Thunder Mountain Ritual Cavern

Cat Thanh walked to the table, picked up the torn blood flag, studied it for a moment, then slowly set it back down.

“Hao Nhien, do you remember when you said that Heavenly Eye might have planted people inside many different tribes?”

Hao Nhien’s gaze immediately sharpened.

“Did you find something, Clan Chief?”

“I personally reviewed everyone who had access to the outer routes, the supply warehouses, and the transport teams. One man stands out as particularly suspicious.”

“Who?”

“A warehouse manager. No one important. He worked within the tribe for nearly eight years, mainly handling supply records.”

Hao Nhien asked:

“Is he still inside the city?”

Cat Thanh shook his head.

“No. Before I could have him detained, he disappeared.”

“He escaped?”

“Most likely.”

Cat Thanh’s voice lowered slightly.

“I had his quarters searched. There were no signs of a struggle, and nearly all of his important belongings had been taken with him. A few unnecessary things were left behind. It did not look like someone fleeing in panic.”

Hao Nhien narrowed his eyes.

“He prepared in advance.”

“That is what I think as well.”

Cat Thanh took a small object from his storage ring and placed it on the table.

It was a fragment of a communication jade that had already lost its spiritual light. The formation patterns across its surface bore clear signs of deliberate destruction.

“This was found in his room. The internal formation patterns were completely erased. There is no way to trace what messages were once transmitted through it.”

Hao Nhien studied the fragment for a moment.

“If he truly was connected to Heavenly Eye, then perhaps the other side realized his identity was in danger of being exposed and arranged for him to withdraw.”

Cat Thanh nodded.

“That is why I do not dare call him a spy merely because he disappeared. But after checking the places he had access to and the records he had searched through, I discovered something else.”

Cat Thanh took a roll of beast hide from his storage ring and spread it across the table.

It was filled with names, dates, quantities of pills, Lightning Crystals, and various other materials. Several names had been circled, with numbers and notes beside them stretching across many years.

Hao Nhien studied the hide for a while.

“What is this?”

“The Thunder Rite records.”

Seeing Hao Nhien still looking at him, Cat Thanh remembered that he had never explained the matter before.

“The Thunder Rite is what the people of Cat Loi call a special period of cultivation in the rear mountain. Young people with strong enough lightning affinity, or those who have cultivated lightning-aligned methods to a certain level, may be selected to enter for a period of time.”

“There is natural lightning power inside?”

“Yes. The lightning power in the rear mountain is far denser than outside. With proper preparation, those who enter can use it to temper their bodies, refine their spiritual power, and even deepen their comprehension of lightning-aligned cultivation methods.”

Cat Thanh pointed to the columns on the beast hide.

“But the lightning power there is extremely strong. Simply entering does not mean one will benefit. That is why every Thunder Rite records those selected, their cultivation before entering, the length of time they remain inside, the amount of Lightning Crystals and pills consumed, and how much they improve after leaving.”

Only then did Hao Nhien understand why the records before him had been preserved so carefully across so many years.

His gaze shifted to the marked names.

“Is it held every year?”

“There is no fixed schedule. It depends on the condition of the lightning power in the rear mountain, how many suitable candidates we have, and how many resources the tribe can prepare. Some years only a few people enter. Other years, it does not open at all.”

Hao Nhien continued reading.

Some records extended back several decades, proving that the Thunder Rite had long been an important part of Cat Loi’s inheritance.

“That warehouse manager copied these records?”

“More than that.”

Cat Thanh pointed to another column.

“He also investigated the years when unusually large quantities of Lightning Crystals were transported into the rear mountain, the years when young people with particularly strong lightning roots appeared, the timing of each Thunder Rite, and he even asked one of the tribe’s elders whether the strength of the lightning power in the rear mountain changed from year to year.”

Hao Nhien fell silent.

If the man had been preparing information for a siege, almost none of this would have been useful.

It had nothing to do with troop deployment, weaknesses in the defensive formation, water routes, or spirit stone reserves.

Everything revolved around the rear mountain and the fluctuations in its lightning power.

Hao Nhien looked up at Cat Thanh.

