The fifty-foot-tall Black Star-Iron Archway of Supreme Sword Mountain loomed over the wide stone approach like a dark, jagged guillotine.
Cast from meteoric star-iron three thousand years ago and soaked in the intimidating sword-intent of generations of elitist sect rulers. Its towering pillars were carved with arrogant reliefs of robed immortals stepping on the backs of bowing mortal farmers.
Across the top beam, the blood-red inscription—[ SACRED PEAK From THE SUPREME SWORD: MORTALS ENTERING WILL BE KILLED WITHOUT MERCY! ]—pulsed with a lingering, vicious warding curse designed to crush the lungs of any uninvited commoner who stepped within ten paces of the threshold.
Behind the black-iron archway, snow-white-haired Supreme Sword Sect Master Jian Jue. Holding Rank 5 Peak, Thunder-Clap Sect Master Lei Zhen , holding Rank 5 Peak, Jade Lotus Sect Master Lian Hua , holding Rank 5 Peak. The Myriad Pill Sect Deputy Master , at Rank 5 High, stood back-to-back in a desperate last stand.
Even though seven-year-old Jiang Tuntun had drunk their three-thousand-year Spirit Vein reservoir dry and burped their mountain-sealing dome into confetti. The four Sect Masters knew that the moment Gu Changsheng crossed this gate and audited their inner palace vaults, they would be fitted with iron labor collars just like Chu Tian!
