The sun shone brightly in the sky. Jing was strolling in the garden of Mount Kunlun and gazing at the pond and bonsai trees. He was pondering over which moves he would use in the tournament. 'I will use Soul Sword Style,' he thought, 'in order to force my opponent into the defensive and then overpower him.'

"Brother Jing, the tournament is starting!" a voice was heard saying. Jing turned around and saw that it was Xiao.

"I was lost in my thoughts and had forgotten that the tournament was about to start."

"We should hurry; otherwise we are going to be late!"

Jing and Xiao rushed to a garden of peach blossom trees, where the tournament would take place. Other disciples, as well as the Masters of Kunlun Sect, had already gathered. There was chattering while all were more or less nervous and excited.

"Everyone!" Elder Rong said. Everyone stopped talking and all silently waited to hear what the Elder would say. "The tournament is about to start. This time, the tournament is of special importance as I am going to assign an important mission to the two top disciples. Keep that in mind."

The first match was between a disciple of Master Yi and a disciple of Master Zhang. The duel was fierce, with both contenders exchanging hundreds of blows before the disciple of Master Yi emerged victoriously. Everyone clapped in approval.

"Next match will be between Yang Jing and Lai Wei," Master Yi said. Master Yi was a short fat man with a mustache spotting on his face and wearing a long blue gown.

Jing and Wei bowed slightly, greeting each other before starting the match. They unsheathed their swords. In a split of a second, the two swords had collided. A loud clang sound was heard and it seemed like the earth shook. Jing lunged forward and pushed back Wei with vicious and quick attacks. Wei, forced on the defensive, channeled his internal energy into his sword; he then counterattacked. His attacks were ferocious but Jing parried them with ease. Jing closed his eyes and concentrated. He gathered his internal energy and channeled it into his sword. A loud sound was heard as Jing jumped and struck from above at Wei; Wei tried to block the incoming attack with his sword but as the two blades collided, Wei's was cut in half.

Everyone clapped and cheered. Elder Rong smiled. He was proud that Jing had made so much progress. When he first came to Mount Kunlun, he knew little of fighting. Yet, now his movements were fast and his attacks powerful. His discipline, rigid training, and cultivation had paid off.

The next match was between Yao and a disciple of Master Zhang. Yao moved fast like the wind and struck boldly like a thunder. His movements were too fast for most to see; he performed intricate sword forms in the split of a second. His sword struck left and right, upwards and downwards; one attack came after another, leaving no time for his opponent to defend. Yao's sword slashed the chest of his opponent; blood dripped on the ground. The cut was not too deep and as such the injury was not great; yet everyone knew that this was only because this was a friendly match between fellow disciples. If Yao was facing a real opponent, that slash would have been fatal.

Jing gaped in astonishment. He knew that Yao was the greatest disciple of Mount Kunlun, but did not expect him to be that impressive. Xiao whispered to Jing: "That's the reason he is so arrogant. His skills are truly divine."

Next was a match between Xiao and a fellow disciple of Master Yi. Xiao, although not as skilled as either Jing or Yao, proved nonetheless to be pretty capable. Although his attacks did not have much strength in them, they were quick and precise. They aimed to confuse and imbalance the opponent. This technique was known as 'Wind Sword Style' because the attacks were swift like the wind. It was a sword style best suited for those who did not have much physical or internal strength but who were capable of memorizing and performing complex and swift attacks. Xiao forced his opponent on the defensive and then, with a swift move, brought his blade to his neck. The opponent threw his sword to the ground and conceded defeat.

Everyone cheered, Jing most loudly of all. "You did pretty well," he said.

"Thanks, brother Jing!" a grinning Xiao replied.

More matches followed. Hours passed and soon day gave way to night. Elder Rong stepped forward and loudly said, "The first round of the tournament has been completed. You should all go rest, especially the ones who have passed to the second round. You will have a challenging day tomorrow."

Jing was exhausted and sweating. He sat on the ground and let out a breath. His eyes glazed over blankly. Elder Rong approached him and said, "You look tired; you should get some rest."

