Over the green mountains, in a nameless valley
The valley stretched like a scar between the densely forested mountains. Tall trees, with twisted trunks and exposed roots, flanked the slopes. The place was secluded from the world, hidden among mountain ranges. There were no roads or nearby villages, only the distant murmur of a river and the constant whisper of the wind.
But that day, the air did not bring peace.
The atmosphere was charged with spiritual pressure. Killing intent permeated every air current; if a low-level cultivator dared to cross the valley, their legs would give out under the pressure. Every breeze carried a threat of death.
At both ends of the valley, two groups floated effortlessly in the air. None concealed their presence; their spiritual auras clashed violently, pushing against the trees, cracking stones, suffocating the environment.
On both sides were cultivators clad in ancient-style armor, forged from unknown metals, and others in robes of different colors, marked with sect emblems.
To the left of the valley, three generals of the Yun Dynasty led the formation. Their faces were hard and cold, marked by years of bloody campaigns; they were men who had survived hundreds of battles, with hands stained by enemy blood.
Behind them stood cultivators belonging to the great sects subordinate to the Yun Dynasty.
On the side of the Sect of a Thousand Bones, three elders stood draped in black robes. Their faces were rigid, laden with a killing intent difficult to conceal. The spiritual energy surrounding them was dark and dense, as if dragging the laments of thousands of souls.
Not far from them, though keeping their distance, were two elders of the Jade Sword Sect. Their bearing was firm and proud; their gazes as sharp as swords. Even without moving, the air around them vibrated slightly, distorted by the pressure. They were like unsheathed swords, awaiting a signal to strike.
Nearby, a cultivator from the Iron Tiger Sect remained silent. His torso was bare, muscles taut like steel beneath the skin. He made no unnecessary movements, but his presence exerted a suffocating pressure, as if his mere breathing altered the density of the surroundings.
Finally, a woman dressed in a scarlet outfit occupied the far right. She was an elder of the Fire Lotus Sect. Weak flames floated over her bare shoulders, distorting the image around her with waves of heat.
They were the superior combat force of the Yun Dynasty.
On the right side of the valley stood the cultivators of the Hailong Dynasty. Unlike the Yun Dynasty's style, their robes were somber: black and dark blue, with symbols of sea dragons and waves embroidered on the chest or back. Their presence was not aggressive but oppressive; colder and restrained, like the depths of an ocean hiding beasts beneath the surface.
At the front, three generals emitted dense, heavy auras, comparable to a raging sea. They did not speak, but each breath altered the spiritual pressure in the air. They were accompanied by nine cultivators from their main sects, all dressed in blue and white robes. Facing them, the Yun Dynasty presented only ten equivalent representatives.
Though both sides were comparable in power, the Hailong Dynasty had a clear numerical advantage.
The valley fell silent for a long moment. Only the wind slipped between the rocks.
In this remote place, surrounded by mountains and unnamed on maps, the region's top combat powers had gathered. Under normal conditions, it was rare to witness even one Foundation Establishment-level cultivator. But now, more than twenty cultivators at the Golden Core level floated in the air, as if it were a common meeting.
The generals of the Hailong Dynasty were the first to speak, addressing the opposing side with stern expressions and an authoritative tone.
"Shall we deal with the beasts first and settle this afterward?" asked one of the Hailong Dynasty generals in a grave voice. He carried a silver spear engraved with dragons and, without waiting for a reply, turned his gaze toward a nearby mountain.
From that distance, four powerful auras could clearly be perceived, hidden beneath the surface, as if watching the intruders. Even without fully manifesting, their presence was enough to cause tension among the cultivators present.
The spiritual stone mine had been discovered recently, and like almost all places with a natural concentration of spiritual energy, it was protected by demonic beasts. Creatures that would not tolerate human cultivators invading their territory.
The air remained tense when one of the generals of the Yun Dynasty stepped forward.
"We accept," said General Shen in a firm voice. His face was covered with old scars.
He knew they could not afford to split forces at that moment. Even with the combined power of both sides, facing four rank-four demonic beasts was no simple task. The weakest, by his perception, exerted pressure comparable to a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator. And the strongest… was in the high rank. If they fought separately, both sides would suffer unnecessary casualties.
"We eliminate the beasts, then settle our matter," concluded General Shen, without raising his voice.
Without further words, the cultivators soared into the air like invisible arrows, their bodies turning into lines of light in various colors as they crossed the sky toward the mountain.
A second later, the sky above the area trembled.
Explosions resounded like war drums, spiritual waves collided, swords flew cutting through the air, spears pierced giant rocks, and rays of fire, ice, and dark energy leapt from one side to the other. The sky turned gray from the concentration of Qi rising from each attack.
Then the beasts emerged.
They were Mountain Giant Apes, known for their aggressiveness and for moving in groups. They stood over ten meters tall, with bodies covered in brown fur and hardened skin plates that resembled chunks of stone, as if their flesh were part of the mountain itself.
Fangs jutted out from the sides of their jaws, curved like natural blades.
One by one, they emerged from the mountain, roaring with a force so brutal it made the air vibrate. Four in total.
Without waiting for another signal, the cultivators spread into formation. Each beast was quickly surrounded by at least four human experts, who launched into combat without uttering a word.
The valley trembled immediately.
The beasts' roars mixed with the blasts of Qi, like thunder tearing through the mountain. Human figures and massive silhouettes intertwined in the sky like warring shadows, while the clouds began to churn from the spiritual pressure.
The battle for control of the spiritual mine had begun.