elder from Stormbreaker Hall growled, slamming his fist against the table. "Xuon Long of the Shadow Mountain!"
The name lingered like a curse. One sect leader stood up, his robes of azure silk fluttering.
"That bastard! We relied on the Heavenly Flying Sect for resources and protection for decades. And this Xuon Long, this... thing, has unraveled the balance of power!"
"He's no ordinary cultivator," muttered a calm voice from Nine Phoenix Valley. "To single-handedly destroy core families and sects, he must possess a supreme treasure..."
"Then let us *take* it," snapped the elder from Eternal Sky Sect. "That treasure is the key. We must not allow him to continue growing!"
"Wait," said a more cautious voice. "We can't act blindly. If he truly has such power, we'll lose more than we gain. We need precision... send assassins first. Test his strength."
There was a short pause. Then a sharp-eyed elder from Thousand Sword Pavilion nodded.
"Call the Hunter Assassin Clan."
A golden talisman was taken out, activated with a finger of spiritual energy. A hazy projection of a veiled man answered.
"A target?"
"Xuon Long. From Shadow Mountain. We'll send you the image."
As the image was transferred, the veiled assassin's eyes narrowed.
"Ten thousand lower-grade spirit stones," he demanded flatly.
"That much?!"
"We've already lost several operatives in the Mountain of Shadows. He's dangerous."
After a tense moment, the sect leader gritted his teeth.
"Fine. Do it."
The transmission cut. Silence followed.
"If he lives, we'll offer him friendship. If he dies, no one will ever know who sent the blade."
---
Far from the plotting halls, within the serene depths of Shadow Mountain, Xuon Long walked amidst blooming spirit orchids and gently glowing moss paths. Yue Mei and Xiou Xue danced around him with innocent joy.
"Brother Xuon! What game are we playing today?!" Xiou Xue beamed.
"Today... we explore the mountain trails," he said with a soft smile.
"Yay!" Yue Mei giggled, hopping like a rabbit. "Adventure time!"
Beneath the cheerful surface, two new recruits dressed as humble servants watched the trio. They were assassins, cloaked in layers of illusion.
"He's right before us," one whispered, pretending to tend a nearby bush.
"But I can't sense his cultivation... he's suppressing it perfectly."
"Forget it. We'll take the girls and vanish. The report is already sent. 250+ members here, 6 main protectors. We take what we can."
As Xuon played nearby, one of the assassins approached with a courteous bow.
"Young master, shall we escort the little ladies around? Let you rest."
Xuon Long smiled.
But within his mind, a golden panel had already lit up:
**\[Loyalty -10: Enemy — Attempting to harm loved ones]**
His smile faded.
"Very well," he said calmly, standing.
The moment he stepped back, he raised a finger. With a soft hum, one of the assassin's heads burst like a melon, blood spraying in a red arc.
The second assassin froze, soul trembling.
"I'll take the girls and—"
*Boom!*
A pale spiritual blade shot from Xuon's palm and cut through his dantian. The body hit the ground twitching. Blood splashed across the robes of the two young girls.
Yue Mei's lip trembled. Xiou Xue began to cry.
Xuon knelt, pulling both of them close.
"Don't cry... shhh, everything's okay. Go take a bath, clean up. You're safe. Always safe here."
Yue Li came rushing. Seeing the scene, she immediately took the girls in her arms.
"Come. I'll take you."
Xuon stood again, his gaze cold. "Hei Mo! Mu Chen! Now."
Moments later, his elite stood before him.
"These two were assassins. We've been breached. Tighten security—immediately. From now on, no member leaves the mountain without permission. Observation only."
"Understood."
"The five elders we subdued... assign them to guard Yue Mei and Xiou Xue. Let them become their shadows."
Hei Mo nodded. "I'll train them personally."
"Mu Chen, place blood puppets at all border points. I want constant surveillance."
"Already on it."
Xuon Long turned to the rest.
"We underestimated them. No more mistakes. I want complete coverage across all Shadow Mountain operations. Deploy informants to nearby cities and sects."
"Yes, Young Lord!"
Mu Chen returned later, expression grim.
"Master, even with soul-searching, we couldn't find the true identity. Their soul registry was blank. This... this was sent by someone powerful."
Xuon looked at the blood-stained earth.
His voice was calm, but each word carried weight.
"If someone dares send knives into my home... I'll send back heads in a basket."
The mountain wind howled softly, like a warning to the world.
---
Meanwhile, in the Hunter Assassin Clan's hidden headquarters, silence fell as no response returned from the field team.
One senior assassin stood, his eyes narrowed.
"Dead... both of them. That fast?"
He picked up the image of Xuon Long.
"Perhaps... we made a mistake."
Back at the allied sects, the leaders awaited confirmation.
But no message came.
And that silence…
It was louder than any scream.
---
Shadow Mountain stood still, quiet, and deadly. The petals of black orchids fluttered in the breeze. And atop the highest peak, Xuon Long stared at the horizon.
He whispered to himself:
"Come if you dare. I'll welcome you with open graves."
The shadow beneath him seemed to grin.
---