?NOTE: this and the next 2 chapters are better consumed in one go, please make sure you have enough time to read all three for maximum enjoyment

—

The sea surrounding the island was growing darker and darker, the low-hanging clouds seemingly becoming heavier and adding to the rising pressure in the atmosphere around, the only constant source of light in all of the visible area becoming the glowing lava on the island, it’s brightest spot being a torrent from the new opening in the side of the volcano.

Five people clad in black robes with no insignia or any other identifying markings flew above the sea, gleeful grins on their faces and their eyes full of anticipation.

They were all relatively young-looking for someone achieving Mortal Transcendence Realm in this world, and two of them showed signs of unstable aura, signifying their recent advancements while one was a Minor Realm higher than the Temple Master of the Brilliant Sun Temple.

They were from a separate structure under Gu Zhen called the Monarch Legion, unlike the Golden Ox Mercenary Corps consisting of exclusively higher level fighters, and have appeared in the conflict for the first time, biding for their time in the shadows until this moment.

“Stop here, wait for the ships to reach the shores”

One of them signaled and the others followed his command, stopping in the skies not far from the shores as their robes flapped in the rising winds.

*Rumble!*

“Hah, the weather’s getting rougher”

A Monarch snorted, noting a brighter flash of lightning which briefly illuminated the gloomy dark world with a bluish light, followed by the louder than before rumbling of thunder, and the winds picking up even more as the waves far beneath their feet were also becoming agitated.

“Hahaha! Isn’t that quite fitting for the occasion? The Monarch Legion’s long-awaited glorious first battle!”

Another loudly laughed to the heavens which were growing more furious by the second.

“Glorious battle? More like a one-sided bloody carnage”

“Hehe, no doubt about that… I know! We should call it Carnage of the Northern Sea! That’s a good enough name for such an occasion!”

Two others chimed in with giddy laughs as well, all five floating with leisurely relaxed postures.

“But it shouldn’t count, our job’s on the side this time, we shouldn’t call this the first battle, right?

Doesn’t quite fit the grand occasion in my opinion, and it’s not like everyone is here…”

The first one who stopped them from advancing further said with slight dissatisfaction.

After all, they were not the main actors of this spectacle.

Their sole mission was to deal with the Temple Master and the other Mortal Transcendence Realm expert who was said to not be a threat but still had to be accounted for simply due to his cultivation.

The main stage belonged to the members of the two Great Sects on the ships, even if there were people in gray robes heavily mixed in among them for support.

The five Monarchs could also possibly aid with suppressing some of the Core Formation Realm members if need arose, but were under strict orders to let the two Sects do most of the honors and only assist from the side.

“Heh, let them take the glory… pathetic stooges…”

The one who first spoke about the weather chuckled, looking down at the ships which were rapidly approaching the shores, the Grand Elders of the two Sects raising the morale of the Elders and Sect Protectors with them.

Another lightning bolt… *Rumble!*

—

The flash illuminated the face of the Grand Elder Ro Banshui of the Cloud Piercing Sect while the roars of thunder seemed to be in sync with the war-hungry cries of his Sect and their allies.

He stood atop the ship surrounded by faces that would be familiar not only to Wu Long, but to Hua Ziyan as well as some of them were present during the last confrontation in the Winter Forest Hunt, though there was a portion that was absent as well.

The waves were getting higher, but the ten treasure ships tore through them with little difficulty, not swayed by the rampaging sea.

The Brilliant Sun Temple was always rivaling the Cloud Piercing Sect for the spot of the 1st of the Five Great Sects, with them only managing to break away a bit further with the ascension to the Sect Master position of the current one, known as the Sword God.

However, the younger generations were still equal between the two Sects, and the Daoist Monks had superior legacy, dampening the Sword Sect’s triumph.

Meanwhile, the Profound Martial Arts Valley was perpetually in the second-to-last position, only above the Profound Music Palace until just recently, when they rose to the spot previously occupied by the Frozen Garden Palace.

Thus the two Sects did not need much persuasion to conspire, although they were not strictly under Gu Zhen, only cooperating as allies. Of course, they had to follow his decisions nonetheless.

“Hahaha! The Heavens are Furious! Today, we will purge the treacherous Brilliant Sun Temple!”

Grand Elder Ro shouted through the thunder as he saw the intensifying storm much like the five people who stopped far above them in the skies.

“Hm? T-the respectable warriors of the Monarch Legion stopped! W-will they not be attacking with us?”

Another Grand Elder, the one who had previously accused Wu Long of being a fraud pretending to have comprehended Sword Domain, slightly meekly asked as he looked up.

He was happy to deal with lower level Elders, or even possibly tackling a Grand Elder on his own level if aided by someone, but even a mere thought of facing a Mortal Transcendence Realm cultivator terrified him.

“Of course they will, hahaha!

It is all part of the plan. They will join as soon as that old man Qi Shan dares to show his nose!

… that is if he will even have the courage to after seeing their lineuphahaha!!!”

Grand Elder Ro spoke with a reassuring and self-indulgent laughter, then turning up ahead to the island again while another flash of lightning lit the sky.

—

The flash of that lightning faded to reveal the face of a Monarch who came up with a name for this day.

“Of course, they will have their five minutes, while we do the real carnage. No one’s going to complain about us indulging in a small massacre if no one’s gonna know, right?”

He chuckled, causing a glint to appear in the eyes of the others, as they understood his insinuation.

There were far too many members of the Brilliant Sun Temple, and while the main forces were almost equal, there were a lot of Disciples and Sect Retainers who were likely to be distanced from the battlefield.

The five Monarchs were all hungry, hungry for action that they were preparing for.

For so long, they could only think of what it would feel like to actually wield the power they were training and accumulating.

*Rumble!*

The furious heaven seemed to answer their calls, as lightning flashed like spears and blades of gods in preparation for battle.

The whole sea until the obscured by storm horizon was already completely dark even though it was still supposed to be daytime.

“Hahaha, look at them run around like headless chickens, man I can’t wait to start!”

The first of the five to take note of the weather suddenly started laughing, his eyes on the ‘ants’ crawling all around the shore trying to form defensive positions.

“…I mean, this is what all those years of waiting for our turn were for! It would be so satisfy-…”

*RUMBLE!!!*

And then after a hereto unprecedented blinding flash of lightning with an explosive thunder echoing through the storm, when his vision returned to normal it was already obscured by something.

As he instinctively raised his eyes, they widened, seeing a plain white wooden mask with no features, only two dark openings in place of eyes, appearing eerie as if an abyss was inside them, with a talisman hanging in front of it from a black hat, and it was mere centimeters in front of his face, seemingly slowing down from a motion.

It appeared so abruptly and with absolutely no signs, not even breaking winds or creating residual wind from any movement, as if a ghost.

Updatd from freewbnovl.co(m)