After the departure of his Master and the Snake Demon, Sai wandered through the jagged mountain range, his body aching from the remnants of the Blood Demon Transformation. His essence was depleted, and his meridians felt scorched.
Eventually, he stumbled upon a secluded, pitch-black cavern. The silence inside was absolute—the perfect sanctuary for a cultivator. Sai crossed his legs and entered a deep state of meditation. For seven days and seven nights, he didn't move. Spiritual energy swirled around him like a silent vortex, knitting his flesh back together and refining his core.
When Sai finally opened his eyes, a spark of crimson flickered in his pupils. He hadn't just recovered; he had broken through. He had jumped from the Level 6 Mid-Stage to the very threshold of the Level 6 Peak-Stage.
He stood up, feeling the immense power surging through his veins. "My body is restored," Sai whispered, his voice cold. "Master once told me: if a thorn remains in the heart during cultivation, it will birth an Inner Demon at higher levels. To move forward, I must pull that thorn out. Iron Sect... your time has come."
The Shadow Over the Iron SectAt the Iron Sect's fortress, the air suddenly grew heavy. The Elders, sitting in their meditation halls, snapped their eyes open. A terrifying aura was descending from the heavens.
High above the sect's main plaza, Sai hovered in the sky, looking down at the disciples like an angry god. Without a word, he raised a hand. The sky darkened as he summoned a Massive Earth Boulder—a hunk of rock the size of a mountain peak—and sent it hurtling toward the sect's grand hall.
"Defend the gates!" the Lead Elder screamed.
Six Elders leaped into the air, joining their palms to create a massive shimmering shield. The boulder slammed into the barrier with the force of a falling star. Cracks webbed through the rock as the Elders poured their full power into a counter-attack. With a collective roar, they unleashed a combined energy blast that shattered the mountain-sized stone into a million fragments.
The disciples below cheered, thinking the danger had passed. One of the Elders sneered up at Sai. "You arrogant brat! You thought you could destroy our legacy with a single rock? You've made your move—now it's our turn to show you the price of treason!"
The Blood on the BladeAs the Elders surged forward to surround him, Sai's expression remained stony. He unsheathed his sword, the metal singing a mournful tune.
The first Elder reached him, swinging a heavy claymore in a wide arc. Sai didn't even blink. With a movement faster than the eye could follow, he dodged the heavy blade and delivered a precise, lightning-fast counter-cut. The Elder gasped, clutching his throat as he fell toward the earth.
Seeing their comrade fall, another Elder lunged with a spear. Sai channeled his Qi into his blade, unleashing a Inferno Slash. A wave of concentrated fire roared forward. The Elder, unable to dodge in mid-air, was engulfed instantly. He didn't even have time to scream before being reduced to ash.
The remaining Elders grew frantic. "Kill him! All together!"
But Sai was already moving. He summoned a second, even larger stone, but this time he infused it with his own weight-gravity manipulation. The Elders, exhausted from their previous defense, couldn't move out of the way in time. The massive shadow loomed over them for a split second before crushing them into the sect's courtyard.
Seeing their invincible Elders crushed like insects, the disciples broke. Panic turned into a stampede as they tried to flee the mountain.
The Appearance of the Sect Leader"SAI! HOW DARE YOU!"
A thunderous voice shook the very foundation of the sect. From the inner sanctum, the Sect Leader emerged. Beside him stood Xioneya and her husband, Ling Bei.
Ling Bei stepped forward, his face twisted in a mocking grin. "I let you live once, you pathetic worm. I see you've come back today just to make sure I finish the job properly."
Xioneya stood frozen, her eyes wide with disbelief. She remembered Sai as a talented but manageable threat. The man standing before her now radiated a killing intent so thick it felt like physical weight. He was a different being entirely.
The Sect Leader's aura flared, his Level 7 power rippling through the air. "You've murdered my Elders and terrified my disciples. Today, Sai, this mountain will be your grave."
Sai gripped his sword, his eyes locking onto the three people who had caused him so much pain. "I didn't come here to talk," Sai said, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "I came to erase your name from history."
The Sect Leader lunged, and the final battle for the Iron Sect began.