The Kori Federation. Five hundred kilometres east of the Uncharted Wilderness. One Week Later…

High noon. The hottest time of the day, where the sun was at its peak, and the darkness ran away with fear. Most farmers and coolies would avoid this deadly time by taking a long lunch break, spending some time to bond with their fellow colleagues. Enjoying their afternoon tea while hiding under the shade of restaurants was a luxury that many seek out, just to avoid the torrid temperatures of the afternoon. Alas, not everyone could follow that trend.

Shin, alongside the greatest force ever assembled by the Lantis Republic, was still flying up high in the skies, a few thousand metres up from nearby land. The Azure Dragons, though specialists in the water, had the innate ability to soar without much hindrance. If needed, with Shin’s Celestial Dragon domain, the Azure Dragons could most likely fly for a few weeks without stopping. Given the urgency of the situation, that asset was greatly needed as the elite force found themselves traversing over three-quarters of the Terre Continent already. If their pace continued for just one more day, they would unquestionably be at the doorstep of the Illusory Canyon, with time to spare as well. However, for the first time since they left the Lantis Republic, Shin’s congregation had to finally… stop.

“My Prince, we’ll be meeting with the Alliance in just a few moments...” The Spirit Emperor that was responsible for holding a Cikai Mirror to communicate with the Alliance and the Lantis Republic came flying towards the Azure Dragon Lord Zishen and explained the situation.

“Understood,” the young man disinterestedly replied. Shin glanced down at the rapidly moving ground from the clouds. There was nothing but trees and grass for acres, and only wildlife could be seen happily trodding around their natural habitat. Shin couldn’t see the connection between the Alliance and this particular location, but who was he to judge?

Sighing, the man tapped on Zishen’s dragon head. “Senior, you’ve heard the man. We’ll be stopping soon. Keep a lookout for any irregularities.”

“Mmmm… Will do...”

The crew continued flying for fifteen minutes, crossing mountain ranges and vast lakes as if they were part of a moving picture. They’d even dropped down to a lower altitude to see the ground a little better. So, it wasn’t long until they finally came across something completely man-made.

A cleared small region, a hundred metres wide and long. From the skies, it looked like a typical diamond grey patch, amidst the tremendous amounts of greenery. Even without confirmed with the Cikai Mirror, the congregation could tell that the people they were meeting were most definitely within that grey patch of land.

“Mmmm… My Prince, I’m descending...” Zishen’s voice rumbled out. Seating on his back were Shin, Kanari, the twins and Lady Seph. They all uniformly gulped as the dragon made a nosedive towards their target, sending the wind gushing right at their spotless faces. Within moments, their hair was dishevelled, and their eyes were watery by the updraft. However, that didn’t affect their judgement one bit.

Shin and the group peered around the grey diamond, scanning every detail that they possibly can. There were a few dozen stone huts, all crudely put together with the help of the Blacksmith’s League stonemasons. There wasn’t much development in the area, no farms, no drinking water source… Just temporary structures that housed some logistics and a vast open space for flying beasts to land. There was no way that a community could ever thrive in such a destitute town, and fortunately… No community had to...

“Your grace, thank you for taking the time to quell the western region.” One tall elderly man, who seemed untouched by the physical ailments that would plague someone of his age, stood out from the crowd. He was holding onto a black cane, embedded with freshly mined aether crystals from the nearby cave.

“You are?”

“Ah, pardon my manners!” The old man waved his hands animatedly. In one elegant motion, the old man gave a deep bow and said: “My name is Macron Richie, a Sentinel from the Dragon Tiger Gate. The Alliance had tasked me to be your proctor during your stay in the Kori Federation.”

Shin’s indifferent attitude instantly evaporated once he heard Macron’s introduction. “No, please pardon me… I couldn’t recognise Sentinel Macron, that’s my folly.” Shin didn’t return the bow due to his status as the supreme of another superpower, but his tone was mostly apologetic. Dragon Tiger Gate, alongside the Shaolin Sect, Emei Church, Khan Tribe and Dalgeom Sect, were the five most powerful Master Sects of the Kori Federation.

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The Shaolin Church relied on the mantras of Spirit Immortal Buddha to bolster their all-male disciples, to become true monks that were as powerful as they were celibate. The Emei Church took in vast populations of females, no matter if they were impoverished orphans or maidens from huge households. Their techniques made the women of the Emei Church just as powerful as any man and in some cases, powerful enough to dominate any man that dared to step foot on their gates.

The Khan Tribe was the most vicious of the five, being bred on slaughter and death. Only strength was respected within the tribe, and anyone with enough talent was bestowed the surname ‘Khan.’ The Dalgeom Sect was a little different than the rest. They had strict criteria for accepting new disciples as they had to either have a talent for the sword or a knack for any of the elements.

And finally… There was the Dragon Tiger Gate… The Master Sects of the Kori Federation had always been changing since the constitution was first signed into paper. Core states could gain and lose power, based on their overall military might and economic prowess. There was even a time where the Khan Tribe and Dalgeom Sect had troubles maintaining their authority. However, there was always one hegemon that stood above them all, unchanged by the times… And that was the Dragon Tiger Gate.

