A week had passed since Aelina left the group of Battle Maiden Sect survivors in the secluded valley. Their focus had been solely on cultivating and absorbing as much Qi as possible from the formations, but now those formations had been deactivated.
Skye opened her eyes, the tranquility of her meditation shattered by the abrupt absence of Qi. Her senses immediately noted the change. She turned to look at Morgana, whose eyes also fluttered open, reflecting a similar realization. The abundance of Qi, the gift that had supercharged their cultivation, was no more.
"The formations have ended," Skye announced, standing and dusting off her robes.
All around her, the other women began to stir, their meditation disrupted. Confusion flickered across their faces as they looked at each other, a shared sense of disappointment echoing through them. The Qi's disappearance signaled the end of a period of immense growth, a feeling they all cherished.
However, there was no time for disappointment.
A sudden rumble of distant explosions jolted them out of their meditation. Their eyes fluttered open to the sight of the clear sky being disrupted by puffs of smoke. The sounds of the battle, echoing faintly over the hills, reached their ears.
"What the hell? It sounds like someone's fighting over there!"
"Fighting?! No, it sounds more like a war!"
"What?! Why would Sect Master Aelina place us right next to a warzone?!"
The women commented, looking at each other, wondering what they should do. They had just come back from the brink of hell. Were they supposed to jump right back in, especially for some random people?!
The Elders were the first to react to these sudden noises. They doubted that it was a coincidence that they just so happened to be cultivating next to a warzone.
As the Elders spread out their Soul Senses, their eyes widened in surprise upon seeing that it was actually another Battle Maiden Sect branch at war.
'...B-But how? Did Master Aelina actually take us so far? Is that the strength of a Divine Sea Realm master?' Morgana couldn't help but shiver at Aelina's power.
As those of Aelina's caliber hardly ever fight, the limits of the Divine Sea Realm aren't widely known. They are only seen by the public as god-like entities that have absolute control.
Shaking those thoughts out of her head, Morgana stood up and faced everyone.
"I-I don't know how to say this… but another one of our branch Sects is at war."
…
The crowd was silent for a moment, their eyes widening in shock before they began making a ruckus.
"What?! Are you serious?!"
"How dare those bastards?! One of our Sects wasn't enough, huh?! They just had to go for more!"
"Dammit! I'm gonna rip out their spines and feed their corpses to the pigs!"
Without waiting for further confirmation, the disciples and Elders began to gather their belongings, gearing up for battle. The profound sense of unity they shared with the besieged branch Sect was an innate part of their identities as Battle Maidens. There was no question of not going to their aid; it was a matter of when and how fast they could get there.
Skye took a deep breath, summoning her Qi, which was now noticeably more substantial than before their week-long cultivation period. She turned to face the other disciples, her voice clear and firm.
"We've just experienced what it's like to be on the losing end of a war. We've lost sisters, friends, mentors... Do we let that happen to another one of our Sects? Or do we fight?"
There was a moment of silence before a deafening roar erupted from the crowd, their voices echoing off the valley walls.
"WE FIGHT!"
With a nod, Skye gestured toward the direction of the ongoing battle, her eyes hardening.
"Then let's go. We may have lost our own battle, but we won't let another of our Sects suffer the same fate!"
Without wasting another moment, they all took to the sky, their bodies illuminated by the rising sun. The valley that had been their sanctuary for the past week was left behind as they soared over the landscape.
As they approached the battleground, the true scale of the conflict became clear. The Crimson Slayer Sect was relentlessly attacking the Battle Maiden Sect branch. The mountainous bowl where the Sect was located was severely damaged, its natural defenses shattered.
The battle was reaching its climax. Both sides were losing lives, the myriad of energies clashing in the sky, creating a dazzling yet terrifying spectacle. But despite their numbers advantage, the Crimson Slayer Sect was faring worse, their disciples dying at a faster rate than those from the Battle Maiden Sect.
It couldn't be helped as not only was this their enemy's territory, but individually, each Battle Maiden was at least two times stronger than those from the Crimson Slayer Sect.
Though, most of the deaths were just fodder or Revenants, controlled by the Shadow Necromancer Sect, anyways.
The blood-tinted sky was rent by streams of Qi, the spiritual energy colliding and exploding in a cacophony of destruction. Amidst this chaos, Skye and her group descended from the sky like avenging angels, their resolve as solid as the weapons in their hands.
Battle cries echoed as they joined the fray. Their numbers may not have been many, but their entrance created a psychological shockwave across the battlefield. It was like the dawn breaking after a long and gruesome night, bringing hope where there was despair.
The Battle Maidens, who were barely holding on, found a renewed vigor. Their war cries grew louder, their attacks more forceful. Each disciple, regardless of their strength, fought as if they were the strongest… as if this were their last.
Cyrus, the Sect Master of the Crimson Slayer Sect, watched this spectacle from a distance. His eyes narrowed, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.
'I can't believe Aelina actually forced those survivors to join the war so quickly.' He clicked his tongue in annoyance, but this was within his expectations. He knew something would be different about this battle, he just didn't know what.
With a glance, he could tell that they had all grown stronger, and from the killing intent they released, they were clearly out for blood. Despite being only a fraction of his army, those 'battle-hardened' disciples would deal much more damage than he was willing to allow.
