By the fourth day after the Demon Sealing Ruins opened, the valley outside was no longer the same chaotic place it had been at the beginning.
When the gate first awakened, cultivators had rushed over like floodwater breaking through a dam. Rogue cultivators, small sect disciples, clan juniors, and wandering experts had all crowded around the black mist, each one thinking that fortune might favor them if they arrived early enough. But once word spread beyond Rivercloud City, the situation changed completely. Teleportation arrays flashed in distant cities, flying treasures tore through the clouds, spirit boats crossed mountains overnight, and messenger talismans carried the news to powers that could not ignore the words Demon Sealing Ruins.
The valley had become a camp of sects.
Large banners stood in the wind, each one carrying an insignia heavy enough to make ordinary cultivators lower their voices when they passed. The green-leaf banner of the Thousand Leaf Immortal Sect occupied a broad rise on the eastern side, its tents arranged beneath ancient trees that had been grown there overnight by wood-attribute experts. Across from them, the sword-water banner of Heavenly Sword Lake fluttered above a cold blue camp where sword Qi lingered in the air like thin frost. The Scarlet Sun Palace camp stood beneath crimson canopies, and even from far away, one could feel heat rolling from their formation lamps. Black Tortoise Mountain took the northern stone ridge without asking anyone, their black mountain-shell insignia resting above heavy defensive formations that made the earth itself seem thicker.
Moon Reflection Valley did not compete for the loudest position, yet its silver banners reflected sunlight in a way that made the whole camp look half-real. Ancient Beast Hall's disciples kept several spirit beasts chained near their tents, and whenever those beasts growled, smaller sect disciples nearby would instinctively take two steps back. Silent Night Pavilion's camp was the strangest. Its black banners barely moved even when the wind blew, and people often realized only after walking past that several dark-robed disciples had been watching them the entire time. Hundred Formation Tower had built fewer tents than others, but their formation flags filled the ground like a chessboard, and no one could tell where their camp truly began or ended.
The eight strongest fighting sects had spoken by noon of the third day.
From that point onward, not everyone could enter the ruins freely. Only elites from the major, medium, and smaller sects were permitted to go in. Loose cultivators without recommendation tokens were pushed away from the main entrance. The reason given sounded righteous enough. The ruins were dangerous, opportunities should be left to those with sufficient talent, and reckless entry would only throw away lives. But every cultivator present understood the truth. Opportunities were meat, and the strongest hands always reached for the plate first.
Still, no one dared object loudly.
Above the major sect camps, pressures belonging to Domain Forging Realm experts rested like invisible mountains. They did not release their auras fully, but their existence was enough. Behind the major sects, the medium sects gathered according to their backers. Green Bamboo Sect stood beneath the shadow of the Thousand Leaf Immortal Sect. River Sword Sect stayed close to Heavenly Sword Lake's camp. Crimson Flame Hall naturally leaned toward Scarlet Sun Palace, while Black Mountain Gate clung to the side of Black Tortoise Mountain like a smaller stone pressed against a cliff.
The medium sect camps had Spirit Manifestation Realm experts watching over them. Farther back, smaller sects and cultivation clans huddled together in crowded rows, guarded mostly by Core Formation elders. Those elders who once looked lofty in Rivercloud City now had to speak politely even to some medium sect stewards.
This was hierarchy.
No one needed to explain it.
It could be seen in where one's tent was placed, how loudly one dared speak, and whether others stepped aside when one walked.
Yet unity on the surface did not erase rivalry beneath it. The sects grouped together under greater banners, but their disciples still competed fiercely. River Sword Sect disciples laughed loudly whenever Green Bamboo Sect cultivators passed, speaking as if their Heavenly Sword Lake backing had already placed a sword above everyone else's head. Crimson Flame Hall cultivators made provocative remarks toward anyone from water or moon-attribute sects, while a few disciples from Jade Mist Palace coldly replied that loud flames often died fastest in damp air. Iron Spear Valley and Cloud Crane Manor, both medium sects that had arrived late, nearly clashed over a row of spirit beast mounts before elders from their backers forced them apart.
Even the major sects were not as peaceful as their elders pretended. Heavenly Sword Lake's disciples looked toward Thousand Leaf Immortal Sect with the restrained arrogance of swordsmen who believed all softness should eventually be cut. Scarlet Sun Palace and Moon Reflection Valley watched each other like fire and moonlight sharing the same sky. Black Tortoise Mountain rarely spoke, but their disciples' eyes often moved toward Ancient Beast Hall, as if measuring whose bodies were truly stronger. Silent Night Pavilion did not provoke anyone, which made people even less comfortable.
