Wei huoran had finished altering the Ox Stone and placed it back into a secured container before grabbing the Tiger Stone to start again. Just like the first two stones, he started absorbing the layers of crystallized Qi surrounding the ancient beast core. The process was moving much faster now that he had been through it a couple times, but something happened when he removed the last layer. He felt something inside him change, and realized what it was when he looked inside himself, he was breaking through.
Wei Huoran immediately put the ancient tiger's beast core back into the container used to isolate it from everything else, and focused on his breakthrough as Quanliyuan focused on the Grand array formation. The artifact spirit not only closed the entrances to the island, but fortified the formation to protect the island. Under the guise of Quan Liyuan, the master of Wei Huoran, he sent a message to the chat group of the ministry to explain that his 'disciple' was breaking through to the Void Refinement realm, and that he would watch over the island. Meanwhile, above the island, dark clouds seem to conjure out of nothing and explained out with Huoran's position as the center.
'I do not know if you can hear me, Xiao Ran', tried to communicate with Huoran, 'But to stay here is dangerous to your cave. I will move us somewhere better.'
Huoran did not acknowledge Quanliyuan, but the artifact spirit understood and used its influence on the Grand Array to teleport from his current position to the tallest peak on the island. The epicenter of the mas of clouds immediately shifted to Huoran's new location as the clouds continued to expand.
The air and seas around the island quickly became chaotic as a simple sea breeze was whipped into overwhelming gales, and the calm seas became large waves. The soldiers and scouts of the Draco Empire started to retreat from their current position as the clouds that came their way threatened their existence.
Conditions worsened as the clouds began to rotate around the island, spawning tornadoes of varied sizes. The waves had grown to the size that they only could be called tsunamis at this point, and both the wind and rain crashed against the formation. Fortunately, the formation showed no signs of breaking, and the clouds finally stopped expanding at nine hundred, ninety nine kilometers.
Once the clouds stopped expanding, another changed happened, the center of the clouds shifted away and the eye of the storm formed. All the citizens and visitors on the island were left in awe as they witnessed the sight of a beautiful day over the island, and a terrifying storm surrounding it. Once the eye completely formed, the terrified Draco soldiers watched as lightning began to race around the outer edges of the clouds. Each bolt they saw frightened them as it was a mixture of bright white and a different color. Soon the bolts disappeared from the soldiers sight as they raced inwards towards the center. When the bolts of lightning appeared at the eye wall, everyone on the island stopped watching to seek shelter.
Huoran spoke, "Quanliyuan, open a space above me in the formation. What is coming will not be stopped by the formation and will only damage it."
Quanliyuan sighed, 'You are right, just a moment then.'
The artifact spirit opened a space large enough over Huoran's position to prevent it from being damaged by the incoming force. As if on que, the bolts circling rushed to the center of the clear eye appearing as they were about to crash against each other. Instead, the bolts intertwined into one and flashed towards Huoran. Quanliyuan was not concerned about his own safety, but was very worried if Huoran would be able to handle the attack when the lightning bolt hit.
Huoran felt the strike, and felt it flow through him but contrary to his expectations, he felt a warm feeling flow through him, and his body absorbing the energy.
What surprised Huoran when he looked at his Nascent Soul was that it had appeared smaller now surrounded by a grey cloud. But he refocused on his surroundings because he could feel the next strike forming at the edge of the cloud.
The soldiers watching from the outside, and the people from inside as bolts of lightning formed the same as the first, striking every few minutes. Each time felt stronger than the last until the final bolt hit. Everyone had lost hope at the eighty first bolt assuming that the island would be destroyed, but it was received by Huoran the same as the rest.
The clouds dispersed after the last strike, and the raging sea and sky returned to their previous state as if nothing happened.
As the soldiers calmed down and sent word back to the emperor on what happened, Huoran returned back to his place underneath his cave. He sent everyone a quick message that he had been lucky to succeed, and prepared for the next part of the breakthrough, absorbing the Qi to complete the process.
Huoran didn't want to take Qi from the spiritual vein if he could help it, so he decided to do something else. He pulled the nine other stones that had yet to be absorbed, and began simultaneously absorbing the layers from them all. As he continued his actions, he had an idea of why the Dragon Emperor would try to take the stones as they were now. These stones had so much energy just on the outside, that Huoran imagined if the Dragon Emperor could refine them all, he could breakthrough to the same realm as his 'master'.
Quanliyuan, now appearing as a handsome young man with black hair and black eyes had heard Huoran's thoughts, and decided to reply, 'You are correct in your assessment, but unfortunately for the Dragon Emperor, his wish is just a dream.'
Huoran thought about the artifact spirit's comment but quietly continued until he finished absorbing all the crystallized Qi. He was surprised when he finished because he had also went from an early Void Refinement stage cultivator to a mid stage, breaking through a small realm during the process.
Breaming with power, Huoran with more confidence returned to the task at hand, and picked the Tiger stone up again to start inscribing runes again.
The next day, all three of the ships from the Golden Peony, and the one ship belonging to Mechant Chen were loading people, cargo, and beastkin in preparation to leave. Several sects who had been visiting had done the same on the order of the Ministry. This morning, after a long meeting with all the leaders of the three continents, the ministers had decided that the best way to ensure the safety of their guests was send them off the island, and back into their own lands to avoid the coming conflict. Luckily, Huoran's breakthrough had caused the forces surrounding them to back off, so the ministers found the the perfect time to send everyone out.
