There were countless eyes on Kairos when he took action.

At first the Frosthral barbarians couldn’t tell who he was, they only know from the place he is standing and the way others treated him that he was a leader of some sort. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so few attackers previously.

But every now and then, the Saint Empire soldiers will turn their eyes towards where Kairos is, and this caused the Frosthral barbarians to take notice of Kairos; and it wasn’t just a portion, but the entire Saint Empire frontlines.

Many of those who were killed were looking at the same direction.

Their enemies recognised that they placed their hopes on him, waiting for him to take action.

Kairos wasn’t merely a leader of sorts, but a symbol of hope.

However, after everything that Kairos did, there wasn’t a single change on the battlefield.

Despair struck the Saint Empire veterans like a sharp blade while the Frosthral barbarians smirked.

Look that is all your hero amounted to.

The rescue did not come, the future is as bleak as before.

As the light returned to Kairos’ eyes, he felt as though he had surfaced from under water. Like waters falling away, he could feel his connection with the Time element weakening, returning to normal.

He can no longer slow down his attackers or appear where he wants with a thought.

After feeling those powers leaving him, a sigh left his lungs.

He looked around, surprised to find himself rather far from where he was before but a recent memory soon surfaced.

It was a grey and hazy piece of recounting, more dreamlike than actual.

He couldn’t help but turn his eyes towards the now vanished rune.

“Will it work?”

On the battlefield, in this fight where time is of the essence, the stronger fighters had to step forward and fight off their enemies to lessen their losses.

This means that the generals, great generals, and commanders of Saint Empire faced the most injuries.

Although in this way they can reduce the number of deaths, every time someone falls is a huge blow to the army’s morale.

However, when the blue butterflies fluttered over, the casualties immediately stopped.

As long as there is one on your shoulder, you will be protected by a gentle blue glow that could deter all attacks. The concept of this protection is the same as a Ki Barrier, only much more potent. It works against both physical and elemental abuse though no one knew how long this will last.

As the Frosthral barbarians struck them a couple more times, they were surprised at how sturdy this new Ki Barrier is.

Of course, the one who is the most surprised right now is Alan. The energy used to protect the soldiers are not totally taken from him. If he is a godling, maybe it’s possible, but no one on Gaia have such strength. To be able to shield so many against such enemies is all because of the consolidated energy from everyone’s Ki Barrier.

Ki Barrier is a coating of energy used to shield against attacks. The basic method to generate such a protection is by expelling internal energy then reinforcing it to cover one’s body in a thick layer.

However, the reason Ki Barrier works is because when it is activated, it does not take away any energy from the user until attacked.

The only loss is through natural energy dispersion when one’s Ki return to the atmosphere. This amount is elevated understandably when using Ki Barrier, because expelled Ki is harder to retain.

Such incredible energy efficiency allows a cultivator to use all the internal energy he could spare to protect himself, leaving only enough to maintain the Ki Cycle in the meridian system and to move or form attacks.

If a person’s Ki is separated into a hundred parts, between one to ten parts could be used for every attack, whereas eighty can be used to power up a Ki Barrier.

However, the eighty parts are normally spread evenly across a person’s body.

Therefore, if an attack is focused on a localised area, it can temporarily overpower the barrier and harm the target.

Unfortunately, while it is a good defence between two equal fighters, against the overwhelming strength granted by the War God Tattoo it wasn’t strange to find people killed in a single hit, Ki Barrier or not.

But when the enemies struck, they were shocked that this pretty-looking technique managed to shield everyone without any sign of weakening.

Noticing how their attacks no longer worked, the Frosthral barbarians immediately changed their methods.

Instead of continue trying to charge deep into the Saint Empire ranks and taking down as many targets as possible, they first gathered their strength to kill those in their way.

The War God Tattoo’s effect exchanges lifespan for power. Every few minutes of such unrestrained power uses up decades of their remaining time. Even with the longevity of cultivators, they wouldn’t normally last longer than an hour of combat.

Usually, this duration is enough for most situations, but in the case it isn’t, it is possible to trade even more time for power.

A few of the Frosthral barbarians started chanting softly and the air trembled with their every word. It was the ultimate manifestation of their power, the Secret Art. Their wishes altered reality and strange phenomena appeared across the battlefield.

Snowstorms, volcanic eruptions, poisonous rust fields, even thick forests that sprouted out of nowhere.

Those wild elements materialised violently and tried to shred their enemies into pieces.

