Abyssal Harmony Sect.

  Location: Devil Ascension Peak.

  Hong Tianxia sat on an ornate stone seat, her gaze fixed on the lake before her. The water's surface mirrored the sun at its zenith and the nearby mountains with perfect clarity, a soft red mist curling above one side of the lake, swaying gently in the breeze. Flowers bloomed all around, their vibrant colors and shimmering petals radiating an ethereal light.

  Behind her, the pavilion loomed, its elegant structure both a part of the landscape and distinct from it. The architecture was graceful, with sweeping roofs that curled upwards like the wings of a phoenix caught in mid-flight, as if the building itself might take to heaven at any moment.

  She raised a hand to her lips, feeling the softness of the red fabric against her skin as she coughed. The sound was harsh, cutting through the stillness, and when she pulled her hand away, a small spat of blood stained her palm. She stared at it for a moment, a trace of disgust flashing through her eyes as she wiped it away.

  A gentle breeze stirred the air, rustling the leaves and sending the flowers into a delicate dance. Their petals fluttered softly, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow across the ground. Without needing to turn, Tianxia sensed the presence of Baiyun approaching. The woman's aura was a familiar blend of fear and reverence that always accompanied her, even after two centuries.

  Baiyun landed lightly on the pavilion's edge, her white dress billowing gently around her slender frame. She hesitated, as if gathering her resolve, then stepped forward with a deep bow, her head lowered in deference. "Sect Master, you've come out of your closed-door cultivation."

  Tianxia's gaze shifted slowly from the still lake to the woman standing before her. Her eyes didn't miss a single detail as they roved over Baiyun's form. Not much had changed in the last two hundred years. The woman was breathtakingly beautiful, yes, but it was a beauty that seemed almost too perfect, too calculated.

  Her hair, black as the abyss, cascaded down her back in smooth, liquid waves. With jade-like skin, flawless beauty, and graceful bearing, Baiyun might have appeared serene to an outsider, but to Tianxia's discerning eyes, there was no mistaking the underlying tension.

  Tianxia's cold eyes bore into Baiyun's, and the woman instinctively lowered her gaze further, unable to meet the intensity of her stare.

  "Baiyun," Tianxia's voice was soft but carried an undeniable edge, "Does no one remember the glory of the Abyssal Harmony Sect anymore?"

  The question hung in the air, laden with unspoken meaning.

  Before Tianxia took over, the Abyssal Harmony Sect was merely a third-rate sect, overshadowed by stronger sects established in the Eternally Cursed Lands of the Southern Divine Continent. It was only because of her that the Abyssal Harmony Sect had claimed the heights to become the first-rate sect in the South.

  Where no sect was strong enough to form a hegemony, her relentless pursuit of dominance left no corner of the land untouched, as she systematically crushed all opposition, bringing scattered forces under her iron rule.

  Through years of bloodshed and conquest, the Abyssal Harmony Sect grew stronger with each victory. It expanded its territories, amassed vast resources, and its name began to echo in every corner of the Southern Divine Continent.

  When the Great War finally ended after ninety years, Tianxia turned to governance. Over the next decade, she meticulously distributed the wealth and resources acquired during the war, ensuring that every branch of the sect was empowered and independent.

  Having secured the future of the sect, Tianxia retreated from the public eye. She entered closed-door cultivation, choosing to live in seclusion for two hundred years. During this time, her presence became more of a legend than reality, a symbol of the sect's meteoric rise to greatness.

  Tianxia turned her attention to Baiyun, one of the four guardian elders she had trusted to lead the sect. Baiyun had proven herself capable during the war, especially earning Tianxia's trust and taking over the management of the sect during her long absence. But now, the fear in Baiyun's eyes was obvious, and Tianxia could feel the elder's anxiety hanging in the air.

  Are you afraid of meeting me after so many years, or are you afraid because you committed treason? Tianxia thought, her mind cold and calculating as she observed Baiyun's every subtle movement, every flicker of emotion that crossed her perfect features.

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  Baiyun flinched, her heart pounding as she quickly responded, "Sect Master, the glory of the Abyssal Harmony Sect is forever etched in the hearts of its disciples. No one will ever forget."

  The words were spoken with conviction, but to Tianxia, they sounded hollow, tainted by the fear that underlay Baiyun's every breath. Silence followed, stretching between them as Tianxia let the tension build.

