Eternal Emerald Dragon

Chapter 581 - 580 - The Terror of Soulmancers

Orbas and Livera took over the main defense as the 900 thousand strong army advanced.  The barrier was not the only defense of the Two Rivers but it had been the first line to try and exhaust their foes that was now gone.

Their numbers were far less at nearly over 1000 but they had many more tricks to pull up.

"Activate the offensive artifacts!"  Glenda shouted and Sheena nodded as Qi shimmered like a curtain.  Instead of defense, however, demonic Qi flew on the air as vicious blades and poisonous gas flowed over their enemy.

They hoped it would decimate the first wave but rather than simply wipe them out, more souls went to the Soulmancer.

Sheena frowned but saw the 3 Moon Tier beasts simply move forward with the attack by artifacts.

Just as she hoped the tide would turn, the artifacts suddenly shattered as weavings appeared around the army.  The wailing of lost souls shook them all as they understood the Soulmancer was directly opposing them alone!

He consumed his own forces to crack their defenses!

"What is he thinking?"  Glenda was confused as the floating platform slowly advanced as the army now charged one of their gates.  The other gate was silent but the Soulless were a concern until a violet ward flared on the other side of the city.

"Lord Frey was right, they want to use the Soulless as an advanced scout and assassin force."  Orbas spoke but none were worried as the Soulless were not able to penetrate their defenses at all at the moment.

Lind had made some defenses against several possibilities but the Soulless was actually the easiest to block.  His weavings simply reacted to any being with less soul presences than a normal being.

How he gauged that none of them understood but the effectiveness revealed the Soulless to them for a few moments.  It was more than enough for some cultivators to ensnare them for the rest to attack.

Whether that would be enough to kill them was unknown so Sheena merely kept an ear out for calls for help but she looked on at the aether beasts frowned at the current issue.

"The Twisted One is not injured so he can only be preparing some nasty surprises."  Levira hated Soulmancers more than most but Orbas was not far behind.  "ATTACK!"

Shadows whipped from the tree tops like missiles but before they could reach the army, a dark blue dome appeared.  Sheena's eyes went wide in fear before she screamed.

"RETREAT!  DO NOT TOUCH THAT DOME!"  The beasts glanced at her but the Glenda cawed out and the birds fell back instantly before touching the dome.

They were about to ask what the problem was when they saw all the plant life wilt where the dome touched the surface!  It was killed instantly!

Whole trees were consumed even if only touched by an edge of the dome.

"They have used such a dome to entrap villages that refused to give up sacrifices.  I was out hunting and saw my whole village die trying to run."  Her face was full of anger but the 3 Moon Tier beasts were shocked.

"They wipe out whole villages just to make a point?"  Glenda felt shocked but before Sheena could answer, black tendrils suddenly snapped out of the dome at them like a mighty beast itself.

Orbas sneered as 10 stone dral hopped off the wall and used their hides to deflect the attack.  The beasts were instantly bleeding from all the orifices but lived!  Shock hit them again as it was clear how strong each tendril was but the effect on stone drals was more terrifying.

Their hides normally disperse shockwaves or the force of attacks, yet the tendrils cause such damage after only 1 hit!

"Resonance of organs as an attack.  It would debilitate anyone else but a stone dral."  Orbas was grim as he saw his followers limp back to safety.  Things were not looking well and the army continued to advance at them.

"Why aren't they attacking yet?"  The front edges of the army were more than close enough for even mediocre Arts yet nothing flew at them.  Levira was confused on that front.

"They can't.  The Qi is alive and touching that dome will disperse any attack and likely carry back the effect to the user."  Orbas seemed to understand the dome after watching it kill as the army advanced.

Just as the dome was about to breach the river shore, a golden wall flickered on!  All 4 of them turned to the recovering Lind Frey but he had not moved so it was something else.

Sheena narrowed her eyes but no one could identify the Qi they were seeing.  It was not simple light Qi and it was certainly not demonic.  How was it resisting the deadly dome?

"It feels…good."  Glenda spoke and all slowly nodded as the golden light got brighter but the dome also got thicker.  Screams were heard and all knew more souls were sacrificed.  A shiver went through their forces as they realized how merciless their true enemy was.

The awe inspiring golden light cracked finally and disappeared but the dome also flickered away.  Hope rose but then they saw the limp bodies of their enemy were laying there with terror clear in their faces.

"I am beyond done with this farce."  A deep voice came from a floating platform that still had a few hundred thousand strong around it but they looked more afraid of the dark figure above them than the enemy across the river.

The platform floated towards them and he showed no fear.

Orbas almost leapt out but the feeling of a Sun Tier was clear not only from the Soulmancer but from some of the older soldiers coming behind him.  While the Two Rivers had seen the rise of many Star and Moon Tiers, they were ants in front of a single Sun Tier, let alone a group.

"You have rebelled against the 6 empires and cost the lives of their precious soldiers."  The black cloaked man gave a few words as he advanced.  Glenda and the others were angered but Sheena shivered.

She had watched as Lind battled the last Soulmancer but that had been short and swift.  She had not faced a Soulmancer in many decades.

The citizens of the Two Rivers saw him and all their old fears and worries rose up like a bad flood of impurities in their hearts.  Many shriveled up and looked sickly as they did not want to face him.

The aether beasts and the recently freed Soulless looked around and saw the true terror of the Soulmancers.

They had broken humanity.

No native could stand up to them out of sheer ingrained instinct.  Even behind all the defenses, they had seen it all stripped away and the morale destroyed.

"Your souls shall fuel my work for millenia to come!  DIE!"  A strange pressure suddenly spread across the city and all the humans wailed while young children clasped their parents in terror.

The feeling was well known as all could feel a version of it at the public extractions.  The real purpose behind that was to make the public understand the power of the Soulmancers over them.  There was no hope of defiance.

They all waited but while the pressure felt wrong and horrible, no one was harmed.

The Soulmancer suddenly stopped as no new souls were coming to him.  What was going on?

"They are no longer your playthings.  They are free.  I freed them from that contemptible brand this vile Law Binding imposes on you all.  You may not know them but look at the ramparts!"  A voice suddenly boomed over them all.

Glenda and the others looked at Lind but he was still recovering.  A pre-recorded message!

"You can see the colors of Perot, Karridan, and even former Soulless.  I freed them all!  You are not bound to these monsters if you do not wish to be.  They have no power over free peoples.  Without the brand, they are just another cultivator!"  His words changed the atmosphere like a match to tinder.

All the cowering and wailing faded away as slowly people realized their souls were safe.  It was not because Lind protected them, but because he gave them back their freedom!

The Soulmancers had relied on the power of the brand for too long and become complacent.

"Pretty words, but it will not change your fate!"  The black robed man tossed his hands up and sigils blazed into the very air around him.  Screams of tortured souls filled the air briefly until a bridge of pure darkness crossed the water to the wall.

"KILL THEM ALL!"  He shouted and then sat back but there was only silence.

The Soulmancer turned around to find his forces looking at him oddly.  They were no longer just obeying him, but clearly considering their options.

Orbas smiled but then all felt it once more.

The pressure was much less but the effect was instantaneous.  The souls of the soldiers began to leave their bodies enmasse!

"The traitors may be safe, but you are not.  Obey or become a part of me!"  The slim hope of reversing the battle disappeared as the terrified men charged forward.

Qi began to gather and an open battle began.  Even when seeing there was freedom, the army had no choice but to obey.  The grip of the Soulmancers was too strong and the Two Rivers was still severely outnumbered.

"Prepare for siege."  Sheena was grim as she spoke into the jade stone communication bracelet.  All sectors reported in and true war began.