The massive army of Shadow Beasts relentlessly marched forward, led by their masters the Dark Shadow Sect member, they were finally coming back after a few days of having been fended off by the Winter Lotus Sect somehow.
This time they had packed up a bunch of soldiers, hundreds of them, using the mysterious methods the sect had acquired to create these powerful creatures, they abused it to the limit and made-up big armies that could consume and devour anything in their path, ultimately making them the strongest army of monsters.
Their Ranks in power ranged from Rank 1 all the way to Rank 3, and there were even some at Rank 4… the only reason why they couldn't defeat the Sect Master was that she was obviously Rank 4, so her strength was admirable, and she was also almost Rank 5 too at Rank 4 Peak Stage. Despite her complete lack of physical capabilities, her magic was strong.
But now that they were packed with so many soldiers, they would simply use some as shields and the rest would be sent as soldiers to slaughter the rest of the sect and steal all their resources, corpses, and souls.
Of course, it was just as Drake had thought, they required the corpses and souls of people to continuously produce more Shadow Beasts through a unique ritual that worked mysteriously even for the sect members themselves, who had yet to figure out how it all worked.
These powerful shadows carried some kind of supernatural force to them that made them no normal summons, they were made through special and strange magical methods that could only be achieved by a being way above mortals that had left an inheritance that even mortals could utilize through the simplification of his methods…
This was the inheritance that the dark shadow sect master had acquired, which made his army grow bigger as he sacrificed his own sect members for the first shadow beasts, but now that he got enough lives and souls from the invasion, he had made an even bigger army.
The end of the arrogant Winter Lotus Sect was nearing, as the sect master was told about the arrival of their enemies, she gritted her teeth in utter frustration and disbelief, completely left speechless over the speed of their comeback, only a week had passed and they were already coming back with a gigantic army, this was only going to end badly for the Winter Lotus Sect, the possibility of the entire sect being destroyed was very likely.
In just an hour they would arrive, she didn't have much time to do anything else, she quickly decided that the only thing they could do now was an escape, she still had some time, an hour was enough for them to pack things up and escape while she and some of the elders buy time to the people, holding on the massive army alone by themselves, somehow… she knew she would probably die here, but she was willing to do it for her people.
Lady Winter Moon was a woman raised with principles, even as she had done an unforgivable sin, she was always taught to prioritize the life of the sect members…
At all costs.
Without members the sect was no longer a sect, her destiny the moment she became a sect master was that of protecting these people from danger and helping them cultivate and grow strong like her…
"If things come down to it… Alright, all of you, pack things up and abandon the sect! I and a few Elders will hold our ground and not let the army advance, you must escape and one day rebuild our sect from the ground up…" said Lady Winter Lotus, her smaller stature than the other sect members didn't make her less fearsome and domineering, her very presence made the Sect members quickly nod, although they also felt regret.
The Elders gathered around her, some of them were part of her family, while others were of other families of more larger and robust ice giants.
"B-But Sect Master!"
"You can't possibly… die here…!"
"Without you…"
"Silence! You'll do as I say as that is the power my title gives to me. You're all going to do as I say! You, you, and you, and all of you will stay with me, the rest of you… protect our people with all your souls." She said, her domineering presence sent chills down the spines of the sect elders.
They regretfully nodded, squinting their eyes in anger and frustration as they quickly left the palace and began to order the people to pack everything they could and run to the back gate of the sect's walls, to escape for their lives.
As the people escaped, the Sect Master flew outside her palace with another five Elders, the strongest elders there were, and her loyal retainers.
The group stood over the walls outside, glancing down at the distance.
"Clairvoyance."
FLASH!
Lady Winter Moon's eyes flashed with pink light as her field of vision suddenly expanded several kilometers, to the distance, she was a massive army of Shadow Beasts quickly reaching up to here, even an hour was way too much time given, they were going to get here in less than that, that's for sure!
"Elders, we might die today, do your prayers and make sure to have said your goodbyes to your families. Our sacrifice won't be in vain, we'll do what we must do to protect our people and our legacy. While the old like us will perish, the young will survive and we'll be able to push through even in such adversities… even if it's hard, even if it seems we cannot do it, we have to put everything in our strength to fight back against this threat… against this darkness… I hope you can all accompany me to my death. Give up your dreams, and die with me." She said.
The elders felt moved by her honest, harsh, and cold words, which were filled with deep emotions of devotion to her people. In all their years these old elders had never seen such a benevolent sect master who was willing to go so far for her people…
