novelraw Chapter 658 - 657 - Valkyrie Interferes
Chapter 658 - 657 - Valkyrie Interferes
A land of pristine white towers spread across idyllic plains and mountains. Rigid patrols kept aether beasts and banditry in control while massive recruitment never stopped, but all knew the Heavenly Maiden Sect was a powerhouse in the Alliance.
The lands they held were not the only ones but they were the closest to the current front of the Fiend War. It had massive defenses but no one believed it could hold out forever against those monsters.
Other sprawling sects had been broken and crushed many times over the last millions of years.
The current territory held by the main branch was named Serenity Valley. It would easily swallow Lind's 3 lower continents just for the main structures alone! While the Heaven Realm had more resources, it was still rare for a sect to be so massive.
There was a reason supreme powers held their titles.
In the tallest spire at the heart of the sect was a room where the various core elders met with the vice sect masters over the local issues to the many branches in the mortal realms and across the Heaven Realm.
"So, we have already got the new foundation set up by the Gorgon Inheritance?" A demoness spoke up with white and gold robes to see many nod their heads. It was normal business but depressing.
They knew their current foundation would be consumed if they let it, but unlike other stubborn powers, they planned for survival. It was why the Heavenly Maiden Sect had remained supreme while many other powers lost a lot of their foundation before they could build it back up.
Mercantile powers were notorious for being shattered during the war due to greed. Battle crazy sects did better but they usually lost far more members compared to the actual foundation of their sects.
Still, it was a rather normal meeting until the double gold doors swept open at the top of the room. All the members attending immediately stood up and bowed low as a woman of unparalleled beauty descended.
She had some scars on her arms visible, but it only enhanced her aura. Her well muscled arms were still slim but the power in them was far above most warriors.
Her fierce face was currently grim.
"Sect Master, we greet you." An aether child vice-sect master spoke up but all echoed her. Valkyrie did not let them stay that way for long.
"Sit, we have a serious issue to discuss." She then waved her arm and another woman followed her in. That one was fairly young and had bright pink hair but many frowned as they only felt peak Moon Tier aura from her.
All the core elders were in the Sun Tier at least, while the Vice-Sect Masters were all Sliver Tier Immortals. Valkyrie was at the low Shard Tier. A rare second tier Immortal but it was as far as anyone could go.
Her endeavor to wipe out a demonic empire aligned with the Fiends had given her an opportunity to break through and comprehend more Laws so that she could reach her current strength.
Few could understand why she did it personally but it was hardly the first time Valkyrie had purged a mortal realm. Her unique constitution allowed for her to use artifacts and formations to restrict her power to what was possible in those realms.
Since the last time, however, she had not done it since.
Now, she looked at the new arrival and waved for her to speak.
"Greetings seniors. I am called Romana. Some may know of my name and my association with Lind Frey." A few faces lit up with interest while others frowned. Most of them were unreadable. The contentious history with that particular man had reached even their lofty halls.
"Skip the pitch and just tell them." Valkyrie spoke but many noticed she was not snapping at Romana. Some paled as that was not good.
"Ahem, very well. I am part of the scouting parties as I lived with aether beasts for a very long time so I am skilled in not drawing attention to myself. During the latest fight at the Razor Pits, we found a group of Fiends and thralls trying to sneak past the Line." None were too shaken by that news.
It was certainly dangerous, but not uncommon. Most of such groups were sent by both sides but were either caught or fulfilled their missions and died. Still, if their Sect Master wanted it brought up, it was more serious.
"We followed them but rather than attack our defenses or strike at a camp, they intentionally snuck by entirely. We were hoping it was a group reaching out to spies or some other issue we could bring to light." Now that was more interesting. Romana, however, now looked grim.
"They knew our patterns of patrol, had artifacts to hide themselves perfectly from the various detectors we have set up, but they could not bypass just one set. The version created by Wyndam, also a 6 elemental associated heavily with Lind Frey." That little detail was a bit of a dig, but the Heavenly Maiden Sect knew it was not at them but to spread out.
Many powers thought the artifacts of Moebius Sect were not as profound or useful as tried and true methods. There was some logic to it, but it had the issue of being subverted by spies easily as the Fiends know of them.
The 6 elementals seemed like a spirits sent blessing that the Fiends could not get around!
"Once exposed, they did not flee back but kept together and made a beeline for a direction that had little strategic value." That was confusing. Once exposed it was one of 3 options. They could fight to the death, escape, or rush to complete their mission.
So why did they run further into the defenses in a direction that would not help the war front?
"Once they were killed, we found some detailed maps as well as portraits. It was a kill squad but not for the Line, but for a place we did not expect." Romana then summoned several portraits. While most did not recognize all of them, a handful did ring a bell.
