“So we are here, in the lands of the unknown...”

A man with an extensively long beard floated around while holding a staff made from wood. At the tip, there was a large round blue orb that this staff wrapped around. The old man looked out into the distance, his eyes shining brightly with a blue hue as he examined the situation.

“Grand Wizard, we have managed to transport the magical gates, we can proceed.”

“Ah, Sir Basil. Make sure that the regiment of Paladins is ready, we have some visitors, I don’t know if they are hostile, I will greet them first while you make the gate ready, we might need some reinforcements.”

“As you command, lord Argus!”

A man dressed in shiny white armor made a salute to the floating man. While it didn’t look that the knight could fly on his own, he was mounted on a horse with wings. Both of them radiated a strange energy that was similar to Qi yet different.

The man referred to as Argus floated forward. With his magical capabilities, he noticed a group of twenty people flying this way. They didn’t seem to be simple humans as most of them were flying on swords with one, in particular, standing out.

‘This place is very peculiar… The mana here is very thick, casting spells should be quite easy. This might really be the promised land of magics that the legends have foretold!’

Argus smiled to himself but his expression quickly turned sour. While his men were down on the ground and preparing the grand magic for protection, potential enemies were approaching.

“Identify yourself, from which sect do you hail from?”

The old man flew forward to intercept the approaching natives. He was sure to quickly put some distance between himself and the place where they had come from. They had traveled through a wide tunnel of energies that was quite wide.

At the part that they came out, the land looked somewhat devastated. All to the sides were massive elemental storms that even this grand wizard had no hopes of subduing. But, when all of them looked ahead they spotted lands with lush forests and ample water.

“I welcome thee, my friends, I mean you no harm.”

Argos smiled at the group of people but he never let go of his grand staff. The people that flew over stopped before him but were clearly on guard. He did not know them or how they would react to his magic but if it was possible he would rather not get into conflict with them.

“Friends? Who are you? This is the territory of the great Crimson Blood Spider Sect! You don’t look like a member of the other sects… are you a rogue cultivator?”

The men that he was talking to had a certain air around them. Their robes were pitch black and on the back, they had a red insignia that looked like a venomous spider. Argos could sense the killing intent that these people were radiating, it was clear that they weren’t the gentle type.

“A cultivator? Like in a garden? No, my name is Argos, I come from a faraway land and I would wish to…”

“Silence! Do you think we are fools! Did you think we wouldn’t sense those people? You dare!”

Before he could even start, the diplomatic approach had fallen through. He didn’t know how but through means unknown to him one of the people there could sense the paladins working in the distance.

Normally as a grand wizard, he would know if something like that happened as there would be mana used. These people on the other hand felt somewhat different, they weren’t using mana the same as he was. It was clear that they possessed powers alien to him, but this didn’t mean that he was frightened.

“My friend, just calm down I’m sure we can…”

“Silence, you will come with us or face our poison.”

A shroud of green miasma started surrounding all of these people while Argos remained calm. He could not go with them, it was clear that if he surrendered then he would either die or be imprisoned by these natives.

“I’m afraid I’ll have to refuse your offer…”

He replied but as soon as he did, the natives that were flying on the swords bolted towards his position. There was something strange with the rings that they were using. Argus felt something akin to spatial magic as they swished their hands to produce weapons.

Regretfully for the attacking cultivators, there weren’t dealing with the average magus. The moment they tried getting close they found themselves being repelled by an invisible barrier. Even though they tried, any attacks performed against this mana-barrier were useless; they even received a rebounding effect that caused damage to them instead.

“I guess it can’t be helped, go to sleep.”

The floating wizard pointed out with his staff and performed a very quick chant. The moment he was finished a strange violet haze appeared around the core formation cultivators that were trying to attack him. It covered their faces and in a matter of moments, they were in a deep slumber.

“What is this technique? Watch out brothers, this old man isn’t that simple!”

Argus swung his staff around and quickly disabled every one of the sword-flying cultivators. But then when he attempted to do the same to what looked to be the leader his spell was repealed.

