Chương 999: Chapter 997: The Gilded Cages

General Mo returned to the ruined courtyard of the Crimson Crag Stronghold with the information they needed. The strike force wasted no time stepping through the rift that Lian created, leaving the shattered remnants of the Blood Eclipse Sect behind them to be consumed by the howling winds and leaving what little was left to the other scavengers. The turbulent currents of the void deposited them on a high, forested cliff overlooking a lush mountain valley.

The environment here was a stark contrast to the desolate wasteland they had just left. The air smelled of blooming lotus flowers and rich spiritual incense. Nestled deep within the vibrant valley sat the sprawling estate of the Celestial Crucible Clan. It was a breathtaking sight with white marble pavilions adorned with gilded roofs reflecting the warm sunlight, while pristine streams flowed through meticulously arranged spiritual gardens.

The sect disciples walking along the stone paths wore elegant white robes embroidered with gold threads. To the uninitiated eye, the clan appeared as a beacon of righteous cultivation and scholarly pursuit. Yet the ten generals of the Veiled Lotus looked down at the opulent valley with undisguised disgust. The cultivation world operated on a harsh spectrum where the line between righteous and demonic often blurred into a messy grey.

Many so-called righteous sects hoarded vital resources and casually oppressed the weak under the guise of maintaining order, while certain demonic factions merely practiced unconventional Dao that the orthodox world found distasteful. Titles meant very little to seasoned warriors. However, the practices of the Celestial Crucible Clan belonged firmly in the darkest depths of depravity.

Cultivating by forcefully cultivating and then harvesting the lifeforce and purity of another living vessel crossed a fundamental boundary. They treated any kind of beings as livestock to be fattened on spiritual herbs and pills before slaughtering them for a surge in personal power. The cloying, unnatural sweetness radiating from the valley made the seasoned killers of the strike force even more disgusted.

"Stay here," Lian instructed Li Yu, Daiki, and Sora once again while keeping her eyes fixed on the marble palaces.

"This assault will take longer than the last. Their estate is vast and their defenses are deeply layered." Li Yu nodded.

"We will wait for your signal." Lian drew her pitch black blade and stepped off the edge of the cliff. The ten generals followed her descent like a localized catastrophe falling upon a fragile paradise. General Jian led the vanguard as he plummeted toward the central courtyard. He unleashed a wave of severing sword Qi that cut the primary defensive array into ribbons before the warning bells could even chime.

The shimmering energy shield shattered into falling sparks as the silent executioner landed gracefully on the pristine marble tiles. General Lei followed a fraction of a second later. He called down thick pillars of violet lightning that pulverized the elegant guard towers and turned the surrounding gardens into craters of scorched earth. The opulent facades crumbled as the sect members rushed out in blind panic. The slaughter was unyielding and heavily one-sided as before.

The cultivators of the Celestial Crucible Clan were accustomed to preying on captive victims and engaging in soft, decadent training. They were entirely unprepared to face apex predators forged in centuries of cosmic warfare and training. General Lan crashed into the center of the gathering defenders and slammed her dark-metal shield into the ground. The resulting gravity well crushed dozens of elite disciples into the dirt before they could summon their weapons.

General Xue walked methodically through the eastern wing while her steps radiated a chilling frost that turned fleeing elders into brittle ice statues. General Mei stood atop the highest remaining roof and drew her dark-wood longbow, utilizing her perceptive eyes to track and eliminate anyone attempting to flee the clan. Her arrows pierced through walls and barriers to strike down cowards hiding in the cellars as well. No mercy was offered to anyone that gave off the clan's specific cultivation technique.

If an individual raised a weapon, they died. If an individual tried to run, they died. Deep within the grand hall, the Clan Leader of the Celestial Crucible Clan erupted from his private meditation chambers. He was a cultivator at the Supreme Exalt realm, his aura bloated and unnaturally dense from the stolen cultivation of countless cauldrons. He roared in fury with his robes billowing as he summoned a swirling vortex of pink and crimson Qi designed to drain the vitality of his attackers.

"You dare desecrate my sanctuary?!" The Clan Leader screamed as he threw a heavy palm strike empowered by his vile arts. General Po stepped forward to meet him. The towering warrior did not bother dodging the incoming technique. He allowed the draining vortex to wash over his black dragon-scale armor while relying on his formidable foundation to shrug off the parasitic Qi. Po closed his fist, drawing upon his Qi and punched forward. The physical weight of the strike tore through the air with a deafening boom.

The concussive wave shattered the Clan Leader's defensive artifacts, bypassed his desperate blocks and crushed his chest cavity in a single and devastating blow. The Supreme Exalt was thrown backward through the gilded pillars of his own hall before collapsing lifeless into the rubble. The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. While the heavy fighting concluded in the central courtyards, General Yin danced through the shadows of the luxurious guest pavilions.

She specialized in skirmishing and disorientation, her twin curved daggers severing throats before her targets even realized they were under attack. As she swept through a secluded garden, she cornered a young man wearing lavish golden robes. He radiated an aura distinct from the clan members but reeked of their cultivation technique. Seeing the blood soaked assassin approaching, the young man panicked and attempted to activate a high-tier spatial escape talisman.

Yin flicked her wrist, sending one of her daggers spinning through the air to sever the spatial runes before they could ignite. The young man fell to his knees in terror as the severed talisman crumbled to ash.

