The storm had been brewing for days.
Now, it was here. The sky over Crimson Peak was a burning red, streaked with the smoke of distant battles. Below, at the stronghold's towering gates, the enemy forces gathered, a sea of dark robes and glinting steel, their banners fluttering ominously.
Xiao Lian stood on the fortress walls, her eyes scanning the horizon. The siege had begun.
Behind her, the remaining disciples of the Crimson Feather Sect stood tense, their hands gripping their weapons. They were outnumbered. Outmatched. But not broken.
A soft chime echoed in her mind as SIS spoke.
"Projected survival rate if engaged directly: 0.3%."
Xiao Lian exhaled slowly. She had already known the odds were against them. That didn't matter.
They weren't going to fight head-on.
Ji Ren stepped up beside her, his face grim. His black armor, still carrying the insignia of his family clan, looked out of place on a battlefield where his own kin stood on the opposing side.
"They're moving into position," he muttered, pointing at the vanguard of the enemy forces.
Xiao Lian followed his gaze. The enemy's frontlines were disciplined, well-trained cultivators, marching in precise formation. Behind them, siege weapons were being assembled, their celestial inscriptions glowing ominously.
And at the center of it all…Ji Ren's family.
Their banners bore the Serpent Crest, the emblem of the Ji Clan, one of the most powerful warrior families in the cultivation world. Once, Ji Ren had been destined to lead them.
Now, they called him a traitor.
"I'll handle them," Ji Ren said. "You focus on strategy."
Xiao Lian didn't argue. She knew how deeply personal this was for him.
Instead, she turned to the gathered disciples.
"Listen carefully!" she called. "We cannot win through sheer strength. But we can outthink them."
She motioned to SIS, who projected a tactical map into her vision.
The terrain around Crimson Peak was mountainous, filled with narrow passes and sheer cliffs.
That was their advantage.
"We will not fight them head-on," Xiao Lian continued. "We will make the mountain fight for us."
She began issuing orders, dividing the disciples into units.
Phase One: Disrupt the Enemy.
They would use hit-and-run tactics, drawing the enemy into false openings while setting traps in key locations.
Phase Two: Divide and Weaken.
They would sever communication lines, using terrain to force the enemy into smaller, isolated groups.
Phase Three: Crush the Invaders.
Only when the enemy was disoriented and scattered would they launch a decisive counterattack.
The disciples listened intently. They had no other choice but to trust her plan.
And then the war horns sounded.
The enemy had begun their assault.
_
The Siege Begins with the first wave came like a crashing tide.
Xiao Lian watched as the enemy's frontlines advanced, their formation tight and disciplined.
Then, the ground beneath them exploded.
Flames erupted as concealed spirit bombs detonated in the valley pass, sending enemy cultivators flying. Screams echoed through the battlefield as the once-organized formation fell into chaos.
From the cliffs above, Crimson Feather disciples unleashed arrows infused with spiritual energy, striking the stunned enemies below.
"Pull back!" Xiao Lian commanded. "Make them chase you!"
The disciples on the ground retreated, leading the enemy further into the second kill zone.
Ji Ren leapt from the fortress walls, landing amid a cluster of Ji Clan warriors. He wielded his twin sabers, their edges gleaming with celestial energy.
A familiar voice rang out from the enemy ranks.
"Ji Ren!"
A warrior in elaborate obsidian armor stepped forward. Ji Yan, Ji Ren's older cousin.
"You still have a chance to come back, cousin," Ji Yan said, his voice laced with condescension. "Leave this dying sect. Return to your family."
Ji Ren's grip on his sabers tightened.
"I already made my choice."
Ji Yan sighed.
"Then you'll die a traitor."
He charged, his spear crackling with celestial lightning.
Ji Ren met him head-on. Their weapons clashed, sending shockwaves rippling through the battlefield.
Nearby, Xiao Lian continued executing her strategy.
Enemy siege weapons had been positioned—but before they could fire, Crimson Feather disciples ambushed their operators. The massive artillery crumbled, turning into useless wreckage.
Another victory.
Yet, SIS's calculations remained grim.
Survival probability: 11.5%.
Still too low.
.
.
.
Hours passed, and the battle raged on.
The ground was littered with bodies, friend and foe alike. The sky was darkened by the smoke of burning strongholds.
Xiao Lian, breathless but focused, observed the battlefield. They had fought beyond expectations, but the enemy's numbers were endless.
Then...a new wave of reinforcements arrived.
Celestial cultivators in golden armor descended from the sky, their presence otherworldly.
SIS confirmed it instantly.
"Celestial Faction intervention detected."
Xiao Lian's blood ran cold. They had come in person.
A lone figure stepped forward from the celestial forces. His robes were pristine, his eyes filled with detached amusement.
"Crimson Feather Sect," he called, his voice echoing unnaturally. "Surrender now. The heavens do not tolerate defiance."
Xiao Lian's fingers curled around her sword hilt.
This was the force that had destroyed her past life.
Her heart pounded as she took a step forward.
"The heavens?" she repeated, her voice sharp. "Tell me, how much blood have the heavens spilled in the name of order?"
The celestial envoy smirked.
"Does it matter?" he asked. "You will all be dead soon."
A storm of spiritual pressure erupted from him, crushing the air around them.
He was testing them.
Xiao Lian could feel the disciples falter behind her. They were exhausted, wounded, and now faced with a force beyond their limits.
And yet…Something inside her refused to break.
"Ji Ren!" she called.
He had just finished his duel with Ji Yan, leaving his cousin unconscious but alive.
He looked up, still breathing heavily.
She didn't need to say anything else. He understood.
If they fought here, they would die.
But they weren't done yet.
"Retreat!" Xiao Lian commanded.
Some disciples hesitated, but Ji Ren stepped forward.
"You heard her! Fall back to the second stronghold!"
The survivors didn't question him. They obeyed.
Xiao Lian and Ji Ren covered the retreat, standing against the celestial cultivators alone.
The envoy laughed.
"Running? How disappointing."
He raised a hand and the heavens cracked open.
A colossal celestial spear descended from the sky, aimed directly at them.
SIS screamed warnings.
Xiao Lian and Ji Ren moved.
As the celestial attack shattered the battlefield, they vanished into the shadows, escaping with the last of their strength.
The battle for Crimson Peak was lost.
But the war was far from over.