Soon a battle ensued between the two old men, one slinging strange poisonous arts that when touching any of the flora quickly died. The cultivator from the Crimson Blood Spider sect was astonished. Tried he did but he was unable to pierce through that mana barrier that was produced.

His enemy on the other hand didn’t have any problem pelting him with long-ranged attacks. They all had a strange feeling to them, similar to Qi yet different. Soon enough he found himself engulfed in a massive ball of flames and had to retreat. Luckily for him, the old man that he was fighting with didn’t seem to be interested in chasing after him.

“I will remember this, you will rue the day you met me!”

But as he was escaping, he felt something. There was something coming his way, even though he noticed it, it was too late. A golden bolt of energy pierced through his chest without any resistance whatsoever.

“H-how could this be… how could a nascent soul master like me fall so easily…”

The poisonous cultivator could feel it, his nascent soul had been irreparably damaged. Somehow this attack could even affect his soul and it was clear that he would soon die. Before the darkness took him, he glanced towards the point from where this attack came.

There he saw a strange man wearing glistering golden armor. The attacker was still in his throwing position and after he straightened out a golden spear appeared in his hand, probably returning to him after the deed was done.

“Argus, you are too soft, we can’t let any of these savages live, they will clearly alert their allies and come in bigger numbers.”

The old wizard looked at the dying man that promptly fell down into some bushes. Then back to the man dressed in full plate mail armor with only his helmet missing. His looks were quite stunning, long locks of golden locks and a chin that could cut diamonds.

“Lord Lucius… so I see that the Golden Braves have managed to get through the gate.”

This wasn’t the only man dressed in golden armor, several others started popping out and quickly dispatching the men that he put to sleep.

“Wait…”

Argus shouted out but the men in golden armor ignored his calls.

“Wizard, don’t forget that you are only here to give aid, you are nothing more than an advisor.”

The man named Lucius proclaimed while also shouting to the group of golden knights to leave one man alive.

“One is enough, we will question him, make yourself useful Wizard and make him speak with your magic if you do now wish for this savage to suffer.”

Argus gave out a sigh as he continued to watch. The teleportation gate had been opened, his only duty was to make sure that the area was livable for the main force to arrive. With The coming of the golden braves, his role was now marginal.

From here he could see that the people from his side were slowly entering through the teleportation gate. While his reason for coming here was to pursue knowledge, the kingdom he was a citizen of wanted something else. They desired riches, power and prestige.

…..

“We greet the Golden Dragon!”

“Ah yes.”

Zhang Dong was now back in the flying city of the Azure Emperor. With some guidance, he was now on the way to the secret room that he had visited before. After the talk with his brother, it was clear that the Long Clan did not see it his way.

His reasoning for teleporting here instead of his own area of influence was one. The map that the Long Clan possessed showed a detailed representation of the empire and the bridges between them. He didn’t really have enough time to examine it when he was here the first time.

‘Bob, I need you to examine that map and if you can copy it to some extent, I can’t keep returning here to look at it.’

‘Affirmative.’

Now with the help of his new title the gates to the Long Clan were open to him. He could wander through the halls unimpeded to some extent that is. When confronted with some of the grand elders or the Azure Dragon faction they didn’t seem to like him that much.

This was probably due to the fact that it was a hard pill to swallow that there was something on the same ground as the Emperor. In this world devoid of any deities people looked to cultivators and immortals instead. The Azure Emperor was akin to a god in this land and now there he came, someone that could affect the balance.

“How may I help you?”

This was his second time here but he did not really know the way towards that area. At the time being, he was standing at something similar to a reception area.

“Ah yes, could you fetch one of the high elders? Tell them that the Golden Dragon, Long Dong is here, best if it's someone that could show me around…”

Previously his brother the Azure Dragon showed him the way but as the war effort was slowly underway. He needed to know his way around this place, maybe even gather some allies if there was a reason to retreat here with his closest of kin.

“Oh wait, never mind, I see someone that can do it instead…”

Zhang Dong looked to the side and spotted someone familiar.

“Hey there, Long Shen was it? Mind giving your uncle a small tour?”