Jing quickly got up and replied, "I will do as you say, Teacher."

Rong smiled. "You performed pretty well today; I am proud of you. I am sure that you will not let me down tomorrow."

Jing nodded.

Next morning, everyone had gathered in the garden to watch the next round of the tournament. This time, there would be only four matches to determine the four best warriors of Mount Kunlun. Jing was facing a strong and sturdy disciple of Master Yi. The man was of impressive height and had a reputation for overpowering his opponents through sheer strength. Jing, on the other hand, was planning to overwhelm his opponent with fast attacks.

As the duel began, Jing rushed forward and struck with his blade at his opponent. The man parried Jing's attack with his blade but Jing struck again, left and right, many times changing the direction of his strikes in order to confuse his opponent. Despite Jing's constant attacks, the man maintained his cool. The man angrily roared and slashed at Jing with overwhelming force; Jing was forced to leap backward. The man then charged forward with the speed and force of a hurricane. With a quick breath taken in then let out, Jing somersaulted, leaped above the man and landed behind him. Jing then quickly slashed the man's back and then placed his blade on the man's neck. The man was forced to concede defeat.

Everyone applauded but Jing was not that satisfied with his performance; although he had managed to defeat his opponent, he almost lost to him when he counterattacked. If his somersault had failed, he would have surely been defeated. 'I exerted so much internal energy trying to defeat him. I am not sure I will be able to defeat my next opponent.'

While the next match was taking place, Jing was sitting on the ground in a cross-legged meditative position. He cleared his mind of all thoughts and meditated. While Jing was meditating, both Yao and Xiao defeated their opponents and passed on to the next round. The third round was going to have only two matches. The first was between Yao and Xiao. Jing got up from his meditation in order to watch how his friend fared against Yao. Although he hoped that Xiao would win, he knew that Yao was far too good to lose.

Yao grinned. He exuded an aura of arrogance and superiority. He knew that he was better and was confident of winning. Xiao, on the other hand, was sweating and nervous. He slashed his sword from his upper left straight downward. The slash was powerful and fast but Yao was too agile to be caught. A simple jump got him out of the way.

"Is that all you've got?" Yao asked and grinned. Yao purposefully derided Xiao in order to enrage him; he knew that someone who was enraged did not think clearly and was an easier opponent. "Maybe you should have been training more instead of drinking wine."

Xiao charged at Yao. Yao stood still almost to the last moment; he then moved to the left, dodging Xiao's blade. He smiled. "Come on! I am sure you can do better…"

Xiao had kept his cool all this time, but this last insult enraged him. He charged like a bull and slashed at Yao without following any particular sword style; he was far too furious to plan and put in action an elaborate strategy. Yao laughed because he knew that he had accomplished his goal; he was able to easily parry Xiao's disorganized attacks. He then performed the 'Third Form' of the 'Wild Dragon Sword Style'; he attacked Xiao's legs with his sword. As Xiao was about to parry the attack, Yao changed the direction of his attack; he instead slashed at Xiao's chest. Xiao was barely able to block that attack but Yao used his confusion to kick him in the chest with a back kick. Xiao had not expected Yao to attack him with a kick instead of his sword and so he was not able to defend against that attack. He fell on the ground. Before he could get up, Yao had already pointed his sword at his face and asked, "Do you accept defeat?"

"I do…" Xiao said and sighed.

Jing helped Xiao get up and said to him, "You did pretty well. Do not worry about this defeat. Few disciples reach as high in the rankings. Yao is just too good to be beaten."

Xiao clenched his fists. "Dammit! He is right; if I was spending less time having fun and more time training, I wouldn't have been defeated."

"The next match will be between Yang Jing and Ma Cang," Master Yi said. Ma Cang was a disciple of Master Yi. He was muscular, tall and good looking. He had a reputation of changing from one sword style to another, leaving his opponents confused. Jing, having seen his previous duels in the tournament, had to admit that his reputation was well earned.

Cang swirled his sword around rapidly, causing a gust of wind, and in one swift move slashed at Jing. Jing channeled his internal energy into his sword and met his opponent's blade. As the two blades collided, a deafening sound was heard. Cang smiled. "Good! You are a worthy opponent!"

