Chapter 385: Show Had Begun

Safira trembled from head to toe, breathing heavily. However, upon seeing that golden tablet, she didn’t dare take a single step forward. Gritting her teeth in fury, she stomped on the ground and flew back into the middle of the thousands of disciples in the sky, quietly withdrawing.

Dandara snorted indifferently and naturally grabbed Priam’s arm, puffing out her chest proudly.

Everyone in the sky stared at her with serious, tense expressions.

These weren’t ordinary disciples; everyone had noticed the speed and devastating power behind that attack. If Dandara had wanted to, she could have left Safira on the verge of death with a single blow.

And that half-beast was an entire Rank below Safira!

To possess such terrifying offensive power while being an entire Rank below her was simply unbelievable.

Nise calmly walked toward Priam and Dandara.

"I apologize for that. My aunt had already warned me that all the core disciples lacked organization and discipline. Compared to the people you command, they can barely even be called trash."

Priam silently nodded. Indeed, those so-called geniuses were nothing more than hothouse flowers. Even being an entire Rank below her, Dandara could have killed that so-called prodigy without much difficulty.

However, practically every member of Priam’s faction possessed similar potential—and that was because those geniuses from the inner sect were ridiculously naive.

Nise looked directly into Priam’s eyes, carrying the demeanor of a young woman who respected her superior.

"I was appointed as the leader of all of them, but my aunt also instructed me to follow your orders. I’ll do my best not to disappoint you; however... I can’t guarantee that these core disciples will live up to the task."

Priam nodded, sensing the young woman’s sincerity and genuine humility. She truly wanted to learn from him. It was surprising to see someone like her exist in such an environment; at least the entire world wasn’t completely lost to stupidity.

"No problem. We already expected that we might have to deal with another army. Once everything begins, Dandara and I will put our plans into action to integrate and coordinate the sect’s contingents."

Hearing this, Nise broke into an excited smile, her eyes shining with pure enthusiasm.

"Who is your aunt?" Priam couldn’t help but ask.

Nise nodded. "She met you before. She and the sect’s Grand Elder."

Priam’s eyes changed. It was that woman who had been standing beside the leader, the one who had been delighted when Priam removed the corruption from the dagger.

**BUZZZ!**

Suddenly, the entire planet began shaking violently.

Everyone’s gazes instantly turned toward the north.

The colossal abyss was the epicenter of the disturbance.

The Celestial Event was finally beginning!

An intense red light emerged from the depths of the abyss, while an aura of overwhelming power and oppression descended upon everyone like a divine hammer.

That abyss was the size of an entire continent, with a circular shape. The area that the Ironweald Sect was responsible for defending extended only a few kilometers along the planet’s southern edge; all the other great powers of the universe were distributed along the rest of the circumference.

Priam’s responsibility was limited to ensuring that every Specter that emerged within his perimeter was exterminated. If the other groups allowed creatures to escape through their respective areas, that wasn’t his problem, nor did it violate the Sovereign Goddess’s rules.

At that moment, all 52,000 disciples of the Ironweald Sect swallowed hard and clenched their fists. Instinctively, the two thousand who had come from the 11th Branch turned their gazes toward Priam and Dandara.

"Holy Sages, seal the path. Dandara, release the beasts," Priam ordered in a calm, firm voice.

The contingent of Holy Sages had been ready for a long time. With a collective shout from them, the ground beneath everyone’s feet began to explode.

*RUMBLE!*

Rising from the ground directly behind the group, massive tree trunks and wooden structures began projecting outward at a terrifying speed. Within seconds, they covered the skies, curving in an arc toward the abyss to the north.

In the blink of an eye, a gigantic crescent-shaped dome closed along the sides, sealing the entire perimeter several kilometers south of the abyss. The open barrier stretched majestically toward the north, covering almost half the diameter of the rift.

All 50,000 core disciples, without exception, were completely frozen and horrified. An incomparable energy—the very force of wood and life—flowed through that structure.

At first, they assumed that, in order to erect something of that size within seconds, the wood had to be fragile. However, as soon as the formation solidified, their senses warned them of the exact opposite:

Even if they attacked with everything they had, they wouldn’t be able to leave even a scratch on that fortress!

It basically served to block the enemies that emerged within the perimeter and tried to escape through the sky. They would be trapped and forced to attack, or attempt to escape through the perimeters of the other groups, giving the sect’s army time to bring them down.

At that moment, the hundreds of Holy Sages staggered. Their companions nearby immediately supported them, helping them sit on the ground and swallow recovery pills.

They had burned through 100% of their Ether and 100% of their Essence of Creation. However, the result had been flawless. Without the knowledge and techniques provided by Priam, they would never have dreamed of wielding such a magnitude of power. It was a force capable of inspiring despair in the enemy—simply devastating.

Even Priam was impressed. The thickness and imposing presence of that wall could drive any attacking army into a mental collapse.

Priam turned toward the members of his faction.

"You can rest. Now it’s time to train the newcomers. The real battle will come later, so make sure you’re fully recovered by then."

"Got it!" everyone replied in unison.

At the same time, Dandara made a gesture and released her seven contracted beasts. Unfortunately, she still hadn’t had time to create the Demon Tree—which at the moment would only serve as a one-time ultimate trump card.

However, the Celestial Beast cub that Priam had rescued previously, along with the two Skywarp Eagle cubs obtained recently, had already been nurtured until reaching physical maturity, making them fully capable of fighting.

Led by Mo Lan, Arvin, and the experienced Blood Moon Dryad, this would be an excellent opportunity for the younger ones to grow through real combat.

