The room where the elders and the patriarch gathered was an expansive chamber within the heart of the clan's main hall.
The walls were adorned with tapestries depicting the clan's history, battles fought, and victories won. A large, intricately carved wooden table dominated the center of the room, surrounded by high-backed chairs, each occupied by one of the clan's most powerful members.
Above, an ornate chandelier cast a warm, flickering light across the room, creating deep shadows that danced on the stone floor. The air was tense, with a subtle smell of incense and old wood.
The patriarch sat at the head of the table, his expression stern and contemplative. His white robe, embroidered with silver thread, reflected the faint light, marking him as the leader of the clan.
The elders, each bearing the same cloud emblem but with varying degrees of rank and status, were seated around him. Their faces were etched with concern as they discussed the situation at hand.
Elder Xiawu, a man with sharp features and a long gray beard, spoke first. "There's no denying that something has drawn these beasts here, something beyond the usual territorial behavior. We need to investigate the cause. If we don't, we might fight an endless wave of them even after winning this battle."
The elder purposely omitted the possibility that they could lose and get annihilated. Nothing good would come from such a pessimistic thought.
Elder Xiasheng, a wiry woman with piercing eyes and a hawk-like nose, nodded in agreement. "It could be a high-ranked material present in our territory. Those beasts are very sensitive to material and always crave those in an attempt to ascend their manifestation and evolve... But such a wave is extremely unusual to say the least... Either way, we should send a team with an investigation-type manifestation to investigate the cause. Maybe there's something we've missed."
The patriarch considered their words carefully, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. "An investigation... very well." he finally agreed, his voice low but authoritative. "We can't afford to be blindsided by an unknown force. I'll assign a few trusted members to look into it immediately."
With that decision made, the discussion shifted to war strategies. Elder Xialiang, a stout man known for his tactical mind, leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with intensity. "We can exploit the natural animosities between different beast species. If we can use bait—perhaps some manifestations or natural—we might be able to turn them against each other. While they're distracted, we can focus our forces on the more dangerous groups."
Elder Xiaqiu added, "We should also fortify the southern wall with more poisoned spike traps and give our cultivator antidotes just to be sure."
Just because the clan's specialty was fog-related manifestation, it wouldn't mean they couldn't use other means like poison or traps. The fog was their main attack method, but they still had a few tricks up their sleeves.
The elders continued to discuss, weighing the pros and cons of various strategies. The air was tense as they tried to predict every possible scenario and prepare for the worst.
A younger elder who had recently reached rank 3, Xiajin, suggested another tactic, his voice hesitant. "What about arming the civilians? The clan still has some weapons in the warehouse. If every man and woman had a weapon, we could increase our numbers significantly. Even if they won't be useful, they can still distract and buy us time."
Xiajin did not once feel shame in proposing to serve civilians as a meatshield, and no one thought his suggestion was cruel. Most civilians were not blood-related to the clan, so they were, at most, considered expendable pawns that could be gathered if lost. For cultivators, non-cultivators were resources, not persons.
As long as cultivators were alive, normal people would naturally gather around them for protection. Strongs would attract weeks, no matter the world.
The elders paused, considering the idea. It was a risky move, but it could give them a much-needed advantage.
The patriarch's eyes darkened at the suggestion, and he shook his head. "No. Giving weapons to civilians would create more problems than it would solve. Panic could lead to chaos, and worse, if they decided to revolt, it would weaken us from within. We need them organized and obedient, not armed and unpredictable."
The elders exchanged glances, some nodding in agreement, others frowning in disapproval. But none of them dared to speak out against the patriarch. Either way the patriarch made a point so nobody really dwelled on it anymore.
Elder Xiasheng, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "What if we considered evacuation? If we can't hold the beasts off, we might need to consider abandoning the territory."
Elder Xialiang scoffed at the idea. "And go where, Xiasheng? We'd be exposed, without shelter, vulnerable to not only the beasts but also other clans and bandits. It's a death sentence. We're better off standing our ground. Moreover, how would we possibly flee our ancestral land? This idea is absurd!"
The room fell into a tense silence. The patriarch, quiet throughout this exchange, remained still, his gaze distant. The idea of retreat had struck a chord with him, though he said nothing, his thoughts hidden behind a stoic expression. 'Zhelowen...'
Just as the silence became oppressive, a sharp caw echoed through the room as a messenger bird flew in through an open window. The bird landed on the patriarch's outstretched arm, a small scroll tied to its leg. With practiced hands, he unrolled the scroll and read its contents. His face grew grim as he scanned the message.
"This is a report from the east city gate," he announced, his voice heavy. "The situation is worse than we anticipated. According to this report, beasts act strangely and attack without regard for their safety or lives. The beasts are not retreating even when they are at a disadvantage. They are requesting immediate support."
A somber mood settled over the room. Without hesitation, the patriarch turned to three of the strongest elders. "Elders Xiawu, Xiawen, and Xiasheng, you will lead the defense at the eastern gate. Use whatever means necessary to hold the line."
