The skies over Crimson Peak were unusually clear that morning. Not a trace of mist, not a whisper of wind. It was the kind of silence that made seasoned cultivators uneasy, the kind that came before a storm not of weather, but of destiny.
Xiao Lian stood on the stone terrace outside the grand hall, the mountain air biting against her skin. Her robes fluttered gently behind her, but her body remained still. She had sensed it long before the sentries had called it out: someone was coming. Someone powerful.
SIS's voice buzzed in her ear like a calm breeze against thunderclouds. Approaching energy signature—non-hostile in presentation. Probability of ambush: 82%.
She didn't flinch. "Prepare a warding formation around the terrace," she whispered. "Invisible. Passive only. I want to see their move before I play mine."
Acknowledged.
Ji Ren arrived at her side moments later, his sword already strapped to his back, his expression unreadable.
"It's him, isn't it?" he asked.
Xiao Lian nodded. "A messenger of the Heavenly Court. Let's see if they have the nerve to send a threat in silk robes."
A moment later, the figure appeared at the horizon, walking, not flying, across the floating path of runes that had once connected the Crimson Feather Sect to the world beyond. The very air bent around him with celestial authority.
He was tall, draped in silver and white garments that shimmered unnaturally even in daylight. His face was pale, almost luminescent, and a golden halo floated behind his head, a mark of divine status, or perhaps divine arrogance. But Xiao Lian's gaze locked not on his posture or costume but on the flicker of movement behind him.
SIS confirmed it first.
Hidden formations detected. Micro-runes concealed within robe lining. High probability of energy suppression trap.
A trick.
Of course.
The messenger stopped several steps away from her, his expression a portrait of serene superiority. He bowed, just enough to feign courtesy.
"Honored one," he said, his voice like honey wrapped around a blade, "I come bearing the Celestial Arbiter's decree. You are to cease resistance immediately. The Crimson Feather Sect shall be dissolved. All disciples will be placed under Court rehabilitation. You, Xiao Lian, will be spared."
A murmur ran through the disciples watching from behind the outer walls. Ji Ren stepped forward, already scowling.
But Xiao Lian raised a hand. She hadn't taken her eyes off the messenger.
"And if I refuse?" she asked.
The man smiled, as if amused. "You misunderstand. This is not a negotiation. This is mercy."
Behind her, the air thickened. SIS murmured in her ear, Energy siphoning sigils activating. Estimated thirty seconds until nullification seal deploys.
Xiao Lian took a slow breath. The rage that boiled beneath her skin wasn't just personal, it was generational. Her past life had built this sect with blood, sweat, and boundless vision. Now the very forces that had once envied it sought to erase it again.
"I remember the last time the Heavenly Court offered mercy," she said coolly. "It came with fire. And betrayal."
The messenger tilted his head, his smile still fixed. "History is a burden. One I suggest you release."
"No," Xiao Lian said, her voice rising with each syllable. "History is a weapon. And mine burns hotter than the heavens."
Without warning, her hand flicked upward, releasing a pulse of Qi that flared in gold and crimson. The runes sewn into the messenger's robes sizzled, reacting prematurely.
Seal activation disrupted, SIS reported. Reversal now possible.
She struck again, faster than most could see, channeling her energy straight into the overlapping symbols embedded in his sleeves. They cracked like glass.
The messenger staggered back, his illusion of calm now shattered.
"I was told you'd be wise enough to surrender," he hissed.
"And I was told the Heavenly Court once stood for balance," Xiao Lian snapped. "All I see now is rot in silken robes."
From the crowd behind her, shouts of loyalty erupted. Disciples who had once feared now stepped forward, emboldened by her refusal. Ji Ren smiled grimly at her side, ready to draw steel if the stranger dared move.
The messenger's voice deepened with rage. "This act of defiance seals your fate. When next we meet, Xiao Lian, it will not be with words."
She took a single step toward him. "When next we meet, I'll be the one offering you mercy. Let's see if you're wise enough to take it."
The messenger disappeared in a flash of white flame, leaving behind only a scorched patch of stone and a lingering sense of danger.
The moment he was gone, Xiao Lian's knees weakened slightly. Ji Ren caught her elbow, steadying her.
"That power drain was close," he muttered. "If SIS hadn't seen it—"
"I know," she said, breathless. "They didn't come to negotiate. They came to break me before the war even begins."
From behind them, Elder Sheng approached, his face unreadable. "You know this makes things worse."
Xiao Lian turned to face him. "I also know we never had a chance if we let them dictate the rules."
He nodded slowly, and though his eyes held fear, they also held something else—respect.
Ji Ren stepped forward, his voice hard. "They'll strike fast now. They've lost their subtlety."
SIS confirmed, Pattern indicates immediate retaliation within three to five days. Recommend strategic dispersal and regrouping plans.
Xiao Lian looked out over the horizon where the messenger had vanished. The sun was now overhead, casting a shadow that stretched long behind her. The choice had been made, and there was no turning back.
"No more illusions," she said quietly. "This is war."
A murmur passed through the crowd again, this time with more steel in its tone. The disciples could feel it too, the change in air, the thrum of inevitability. They were no longer simply defending a sect.
They were defying heaven.