The mountain was originally named Canglang Mountain, with the Canglang River flowing at its base. It was exceptionally precipitous, featuring sheer cliffs and rugged rock formations everywhere. To his astonishment, after he closed his eyes, his mount carried him here unharmed—a true miracle indeed.
The name “Brotherhood Platform” was given when the three brothers swore brotherhood here twenty years ago; only they knew that all events from those years resurfaced before their eyes.
“The three of us brothers hereby swear brotherhood. Today, wars rage across the land, conflicts never cease, and people suffer greatly. We pledge to take the world as our responsibility, dedicating all our knowledge to fight for all humanity, ensuring that every inch of sunlit land thrives in peace, equality, and tranquility! Should we break this oath, both humans and deities will condemn us!” “Hmph, heaven has no eyes!” Master Xuan drew his black iron sword and shouted to the sky, “Throughout my life, I dominated the world without rivals; for twenty years, I acted with integrity and selflessness—yet I met such a fate. Where is justice?” A bolt of lightning flashed before him, plunging directly into the surging Canglang River below. A fierce wind blew against his face, lifting his disheveled long hair and black garments; warm tears mingled with the cold night rain.
For the first time in twenty years, he shed tears—this sole General of the Red Sun Empire, the greatest martial artist under heaven, and the only divine swordsman, standing before the waters of the Canglang River with sorrowful eyes.
In the past, he could have easily leaped down the cliff using his qi power; but now, though his will was strong, his strength was insufficient. The Canglang Mountain stood thousands of feet high, with the river below rushing fiercely—leaving even a great hero utterly helpless.
“Jun Liushui, Jun Liushui… Could all this really be your secret scheme!” the Master sighed. “But even if you possess supernatural powers, you cannot capture me alive!” With that, he drove the Black Iron Sword forcefully into the hard rock, then leaped downward headfirst. A fierce wind swept toward him; at that moment, he could no longer sense Jun Liushui’s presence—the spiritual connection between them had finally been severed.
The steed raised its head and let out a mournful cry; its sound pierced through the howling wind and rain, reaching Jun Liushui’s ears. A shock ran through him. “Master Xuan, what on earth has happened?” he wondered inwardly, but he could no longer control the situation.
“Is this how I shall die? No, I refuse to accept it!” the Master Xuanshi cried out inwardly. At that very moment, a miracle occurred.
A gentle force surged upward from below, halting the master’s falling speed. His figure then paused abruptly as he landed on a soft yet peculiar surface, while a fierce wind howled past his ears.
“Secure it!” a voice called out. Master Xuan reached forward with both hands and grabbed a vine branch.
Through the lightning, he saw the man in green sitting before him—his face as clear as jade, with blue robes and hair; it was indeed a young man. What puzzled him even more was that they were riding on the back of a giant bird, pitch-black in color, with a wingspan of three zhang; as its wings flapped, fierce winds arose, propelling them upward until they nearly reached the clouds.
“Who are you?” Master Xuan asked curiously, yet he could not sense any hostility from the mysterious man in green.
“Do you still remember that leaf? I warned you long ago: the red sun is setting in the west!” the man said.
Xuan Shi was deeply astonished; this person was utterly mysterious.
“My name is Qingye. I originally came from the distant south, but recently have been active in the West,” said the man in green. “We are now heading westward.” “Which country are you from? Why did you come to save me?” asked Master Xuan.
“Hehe, don’t ask where I’m from. I came here to save you with one request,” Qingye said. “I have a young child who is mischievous and difficult to discipline; I traveled all the way from the south specifically for this purpose, but he regards me as an enemy. With no other choice, I’ve had to ask you to come and teach him.” “How did you know I would meet my end here?” asked Master Xuan. It was too coincidental—a fact that couldn’t help but arouse his suspicion.
“Haha, what’s so difficult about that? I watched your battle from the sky aboard the Divine Eagle. Now you’re at your wit’s end, with powerful enemies closing in—this was entirely within my expectations,” Qingye laughed heartily. “I never thought I’d have such good luck; you’re actually a Divine Swordsman.” “The person you want me to meet is a child?” Master Xuan asked curiously. “Who exactly is he?” “Haha, excellent question—he truly is a child, indeed, a very troublesome one at that. Yet he’s also a king, a stubborn and defiant one. Master Xuan, even though you’re a Divine Swordsman and renowned as the greatest martial artist under heaven, never underestimate that child; even you wouldn’t be able to subdue him easily,” Qingye said with a smile.
The mystic was instantly filled with curiosity: who else in the West could possibly become king? Moreover, that person was merely a child.
The giant bird beneath me let out a long cry that echoed throughout the wilderness, clearly showing great impatience.
“Haha, I also snatched this divine eagle from that child. Well, the eagle seems quite reluctant to comply, but for the sake of its young master, it now has no choice but to obey me. Master Xuan, we are about to depart from the Red Sun Empire—what do you have left to cherish?” Qingye asked.
The mystic shook his head, saying, “I don’t want to witness another sunset over the Red Sun Empire. My only concern now is my second brother, Qingxuan.”
“Qingxuan? Don’t worry—good people always receive divine favor. If you don’t want to see the Red Sun Empire, you can have that child go investigate for you, but first you must make him fully convinced.” Qingye smiled and said, “If you fail to discipline him properly, I won’t allow him to set foot on the Magic Continent.” “From what you’ve said, that child seems quite dangerous,” Master Xuan remarked.
“He’s named Ye Yu, and he’s also a king. You’ll realize that upon arriving there, had it not been for my intervention, his army would likely have already invaded the territory of the Red Sun Empire—even your Sacred Knight Legion wouldn’t have been able to stop them,” Qingye said.
“Ah! How come I’ve never heard of such a powerful empire?” Master Xuan grew increasingly confused as he listened.
“That’s incorrect. You should have heard of it—it appears in the tales of the bards. In the distant West lies a terrifying beast empire. Have you never heard this legend?” Qingye said, leaving Master Xuan utterly astonished as his curiosity grew even stronger.
“The divine eagle beneath us indeed comes from that land—it serves as both Nightfeather’s mount and his guardian, even his own subject. Well, you might wonder why the king of the mysterious Beast Empire is a human, and moreover a child. Alas, don’t try to find an answer, just as you cannot comprehend why the same sun sets in the west yet rises again in the east the next day,” Qingye laughed heartily.
At Canglang Mountain’s Oath-taking Platform, Jun Liushui drew the mysterious iron sword left by the ancient master, his heart filled with profound emotion: “A hero of his generation would rather die than yield—what a tragedy!” With that, he raised the sword and mounted his horse.
The steeds let out mournful cries as they reluctantly made their way down the slopes of Canglang Mountain.
The mysterious master, hailed as the greatest martial artist in the world, thus became a legend, while the great and glorious Red Sun Empire turned into a source of sorrow for heroes.
“I do not wish to witness the decline of the empire, but if you survive, you will see my descendants rebuild an even more powerful empire upon a fallen foundation!” the Master once declared.
That night, Emperor Xiao Wuji had a strange dream: in it, he stood atop the towering Sky-Piercing Pagoda, watching the red sun slowly set on the horizon.
In reality, construction of the actual Tower of Heaven has only just begun.