As for the two Primordial Chaos Beasts... during that year, Dandara had obviously revealed them to the sect. A Central Elder had come to inspect them personally, and after confirming the flawless ’slave seal’ and the technique Dandara had used, everything had been duly approved.

*BOOOM!*

In the distance, the seven beasts began to act as creatures of various sizes and shapes emerged from the abyss. Some looked humanoid, while others resembled beasts and demons.

All of them displayed a pulsating scarlet hue with completely black eyes, and their bodies weren’t entirely physical: they were Specters from another world. Manifestations of the wills of the dead from an extinct world, sealed within the small world located at the bottom of the abyss.

They weren’t truly living beings, yet they were extremely dangerous and lethal, even to experienced Sages.

Priam suddenly clapped his hands, instantly drawing the astonished gazes of all 50,000 core disciples.

"As you can see, the path above and behind us has been completely sealed. This isn’t only meant to prevent the enemies from escaping... it also blocks our own escape route. Either they die, or we die. In a life-or-death battle like this, only the ruthless will survive. As for those who fear death... the more afraid they are, the faster they’ll meet their end."

"A confrontation is naturally dangerous, but let me tell you something: as long as you can see the danger, it isn’t fatal; only invisible danger kills. Without experiencing real battles, you’ll never understand the true meaning of life, nor will you ever feel genuine gratitude for it. This is your opportunity to transform yourselves. What makes someone an expert isn’t their Rank, title, level, or talent... It’s knowing exactly why you want to become stronger."

Priam’s voice echoed imposingly through the air. Behind him, Dandara’s beasts were slaughtering the enemy horde, making his figure stand out against a crimson rain that fell from the sky like blood.

Priam looked deep into Nise’s eyes. Since she had said she would follow his command, he would take that responsibility without hesitation.

He turned toward the crowd of core disciples. His eyes gleamed as he subtly activated his manipulation of the wind and his System mastery.

"Most of you come from noble and influential families. You’ve had everything you wanted since childhood. To be honest, I don’t envy you in the slightest. On the contrary... I pity you. The more your parents gave you, the less you built for yourselves. My parents didn’t leave me treasures or resources, but they taught me respect, gratitude, ethics, and honor. Your superiors provided you with the perfect environment to grow up to a certain point; mine had none of that to offer me. However, they left me something far more valuable: an infinite space to grow."

"When I left the mortal plane, I was nothing more than a rookie accompanied by three allies from my clan. I had absolutely nothing besides my determination to keep moving forward. As I carved my way through a journey filled with thorns, whenever my steps faltered, I didn’t complain. Whenever I felt helpless, lost, or at my lowest point, my allies were the ones who supported me and gave me the strength to keep going. They remind me every second...

Why I need to become stronger. Only by becoming stronger will I be able to protect everything I love."

Hearing those words, the fifty thousand disciples involuntarily clenched their fists.

"As for you... you’ve been pampered geniuses since birth, raised as the future hope of your families. When you say you want to become stronger, it’s nothing more than an empty cliché — something your elders drilled into your minds. You don’t truly know why you need power. Is it to conquer men or women? To trample the weak? To show off? If that’s what drives you, then your motivation is miserable and limited."

Priam stared intently at the crowd.

"My motivation for reaching the top is to live. It’s to defend and protect what we hold in our hearts, preventing the cruelty of the world from taking away what is precious to us. I know many of you here don’t understand the true weight of the word ’protect,’ but I know you have something precious inside you. Perhaps your parents, your masters, or the people you love. Although for most of you, the only thing you love is your own ego..."

"But if all you protect is yourself, that gives rise to a single feeling: fear. The wretched fear of dying."

"As I said before: the more afraid you are of death, the faster it comes. The battle is about to begin. Find what you need to protect deep within your souls. Now... imagine that person being torn to pieces right before your eyes!"

When his voice reached this point, the eyes of the entire crowd turned red with hatred.

"These Specters are advancing. If they get past us, they’ll escape the planet and massacre innocents without mercy. Imagine your loved ones dying beneath the claws and fangs of these monsters! What kind of unspeakable tragedy would that be?! That’s why, right now, you need to raise your weapons! Put aside your doubts and cut off the heads of these abominations! Let their existence end by your blades!"

As Priam spoke, the disciples felt as though they were being dragged into a bloody nightmare.

The mental scene became terrifyingly vivid, making them visualize the people dearest to them being brutally executed by Spectral creatures. The young disciples’ eyes began to fill with blood, and their hands tightened around the grips of their weapons until their knuckles turned white.

Shione, Lumiere, and Flaris exchanged quick glances. Priam was channeling spiritual power through the air and infecting them without anyone noticing.

It was a subtle application of the race’s Ancestral Art — a hypnotic and resonant method. Since it carried no offensive or malicious intent, the disciples’ defensive instincts detected no threat. Of course, Priam’s absolute control also made this possible.

This spiritual hypnosis served solely as an emotional conduit, creating a perfect resonance with the thousands of proud prodigies.

This transmission of fury and despair completely suppressed their fear. By conjuring the image of those they loved, they awakened the peak of their inner strength.

At that exact moment, a huge horde of Specters broke through the initial blockade formed by the seven beasts and fiercely advanced toward the group.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! RELEASE YOUR FURY! KILL THEM ALL!" Priam shouted, his voice echoing like thunder.

*KILL!*

The 50,000 roared in unison. They stared at the creatures with eyes overflowing with hatred, as if every one of those monsters had just murdered their own parents.

Thousands of disciples charged forward simultaneously. Multicolored flashes tore through the air and cut across the skies, sowing a storm of absolute destruction.

Priam snorted. The show had begun.