C10 A Battle to Regain Their Dignity!
"Senior Brother Clayton!" Ratty called out with excitement upon seeing one of the figures, and without hesitation, he rushed forward and embraced the youth's slender frame in a bear hug.
The young man was lean and dressed in a pale blue robe. His thick black hair cascaded over his shoulders, framing his face with sharp, defined brows and piercing eyes. He had a finely shaped nose and thin, pale lips that seemed to lack strength.
But what was truly unforgettable were his eyes—long, dark, and pure, free of any imperfections.
Those eyes concealed a myriad of complex emotions: sorrow, rage, defiance, and longing.
His complexion was ghostly pale, the kind that suggested a closeness to death. With his gaunt body and melancholic gaze, he seemed eternally solitary—a fleeting bloom destined to wither too soon.
"Little guy, you've shot up since I last saw you!" Clayton chuckled as he ruffled Ratty's tousled black hair, his eyes brimming with affection.
"What brings you here?" Clements inquired, turning his attention to the man standing behind Clayton.
That man was Byzas, broad-shouldered and rugged, his presence imposing as he stood behind Clayton, visibly anxious with sweat beading on his forehead.
The secluded courtyard behind the mountain served as the dwelling of the Thvelond Sect's Chief Elder, Buteo. Within the vast expanse of Thvelond, the only individuals who could enter this place unimpeded were Clements, Ratty, Kallisto, and Clayton.
"Old man, I'm here to deliver a command from the Lord," Clayton indicated to Clements with a glance.
"A mission?" Clements narrowed his eyes, focusing intently on Byzas.
"Six days ago, the Beast Tribe, led by Licinius of the Rebirth Sect, launched a surprise attack on the Guiltlands, slaughtering the people of Ensmelle."
"Yesterday, the Lord was informed that several Qi Condensation mages were being pursued by a troop of elite Beast Soldiers. He dispatched five hundred of our Thvelond Qi Condensation mages to their aid, but we've yet to hear back from them," Byzas reported hastily, his posture bent with urgency.
He felt like he was in a den of wolves, eager to leave this place as quickly as possible.
"And what is Hephaistos's intention?" Clements asked sharply, though a sly grin was already forming at the edge of his mouth.
"The Lord has learned that you once claimed the black cauldron, Thvelond's prized treasure, for the Zopyrus. He wishes for Zopyrus to emerge and save our stranded brethren," Byzas stated, his voice quivering with fear.
"One person?" Clements gaped at Byzas with a look of disbelief, though his heart was already bursting with joy.
"Just one person!" Byzas hung his head, nearly in tears from Clements's intimidating demeanor.
"Scram!" Clements appeared to be in a rage as he bellowed.
"Chief Elder, until we meet again!" Byzas saluted with a fist and palm, then spun on his heel, dashing away from the back mountain of Thvelond like a shot.
"What was I saying? I've set up a section of the Chaos glyph in the courtyard. The only ones who can safely enter here, aside from Zopyrus and Kallisto, are you!" Clements beamed at Clayton.
"Come on, let's have a drink!" Clayton laughed, flashing a bright, white smile.
No sooner had Clayton spoken than the elder and the younger man proceeded towards Clements's dwelling, one following the other.
"Hey, what about me?" Ratty asked, fists clenched and full of eagerness.
"Zheng!"
A slender Immortal Sword soared through the air, landing with its point embedded in the ground before Ratty. The crisp sound of the sword's ring echoed continuously. This Immortal Sword, resembling a sapphire, had a body that was translucent and shimmered with a dazzling divine light, akin to a piece of art.
"The Azure Smoke Blade!" Ratty gasped in awe.
The Azure Smoke Blade, a Holy Weapon of supreme divinity and sanctity, could cleave a massive mountain with a gentle swing and obliterate stars with a full-powered strike.
The Immortal Sword vibrated, emitting streaks of piercing sword light; its formidable sword's will screamed across the heavens, dispersing the clouds above.
"Zheng!"
At the mere whisper of the sword's hum, Ratty felt as though a hundred thousand Sky Swords were resonating before him, their sharp light severing the ancient void and stirring the soul.
"Off you go, kid. Reclaim what you've lost!" Clayton's voice, tinged with mirth, drifted from inside the house.
"Whoosh!"
A fiery red Charm of Flight burst forth from the house, which Ratty snatched out of the air.
This charm, a tool that only dukes or higher-ranked mages could craft, bestowed upon those unable to fly the temporary power of Skywalking.
