Chương 348: The Southern Shield

The airship touched down in the central command plaza of Fort Torrent, a sprawling, fortified city built directly into the towering, high walls of the Bloodfire Rift. The air thrummed with the residual energy of the city's defensive formations and the distant, percussive impacts of ongoing battles. This was not a city at peace; it was an armed bastion, the lynchpin of the entire southern defensive line. Grand Elder Theron led the way, his face grim but determined. The plaza was a scene of organized chaos.

Wounded soldiers were being carried on stretchers to a central healing hall, while squadrons of fresh disciples, their faces set with grim determination, were running towards the outer wall. The smell of smoke, blood and demonic qi was thick in the air. They were ushered immediately into the Aegis Command, a massive reinforced spire carved from the rift-wall itself. Inside, a vast circular room was dominated by a colossal, glowing tactical map of the entire southern front.

Five individuals, their auras powerful and their faces etched with exhaustion, stood around the map.

"Grand Elder," a woman with intelligent eyes and a silver streak in her hair stepped forward, her voice crisp and clear, cutting through the tension. She wore the robes of a Sect Leader but her demeanor was that of a general.

"Sect Leader Lyra," Theron said, nodding in greeting. He gestured to his companions.

"Our reinforcements have arrived." Theron made the introductions.

"This is the command council of the Southern Shield Alliance, the five sects who jointly maintain Fort Torrent. This is Sect Leader Lyra of the Silver Serpent Sect. She is the acting chief strategist and governor of the fortress." Li Yu was slightly surprised, she wasn't the strongest out of the five but was the one in charge. Her cultivation was at the absolute peak of the Core Formation realm.

Theron then motioned to a massive man beside her, whose aura was unmistakably that of a first-level Soul Formation expert. He was built like a golem, his presence as steady and unyielding as the mountain.

"This is Sect Leader Kaelen of the Stone Binders Sect. He is the guardian of the fort." The remaining three, two men and a woman, were also at the peak of the Core Formation realm: Sect Leader Cassian, a master arrayist; Sect Leader Gwen, head of logistics; and Sect Master Milo, in charge of intelligence. It was a council of specialists, with Lyra as the brain and Kaelen as the brawn, an efficient and pragmatic system born of necessity.

The fact that five separate sects could maintain a massive city together like this was impressive. Li Yu saw the conference from his own continent and how disjointed they were. These five sects must have either been close before or their alliance was all mutually beneficial. Lyra's sharp gaze swept over the newcomers, lingering on Jian's flamboyant robes and Li Yu's calm, youthful face.

"Grand Elder, your arrival is a blessing. We had gotten word that you were able to free yourself and were heading down. The enemy is pushing hard on all fronts and our forces are stretched to the breaking point. Everyone is suffering from fatigue at this point as well." She pointed to the glowing map. Red lights were flashing violently in three distinct sectors.

"The outer defenses are holding, but just barely. We have a major breach at the western pass, a demonic incursion near the 'Ash Fields' here, and this... this is our most critical problem." She indicated a deep, narrow canyon that acted as a natural chokepoint into the heart of their territory.

"The Ironjaw Ravine. A massive force of the Beast Faction, led by three commanders, is trying to punch through and are currently just inflicting chaos in the areas. If they succeed, they will sever our primary supply line and flank our main forces. We have to hold it but Kaelen is needed to defend the walls here." Before she could even ask, Jian Xuan stepped forward, a wide, battle-hungry grin spreading across his face.

"A ravine full of beasts, you say? Sounds like a perfect place to introduce them to the Crab God. We'll take it." Li Yu nodded in confirmation.

"We can handle the Ironjaw Ravine." Lyra looked momentarily surprised by their immediate and confident acceptance of the most dangerous mission on the board. She glanced at Theron, who had clearly briefed them.

"Grand Elder Theron... he informed us of your group. The...

'Abyssal Crab Cult'." She said the name with a careful, neutral tone, though her eyes betrayed a deep curiosity.