“He was not investigating Cat Loi City.”

“That is what I think as well.”

Cat Thanh lowered his voice.

“He was investigating the Thunder Rite.”

Hao Nhien tapped one finger lightly against the beast-hide record, but after several breaths, he slowly shook his head.

“Not just the Thunder Rite.”

Cat Thanh frowned.

“If he only wanted to understand how the Thunder Rite helps Cat Loi cultivators, the records of participants and their results would have been enough. There would be no reason to trace Lightning Crystal shipments across many years, much less ask whether the lightning power in the rear mountain changes over time.”

Hao Nhien’s gaze settled on the marked years.

“He was trying to understand the source of the lightning power that the Thunder Rite relies upon.”

Cat Thanh remained silent for a long time before finally saying:

“Come with me.”

The two left the main hall, but instead of heading toward the city walls, they followed the roads deeper into Cat Loi’s rear mountain.

The farther they went, the fewer people they encountered.

The low houses gradually disappeared, replaced by towering yellow cliffs separated by narrow paths barely wide enough for a few people to walk abreast.

Several positions were guarded.

Whenever the guards saw Cat Thanh, they simply cupped their hands and stepped aside without asking questions.

After observing for a while, Hao Nhien realized that this was not the kind of secret completely unknown to ordinary members of the tribe.

Cat Thanh seemed to notice his expression.

“Everyone in the tribe knows the Thunder Rite is held in the rear mountain. There are also plenty of people throughout the Western Wastes who know that Cat Loi cultivates lightning-aligned methods. That has never been a secret.”

He continued walking.

“But most people know only of the outer Thunder Platform, where the younger members of the tribe go to comprehend and temper themselves.”

“So what you want to show me lies deeper?”

“Yes.”

The two passed through a narrow rock passage and arrived before a tall cliff.

A natural fissure twisted across its surface like a bolt of lightning.

Two elderly men sat nearby. Both had already reached Foundation Establishment. When Cat Thanh approached, they opened their eyes, stood, and moved aside.

Cat Thanh placed one hand against the fissure.

Purple lightning-aligned spiritual power flowed from his palm into the rock.

A deep vibration sounded.

The ground trembled slightly, and the cliff slowly split apart.

Hot air carrying dense lightning power immediately rushed outward, leaving the skin along Hao Nhien’s arms faintly numb.

Cat Thanh entered first.

“This is the true deepest part of the Thunder Rite.”

Hao Nhien followed.

The passage within was not wide. Lightning Crystals embedded in the walls on either side emitted a faint purple glow.

The deeper they went, the denser the lightning-aligned spiritual energy became. From time to time, small cracks sounded as arcs of electricity struck the stone.

After roughly fifteen minutes, the passage opened up.

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Hao Nhien stopped.

A vast cavern spread before him.

At its center stood a circular black-stone altar covered entirely in lightning patterns.

The markings were unlike the runes normally used by Cat Loi and also unlike anything Hao Nhien had seen within the Tieu Dao Sect.

Beneath the altar lay a deep pit whose bottom could not be seen.

Purple-black and silver-white lightning continuously flashed within it. Sometimes the arcs were no thicker than strands of hair. At other times, they erupted into massive pillars of light before vanishing just as quickly into the darkness.

A deep rumble of thunder echoed upward from below.

Even standing several steps from the edge, Hao Nhien could feel his skin tingling.

He did not move closer.

Nor did he recklessly extend his spiritual sense into the depths.

After everything he had experienced in strange places before, he had long since lost the habit of probing anything unusual with spiritual sense the moment he saw it.

“This is the Thunder Rite Mountain Cavern?”

“The deepest part of it.”

Cat Thanh replied.

Hao Nhien looked toward the altar.

“Did Cat Loi build this?”

Cat Thanh was silent for a moment before shaking his head.

“No.”

Hao Nhien immediately turned toward him.

Cat Thanh walked closer to the altar and placed a hand against the black stone.

“People throughout the Western Wastes know that Cat Loi has the Thunder Rite. They know our younger generation can enter the rear mountain to cultivate and comprehend lightning. But very few know that this place existed before the Cat Loi Tribe itself.”

