First Confrontation
“Yes,” Pretieta nodded. She faced Heian Ciemnosc sideways, with her left side towards him, and reported as her face looked at the troops. “During today's missions, 40 of our Outer Disciples were nearly ambushed by some cultivators in the western forest. They managed to escape, albeit endangered. Some had light injuries, but 2 were heavily injured. When we received the signal and went to their aid, I and Elder Todoro found them encircled and stopped by the largest territory's people.”
“When the situation calmed down, several parties showed themselves.” Pretieta wore a stern, annoyed expression as she continued, “Some were rogue cultivators who claimed our Outer Disciples attacked them for no reason. That would naturally mean nothing. But the other parties present, who showed up later, claimed to suffer the same. They were from other organizations from the northeast and even from the southern territory, Sect Master.”
“Yes, they claimed our disciples attacked them first because they didn’t know the rogue cultivators weren’t alone.” Todoro nodded, more mature and accurate after these few decades. Heian Ciemnosc looked at them with his darkest eyes darting sideways and his head slightly inclined forth.
“What did they do afterwards?” His voice was soft as he asked. Pretieta nodded and lightly replied, “They let us all leave without taking immediate, ‘just’ action for a reimbursement of 100,000 silver coins for every affected cultivator… The ‘affected’ parties rounded up to 2,000, Sect Master.”
“… … …” The troops behind Liliam and Hexitia murmured, albeit disciplined and hushed. Heian Ciemnosc stared at them for 0.1 seconds before returning his darkest eyes to his Sect Ancestor. Now, the Sect knew why those 2 Teams were enraged and felt like going back to start a war, or die fighting. They felt the same thing!
“Did they do anything to you, follow you or escort you out of the forest, or up to the Sect’s territory?” Heian Ciemnosc asked one last time as his tone became increasingly cold. Still, the troops couldn’t help but discern a duality in whether his orders would attend to their needs.
“They followed us,” Pretieta nodded. “They did, but stopped before we entered our territory. However, they threatened to take over the new settlements around us. They’ve also warned those civilians to voluntarily form part of their territory instead.”
“…” Todoro tightened his fists as he heard this part. He remembered it well. Those settlements were near the Forbloffende Traes Sect’s inner territory, from the north to the south. They were originally southerners who migrated there for better benefit and trust in the Sect.
If the Sect were to give up on them, everything they built in the south, from trust to resources and machinery, would deteriorate from then on. If they couldn’t even protect those right beside them, why would the southern civilians bother entangling with such an organization? Their territory would be lost, and they’ll surely suffer for choosing the Sect over the other territories.
“Leave the east to the exemplary two Core Disciples, take the west and bring the soldier units to form bases and a defensive line throughout the largest territory’s southern path.” Heian Ciemnosc looked at Pretieta and directly ordered. She was surprised but quickly recovered, still waiting for his instructions to finish.
Heian Ciemnosc’s darkest eyes landed on the two slender, tall figures and calmly ordered, “Spread the auxiliary units from our Sect’s southeast to as much of the eastern forest’s southern borders as possible. Nest there and wait for further development and my instructions.”
“… … …” As the Sect fell silent, Heian Ciemnosc looked at the over 5 million troops who couldn’t react just yet. He opened his overly pale red lips and softly began, “You’ll abide by an initial 2-way venation tactic. Take only defensive positions. The Sect can protect itself. You will block and deny any passage to any living being coming close to your blockade. You won’t return to the Sect unless it recruits too many people that it becomes boring for them to not be in your shoes.”
“From now on, the Sect is at risk of entering war. Are your orders clear?” Heian Ciemnosc finished with a light tone, questioning the 4 before him but looking at the troops still. Pretieta nodded first and started, “They are, Sect Master!”
“Yes, Sect Master!” - “Understood, Sect Master!” Todoro responded, hitting his left chest with his right fist’s underside, bowing, and shouting. Liliam and Hexitia followed, hanging their heads low before punching their left chests and shouting with loud delight. Silence permeated afterwards, but only for a second, followed by the troops behind them. “We follow the Sect Master’s orders!!”
“Oh,” Heian Ciemnosc placed his hands behind his back at ease and nodded. His actions gave the signal to his hierarchy and the two exemplary Core Disciples as they turned around and directed their respective troops. “Good.”
2 columns formed as they marched towards the southern entrance. One will march westward, and the other, larger column will set to the east. As the march commenced, the first of the Sect, although not for war but for battle. The civilians in the inner territory watched and hurried to wish them good luck.
They weren’t too aware of the soldier units’ might, not even the auxiliary units despite doing some missions together for the past 25 plus years. Only the soldier units, who practiced in an extra training regimen after the auxiliary units in the military college, knew what they were like.
