As night descended, the Radiant Sky Sect transformed into a realm of ethereal splendor. Countless spirit lanterns floated through the air, glowing in soft hues of azure, jade, and gold — like stars loosed from the heavens, drifting amidst mountain winds. Snow-white cranes glided silently across the moonlit sky, while distant waterfalls cascaded from sheer cliffs, shimmering like silver threads under the starlight.
Atop the Five Peaks, the grand palaces of the sect emitted a subtle divine radiance. Each peak was shrouded in its own unique aura — some blazing like sacred flames, others cloaked in mist or kissed by frost. Down below, in the serene courtyards carved between stone ridges, disciples sat cross-legged beneath the celestial sky. Threads of qi coiled around them, faintly luminous, weaving together a silent tapestry of cultivation beneath the watching stars.
This sacred mountain range was home to the Five Peaks — each ruled by a different sect elder, and each a living pillar of the Radiant Sky Sect's legacy.
First Peak – Heaven-Crowned SummitThe most exalted of them all. Towering above the others like an emperor among kings, it was enshrouded in drifting celestial mist. At its center stood the Celestial Heart Palace, a vast structure forged from starlight jade and moon-glass, radiating solemn majesty.No ordinary disciple dared to tread upon this sacred ground.The Sect Master's aura was rarely seen — but when it descended, it shook the fate of the entire sect.
Second Peak – Serene Obsidian Ridge
A cragged, majestic peak where sword winds howled across suspended battle platforms, carving deep scars into stone. Sword qi lingered in the air like invisible blades.Elder Zhan Taixan — stern and solitary — upheld the sword doctrine.
Revered for his precise judgment and cold discipline, he was feared as much as he was admired.Disciples here cultivated ruthlessly, sharpening both their blades and their hearts. Strength, honor, and clarity — these were their ideals.
Third Peak – Thundercry HallowsHere, storms eternally gathered. Lightning veins snaked through the mountainside like divine arteries. Under the growling skies, disciples tempered their bodies and spirits, meditating beneath crashing thunder and welcoming pain as baptism.
Elder Lu Tianhao — bold and boisterous — believed in trials by nature. He was often seen laughing and drinking beneath the Heavenstrike Tree, surrounded by disciples who endured the storm just for his nod of approval.
Fourth Peak – Silent Adjudicator's Rise
No birds sang on this mountain. No wind whistled. The silence was suffocating.This peak housed the Hall of Verdicts, the Disciplinary Court, and the dreaded Soul Mirror Chamber.
It was ruled by the Third Elder — a figure cloaked in mystery, nameless and pitiless. Known for their cold gaze that pierced through both lies and masks, few ever left their chambers unchanged… or unscathed.
These peaks were more than mere dwellings. They were living doctrines — monuments of their elders' beliefs, paths, and power. Though distant from one another in terrain and temperament, they were united in purpose: to uphold the prestige of the Radiant Sky Sect.
Fifth Peak – Golden Root TerraceA layered golden-crimson mountain, riddled with treasure vaults, bustling trade halls, and spirit merchant pavilions. Arrays carved into stone hummed with wealth-attracting formations, and even the wind here carried the faint scent of profit.
This was the domain of Fourth Elder Jin Qianhai — short, round-bellied, always wrapped in merchant robes embroidered with luck talismans and profit seals. A former traveling trader turned sect treasurer, he was infamous for never lifting a finger without first weighing its worth in spirit coins.
His residence, the Goldscale Pavilion, resembled a treasure vault more than a dwelling. Scrolls, contracts, talismans, and shelves of glowing jade slips cluttered every room. It was said Elder Jin could smell fraud like a spirit hound sniffed blood.
Inside the Fifth Peak's Treasury Hall, Elder Jin sat cross-legged behind a lacquered blackwood desk. Piles of scrolls and spirit ledgers towered around him like paper walls. The room smelled faintly of old ink, dried spirit herbs, and wealth.
Golden abacus beads clicked beneath his pudgy fingers. His thick brows furrowed as he peered through a magnifying monocle, squinting at a jade slab marked with the monthly acquisition report from the Resource Collection Division.
"Hmm... where are the Nine-Flame Ember Fruits? Only four Stormwood Essence Cores? That's half the yield…"
But then his voice sharpened, trembling with restrained fury.
"One million qi crystals... missing?!"
His palm slammed down on the jade slab with a dull thud. The candlelight flickered violently. His entire desk trembled.
That amount could fund a mid-sized cultivation clan for a year.
"The ledger bearer... that brat Mu Liang. Gone for three days, and now this?!"
He stood, sleeves flaring with array-stitched talismans.
"Slack off on paperwork, and I might scold. But meddling with my treasury...!"
A deep growl rumbled from his throat as he grabbed a bronze chime etched with runes. He shook it sharply — a clear tone rang out, rippling with spatial qi.
"Summon the Internal Enforcement Unit," he said coldly. "Drag Mu Liang to me. If he's stolen even a single spirit coin, I'll bleed him dry — with interest."
Just then, a guard's muffled voice came from beyond the ornate door.
"Reporting, Elder! Mu Liang has returned — but he's resisting arrest. Says he must speak to you... urgently."
Elder Jin's eyes narrowed.
"Urgently? He dares? He disappears for days, embezzles resources, and now wants to 'report' to me?"
He snorted, stroking his short, curly beard.
"Fine. Bring him in. Let's hear what sort of excuse he—"
The doors slammed open. Two guards rushed in, half-supporting a broken figure between them.
Elder Jin froze.
"This...?"
Mu Liang's body was a mess of gore and ruin.
His left leg was gone, severed below the knee — raw bone and tendon exposed beneath soaked bandages. His once-crisp sect robes were drenched in dried blood.
His right eye was a scorched ruin, blackened by fire. Soot and blood crusted his face. Across his chest, gashes and blade marks crisscrossed like a wild beast had torn through him.
He was barely conscious, swaying between the guards, breath ragged and shallow.
For a long moment, Elder Jin simply stared.
The anger drained from his face, replaced by a rare expression: fear.
"Who did this to you?" he demanded, rising to his feet.
"What happened?! Who dares harm a disciple of the Radiant Sky Sect? Was it... demonic cultivators?"
"Tell me! Speak!"
He strode forward and grabbed Mu Liang's collar — but the boy's battered body sagged heavily in his grasp.