Yet, the Saint Empire soldiers persisted.

The barbarians couldn’t understand how mere Ki Barriers could withstand their might, yet they could not dismiss the sight.

Just which side is the invincible party?

The Ki Barrier Alan had made is a frightening thing. Alone, it is at most powered by a single individual’s maximum inner energy less the amount needed to maintain Ki Rotation, around eighty parts.

But, through the link of the goddess’ blue butterflies, every individual’s energy could be shared with another.

Unless the enemy could attack with greater strength than the energy assembled by an entire army of two hundred thousand, it would all be futile.

Even just the Ki restored by the cultivation cycles from so many people would be enough to shrug off attacks from thousands.

The creation of such an incredible defensive technique is considerably coincidental, as though all the luck in the world gathered in this place for a moment.

When Kairos shouted at Alan to use his Ki Barrier and protect everyone, his only thought was ‘What should I do? Help!’

But just as he thinks of that, a memory leapt out in his mind: The Saint City’s defence stratagem.

He had once heard Kairos explaining how the city is protected by sharing energy from every building’s barrier crystal, and when a certain area is attacked, all the energies will be directed over to shield it.

He did not know where that thought came from, but he instantly recognised it as a possible solution. Unfortunately, though the idea could work, Alan didn’t know how to put it into place, but nevertheless, he gritted his teeth and tried.

It was an attempt in the dark, but there wasn’t time for him to ponder. It isn’t as if his brain could work as fast as Kairos’ in the first place.

With a heart filled with doubt, he made his first attempt. His thoughts are in disarray. Frankly, all he had is an idea for him to pursue, everything else is just trial and error.

He looked up at the silhouette of Minerva, wishing the goddess could just bless everyone with her protection and be over and done with.

The goddess looked down at Alan and blessed his ‘help-needed’ brain.

A flash of light fell from heaven and enveloped Alan. To others it looked like a beam of sunray, but to Alan he felt as if something smacked him over the head.

Right now, his intelligence is critically lacking and in deep need of a boost. Somehow, the goddess Minerva must’ve recognised that and gave him the loving club of mental acuity, because the next moment an idea formed into his head: The Northern Swords Array.

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It could link up everyone’s energies as long as they are standing in formation.

Although it’s impossible to fit all the soldiers into this array, there might be another way if there is a medium.

And then, as if answering to his thoughts, the goddess turned into countless butterflies that covered the battlefield. The wings of these little creatures are imprinted with the Northern Swords Array.

Becoming the medium Alan wanted, these blue butterflies did not supply the soldiers with energy but instead became a link to connect everyone’s Ki Barrier together.

Alan, completely uncertain of what happened and how it happened, discovered that he had succeeded…through sheer luck. He thought he must’ve used up all the good fortune for the rest of his life for this instant, but it is worth the lives of his friends.

A wide grin appeared on his lips. The pain from the swell that appeared on his head is already forgotten.

Then he immediately felt cold sweat roll down his back.

Everything is way too coincidental, isn’t it?

Meanwhile, not knowing what transpired from Alan’s side, Kairos took a look around with a frown. The War God Tattoo granted cultivators with improvements in all areas, and it made the strength of Secret Arts even more terrifying. Those barbarians that are B rankers on average and throwing around attacks at the strength of Double or Triple S full-powered blows like it was nothing.

The butterfly of the goddess Minerva may have granted them time to breathe, but judging the current situation, this protection will last for only a quarter of an hour at most and that is if everyone dedicates their energy fully to the shields.

Of course, from the way the Frosthral barbarians are spending their lifespan, they may also perish before breaking this protection.

He couldn’t leave this to luck. The most assured method is to retaliate before the Ki Barriers are broken, to further snip away their enemies’ lifespan.

So far, no technique could stop these immortal barbarians except for his Immolation Finger which is a complete counter to the War God Tattoo.

Unfortunately, no matter how powerful the technique was, if it was unable to strike his targets then it is useless, and he had already lost the inspiration to refine the technique.

Nevertheless, Kairos raised a palm into the air and cycled his Ki around his Meridian system for a full rotation.

“Two Breaths,” he muttered softly to himself.

It is the time needed for him to activate the Immolation Finger technique.

He retracted the energy and restarted again. Ki rushed through his meridians, moving in an intricate pattern while gaining traction.

When it finished, a complicated set of runes were drawn out in his body, invoking certain true names that when combined will create the effect he wants.

