novelraw Chapter 660 - 659 - Fear of Heaven
Chapter 660 - 659 - Fear of Heaven
Smoldering ruins were spread across the once pristine valleys, mountains, and deserts of the Shining Continent. There was a time that a cultivator could fly above the surface and see castles, towers, and sprawling cities of profound age and quality materials.
Now, chaos reigned. The battles had started as honest to goodness uprisings of the suppressed and those arrogantly holding on to the old forms of power. They kings, sect masters, and others assumed the Two Rivers Alliance would back them up as the 6 empires had before.
Thus when the Moon Tiers fairly returned all the stored tributes back to their owners based on the ledgers, it shook the final chains of the old world.
Lind had not meant to light the match but he did.
Thus when the minor and backwater powers were getting battered to death, he took action. The very same Moon and Star Tiers descended to use the old Imperial palace as a refugee space.
The Crystalline Continent, the largest of the 5 on the surface, simply let the chaos spread. It had the ascension pool from the surface to the Shining Continent.
Lind despised how little he could do as even such a small mortal realm was beyond their ability to just send more personnel as his own power needed people to keep things running!
The Sky Realms he could send would be easier but their advantage would be much lower compared to the Heaven Realms. They simply had far more power at that level than the mortal realm could allow.
Still, it did nothing to stop the suffering.
The never ending shadow of the Shining Continent loomed and normally the bright reddish sun brought a decent bit of light for the residents of Starlight Array Sect. They were a very minor but profitable sect on the Silver Continent.
It was the smallest but most resource dense continent. Even peak grade 5 materials could be found in the right conditions!
The Starlight Array Sect had chosen to be neutral since it was founded. It was not raising warriors but production masters of their craft. For nearly 5 million years they had existed but now their elders and disciples were bloody and hollow.
The chaotic war had let their rivals find an excuse to try and take all that they were. No one really believed the sect had any impact on the Imperial Overseers or their ilk nor the vaguely connected rebellious forces engaging them.
It was a fact of life that people would profit from war even if the war had nothing to do with what they wanted!
The sect master and his vice sect master were already dead. Strung up on boards to demoralize the sect as they looked on, the shield guarding them was flickering.
"Surrender and it will be quick. Make us fight and you will all regret it!" A voice boomed across the blood soaked ground outside the barrier.
It was not the first time such an offer was made but none had any such illusions of any truth in it. Even the most dull disciple had heard what the force outside had done to the Glorious Dawn Sect not far away.
Like the Starlight Array Sect, they were closer to a production guild but for refining. They also had more women than men due to their specialty. The delicate work to make the decent artifacts was easier for women than men.
Like them, the Glorious Dawn Sect was neutral. The best either could make was peak grade 3 items with maybe a genius every few generations reaching grade 4.
While not the highest, World Realms were the most common cultivator, thus they had an excellent foundation.
Now, the various groups that had been coveting their resources had banded together in the name of overthrowing the 'oppressors.' The Glorious Dawn Sect had fallen in less than a month because no one saw it coming. It also had easier access for its material needs.
Starlight Array Sect was deeper into a range of mountains to see the night sky beyond the rim of the Shining Continent. The array glittering was the peak of their foundation. It was a peak grade 4 defensive array that used starlight to protect them.
Unfortunately, it was failing after 5 weeks of solid attacks. The disciples had hoped help would come but all were involved in their own battles while the greater war did not care at all.
They would not even be a footnote in history when it was all over. Some wept while others contemplated going out fighting. The elders were already running empty as they had given their all to save the younger generation.
A tent was on a small hill overlooking the 2 groups where wails were still heard as a man emerged looking satisfied. He was shirtless as he cinched his belt and saw one of his comrades waiting.
"Might want to give her a minute, I tired her out!" Raucous laughter followed the heavily bearded man as he moved over to another of his men at a table. The spyglass let him see the damned formation was still holding!
He swept a cup off the table and downed the now stale ale but he hardly noticed. Good ale was getting hard to come by but the juicy target in front of him was likely to have some good stuff inside.
His slightly gray hair belied his true age. He was pushing almost 3 centuries but for an Iron Tier he did not look like it.
"Sen! When will that blasted array be done!" The man shouted while the other slim man next to him sighed as he played with 2 daggers. His bright green hair stood out but the wind danced around him expertly as his dagger play became very intricate.
"I told you we should have attacked here first. Formations are troublesome so long as they have power. Even with all we threw at it, the damned thing only now starts to fail." His baggy white shirt was yellow stained with dark pants hiding some old blood on them.
Neither man was clean but they were not too bad compared to the ragged mass of men below. There was no safe place to settle currently but so long as they conquered, they would be able to resupply and 'renew' themselves.
Gregorl snarled as he wanted fresh toys but it had been weeks and their old ones were wearing out.
"We need to get in soon or others will come to snatch up all our hard work!" Sen merely smirked as he knew his leader was simply bored easily. They had been a group of bandits before the wars broke out, but now they were a true powerhouse!
They would rise up in the new world and—
A shadow drifted across the sky that broke his concentration. The daggers flew across the tent. One embedded itself in the table while the other nearly took the ear of the man waiting outside the bed chamber.
He was about to give Sen an earful when he saw it too.
It looked like a giant seed! A flying artifact could be big but the Qi needed to keep it afloat would be equally high. It was too inefficient so the most someone would make would hold maybe 10 to 20 people at most.
The thing in front of them could easily hold over 500 in size alone!
[To all that can hear my voice. This battle is over. Cease all actions or suffer the consequences.]
A woman's voice suddenly boomed in their heads. Only one being could send voices directly into another cultivator's head, a Heaven Realm!
How could one be down here?!
"It is some trick! Bring that artifact down! They can't keep it up there for long!" Gregorl did not even pause but Sen felt differently. His instincts screamed at him that that thing was far more dangerous than his leader realized.
He was about to tell him to stop but it was far too late.
The first spike of Qi was met with terrifying lightning! The seed sent out bolt after bolt of bright white lightning!
All cultivators knew tribulations awaited them but for the bandits below, it came for them all right then! Screams were cut short as entire sections of the force were wiped out like it was nothing but bugs!
Sen wanted to scream but then felt fire all around him as bright flames danced around their tent. The quality of Qi was far greater than anything he had ever felt in his life!
"NO! I am not suppo—" Sen wanted to deny reality but the air was robbed from his lungs as the heat seared his flesh to ash. Gregorl was hanging on as he had earth and air in his dantian but it was not enough.
He wanted to scream but nothing came out as his throat was turned to ash first. The flames seemed to dance around him as he died. The last thing he ever saw was that thing from Heaven coming closer and he knew real fear.
He understood the saying that cultivators should fear Heaven if they did not earn their place on the path of cultivation.
All his life flashed and only regret filled him as blackness closed in.
The Starlight Array Sect was left in shock as the enemy that had nearly destroyed them was wiped from the world!
Hope bloomed as many held their friends and wept in joy! Only the elders looked solemn as they were not sure what was about to happen but their array could not withstand such power!
They lowered the array and awaited what would happen next.