"We are grateful for your aid." Theron stepped in, his voice firm, reinforcing the cover story.

"Indeed. The Abyssal Crab Cult has graciously agreed to assist our cause. Their strength is, as you have probably seen in your reports, beyond question." He met Lyra's eyes, his meaning clear. Theron and Jian Xuan had an arrangement that their real associations must remain confidential. The Golden Shell Guild cannot be seen to be involved in a continental war. If word were to spread, the potential for revenge, for our enemies to cross the sea and bring this conflict to their own shores is too great.

The Guild is a merchant organization. The Abyssal Crab Cult, however... they are warriors and most importantly are crazy. Few want to deal with groups that are truly crazy, you never know what they will do." Lyra nodded, her sharp mind instantly grasping the political necessity and that there was more to it than what Theron was saying.

"Understood. We are simply grateful for the powerful allies."

"Since you will be acting as a separate, elite force," Theron continued, "you should be rewarded for your efforts." He produced two new tokens from his storage ring. They were forged from a dark, metallic substance, pulsing with a faint light and covered in complex, shifting runes.

"These are Alliance Merit Tokens," he explained, handing one to Jian and one to Li Yu.

"They are standard issue for all allied forces. The array within will automatically sense the life-force of enemies you kill—beasts, demonic cultivators, or faction members. It will record merit points based on the quantity and, more importantly, the strength of your kills." Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

"These points can be exchanged at any allied stronghold, like this one, for resources, spirit stones, high-grade elixirs, or even unique techniques and artifacts from our combined vaults. Since you are bleeding for us, you should benefit from the spoils." He smiled faintly.

"This is, of course, separate from the personal gratitude and treasures I and the Forest of the Radiant Dawn will grant you once this war is over. Consider this... a way to ensure your efforts do not go unrewarded in the meantime." Lyra then stepped forward, handing them two more tokens, these carved from rift-stone and bearing the five-sect insignia of Fort Torrent.

"And these are authority tokens. Our forces are scattered and wary. This will identify you as allied commanders. Show this and our soldiers will grant you passage."

"Excellent," Jian said, flipping the merit token in his hand.

"I wonder how many points a 'god' is worth." The local leaders paled but Theron just sighed.

"We leave in one hour, prepare for your respective missions. Lyra, find quarters for our allies. They need a brief rest." Jian and Li Yu were led from the command center by an adjutant. The moment the heavy stone door sealed behind them, the tense professional atmosphere in the room broke. Sect Master Kaelen, the massive Soul Formation expert, let out a breath he seemed to have been holding.

"Theron... that boy. Li Yu." His voice was a low rumble of disbelief.

"He's not hiding his cultivation. My spiritual sense isn't wrong, is it? He is at the Seventh Level of the Core Formation realm?" Lyra's sharp eyes were narrowed, her mind processing the implications.

"He is. And his bone age looks... what, twenty? Twenty-five at the most? It's impossible. He feels even stronger than that, I bet I would have a hard time beating that boy if I can even win at all. Is he some ancient monster in a young body?"

"That's the 'Abyssal Crab Cult' for you? This Cult came out of no where and only has monsters," Cassian, the array master, muttered, staring at the door.

"Jian Xuan's power is one thing—a fourth-level Soul Formation expert is a terror that can change a battle. But that boy... his presence is almost more frightening. It's... unnatural." Theron cut them all off, his voice low and deadly serious, a tone that commanded their absolute attention.

"Listen to me, and listen well. Do not ask questions about the Abyssal Crab Cult. Do not pry into their origins. And especially do not ask questions about Li Yu. That young man is...

'weird' is the only word for it. His power is not what it seems and his Master is a being you cannot even begin to comprehend." The memory of Khaos killing that Demon with his own limbs came to Theron's mind at the moment.

"He is our ally and we are supremely fortunate for that," Theron continued.