“Three Breaths,” he said this time.

This is the interval required when changing the Immolation Finger to the Immolation Rain technique. It is merely a breath longer and he could send out thousands of the same attacks out.

This small difference of interval lies in the time needed to separate his Ki into smaller pockets, which is done by letting the energy disperse in the air.

Three breaths are already incredible to achieve, only possible because the Immolation Finger isn’t a technique that extracted much from the user, but instead drew energy from the victim to cause an implosion.

Unfortunately, this speed is still far from enough.

Another full cycle of Ki, this time, he retracted it before it reached his palm.

“Two breaths,” he announced.

The meridian pathways that his Ki took this time had become even more refined than before and it shortened the cast time for the Immolation Rain to two breathes.

“Last try.”

Kairos knew there is no time left…

His hand stretched out tensely. This time, he wouldn’t retract his Ki. He needs to trust that vanished rune to work. Trust that Von Cixton’s borrowed talents are strong enough. Trust the newly born Silver Dragon in his Dantian.

Time seemed to slow down.

Two breathes to release his technique is too slow. If the Ki pockets were shot out at that speed, its trajectory path will easily be sensed by their enemies. Those barbarians would feel the attack coming a mile away with their heightened Time-Space affinity.

Even half a breath is too slow and right now Kairos didn’t know how to make it even faster. It was rare for the young man to find his brain emptied of ideas. For the first time in his life, Kairos closed his eyes and left it to luck.

He only has a half-formed idea before his previous trance was disrupted. Instinctively he thought that it might be a possibility and a newly born Metal Dragonling responded to his thought.

Out of the formless energies sleeping in his Dantian, a frightening beast reared its head.

Scales that shone beautifully in the dimmest light, fangs that were made to shred flesh and bones, and a pair of eyes that seemed to stare into peoples’ soul.

This golden dragon had a long-scaled body and two pairs of strong limbs each with five powerful claws.

It looked like a legendary Five Clawed Golden Dragon – the contract beast that Calculus have – but instead of two horns, there are nine on its crown.

Eight sharp horns, four on each side of its head, were weaved together to form a laurel wreath, while the last horn grew in the middle looking like a glowing gem.

At the same time, his Ki charged madly around in a strange pattern through his meridians, until they formed a new rune, the Heart of Metal Array.

Kairos was baffled.

He had memories of such runes after he gleaned them from the stars during his first Selfless Cultivation trance, except there were too many runes for him to identify which to use.

Aside from the Time dragonling he received in his trance, each dragonling in his Dantian was born from a corresponding rune: Starfire Array, Nine Heaven Frost Array, or the Heavenly Lightning Judgement Array. And no doubt he will be able to find a Time Rune that is related to the silvery Time Dragon as well.

Kairos was uncertain but he thought that this time it was the Metal Dragon that appeared first before the Heart of Metal Array.

He shoved this thought into the back of his head to make way for the task at hand.

Somehow or rather, he felt that this is the right path.

Yet, the Immolation Finger is of the Frost and Flame elements.

He obstinately started the Ki Cycle to form his technique, leaving the details to his instinct.

Almost instantly, Fire, Frost, and Metal Elements and a tinge of silvery energy gathered in his palm.

His Ki rotation is already complete.

The speed shocked him. Half his mind was worried if this speed would hurt his meridian paths, the other half is still acknowledging how it succeeded.

The Metal Element Ki in him had been separated into two by his dragonling.

The first part was sent to line his meridian channels. The second part would be repelled across swiftly, until the entire cycle is complete, and the Ki pocket appears on his palm.

Even without such a jumpstart, with his Ki rotation alone, the projectile speed would’ve been exceedingly fast, but the upgrade was necessary because their opponents are all monsters.

The Frosthral Barbarians nearby had no time to dodge. Each of them was struck before they could react.

Those further away had a better chance. They could sense the Ki pockets cutting through space, and they dodged without hesitation.

Moving way ahead of time allowed them a chance to avoid.

But at this time, several outlandish things occurred at the same time.

Many of the Saint Empire soldiers saw their enemies tried to move, and instinctively went forward to block their movements. No one had to tell them what to do or explain why their foes moved.

Without fail, those barbarians were struck.

The situation for those who had no enemy to hinder them were even stranger.

All of them felt as though their bodies were sluggish and they couldn’t move quickly enough. The soldiers all saw these barbarians moving clumsily as though all their movement techniques were forgotten.