With the civilians’ blessings and the darkest eyes of the Sect Master on their backs, the troops left with their feet marking every step to their designated locations. Once outside the Sect, the soldier units nodded at the auxiliary units, of which only a tiny percentage joined them while the rest went in a different direction.
Along the way, both columns were shown their designated areas throughout their future bases. They wouldn’t be temporary, although they could be considered as such with the possible battles not becoming a war, or in case a retreat was ordered. Things that the troops can’t worry about so soon after exiting the Sect to defend it and its honor.
Meanwhile, the Vrida Region reacted as countless peepers relayed the news from the Region’s center to the rest of the north and central lands. It didn’t take long before the south knew these happenings, too. Puppets traveled southwards and delivered the news themselves before returning to the Sect. They had to protect themselves from any non-cultivator bandits but didn’t have to worry about the machinery in those resource collection locations.
The latter were protected with several array formations. Anyone stupid enough would become an incomplete corpse before the Sect’s activities returned to normal. This wasn’t a problem, but it was a sudden notice. Of course, they were also explained what happened, but that was it.
The Sect’s troops marched for a few days before the Vrida Region started seeing what was happening. Construction sites were prepared, and buildings were built rapidly. Cultivators and citizens worked together, with engineers guiding everyone through the planning they went through during those marching days.
Of the 115,826 engineers, only 2 are purple capes. They were those who had the most experience and didn’t need to do the same ‘novice’ habits the gray capes did. The 2 went to the east, where they were practically in charge of 5 million people for the rest of their time there.
However, only through moments like these and struggles could they find the chance to become better than they already think they can achieve for themselves. The construction of bases started, from a few square kilometers to more than 20 in the east.
A few days into the building phase. As the eastern column had finished their last few marching days and began building the bases farthest to the east, as those in the west were nearly completed; the organizations sent people to question the Forbloffende Traes Sect’s actions.
“Can it be known why you’re building here in the middle of nowhere?!” A person shouted, walking towards one of the bases between the southern territory’s extensive northeastern borders and the 2 eastern territories’ southern borders in the forest.
“Stop right there!” - “Cease!” The person was shouted at in return. Immediately, many Phrenic realm cultivators shot from the base with their medallions in hand. They stared at the Obsidiafying realm cultivator fearlessly, as if they couldn’t cower from such a cultivator.
“… What…?” Even though only 11 formed a third of a circle before this cultivator, he suddenly felt they weren’t something he should put his foot on and scream like a madman for. He assessed the situation, looked at his surroundings, and suddenly stared down. ‘Could it be?’
“Halt!” A person shouted from behind. The cultivator saw a civilian with a distinctive uniform from the Sect’s black citizen, lavish, smooth, stylish, and glamorous uniform or robes. This citizen had more pockets in his closed, thick jacket, with a purple cape hat on his head. The engineer fearlessly looked at the cultivator and asked with balls which the cultivator couldn’t imagine could exist. “State your business. You should not be here.”
“ … I…” The cultivator was flabbergasted to see a citizen behave like this at first. But then, he coiled some Power Energy in his body and opened his mouth. “This is the free land in the Region, why are you building he-”
“I said stop!” - “You want to die, then?!”
“!!” The cultivator was astounded. He suddenly felt his insteps becoming shackled, and to his shock, the sensation was unavoidable, as if he would remain trapped forever. Without noticing, he began stammering as he looked at them with sudden trepidation, “What- what is happening? Why are you this nervous?”
“!” Then, his eyes widened. He thought of something before vulnerably easing the circulated Power Energy in his body, which had stagnated and trembled the moment these weaklings scared him. The sensation of being shackled from the soles of his feet to his insteps faded after a few seconds, whereas the Phrenic realm cultivators looked at him with more hostility.
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The purple cape looked at the cultivator and spoke, with coldness seeping into the cultivator’s bones. “This is the Forbloffende Traes Sect’s response to your puny intentions against us. The Forbloffende Traes Sect won’t allow any passage to any person through our formations.”
“What? Are you crazy?” The cultivator said. The Outer Disciples took ¼ of a step forward and slightly lowered their stance but kept their shoulders up. They didn’t need to tell the cultivator to watch his tone. He immediately understood that it was better to meekly take it without saying anything and closed his mouth.
“Until the day when all your organizations declare your fault in the matter, the Forbloffende Traes Sect will eliminate any puny individual who dares trespass our lines. No one from your organizations will be granted a warning and will be killed on the spot!” The purple cape’s eyes then changed, as if remembering something, and leaned his head forward with his chin down.
“If it’s necessary, the Sect will remain crazed until you formally apologize, too.”