"Cyntilla Fang?! The Goddess of Life and Death?! The Mistress of Illusions?!" The names and titles unfurled but eventually all understood the common thread. All the portraits were of men and women very close to Lind Frey.
"The Fiends have become aggressive in the last few years. Ever since the sun and stars returned to the skies, it is like they are desperately trying to get something done but none of us could figure out what." Valkyrie finally spoke.
She then summoned a projection jade stone that displayed the routes to the Moebius Sect to the war front. Unlike most sects, the Moebius Sect could move since it was on a floating mass.
Few had grasped the ingenuity of it since moving floating masses was quite hard but Moebius Sect had proven it could do so already. It had grown too large so it suddenly brought more over!
"I had all our scouts free to look over these and other routes. We found Fiend caches to hide and resupply along most of them that were less than a decade old. It also exposed a few spies." Valkyrie spoke as if that was not a big deal but the elders murmured in disquiet.
To have exposed such deeply seated spies was normally a big deal but the greater threat was clear. The Fiends were directly targeting a sect. It was also clear they were not prepared for that.
Dumb luck had revealed the plan!
"What are your orders, Sect Master?" Romana glanced at the demoness that spoke. It was one of the 3 Vice-Sect Masters that ran the day to day of the Serenity Valley. Romana knew none of them but she was surprised that they did not simply denigrate Moebius Sect a bit after all the ups and downs between them.
"We will do what we always have, kill the Fiends and their collaborators wherever they are. To that effect, dispatch the 3rd reserve division. Romana will be in charge." All eyes narrowed as Romana jumped.
She was in charge?!
"Sect Master, leaving aside the junior sister, the Moebius Sect is very prideful. They will not simply accept help from us." A human spoke up but she clearly did not approve of the mission as she had been frowning since Romana revealed she knew Lind Frey.
Romana knew that one. Seely was of the faction that saw ascenders as less than desirable cultivators. She wanted the sect to leave them as outer disciples regardless of their abilities.
Moon Tiers as outer disciples was impossible but it was still how Seely felt. She was not alone but they were far from the majority. The Moebius Sect had riled up that faction in particular as it poached promising seeds as well despite how they felt.
It gave Romana a headache trying to reconcile that logic but she focused as Valkyrie's aura flared.
"I do not care. The Fiends have proven how weak we are inside the Line, that has to change. If the Moebius Sect denies us entry–" She was about to continue when a new voice spoke up.
"Pompous and prideful as ever, Valkyrie. I was just coming to let you know a few things too." A man suddenly appeared in a ball of fire above the meeting hall. None panicked as the defenses did not activate. It meant the man had a token on him to let him in.
"The previous Sect Master was blind." Valkyrie's voice was cold but the man in red and yellow robes laughed merrily as his bright gold eyes drew people in. His aura was no less than Valkyries!
"She was a good friend and we had a lot of fun. You should relax more, Little Sister." That comment made a few jump but Romana smirked up at him. She bowed low.
"Junior greets Senior Hades." The name was given to the man long ago but he relished it. He was a vermillion bird. A rare being and with a lifespan on par with dragons and black tortoise descendants. His egg had been found by the Heavenly Maiden Sect long ago and nurtured.
"That little dragon whelp speaks highly of you little sister. Anyway, the Moebius Sect already knows it is targeted and noticed your activity. Since I am on good terms, I volunteered to deliver their message." Many frowned at how Hades couched his relationship with them but it was true he had been a good ally over the millennia.
"Speak." Valkyrie was one of the few that despised Hades yet could not rescind his token.
"Thank you for your assistance. If you wish to continue to aid us, we need help gathering materials and any references on Law Gates." The message could have gone many ways but none expected the last part.
Romana slowly lit up with a smile. The elders finally broke their control over their faces as shock came to them all.
Lind Frey was returning! He had found a way! He also had the audacity to ask for their help!
"I will fight the Fiends, but nothing else. Romana, you are forbidden from helping them." Valkyrie spoke but Hades smirked at her before he tossed out a jade slip. The warrior woman caught it and examined it before shock flooded her face!
"Still not helping?" Hades seemed amused as his hair moved suddenly like it was on fire! It showed he was feeling a strong emotion.
"ROMANA! GATHER ALL SCROLLS, SLIPS, AND EXPERTS ON LAW GATES!" Valkyrie shouted and made all jump as she swept from the room. What was on that slip that changed her mind?
All looked at Hades who shrugged and pointed up. They all looked up and saw the engraved words that were throughout the structures as the promise to all disciples.
[All Sisters are as one in the sect.]