He looked down into the Thunder Pit.

“According to the records that remain, when our ancestors first came here, the altar and the Thunder Pit already existed. At the time, the tribe did not even bear the name Cat Loi.”

“It took many generations before our people gradually learned how to borrow a portion of the lightning power in the outer regions to temper the body and comprehend lightning arts. Our current inheritance slowly developed from that.”

Hao Nhien asked:

“Have your people ever gone deeper?”

“Some tried.”

Cat Thanh shook his head.

“None returned.”

He pointed toward the pit.

“We can use only the upper region. Even this altar is something we understand only in very small part.”

Hao Nhien studied the lightning patterns carved across the black stone.

There was clearly a structure to them, but with his current knowledge of formations and runes, he could not fit those lines into any system he recognized.

Some sections appeared to connect naturally, yet when considered as part of the entire structure, they did not match any formation pattern he had ever learned.

Hao Nhien did not force himself to interpret them.

“So that warehouse manager did not care how many people Cat Loi had, how strong the defensive formation was, or where your supplies were stored. What he wanted was the true source behind your lightning inheritance.”

“That is what I believe.”

Cat Thanh replied.

“Before last night, I still did not understand why. But now the Sa Manh have appeared, the forces outside continue to grow, and yet the enemy has not raided the trade routes, presented terms, demanded territory, or asked for control of our water.”

Hao Nhien looked into the Thunder Pit.

“If their only goal were to force Cat Loi to surrender, they should have demanded something from you by now.”

Cat Thanh nodded.

“But they have not.”

“Perhaps because what they want is not something you can simply carry outside and hand over.”

Both men fell silent.

After a while, Hao Nhien asked:

“Are you certain Heavenly Eye is behind this?”

“No.”

Cat Thanh answered immediately.

“I am certain only that someone is targeting Cat Loi and very likely this place. The Sa Manh have been drawn into the conflict, but we still do not have enough evidence to determine how deeply Heavenly Eye is involved.”

Hao Nhien gave a slight nod.

A tattoo, a suspicious man, several related traces, and the appearance of the Sa Manh were still not enough to turn suspicion into fact.

“Then why bring me here?”

Cat Thanh looked back at the altar.

“Because if the enemy truly came for this place, then this war is no longer solely Cat Loi’s affair. Hoa Van has already entered the battle, and you are coordinating the forces outside the city.”

“At the very least, you need to know what we may actually be defending.”

Hao Nhien understood.

He cupped his hands.

“I understand.”

The two turned and began walking back.

Before leaving the cavern, Hao Nhien looked behind him one last time.

Deep within the Thunder Pit, a silver-white bolt of lightning flashed once before disappearing into darkness.

He did not stop.

Whatever else this place concealed, now was not the time to investigate it.

The first day passed in a tense stalemate.

The forces outside did not launch another major assault, but neither did they allow Cat Loi to truly rest.

Every two to four hours, a group would approach to fire arrows, launch artifacts, or test the defensive formation’s response before quickly withdrawing again.

Their purpose was not to break the city immediately.

It was to force those inside to remain constantly alert and continuously expend spiritual power.

Hao Nhien rarely stayed away from the walls for long.

Every time the enemy appeared, he observed their deployment and withdrawal patterns, but never once suggested opening the gates to pursue them.

Luu Thanh remained on the southern wall to support Cat Loi’s archers.

The battle the previous night had already shown Cat Thanh exactly what he was capable of, while Hao Nhien also needed someone he trusted inside the city to relay information if he went outside.

By afternoon, the supply report arrived.

For now, spirit stones, water, and food remained sufficient, but medicines for severe injuries and those capable of dealing with yin contamination were clearly running short.

Hao Nhien simply memorized the numbers and returned the report.

That evening, Hoa Duong sent a short message saying his unit had already passed the Red Stone Station and was still advancing.

Hao Nhien replied:

“Do not rest too long, but make sure the force arrives with enough combat strength remaining.”

On the morning of the second day, Hao Nhien decided to leave the city.