'I still have so many more Sects to destroy! With how the fight's going, even though I should be able to win with brute force and overwhelming numbers, the casualties will be too high. At this rate, by the time I'm even ready to face Aelina and the main Sect, everyone will be dead!' He thought to himself, but even he knew that was a lie.
Even if he attacked the main Sect with the entire army, they would merely be ants in a furnace. This was all he could do to bring Aelina down from her pedestal.
'While it's a shame, I guess it's time to destroy this place, retreat, and move on. This was just a bad match-up. The rest of the Branch Sects won't be nearly this strong or hard to invade.' Cyrus shook his head before reaching out his Divine Sense to connect with all the Toxic Blade Sect disciples.
'Turn this place into a wasteland.'
Intermittent within the dense army, the Toxic Blade Sect disciples smiled as they took out dozens of toxic poisons, all while spreading out their Qi, which also had toxic properties.
Skye's sharp senses caught the change in the wind almost instantly, a subtle shift that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Her heart pounded in her chest as she turned to look at the Toxic Blade Sect disciples fanning out within the Crimson Slayer Sect army.
"Ice the ground, now!" she bellowed, directing her command at Morgana and any other Ice Qi cultivators around her. They didn't question her, immediately understanding the imminent danger from their enemy's change in tactics.
Streams of frosty Qi burst from their bodies, converging into an icy blast that coated the battlefield in a layer of frost.
As soon as the toxins met the frost, a violent reaction occurred. Plumes of corrosive mist rose into the air, eating away at anything they touched. The ice wasn't nearly enough to stop the poisons as they snaked their way into the ground.
The vibrant, life-filled bowl quickly turned into a wasteland, the ground corroded, the trees wilted, and the air filled with a deathly haze.
Despite their attempt to counteract the toxins, the corrosive mist permeated throughout the battlefield, leaving behind nothing but devastation. Any unprotected disciple caught in it instantly shrieked in agony as their flesh began to dissolve, a macabre sight that chilled even the toughest of warriors to the bone.
Even with their Qi as a barrier, they could feel the deadly power of the toxins eating away at their defenses. The once lush valley had become a no man's land within moments.
But the Battle Maidens, driven by their resolution, didn't falter. If anything, the horrifying display of their enemy's ruthlessness only steeled their resolve. They took deep breaths, popped in the pills that Aelina and her Alchemy team had prepared for them, and charged into the deadly mist.
Skye was at the side, her eyes burning with a cold rage. The sight of her fellow disciples' suffering ignited a fury within her that made her previous battles seem like child's play. She leaped around the mist toward the middle of the army, her blade dancing in her hands, cleaving through any enemy that dared to cross her path.
All around her, Battle Maidens fought with a deadly determination. Despite the poisonous mist, they pushed back. Their tenacity sent a clear message to their enemies: if you think we're going to retreat because of this, then we'll take you down with us!
From his vantage point, Cyrus watched as Aelina's forces tore through his forces. His face darkened, and his eyes glinted with a cold, calculating light. This wasn't going as planned. He hadn't expected them to hold their ground so fiercely, even in the face of such deadly odds.
Despite the unexpected resistance, he gave a dismissive snort, his face hardening. 'All forces, retreat! They'll die off soon anyways,' he commanded through his Divine Sense.
His sect members, despite their confusion and unwillingness, gradually started retreating from the frontlines out of the bowl.
However, even as the enemy forces retreated, Skye and her fellow sisters continued their relentless pursuit. For the enemies that had dared to invade their fellow sister's territory and bring death and destruction, they would show no mercy.
The Crimson Slayer Sect's forces were in complete disarray. They were being chased and slaughtered like lambs, only allowing the strong to escape.
At the forefront of the chase, Skye was an unstoppable force of destruction. Her sword danced a deadly ballet, reaping lives with each stroke. Her eyes were cold and rage unending as she took out all her sorrows onto those before her.
However, before she and many others could continue, they felt an unstoppable pressure push them back, allowing for the opposing army to escape without any more casualties.
The battle was brutal and bloody, the once beautiful valley filled with the stench of death and the cries of agony. But there was an undeniable sense of triumph beneath the chaos and destruction. They had defended their fellow Sect and turned the tables on the invading army.
With the battle concluded, Skye and her fellow disciples turned towards the sect that they had come to aid. Their hearts sank at the sight that met their eyes. The once beautiful bowl was now a barren wasteland, the land corroded and the air filled with toxic fumes.
There were many more survivors this time, but each one was in worse shape than the last.
As the sun began to set, painting the sky in hues of orange and red, Skye and her fellow disciples started aiding their fellow Sect members. They provided medical aid, distributed food and water, and helped escort everyone out of the ruined Sect.
The battle had ended, but the war was far from over. They had won the day, but they knew that Cyrus would return.
In the distance, Aelina watched Cyrus leave with an expressionless face before turning to the next batch of survivors.
'Looks like I won't have to do any convincing this time. That Skye girl… It seems she has quite the talent for leadership. The upcoming battles will be a good place to extract that potential. Anyways, for now, I have to prepare the rewards for everyone's hard work! ' A slight smile played upon her lips as she vanished into the void, her destination unknown.