  In a sect as ruthless as the Abyssal Harmony Sect, it was normal to be afraid of someone after they had emerged from seclusion. After all, a prolonged period of isolation could result in significant changes in a cultivator, and one could never be certain if they would return with their mind and spirit intact. Especially in a demonic sect, where failed cultivation could lead to unhinged behavior, paranoia, or worse.

  The only sounds were the soft rustling of the breeze and Baiyun's uneven breathing, a stark contrast to the calm exterior she tried to maintain.

  The wind gently stirred the flowers, and ripples danced across the surface of the lake as Tianxia sat in quiet reflection.

  She had been in seclusion for two centuries. Everything should have gone smoothly, but at the critical moment… she was ambushed.

  The memory of the attack was still fresh in her mind. It wasn't the demonic sects, as she might have expected, who had struck at her, but someone from Azure Mountain—a sect that prided itself on its strict moral code. A righteous sect. They had used the Three Pure Parts technique, a method known for its purity, yet they had twisted it into something vile.

  The attacker had embedded lethal toxins within his own body, toxins designed to remain dormant until his death. It was a trap designed to cause destruction if she had killed her opponent.

  Not like that stopped her from killing the man. However, the effort had cost her dearly. She could still sense the lingering effects of the toxins that had left their mark on her Dao.

  The fact that Azure Mountain had resorted to such a tactic was a bitter reminder of how low they were willing to sink.

  "Have there been any unusual movements from other famous sects recently?" Tianxia finally asked calmly.

  "No." Baiyun shook her head. "Azure Mountain is the most reputable sect closest to us, but they've been busy with the Dao Conference recently and don't seem to have the time for anything else. Besides, Sect Master, you fought them before, so they wouldn't dare to do anything reckless."

  "Is that so?" Hong Tianxia smiled—a cold, calculating smile that did nothing to warm her eyes. The mere mention of Azure Mountain was enough to harden her expression, the memories of their betrayal still fresh in her mind.

  She could feel Baiyun's fear rising, the woman's instinctive sense of danger sharpening in response to the chill that had settled over the conversation.

  Baiyun didn't dare speak, paralyzed by the fear of saying something wrong.

  "Keep the matter of me coming out of seclusion a secret for now. You can continue to take care of the Abyssal Harmony Sect for now. Also, investigate the people of our sect and see if we have any spies from other sects within our walls."

  "Yes. Understood," said Baiyun quickly.

  After a moment of pause, Tianxia asked, "Baiyun, you aren't a spy for the other sects, are you?"

  Baiyun's face went pale as she immediately dropped to her knees, touching her forehead to the ground in a desperate display of submission. Her voice trembled as she pleaded, "Sect Master, how could Baiyun ever even think of such a thing?! I have always been loyal to you and the Abyssal Harmony Sect!"

  Tianxia looked at Baiyun for a long time. The silence stretched on, the weight of it pressing down on Baiyun like a physical force.

  After not finding any sign of betrayal, Tianxia nodded, her expression softening just enough to let Baiyun breathe again. "You may leave."

  Baiyun stood up shakily, still bowing as she backed away a few steps before turning to leave. Just as she reached the edge of the pavilion, Tianxia's voice called out to her again.

  "Also, have the sect's information ready. Mark out any new developments. I want to see what you have achieved in recent years. And get me a list of any abnormality in the sect."

  "Yes, Sect Master," Baiyun replied quickly, her voice steadying as she grasped onto the task as a lifeline. She bowed once more before hastily leaving the pavilion.

  Watching Baiyun leave, Hong Tianxia raised her hand slightly, pressing the palm of it to her lips as a cough rattled through her. The faint taste of blood lingered in her mouth, a bitter reminder of the toll the ambush had taken on her body.

  Two hundred years ago, she had believed in Baiyun. Two hundred years later, she still believed in her, but…

  Only Baiyun knew where I was during my seclusion, Tianxia thought, her mind replaying the details of the ambush. When she was attacked, the first thought that flashed through her mind was that Baiyun had betrayed her.

  And yet, there was no conclusive proof, only a nagging suspicion that gnawed at the edges of her thoughts. So far, she felt that Baiyun could still be of use.

  Tianxia closed her eyes and remained in silence, allowing her thoughts to settle as the gentle breeze stilled around her. The Ascension Peak returned to its quiet, serene state, the lake once again reflecting the sky and mountains with perfect clarity.