"Wait!" He shrieked while holding his hands up in surrender.

"I yield! Do not kill me! I am the 6th Prince of the Aurelian Spear Kingdom! My father is a great king and I am merely a guest here!" Yin sneered in disgust at his sniveling cowardice. The prince was actively partaking in the clan's vile services, paying premium resources to violate and harvest the captives. However, the kingdom was well known, was somewhat an ally of the Zhan Clan and she had been told that Li Yu was recently just there.

"Your titles mean nothing in the dirt," Yin whispered as she stepped forward. She struck a series of meridian points along his neck, effectively sealing his cultivation and bound him with spiritual chains. He would be a prisoner to be dealt with later. Up on the high cliff, Li Yu, Daiki, and Sora waited in agonizing silence. Fenric and Oram stood guard nearby with their ghostly visors fixed on the valley below and their surroundings. The wait stretched on far longer than the previous raid.

Sora gripped the hilt of her sword until her knuckles turned white, her silver ears twitching at every distant rumble of collapsing architecture. Daiki paced back and forth across the dirt, his towering frame tense with restless energy. Li Yu watched the plumes of smoke rising from the estate and understood why the cleanup was taking so much time. The Crimson Crag Stronghold had utilized centralized dungeons, making it easy to locate and secure the prisoners.

The Celestial Crucible Clan, however, treated their captives as prized possessions and luxury goods. The cauldrons were spread out across the sprawling valley, kept in gilded cages within the private quarters of those that owned them. The generals had to methodically sweep every single pavilion, ensuring the captors were dead while carefully extracting the victims from their individual prisons. Eventually the distant sounds of combat finally faded into an eerie quiet.

The shadows near the cliff edge shifted as General Mo materialized from the dense foliage.

"The estate is secured and the hostiles have been eradicated," General Mo reported.

"The captives are currently being gathered in the central plaza. You may proceed." Daiki and Sora did not wait for further instruction. They leaped off the cliff and down the mountain slopes with desperate speed. Li Yu followed closely behind them while Fenric and Oram trailed in his wake. The group descended into the ruined valley. The once beautiful marble courtyards were stained dark red and the air was thick with the scent of ozone and spilled blood.

Surviving servants and a handful of low level attendants who had surrendered were kneeling on the periphery under the watchful eyes of General Lan. Sora rushed toward the central plaza where General Hua and General Xue were organizing the freed captives. There were nearly three hundred men and women gathered on the pristine stone tiles. Unlike the emaciated prisoners of the Blood Eclipse Sect, these individuals appeared physically pristine. They wore fine silk garments and possessed healthy, vibrant complexions.

Sora pushed her way through the crowd, her silver eyes darting frantically from face to face. Her heart hammered against her ribs as she scanned the gathering for any sign of her adopted sister. Near the edge of the plaza was a Lunar Wolf beastkin with cascading silver hair.

"Lunitum!" Sora cried out with her voice cracking with overwhelming relief. She ran forward and dropped to her knees, throwing her arms around her sister in a desperate embrace. She buried her face in Lunitum's shoulder and was expecting the familiar warmth and joyful tears of a reunion ten years in the making. Instead, Lunitum remained perfectly still. Her arms hung limply at her sides and she made no effort to return the embrace. Sora pulled back with her brow furrowing in confusion.

"Lunitum? It is me. It is Sora. I finally found you." She looked into her sister's face and felt a cold spike of horror pierce her chest. Lunitum's silver eyes were glazed over, staring blankly ahead into empty space. Her breathing was steady and her physical body was undeniably healthy, teeming with the refined Qi she had been forced to cultivate during the strengthening process. But her mind was entirely absent.

"Lunitum, please look at me," Sora pleaded while gently shaking her sister's shoulders. The Lunar Wolf girl merely blinked, offering no sign of recognition or awareness. Li Yu and Daiki stepped up behind Sora and were processing the tragic scene. Li Yu cast his gaze across the rest of the plaza and noticed a chilling pattern. Every single cauldron sitting on the marble tiles exhibited the exact same hollow demeanor. They were breathing and healthy shells but devoid of any spark of life.

Gongsun Lian approached the group as she observed the glazed eyes of the captives and let out a quiet sigh.

"They are physically unharmed," Lian explained with her voice carrying a heavy note of sympathy.

"The clan fed them premium resources to ensure their vessels were primed for the harvest. But to keep them docile and prevent them from committing suicide or fighting back during the strengthening process, the elders most likely subjected them to a severe mind control technique." Sora reached up and gently touched Lunitum's cheek, a fresh wave of tears spilling down her face.

"Her mind is trapped. She is here but she is gone." Daiki clenched his massive fists as his golden eyes burned with a helpless fury as he looked at the ruined estate. He wanted to crush the clan elders all over again but the violence would not bring Lunitum's mind back from the void. Li Yu knelt beside Sora and placed a comforting hand on her trembling shoulder. He examined Lunitum's glazed expression, recognizing the faint and unnatural ripples of Qi hovering around the girl's temples.

It was a sinister soul suppression method designed to sever the captive's connection to their own consciousness. The Celestial Crucible Clan had ensured their victims were nothing more than obedient vessels, waiting patiently for the day they would be consumed.