Hongshan Ridge lay on the border between Jinling and Zhongshan—a desolate stretch of mountains infamous throughout the region.
Notorious for its treacherous terrain, barren landscape, and hordes of savage beasts, it was widely regarded as a domain of death, a place where ordinary martial artists dared not tread lightly.
Yet now, an uncharacteristically large number of cultivators had begun to pour in.
As the old adage goes: "Men die for wealth, birds perish for food."
This truth holds eternal.
The allure of a strange flame was simply too potent to resist. And this was before the news had fully spread—had the major powers in the neighboring prefectures caught wind of it, the influx of martial artists would have multiplied severalfold.
At present, the two most formidable factions to arrive were, without doubt, the Wei family of Jinling and the Sun family of Zhongshan.
The Wei family had dispatched a Martial King, three Martial Lords, twenty Grand Martial Masters, and over a hundred elite warriors—a lineup so luxurious that it could effortlessly overwhelm most second- or third-tier forces.
The Sun family's strength was no less formidable. They, too, were led by a Martial King and had mobilized a hundred warriors, forming a grand and imposing host.
While the dangers of Hongshan Ridge could deter ordinary warriors, they posed no real threat to these two mighty forces. Any beasts, whether lone wanderers or rampaging packs, were swiftly crushed underfoot.
By dusk, both parties had penetrated deep into the mountainous wilderness.
At that moment, the Sun family's advance abruptly halted. Their leader, Sun Zhenshan, strode toward the Wei family's group, flanked by his men.
Instantly, the Wei family contingent grew wary, every eye sharp with caution and hostility.
The Wei and Sun families had long been at odds—enmity so deep it bordered on blood feud. In recent years, disputes over commerce had only intensified their clashes, with casualties on both sides. The grudge had long since reached a boiling point.
"Wei Tianyang, so the Wei family is interested in the strange flame as well?" Sun Zhenshan called out with a sneer.
"Sun Zhenshan, are you stupid, or just pretending to be? Why else would we travel all this way? If you have something to say, say it. If not, get lost," Wei Tianyang replied with a cold snort, his tone as blunt as it was dismissive.
Sun Zhenshan's expression darkened at once, but he reined in his anger and continued, "This strange flame is of great significance to our Sun family. If your Wei family is willing to withdraw from the competition, we're open to negotiation. Name your price."
"They're desperate to obtain the flame," Wei Yi muttered in a low voice to his father, his cold gaze fixed on Sun Wenzong and Sun Wenyuan within the opposing ranks.
Wei Tianyang nodded, the corners of his mouth lifting in faint amusement. He, too, had discerned the urgency in the Sun family's approach. Sun Zhenshan's unusual civility revealed just how much they needed the flame. The reason, however, mattered little.
It was enough to know that the flame was of critical importance to the Sun family.
"Very well. If you want us to back out, then bring us your Sun family's ancestral martial technique for a look—and compensate us with one hundred thousand gold taels. Then we'll leave immediately," Wei Tianyang said with a mocking smile.
Wei Yi couldn't help but laugh aloud at his father's outrageous demand.
The rest of the Wei family members burst into laughter as well.
One hundred thousand gold taels—equivalent to a million in silver—was a sum the Sun family couldn't possibly part with, no matter how deep their coffers ran. As for handing over their ancestral martial arts technique? That was even more laughable. Without it, Sun Zhenshan would have no leverage at all.
Sun Zhenshan's face turned stormy in an instant.
"So, there's no room for negotiation?" he asked icily.
"If you're looking for a fight, we'll gladly oblige," the Wei family's Grand Elder answered bluntly with a cold snort.
"Fine. So be it," Sun Zhenshan spat, casting the Wei family a glare full of murderous intent before turning with a wave of his hand. "We move."
The Sun family forces surged deeper into the mountains.
"Father, we need to follow them—quickly," Wei Yi urged at once.
"Yes, exactly. If they value the flame that much, they must be well prepared. We follow," Wei Tianyang said, eyes lighting up with praise as he cast an approving glance at his son, then immediately led the troops after the Sun family.
The two groups remained separated by only a few dozen meters, and with their comparable strength, no matter how fast the Sun family moved, they couldn't shake off the Wei family. This only heightened the Sun family's frustration—Sun Zhenshan's expression had grown visibly grim.
"Brother, what should we do?" Sun Wenyuan asked, trailing behind Sun Wenzong with a tense expression.
"What do you mean, 'what should we do'?" Sun Wenzong snapped impatiently.
"It's Wei Yi… I think he's grown even stronger." Sun Wenyuan's voice quivered slightly. His fear of Wei Yi had reached the point of haunting his dreams.
"Hmph. I was planning to ambush him on his return to the academy, but the little rat holed up in his family estate. Doesn't matter—now that we've run into him, we won't let him escape. Once we move into the ridge, I'll speak to Father. This place will be his burial ground," Sun Wenzong said coldly, a vicious gleam in his eyes.
Meanwhile, within the Wei family ranks—
"You've got a grudge with those Sun family brats?" Wei Tianyang asked abruptly.
"You can tell?" Wei Yi raised a brow in surprise.
"Ha, who do you think I am? Did you think I only had eyes on that old bastard Sun Zhenshan? I saw the hatred all over those two boys' faces. They couldn't stop glaring at you. There's clearly bad blood," Wei Tianyang said with a laugh.
Wei Yi gave a brief account of his conflict with the Sun brothers, including the ambush he'd survived after returning home.
"I heard something from Uncle Wu about that. I even sent men to investigate the Blackwater Bandits, but those dogs vanished without a trace. So it was likely the Sun brothers pulling strings?" Wei Tianyang asked.
"Eighty to ninety percent certainty. While I've had a few run-ins with others at the academy, no one else has both the motive and the influence to orchestrate that kind of attack," Wei Yi replied calmly.
"When the fighting starts, I'll take care of them for you," Wei Tianyang said, eyes flashing with murderous intent. He was no benevolent elder—anyone who dared to lay a hand on his son would be made to suffer slowly, had it not been for the current setting.
"They'll definitely rely on Sun Zhenshan when the time comes. If you can handle him, Father, leave the rest to me."
"As for Sun Wenzong and Sun Wenyuan—killing them will be no more difficult than slaughtering pigs and dogs," Wei Yi said with a chilling smirk, his eyes fixed on the Sun family ranks ahead, brimming with murderous resolve.
Originally, he had planned to settle the score back at the academy. But now that fate had delivered them to him, he had no reason to delay.
"Good. Just be careful when the time comes," Wei Tianyang said with a smile, his gaze filled with pride.
At that moment, the group entered a narrow valley.
Suddenly, the surrounding temperature rose sharply.
There, midway up the distant mountainside, a brilliant crimson flame floated silently in the air, drawing every gaze to it in an instant.
A strange flame.
There was no mistaking what that sudden burst of scarlet radiance signified.
In that instant, the breath of every person present grew ragged with excitement.