Cang then retreated by a few steps. He jumped high and then struck at Jing from above; this was the 'Flying Eagle Style'. Jing knew well this sword style as he had used it before. He expected to be able to parry it with ease; yet, the attack of Cang was far more powerful than he had expected. His internal energy was outstandingly powerful as was his physical strength. Jing was slashed across his chest. Yet, despite blood dripping from his wound, he was not ready to give up yet; he counterattacked and charged forward with the speed and ferocity of a wild tiger. Cang was forced on the defensive, yet he was not ready to be defeated that easily. Cang kicked Jing on the chest, right on his wound. Jing was pushed back and vomited some blood.

Elder Rong intervened and said, "Jing, you have already done pretty well in the tournament. You are in the top four rankings. There is no shame in accepting a defeat."

Jing smiled. "Teacher, I can win this match."

Jing had to win this match; not only because he didn't want to bring shame to his teacher, but also because he understood that if he could not beat Cang, what hope could he have of beating the Imperial Guard when he would go seek justice for his clan? Although he had accepted the need for eradicating his hatred, he had not forgotten his oath. Being defeated would crush his spirit and prove that he wasn't ready yet to seek justice.

He slashed at Cang. Cang parried the attack with ease and tried once again to kick Jing, yet this time Jing was expecting this attack. With a swift move, he slashed Cang's leg. Cang cried out. Jing kicked him in the face with a flying kick, causing him to lose his balance and fall on the ground.

"Good!" Cang roared. "At last some challenge."

He quickly got up and threw his sword with an overwhelming speed at Jing. Jing was barely able to dodge it; suddenly, he saw that Cang was charging at him with his palms. Cang lashed out with the force of an avalanche. Jing jumped on top of a peach blossom tree that was right behind him. So, instead of hitting Jing, Cang smashed the tree; he splintered the trunk of the tree, forcing Jing to fall off the tree and unto the ground. The sky was briefly obscured by a shower of peach blossoms fluttering to the ground. Making full use of this obscuring, Jing attacked Cang. He hit him in the face with the hilt of his sword. He then pointed his sword at Cang's throat and said, "Do you concede defeat?"

"I do…"

Jing's determination had impressed everyone. All cheered; unlike in most past matches, where cheering was mostly a gesture of civility, this time it was a gesture of true enthusiasm and respect. Even Yao was forced to admit that Jing had proven himself to be an excellent warrior. Yet Jing knew that this victory came at a great cost; he was exhausted, bleeding and with little energy, physical or internal, left in him. The final match, in which he would have to face Yao, was about to start and he wouldn't be able to put a fight.

Elder Rong said, "Everyone! The fourth and final round of this tournament is about to start. The final match will be between Yang Jing and Qing Yao."

Yao had rested after his match with Xiao. He wasn't injured and had not exerted much energy in defeating Xiao. Thus, he was in a far better position than the injured and tired Jing. With a smug smile on his face, he unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Jing. "Are you sure you can handle this match?"

Jing forced a smile. "I am sure."

Yao charged at Jing. As the sword sped forward, a loud sound was heard, revealing the strength behind the thrust. Jing was barely able to block this attack. There was cold sweat on his forehead and he vomited some more blood as he exerted all his energy in blocking that attack. Yao did not press forward. He simply grinned and waited for Jing to attack; he knew that Jing was far too exhausted to pose a serious threat to him and so he was relaxed.

Jing charged forward, sword raised, and chopped at the Yao's thigh, but the Yao jumped and dodged the blow. Yao then sheathed his sword. "You are injured and it would not be fair for me to fight with you on equal terms. As such, I will only use my hands."

Of course, Yao did not do this because he was concerned about the fairness of the fight; he just wanted to impress his fellow disciples and the elders by defeating Jing without using a sword. Jing charged again with his sword. He knew that he would most likely lose and so he concentrated all his energy and physical strength in one final attack. Yao made no move until the sword was only one inch from his nose, then stretched out his hand and grabbed it by the hilt. Jing let out a ragged breath. He was forced to admit defeat.

