The crimson moon hung low in the sky, casting an eerie red hue over the Cloudfire Sect. The silence of the night was shattered only by the occasional flicker of spiritual energy crackling through the air—an omen that something ancient and powerful had been awakened.
Wang Li stood at the edge of the training peak, the wind tugging at his robes as his newly acquired spirit dagger, Shadowfang, vibrated faintly against his belt. His gaze, cold and unwavering, was fixed on the silhouette approaching him through the mist.
Mu Qingling was the first to speak, her tone unusually serious. "We're not alone tonight."
Wang Li's eyes narrowed. "You sensed it too?"
"The Crimson Moon Ritual," said Feng Yuling, stepping beside them with her silver-blue robes fluttering like snow in a storm. "It only happens once every three decades… and the last time it did, three sects were wiped off the map."
"And guess which sect is the epicenter this time?" Lin Ruoyan added, walking up from the shadows. Her long red hair shimmered like embers in the blood moon's light. "Cloudfire. Our beloved home."
A moment of silence passed between them. Four ex-girlfriends. One reincarnated disciple. And a sect about to become a battlefield.
Wang Li clicked his tongue. "Great. Just when I was starting to enjoy myself."
---
Earlier that day, the Cloudfire Sect had been buzzing with anticipation. The Azure Sky Sect delegation had finally arrived, their carriages drawn by spirit beasts and escorted by Nascent Soul elders.
The delegation was led by a woman whose beauty sent a ripple through the inner disciples like a hurricane.
She wore robes of sky silk, her figure slender yet regal, her expression calm and distant as a snow lotus. Her name was Bai Xueyao—the Frost Moon Saintess.
Wang Li stared at her from a distance, his instincts screaming.
"That's her?" he muttered to Feng Yuling.
"She's stronger than she looks," Yuling said softly. "She's known for one thing—emotionless cultivation. Cold heart, colder sword."
Bai Xueyao's gaze suddenly flicked toward him, and their eyes met. For a single heartbeat, Wang Li felt a strange pull—like her soul had grazed his.
But then she turned away, and the moment shattered like ice under pressure.
Later, at the banquet held in the Sect Master's hall, things took an unexpected turn.
Wang Li had barely picked up his chopsticks when Bai Xueyao rose from her seat and looked directly at him.
"I request a spar with Wang Li of the Cloudfire Sect," she said, her voice calm but resonant.
The entire hall went still.
"Why him?" one of the Azure Sky elders asked, clearly confused.
"He interests me," Bai Xueyao replied without a hint of emotion.
Mu Qingling nearly choked on her drink. Lin Ruoyan glared daggers. Feng Yuling blinked slowly, already calculating. Even the Sect Master narrowed his eyes.
Wang Li stood up slowly, placing his chopsticks down. "Sure," he said. "Why not? It's not every day a man gets invited to dance with a snowstorm."
The disciples burst into whispers.
Outside the banquet hall, under the looming crimson moon, the duel began.
---
Bai Xueyao stood still, her jade sword hovering beside her. She didn't raise it. Didn't move. Didn't even breathe.
Wang Li took a cautious step forward, feeling the weight of pressure crash down like an avalanche.
This is Nascent Soul pressure… no… it's something colder… older…
Then she moved.
In a blink, the temperature plummeted, and Wang Li's surroundings became a blizzard. Frost crackled along the ground, and ice began forming on his sleeves.
No time to think.
Shadowfang flashed into his hand. He infused it with a sliver of his fire element and slashed forward.
But Bai Xueyao's blade was already there.
Clang.
A shockwave rippled outward, tearing grooves into the mountain floor. Her sword had met his strike perfectly—not overpowering, not underwhelming. Just precise. Calculated.
"You're… really strong," Wang Li grunted, sliding back several meters.
"I only used twenty percent," she replied calmly.
Wang Li laughed despite the frost inching up his arm. "You really know how to make a guy feel special."
The crowd held its breath. The air buzzed with tension. But deep inside, Wang Li could feel it—that burning, rebellious part of his soul.
If I can't beat her with power…
He flashed a grin and launched forward again. But this time, instead of attacking her head-on, he disappeared mid-movement.
Shadow Step!
He reappeared behind her, his blade aimed at the nape of her neck. Bai Xueyao didn't turn—but her sword spun in a flawless arc, parrying his strike once again.
"Your stealth is impressive," she said. "But it won't work twice."
"Then I'll try a third time."
His flame core surged. This time, the air shimmered around him as fire and lightning danced across his skin.
Flames roared. Lightning cracked.
The sky itself rumbled as Wang Li unleashed the forbidden dual-element technique Feng Yuling had been helping him master in secret.
"Crimson Tempest!"
A vortex of fire and lightning spiraled around him, exploding outward like a storm. The sect barrier activated immediately, shielding the peak from destruction. Disciples screamed and scrambled for safety.
Bai Xueyao raised her hand and summoned a crystalline barrier of frost. It held for two seconds… then shattered.
She was forced back.
Everyone gasped.
A hint of color touched her pale cheeks for the first time. Not from exhaustion, but… intrigue.
"You're full of surprises," she murmured.
"I get that a lot."
She stepped forward again—but this time, not with her sword drawn. "That technique… It's not from Cloudfire. Who taught you?"
Wang Li tilted his head. "Does it matter?"
"To me… yes."
Then she smiled. A real, genuine smile. The first anyone had ever seen from her.
Before Wang Li could respond, a deafening explosion shook the entire sect.
From the southern peak, flames burst into the sky—black, unholy flames.
A roar followed—low, guttural, and monstrous.
"The Crimson Moon Beast!" Feng Yuling shouted from the distance. "It's awakening!"
"What?! That's a myth!" Lin Ruoyan called, already unsheathing her weapon.
"No—it's real," Mu Qingling said, her face pale. "I read about it once in an ancient text. It sleeps under the sect… and only awakens during the Crimson Moon Ritual!"
The Sect Master appeared above them, his expression grim. "All disciples to battle positions. Elders, deploy the Heaven-Sealing Formation!"
Bai Xueyao turned to Wang Li, her voice steady. "We'll finish our duel later. For now… let's survive."
Wang Li smiled faintly, even as the ground trembled beneath their feet.
"Oh great. First a cold-hearted sword fairy wants to kill me, now a demon beast from ten thousand years ago wants to eat me. What's next?"
Behind him, Feng Yuling, Mu Qingling, and Lin Ruoyan appeared—each with weapons drawn, standing at his back.
"Next," said Qingling, smirking, "we show them what your ex-girlfriends are capable of."
"And maybe we'll keep you alive long enough to regret ever breaking up with us," Lin Ruoyan added.
Wang Li chuckled, stepping into formation with them.
The Crimson Moon loomed above, blood-red and burning.
And so, under the glow of prophecy and chaos, the most unlikely group of heroes prepared to face the night.