The atmosphere in Wildfire City shifted from tense to almost eerily silent after the departure of the elite Nera Ironshield team. It was as if the harsh fortress city itself was holding its breath, awaiting the outcome of the decisive battle taking place far to the southwest. The remaining cultivators stood guard warily, knowing that the Nera team's failure could trigger a massive counterattack from the Shadow Viper Sect.
Noctis and Lumina, along with the surviving members of the "Fire Hawk" Recon Team, spent their time fully recovering. In their meditation rooms, Noctis concentrated on expelling the remnants of the Shadow Viper's dark energy from his wounds. Each strand of venomous energy expelled was a small battle, requiring perseverance and subtle qi control. Lumina was beside him, not only assisting him spiritually with the purifying energy of her Pillar of Light, but also providing moral support.
"You almost didn't come back, Noctis," Lumina whispered one night, her hand tightly holding her husband's rough hand.
Noctis nodded slowly, his eyes fixed on the flickering candlelight. "I know. But we both knew the risks we were taking when we decided to come here. Treasures like that crystal mine... that's the goal of all our sacrifices."
Sacrifice. The word hung heavy between them. The sacrifice of leaving the comforts of Flame's Crest, the sacrifice of living in fear every day, and the greatest sacrifice being away from their son who was growing up without them by his side.
"Lux... must have reached the Qi Nurturing Realm or even higher by now," Lumina murmured, trying to divert her thoughts while also longing. "I wish... I wish we could be there to see it."
"We will be there, Lumina," Noctis's determination was strong. "After this. After we get the contribution from the discovery of this mine, we will have the resources to attempt a breakthrough. Once we reach Core Forging, we can request safer assignments, or even a long leave to visit him."
That was the dream that kept them going: to become strong enough not only to survive, but to regain choices in their lives.
~
Meanwhile, in the quiet and remote Crystal Valley, a very different scene was unfolding.
The elite Nera Ironshield team moved with a speed impossible for cultivators below the Nascent Soul stage. They didn't walk, they glided over the ground, leaving faint traces in the air, they didn't fly to avoid detection. These four figures were the pinnacle of the Burning Sky Sect's power on the southern border.
Nera Ironshield led the way. With a ramrod straight posture and black-red armor that radiated an aura of formidable defense, she was the manifestation of the word "walking fortress." The greatsword on her back looked simple, but anyone who could sense energy would know that it was a deadly weapon that had tempered her Nascent Soul. Her face was beautiful but cold, like an ice sculpture, with eyes that analyzed everything ruthlessly and efficiently.
Behind her, three other stage 2 Nascent Souls followed in perfect formation. There was Faros, a thin man with hawk eyes and long, constantly moving fingers, an expert in long-range formations and space locking. Then Ling Ling, a woman with a body as sturdy as a rock and fists that were said to be able to crack mountains, a specialist in close combat and destruction. Finally, Lisa, a woman with silver hair and eyes that radiated ancient wisdom, an expert in spiritual support, healing, and disruption of enemy energy.
They arrived at the edge of the canyon silently, like ghosts. From above, they could clearly see the activity below. The Shadow Viper Sect's outpost had been reinforced since the "Fire Hawk" Team's ambush. There were now nearly twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators visible, and the aura of the previously sensed stage 2 Core Forging Cultivator was now accompanied by another, slightly weaker aura, most likely a newly arrived stage 1. They were unloading cargo wagons and moving the glittering raw crystals into spiritual boxes.
"They're reinforcing their position," Faros whispered, his eyes narrowing. "But not enough."
Nera wasted no time. "Standard plan. Faros, lock down the perimeter. Don't let a single one escape to call for help. Ling Ling, destroy their defenses and Core Forging cultivators. Lisa, support and neutralize their poisons or illusions. I'll finish off the rest."
It was a ruthless and direct order. No negotiations, no warnings. This was the law of the jungle in a world of cultivators where the strong rule.
Faros raised his hand, and a complex, almost invisible energy diagram unfolded from his fingers, covering the entire valley like an invisible dome. The Space Locking Formation had been activated. No sound, no energy could leave or enter the valley now.
That was when the Shadow Viper cultivators below realized that something was wrong. But it was too late.
Ling Ling, the destroyer, jumped off the cliff. Her body, which should have been in free fall, instead glided down like a meteor. She didn't draw a sword or use a weapon. Her clenched fists radiated a fiery red light, and before her feet touched the ground, she had already directed her punch towards the stage 2 Core Forging cultivator.
"Burning Sky Meteor Fist!" she exclaimed, her voice echoing in the locked valley.
A Shadow Viper Foundation Establishment cultivator who happened to be in the path of her punch instantly exploded, his body shattered into a spray of blood and energy before he could even scream. The shockwave from the punch sent several nearby cultivators flying. The stage 2 Core Forging cultivator, a thin man with snake eyes, quickly formed a green poison shield, but the shield cracked instantly under the force of Ling Ling's punch. He was thrown backward, blood spurting from his mouth.
Chaos ensued. The Shadow Viper cultivators scattered, trying to form defensive formations or unleash their poison techniques. But their techniques faced two major obstacles.
First, there was Lisa. She was still standing on the cliff, her hands raised. A soft yet powerful chant came from her lips, and a golden light spread throughout the valley. This light had a purifying effect. The green clouds of poison that had begun to spread instantly evaporated. Illusions that tried to create false shadows dissipated. The Shadow Viper cultivators felt their qi disrupted, making it difficult to concentrate.
Second, and most terrifying, was Nera Ironshield herself.
She hadn't even drawn her sword once.
She walked through the chaos with calm steps, as if she were taking a walk in the park. Every Shadow Viper cultivator who approached her with a sword, poison, or ranged technique met a quick and certain death. One cultivator lunged with a poisoned sword, but Nera simply turned her head and looked at him. The man's eyes suddenly swelled and exploded, and he fell down screaming in agony before falling silent forever. Two other cultivators unleashed dark energy spears. Nera raised her palm, and the energy spears reversed direction at twice the speed, piercing the chests of the shooters.
This was not a battle. This was a systematic slaughter.
Nera Ironshield was a stage 3 Nascent Soul. The difference in power between her and Foundation Establishment cultivators was like the difference between a god and an ant. She didn't even need to use complicated techniques. Her will alone, amplified by her Nascent Soul, was enough to extinguish the lives of the weak.
The only fight worth mentioning was between Ling Ling and the two Core Forging Shadow Viper cultivators. Ling Ling, with her brutal fighting style, dominated the fight. Her mountain-crushing punches kept both of her enemies constantly retreating and defending. The stage 2 cultivator, already injured from the first attack, finally couldn't hold on any longer when Ling Ling shattered his defenses with a direct punch to the chest, crushing his heart and qi core. The other stage 1 cultivator, seeing this, tried to escape, but his movements were hampered by Faros's Locking Formation. Ling Ling finished him off with a kick that decapitated him.
In less than ten minutes, all the Shadow Viper cultivators in Crystal Valley had been killed. An eerie silence returned to the canyon, broken only by the rustling of the wind passing through the cliffs and the metallic scent of blood that began to fill the air.
Nera walked towards the mouth of the mine, ignoring the scattered corpses. She picked up a light blue crystal lying on the ground, the same as the ones brought back by the "Fire Hawk" Team.
"Faros, reinforce the locking formation and create a high-level concealment formation. Lisa, cleanse any remaining poison energy and traps they may have left behind. Ling Ling, secure the inner perimeter and collect all the crystals that have already been mined." Her orders were short and efficient.
She then sent a high-priority spiritual message to Wildfire City. Only two words: "Mine secured."