The city seethed with life. Cultivators from every corner of the world filled the avenues, their sect banners fluttering over inns, alchemy halls, and forges. Merchants shouted from their stalls, offering spirit herbs, ores, and talismans with eager grins. The air itself seemed alive with competition, with every sect trying to prove its brilliance.
But the Moon Lotus Sect walked calmly through it all.
They wore plain, silken robes in white and pale blue — the formal traveling robes of their sect, modest in design but flawless in elegance. Not a single disciple revealed the phoenix armor or dao-forged blades hidden within their rings.
At first glance, they seemed merely like a group of graceful young women. But their beauty, poise, and the calm harmony of their steps drew every eye in the street.
Yet as they passed stalls of gleaming pills, towering cauldrons, or master forgers hammering radiant swords, not one disciple paused. Not one expression shifted.
Because for them, these wonders were already familiar. They had seen Haotian refine pills without a cauldron. They had seen him forge dao weapons that breathed with will. To them, the marvels of the Central Continent were curiosities at best.
They walked like phoenixes gliding through a flock of crows.
Then a young man stepped into their path.
Robed in crimson embroidered with gold, his smile was too wide, his eyes heavy with lust as they lingered on each maiden. He spread his arms in mock welcome.
"Such beauties," he drawled. "To see so many together — it is a rare blessing. Surely, you can spare me a moment of your time?"
The disciples froze as one, their faces cool, unreadable.
Shuyue's gaze sharpened. Beneath the man's honeyed words, she felt it — the slithering, oily ripple of the Dao of Desires curling off him like smoke. Her chest tightened in disgust.
Before she could speak, another voice cut across the street.
"Enough."
An elder in dark robes strode forward, his expression thunderous. He seized the young man's shoulder and shoved him back.
"Elder, why—"
"Silence!" the elder snapped, his eyes narrowing with urgency. He turned and bowed low to the Moon Lotus Sect disciples. "Forgive him. He is reckless. Please, honored guests, continue without concern."
The disciples exchanged glances, then stepped past, their robes trailing like silk water. They did not look back.
The young man trembled, fury painting his face.
"Elder! They were only women! Why stop me? I only wished to—"
The elder rounded on him, his voice like a whip.
"Idiot! Do you even know who you were speaking to?!"
The disciple faltered, confusion clouding his face.
"You're barely at the Soul Condensation Realm, and yet you dared provoke them. Could you not see it? Every single one of them was at the peak of Dao Comprehension Realm!"
The disciple's knees buckled, sweat breaking across his brow.
The elder's tone dropped, colder than frost.
"If I had not stopped you, you would already be dead. And your death would not end with you. Dozens — no, hundreds — of dao comprehension cultivators would have slaughtered you where you stood. And their vengeance would not stop until our entire sect was ash."
The young man's lips quivered. "That… can't be…"
The elder's gaze hardened. "I have heard the rumors. A sect that brought seven hundred and fifty cultivators, all at peak dao comprehension realm. And all of them women. Tell me, do you think you could have survived such a storm?"
The young man collapsed fully to his knees, trembling.
The elder's killing intent pressed on him like a mountain. "You nearly doomed us all. If you cause such trouble again, I will kill you myself before they have the chance."
The disciple bowed, his face pale as ash. "Y-yes… Elder…"
But as the elder turned back toward the fading figures of the Moon Lotus Sect, his eyes gleamed with unease.
Seven hundred and fifty dao comprehension cultivators… and this is only what they show on the surface. What kind of monster forged this sect?
From the balcony of a tea pavilion overlooking the market street, Haotian stood in plain robes, golden eyes half-lidded. He had returned long before the disciples, moving quietly through the city to ensure no traps or schemes targeted his sect.
That was when he saw it — the crimson-robed youth blocking Yinxue, Ziyue, and Shuyue's path.
Haotian's smile never wavered, but his hand behind his back clenched the air faintly. To dare spread desire dao before my girls…
When the elder of the Desire Sect intervened, Haotian did not move. He allowed it — the man was wiser than his disciple, and his apology sufficed to let the phoenixes pass unbothered. But the moment he saw the boy's face twist with rage, he marked him.
That one will not leave this city alive.
The disciples departed gracefully, their robes trailing like silk, untroubled. The elder dragged the youth aside, scolding him harshly. They turned a corner out of sight.
And then —
Splatter.
A gush of blood fountained across the cobblestones. The elder spun, his breath catching. The boy's body collapsed forward, his head already rolling across the ground, eyes wide in frozen disbelief.
