Shen Zhihao had always considered himself the favored one of the heavens, an individual whose good looks and innate talent for cultivation had earned him the position of leader of the Yinhai sect, one of the most well-known and respected in the entire empire.

Of course, the fact that he had ended up in such a powerful position at barely twenty-one had absolutely nothing to do with his father being the master and lord of those lands. Nor was it relevant, for that matter, that his only older brother — and theoretically the heir to that clan — had been repudiated and banished from their domains years ago, thus making Shen Zhihao the favored son of his father.

No, none of that mattered because, after seven years as the absolute ruler of the Yinhai sect, Shen Zhihao had firmly established himself on the throne in the official meeting hall. And he was clear that nothing and no one would move him from there.

His father's last wish before passing away turned out to be that he would be the one to continue elevating the prestige of their sect, just as the Shen family had been doing since it founded the clan nine generations ago.

And Shen Zhihao had certainly delivered! Ever since his father fell ill and could no longer attend to his daily responsibilities as before, he had taken upon himself to handle all matters related to clan management. From overseeing the proper functioning of the site, to ensuring that their influence never ceased to command respect wherever it was heard, thus spreading the legacy of Yinhai among their peers.

One could say, in all of this, that Shen Zhihao was doing a relatively good job.

He was known as the absolute leader of that mountain, no one dared to oppose his rule. He had luxurious quarters to spend his days engrossed in improving his cultivation, more riches than he could ever use, and a whole army of wise elders who let themselves be guided by his wisdom and were always attentive to ensure that the sect stood out above all others.

Hundreds of disciples came each year to the lands of Yinhai to try their luck and seek acceptance from a master, aspiring to one day become cultivators themselves.

Shen Zhihao was never very keen on accepting disciples for himself, always considering that he had no patience for teaching nor time to dedicate to others, given that right after his adolescence he had to devote himself completely to the tasks required as the leader. But that didn't stop people from coming, attracted by his reputation, and each year more decided to embark on this path of knowledge in this particular clan.

This, of course, was a source of pride for Shen Zhihao. Unlike his progenitor, he had not even been in this position for ten years, but he couldn't imagine a world where he would not continue to be the leader of this sacred place.

"They're going to kick you out."

Or well, he couldn't imagine it until suddenly, one beautiful summer day, Deng Li, the official advisor of the sect and therefore one of the individuals Shen Zhihao trusted most, appeared before him to convey this news.

"Pardon?" Shen Zhihao inquired, a mix of surprise and indignation.

"I'm not saying it, it's what the oracle of Tai Yuan has predicted," Deng Li pointed out, seeming very willing to rid himself of any responsibility associated with these ominous news.

Shen Zhihao was familiar with that oracle. He had never made use of it, not being one to inquire about what his immediate future held, but he was aware of how high its accuracy rate was and how famous it had become over the millennia.

"What exactly did it say? Are my fellow sect members planning a revolt? Nonsense! Everyone values me as they should! I took them in, I provide for them daily, and I look after their well-being so that they can continue learning and one day become...," Shen Zhihao paused here, considering, "... perhaps not as all-powerful as me, but at least not end up living under a bridge like mere mortals without purpose or benefit."

"No, the threat does not come from within, but from without," Deng Li replied calmly.

Both he and Shen Zhihao were alone in the conference room where the latter usually received both visitors and the council of elders when the situation required it.

The leader of Yinhai was seated on his throne, situated on a platform several steps above his subordinate. And perhaps, just because he didn't feel like traversing that distance between them, that was why he didn't rush to shake him now to stop with the ignominious phrases and get to the point once and for all.

"Who dares to challenge my authority then?" And perhaps venturing too far, he tried to guess, "The Mingzun clan?"

"No, sir. It's your brother, Shen Yongqi: It seems he has returned and is heading here with a small army and the clear objective of reclaiming what he believes was stolen from him."

"Stolen, you say," Shen Lie scoffed, evident mockery in his tone. "What nonsense."

In the past, perhaps, one could say that by family hierarchies Shen Yongqi would be right. That simply by being born four years earlier than him, that would already entitle him to the leadership of the family sect.

But that had been a long time ago, before his father banished him for the despicable crime of deceiving him for years, pretending that he was his son. There was a family conflict that at the time caused quite a stir: Both Shen Zhihao and Shen Yongqi were sons of the same mother, but not of the same father. It seemed that the wife of the former leader of Yinhai had an affair, during the early years of their marriage, with a stranger who had nothing to do with the world of cultivation.

Shen Zhihao never knew who it was, but he imagined that his brother did. After all, his mother had confessed the truth to him during his adolescence.

The old Shen found out by pure chance that his eldest son was nothing of his own, once he turned twenty-one and had to undergo a ritual where, unfortunately for him, this fact was discovered.

There was an argument on both sides, Shen Zhihao's father disinherited the one who had been his favorite son until that moment. And Shen Yongqi, who was not ashamed at all of his origins, left with his head held high to the northern lands, where his other family supposedly resided.

After that... did he die?

He had to die. Those lands were dangerous, it was said that they were populated by horrifying creatures and cultivators who had been stripped of their own sects due to their firm dedication to demonic arts and various sacrifices.