Everyone applauded the victor of the tournament; once again, it was Yao who was victorious. He proved once again that he was by far the best swordsman of Mount Kunlun. Jing was far too exhausted to even applaud; yet, he did not bear any grudge towards Yao for defeating him. He had expected that Yao would win. He knew that even if he was not injured, he would still most likely have been defeated by Yao. Jing was not seeking the top rank anyway; he simply wanted to perform well in order to not bring shame to his teacher.

Elder Rong approached Jing and said, "Your performance in the tournament indicates that you have a great future. Your skills are outstanding. It is no easy feat to win the second rank in Mount Kunlun's tournament. Although your skills are not yet as good as those of Yao, they are better than the skills of all other disciples of the Sect."

After the tournament had ended, Elder Rong called Yao and Jing to the Main Hall. Elder Rong was sitting on a purple mat flanked by Master Yi on his right and Master Zhang on his left. He was contemplating; he looked stern and serious. Masters Yi and Zhang were also somewhat worried.

Jing and Yao both formally greeted their elders and slightly bowed.

"As I've said in the tournament," Rong spoke, "the two top disciples shall be assigned a mission. Qing Yao and Yang Jing, you are the two best disciples of Mount Kunlun and thus it is you who shall be burdened with undertaking this dangerous mission. I am sending you two because I do not want anyone knowing how important this task is. This a secret mission. I do not want to draw any attention."

Both Jing and Yao said in unison, "We shall do as you order."

Rong smiled. His smile was warm and exuded a sense of kindness. "I am glad that you are willing to undertake such a dangerous task. I want you to go to Fox Village and meet Elder Huo. He will give you an invaluable object: the Flaming Medallion."

Jing and Yao both gaped in astonishment when they heard that.

"As you both know," the Elder continued, "the Flaming Medallion was one of the two objects the legendary hero Yi Hong used to slay the Dark Lord Ye Guang more than eight hundred thousand years ago. After the Dark Lord was slain, Yi Hong disappeared and so did the Flaming Medallion and Heavenly Sword. Yet, Elder Huo found the Flaming Medallion a few weeks ago on the banks of the Fox River."

"Elder," Yao said, "I mean no disrespect, but are you sure that Elder Huo is not mistaken? How could he have found such an invaluable object in such a small and insignificant village? And how does he know that it is the real Flaming Medallion?"

"Elder Huo is sure that it is the genuine Flaming Medallion. It matches the descriptions in the texts and it exudes a powerful aura. Anyway, it is better to be safe than sorry. Even if Elder Huo is wrong, we cannot risk letting such a powerful object fall into the wrong hands. It could spell disaster. I am also worried that we may need to actually use it."

"What do you mean, Teacher?" Jing asked.

"There are signs that something evil may happen soon. There have been several reports recently claiming that the Demonic Cult has managed to survive and now the Flaming Medallion has suddenly appeared after eight hundred thousand years. Those are worrying omens."

"Demonic Cult?"

"The Demonic Cult was a cult of religious fanatics devoted to reviving the Dark Lord and using his powers to exterminate the Jade Emperor and the Orthodox Sects and destroying the world. Five hundred thousand years ago my Teacher, Elder Dong, exterminated them in a bloody battle; he massacred every member of the Demonic Cult in that battle. Or, at least, that was what he thought. Recently, there have been reports that the Demonic Cult still exists and that in recent years its activities have increased. At first, I was hesitant to believe those rumors and thought that they either were false or that they mistook another evil group as the Demonic Cult. Yet, with the sudden appearance of the Flaming Medallion, it seems that the rumors are at least partly true. If the Demonic Cult is still active, we will need the Flaming Medallion. They will stop at nothing to revive the Dark Lord; although I doubt they will succeed in doing so, many of my previous assumptions have been proven wrong before so I am not planning on risking it. If the Dark Lord is revived, chaos will ensue. When he was alive, he was the most powerful being in Heavens and Earth. Only with the Flaming Medallion will we have a chance against him."