668 First Act [4]
The overall structure of the plan was simple.
Between the three forces, there were several hundred thousand able-bodied soldiers who could be dispatched. These soldiers would be used to attack the Tephit Clan’s subdivisions, most of which Damien knew the structure of and location of.
When the Tephit Clan’s attention was divided trying to support these subdivisions, they would launch a fierce attack on the main headquarters, killing the Tephit Clan Head and his strongest subordinates.
Each secondary team was led by three 4th class beings, one from each of the involved forces, in case of emergency. Lucius, White Dragon King, Elvira, and the two Phoenix Matriarchs were placed in these secondary teams. In fact, even Feng Qing’er and Lunaria Snow exited the Sanctuary for the first time to participate, following their mothers.
Since Damien and Zara independently briefed Maximus and Ria about the outline of the plan, the actual strategy meeting didn’t take long. Maximus and Ria provided their own input based on their knowledge and fleshed out the plan. After revising the improved version for an entire night, there was no need to say more.
The plan was set in motion.
The secondary teams shot into the horizon, spreading thin as they chased down their targets. Now, Damien and the rest only had to wait for results.
***
Feng Qing’er looked around as she flew threw the crystal clear waters of Aquazyl. She’d never imagined the possibility of such an environment existing.
The 3000 Beast Mountain Range was entirely landlocked, and while it did have its fair share of rivers and lakes, the volume of water in the entirety of the mountain range couldn’t even match a portion of Aquazyl.
If she’d remained trapped in her own bubble for the rest of her life, it was unknown if she would have ever truly grown into a powerhouse.
A sigh leaked from her mouth. That Damien she got to know in the 3000 Beast Mountain Range seemed so distant now. In a few short years, he’d promoted to the same level of strength as her mother. Meanwhile, she stagnated, unable to cross the final barrier and receive her Baptism.
‘How do you do it?’ She wondered. She knew he was a freak from the beginning, but she was still astonished to see his progress.
And at the same time, she mourned a bit thinking about what he had to go through to reach that point.
She was able to leisurely train in the comfort of the Sanctuary, slowly accumulating her comprehension and raising her level to grow. While this environment was wonderous, Damien clearly didn’t have any semblance of this peace in his own life, despite being the Sanctuary’s creator.
In fact, he rarely ever visited the Sanctuary at all. He treated it like an independent world that he was visiting rather than his own domain.
Nevertheless, Feng Qing’er didn’t remain thinking about Damien for long. Her anticipation was killing her.
There were plenty of conflicts in the Sanctuary, but because everyone was on the same side, there were never any life-or-death battles.
The Storm Heavens Realm that was recently added to the Sanctuary was a breath of fresh air, allowing her to once again experience growth through struggle. But even then, the Storm Heavens Realm didn’t align with her affinities, so at most, it could only train her physical body.
Now that she was outside, and partaking in a war no less, she was guaranteed the experience she so desired.
How could she not be excited?
Feng Qing’er’s gaze refocused on the horizon. Their force had already been traveling for a few days. They’d traveled through multiple barriers that separated different battlefields and were now finally arriving at their destination.
And they were just in time for nightfall.
Roughly 3 hours of flying later, the sun faded behind the horizon. The Fire Phoenix Matriarch, Feng Yuxiang, took a spatial ring off of her finger and poured mana into it.
What exited wasn’t items, but rather people. Since they traveled during the daytime to increase their speed and distance covered, Damien designed some pocket dimensions to hold the Sea God Clan members who were traveling with them.
This convenience was the only reason they reached their destination in a matter of days rather than weeks.
Feng Yuxiang spoke, “we are only a few hundred kilometers away from our destination. This Tephit camp is the most peripheral camp in the western region of Aquazyl. We will start from here and make our way inward until we meet the main force at the Tephit Clan’s headquarters.”
The Sea God Clan members rapidly regained their wits upon hearing her words and nodded.
He was the Ruvia Clan 4th class assigned to Feng Yuxiang’s group, named Leon. Next to him stood a muscled woman with tan skin from the Oga Clan, Tera.
“The Tephit’s rule is over! Let’s let them experience the taste of defeat!” She roared.
OOOOOH!
The Oga Clan members let out a fierce battle cry that shook the waters. Smiling at their actions, Feng Yuxiang gave the order.
“Charge!”
Hundreds of kilometers were covered in a matter of minutes.
And the Tephit Clan peripheral subdivision was destroyed only a few minutes later.
They didn’t stand a chance. Feng Yuxiang didn’t even have to act. When they first arrived, Tera ripped out the throat of the overseeing elder, killing him instantly and causing the remaining Tephit forces’ morale to steeply drop.
It was a slaughter after that. With Feng Qing’er at the head, the Ruvia, Oga, and Sanctuary forces acted without mercy.
When the battle was over, nobody thought to rest. Their time was extremely precious at the moment, and as rapidly as they could, they had to destroy as many Tephit subdivisions as possible.
Feng Qing’er grinned to herself. In this aquatic environment, she wasn’t just severely limited, she was essentially crippled. The strength of her fire element without the backing of Laws was decreased to a negligible level, forcing her to use both technique and creativity to make up the difference.
In such conditions, the fighting capabilities she could show dropped to match her level, but this only excited her more.
The challenge she had been seeking, this was it. A place where she was pathetically weak and a place where she could become abnormally strong.
Her gaze drifted to the horizon.
‘With this environment…I should be able to at least touch the precipice of 4th class by the time our raid is over…how fun!’
With a smile on her face as she followed the rest of the troops to the next Tephit subdivision, she suddenly had a thought.
‘Luna…is probably thriving in this environment. Hahaha, I almost feel bad for the people who have to fight her.’
Lunaria and the Ice Phoenix Matriarch were a terrifying combo even on land, but in this environment where they held a complete environmental advantage…?
They truly did show the Tephit Clan the meaning of fear.