“…” The cultivator looked at the ‘civilian’ and thought this was no civilian, but another type of non-cultivator. However, the idea was alien to him, so he quickly dismissed the idea and remembered his strange situation. With a trembling throat, he lowly asked in a deep voice, “Is this your message to-”
“Piss off!” The purple cape swung his right hand from below to up. A ‘pshift’ energy sound went out, and the cultivator was harmlessly hammered away, flying dozens of meters before finally exiting the base’s perimeter, still not finished with the walls only erected towards the south.
The cultivator remained in the vicinity after standing up, and the Phrenic realm became relaxed, but their guard wasn’t down. After looking in the base’s direction for an extra minute, the cultivator dusted his robes off and floated into the air, departing.
“Wow, that was so brave~.” A female Outer Disciple with deer-Demon, thin horns said to a twinky, male Elf with long, blond hair. She hugged his arm, letting her skinny bosom do its charm. The latter grinned from ear to ear, but the former beat him to offer an invitation. “Hey, wanna camp with me tonight? And… for the next 2 weeks? Hehe.”
“Sure.” The Elf responded, wrapping his left arm around the half Beast and Demon’s waist as she smiled in delight. But then, another Outer Disciple spoke up, looking at her with lust. “But I wanted to camp with you too. What if I don’t wanna wait my turn?”
“Uh, I…” The Elf was taken aback. He was about to let his arm let go of her while the gal smiled when the other Outer Disciple said, deviously smiling at him. “But I can do with it if you can share her with me. I also don’t mind her sharing you with me.”
The twinky Elf: ( 。・o・)💗.
Like that, the Elf, half Beast Demon, and an extra companion contentedly walked to the base. The other Outer Disciples grinned, accompanying their fellow horny dogs back to the campfire, already smoking at the center of the base. Meanwhile, the purple cap engineer rolled his eyes and slightly shook his head.
Of course, the purple cap engineer had a few Elf beauties waiting for him back at his private tent, which was prepared to let him rest after talking about life.
… Later that night. The Obsidiafying realm cultivator returned to his organization, where he met the higher-ups and upper echelons, including the organization leader. As soon as he entered the central building, they questioned him after a few introductory procedures.
“What happened, and why do some people speak of other organizations’ members being flung away hundreds of meters, nearly dying?!”
“…” The cultivator had a wide, gaping mouth. He didn’t have time to ‘curse’ his dogshit luck when the leading organization exclaimed with an inquisitive, murmuring sound from the side. He looked at the upper echelon and nodded. “Yes, Senior. When I arrived, numerous Phrenic realm cultivators assaulted me… Ah! And a civilian, too.”
“Hahahaha!” - “What? Hahahaha…!” - “Haha…” The surrounding hierarchy laughed. They couldn’t control themselves. What was so important about this? The cultivator felt humiliated, but he continued after the organization leader calmed his laughing expression and looked at him. “It was nothing at first, but then, I realized I had fallen into a trap. There was at least 1 trapping array formation with killing features hidden. I couldn’t detect it!”
“What’s the matter about it? Are you a fool? How could Phrenic realm cultivators’ array formations mean anything to you? An Obsidiafying realm cultivator? For Lords’ sake!” The upper echelon clamored, almost furious at this incompetent bum.
It was true that those 2 Core Disciples had been something, alright, but that was only 2 people. Now, their organization had to watch out for Phrenic realm disciples and a civilian? They were more of a laughingstock than word of the other organizations’ people getting bashed away.
“Senior, those weren’t just array formations. After I circulated my Power Energy, as usual.” It was an habitual thing to do to prepare just a little bit of energy in one’s body for quick reactions. It wouldn’t be enough to harm someone, not even someone several realms below oneself, but it could be very obvious that it happened. “They became alert and activated them. That’s when I realized these array formations were… gulp… deadly to me.”
“Don’t you dare escape punishment with trickery!” The upper echelon loudly barked. He lowered his head further and stared deadly into the Obsidiafying realm cultivator’s eyes. “Speak only the truth. Was it as you’ve said, or did you just not want to complete your task?”
“Senior, I swear upon my loyalty to our organization. I did not flee or fail at my duties. Those array formations were above my Spirit Sense, and even their civilian seemed to detect my energy circulation. When they warned me one last time, they released the array formations. I could feel my body escaping imminent death.” The cultivator arduously spoke.
“… … …” The room went silent, as if it were vacated out of nowhere. Nobody denied this possible truth. When the cultivator saw the heaviness of his words, he didn’t shy away from giving advice. “Seniors, I recommend that these people shouldn’t be taken lightly. We might not know their limits, but we do know their prepared defenses. If…”
“Do you have anything else to report?” The organization leader suddenly spoke, drawing attention to himself. The cultivator looked at him and gulped before shaking his head. However, he suddenly lifted it and nodded. The organization leader nodded, and the cultivator proceeded. “Seniors, before leaving, they left me some words. They threatened that…”
. . .
