Long Xing

Being the youngest of the Long Clan's Nine Scions, Long Xing was readily dismissed by most—which left the world oblivious to the schemes he pursued in the shadows.

To Long Xing, his life was no longer entirely his own, but belonged to the woman who had saved him. For her sake, he was prepared to sacrifice everything...

Unlike his eight elder siblings, Long Xing took a radical path: instead of clinging solely to family swordplay, he secretly mastered the forbidden scrolls seized from their mortal enemy, Dark Sky Fortress.

He ingeniously...Anmo FortressCorrupted by the sinister Sha-Qi of the Dark Fortress, the Long clan's once-brilliant golden sword energy has warped into an ominous, darkened gleam. Its deadliest trait is total stealth: launched in absolute silence, the blade-aura travels unseen across the battlefield and only manifests inches from the target, bypassing most defenses and leaving foes helpless to evade.

Power is a tower reaching into the clouds; yet most who dare ascend lack both the strength to summit and the poise to endure, leaving them imprisoned within its walls for the rest of their days.

Perhaps because his elder siblings had already claimed every advantage, Long Xing—the ninth child of the Long Clan—was quiet, unremarkable, and had no appetite for rivalry. In his eyes, renown and riches were destinies destined never to cross his path.

Even so, being the youngest never made Long Xing a pushover. Though reluctant to seek out conflict, he retaliated instantly against deliberate slights and bullying—a survival instinct that defined his role as the youngest son in a prominent dynasty.

Thus, when provoked and targeted by elder clan siblings during a chance confrontation, Long Xing stood his ground instantly, arguing back with fury and fighting for his pride.

Standing beside his second elder sister for the first time, Long Xing looked directly upon Long Yijue. To his gloomy self, she was radiant as the midday sun, outshining every proud paragon of the Long Clan.

At that moment, Long Yijue parted her lips. Yet instead of the reprimand for insolence toward elders that Long Xing braced for, she left him with only a parting phrase:

Soon after, slipping away from a banquet, Long Xing once again encountered Long Yijue burying his mastiff. Long Xing could clearly tell that before the beast's neck had been snapped, it was already vomiting blood with severely swollen vitals.

Long Yijue casually mentioned that she had tossed the creature half a pastry. Though her composure remained immaculate as she spoke, Long Xing caught the faint, lingering tremble at the tip of her slender index finger.

Much to Long Xing's relief, the twilight softened his awkwardness, prompting his second sister to open up. In a rare heart-to-heart, she shared insights on clan affairs, reflections on martial training, and grand ambitions for what lay ahead.

As for Long Xing himself... fearful that his own troubles were too trivial and held back by introversion, he never uttered a word. Long Yijue never inquired either—perhaps having long seen through his quiet exterior to the feelings hidden in his eyes, or perhaps never caring to begin with.

Gazing upon Long Yijue radiant beneath the night sky, Long Xing felt she was a blazing beacon piercing through the murky gloom. In contrast, what could an utterly useless soul lingering in the shadows like himself ever hope to offer her?

Following the poisoning of her hound, Long Xing watched his sister grow visibly gaunt. Yet he knew full well this ordeal would never halt her stride—nor would it be the final trial she had to weather.

At the pinnacle of power, no one's hands remain clean. From the successive patriarchs of the Long Clan to generations of emperors and generals, none have ever escaped this curse.

To bring his sister's grand vision to life, Long Xing embraced a solemn vow and a newfound purpose: to become her personal shadow, ready to deliver whatever her heart desired into her hands.

In the aftermath, Long Xing secretly deciphered the forbidden martial arts of Dark Demon Heavenly Keep, weaving them seamlessly into his clan's signature golden sword-qi. Armed with these rival arts, he became Long Er's covert instrument for every dirty deed.

In Year 12 of The Order, Long Xing joined Long Yijue in raiding Xinglong Manor. During the duel, Long Wu's superior mastery exposed a fatal vulnerability connecting Long Xing to Long Er. Pressing the advantage, Long Wu struck down Long Xing, ultimately causing Long Er and Long Wu to perish together in mutual destruction.

In his dying moments, Long Xing stared ahead with fading vision. Catching a blurry glimpse of his sister locked in battle against Lord Long the Fifth and his wife, he felt only bitter self-reproach for his helplessness in aiding her.