The gates of Black River City slowly opened, and a disciplined column of city guards marched onto the open plain. At their head stood a stern, middle-aged swordsman dressed in dark blue robes embroidered with the city's crest. His cultivation rested firmly at Mid Stage Golden Core, and every step carried the confidence of someone who had won countless battles. He stopped roughly 100 meters from the Green Willow formation and rested his hand on the hilt of his sword. "I am Sword Master Han Wei of Black River City," he announced. "You have arrived with an armed force at our gates. State your true intentions." Across from him, Son Yuri calmly stepped forward, his own disciples remaining perfectly still behind him. "Our intentions have already been declared. We have come seeking justice under Imperial Law, not conquest."
The city guards exchanged uneasy glances. Nothing about the Green Willow force matched the image painted by Black River's propaganda. There were no insults, no bloodthirsty battle cries, and no reckless displays of spiritual power. Every disciple stood quietly with disciplined posture, hands resting behind their backs as though attending a lesson instead of facing an enemy army. Han Wei narrowed his eyes. "If you seek justice, why bring soldiers?" Son Yuri smiled faintly. "Because your city has ignored every peaceful complaint delivered over the past year. We brought witnesses... and enough people to ensure nobody mistakes today's events." His calm response only irritated several Black River officers, who quietly began circulating spiritual energy through their weapons.
High above the city walls, crowds gathered to watch the confrontation unfold. Merchants halted their caravans, while wandering cultivators climbed nearby rooftops for a better view. Everyone sensed that this moment would shape the future of the western region. Han Wei slowly drew his sword, its blade ringing sharply as spiritual energy gathered around it. "Then let this be your final warning," he declared. "Take your people and leave Black River City immediately." Son Yuri's expression never changed. He calmly removed his own sword from its scabbard and pointed its tip toward the earth instead of his opponent. "Green Willow Valley has no desire for war," he replied. "But neither will we retreat from justice. If your answer is the sword..." He raised his blade until it pointed directly at Han Wei. "...then the sword shall answer."
Han Wei wasted no more words. With a powerful step, the stone beneath his feet shattered as he shot across the battlefield like an arrow. His sword hummed with dense Golden Core spiritual power, leaving a blue streak in the air behind him. The city guards erupted into cheers, confident their Sword Master would end the confrontation in a single exchange. Son Yuri remained where he stood, his breathing steady and his gaze locked onto the approaching blade. Even the disciples behind him didn't move. They had complete faith in their elder. As the distance closed from 100 meters to 50, then 20, Yuri simply rested one hand on the hilt of his sword and quietly waited for the perfect moment.
When Han Wei entered striking distance, he unleashed his signature technique. "Flowing River Cleave!" A massive crescent of sword qi burst forward, tearing a deep trench through the earth as it raced toward Yuri. Dust exploded into the sky while nearby spectators instinctively backed away. The attack carried enough force to split a city gate in half. Yet Yuri finally moved. His sword left its scabbard with a calm, almost effortless motion. There was no grand technique or dazzling display of spiritual power. A single clean slash met the incoming sword qi. To everyone's disbelief, the enormous crescent divided neatly into 2 harmless streams that sailed past him before disappearing into the open fields behind the Green Willow formation without injuring a single disciple.
Han Wei's eyes widened, but he didn't stop. Using the momentum of his charge, he closed the remaining distance and unleashed a relentless flurry of strikes. Steel clashed against steel as sparks scattered through the air. The sound of ringing swords echoed across the plains, each collision sending ripples of spiritual energy racing outward. Despite attacking continuously, Han Wei found himself unable to land a decisive blow. Yuri's defense was astonishingly simple. Every movement was efficient, every parry perfectly timed, wasting neither strength nor motion. Watching from the walls, veteran cultivators slowly frowned. It became increasingly obvious that this wasn't merely a duel between 2 Golden Core swordsmen. One of them had begun controlling the pace of the battle from the very first exchange.
The clash between Han Wei and Son Yuri became the signal both armies had been waiting for. Seeing their Sword Master fully engaged, one of Black River City's captains raised his spear and shouted, "Advance! Crush them before reinforcements arrive!" Nearly 500 city guards surged forward in disciplined ranks, shields locking together while archers and cultivators followed close behind. The earth trembled beneath the synchronized march as battle cries echoed across the plain. Dust rose into the air, partially obscuring the advancing force. On the opposite side, the Green Willow disciples remained perfectly still. Not a single sword was drawn, and not one disciple stepped out of formation. Their silence unsettled the charging soldiers far more than any battle cry could have.
Watching the enemy close the distance, the disciples instinctively looked toward Son Yuri. Even while exchanging blows with Han Wei, Yuri calmly spoke without taking his eyes off his opponent. "Formation 3." His voice wasn't loud, yet every disciple heard it clearly. In perfect unison, the Green Willow formation shifted. The front ranks stepped aside while the rear ranks flowed forward as though they had rehearsed the movement thousands of times. Swords slid from their scabbards with one unified sound, their blades reflecting the morning sun. No one shouted commands. No one panicked. The entire army moved eloquently, each disciple already knowing exactly where they belonged. It resembled a well-practiced dance more than soldiers preparing for battle.