From within the walls, each section offered only a partial view of the encirclement. If he wanted to understand the enemy’s actual deployment—especially in the southeast, where Hoa Duong would soon approach—he needed a different angle.

Cat Thanh led him to a lower section of the eastern wall.

“About five hundred zhang from here is a dry sand channel. It used to be a route for transporting water, but it has long since been abandoned. The terrain is lower than the surrounding ground, making it difficult for the outer observation posts to look directly into it.”

He pointed toward one corner of the wall.

“I will have the formation flags in this section rotated just as you leave. The fluctuation of the defensive formation should conceal part of your movement for several breaths.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“That will be enough.”

A flying sword appeared beneath his feet.

The moment the formation masters above began replacing one section of the formation flags, the earthen-yellow light fluctuated slightly.

Hao Nhien immediately lowered his body and shot along the dry channel.

As he reached the open stretch between two observation posts, Spirit Wings erupted for only a single beat.

The flying sword accelerated sharply and carried him across the exposed section before those outside could determine what had just passed.

Spirit Wings immediately withdrew.

Hao Nhien had no intention of wasting them on long-distance travel.

The flying sword continued following the low terrain, sometimes circling behind rocky outcrops, sometimes descending close to the sand to avoid distant observation.

Only after he had put sufficient distance between himself and the city did he rise to a moderate altitude and begin circling the battlefield.

From the first position, he could see the eastern side.

After changing angles again, part of the northern deployment gradually came into view.

Nearly two hours passed before a relatively complete picture began forming in his mind.

The enemy force outside the city was clearly larger than what could be seen from the walls.

Several units were stationed far behind the front lines among the dunes. Without changing observation angles, they would have been almost impossible to detect.

Hao Nhien stopped his flying sword above a distant dune and looked toward the north.

From the camp there, he could sense several presences far heavier than those in the surrounding areas.

They did not openly release their auras, but their existence was enough to disturb the nearby airflow in ways that stood out from the rest.

Whether one of them was the true commander or they were merely powerful cultivators holding the northern line, Hao Nhien could not yet determine.

He did not move closer.

After memorizing their positions, he immediately lowered the flying sword and circled toward the southeast.

At that moment, his communication jade token trembled.

A message from Hoa Duong had arrived.

The unit was still marching and estimated that it would enter the designated rally area in roughly half a day.

Hao Nhien studied the message briefly before putting the token away.

If he wanted to use those nearly one hundred people as a surprise spearhead, he first needed to know how many enemy scouts and observation points covered the southeastern approach.

He lowered the flying sword again, following the dunes and rocky outcrops while paying attention to changes in the surrounding airflow.

After nearly an hour, he found the first scouting team.

Four people were hidden atop a low rocky rise. Two watched Cat Loi, while the other two observed the east.

Their cultivation was not particularly high. The strongest was only around early Foundation Establishment.

Hao Nhien did not attack.

He made a wide circle to the south, memorized their position, and continued searching.

Nearly two hours later, he found the second team.

Five people occupied a raised position just high enough to observe the southeastern route.

Beside them was a small Sa Lang, clearly being used to detect human scents and provide early warning.

Their position lay directly along one of the best routes for Hoa Duong’s force to approach.

Hao Nhien narrowed his eyes.

Neither scouting team was particularly strong, but if even one of them noticed the marching dust or spiritual fluctuations of nearly one hundred people, the entire element of surprise would disappear.

He still did not move.

Attacking the scouts too early, before Hoa Duong drew near, might simply reveal the gap and cause the enemy to replace them immediately.

Hao Nhien was preparing to circle toward another direction when the wind from the west suddenly changed.

He turned his head.

At first there were only subtle disturbances.

Then a deep explosion echoed from the direction of Cat Loi.

The distance weakened the sound considerably.

A second explosion followed almost immediately.

Hao Nhien did not rush to a conclusion.

But within only a few breaths, repeated flashes of spiritual light began appearing along Cat Loi’s horizon.

The sounds of impact grew denser, completely unlike the scattered harassment of the previous day.

Farther away, the earthen-yellow barrier around Cat Loi repeatedly brightened and dimmed over very short intervals.

Hao Nhien immediately understood.