"I'm running low myself. Three cups of wine await, and you're the only one missing!" Clements's grave voice emanated from within.
Clutching the Azure Smoke Blade in his hand, Ratty couldn't help but let tears well up in his eyes.
The Azure Smoke Blade had been Clayton's constant companion for centuries; he had never parted with it, much less lent it to another.
But today, he had made an exception!
To restore Ratty's dignity and to make up for three lost years, Clements had humbled himself to ask Old Golden Roc for a drop of his heart's blood.
Clayton had even broken the sect's rules to procure a branch from the Tree of Eternity for Ratty, a favor so immense that it was beyond repayment.
"Mmm!" Ratty's eyes brimmed with tears as he gave a firm nod, bowing deeply to the two individuals inside the house.
"Zopyrus!" Next to Ratty, Kallisto's tears streamed down her face, her voice breaking with emotion.
"Don't cry, I'll be back soon to prepare a couple of appetizers for Senior Brother and the old man!" Ratty said, taking Kallisto's pale hands into his own, offering gentle reassurance.
"Be careful!" Kallisto whispered, her large eyes glistening with tears.
Watching the girl head towards the kitchen, looking back every few steps, Ratty's lips curled into a tender smile.
Marrying Kallisto would indeed be one of life's greatest pleasures.
Ratty shook his head vigorously, dismissing the impractical thought.
Turning on his heel, he strode out of the courtyard.
His pale blue robe billowed in the wild wind as he shouldered the Azure Smoke Blade and gripped the precious Charm of Flight. Ratty's heart swelled with excitement, and he longed to shout for joy.
"I will reclaim my dignity!"
"This battle, I will completely recover everything I've lost over the past three years!"
With his fists clenched tight, Ratty's slight frame shot into the sky in the blink of an eye.
In the Savage Lands, the desolate grass and scattered stones were whipped into disarray by the howling wind.
"Boom!"
On the distant horizon, an unbreakable tide of steel surged forward, composed of fierce wolf monsters. They cracked the earth beneath their feet, their thunderous pursuit echoing as they chased down the mere three hundred human mages ahead.
"Ah, no!"
At the rear of the human forces, a man let out a desperate cry. Wounded, he was the slowest runner and was snatched up by the claw of a wolf monster, hoisted into the air by his clothes.
"Junior Brother!"
Ahead, a handsome young man shouted in anguish, attempting to rush over and intervene, but it was too late.
"Crack!"
The wolf monster opened its gaping maw and bit off the young man's head. Blood and flesh erupted, splattering the ground in an instant.
"Boom!"
The sight of blood sent the pack of Fellbeasts into a frenzy. They swarmed the man, and within moments, not even his whole body remained; the wolf monster had gnawed his bones clean.
"No!"
Many male disciples in the human ranks roared in fury, their eyes nearly bursting with rage, yet they were helpless. With tears in their eyes, they continued their frantic sprint forward.
These were the disciples of the Thvelond Sect. Five hundred Qi Condensation Mages had set out, and now nearly two hundred lives had been lost—a heavy sacrifice indeed.
"This is a conspiracy, a conspiracy!" cried a Ninth Heaven Qi Condensation disciple, leading the group. He bellowed to the heavens like a madman, haunted by the memory of that brutal encounter.
Ten days prior, they had received the Lord's command. Over five hundred mages descended the mountain to construct the Void Gate and make for Ensmelle to rescue the small mages being pursued by demons.
But upon their arrival, they were met with the vicious onslaught of the demons.
It was a single battle, yet the Thvelond disciples deeply felt the cruelty and bloodshed of the demons.
In just a few hours of conflict, the blood had stained the Savage Lands red. Corpses and the stench of blood were everywhere, a scene akin to hell that no one wished to revisit.
Peace. Everyone was reminded anew of its significance. They also gained a profound respect for the forebears of Thvelond who had endured the dark years of war.
From the earliest sages of the Guiltlands, starting with Everett, many heroes had fallen in battle to liberate the Guiltlands from the clutches of demons, securing the fragile peace they now cherished.
Their valor and those indescribable dark times are memories shrouded in a dense miasma of death.
"Halt!"
Abruptly, the group's leader gestured forcefully, prompting the Thvelond Sect disciples to come to an alert stop.
Before them stood ten towering wolf monsters.
These wolf monsters were enormous, nearly three meters in height, their bloodthirsty eyes gleaming with a savage light, clearly indicating their awakened spiritual wisdom.
