The broad white river wound across the plain like a pale ribbon. Beyond the hills, past the mountains and the forests, it slipped onward into a vast stretch of gray-green canyon.
A herd of wild bulls thundered along the creek, their hooves shaking the ground as cheetahs flickered through the bushes in brief, predatory flashes.
A sharp “Screech!” split the air.
High above, a black eagle circled the sky, its shadow gliding over the rugged earth as it watched the prey below.
Beneath the canyon’s towering walls, a young man in a gray cape stood beside an ancient, broad-trunked tree. Slowly, he lifted his mask and veiled hat, casting a single glance toward the black eagle. Then his gaze shifted to the cliff dominating the canyon’s center.
There, a massive fortress rose from the rock—a city of graying white stone, meticulously carved and imposing.
Thick gray walls enclosed it, bristling with sharp iron spikes jutting outward in harsh angles. Streams of travelers wound up and down the mountain path leading toward its gate, their silhouettes small against the austere structure.
“Twin Eagle City… who would think this place will become a terrifying nest of devils and Anomalies in a hundred years…” the man murmured with a weary sigh.
He was Li Shunxi, freshly escaped from the crumbling authority of the Martial League. The League was thoroughly compromised; the League Master had abruptly entered seclusion, abandoning those framed to be hunted like criminals. The chaos—along with the tragic deaths of the Liu sisters—had carved away the last traces of youth from this twenty-year-old man, leaving behind only resolve.
“In the future I saw within the Jade of Secrets, a great calamity is destined to strike this place. From top to bottom, Twin Eagle City will fall with no survivors. White River Sect will be wiped out in a single night, leaving only Bai Qiuling, bearer of the Spirit Giant Blood, to flee for her life.” Li Shunxi’s brows furrowed. “I must find the Spirit Giant Blood, but I cannot stand by and watch this tragedy unfold. Ashoka Manor must be behind it again… this time, I won’t let them succeed.”
The images from the future flickered in his mind—fragments revealed through the Jade of Secrets. The Jade, the Liu Family’s greatest Divine Weapon, was a relic that only someone of rare brilliance could wield. It was also the weapon Ashoka Manor had ceaselessly sought.
Only after obtaining its complete form did Li Shunxi finally understand what it truly was.
A hazy sphere of formless light revolved quietly within him. With her dying breath, Liu Qin had poured all her essence blood into it—the price paid for allowing him to glimpse his own destiny. Through that vision, he saw the one who carried the Spirit Giant Blood. More importantly, he saw a faint possibility of defeating Ashoka Manor.
Finding the Spirit Giant Blood was the crucial key to overturning Ashoka Manor’s plans.
“The future me will meet my destined partner—Bai Qiuling. The Bai Family will fall, driving her onto the same road of vengeance I walk.” Li Shunxi exhaled slowly and shook his head. “But I reject such a future.” With firm steps, he moved toward Twin Eagle City rising against the cliffside.
Crossing the wide plain, he followed the mountain path leading into the city. Posing as a wandering traveler, he merged into the flow of a passing merchant caravan. A small bribe, discreetly slipped to a guard, granted him entry.
The streets bustled with life. Waves of people surged around him while patrol teams from various sects marched past in rigid formation.
Li Shunxi entered a teahouse and took a seat.
A waiter hurried over. “Sir? What would you like to drink?”
“Have you got tea?”
“We’ve got rock tea, red tea, tender green leaves. Prices differ, as do their textures. But the most popular is rock tea—our specialty!” The waiter beamed with pride. “Rock tea is mild and warms the stomach. Everyone loves it.”
“Give me a pot then.” Li Shunxi had never been careful with money. Even after days on the run, the habit of spending freely clung to him.
Before long, the tea arrived—clear with a gentle red tint, a few leaves drifting elegantly on the surface.
Li Shunxi took a slow sip. The flavor balanced sweetness within bitterness, its fragrance soft yet lingering. A faint look of satisfaction touched his features.
“Yesterday, that Green Snake Fist Li Zhonghao won. Today, I’m guessing the Sect Master will have to send out one of the Seven Lines?” a muscular man remarked between bites of the large braised meat in his hand.
“That’s not guaranteed. The Seven Lines are the strongest experts in our White River Sect. If even they lose, the humiliation would be too great. Sect Master may not send them at all—it’s just an exchange, after all.”
Another man snorted. “If it were up to me, Sect Master should just marry Young Miss Qiuling to that Crimson Whale boss. Then both sects could form an alliance. What’s the point of all these exchanges if we’re going to be one big family anyway?”
“What do you know? The two sects are worlds apart. Even with a marriage alliance, it’s meaningless. Why should Young Miss Qiuling be married off only to suffer far away?”
“Listen to yourself…”
Li Shunxi listened from his seat, his expression shifting subtly in surprise.
“Crimson Whale Sect? In a few days, the calamity will wipe out White River Sect… In the future I saw, Crimson Whale Sect wasn’t present at this critical moment,” he thought, his brows knitting.
He trusted the Jade of Secrets completely. Its visions had guided him safely through Ashoka Manor’s hunts and the Scarlet District’s pursuit. Every warning it had given so far had proven true.
Yet now, only days before the disaster that would annihilate White River Sect, a Crimson Whale exchange party suddenly appeared—something that had never shown up in his visions.
It was the first rift between foresight and reality, and it unsettled him.
‘The great calamity draws near. The hidden artifact will soon break its seal—nothing can stop it. So what is Crimson Whale Sect doing here at such a moment?’
Li Shunxi strained to catch more useful information, but the men drifted from sect affairs to trivial rumors about wanted bandits. Nothing of value followed.
Rising quietly, he left before he had even finished half the tea in the pot.
