May 13. Clear skies, no wind.
Thirty miles south of Linshan County, deep in a desolate wilderness, even the air between heaven and earth seemed sluggish and heavy.
A solitary mountain stood there, dozens of yards high. Its slopes were utterly bare, without a single green branch, blade of grass, or patch of moss, only hard, rough, gray-white rock.
Cracks crisscrossed the strata, ravines cut through the slopes, and jagged cliffs jutted out. The naked mountain lay lifeless and barren, exuding a bleak chill that warned the living away.
This barren mountain held the sole entrance to the Stone Mountain Secret Realm-the perilous place upon which the Five Great Sects and the Government of Jintai Prefecture had recently focused their attention.
By now, the entire area for several miles around the stone mountain had been sealed off behind layer upon layer of cordons and placed under strict guard. None of its former emptiness remained.
Figures crowded the wilderness clearings, sloping mountain paths, rocky terraces, and level ground surrounding the mountain, their presences steady and grave, the air sharp with killing intent.
Elite fighters dispatched by the Five Great Sects had all gathered here. Their robes differed and their strengths varied, but each possessed the composure and keen edge of a martial cultivator. Every gaze remained fixed on the bare stone mountain ahead, their expressions solemn, none daring to relax.
The figures stood in staggered ranks, encircling the mountain in layers until not even a drop of water could have slipped through.
Farther out, Government troops had already formed ranks and established tightly organized defenses.
Iron-armored soldiers stood in orderly silence amid a forest of blades and spears, their armor gleaming dully. Watchtowers rose high, while visible and hidden sentries formed overlapping lines, blocking every route into and out of the