C9 Before the War!

A new day dawned at the border between the Fell Lands and the Guiltlands.

A towering mountain range sprawled before me, its several peaks arrayed like a dragon lying in wait, severing a part of the world from the rest.

"Shua!"

Suddenly, amidst a jarring clash of metal, a surge of chaotic sword aura shot over from the mountains.

The dazzling sword aura commanded the attention of the whole universe, streaking across the heavens in a flash.

"Boom!"

A thunderous explosion shattered the mountain range; the sword aura cleaved through the sky, dispersing the clouds. A single strike sent shockwaves through the heavens, leaving nothing but debris where the massive peaks once stood. The once rugged mountain path was instantly leveled.

"Wuwu!"

As the mournful sound of horns filled the air, behind the shattered peaks, amidst the billowing dust, countless bloodthirsty Devil's Eyes ignited.

A dense, overwhelming beast tide had emerged.

Pig monsters with white fur as tough as steel needles bared their long tusks. Glowscales with wings and shimmering golden bodies soared. Wolf monsters, cloaked in black fur with gleaming white teeth, drooled with a foul stench.

But most numerous were the snake demons, with their thick bodies and smooth, fine scales. They blanketed the land, flicking their tongues, their vertical green pupils glinting with a chilling light.

On the ground, pig monsters, wolf monsters, and snake demons surged like a relentless steel flood, crushing everything in their path as they rolled toward the Guiltlands with a resounding roar.

Above, nearly 100,000 Glowscales flapped their massive wings, their golden bodies shining like miniature suns. Their bloodthirsty gaze radiated with a brutal ferocity, their murderous intent enveloping the sky and sweeping across the whole universe.

"Kill!"

Leading the 100,000-strong beast tide was a young man exuding demonic might.

Clad in Spirit Armor, his eyes sparkled with a cold Divine Light. His long, light purple hair whipped in the wind, cascading down to his waist. His handsome, sharply defined features were like those chiseled from stone.

The young man's presence was overwhelming. With his arms folded and deep purple eyes gleaming with an icy Divine Light, he showed not a trace of human emotion.

He stood with an air of unparalleled majesty, his slender figure like a solitary mountain peak, emanating a domineering presence that commanded deep respect.

The young man pointed ahead to a massive city within the Guiltlands. Behind him, a thunderous roar of battle cries erupted, nearly overturning the heavens.

"Boom!"

A beast tide of 100,000 surged forward like an unstoppable deluge, barreling toward Ensmelle, a city on the Guiltlands' border.

Dust and smoke filled the sky, and the earth-shaking murderous intent was as sharp as a knife, cutting across the whole universe.

It was a massacre, utterly one-sided.

Five days later, within the Thvelond Temple at the Guiltlands, atop Thvelond Mount.

"Lord, the Beast Tribe from the Fell Lands has assembled a hundred thousand Fellbeasts, led by Young Lord Licinius, and they are attacking our Guiltlands!" a disciple reported.

"In a single day, Ensmelle's three hundred thousand citizens were slaughtered, and tens of thousands of mages lay dead across the wilderness!"

Upon hearing the report, Hephaistos, seated on the Lord's throne, furrowed his golden brows.

"How could this happen so swiftly?" Hephaistos murmured, turning to Bucolus beside him.

They had anticipated an invasion from the Beast Tribe into the Fell Lands, but not with such alarming speed; especially since the true Lord of Thvelond, Kenway, had not yet returned.

"Is there any more news?" Bucolus asked after a long silence, as if recalling something, addressing the disciple below.

"After the massacre at Ensmelle, the 100,000 demons withdrew. They're now encamped at the border between the Fell Lands and the Guiltlands, their intentions unclear."

"Additionally, we've received word that several dozen mages from Ensmelle have survived. They are all Qi Condensation practitioners, currently being pursued by three hundred Beast Soldiers and fleeing towards Thvelond Mount," the disciple reported truthfully.

"A conspiracy!" Hephaistos declared without hesitation.

With a beast tide of 100,000 and an army capable of blood-washing a city like Ensmelle overnight, leaving tens of thousands of advanced mages dead in the fields, Hephaistos refused to believe that those bloodthirsty demons would spare even a handful of Qi Condensation cultivators.

"This is an attempt to draw out the high-ranking mages of Thvelond!" Bucolus said, his expression icy as he turned to Hephaistos.

Both were well aware that as long as the Voidweave Array shrouded Thvelond, the demons wouldn't dare launch a true assault.

After all, this was the Voidweave Array, the most formidable circle of death known since ancient times, inscribable only by the mythical Ruler of the Ten Heavens—a taboo in itself.

Forget a hundred thousand demons; even a million would be annihilated in an instant by the Voidweave Array. Such was the dread power of the ultimate circle of death.