Time passed. Soon, after the last few bases were simultaneously finished, 20 days went by with no action from the territories. The people didn’t travel between the Forbloffende Traes Sect’s formations, spreading into a line with their bases. Anyone who tried to move between the bases, or close to the westernmost or easternmost bases, was given a warning with a slight beating.
However, there were no second warnings.
It was night, barely. The evening had left, with not a trace of light from the sky, not even from the stars, as they were lacking this night. Hundreds of windy howls echoed through the prairies, sometimes whistling through trees’ branches, as the sound of footsteps echoed to the north of the bases and sand footprints weighed down to their south.
“… We’ve been discovered!”
The easternmost and westernmost bases were sneakily approached by hundreds of thousands of enemy soldier units who didn’t even belong to a warring party. If anything, this could be considered an operation.
However, their almost successful covert operation was thwarted when the armies from the north, exiting the forests, noticed several humanoid statues in front of the southern perimeters of the forests. When they realized that their image was being transmitted to the lonely base at the westernmost or easternmost extremes of Forbloffende Traes Sect bases, they lost a breath.
“No matter! Rush forward. It’s time to attack! The signal will follow; focus on destroying that base and whatever is inside!”
But they couldn’t stop just then. The enemy armies rapidly took a decision and threw caution to the wind. Their bodies were encompassed with Power Energy as cultivators from the Link Consolidation realm to the peak of the Phrenic realm charged at the bases.
Sheen! Sheen~… Sheen!
Before they even rushed forth, lights illuminated the surroundings and formed pillars into the night sky. The forests suddenly showed hundreds of thousands of figures charging at them. A few had glowing weapons as they rushed to the respective Sect base.
The enemy troops were ‘tainted’ with these colors as their uniforms or robes glowed in the dark, exposing virtually everyone charging towards the bases. But the enemy didn’t stop. They assembled into square formations a few kilometers before arriving near the bases. Once they grouped, their strength accumulated. They went full speed towards the bases’ walls.
Pshift, pshift, pshift, pshift, pshift, pshift, pshift, pshift, pshift, pshift, pshift, pshift, pshift, pshift, pshift, pshift, pshift, pshift, pshift, pshift, pshift, pshift, pshift, pshift, pshift…
“!!” -”Whaaat?!” - “Ah m-” - “Gwuaaaaah!”
When the enemy was only a few hundred meters from arriving at their destination, they were aggressive and ready to break open those walls. Their surroundings flashed with light green colors. Dozens of protective array formations were suddenly formed before them. These were taller than the base’s central building, about 200 meters tall.
They were definitely taller than the walls, merely 30 meters high. But these protective array formations weren’t there just to stop the enemy. Their barriers twisted and reshaped as the enemy rapidly found gaps and entered them. When seeing this, the Spirit Gathering realm commanders didn’t fret it. Protective array formations could easily break when trying to crush cultivators in between. They were array formations, and the more packed they were like this, the easier it was to find their core and veins.
However, before they could notice, the dirt below their feet moved, exploding upwards with powerful gleams in the dark night. As soon as these glowed, they entered an enemy cultivator’s body or swept through several limbs, necks, heads, and stomachs.
The enemy commanders reacted swiftly, sending more troops into the gaps and making their soldier units already inside opt for the defensive and nothing more. But the Core Disciples with resplendent black armor and magnificent black clothing came out of the ground and set their feet on it. Without wasting a breath’s worth of time, they pushed through, sending their bodies to the slaughter as enemies fell without hope.
Although blood, flesh, and shrill screams emanated everywhere, the enemy began retreating, as those belonged only to their comrades. Before the enemy knew it, thousands of resplendent black armored troops rushed at them, tailing them into the forests and further massacring them there. The enemy rapidly lost nearly a hundred thousand troops, with more than half those numbers belonging to the first hour when fighting inside those protective array formations.
However, as soon as they ceased chasing them, the enemy turned around. They had more numbers from reinforcements, to which they used to chase the resplendent black armored back into the light green barriers’ gaps in between. Sadly, for them, the same story was repeated…
Although, this time, with the enemy’s increased numbers, they tried to break through the Core Disciples’ blockade in the gaps. The resplendent black armored troops became exhausted, but before the enemy saw a single casualty on the Sect’s side, they were relieved by other thousands of resplendent black armored troops exiting the base’s walls.
Only then did the enemy realize that just these thousands were… quite a little too many…?
…