The golden light of dawn spread across Spirit Jade Pass, but the land bore no warmth. The battlefield was still soaked in the blood of fallen warriors, and the banners of the Qilin Sect lay in tatters, trampled beneath the boots of Abyssal warriors.
Murong Chen stood atop a rocky outcrop, his Ashen Blade resting at his side, its dark surface still humming with residual energy from the battle. Below, his forces moved with practiced efficiency, gathering weapons, tending to the wounded, and erasing all traces of their movements.
Victory was theirs. But this was only the first battle.
Bai Qingshan approached, his arms folded as he surveyed the battlefield. "Word will spread soon. The sects that once ignored us will now see the Abyssal Sect as a force to be reckoned with."
Murong Chen's gaze didn't waver. "Good. Let them watch."
He turned away, already calculating his next move.
They would not wait for the empire to retaliate. They would strike before Zhao Ren had time to react.
The Next Move
Back at Patriarch's Peak, the Grand Strategy Hall was alive with tension. Maps stretched across the long table, detailing the empire's supply chains, trade routes, and key strategic locations.
Lin Yue stood at Murong Chen's side, her sharp eyes scanning the reports. "With Spirit Jade Pass secured, the Qilin Sect is crippled. But their allies won't sit idle."
She tapped a specific point on the map—Verdant Cloud Pavilion's primary stronghold. "Zhao Ren's forces have begun fortifications here. He's preparing for a counterattack."
Lu Fan leaned forward, a smirk playing on his lips. "Then we hit them where it hurts."
Murong Chen's expression remained unreadable. "Not their warriors." His fingers traced the empire's primary supply routes. "Their lifelines."
Bai Qingshan stroked his beard. "You plan to starve them out?"
"Not starve. Bleed them dry before they can even fight."
The empire's might was vast, but it depended on supply lines—spirit stone shipments, medicinal herbs, food provisions, and reinforcement routes. If they were cut off, even the strongest army would crumble before the war even began.
Murong Chen turned to his war council. "We don't attack their fortresses yet. We turn the land itself against them."
A silence fell. Then Lin Yue's lips curled into a rare smirk. "A war of attrition."
Murong Chen's voice was cold. "No. A war of annihilation."
Shadows in the Wildlands
The first strikes came in the dead of night.
Dressed as wandering merchants and rogue cultivators, Abyssal Sect operatives infiltrated Verdant Cloud Pavilion's territory, seeding chaos from within.
• In the city of Lanxi, spirit stone shipments meant for Zhao Ren's forces vanished overnight, stolen by unknown hands.
• In Xuan Ridge, disguised Abyssal alchemists introduced a slow-acting poison into enemy elixir stores, weakening soldiers who consumed them.
• In the misty depths of Twin Serpent Valley, the main bridge collapsed under an "unfortunate accident," sending an entire imperial supply convoy into the ravine.
By the time Verdant Cloud Pavilion realized what was happening, their reserves had already been crippled.
Murong Chen, watching from afar, smiled slightly. The empire had yet to send its armies—but already, it was bleeding.
And then, the Sect System stirred.
Sect System Update: War of Attrition Initiated
Mission Type: Strategic Sabotage
Objective: Disrupt enemy logistics to weaken their forces before full-scale war.
Effects: Enemy Morale -10%, Imperial Reinforcements Delayed, Abyssal Sect Reputation +5%.
Hidden Development: ???
Imperial Retaliation
The empire did not remain idle.
Three days after the first wave of sabotage, Zhao Ren issued a decree.
Lin Yue placed the sealed imperial document before Murong Chen in the war hall. "The emperor has declared you a heretic and an enemy of the empire."
Murong Chen read the golden-edged decree with cold amusement.
"Murong Chen is a threat to the celestial order. Any sect or cultivator who harbors him shall share his fate."
Zhao Ren had drawn the line. The war was no longer in the shadows.
And the empire's retaliation came swiftly.
• The Black Guard, an elite imperial force, was dispatched to hunt Abyssal Sect operatives.
• The Wraith Lotus Sect, once neutral, was ordered to swear loyalty to the empire—or be destroyed.
• Imperial agents stirred rebellion within newly conquered territories, attempting to destabilize Abyssal rule.
Murong Chen barely had time to read the report before a distress signal from the eastern watchtowers arrived.
A detachment of imperial forces was approaching Mistshadow Gorge.
Bai Qingshan's brow furrowed. "They mean to reclaim the pass?"
Murong Chen's grip tightened around the Ashen Blade. "No. They mean to test us."
His voice was calm, yet beneath it lay a promise of violence. "And we will show them the consequences."
The Battle of Mistshadow Gorge
At dawn, the empire made its move.
Five hundred imperial soldiers, reinforced by Verdant Cloud Pavilion elites, descended upon Mistshadow Gorge, seeking to retake the pass.
Murong Chen stood atop the ridge, his black robes billowing in the cold wind. The enemy commander, General Wei Yun, sat atop a spirit beast below, his gaze filled with contempt.
"Sect Master Murong," Wei Yun called, his voice amplified by Qi. "If you surrender now, Zhao Ren may spare your life."
Murong Chen let the silence stretch, then finally spoke.
"You stand at my gates and dare to offer me surrender?"
He lifted the Ashen Blade, and at his command, the Abyssal Sect's warriors emerged from the shadows.
Wei Yun's confidence faltered as he saw formations glowing along the cliffs, traps already activated.
Murong Chen's voice cut through the battlefield like a blade.
"You never had a chance to win."
The traps sprang to life.
• Flame formations erupted beneath enemy feet, engulfing soldiers in unnatural black fire.
• Hidden archers released a storm of spirit-infused arrows, cutting through imperial ranks.
• Boulders, previously set by Murong Chen's disciples, collapsed onto the enemy formation, splitting them in half.
Wei Yun realized too late—this wasn't a simple skirmish.
This was an execution.
Murong Chen descended into the battlefield like a shadow of death, his blade carving through the chaos.
An enemy lieutenant attempted to block his path—only for his head to part from his shoulders in a single stroke.
Blood splattered across the earth.
By the time the sun had fully risen, Mistshadow Gorge was littered with imperial corpses.
The empire's test had failed.
And the Abyssal Sect had announced itself to the world.
Sect System Update: Battle of Mistshadow Gorge Complete
Victory: Imperial Advance Repelled
Rewards: +10% Abyssal Sect Influence, New Stronghold Secured
Bonus: Hidden Mission Unlocked – "The Emperor's Wrath" (Details Unknown)
Murong Chen stood at the battlefield's edge, staring toward the distant horizon.
He could already feel Zhao Ren's fury from across the empire.
Let him be angry. It would not change his fate.
Lu Fan approached, his blade still dripping with blood. "What are your orders, Sect Master?"
Murong Chen smiled, but it held no warmth.
"We take the empire apart, piece by piece."
The war had begun.
And the Abyss would not stop until the heavens themselves fell.