Opening the comic book, Daniel immediately saw the characters depicted in the illustration the Porter had previously posted on his Weibo.
The wielder of the Long Rainbow Sword was playfully sparring with a qilin when a rolling stone rapidly approached.
"Who goes there?"
Such an attack was clearly ineffective against the master of the Long Rainbow Sword.
With a graceful turn, a long sword flew into his hand. He flicked his wrist, sending two sword beams toward the rolling stone, reducing it to dust.
Next, numerous arrows shot at him, but he deflected them all effortlessly. The master of the Long Rainbow Sword then mounted the qilin and sped off in one direction.
Moments later, a dozen men in black wearing iron half-masks emerged from the bushes.
The scene shifted to show an old man, who appeared like a fiery whirlwind, standing on a cliff with his hands behind his back.
The master of the Long Rainbow Sword, riding the qilin, approached and spoke with the old man, revealing their identities: the old man was Hong Tao, one of the Seven Swords and the master of the Long Rainbow Sword, while the youth was his son, Hong Feihong. They lived in seclusion, guarding the qilin.
Through their conversation and flashbacks, the background of "The Legend of the Seven Heroes" was unveiled.
After explaining the background, Hong Tao entrusted the Long Rainbow Sword to his son Hong Feihong, instructing him to protect the qilin and seek out the other wielders of the Seven Swords to thwart the demonic sect's schemes.
By this point, many readers had grasped the main storyline: a battle between good and evil, with the demonic sect aiming to capture the qilin and the righteous path seeking to protect it. Hong Feihong was to find the Seven Swords' heirs to defeat the demonic sect.
It's not overly complex, much like many TV dramas where the ending is predictable from the start.
The key lies in the subplots within the main storyline, which can make the narrative richer.
Understanding his father's urgency, Hong Feihong did not linger like many heroes in martial arts comics. Instead, he tearfully rode the qilin away.
Hong Tao watched silently as his son departed.
However, not long after Hong Feihong left, Hong Tao suddenly looked in a direction, and bats began to swarm, accompanied by a narration.
"Hahaha, master of the Long Rainbow Sword, do you still recognize me?"
As the narration ended, a large chariot descended from the sky, crashing heavily onto the ground.
The newcomer was Black Hearted Tiger, Situ Feng!
They exchanged few words before fighting.
Situ Feng's eyes flashed like lightning, his body surrounded by dark light. He leaped from the chariot and charged at Hong Tao, who stood his ground, gathering energy in his palms. With a swift movement, he met the attack.
"Boom!"
Their clash sent shockwaves through the ground, raising dust and scattering rocks!
Both were pushed back by the impact.
However, it was clear that Situ Feng had the upper hand, as blood trickled from Hong Tao's mouth while Situ Feng remained unfazed.
Yet, a villain is always a villain. Despite knowing he had the upper hand, Situ Feng took the most cautious approach.
"Protector Lord Hou Junbao."
"Hall Master of the Whirlwind Hall, Niu Xuanfeng."
"Hall Master of the Wujie Hall, Zhu Wujie."
"...At the sect master's command."
With this, three of the demonic sect's elite and numerous black-clad men surrounded and attacked Hong Tao.
Despite being the former leader of the Seven Swords who once defeated Situ Feng, Hong Tao held his ground against the demonic sect's elite and their minions, suppressing them.
Soon, a black-clad man informed Situ Feng that he had seen a youth riding a qilin down the mountain. Situ Feng immediately planned to pursue.
Hong Tao overheard and, to buy time for his son, unleashed his ultimate sword technique—the Fire Dance Whirlwind!
In the original version, the protagonist's father used the Fire Dance Whirlwind voluntarily. The protagonist, seeing this technique, recklessly rushed back to the cliff to save his father.
Even as the demonic sect neared the qilin, the protagonist lay on the ground, reaching out and calling for his father.
Was this a joke?
Would you waste the time your father bought with his life?
Ren found this plot discouraging and made some changes.
The Fire Dance Whirlwind, unleashed at the cost of Hong Tao's life, sent fiery whirlwinds soaring, engulfing the mountaintop.
The scene grew increasingly chaotic, fast and fierce, blurring the view.
Until, at some point, the whirlwind ceased.
Situ Feng and his men climbed out of the rubble, looking disheveled.
The once numerous demonic sect members were now reduced to a handful.
Yet, Situ Feng hadn't forgotten his goal. He immediately sent a bat messenger, ordering his men to pursue the escaping qilin.
The scene shifted to Hong Feihong and the qilin, who, about to leave, saw the phenomenon caused by his father's Fire Dance Whirlwind Sword Technique from a forest near the mountain's base.
Understanding the situation, Hong Feihong cried out in grief, tears streaming down his face, reminiscent of the scene on the cover.
"Impressive."
Daniel praised, impressed by the excellent art and tight plot. The first chapter had already set up an intense battle, keeping him highly engaged.
Especially with a second chapter! This thrilled him even more.
He turned to the second chapter.
Though devastated by his father's death, Hong Feihong remembered his father's words. He suppressed his pain, bowed towards the mountaintop, and continued fleeing, hoping to use the forest for cover.
However, the demonic sect resorted to extreme measures, setting the forest ablaze to force out the qilin.
While environmentally unfriendly, it was effective.
Faced with the raging fire, Hong Tao, repeatedly circling with the qilin, finally encountered Niu Xuanfeng, the Whirlwind Hall's master.
"Fool! Zhu Wujie is nearby. Lure him here, and we can share the credit. Catching the qilin comes first."
Greedy for sole credit, Niu Xuanfeng, without summoning other sect members, charged with his men.
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