After briefly orienting himself, he walked along the bustling streets, heading toward the heart of the city.
As Li Shunxi moved through several more streets, the bustle around him thinned. Shops became sparse, giving way to refined residential estates and stately government buildings.
From time to time, yamen outposts appeared along the road, their banners fluttering lightly. The simple horse carts common on the outer streets gradually gave way to dignified government carriages, polished and imposing.
After walking a short distance farther, Li Shunxi halted.
Before him stood a tall white gate guarded by uniformed officials. Beyond it stretched a dense cluster of structures—the very heart of the city. Both the White River Sect’s headquarters and the main yamen complex were housed within.
Li Shunxi stepped closer, peering through the gate with the wide-eyed curiosity of a country bumpkin.
The two guards on duty initially moved to shoo him away. But after a quick glance at his seemingly clueless demeanor, they dismissed him as just another wandering villager. They saw such people all year round and were too accustomed to the sight to bother further.
‘Ashoka Manor has secretly released the evil jade seal hidden by the Sect Master of White River Sect. That release will trigger the catastrophe—allowing the corruption within the jade to erupt and annihilate Twin Eagle City in a single night. I must find a way to get inside. No matter how they unlocked the seal, I need to warn the Sect Master. There may still be a chance…’
He knew the odds were slim, but without trying, all hope would be lost.
The evil jade… it was the catalyst for the destruction of both White River Sect and Twin Eagle City.
After feigning awe a moment longer, Li Shunxi turned away, leaving quickly under the guards’ increasingly suspicious gazes.
…………
Rising Eagle Hall, White River Sect.
Bai Zhenming sat on the central seat of honor. Beside him, on a chair of equal height, sat a bald, broad-shouldered man.
This man was Lu Sheng, newly arrived from Mountain-Edge City for the exchange.
Below them, two neat rows of elite disciples stood apart—White River Sect on the left, Crimson Whale Sect on the right. Their white and crimson uniforms drew a stark line between them as they exchanged sharp, competitive gazes.
Servant girls moved gracefully through the hall, offering nuts, fruits, and fragrant tea. Musicians in the corner played a gentle melody that struggled to soften the tension in the air.
“Yesterday, my White River Sect lost a match. But today, I’ll send up my Seven Lines. They’ll surely even the odds!” Bai Zhenming said with a calm smile.
Mild and scholarly in appearance, Bai Zhenming looked more like a kindly teacher than the master of a powerful sect.
In contrast, Lu Sheng radiated an entirely different presence.
Even his loose black robe failed to hide his immense, muscular build. His bald head, eyebrow-less face, fierce gaze, towering stature, and thick limbs made him look more like a wrathful deity than a guest. The chair beneath him seemed barely adequate to contain his frame.
Behind him, two subordinates held a giant cleaver each—massive blades as long as a man. They were newly forged replacements for the pair Lu Sheng had shattered in his previous battles.
Next to him, Bai Zhenming appeared fragile and almost gentle.
“You’re quite anxious, Sect Master Bai,” Lu Sheng remarked with a grin. “I noticed some new guests arrived these past few days. Since they’re here, why not introduce them to me, Brother Bai?”
“Ah, those two are friends from my youth,” Bai Zhenming replied politely. “But they’re not fond of socializing. I must ask for your understanding, Brother Lu.”
Lu Sheng let the topic drop with a nod. “Fine then. Let’s begin the martial arts contest immediately.”
Bai Zhenming returned the nod and gestured forward. At once, the disciples below stepped into motion, lifting shields and gripping weapons. This was no friendly spar; they were preparing for real combat. Earlier matches had left several White River Sect experts gravely injured, casting a heavy gloom over the entire sect.
Both sides sent forth a representative, each stepping onto the central platform of Rising Eagle Hall. They bowed with formal courtesy before settling into their stances.
“I’m Zhang Sheng, nicknamed King of the Triple-Shadow Kick. Please teach me with your moves, friend.” The old man from Crimson Whale Sect bellowed proudly. A battle fanatic by nature, he had volunteered the moment he heard Lu Sheng was leading a team for the martial exchange.
Opposite him stood a middle-aged Taoist nun from White River Sect, a whisk held lightly in her hand. “This humble nun is Xuan Teng. My weapon is the Iron Whisk. I am one of the Seven Lines of White River Sect. Will you please teach me with your moves, friend?”
From this match onward, both sides began to field their true elites—experts who had long stood at the pinnacle of Intent Proficiency. Each carried years of renown within their respective regions. A match like this would influence their reputations; neither could afford defeat.
Yet even as the duel commenced and strikes echoed through the hall, Lu Sheng’s focus drifted. He watched from his seat, but his heart was elsewhere.
Something was wrong with White River Sect.
He couldn’t quite explain it, but an unsettling sensation clung to everyone from the sect. Bai Zhenming especially—there was something concealed beneath his mild exterior, a strange aura seeping from him.
With most eyes fixed on the intense battle below, Lu Sheng allowed his own gaze to sweep subtly across the hall.
What he sensed made his suspicions solidify. Unlike the members of Crimson Whale Sect, who all appeared normal, the White River Sect disciples radiated a faint, eerie presence. It was hidden beneath their skin, masked beneath their calm expressions, but undeniably there.
Lu Sheng could not identify the nature of this aura, only that it stirred deep discomfort within him.
As he continued observing, a sudden movement caught his eye. A young woman in a tight white hunting dress burst in from a side door. She tried to rush toward Bai Zhenming, but the nearby guards stepped in to block her path.
She spoke anxiously to them, her expression urgent. One guard sighed helplessly, then leaned forward to whisper the message directly into Bai Zhenming’s ear.
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