“T-This… This is absurd!!!” Jimga screamed out at the top of his lungs.

Everyone knew that Umbras were a packaged deal with the Payircis. Their greatest strength was their ability to respawn, even after being dismantled from head-to-toe. However, that was only possible due to their close proximity to the Payircis and the Paradise Heart that it housed. The false beasts were even allowed to stray a kilometre away from the floating towers. Thus, the Alliance never really thought of the Umbras as an existential threat. Yes, they were annoying to deal with, but they weren’t as important as the Nine Coloured Noble Beasts. However… What if, what if… The Umbras didn’t need a Payirci to form? What if they could congregate in outrageous numbers to create a mindless army that didn’t fear death?

Well… The world was about to find out…

The Umbras continued to pour out of the gates as if they were simple droplets of water that gushed down the river source. The Black Masks all cheered as if they were watching their own children run a marathon. Based on the aether crystals that powered the Obsidian Gate, over five hundred million Umbras could be created. If everything goes smoothly, the Kori Federation would be infested with Umbras within the week.

“W-What’s going on?!” Heigui Xuegang, the Spirit Venerate tasked with protecting Shin while he recovers his spiritual energy, had his eyes opened so wide that they almost popped out from their sockets. He was over ten kilometres up and could clearly see the colossal structure churning out Umbras at a rapid rate. It wasn’t just him. The other Spirit Venerates from the Lantis Republic were all slack-jawed at the downright terrifying scene. They had been rushing towards the scene, but a colossal gate had appeared out of nowhere. Naturally, the Spirit Venerates would be taken aback.

Nonetheless, being professionals that were committed to completing their mission, the forces of the Alliance and the Lantis Republic quickly came up with a new plan of attack.

“Hey, that gate… what the hell is that?” Yeunghi screamed into her intercoms, hoping to get a satisfactory answer before she proceeds.

“Yet another of the Allfather’s mechanisms...” Sentinel Macron spat out. “How is he able to bring a new contraption every single time?! Does he have an endless supply of innovations?!” The Spirit Venerate cursed the enigmatic leader, though it was akin to praise.

“It doesn’t matter what the Allfather creates! What we need to do is close that portal!” Pangu, the Premier of the Dalgeom Sect screamed out as he brandished his sword. “We’ll need to aim for the gate! Ignore those Spirit Beasts that had already passed us by! Once the gate is destroyed, we won’t have to care about the Umbras!!!”

Pangu continued to fly at breakneck speeds as he followed the scent left behind by Jimga. Yeunghi, who had reached the vicinity, swung the Durandal in the air, creating a gust of Jack Frost pixie dust. Her light body quickly landed by Jimga’s side, and in no time at all, Yeunghi grabbed onto the Tyrant Blade’s body and launched both of them a kilometre away.

“Y-Yeunghi… My apologies...” The injured man weakly thanked the Ice Fairy, who was expertly evading the Black Masks’ detection.

“Senior Brother Jimga, what happened here?!” The swordmaiden cried, her face wholly filled with shock and fear. When Jimga fired the flare, she was just a few kilometres away and was the first to rush to the site. However, the colossal obsidian gate’s spiritual pressure was too much for the Spirit Emperor to bear, and the constant gaze of the World Serpent left little to no gap for Yeunghi to enter. Fortunately, Ao was still preoccupied with the obsidian gate opening to notice that a pesky Spirit Emperor had flown into his domain.

“T-they...” Contrary to his name, the Tyrant Blade was barely able to breathe as sweat dripped down like a waterfall. “That spiritual energy… That’s not of this world! How could something possess that much energy?!” Jimga glanced over his shoulder, watching the colossal gate that stood taller than anything else that surrounded it. That sense of dread and hopelessness… Not even Spirit Saint Geom, the Kori Federation’s strongest Spirit Saint, could make Jimga feel that small. In fact, Jimga doubted that the Allfather even possessed that much spiritual energy!

“It must be the aether crystals...” Yeunghi theorised, her vision moving back towards the immense gate. On the obsidian blocks that made up the structure, several gems were flickering, each one possessing their own unique elements. They were all spectacular, akin to the stars the filled the night sky. “The Black Masks must have stockpiled a vast collection of aether crystals just to power up this gate...”

“... We need to destroy that gate...” Ignoring the cries of his aching body, Jimga got to his feet. His fingers were trembling, and his arms were barely able to carry the hefty sword. However, no matter how much pain the Tyrant Blade was in, he wouldn’t dare to let go of his sword.

Seeing this, Yeunghi flashed a bitter smile. She placed her hands over Jimga’s and gently loosened his grip. “Not to worry,” the woman said, her warmth transferring over to the weakened man. “You just stay still and recover… The...”

As she said those words, numerous flashes of light dropped down from the heavens like shooting stars. A handsome middle-aged man emerged from the first light. He was wielding a clear steel blade, one that reflected brought forth an endless rainbow of colours with each passing swing.

“The Spirit Venerates… They have arrived!!!” Yeunghi cheered as the most elite force in the entire world, quickly congregated into one place. The first to emerge was naturally the Dalgeom’s Sect Premier. His eyes wandered around before finally settling in on the colossal serpent that stood right before the castle in the barrier.

“World Serpent… We finally meet...” Pangu looked at the colossal beast, who was bearing paying any attention to the Spirit Venerate’s arrival. It was, however, looking at the countless specks of light that emerged from the distance.