Many of the leaders argued that they felt even more safe now that Huoran had broken through, but Huoran just used the formation to enforce the decision.
He decided to speak to everyone before they left, "My friends and fellow Daoists, it is unfortunate that you all almost became part of a battle that you share no part with. My master and I will handle the upcoming fight, and invite you to return when everything is solved. Take this as a lesson as to why you should prevent greed and anger from controlling your heart, and why strength is the only means to protect your value. I will not hold everyone here any longer, Farewell."
With that, all the flying boats rose into the air, but before they left, everyone on board bowed towards the island. As the ships flew away towards the horizon, Huoran turned around to walk back to his cave, but saw Zeng Meirong there.
Huoran apologized first, "I know we haven't had much time to talk, but I promise we will once this is over."
"I know",Meirong replied with a smile, "You owe me a lot of time after this."
"Maybe I should go exploring after this", Huoran teased his fiancé.
Meirong smacked his shoulder, and looked at him with puffed out cheeks.
'She must have been watching too many romances lately', he thought to himself as he took a car out of his storage ring, drive Meirong back to her home.
Grand lord merchant Kang was flying towards the Shuo continent to transport the younglings of the beastkin back to their homes. He was currently on a conference call with the other two grand lords while sitting in his office.
"What do the two of you think?", Kang asked the other two.
"Sun & Moon island has been a great benefactor to our business", Gong commented.
"The Draco Serpentus Empire is not simple by any means though", Shen reminded the pair.
"They have never been open to trading with us", Kang stated before adding, "Beside, these ships are powerful, and if we use them correctly m, we can disrupt the back lines."
The other two milled over this before Shen spoke, "I propose we watch, and pick opportunities during the chaos to muddy the waters."
Gong nodded with agreement, "Daoist Wei has been a friend, and we should repay that kindness, even if we cannot effect the outcome. That being said, I have more faith in the Senior, than the Dragon Emperor."
Kang pointed to a map, and the same spot also appeared on the maps for the other two, "Let's meet here once we have escorted our guests home."
The other two agreed before he terminated the call, and leaned back in his chair.
He called the bridge, and after the other side answered, he said, "Continue with the current mission of returning our guests home. Once that is complete, here is the next mission."
The Dragon Emperor sat on his throne as one of his advisors walked toward him with one of his generals.
"Minister Xianlong, General Tianfeng what news do you bring from the frontlines", he asked them.
The two men fell to one knee and the one dress in armor spoke first, "Your majesty, the men are ready but something occurred to dampen their spirits."
The emperor waited for the general to continue, and when he did not, he grew angry, "Do not make me search your soul the answer, and state what happened."
The general trembled under the pressure of the emperor's bloodline before continuing, "It is unknown who, but a great being on the island broke though to a new level. We are not aware of what level they achieved because the reaction of the seas and sky was so overbearing that we had to retreat in fear of losing most the front line."
This caused the Deagon Emperor alarm because he had felt something big happen a few days ago, but was unaware of the cause.
"The clouds gathered for about a thousand li around the island", Tianfeng narrated, "Great tornadoes and massive tidal waves crashed everywhere as heavenly bolts of lightning of nine colors struck eighty one times."
The Dragon Empydid his best to not show a reaction, but inside his thoughts were chaotic. In his whole life, even during his own ascension, he had never heard of a breakthrough causing this response from the heavens.
"If someone that powerful broke through a major realm, it will take time to consolidate it", the emperor stated, "I am sending reinforcements now, but you need to lead the attack now so we can catch this person in their weakest state."
"As you wish, your majesty", the pair answered before rising and leaving the chamber.
The emperor turned towards his right, "Prepare all available reinforcements, and get my armor and weapons ready."
"As you wish, your majesty", his advisor replied before walking out to handle the order.
Guard Huang was in the middle of his shift in the control room of Sun & Moon island. A floating sphere was his new favorite addition to the room as it rotated in place. He was surprised to hear that this was the world they lived on, and excited to see the image update as the network of satellites orbited the world. One of the biggest discoveries they had made once the satellites finished the initial scan of the world was two giant continents on the other side of the world, and a smaller island squeezed in between them.
Ever since he received the training on how to manipulate the globe, he had spent hours checking out several areas. His fist few searches involved his home on Sun & Moon island, as well as the city he originally was born in, but got embarrassed when other guards mentioned they had also done that.
He search of one the new continent had shown that people seem to work in unison with spiritual beasts. The other continent seemed to be populated by only spiritual beasts, and he could not find traces of people at all.
Today, Guard Huang normally would have been searching the mysteries of the new continent since everything was quiet after all the visitors left. But he did not have the luxury to do so since they had been told to keep an eye out for the forces of the Draco empire.
Guard Huang had the globe zoomed in close to see the outlines of the soldiers formed up around six hundred kilometers away from the island.
As he manipulated the globe, an alarm went out, indicating that something or things had crossed the perimeter set up at five hundred kilometers.
Guard looked at his other screens, and saw from the drones patrolling the area that the soldiers were moving forward. He slapped the button that alerted the island as the lights in the room changed, and a pair of voices came from a speaker, Ministers Xia and Zel.
"Guard Huang reporting to the ministers", the man said, "Enemy attack!"