"It's been ten years... I've waited for this day for a full decade." Guo Xingyue stood at the peak of Mount Hua, gazing at the rising sun emerging from the sea of clouds, muttering to himself as memories from the past ten years flooded his mind.
Ten years ago, right here, a twelve-year-old Guo Xingyue had watched helplessly as his father was defeated by a man's blade. His father's head was cut off, rolling before him, still holding a glance of defiance before its life force faded away. His mother, in her despair, screamed and followed his father into death, leaving Guo Xingyue alone in the world. As the man glanced at him with a trace of pity, the young Guo Xingyue silently clenched his fists, vowing in his heart: I will defeat you!
At twelve, Guo Xingyue couldn't afford to pay for martial arts lessons and was turned away by Wudang. He then sought refuge at Shaolin, but the Shaolin abbot, after hearing his story, rejected him too, saying Guo Xingyue was not destined to be a monk due to his worldly attachments. He knelt in front of Shaolin's gates for seven days in the snow, but the abbot remained unmoved. Only an old monk, sweeping the grounds, took pity on him and taught him a technique known as the Meditation Mind, a practice meant to calm the spirit. Though the monk insisted it wasn't a core Shaolin skill and had little practical use, it helped Guo Xingyue keep his composure.
Rejected by everyone, Guo Xingyue wandered aimlessly, as his father's former friends turned their backs on him. One day, he was recruited by Tiansha, the largest assassin organization in the martial world, and sent to their brutal training camp.
Even after so many years, Guo Xingyue's palms still sweated and his heart raced at the thought of that place. It was hell on earth. The training included physical, instinctual, endurance, and reaction drills—each a deadly challenge. Only eight out of a hundred young recruits survived to the final examination. And even then, Tiansha only wanted the best, forcing the survivors to battle each other in a steel chamber until only one emerged alive. Guo Xingyue succeeded, thanks to the Meditation Mind technique, which helped him maintain his calm while others succumbed to madness.
Over the next two years, he endured further training: mastering arts like poisons, hidden weapons, swordsmanship, and internal energy techniques. Every test had a time limit, and failure meant death. But with the help of the Meditation Mind, he persevered through it all.
Four years later, Guo Xingyue began his career as an assassin. His first mission was to eliminate Wang Tianliang, the Northern Blade King, a martial arts master beyond Guo Xingyue's current level. Guo Xingyue hid beneath the bed of Wang's fifth concubine for seven days until he could strike at Wang's moment of vulnerability. Following this success, he assassinated other top martial artists, steadily building his reputation.
A year ago, Guo Xingyue achieved mastery of his martial arts, reaching the pinnacle of innate power and becoming Tiansha's top assassin. He created two signature moves: Heaven and Earth Unification and Stars Fade as the Moon Falls, alongside a unique internal energy technique called Spiral Qi, known for its devastating impact.
Six months ago, he challenged and defeated the head of Wudang, a man hailed as the world's greatest swordsman. Three months ago, he severed ties with Tiansha, killing two top assassins and six of their elites. He even disabled the martial skills of Tiansha's leader, the Mountain Elder, before walking away unscathed.
One month ago, Guo Xingyue sent out a challenge to his father's murderer. The duel was set for today—on Mount Hua.
The sun climbed higher, nearing the summit of the mountain. The appointed time for the duel was almost here. Gripping the hilt of his sword, Guo Xingyue recalled the move that had killed his father: Dominating the World, a formidable blade technique that had earned his enemy the title of the world's number one. But today, that title would fall into the past, Guo Xingyue was certain. His confidence came from having defeated martial legends with just his Heaven and Earth Unification move. He had yet to reveal his ultimate technique, Stars Fade as the Moon Falls, a strike crafted especially for his father's killer.
Finally, his enemy arrived. A burly middle-aged man strode forward, his pace slow yet deliberate, stopping three feet from Guo Xingyue. With a hearty laugh, he asked, "Guo Xingyue?"
Guo Xingyue nodded. "And you must be Sikong Mingliang."
The man chuckled. "That's right."
Without further words, Guo Xingyue gestured, "Let's begin."
The sun had now risen high, illuminating the mountaintop. The two men stood facing each other in silence. Neither made the first move. The tension between them created a strange wind that whipped around them, scattering leaves into fine powder.
Suddenly, a bird flew between them. It was instantly crushed by the invisible force of their auras, exploding into a bloody mist with a sharp crack.
In an instant, their weapons were drawn. Sikong Mingliang's Dominating the World move slashed forward like lightning, filled with overwhelming power. The blade cut through the air, creating a fierce gust of wind as it charged towards Guo Xingyue's neck. Sikong's towering figure exuded a godlike aura, awe-inspiring and terrifying.
But Guo Xingyue was no less formidable. He countered with Stars Fade as the Moon Falls, his sword moving with eerie silence, as if it had always existed in that space. In the brief moment of contact, Guo Xingyue's sword sliced through Sikong's blade wind, sending dozens of star-like flashes directly toward Sikong's chest.
Sikong had no time to evade, his technique already fully committed. With a roar, he ignored the approaching sword points, determined to finish his strike.