This was no longer a probing attack.

The enemy had begun a major assault.

He looked toward the southeast one final time.

Hoa Duong had not arrived yet.

He could not continue waiting here.

Hao Nhien took out his communication jade token.

The signal outside the encirclement was more stable than inside the city, allowing a short message to be transmitted quickly.

The enemy has begun a major assault. Continue approaching from the southeast. Keep your movements concealed and do not attempt to find me.

He paused briefly, then added:

When you see a single red signal flare, immediately strike the enemy flank. Prioritize archers, beast handlers, formation flags, and siege artifacts. Your objective is to disrupt their formation, not fight a decisive battle. Do not pursue, and preserve your strength for coordination with the forces inside the city.

The message was sent.

Hao Nhien put the jade token away.

He did not know exactly how far Hoa Duong would still be from the battlefield when the message reached him, but Cat Loi was already under genuine pressure.

If the southeastern route was to remain open for the outside force, the two scouting teams ahead could no longer be left in place.

Hao Nhien’s gaze shifted toward the second team.

Now was the right time.

The flying sword descended lower.

Hao Nhien circled behind the dune, using the terrain to conceal almost his entire figure.

The small Sa Lang was the first to notice.

Its ears suddenly rose and its nose turned toward the rear.

But before it could release a warning howl, the Tieu Dao Sword shot forward.

The blade did not target a person.

It pierced straight through the Sa Lang’s throat.

At the same moment, Hao Nhien cleared the edge of the dune.

“Someone’s here!”

The nearest black-robed man had barely shouted when the Tieu Dao Sword changed direction and shot toward the person holding a communication talisman farther back.

The man hurriedly drew his saber to block.

Metal struck metal.

The warning talisman remained in his hand, but he had no time to crush it.

Hao Nhien was already there.

Spirit Wings erupted only once, shortening the final distance.

One Sword instantly pierced through the talisman-bearer’s throat.

The man on the left rushed forward to help, but the Tieu Dao Sword, controlled by Hao Nhien’s spiritual sense, had already curved back and knocked his saber off line.

Hao Nhien did not use Spirit Wings again.

He shifted to Cloud-Wind Steps, maintaining speed while conserving spiritual power for the battle waiting ahead.

The Fire Spirit Sword rotated with his movement and swept horizontally.

The black-robed cultivator was knocked from the rocky rise.

The remaining three immediately scattered, but the distance between them was too small.

The Tieu Dao Sword forced one to turn back and defend. Hao Nhien used Cloud-Wind Steps to close on the second, while the last man had only begun running down the dune when a line of sword force knocked him to the ground.

In less than ten breaths, the entire scouting team had fallen silent.

Hao Nhien did not waste time checking the bodies.

He immediately collected the communication talismans they had failed to activate, glanced north, then moved toward the first scouting team.

The four people there were still observing Cat Loi.

The distant explosions had drawn all their attention westward. None of them knew that the southern observation point had already disappeared.

Hao Nhien approached from behind.

Cloud-Wind Steps and the terrain concealed the final stretch.

The outermost scout had only just sensed a change in the wind behind him when the Fire Spirit Sword arrived.

This battle ended even faster.

It was not only because none of the four had particularly high cultivation, but because they had never imagined an enemy would appear from behind at the exact moment their attention was fixed on the distant assault.

When the last man fell, Hao Nhien immediately put away his sword.

Two consecutive clashes had consumed another portion of his spiritual power, but he had deliberately avoided using Spirit Wings except for the one necessary burst during the initial approach and had refrained from using any overly costly techniques.

The rest of his strength had to be preserved for his return to Cat Loi.

Both scouting teams had now been removed from the southeastern route, and none of their warning talismans had been activated.

For a short period, this area would become a blind spot.

The enemy would eventually notice that their scouts had stopped reporting and send someone to investigate, but Hao Nhien did not need the opening to last long.

Only long enough for Hoa Duong to draw closer without being discovered.

He stepped onto his flying sword.

This time, there was no longer any reason to preserve his travel speed.

The sword turned directly west and shot toward Cat Loi as the explosions along the horizon grew increasingly rapid.