"So, what do we do now?" Miko asked Lily who was clearly the leader of the Honorable Alliance group. "Do we just go hunting for the enemy, or do you have something in mind?"
Miko's voice was full of eager excitement, as if the brutal war was of no concern to him. Clearly he was confident in his power, and Lily could see why that was. Some of the nearby Honorable Alliance youths stared at the Faeries with gazes of passion, clearly entranced by their beauty. The Faeries ignored such gazes with practiced indifference, clearly used to being gawked at by men.
A thoughtful expression appeared on Lily's face as she thought of what to do next, and a determined look appeared shortly after.
"There is one thing we can do," Lily said, attracting both Miko's and the Faeries attention. "It was initially impossible for us to make it there without being ambushed and killed, but with you joining us, we might be strong enough to get there."
"Where? What place are you talking about?" Miko asked curiously.
A jade piece appeared in Lily's hands, and she tossed it over to Miko. Miko caught it and inspected it, while Lily started talking once again.
"These jade pieces are being used by our Honorable Alliance to communicate across this realm, and the latest information is that an ancient temple has been discovered at the very end of this ancient realm," she started explaining.
"Many are guessing that the temple is the true final area of this realm, and what they're seeing within mostly confirms those suspicions. Within the temple are trials beyond counting, and rewards beyond anyone's imaginations. Powerful weapons and battle arts, ancient cultivation techniques, heaven defying pills and treasures and more are apparently within, obtained by completing those trials and spending the Jade Marks accumulated throughout this realm. Many have already entered the temple, as it's our best chance to increase our power to fight back against the invading enemies. Getting there alive was an almost impossible task, but with your help it should be possible. If we can enter the temple and obtain the treasures within, perhaps we can win this war after all."
Lily took a deep breath after saying all that, while the others fell into contemplative silence.
"What's there to think about?" Miko said, his boisterous voice filled with excited confidence. "Let's go to the temple. With me and my soul-sisters, your safety is assured."
The Faeries rolled their eyes upon hearing Miko call them his soul-sisters, as he continually had unique yet exasperating names to call them. However, slight smiles also appeared on some of their faces, as they were becoming more and more used to his antics, and some were starting to find it almost…endearing.
Lily and the others gazed at Miko, and after a moment of hesitation, Lily nodded her head.
"Sure. Let's go!"
…
A group of three youths stood at the top of a tall mountain, their gazes lingering on what laid before them. A sprawling land of verdurous mountains stretched out as far as the eye could see, with crystal blue rivers meandering throughout the deep valleys in between. Waterfalls crashed down to the valleys below, covering much of the land in a fine, refreshing mist.
It was truly like they had stepped into a lush paradise, but the youths ignored the vibrant land before them, and instead gazed towards a distant mountain that stood high above the others. The mountain was ten miles tall, and hundreds of miles wide. It was more apt to call it a plateau; a plateau that held a grand temple far beyond what any of them had ever seen.
The temple was almost as wide as the plateau, making it nearly a hundred miles wide and several miles tall. It was the most massive building the trio had ever seen, and they couldn't help but study its exterior in awed wonder.
A massive miles wide staircase led up the mountain to the front of the temple, which had a large arch at its center providing entrance within. The large arched entrance was guarded by two dragon statues, both a mile tall and incredibly lifelike. It was as if two actual dragons were guarding the entrance, both Jade green in color.
The temple was pure gold, with Jade green designs covering its exterior, making it look grandiose beyond compare. Pearly white clouds drifted around the temple, making it look like an otherworldly temple for immortal gods.
"That must be the temple everyone is talking about," one of the youths said, breaking the silence.
"Obviously," the youth with long silver hair standing at the front said, before his gaze shifted slightly to the side. "But before we enter, it seems as though we have a bit of company."
"Honorable Alliance, or the others?" the first youth asked curiously.
"Forbidden Alliance it seems," the lead youth replied, with no concern or fear at all in his voice.
The trio stood there for a short moment before three youths appeared on the mountaintop next to them, all three wearing blood red robes with malevolent designs on it. The group consisted of two males and one female, all of which stared at the trio with predator-like gazes. All three Forbidden Alliance youths had Peak Heaven Tribulation cultivations, the same as the lead youth who had noticed their arrival.
"What do we have here?" one of the Forbidden Alliance youths asked as a large smile appeared on his face. His smile quickly vanished as he took in the trio's robe designs, and the same happened with the others.
"You…what is your clan doing in these lands?" the Forbidden Alliance youth asked, clearly unsure of how to proceed.
"You can save the questions for later," the lead youth said as he shot forward towards the Forbidden Alliance trio, "but first, this is the perfect time to test my new strength. Try not to die on me too quickly."
…
Bang!
A loud explosion blasted against the mountaintop, while a red-robed youth slammed onto the mountainside. He landed near his other two companions, all who were sprawled on the ground, wounded and unable to fight back. Their wary yet hate-filled gazes stared back at the youth who had bested them three versus one, who landed softly on the ground next to them.
"Has your clan sided with the Honorable Alliance?" one of the Forbidden Alliance youths asked while struggling to stand. "I thought you were supposed to be a neutral power?"
"We are," the silver-haired youth replied, "but we were also invited here by the Honorable Alliance in their pathetic attempt to court us. We had no reason to decline, as this land truly is a place of marvelous opportunities."
"If you're not allied with them, then…"
"Why am I killing you three?" the silver-haired youth asked with a mischievous smile on his face. "I'm not. As I said, you three were the perfect opportunity to test my new strength. You can get up now, I have no intentions of killing you."
The three Forbidden Alliance youths looked at each other with surprised yet confused gazes, and slowly made their way to their feet. They stared at the silver-haired youth before them, whose power was so strong as to overwhelm all three at the same time.
"The winds of fate are changing for the Divine Martial Continent, and a war will surely break out soon," the silver-haired youth said to the three of them. "Your Forbidden Alliance and your other allies are most definitely stronger than the Honorable Alliance, so perhaps it is time that my Starforge Clan picks a side."
"You mean to join us?" one of the Forbidden Alliance youths asked.
"I do. As soon to be leader of the Starforge Clan, I have the authority to make such a decision," Kadin replied calmly yet confidently. "And I choose to align with who I think will win the war, and make us the most money. Since that will most likely be your lot, why don't we cement our cooperation with the blood of the Honorable Alliance youths of this land?" Kadin proposed.
The surprised expressions of the three Forbidden Alliance youths quickly turned into malicious smiles as they nodded their heads in agreement.
"Our Forbidden Alliance is more than happy to welcome your Starforge Clan as an ally," one of the youths replied.
"Good, then let us set off for the temple in the distance," Kadin replied as a dark smile appeared on his face, "and bind our alliance in the blood of our enemies!"