Their martial arts and cultivation techniques were second to none. While the Himmel Empire and the Lantis Republic relied on their bloodlines to dominate their competition, the Dragon Tiger Gate simply takes promising youngsters and train them to their peak potential. With a governing area almost the size of Celestial Island and the Capital combined, Dragon Tiger Gate had a large population to pick and choose from. Not to mention, middle-class families would almost always move to their region just to gain an opportunity for their children to enter the prestigious clan.

It was a paradise for geniuses to thrive and boy... were there geniuses. Among the Master Sects of the Dragon Tiger Gate had cultivated the most number Luminaries throughout the years. The government positions of the Kori Federation was almost all monopolised by talents from the Dragon Tiger Gate and the Spirit Emperors that they possess far outnumbered that of any Master Sect. The only entities close to their power were the Shaolin Sect and Emei Church, but even they were outclassed. Why?

Because of the Sentinels that the Dragon Tiger Gate had.

Eight Spirit Venerates, each one masters of their own school of martial arts, stood at the peak of the pack. Legend has it that to become a Sentinel, one had to at least have the capabilities of fighting a Spirit Saint to a standstill. For cultivators who saw Spirit Saints as the absolute realm that no mortal could ever hope to touch, it was a feat that could never be accomplished.

‘They actually sent in a Sentinel… Looks like the Kori Federation is trying to curry up favours...’ Shin thought to himself. Just like Spirit Saints, Sentinels don’t usually come out in the open. They spent their days cultivating or training their disciples, hoping to reach the Spirit Saint realm as soon as they possibly could. For the Dragon Tiger Gate to send a Sentinel, particularly during this warring period… It was a massive testament to the new status that Shin had.

“You’re too kind, your Grace.” Macron laughed heartily. “My reputation is nothing like yours, it doesn’t matter if you didn’t recognise me.”

The two continued to converse lightly, while the congregation from the Lantis Republic began to settle down. Many of them were feeling lightheaded from the long hours of flight and had to shield themselves from the blaring sun. Macron noticed that and immediately moved: “I’m sure that you’re all tired from your journey west. Please, we’d prepared some light refreshments in the sheltered buildings we’ve constructed. If you may follow me...”

The Tier 8 Azure Dragons, who hadn’t unlocked the ability to transform into humans, were forced to shrink into a pet’s size to fit within the compounds of the buildings. The weaker members of the congregation, such as Kanari and the twins, all immediately found comfortable positions within the shade and rested their spines. All that flying had really taken a physical toll on their mortal bodies. On the other hand, the Spirit Venerates were a little more apprehensive.

Bingbing, in her child form, held onto Shin’s hand with a tightened grip while Zishen stood smilingly by his side. They were prepared to shield Shin should there be any malicious intent from the Kori Federation, even if it meant risking their own lives. Lady Seph and the other Spirit Venerates were on the same boat.

The Sentinel knew all of their worries, but he didn’t really care. Right now, all of his attention was focused on the one youth that was on the front pages of every newspaper for the past few years. “Your Grace, you have no idea how long I have waited to meet you… And I must say, you sure do not disappoint… Assembling such an elite force with just one word and… that immense aura that doesn’t suit a recently promoted Spirit Lord… The stories about you have been watered down...”

Macron kept pouring praises at the young man as if he were a courtesan flirting with a wealthy patron. Most young men would relish with the compliments and their nose would begin to grow with their heads held high. However, the only response that Macron got was the cold look of annoyance from Shin’s inner core.

“Sentinel Macron, there’s no need for formalities between us…” Shin raised his hand and to put an end to this farce. There were more pressing matters for them to discuss after all. “The fact that you’ve built a base this far east of the Illusory Canyon and obscured by the mountains and forests… Did something happen during the week that we were travelling?”

“...” Macron’s radiant smile quickly froze. The fake joyous emotions within his expression had evaporated, and all that remained was a bone-chilling coolness.

“Your Grace, you’re quite perceptive… Yes, there have been some complications...” The Sentinel looked at his assistant and gave a simple nod. Moving to the forefront, the man laid down a map, detailing as much of the landscape as they possibly could.

“We’ve tried to triangulate the location of the Black Mask base, according to the descriptions given by Venerate Maurice.” At that point, everyone turned to the Master Explorer, who was carefully examining the map. Shin observed the man’s expression carefully and was only satisfied when his eyes shone with approval.

“Through that, we have narrowed down the possible locations to five… However, all of them are heavily covered by the snow and harsh blizzards that this region is known for. If we tried to scout now, there’s no guarantee that our men would make it back alive.”

“A battle against the weather, huh?” Shin scratched his chin as his head fell slowly. Fighting in low visibility where the opponent had the advantage was a recipe for suicide. The snow that covered the Illusory Canyon during winter was perhaps the worst possible scenario for Shin and his elite troops to fight in.

So… Why not change it?

“About that...” Shin threw his head back on his chair as the corners of his lips curled up into a smile. “I think that I have an idea...”