---
Fen Juechen turned, his face a mask of honed ice in the dawn's early light. His gaze swept past the approaching army, settling instead on Hua Piao. "They're here."
Hua Piao's eyes closed, a long, slow blink that spoke of either prayer or profound resignation. When they opened again, all uncertainty had been scoured away, leaving only a flinty resolve. "So they are."
Fen Juechen's voice, quiet as a razor's edge, carried over the combined forces—a final command before the storm broke. "Hold the line. Remember your roles. Tolerate no mistakes."
A unified, guttural grunt was his answer—the sound of two thousand five hundred men locking their fear away and baring their souls for battle.
The firelights swelled, painting the northern gate in hues of blood and gold. The final, treacherous battle had arrived.
---
BOOM. BOOM.
The enemy advanced not in a rush, but with the slow, inexorable cadence of a landslide. Each synchronized step was a hammer blow against the defenders' resolve, a flare of building momentum that made the very earth tremble.
BOOM. BOOM!!
A wave of pressure rolled forth, a suffocating aura that pressed down on Fen Juechen's ranks, straining spirit and body alike.
"HALT!"
The enemy commander shot a gauntleted fist into the air. The sea of soldiers behind him froze as one.
"We do not move until the Patriarch arrives!" the commander barked, his voice cutting through the tension as he glared across the field.
"You heard him," Fen Juechen said, his tone deceptively calm.
Hmmmmm. A unified grunt of agreement rumbled back.
"Elder Qi Mo, you may retreat. You have done well in holding the gate." The commander, Qi Fed, turned to the bloodied and battered figure of Qi Mo, who stood before the disguised Beast Flame Sect disciples. Pity flashed in Qi Fed's eyes. He suffered greatly to hold them off. Yet, a thread of doubt nagged at him. The northern gates were a fortress, nearly impossible to breach from the outside. The traitor had to be within. But to suspect the heroic Qi Mo? The idea was anathema to his very being.
Fen Juechen merely crossed his arms, making no move to intervene.
"Relay my thanks to the Patriarch," Qi Mo said, allowing a well-timed sigh of relief to shudder through his frame. The deception held. His gaze then fell upon the Qi Clan army, their faces set with dignified bravery, and a genuine pang of pity struck his heart. He knew their fate would be ghastly.
"Move into the ranks of the Qi Clan!" Qi Mo commanded the disguised sect members, his tone ringing with authority.
Though they seethed at taking orders from him, not a single disciple dared show a flicker of defiance.
"YES, SIR!" they shouted, their voices a chorus of feigned reverence.
A wicked smile ghosted across Fen Juechen's lips. His eyes flickered to Sect Master Huayen, who stood with a furrowed brow, his expression a poorly concealed mask of pained excitement.
"No, Elder Qi Mo. That will not be necessary," Commander Qi Fed interjected, his tone persuasive as he lowered his imposing aura. "Your men are exhausted. Sending tired warriors to battle is sending them to the slaughter. Let them follow you to rest and recover."
"NO, SIR! GREAT ELDER QI MO FOUGHT ALONE! WE ARE FRESH AND READY FOR BATTLE!"
The 500 disciples shouted with vibrant, aggressive energy. The battle intent boiling within them was not for Fen Juechen's army, but for the Qi Clan itself.
Hmmmm. Commander Qi Fed's assessing gaze swept over the disciples. They stood vibrant and unmarked, without a single scratch. Their claim that Qi Mo alone shouldered the defense now seemed irrefutable. His eyes met Qi Mo's, and he received a subtle, weary nod of confirmation.
"Then what are you waiting for?" Qi Fed roared, his imposing presence flaring once more. "Join the ranks!"
"SIR, YES, SIR!"
Their acting was flawless. They dispersed into the Qi Clan army like poison seeping into a vein, intentionally separating to ensure the coming ambush would have maximum devastation.
Fen Juechen hid a wicked chuckle, his eyes glinting with sly triumph. The plan had succeeded.
Huayen nearly leapt in excitement, only to be restrained by Hua Piao's iron grip on his shoulder and a surge of calming energy.
It is no wonder a man like this could lead the Beast Flame Sect to prosperity, Fen Juechen mused, watching Huayen struggle for composure. Perhaps even surpass my Fen Clan. But the heavens are unfair. After tonight, when the Qi clan is destroyed there will be no four major powers... only three. And my fen clan will naturally take the head of the four major powers at least our losses in this war haven't even amounted to "one". As he said this he hid a mocking chuckle.