Furthermore, since he left, Shen Yongqi had never sent any message to the brother he still had. Never. Not even when their father died.

No, Shen Yongqi couldn't come back. If he was still alive, he had no right to take over Yinhai. Not anymore.

"Shouldn't he be dead?" Shen Zhihao tried this time, with the vague hope that none of this was happening.

"The oracle has been very clear about it: It is the missing Shen Yongqi, without a doubt. Apparently, he has spent the last decade associating with people of ill repute and gathering an army to launch this assault with which they intend to take absolute control of Yinhai and the neighboring lands."

Shen Zhihao's blood boiled, to think that once he considered his brother his best friend!

"Demonic cultivators?"

"No, they are mostly alchemists and healers," Deng Li interjected. "Although your brother studied under the tutelage of some of our best cultivators so, as you know, he must be aware of combat techniques and spells appropriate for such an intrusion."

"I am aware of it. My brother is no useless, and if he has taught his own disciples even half of what he learned here, we will be in serious trouble," Shen Zhihao sighed, it was too early in the morning to deal with this — "Do you know how many they are? How long will it take them to reach the mountain?"

"They outnumber us by more than a hundred, although there are many young ones among their troops."

"No problem then. We have plenty of elders with ample experience in combat, it won't be difficult to get rid of unwanted presences."

"But they also bring beasts with them," Deng Li finished, apparently not yet finished speaking.

"Beasts... Of what kind?"

"Tigers, golems, some trolls..."

"That's not so bad."

"And dragons."

Shen Zhihao suddenly went pale. Perhaps, he distantly thought, he should have listened to his father at the time and dealt with that trauma he had with such creatures.

Now there was no time for that.

"Um... Tell me," Shen Zhihao tried to keep his voice from trembling, which was proving to be a daunting task — "When will they arrive, then?"

"In about three days. According to Tai Yuan, they will launch a surprise attack, appearing just before dawn and ravaging everything in their path. They will also somehow try to convince the neighboring villages to join them or, at the very least, not try to prevent the siege."

"Wait, what? Our neighbors too?"

"Only the common folk, your brother has not required the assistance of any other cultivation clan. Yet."

Shen Zhihao didn't know what burned more, whether that "yet," pronounced ominously, or the fact that those bastards from his neighbors decided to take action against him, just like that, overnight. Wasn't he a good landlord?

"We need to find a way to defeat them, to use the element of surprise to our advantage," Shen Zhihao declared, rising from his throne and determined to... well, not to kill a dragon, but at least to hold a sword as a threat. "Notify the council of elders, we need to organize a meeting immediately to devise a plan."

"If I may, there is another prophecy of which you must be aware before taking any further action."

"What are you waiting for to tell me, then?" Shen Zhihao sounded exasperated. "What's it going to be now? Speak! Is there going to be a conveniently timed explosion over my chamber?"

"Not that I know of," Deng Li admitted, with the calm of someone accustomed to his superior's eccentric questions. "No, the other thing the oracle predicted was the arrival of a hero from distant lands. An individual named Zhao Liangwei whose power is so immense that, united with his cause, he will successfully defend this sect."

"I don't know him. Do you say that he would be willing to fight to defend this mountain?"

"According to the oracle," Deng Li emphasized.

"Yes, yes, 'and the oracle does not lie,'" Shen Zhihao rolled his eyes, already tired of this conversation. "But I need more information about it. Where does this Zhao-whatever come from? Because if my brother's troops are here in three days, he should arrive before that."

"Ah, I was mistaken."

"With just a mistake, huh?"

"It's not the time for this shit," Shen Zhihao thought. And Deng Li's attitude — which, on the other hand, was nothing unusual for him — of saying that he had made a mistake but with total impassivity, as if he didn't regret it at all, was exasperating.

"I said he would arrive, but what I should have said is that 'we'll have to go find him,'" Deng Li corrected himself.

Shen Zhihao fell silent for a moment. How come "find him"? If his advisor had this privileged information, why had he waited to talk to him before sending a group of cultivators to recruit this hero? If the person in question lived very far away, there was no time to waste!

"The problem is," Deng Li continued, sensing the doubt on his superior's face, "the oracle assures that this hero is a very busy person, who does not get involved in cultivation clan problems without a good reason."

"I think giving him a bag full of gold coins would be a very good reason to collaborate," said Shen Zhihao, vehemently — "In fact, I recommend it to anyone who is in doubt about whether to join an army or not."

"And it will certainly be a good incentive, but according to the prophecies, Zhao Liangwei will not lift a finger unless it is you personally who asks for his help."

"How annoying. And you say we can't win without him?"

"I find it unlikely," Deng Li retracted "The oracle finds it unlikely."

"Oh," Shen Zhihao took a moment to consider it; he could take a trip, but it would need to be very brief, as he couldn't leave the sect with such an imminent threat. "And how far away is this hero?"

"If it's in another universe," and perhaps noticing how his soul sank at not expecting such an overwhelming distance, Deng Li had the kindness to confirm. "But I have taken the liberty of asking one of our masters to create a portal to access this other world. If all goes well, it will be ready in a couple of hours and you can set off in search of the hero Zhao Liangwei."

Regaining composure upon hearing this good news, Shen Zhihao sighed:

"Let's do this then, lead the way."