The cut was clean, so precise it seemed space itself had closed and severed him.
The elder's face drained of color. He lifted his gaze to the empty rooftops, sweat prickling his spine. No aura. No trace of killing intent. Nothing but silence and the stench of fresh blood.
An expert. Too fast. Too clean. He was already marked…
He staggered back, heart pounding.
Cries erupted in the street a heartbeat later.
"Blood!"
"Someone's been killed!"
"Call the city guard!"
A wave of alarm spread through the plaza. Cultivators shouted, onlookers scattered, voices rising in panic.
The elder clenched his fists. He knew the truth. His disciple's death wasn't chance — it was punishment. A silent warning. But he couldn't prove it, couldn't even guess who had acted.
All he could do was shake his head bitterly. "Damn you, brat… you've doomed yourself. You never even understood what you provoked."
Then, blending into the panic, he melted into the crowd before questions could turn toward his sect.
High above, Haotian turned from the balcony, his eyes faintly glowing as the city's uproar echoed below. He tucked his hands into his sleeves, expression unreadable.
Let this serve as reminder. Phoenixes cannot be touched. Those who try… will not live to regret it.
With that, he vanished into the flow of space, leaving not a trace behind.
The city roared with life as dawn broke over the Central Continent Arena — a colossal structure built of jade, obsidian, and golden steel, vast enough to seat millions. Its towering gates stood open, banners of every sect rippling in the wind, their emblems glowing with infused qi.
Drums thundered. Bells tolled. Across the sky, flying ships descended in arcs of light, carrying sects from every direction. Elders in dazzling robes led their disciples forward, each sect marching in perfect order, their formations designed to impress.
The Heavenly Blade Sect entered with their swords bared, sword-qi rising like a storm.
The Emerald Pavilion Sect followed, their dao of wood and nature making the ground bloom with flowers beneath their feet.
The Nine Flames Sect erupted in fire, their disciples cloaked in flames like burning stars.
Cheers rose from the crowd as each sect entered the arena grounds, the Alliance announcers proclaiming their names in booming voices amplified by formations.
And then—
The world fell silent.
The announcer's voice trembled as he raised the next name.
"From the Northern Continent… the Moon Lotus Sect."
A thousand heads turned.
From the great gates emerged a sea of white-and-blue robed women. Seven hundred and fifty disciples, walking in unison, their steps synchronized, their gazes calm. Their beauty shimmered like starlight; their silence crushed the air.
There was no sword-qi storm, no gaudy display of fire or illusion. Only an aura — so vast, so perfectly harmonized — that the entire arena felt as though a single phoenix had descended to earth.
The crowd gasped.
"So many…"
"Seven hundred at least…"
"No… look closer — their cultivation realms… they're all at the peak of Dao Comprehension Realm!"
Shock rolled across the arena like thunder. Sect masters sat upright, their faces paling. Even sovereigns on the upper dais narrowed their eyes, their composure cracking.
The phoenix maidens marched without pause, their formation flowing like water, surrounding their elders. At their center walked Yinxue, Ziyue, and Shuyue — heads high, their presence as unyielding as flames.
And behind them, at the very heart, was Haotian.
He wore simple white robes, his expression calm, his golden eyes lowered as though indifferent. Yet every step he took radiated an authority deeper than banners or flames. The disciples' aura bent around him like stars orbiting the sun.
When they entered the arena, the announcer's voice faltered, unable to find words. The crowd only whispered, their voices laced with fear.
"Seven hundred and fifty… peak dao comprehension…"
"That's… that's not a sect. That's an army."
"Who leads them…? That young man?!"
High in the viewing towers, sect masters exchanged grim glances. Even the Central Continent sovereigns frowned, their hands tightening on their seats.
The Moon Lotus Sect took their position within the arena stands. They did not cheer, did not shout. They simply sat, quiet, united — and the silence was louder than any roar of fire or steel.
When the drums resumed, no one had forgotten. The phoenixes had arrived.
The Alliance announcers' voices carried like thunder across the arena. After the spectacle of arrivals, the time had come to reveal the test of strength.
"The Tournament of Arms," the announcer intoned, "will proceed across multiple brackets. Each bracket shall be divided by cultivation realm: Foundation, Core Condensation, Soul Condensation, Nascent Soul, and Dao Comprehension. Sovereigns are excluded."
Scrolls unfurled across the air, glowing with formation light. Names of sects and disciples appeared one after another, lines connecting into trees of combat. The crowd erupted into chatter, cultivators leaning forward to spot their rivals.