He crossed his arms, a sinister glint in his eyes as he impatiently awaited the arrival of Qi Lantian.
He did not wait long. Both Hua Piao and Huayen stiffened, their heads tilting as if sensing a shift in the wind. Though only half-step Nascent Soul cultivators, they possessed enough sensitivity to catch the "scent of nascent air"—the distinctive aura of a true Nascent Soul expert.
Shhhhh.
The sound of rent air preceded a wave of oppressive heat. In less than ten breaths, a man materialized between the two armies.
He stood with hair whipping wildly around a face of hardened grief, a scarlet cape flowing from shoulders clad in armor that seemed forged from captured embers. Unlike Huayen's flamboyant flames, this armor was dormant, its surface a deep red with a subtle golden sheen that promised indestructibility. His eyes, ferocious and red-rimmed, told a story of a decade lost to sorrow. This was not the benevolent, suave patriarch of old, but a man honed by loss into something far more dangerous.
"Why have you delivered this unpleasant visit to my doorstep?" Qi Lantian's voice was a dry rasp, like stone grinding on stone.
Huayen swelled, ready to retort, but Hua Piao placed a restraining hand on his shoulder, unmoved by the heat radiating from the flame-wreathed armor. "Do not worry. I will handle the talking."
He stepped forward. "Patriarch Qi Lantian, I request an audience." He offered a slight bow of respect; enemy or not, the power and perseverance required to reach the Nascent Soul realm commanded acknowledgement.
"You may speak, Hua Piao," Qi Lantian replied, his voice a calm, deep pool. The respect was mutual. "But I wish to know what Dog Fen here offered you to come cause trouble at my house. This is not your way."
Hearing the insult, Fen Juechen's face twisted before he mastered it, a faint smirk settling on his lips as he consoled himself with the clan's impending doom.
"I will explain everything. It is the very reason for our… unpleasant visit," Hua Piao replied.
Qi Lantian's brow furrowed slightly. "Speak," he rasped.
"The Pure Eagle Core. You are aware of it." Hua Piao's eyebrow arched in question.
Qi Lantian's frown only deepened into one of genuine, utter confusion. He remained silent, allowing Hua Piao to continue—a silence the alliance mistook for stunned admission.
A ripple of shock passed through both armies. The Pure Eagle Core! A treasure of legend, capable of altering the destiny of an entire power. Sect Master Hua Piao's tone suggested it was a peak-grade core, and Patriarch Qi Lantian's reaction seemed to confirm it. For the Qi Clan soldiers, a righteous indignation ignited. For the Beast Flame Sect disciples, naked greed burned in their eyes.
One word, one expression, and they all feast on a lie, Fen Juechen thought, looking upon the masses with utter disdain.
"Yes, the Eagle Core is why we are here," Hua Piao continued, emboldened. "You cannot hoard such a treasure. Remember, the walls have ears. I am sure you are surprised we know, but there is no harm in revealing this was personally confirmed by the envoys of the Divine Martial Continent."
At the mention of the Divine Martial Continent, Qi Lantian's expression shifted from confusion to sheer bewilderment. Why would those lofty envoys target me? His thoughts echoed the unspoken question of everyone present: if they wanted it, they could have just taken it.
"So, there is no use in denial," Hua Piao said, his voice hardening. "I represent a compromise. Let us each take a step back to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. Surrender the core, and we will discover how to share it equally among our four powers. No war, no losses. What do you say?"
Silence stretched, thick and heavy, until Qi Lantian broke it with his rasping voice.
"Hua Piao, I do not know who is fooling whom. I have no concept of what you mean by an Eagle Core. Since when have I possessed something so valuable? And to claim the envoys confirmed it… you sound utterly unbelievable."
"Qi Lantian, I know your pride," Hua Piao retorted, his patience thinning. "You would rather die than yield. But understand this is not only about you. The lives of your soldiers and thousands of citizens are at stake. This is not about wielding power, but about equal dialogue. Leave a path for yourself to retreat."
"PATRIARCH!" a roar erupted from the Qi Clan army. "We are not afraid of death! If our sacrifice heralds the rise of our clan, we will cross a sea of flames!"
