Fang Junmei led a white horse down from Sword North Mountain City. With that single journey, he stepped into a boundless sky, forging a legend that would be celebrated for all eternity. I want to fulfill his dream, to catch up with the swift passage of time and seize the fleeting years! For that, too, shall become my aspiration. I will—draw my sword and ascend to immortality!
Cloud-Piercing Mountain.
Rising two thousand feet high, its peaks stood in majestic splendor.
Within its vastness lay the most formidable underworld sect of the Pan Kingdom: Sword North Mountain Fortress.
Sword North Mountain Fortress, the Palace of Bitter Regret, and Heavenly Rain Tower—these three were hailed as the greatest dark sects of the Pan Kingdom.
Their ways were cruel and unrestrained, indulging in all manner of evil and lawlessness, earning the deepest hatred and wariness from orthodox sects and righteous martial artists alike.
Of the three, Sword North Mountain Fortress was the most powerful, having dominated the underworld for many years. The chief reason for this supremacy was the current Fortress Lord, the Old Man with the Sword on His Back. His strength was unmatched, his might unrivaled; for fifty years, he had reigned as the foremost figure in Pan Kingdom, with countless heroes and villains falling at his hand.
His most infamous skill was his uncanny ability to anticipate his opponent’s moves, intercepting them mid-strike—no matter how swift or subtle the attack, not a single adversary could evade his grasp. The secret behind this art far surpassed mere speed or reflex; it was a mystery none could unravel.
His closest disciple often asked him about this, believing the old man had withheld some secret technique. But the Old Man with the Sword on His Back always replied: it was nothing but a spiritual intuition that surpassed the ordinary.
Now, this unrivaled man was nearing the end of his days.
…