The distance between both forces quickly shrank from 100 meters to 50, then 30. Black River's soldiers roared as they raised their weapons, expecting the Green Willow disciples to finally break formation and meet them head-on. Instead, the disciples simply lowered their stances and waited. Their calm expressions only fueled the city's frustration. "They're looking down on us!" one officer yelled as he increased his speed. Behind the Green Willow lines, several wandering cultivators observing the battle exchanged confused looks. "Why aren't they attacking?" one whispered. Another slowly narrowed his eyes. "Because..." he answered, "...they're waiting for Black River to commit first." The realization sent a chill through everyone watching. Green Willow wasn't fighting to win a battle. They were making absolutely certain the entire region would witness who had thrown the first punch.
The moment the first Black River guard crossed the final stretch of open ground, Son Yuri gave a simple command. "Engage." It was spoken so calmly that it almost disappeared beneath the noise of the battlefield. The Green Willow disciples exploded into motion. The once orderly formation broke apart into dozens of small squads that flowed around one another like an angry river, but oddly orchestrated. Instead of charging wildly, each team targeted specific sections of the enemy line, cutting apart Black River's formation before it could fully develop. Steel rang against steel as swords, spears, and shields collided across the plain. Clouds of dust billowed into the sky while bursts of spiritual energy flashed in every direction. Within seconds, the battlefield had become a chaotic sea of individual duels.
Black River City's numerical advantage quickly became a burden instead of a strength. Their soldiers constantly found themselves blocking each other's attacks or struggling to maneuver through the tightly packed ranks. The Green Willow disciples, however, moved with remarkable coordination. Every retreat drew an opponent into another disciple's range, while every advance was supported from 2 different directions. They fought less like individuals and more like parts of a single living organism. Several Black River officers tried rallying their troops into organized counterattacks, only to discover that the Green Willow squads had already shifted elsewhere before the commands could spread. Watching from the city walls, veteran commanders slowly frowned. They had expected an inexperienced sect. Instead, they were facing a disciplined army, that looked to have fought for centuries.
The plain erupted into a full brawl. Fists, swords, talismans, and martial techniques clashed without pause as the sounds of battle echoed throughout the valley. Disciples from both sides shouted warnings, challenged opponents, and called for support while medics hurried to pull the wounded from the fighting. Despite the intensity, the Green Willow disciples remained surprisingly restrained. Whenever an opponent dropped their weapon or could no longer fight, they simply moved on to the next threat instead of delivering a killing blow. That small detail did not escape the wandering cultivators watching from afar. "They're holding back," one murmured in disbelief. Another nodded slowly. "No... they're following rules." High above the battlefield, Han Wei and Son Yuri continued exchanging sword strikes, both realizing that the outcome below would soon determine the fate of the entire confrontation.
The battlefield suddenly grew cold as an overwhelming pressure descended from above. Before either army understood what was happening, a gigantic crimson phantom palm emerged from the clouds, its surface crackling with violent spiritual power. It wasn't aimed at Son Yuri or Han Wei. It was aimed at the battlefield itself. Green Willow disciples, Black River guards, wounded soldiers, and even those retreating from the fighting all fell within its range. Horrified cries erupted from both sides as cultivators instinctively looked skyward. "Above us!" someone shouted. Without a second thought, Son Yuri abandoned his duel and burst into the air. Sword intent exploded from his body as he placed himself directly beneath the descending palm, determined to stop it before it reached the armies below.
Han Wei didn't pursue Yuri alone. Instead, he flew upward to meet a hooded cultivator who had been watching the battle from high above. The moment they joined forces, spiritual power surged between them as an enormous phantom sword began taking shape in the heavens. Its blade stretched across the sky, radiating an aura powerful enough to make even seasoned Golden Core cultivators tremble. From atop Black River City's walls, one of the veteran commanders immediately realized what they intended. "Stop!" he roared. "Our soldiers are down there too!" His desperate warning echoed across the battlefield, but neither Han Wei nor the mysterious cultivator paid him any attention. Their combined attack continued descending, threatening to wipe out friend and foe alike if it meant eliminating Green Willow's forces.
Son Yuri gritted his teeth as both terrifying techniques closed in from different directions. His sword intent clashed against the descending palm while the pressure from the phantom sword continued growing with every passing heartbeat. The air itself began to crack beneath the strain, and the earth below fractured under the weight of the overwhelming spiritual force. Green Willow's disciples watched helplessly from below, unable to assist without abandoning those they had been protecting. Even the Black River guards looked on with pale faces, finally realizing they had become expendable. The wandering cultivators observing from afar slowly backed away, convinced they were about to witness a massacre. High above them, Yuri's arms trembled as he struggled to hold the attacks back. For the first time since arriving at Black River City, uncertainty crept into his heart. If this continued much longer... he wasn't sure he could hold on.