"As the preeminent large sect in the Guiltlands, Thvelond cannot turn a blind eye to the plight of fellow mages in distress!" Bucolus declared sternly.

"But Master, if we deploy a large number of mages from the mountains and they fall into a demon ambush, the losses will be catastrophic!" Hephaistos protested urgently. The once mighty Thvelond, one of the eight great orthodoxies of the nine continents, had been severely weakened by turmoil centuries ago and had yet to fully recover.

Mountain Mages, no matter the faction, were a rare and valuable fighting force, not easily cultivated.

"Do we uphold Thvelond's honor and dispatch our disciples to rescue those lesser mages, or do we do nothing and allow them to be massacred by demons? This is a perilous move, but one we must make!" Bucolus huffed, his tone suggesting he had anticipated this dilemma.

"Thvelond must not become the laughingstock of the whole universe!" Hephaistos gripped his fists tightly.

"Dispatch five hundred Qi Condensation disciples to rescue those mages!" In a booming voice, Hephaistos made a decision that seemed wise but was, in truth, profoundly foolish.

"Master, is what I'm doing right?" Hephaistos watched his disciple hurry off with the orders, his brows knitted in concern as he turned to the impassive Bucolus.

"You're still young, and I will not be here forever. I've told you, the mantle of Lord is yours. The question you should be asking is within yourself, not of me!" Bucolus stood silently, his indifferent words deepening Hephaistos's frown.

Suddenly, Hephaistos seemed to have a realization, and his pupils contracted sharply.

There was a loud bang as he braced himself against the chair, attempting to rise.

"Bam!"

But a pale, powerful hand firmly pressed down on his shoulder, the force so terrifying that he couldn't stand.

"Master, they're in danger—they'll all die!" Hephaistos exclaimed, looking at Bucolus with urgency.

"Don't be petty. This is the last time I'll say this: the next time you make a decision, whether you trust in your own strength or in the disciples of Thvelond, the outcome will be unpredictable for anyone!"

"Remember, firmly remember, you are the Lord. Every decision you make can either send Thvelond soaring to the heavens or plummeting into hell. Think carefully before you act. I've taught you this many times!" Bucolus sighed, his grip on Hephaistos's shoulder unyielding.

"No!"

A sorrowful cry echoed through the spacious Thvelond Temple.

Because of his one wrong decision, Hephaistos had doomed five hundred delicate blossoms of Thvelond. He was a sinner.

"Consider it a lesson, but don't dwell on it, for all of this is merely part of the grand scheme!" Bucolus reassured him, patting his shoulder.

"You knew I would make this choice?" Hephaistos suddenly looked up at Bucolus.

In that moment, the middle-aged man's ordinary features were overshadowed by his murky eyes, which seemed as deep as endless abysses. A chilling coldness welled up in Hephaistos, filling him with an inexplicable terror.

"You are still just a child!" Bucolus consoled him, his face as rigid as a corpse, leaving Hephaistos with an unprecedented sense of awe.

'What a formidable figure he is!' Hephaistos realized that his so-called cunning was laughable before this man.

"The time has come," Bucolus sighed softly, patting Hephaistos's hand gently.

Behind Thvelond, the mountain loomed high, its trees lush and dense.

"Boom!"

Suddenly, a thunderous noise erupted, and a vast shadow rose, casting a pall over the mountain's rear.

A rat, bare-chested, hoisted a massive white cauldron overhead, refining its body with the effort.

The cauldron was immense, akin to a small hill, tipping the scales at well over a hundred thousand pounds.

"Zopyrus, dinner's ready!" Kallisto's sharp voice echoed from the courtyard.

"Coming!" The rat replied, channeling spiritual energy within its body, causing the white cauldron to shrink to a miniature size, which he then grasped in his hand.

Entering the courtyard, the rat casually tossed the white cauldron onto the table and began to devour a large bowl of rice with ravenous gusto.

"Could this actually be a Supreme Artifact?" Clements emerged, taking a seat but not partaking in the meal. Instead, he circled the small cauldron with keen interest.

The black cauldron had burst apart, seemingly breaking some sort of seal, and had transformed into its current state. Oddly enough, only the rat seemed capable of activating it.

Clements, seizing the small cauldron with one hand, bellowed a command that resonated like thunder.

Despite exerting his utmost strength, he couldn't lift the small cauldron from the table.

"It's incredibly heavy, surely tens of millions of pounds!" Clements exclaimed, his face flushed and breath heavy.

"Really?" The rat set aside his utensils and effortlessly picked up the white cauldron, nonchalantly spinning it in his hand.

"Damn it, are you looking for trouble?" Thvelond erupted, bellowing in anger.

"Disciple of Thvelond, Byzas, pays respects to the Chief Elder!" Suddenly, amidst the tension, a cool, detached voice arose from outside the courtyard, followed by the entrance of two lithe figures.