They believe it too? Qi Lantian thought, stunned as he looked upon his fervent men. What in the heavens are they thinking?
"PATRIARCH! There is no need to deny it! We earned this core! Who are they to demand a share? We will not kneel and surrender our prize like cowards!"
Understanding dawned on Qi Lantian then, slow and terrible. He looked at the armies led by Fen Juechen, Hua Piao, and Huayen, and they suddenly appeared not as formidable foes, but as utter fools.
"HA… HA… HA.. HA.. HAAAA!"
The laughter burst from him, a raw, incredulous sound that ripped through the tension.
"What is the meaning of this, Qi Lantian?" Hua Piao demanded, anger flashing in his eyes. "Do you find this amusing?"
Fen Juechen's smirk merely widened. Qi Lantian will always be Qi Lantian.
Qi Lantian finally mastered his laughter, wiping a tear from his eye as he looked at Hua Piao, his gaze shifting from residual respect to intense mockery.
"So, this is the lie Fen Juechen has fed you, and you all swallowed it without question." He shook his head, a fresh wave of contempt washing over his features. "Hua Piao, I thought you were a wise man. I never imagined Fen Juechen could lead you by the nose. If it were Huayen, it would be expected. But you? I am disappointed."
"What do you mean, Patriarch Qi Lantian?" Hua Piao's face was now dark with humiliation and rage. His words had insulted them all.
Huayen's face was crimson, his jaw clenched so tight it seemed his teeth might powder. He looked ready to charge, held back only by the certain knowledge that he was no match for Qi Lantian alone.
"Patriarch, what do you—" Commander Qi Fed began.
"SILENCE!" Qi Lantian's shout was a physical force, nearly bursting Qi Fed's eardrums. "You will not decide my decisions! Do not make this mistake again. UNDERSTAND?"
"Y-yes, Patriarch!" Qi Fed bowed deeply, his battle intent extinguished, chastised.
"What I mean," Qi Lantian said, his voice dropping to a deadly calm, "is that you have been thoroughly and completely deceived. Answer me this: how did you verify this news came from the envoys, and not from a serpent's tongue fabricating a story to use you as his tools for revenge?"
Hua Piao could not answer. Indecision clouded his eyes.
"No worries, Qi Lantian," Fen Juechen broke the silence, his voice smooth as silk. "I have the confirmation you seek."
All eyes, including a now-suspicious Hua Piao, turned to him.
"Then show me this 'evidence'," Qi Lantian said, his tone bored, though his guard remained high.
Fen Juechen slowly produced an obsidian black stone. The air grew still.
"Is that stone your evidence?"
"This," Fen Juechen said, "was a gift from Luo Chan." He crushed the stone in his fist.
A clear, unmistakably elegant female voice echoed in the sudden silence: "The Qi Clan holds a Pure Eagle Core hidden in their clan."
The voice of the goddess, Luo Chan. The proof was irrefutable.
"Now," Fen Juechen said, a sly smile spreading across his face. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
The sound solidified the belief of every soul on the field. Why would an envoy from the Divine Martial Continent lie? If they wanted the core, they would have taken it. This was a gesture of impartiality, a blessing upon their cause.
But Qi Lantian's thoughts were a maelstrom of cold fury. Why? Why target my clan?
"Now you have heard, Qi Lantian," Hua Piao said, all pretense of diplomacy gone. "Will you yield?"
"I do not know what you have planned," Qi Lantian growled, his fiery spear materializing in his hand with a burst of heat, his cape flapping wildly behind him. "But do not think I will let you destroy my clan over a fantasy."
"Just as I thought. You can never yield, Hua Piao," Fen Juechen sneered. "There is no benefit in further talk."
"Sigh." Hua Piao closed his eyes in profound disappointment. "Then I cannot restrain the coming casualties. I pray the souls of my men forgive me." He turned and walked back to his lines.
"I guess there is no need for discussion," Qi Lantian's voice boomed, bold and unyielding as a simmering volcano. "If you want to touch my Qi Clan, you must pass through me!"
"I guess not. You don't know how long I've waited for this." Fen Juechen drew his own weapon, his voice rising to a fever pitch that boiled the blood of his men. "MEN! SLAUGHTER THE QI CLAN! PAVE THE ROAD TO OUR RISE WITH THEIR BONES!"