The Moon Lotus Sect's names began to appear.
Row after row — over seven hundred names. Nearly every bracket of Dao Comprehension Realm was seeded with phoenix maidens. Their presence flooded the charts, overwhelming the arena like a tide.
Gasps spread across the stands.
"So many entries…!"
"They'll dominate the dao comprehension bracket…"
"Even if one falls, there are hundreds more…"
Meanwhile, the Moon Lotus Sect disciples sat with calm faces, their phoenix swords resting across their laps. Yet beneath the silence, their hearts burned. This was their first chance to show the world what Haotian had forged in them.
Shuyue's hands tightened in her lap. She whispered to her sisters, her voice trembling with resolve. "I'll prove that the dao of emotions is not weakness… but strength."
Ziyue's lips curved in a faint smirk. "Good. Then I'll show them what speed and sharpness can do when paired with the sword."
Yinxue's eyes gleamed frost-blue, her voice calm but edged. "And I will prove the worth of our phoenix sovereign — through my dao of sevenfold harmony."
The disciples around them straightened, emboldened. Their senior sisters' resolve became their own.
While the disciples studied the brackets, Haotian rose silently. He left their section and walked with unhurried steps toward the pavilion reserved for special registrations.
An attendant frowned as he approached. "This line is for—"
"I know." Haotian's tone was calm, his golden eyes steady. He placed a simple jade slip on the desk.
The attendant blinked, glancing down at the registration. His eyes widened.
"Forging… and… alchemy? Both?"
"Yes," Haotian replied, his voice even.
The attendant hesitated. "Sir… most competitors choose one. These events are not for display, but for mastery. Few dare enter both…"
Haotian only smiled faintly. "Write my name."
Something in his voice — in the weight of it — left no room for refusal. The attendant swallowed and bowed his head. "Yes… honored cultivator."
Moments later, the slips glowed as Haotian's name joined the registry for both competitions.
Behind him, whispers rippled as nearby disciples took notice.
"He registered for both? Is he arrogant?"
"Or is he truly capable of mastering two paths at once…?"
"I heard he's the sovereign of the Moon Lotus Sect…"
Haotian turned without a word, hands folded calmly behind his back. His eyes swept the arena, falling briefly on his disciples as they studied their brackets with determination.
A faint smile tugged his lips. They'll shine on the battlefield. I'll show the world another stage.
And with that, he returned to his seat, silent and unassuming, though the whispers spread like wildfire.
The registration pavilion still buzzed with murmurs after Haotian departed. His calm refusal to explain himself left cultivators whispering like crows in the rafters.
At the far side of the crowd, a young woman sat poised with two attendants standing respectfully behind her. Her long silken robe shimmered like flame-touched snow, the dual hue of crimson and pale silver flowing like frostfire itself. Her eyes, sharp yet playful, lingered on the departing figure of the young man in white.
Xue Yanfei.
The name alone carried weight in the Central Continent — a prodigy of the Yan Clan, one of the foremost families in both alchemy and forging. Known for her mastery of dual elements and for her ruthless eye when appraising talent, she was already considered a candidate for the next generation's crafting sovereign.
Her lips curved into the faintest smile. So… it's him again.
The image flashed in her mind — that moment in the Eastern streets, when she had passed by a young man whose aura felt impossibly deep, yet whose presence was hidden behind plain robes. She hadn't spoken to him then, only marked the dual ripple of frost and flame qi that clung to him.
And now here he was.
She tilted her head slightly, speaking to her attendant without turning her gaze.
"Check the registry. His name."
The attendant bowed and scurried off, slipping past the line of cultivators to speak with the clerk. Moments later, he returned, his face pale as though he had glimpsed something immense.
"Miss Yanfei," he whispered urgently, "his entry is recorded. The name is… Zhenlong Haotian."
Yanfei's smile widened faintly, a flicker of frostfire glinting in her pupils."Zhenlong… Haotian. A dragon indeed."
Her mind pieced together fragments — the impossible number of dao comprehension disciples that had arrived, the way the crowd's whispers all circled around the Moon Lotus Sect's mysterious sovereign, and the calm, unshakable poise of the man before her.
"Dual elements of frost and fire…" she murmured, almost to herself. "Interesting. Very interesting."
The attendants exchanged glances, nervous at the gleam in her eyes.
Yanfei leaned back, her gaze never leaving Haotian's retreating figure as he rejoined his disciples.
"So. You've chosen both alchemy and forging. Just like me. I wonder… are you reckless, or are you truly a monster?"
