The mountain was silent.
A lone boy knelt in the snow, his ragged clothes barely shielding him from the cold. His dark eyes, sharp and defiant, glared at the man before him. The man was old, draped in tattered robes, his long white hair unkempt, and his crimson eyes gleaming with something between amusement and madness.
Jiang Feng did not know this man's name. Not yet.
"Boy," the old man rasped, his voice like grinding steel. "Do you fear death?"
Jiang Feng scoffed. "What's there to fear? I'd rather die fighting than grovel."
The old man grinned, revealing yellowed teeth. "Good. I hate cowards."
With a flick of his finger, the old man sent a wave of sword intent crashing toward Jiang Feng. The boy barely had time to move before the ground behind him split apart, a deep trench forming where he once stood.
His heart pounded. That wasn't a sword—there was no weapon, no blade. Just intent. Pure, unrestrained killing intent shaped like a blade.
The old man laughed. "You're not completely useless."
Jiang Feng clenched his fists, ignoring the chill in his bones. "Who the hell are you?"
"I am the Sword Demon," the man said, stepping forward. "And you are my last disciple."
Jiang Feng's breath hitched. The Sword Demon. A name spoken in whispers. A warrior who once stood at the peak of the martial world before vanishing without a trace. The man before him was a legend—and a demon.
A sudden thought crossed Jiang Feng's mind. "Why me?"
The Sword Demon's grin widened. "Because I see the same hunger in you." His crimson eyes gleamed. "You enjoy the fight, don't you? The rush of battle. The moment when your opponent's life is at your mercy."
Jiang Feng was silent.
He did enjoy it. The thrill of combat. The feeling of overwhelming an enemy. The helplessness in their eyes before the final blow.
The Sword Demon chuckled. "Good. Then I will teach you everything." He turned, walking toward the edge of the cliff. "Follow, or die here."
Jiang Feng hesitated only for a moment before stepping forward.
The last disciple of the Sword Demon had been chosen.
And the world would soon tremble once more.