As the patriarch's words echoed through the room, Liandor Xiawen, seated near the end of the table, suddenly blinked and looked up, his lost expression replaced by one of surprise.
"Uh?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Oh yes. I will immediately go to the east gate. I will do my best to defend the clan. I will definitely not let the beasts enter the city."
The patriarch frowned a bit. How could an experienced elder like Liandor Xiawen not pay attention during such an important meeting that would decide the life or death of the clan? It was simply unacceptable.
However, now was not the time to reprimand him. So he simply nodded and waved his hand.
"Take thirty rank 2 with you as reinforcement."
The three elders nodded and rose from their seats. They bowed to the patriarch before quickly exiting the chamber, their robes billowing behind them as they went to carry out their orders.
...
The three elders, accompanied by thirty rank 2 cultivators, rushed to the eastern gate, arriving just as the battle raged on. Lin and the other defenders were locked in a fierce struggle, their movements growing sluggish as their aether reserves dwindled. Despite their best efforts, it was clear that they were on the brink of exhaustion.
As the elders approached the battlefield, they immediately recognized the situation. Elder Xiawu, with his sharp features hardening, was the first to speak. "These beasts... there are more than we expected. But our cultivators are still holding them off, even as they weaken."
Elder Xiawen, still somewhat dazed from the earlier meeting, snapped out of it as he saw the desperate fight unfolding before him. "They're barely holding on. We need to support them now."
Elder Xiasheng, her hawk-like eyes quickly assessing the situation, spotted Lin and the others near the walls, still fighting valiantly despite their fatigue. "No time to waste," she said firmly. "We need to turn the tide before they're overrun."
The sight of the elders and reinforcements gave Lin and the others a brief moment of hope, but there was no time to rest. The beasts were still pressing in, and every second counted.
Elder Xiawu immediately took charge, his voice cutting through the chaos of battle. "Distribute the tree sap and healing herbs!" he commanded the rank 2 cultivators. "Help those who can still fight, and get the injured back to the main clan building."
The reinforcements moved swiftly, giving the sap to those who could still fight and administering healing herbs to the exhausted defenders. The sap quickly sharpened their senses, and the herbs began to heal their injuries, allowing many of them to stand and fight again. Those who were too injured were escorted back to the safety of the main clan building in the city.
Elder Xiawen, now fully focused, took a deep breath and extended his hand. The fog responded, forming sharp tendrils that lashed out at the Swarmers and Skulkers. The mist moved with deadly precision, slicing through the creatures' wings and tough hides as if they were nothing. The beasts screeched and flailed, but they were no match for the elder's power. Soon, the ground was littered with their severed limbs and bloody bodies.
Elder Xiasheng used a different approach. She condensed the fog into large, floating orbs above the battlefield. These orbs emitted a dull, pulsing light that caught the attention of the Murk Skulkers. The beasts, drawn to the light, swarmed around the orbs as if mesmerized.
With a flick of her wrist, Elder Xiasheng caused the orbs to explode into a fine, freezing mist that engulfed the Skulkers. The beasts' movements slowed, their wings icing over as they were trapped in the elder's attack. With their momentum stopped, the cultivators on the wall easily picked them off one by one.
Elder Xiawu's fog spread across the battlefield, thickening around the remaining beasts and slowing them down. The creatures struggled to move, their wings and limbs weighed down by the dense mist. The rank 2 cultivators, energized by the elders' presence, struck down the beasts with renewed force.
The battle went on for what felt like an eternity, but it was really only about twenty minutes. The combined assault of the elders and the reinvigorated defenders quickly overwhelmed the remaining beasts, and soon, the last beast fell.
The cultivators on the wall let out a collective sigh of relief as the final beast died with a screech. The elders, their robes stained with the blood of the creatures, didn't seem to mind the mess.
"Well done," Elder Xiawen said, his voice carrying a rare note of approval as he spoke to the exhausted defenders. "You've held the line, and your efforts have not gone unnoticed."
The cultivators, still catching their breath, nodded in acknowledgment. They were tired, but they felt a sense of pride. They had survived the first assault with few losses, largely thanks to the timely arrival of the elders and reinforcements.
But even as the tension began to ease, Lin couldn't shake the feeling of unease in his chest. The beasts had been unusually aggressive, and their tactics were strange—unlike anything they had faced before.
Finally, as the sun began to set, the fog started to thin and eventually disappeared, revealing the true extent of the battle. Piles of dead Swarmers and Skulkers lay scattered across the field, their bodies twisted and broken. Above some of the corpses, faint gray and even brown flames floated.
"Luckily, there was no rank 3 or rank 4..." whispered one of the female cultivators.
All cultivator who heard her turned their attention and glared at her as if she was a source of all bad omen in the world.
Even one of the elders had a grim expression: "Don't ever say that."