Tens of thousands of miles away from the Divine Source Monastery, barren mountains, cracked earth, and deep, desolate valleys stretched out for as far as the eye could see. This place had been one of the primary locations of battle during the ancient calamity, and had never recovered from the wounds it had suffered.
In this desolate place stood five figures, standing in a circle, deep in discussion. All five had their auras withdrawn, but each emanated an air of incomparable power.
"The signal has been sent," Thunderzen sighed, taking out a formation disk that glowed brightly in his hand. He stared at it with a complex expression, and then crushed the disk in his hand, turning it into dust.
He shifted his gaze to the others, lingering on two individuals in particular.
"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Thunderzen asked them.
"Is there any alternative?" the Honorable Alliance leader asked, smiling.
"From what we have heard of its strength…no," Thunderzen said, his voice heavy.
"Then what is there to be concerned about?" the Honorable Alliance leader chuckled. "I've lived a long, satisfying life. I've watched as the Honorable Alliance worked its way up from nothing into a pinnacle power of the world, and I won't sit idly as it comes to ruin. Besides, if I was to pick a way to die, fighting side by side with my friends against the dangers of the world is the best way I can think of."
Thunderzen nodded his head, and then looked towards another, the Grand Elder. The Grand Elder smiled lightly and nodded his head with firm resolve.
"I made up my mind a long time ago," he said. "If this is the way it must be, then this is the way it must be."
Thunderzen smiled at the man and nodded his head, but the smile was one of sadness.
"And the other preparations?" he asked the Grand Elder.
"All the formations are in place," the Grand Elder replied. "The first few should buy John and Lilian some time, at which point the Alliance Head and I will activate the final formations."
"Then let us pray it is enough," Thunderzen said.
"What are you so gloomy about, big brother?" A loud, boisterous voice boomed out beside Thunderzen.
Thunderfist reached out and patted Thunderzen on the back vigorously, the pats causing the ground beneath their feet to crack and loud booms to echo throughout the barren wasteland.
"This is a wondrous thing we're about to experience," Thunderfist continued. "I haven't had a good battle in thousands of years. Today is a day where I can go all out, hold absolutely nothing back, and fight to my heart's content. Death is a small price to pay for feeling such an invigorating thrill!"
Thunderfist scoffed at his brother's antics, and then patted him back on the shoulder.
His gaze then shifted towards the final figure, who had remained silent thus far. The man had a hulking frame, being a full head taller than even the tallest of them. Large muscles bulged under every inch of skin, making him look more like a primordial beast than a human. His arms were crossed over his chest as he listened to the others.
"Are you sure you want to take part in this?" Thunderzen asked the man. "The chance of death is high, and you are not related to any of this. You can still turn back now."
"Not related to any of this?" the man scoffed, as if he had just been thoroughly insulted. "The greatest weapon I ever created is sitting in the hands of the greatest genius this world has ever seen. You might as well call John a disciple of mine, as far as I'm concerned. I will not sit idly while someone targets my disciple," Daoist Eternal Weapon said, his voice deep and firm.
Thunderzen nodded appreciatively towards Daoist Eternal Weapon. Having such a powerhouse to aid them would no doubt be invaluable. He had thought of including more in this plan, but time had not been on their side. He had started his plans a long time back, but still found time to be the one thing he didn't have enough of. Too much to do, too little time to do it.
Besides, finding powerful enough cultivators to fight against an opponent as strong as the Asura was nearly impossible. This small squad of theirs would have to do.
Time quickly passed by, as some of those gathered conversed, while others, such as the Grand Elder and Daoist Eternal Weapon, inspected the things they had set up beforehand.
"Prepare yourselves!" Thunderzen suddenly called out, the others stirring to action in an instant. A massive forging table appeared before Daoist Eternal Weapon, and his hammer appeared in his hand, while the others took out their weapons as well. They all gathered together as a spatial rift suddenly appeared before them. The rift quickly grew in size, and before long, Lilian stepped out of it.
Her eyes swept over those gathered, lingering on her adoptive father, Thunderzen, the longest. Thunderzen gave her a warm smile, noticing her improved cultivation.
"You have done well, daughter," he said warmly. "Regardless of what happens today, none of us have any regrets. Protect John, but equally important, protect yourself. And above all, you have made me more proud than you could possibly imagine."
Lilian's face quivered with emotions which she quickly pushed down, regaining her focus. She nodded her head firmly, and then turned around towards the portal she had opened.
"You will do as we planned," Thunderzen said. "And we will buy you time to do it. Should the battle be to our favor, you will not need to carry out the plan, but I doubt that will be the case. You will know which way the battle is going when you arrive at your destination."
Lilian nodded her head again, and watched as John stepped out of the portal behind her. John's eyes went wide as he studied the faces around him.
He had been expecting Thunderzen and Thunderfist, and even the Grand Elder, but the Honorable Alliance head and Daoist Eternal Weapon surprised him. They all stared at him with unwavering gazes.
"Take out your flying ship," Lilian suddenly said before John could say anything. He raised an eyebrow, but did as commanded. Clearly Daoist Eternal Weapon had told them of the flying ship he had given John, which was one of the best flying ships in the entire world.
The ship appeared in the sky above them, and Lilian grabbed John's arm, flashing upwards without a moment's hesitation. John was dragged into the ship at a speed he could hardly comprehend, the door closing behind them.
Lilian flashed into the formation room of the ship, where one would place spirit crystals on the powering formation to power the ship. A mountain of high-grade spirit crystals appeared on the formation, a value staggering even to one as rich as John. She then flashed towards the helm, and pressed several of the formation runes there.
The ship, however, did not move just yet, confusing John greatly.
"Shouldn't we be fleeing?" he asked, but received no answer from Lilian. Lilian's face was scrunched up with focus, as if waiting for something.
There was silence for a moment, and then it was as if hell itself had descended on them. A patch of sky suddenly splintered, sending cracks in the fabric of space in all directions, and then it shattered completely. A hellish figure stepped out from within the shattered patch of space, as if the confines of space were no more than a nuisance.
The Asura stared down from above at the five, his blood red eyes filled with murderous menace. The five felt their hearts tighten instinctively, as every instinct they had was telling them to flee at this very moment. All five stood their ground, pushing down their instinctual cries, and stared back at the creature that seemed like a nightmare incarnate.
The Asura's gaze shifted towards the flying ship, still hovering in the air, and its maw widened into a gaping smile, revealing its sharp, bloodstained teeth.
"Found you!"