Still, with their great physical ability, many of them should be able to avoid the coming blow.

But just as everyone thought the attacks would be dodged, many of the barbarians failed to move.

Some had the misfortune to have stepped into a hole in the way or found their arms trapped in the corpse of their recent victims. There were even those that simply reacted too slowly despite under the effect of the War God Tattoo.

A few ridiculously misjudged the distance and were shot down. The more unbelievable cases were those who suddenly entered a trance, or their cultivation decided now is the right time for a breakthrough.

*BOOM*

All at once, more than half of the Frosthral Barbarians were struck by Kairos’ Immolation Rain technique. Instead of rapidly taking from the victim to fuel the implosion like usual, this Immolation Rain that had been enhanced with the Heart of Metal Array was almost instantaneous. Huge popping eruptions flooded the battlefield like a wave.

It was not only a faster casting speed that the array granted. The Ki movement that makes up the Immolation Rain technique had been accelerated to such breakneck speeds that it caused the reaction to speed up tremendously. And because of this, additionally, techniques that were used together with the Heart of Metal Array may result with stronger, and more violent, effects.

The rest managed to block it somehow, but the results was unexpected.

Those that used items to shield themselves were no better than those who protected themselves with their arms. They saw with eyes wide with disbelief as the Ki pocket’s trajectory suddenly change in mid-air, hitting wrists and foot.

They didn’t think much of it at first until they feel Kairos’ technique eating up their Internal Ki as well as the flesh that came in contact with the Ki Pocket. Alarmed, they decisively tried to ward it off.

Some sliced off the affected area without flinching, others expelled their internal energy, the rest resorted to seals or other treasures to neutralise it.

This time as well, the barbarians were slow, or their treasures simply failed to work, but mostly, the implosion ate up their energy at incredible rates. It was a speed too fast to be probable.

If they could look into their bodies right now, they will see that glittering silver Ki have already spread throughout. This is the effect of time, it is unblockable and unavoidable. Once caught, it will only lead you where it wishes.

Even the victims hadn’t notice, the attack they received had been quickened, not by conventional ways, but the manipulation of time.

A series of explosion roared throughout the battlefield.

The few that managed to avoid being consumed by the Immolation Rain were taken out by these explosions.

The blasts were so great that only the Saint Empire soldiers protected by the glowing blue Ki Barriers persisted, yet their shields flickered and faded away as the army had been exhausted of all energy.

The soldiers let out a sigh when they saw the carnage around.

The bodies on the ground are no longer recognisable as human remains. A rusty smell lingered thickly in the air.

There weren’t many dead in this place, as compared to a traditional battle, but the brutality in this place far exceeds anything these survivors had experienced before.

It took the soldiers a long while to calm down, and even then, the battle had set loose fears into their hearts.

When people are afraid, they tend to hold on to something, either it be a glimmer of hope or a target to blame – and this time, it was the latter.

They felt they were lucky, but it was no thanks to Kairos.

Although it was the Immolation Rain that resolved their danger, Kairos had commanded Alan to protect everyone with his Ki Barrier.

If Alan had such a skill from the start, they why didn’t they use it earlier?

Isn’t it because he came up with it in the last second?

And, that Immolation Rain as well, for the same reason, isn’t it adjusted in the middle of the battle?

To do it successfully is a gamble, and the cost of this gamble is their lives!

Moreover, the barbarians almost managed to get away in the end.

There were almost ten thousand enemies, and if even just a hundred survived, they will be as helpless as sheep to the slaughter after the blue Ki Barrier extracted all their inner energy.

Even Alan felt they were lucky. He has faith in Kairos’ ability to resolve their crisis, but if he hadn’t coincidentally found a way to shield them all, they would be turned into bits by the explosive strength of the Immolation Rain by now.

Only one person on the battlefield knew what happened wasn’t luck.

Alan’s inspiration of using the ideas from Saint City’s defensive stratagem and Kairos’ Northern Sword Array wasn’t coincidental.

Kairos’ Time and Metal dragons that appeared weren’t coincidental.

The barbarians failing to avoid wasn’t coincidental.

In fact, those barbarians who appeared clumsy was all because they had been affected by Von Cixton’s talent in Time and Space element, coupled with the inevitability created when cause and effect were reversed. Even if they themselves had heighted Time-Space affinity, it will still result in their deaths.

After Kairos had written down what will be the ‘effect’, the world will find its own way to execute the ‘cause’.