Every few hours, another batch of elites entered the ruins.
The names spoken around the valley grew heavier as time passed. Some said Ye Qinglan of the Thousand Leaf Immortal Sect had already entered through the eastern mist gate and taken several followers with her. Others swore they had seen Jian Wuchen of Heavenly Sword Lake step through a side entrance with only one sword on his back, while Chi Yao of Scarlet Sun Palace had burned apart a swarm of corpse moths before even entering. Xuan Beihai from Black Tortoise Mountain had arrived later than the others, but the stone beneath his feet cracked when he landed, and that alone silenced half the nearby crowd. There were also whispers of Yue Qingning from Moon Reflection Valley, Gu Man from Ancient Beast Hall, Ning Shuang from Silent Night Pavilion, and Luo Qianji from Hundred Formation Tower moving through different trial regions.
The younger disciples spoke of extraordinary disciples and legacy disciples with shining eyes. Some claimed the true legacy disciples had not all shown themselves yet. Some said the first fifteen days were only the outer layer of the ruins. Others said the Demon Sealing Ruins would choose one inheritor and bury the rest.
No one knew which rumor was true.
But the more rumors spread, the more disciples entered. And the more disciples entered, the more the valley outside began to feel like a storm waiting for someone to light the sky.
Inside the ruins, beneath a hanging black lamp, another storm had already begun.
Black Lamp Hall was wide, circular, and deathly quiet. The dark flame hanging in the center of the cavern did not sway, even though cold wind flowed from several entrances. Broken stone seats surrounded the lamp, and on each seat sat a withered corpse wearing ancient robes. Their heads were lowered, their hands resting on their knees, as if they had been waiting for so long that even death had become a kind of meditation.
Feng Jiu'er stood at the front of the Alliance group, her white-red robes stained faintly by ash from the previous trials. Her expression was calm, but her sword hand had already shifted slightly. Su Wanqing stood beside her, while Li Shan, Luo Chen, Murong Yue, Bai Qing, Han Zhi, Zhao Feng, and the other Alliance disciples spread behind them in a guarded formation.
Across the hall stood the River Sword Sect group.
Their dark-blue robes carried flowing river patterns, and their swords were narrow, curved slightly at the tip, and marked with pale water lines. At the front stood the young man who had spoken earlier. His name was Xu Hanjiang, one of the River Sword Sect's stronger inner disciples, a Late Spirit Foundation cultivator who had always believed his sect's connection to Heavenly Sword Lake placed him above most medium sect disciples.
His gaze lingered on Feng Jiu'er for a moment too long before moving toward the Alliance group's storage pouches and sleeves.
Fang Lin saw it.
So did Feng Jiu'er.
Xu Hanjiang smiled thinly. "Junior Sister Feng, there is no need to look so guarded. River Sword Sect and Green Bamboo Sect both belong to the righteous side of the Demon Immortal Continent. Meeting inside the ruins should be considered fate."
Feng Jiu'er replied calmly, "Fate does not usually arrive with hostile eyes."
Several River Sword Sect disciples frowned.
Xu Hanjiang's smile did not fade. "You wound me by those words. I merely noticed that your group arrived here before us. Since you passed the previous trials, you must have obtained some information and rewards. Black Lamp Hall looks dangerous. If both sides share what they know, perhaps fewer people will die."
Murong Yue smiled from behind Feng Jiu'er. "You speak very gently for someone whose eyes have already divided our storage treasures three times."
A few Alliance disciples almost laughed, but the atmosphere in the hall was too tense for the sound to escape.
Xu Hanjiang's eyes cooled slightly. "Junior Sister Murong, sharp words can bring sharp consequences."
Fang Lin looked at him and said calmly, "Then Fellow Daoist Xu should be careful. You have spoken quite a lot."
The River Sword Sect disciples immediately looked toward him.
Xu Hanjiang's gaze landed on Fang Lin, and his smile became colder. "A rogue cultivator dares interrupt?"
Fang Lin's expression remained unchanged. "I thought we were sharing advices."
Before Xu Hanjiang could reply, the black lamp in the center of the hall suddenly brightened. The dark flame rose half a foot higher, and the withered corpses seated around the lamp opened their eyes at the same time.
No pupils appeared in those hollow sockets. Only black fire burned within them.
An ancient voice echoed through the hall. "Under the black lamp, intent has weight. Greed has shape. Words are wind, but the first blade is debt. Those who seize first shall be seized. Those who strike first shall be judged."
-