The hidden passage beneath the Cloudtop Immortal Abode was dark and winding, like a descent into the depths of the underworld.
Cloud Beguile stumbled through the passage, his mind plagued by the horrific scenes he had just witnessed - his father's final words, the despair in Su Moonshade's eyes, the icy smile of the Purple Yang Immortal. Each one was a dagger piercing his heart.
His heart was bleeding.
His home had been destroyed.
His loved ones had been killed.
His beloved's fate was unknown.
All of this was the doing of the Purple Yang Immortal and those black-garbed assailants!
"Ah!"
Cloud Beguile let out a roar of infinite sorrow and hatred, the echoes reverberating through the passage.
He knew the most important thing now was to escape as quickly as possible. Only by living could he avenge the Cloud Clan, and avenge Su Moonshade!
Steeling himself against the pain in his heart, Cloud Beguile quickened his pace, rushing towards the exit of the passage.
...
After what felt like an eternity, Cloud Beguile finally reached the end of the passage.
He pushed open the heavy stone door and was greeted by a sight that lifted his spirits.
Outside was a dense forest, with towering ancient trees blocking out the sun. Slivers of sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating a dappled pattern, and a gentle breeze rustled the foliage, as if bidding him farewell.
Cloud Beguile took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and determined his direction before continuing on.
He didn't know where he should go, or where he could even go, but he knew he couldn't give up. He had to live, he had to avenge the Cloud Clan!
...
Three days later, Cloud Beguile arrived at a small town called Qingyun, the closest settlement to the Cloudtop Immortal Abode and within the Cloud Clan's sphere of influence.
He checked into an inn, secured a private room, and then shut himself away, fasting and meditating for seven straight days and nights.
During those seven days, the horrific massacre played over and over in his mind, his heart burning as if consumed by raging flames, his agony unbearable.
He practiced the Azure Lotus Sword Technique again and again, pouring all his hatred and fury into each move, each stance.
He had to become stronger.
He had to take his revenge.
...
After seven days, Cloud Beguile finally emerged from his room.
Though he looked haggard, his eyes had a steely, unwavering resolve, like a sheathed sword, its keen edge exposed.
It was time to return to the Cloudtop Immortal Abode.
...
Cloud Beguile used his lightness technique to swiftly make his way back towards the Cloudtop Immortal Abode.
Along the way, he encountered many fleeing civilians, their faces gaunt, their clothes in tatters, their eyes filled with fear and despair.
From these people, Cloud Beguile learned that the Cloudtop Immortal Abode had been seized by the Purple Yang Sect, and that the Cloud Clan disciples, apart from a few who had escaped, had all been slaughtered without exception.
Hearing this news, Cloud Beguile felt as if an invisible hand had seized his heart, the pain excruciating.
His eyes burning with rage, he redoubled his speed, becoming a black bolt of lightning streaking across the sky.
...
Finally, Cloud Beguile reached the base of the Cloudtop Mountain range.
Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar scenery, Cloud Beguile's heart was filled with a mixture of emotions.
He remembered how, as a child, he would beg his father to bring him here to play.
Back then, this place had been a pristine, idyllic wonderland, a true paradise.
But now, it was a realm of death and destruction, an aura of desolation permeating the air.
Cloud Beguile took a deep breath, suppressing the agony in his heart, and continued up the mountain.
Along the way, he saw countless bodies of Cloud Clan disciples - some pierced through the heart by blades, others reduced to charred remains, and some mangled beyond recognition by wild beasts.
Seeing the familiar faces now turned into cold, lifeless corpses, Cloud Beguile's heart was torn to shreds, the pain almost unbearable.
He knew these people had all died protecting the Cloud Clan, protecting him.
"Ah!"
Cloud Beguile let out another anguished roar, his voice echoing with endless sorrow and fury through the valley.
...
Finally, Cloud Beguile reached the gates of the Cloudtop Immortal Abode.
The once-majestic Cloudtop Immortal Abode was now a ruin, the walls crumbling, debris scattered everywhere, the signs of the fierce battle impossible to ignore.
The air was thick with the stench of blood, nauseating.
Step by step, Cloud Beguile entered the Cloudtop Immortal Abode, his gaze sweeping over the scene before him, until it settled on the plaza in front of the main hall.
This was the place where he had last seen his father and Su Moonshade, and where the downfall of the Cloud Clan had occurred.
In the plaza, hundreds of bodies lay strewn about, the blue stone tiles drenched in blood, forming rivers of crimson that glinted horribly in the fading sunlight.
These were the bodies of both Cloud Clan disciples and the black-garbed assailants, all fallen in the brutal battle.
Cloud Beguile approached one of the corpses, kneeling down and gently turning it over.
It was a Cloud Clan disciple, his cousin Cloud Fly, who had always looked after Cloud Beguile since childhood, teaching him the sword.
And now, Cloud Fly lay as a lifeless husk, never to speak again.
"Cousin..."
Cloud Beguile's eyes welled with tears once more.
He stood up, surveying the scene, his gaze sweeping across the countless bodies, his heart filled with unbearable grief and rage.
"Purple Yang Immortal! I, Cloud Beguile, swear on my life that I will not rest until I have avenged you!"
Cloud Beguile's roar, laced with endless hatred, echoed through the heavens.