“Sword Venerate Pangu, mind if I join in on the fun?” Yet another light broke into the field, this time, it was a relatively young-looking boy. He had gorgeous emerald hair, and his eyes were as innocent as can be. In his left hand, there was an excellent viridian staff, with a coiled cobra’s head at the top. However, Pangu acutely knew of the Spirit Venerate’s reputation as a bloodthirsty foe. He was, after all, part of the notorious Shenshe Clan.

“Could I really refuse the mighty Venerate of Cobras?” Pangu scoffed as he swung his blade down.

The boy shrugged his shoulders, “Well, it depends if you’ll want to be poisoned or not!”

“...” An awkward silence descended upon the duo. It was hard to tell, but the Lantis Republic and the Kori Federation weren’t particularly on the best terms. Although the maritime nation loved neutrality, there were the odd times where the Kori Federation and the Lantis Republic butted heads in the past. The younger generation may not remember, but the older members of the two nations most certainly would. Their relationship was a little better now, with the existence of the Alliance and their new Prince, but old wounds don’t heal overnight.

“Yowang, don’t tease the man...” Another figure emerged from the falling lights, this time, a middle-aged woman who seemed on the brink of old age. “Forgive him, Venerate Pangu… My comrade here has been chasing the World Serpent for the longest time under his Spirit Saint’s orders. Now that he’d finally found it, there’s no way that he’ll sit back and do nothing right?”

“Meijing Yisa...” Pangu blinked and carefully observed the woman. Just like Bingying, the woman held onto a transparent sword that brought forth the chillness of the arctics. The frosty mist that it created would blur the vision of any that dared to stare deep into its blade, and the soul-crushing spiritual energy that it produced was an eye-opener, even for the experienced Pangu.

“Senior Sister Yisa, leave them be...” A younger woman leapt into the open, holding her divine rapier close to her mouth. Instantly merging with her Heavenly Sturgeon, the Xungyu Clan’s Spirit Venerate turned summoned out fifteen mirror figures of herself, all holding onto the same Mythic-Grade weapon. “Let them take on the World Serpent, our focus should be that dreadful gate.”

“Lengjing...”

“As much as I hate to say it, the absent-minded lass is right...” A tall and suave man levitated right by Meijing Yisa’s side. He was about 1.8 metres tall and commanded a full, broad chest. His left hand held onto a black chain while his right spun a spiked flail. A phantom of the Abominable Cthulhu emerged behind his back, forcing anyone who laid eyes on the man to feel an endless feeling of inferiority.

“We’re only here to deal with the Black Masks… It doesn’t matter who gets the kill, as long as the Prince gets the Blade of Death, we can all go home happy,” said a black-haired man as he summoned his Sovereign Koi. “The Longyu Clan would do anything in its power to give the Prince his wish...”

“Yeah, yeah… We all know of your devotion to the Prince, Xiuteo...” A ghastly man with hollow cheeks floated from the side. Just like Zhangyu Yaofu, the Spirit Venerate with the Abominable Cthulhu, the man had summoned a phantom of his Spirit to stand by his side. The Seven-Headed Hydra bared all of its fangs as the winds began to churn around the man.

“... You want to go?” Longyu Xiuteo looked back at the gaunt man with raised fists. “Qilong Wuga, you may be stronger than me, but I won’t let that derisive tone slide.”

“Oh, the bitch is ready to bite on behalf of its master, ey?” The Qilong Clan’s Spirit Venerate spat. Yes, he was disrespecting Shin, but what of it? He was a Spirit Venerate, and the brat was a mere Spirit Lord. To him, it didn’t make sense that the rest of the nation was bowing their heads in subservience to the child who barely lived in the Lantis Republic for four years.

“Enough!!!”

At that moment, a dominating voice descended upon the two Spirit Venerates, shutting both their mouths up. They were Rank 83 and 85, respectively, capable of towering over ninety-nine percent of the world’s population with ease. For someone to inflict pressure on them… There could only be one person…

A grey-haired woman, who had the signature golden whale hairpin holding her gorgeous falling hair together, stood right above the squabbling pair. Her eyes were fiercer than Lord Yama’s glare, and the mana she unleashed was almost as potent as the World Serpent’s.

“Jingyu Hilin...” Pangu narrowed his eyes, welcoming the ‘leader’ of the Lantis Republic’s Spirit Venerates with a hapless smile. At Rank 88, Jingyu Hilin was the most powerful Spirit Venerate among the eight elites that were chosen to accompany Shin. Her powers were no less than his own, and she would most definitely give Sentinel Macron a run for his money.

The woman glared at Longyu Xiuteo and Qilong Wuga one final time to ensure that they were settled. Only then did she finally turn to the Dalgeom Sect’s Premier. “Venerate Pangu, I know that your powers are unparalleled amongst men and you wish to avenge your pupil’s life… However, the World Serpent is not a foe to be underestimated. If you don't mind, my comrades, Shenshe Yowang and Zhangyu Yaofu would be here to assist you. As for the other Black Masks and that Obsidian Gate...”

At her signal, all of the Lantis Republic’s Spirit Venerates spiked their mana and unleashed their domains. If one felt that a Spirit Saint’s presence was intimidating try, having eight Spirit Venerates unleash their Venerate Soul at the same time!

“Let us deal with them...”