Her lips curled into a sly smile.
"Either way, Zhenlong Haotian… I'll be watching you."
The first battles of the Dao Comprehension Realm bracket began as the sun reached its zenith. The arena roared with anticipation, sect banners rippling, formations glowing overhead to project each clash into the skies for all to witness.
The Moon Lotus Sect disciples stepped forward in groups, their white-and-blue robes flowing as they entered the stage.
Their opponents underestimated them instantly.
"What can a group of women do?" sneered a disciple from the Steel Flame Sect.
The answer came in a single breath.
One phoenix maiden drew her sword — a blade of frostlight that shimmered with intent. Her opponent's flame was extinguished the moment their auras collided, his fire collapsing under her chilling dao. Another maiden, facing an Earth Sect rival, danced across the battlefield like mist, her dao of water and sword slicing through stone as though it were paper.
And then came Ziyue.
Her opponent barely had time to blink before swords of ice spun like arrows of wind, piercing past defenses in a flurry too fast to follow. His weapon shattered; he was forced to yield before her calm gaze.
The crowd gasped.
"Dao of Icewind Sword… a triple dao concept!"
"She crushed him as if he were nothing!"
Next was Yinxue. She stepped lightly onto the stage, serene as falling snow. Her opponent, a fire cultivator of the Nine Flames Sect, unleashed a blazing inferno that engulfed half the arena.
But Yinxue's eyes narrowed, and her sword shimmered. Sevenfold dao resonance burst forth — frost, ice, sword, love, piercing, space, and time.
The fire died. The inferno froze into glittering shards before the audience's eyes. With one graceful strike, her opponent was thrown from the stage, coughing blood.
The arena went silent, stunned by the sight.
"A sevenfold dao concept?!"
"This… this isn't possible…"
Haotian, watching from the stands, only folded his arms, expression calm. His lips curved slightly. Good. Let them see what phoenixes can do.
When Shuyue entered, the audience whispered in confusion — her aura was warm, her sword glowing faintly with a resonance they couldn't place.
Her opponent mocked her. "You radiate emotions? How pathetic—"
Then Shuyue struck.
Her sword blazed with love, loyalty, kindness — each slash resonating with a purity that tore through illusions and malice alike. Her foe, consumed by rage, suddenly faltered as his own dao unraveled before her strike. He collapsed in tears, unable to lift his blade.
The spectators murmured in awe.
"Dao of emotions…? It broke his will…""She's… terrifying."
The Moon Lotus Sect's victories came one after another. Not a single disciple fell. Their strength was too refined, their daos too harmonized.
By the end of the day's battles, whispers spread like wildfire:
"The Moon Lotus Sect is invincible…"
As the next day dawned, the alchemy and forging competitions began in separate grand halls, each filled with glowing arrays and towering pavilions. Cultivators lined the stands, ready to witness brilliance.
Haotian rose from his seat among his disciples. Yinxue, Ziyue, and Shuyue looked at him, pride and worry mingling in their eyes.
"Show them, Haotian," Yinxue whispered.
"Don't hold back," Ziyue added.
Shuyue only smiled softly, her faith absolute.
Haotian inclined his head, then descended toward the forge arena.
The massive chamber glowed with heat and light, hundreds of cauldrons and forges already prepared. Competitors stepped forward, each proudly wearing their sect's forging robes and carrying rare tools.
The crowd buzzed with excitement.
And then they fell into hushed whispers as Xue Yanfei entered.
Her crimson-and-silver robe shimmered with frostfire light, her presence like a star in the hall. The announcer introduced her name with booming clarity:
"Xue Yanfei of the Yan Clan — dual element prodigy, ranked top ten among Central Continent alchemists and forgers!"
Applause thundered.
Yanfei raised her chin, her gaze calm — until her eyes slid sideways.
There he was.
Haotian stepped forward in plain white robes, no banners, no sect emblems. He carried nothing but his presence.
The attendant called his name awkwardly:"Zhenlong… Haotian. Entering both alchemy and forging competitions."
The hall erupted in disbelief.
"Both? Impossible!"
"He's arrogant!"
"He'll embarrass himself—"
Yanfei, however, only smiled faintly, her eyes glinting frostfire.
So. We finally meet in the forge. Let's see if you're the storm I suspect… or just another flame waiting to be extinguished.
Haotian's golden eyes flicked toward her briefly, calm, steady. And then he looked away as though she were merely another obstacle in his path.
Yanfei's smile deepened. Arrogant indeed… good. This will be fun.