"Do your best to not make an enemy of him. If you cannot be his friend, at the very least, never be his enemy. Is that clear?" The weight of the warning, coming from a sixth-level Soul Formation expert who was himself a legend, landed like a mountain. They all nodded, a new curiosity mingling with their relief. No one in this room was foolish enough to provoke a powerhouse that even Grand Elder Theron spoke of with such profound and absolute caution.

Li Yu and the team had decided to not hide his strength on this continent. He would be constantly at war here, it didn't seem like a practical thing. Now with the creation of the Abyssal Crab Cult, all things can be answered using that excuse, further making the cult more mysterious. The quarters they were given were sparse, functional and carved from the same fortress stone as the rest of the city.

Jian immediately declared he needed to "meditate on the Crab God's creed," which Li Yu knew was a direct translation for "take a nap or going to rest" He closed his door and his presence vanished. Li Yu could only shake his head, thinking he really has brain washed himself. Li Yu, however, was restless. An hour was not much time, but it was enough. He left the command spire and headed into the city proper, his new authority token hanging plainly from his belt.

Fort Torrent was a military city but it was also a massive trade hub, or at least it had been. The main thoroughfares were now crowded with soldiers in the banners of five different sects, wounded being carried and hurried merchants trying to sell off goods, trying to keep the troops well supplied in their fights. He followed the unique, pungent smells of a district that was still teeming with life. The beast pens.

This was where the local sects raised their war mounts, pack animals and even beasts used for material harvesting. It was a huge, noisy area near the canyon wall. He saw massive, six-legged lizards with armored hides, clearly used as mounts, being loaded with supplies. He saw giant, ill-tempered birds-of-prey with metallic feathers in vast, reinforced cages and even pens of strange, furry, rock-like creatures that seemed to be... eating stones.

He walked casually among the pens, appearing as just another curious cultivator inspecting the local fauna. But as he walked, he activated his unique absorption ability, sending out dozens of imperceptible, hair-thin threads of qi. As he had done countless times, he absorbed a bit of the qi of beasts with an aquatic bloodline. He took only the tiniest fraction, not enough to harm the creatures or even be noticed by their handlers.

It was a tiny boost to his reserves, but the variety was what he craved, expanding his understanding and the depth of his own power. His spiritual "snack" complete, he headed back to the main thoroughfare. The smell of cooking food, sharp and spicy cut through the city's grimier scents. A food stall, its owner a grizzled old man with a long scar down his face, was still bravely open for business, a long line of soldiers in front of it. Li Yu still had thirty minutes. He got in line.

When his turn came, the old man barked, "What'll it be, kid?"

"What's good?" Li Yu asked.

"You a new recruit? You need fire in your belly. Try the Rift-Pepper Noodles. And a Lava-Lizard Skewer. Puts hair on your chest." Li Yu paid and received his food a moment later. The noodles were a deep, angry red, the aroma intensely piquant. He took a bite. An explosion of fiery heat, far more potent than anything on his home continent, lit up his senses. But beneath the heat was a rich, smoky and complex flavor that was absolutely delicious.

The skewer of lizard-meat was tough but packed with a savory, fiery taste that lingered. The spirit energy from the meat was also quite nice. He ate quickly, standing by the stall, just another cultivator taking a brief moment of peace in a world at war. A rare, genuine smile touched his face. He looked at the unfamiliar, bustling and dangerous city around him, at the strange, glowing rocks of the rift wall, at the different robes of the soldiers.

'Khaos and Jian was right,' he thought to himself, a quiet moment of revelation. If I had stayed behind, hiding in the sect... I never would have been able to try this. He had been so worried about the danger, so focused on his responsibilities, that he had forgotten the simple, grounding joys of discovery. This one simple, spicy meal seemed to wash away the last of his hesitations. This journey, as perilous as it was, was already worth it. He finished the last noodle, gave the old man a respectful nod and turned.

The brief break was over. His mind clear and his stomach full of fire, Li Yu headed back toward the command spire to find Jian. It was time to go to war.