"Ten Second-grade Beast Soldiers of One-Mountain!" the Thvelond Sect disciples gasped in unison, their intake of breath echoing around them.
"Now is the time to unleash a slaughter and draw out the high-ranking ants of Thvelond!" declared one of the ten wolf monsters, speaking the language of the nine continents' human race, sending chills down the spines of all who heard it.
"Awoo!"
The bloodthirsty howl of a wolf reverberated throughout the Savage Lands, followed by the crackling of thunder. The ten Second Grade Beast Soldiers of One-Mountain, along with the three hundred First Grade Beast Soldiers of Qi Condensation, charged at the encircled Thvelond Sect disciples in a frenzy.
"Fight! Even if we fall in battle, we shall not tarnish the glory of Thvelond!"
The lead disciple's roar pierced the air, and the cries of battle soared to the heavens, scattering the clouds above.
"Boom!"
Two ironclad forces clashed violently; limbs and blood flew in a grim ballet, the vivid blood spraying like fountains in all directions.
The human mages were tragically outmatched. The novices in the Qi Condensation Stage could barely wield any mystical powers, their physical strength only marginally superior to that of ordinary humans.
But when these human mages faced the physically superior Beast Tribe demons, the disparity was stark. It was a lopsided slaughter.
"Kill!"
The sounds of battle were relentless, the scene gruesomely intense. Heads rolled, and Thvelond Sect disciples were gruesomely cleaved in two, the spectacle awash with blood and valor.
"Crack!"
The human mages were devastatingly overpowered, their bodies crushed by the wolf monsters' claws, sending flesh and blood scattering.
The wolf monsters, ravenous for blood, began feasting on the remains; their ghastly visages and bloodthirsty eyes terrified many of the female disciples, who screamed in horror, some even too paralyzed to fight back.
"Ah!"
A woman was seized by the clutches of a One-Mountain wolf monster, her long black hair trailing behind as she was dragged into the midst of the beast tide.
Everyone could foresee the grim fate awaiting her in the next moment.
"No!"
The disciples of the Thvelond Sect were in a frenzy, their eyes bloodshot as they brandished their longswords, desperately trying to reach the woman in a mad rush.
"Boom!"
Several One-Mountain wolf monsters launched their assault, each blow landing with the force of a thunderclap as they barreled into the crowd. They were merciless, slaying anyone in their path, leaving a gruesome trail of blood and severed limbs scattered across the sky. They fought with the ferocity of the God of War, unstoppable in their rampage.
"Crack!"
Amidst the beast tide, the wolf monsters seethed with bloodlust, their eyes fixated on the beautiful woman as they panted with savage breaths.
In the ensuing chaos, fragments of clothes, tinged with a delicate fragrance, fluttered through the air!
"Ah, no, release her!" The Thvelond disciples were on the brink of madness, their screams piercing the air as tears streamed down their faces, yet they were helpless to prevent the horror unfolding before them.
The One-Mountain demonic beast sneered with malice, poised to commit an unspeakable act.
"No, I hate this! I hate it!" All the disciples of Thvelond were driven to madness, their anguished cries reverberating through the land, powerless to halt the atrocity.
There, the woman's pitiful cries echoed like a lament of eternal despair, a short distance transformed into an insurmountable chasm.
The demonic beasts, as numerous as the ocean, converged upon the scene with wild, mocking laughter that was piercing to the ear and crushing to the spirit.
*Rumble!*
Suddenly, a thunderous roar shook the heavens and the earth, emanating from the skies above the Savage Lands, engulfed by a tempest.
All the disciples of Thvelond were dumbstruck, and the demonic beasts were brought to a standstill; everyone looked up in astonishment at the majestic figure descending from the heavens.
*Rumble!*
A colossal cauldron plummeted from the sky, crashing down with a resounding impact amidst the throng of beasts.
*Howl!*
In an instant, blood sprayed in all directions, chunks of flesh were flung about, and wolf heads tumbled to the ground.
Within the vast Immortal Cauldron, the woman in tattered clothes was frozen in shock, her gaze fixated on the man standing atop the Immortal Cauldron.
In the wilderness, amidst the howling winds, a slender figure stood atop a massive cauldron, exuding the presence of a Lord of Heaven intent on subduing the realms.
"At last, I've caught up!"
Accompanied by a crisp, icy voice, the precious Charm of Flight in their hand burst with a thunderous sound, shattering into a shower of sparkling fragments that scattered across the sky.
