A day later since Rose and Luna left the sect, the Grey mountain sect have turned completely barren. Those who stayed were the ones either loyal to the sect or disciples who have no where to return to, this day, a mix group of wounded and unwounded experts from the sect entered and were surprised to see the barren state of the sect.
The gate was left opened, these group of experts where elders and core disciples of the sect who had returned from the field hospital from the battlefield, the field hospital were very far from where the clash between the demons and the experts fought, thus they have no idea on what had just happened during those period of time. Days have already passed since then, these group of experts returned because all staff and experts guarding the field hospital went on full retreat.
Among these group experts were the first elder of the sect, Sebastian and his disciple, Marcus, among the elders were Grace, Ryan, and Aaron. These four elders were designated on protecting the field hospital thus they were left unscathed.
The sight that greeted them was shocking. The grounds were deserted. The silence was unsettling, broken only by the distant calls of birds and the rustling of leaves in the wind, and the looming demonic aura behind their backs.
"What happened?" Sebastian's voice was filled with bewilderment as he looked in the desolate scene before him. He had expected to return to a place bustling with activity, preparing for defense and yet it felt as if the heart of the sect had been ripped out.
Grace stepped forward, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Where is everyone? Why is the sect so empty?"
Ryan, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings, added, "It looks like everyone left in a hurry. There are no signs of struggle or attack. Just... abandonment."
Aaron, usually the most composed of the group, could not hide his concern. "The field hospital were ordered for retreat, and we managed to evacuate safely. But we had no idea the situation at the sect had deteriorated to this extent."
Meanwhile, Marcus looked up at his master, Sebastian. "Master, what do we do now?"
Sebastian took a deep breath, steadying himself. "We need to find out what happened here. Let's quickly head up in the grand hall and ask the sect master." He suggested as he took the first step.
The group nodded in agreement and followed the first elder to meet the sect master.
…
Meanwhile, far from the Grey Mountain Sect, in the depths of the Frostfall Forest, a dark and sinister event was unfolding. The demon gate, a rift between worlds, had fully opened. Through this gate, an army of demons began to pour into the mortal realm, their presence like a spreading plague.
The once snowy forest had turned into a stronghold for demons, they've built a massive structures to support the army and house those demons who have high position within their hierarchy. Surrounding the territory were sky tall walls, within these walls were another rooms for demons to use.
The air around the gate crackled with demonic energy, and the ground trembled under the weight of the demonic forces emerging from the abyss. These demons, ranging from lesser fiends to powerful warlords, were driven by an insatiable hunger for destruction.
At the forefront of this army was a figure of terrifying power—a demon lord whose mere presence seemed to distort reality around him. His eyes glowed with a malevolent light, and his aura radiated an overwhelming sense of dread. As he stepped through the portal, he raised his hand, commanding his forces to stop.
The army of demons stopped, as the demon lord kneeled in front of the figure that floated above him, there, a black royal robes of a demonic woman whose face was covered by a black veil hiding her true appearance, this demonic woman, is the rank 8 demon that annihilated both Jade and Rose kingdom's attacking forces alone. The demonic princess, the daughter of the demon emperor.
As the demon lord continued to kneel to the noble figure ahead of him, the petite figure of the demon princess landed softly at the corrupted soil. Her aura leaked, that terrified the surrounding demons, even the demon lord had his face sweat. This princess is the youngest daughter of the demon emperor, she had a terrible reputation for being ruthless back in the demon world, she caused a massive havoc which angered the emperor, punishing this princess and be banished outside the demon world to conquer the mortal world.
"Your majesty, the 21st and 22nd demon division is here to serve you, Princess Zariel." The demon lord was respectful, although he's also a rank 8 demonic warrior, the blood and soul of princess Zariel were so pure that she could fight anyone without a sweat within the same realm. Worthy of being the daughter of the demon emperor.
Zariel crossed her arms and coldly harrumphed, "That old man, sending only two divisions... How does he expect me to conquer this world with such pitiful numbers?" She kicked a rock, sending it flying into a group of lesser demons, scattering them like leaves in the wind!
Ahh! What did we do wrong!
The demons could only suck their frustration, and let the princess throw a tantrum. She looked around, her eyes scanning the ranks of demons who had stopped to gawk at her. Her eyes narrowed, and a wave of pure, demonic energy radiated from her. The demons around her cowered, some dropping to their knees in fear.
"What are you all looking at? Get back to your posts!" she barked, her voice carrying an authority that brooked no argument. The demons scrambled to obey, knowing their lives were more important than becoming scapegoats for the princess's anger.
She turned her gaze back to the demon lord. "Why are you kneeling, fool? Stand up. We have work to do, and I don't need you groveling like a worm."
The demon lord quickly rose to his feet, his face still sweating. "Yes, Princess Zariel."
Zariel started pacing, her boots making soft thuds against the corrupted soil. Her captivating and soft thigh was revealed through the cut of her royal robes, even the eyes of the demon lord kept glancing at such sight.
Zariel then looked at the nine demons, each possessing the strength of a rank 7 cultivator. They were the lower elders, personally sent by her father to assist her. Still crossing her arms, she inquired, "What's the situation outside? Why aren't these pathetic humans already wiped out?"
The of the elders hesitated. "The human forces have been stronger than anticipated, Princess. They've shown remarkable resilience and strategy, especially in the west, it seemed there's an ancient divine sect there."
Zariel scoffed. "Resilience? Strategy? Don't make me laugh. They're ants. Crush them."
"Yes, Princess," the demon elder said quickly. "But there have been complications. They have strong warriors among them, we can't afford to lose more slaves to attack. Not yet when we haven't completely built the stronghold here."
Zariel rolled her eyes. "Of course, there are complications. There are always complications. This whole invasion has been nothing but one complication after another." She felt tired hearing their constant yapping of complaint.
She stopped pacing and glared at them, making them sweat. "Sometimes I wonder why I bother with all of this. These demons are as useless as the humans. I might as well do everything myself."
The elders swallowed nervously. "Princess, your guidance is invaluable. We will redouble our efforts."
"You better," Zariel snapped. "I'm surrounded by incompetents. It's infuriating!"
She let out a long, frustrated sigh and rubbed her temples. "I can't believe I'm stuck here, dealing with this nonsense. All because Father got angry. What a waste of my time."
The demon elders and the demon lord dared not speak, sensing that any response might only provoke her further.
Zariel's eyes suddenly blazed with an intense light. "You know what? Maybe it's time I took matters into my own hands. I'll carve out a land in this mortal world as a permanent territory of demons!"
She turned to the demon lord. "Prepare the divisions. We're launching a full-scale assault. No more playing around. I want every human stronghold in the surrounding reduced to ashes." She coldly instructed.
The demon lord nodded quickly with a salute, "Yes, Princess Zariel. It will be done."
Zariel smirked, a cold, cruel smile. "Good. Now get out of my sight."
The demon lord hurried away, shouting orders to the demons around him. Zariel watched him go, a look of disdain on her face. "Pathetic," she muttered. "I can't stand any of them."
She then turned to her elders, "Go, assists the assaults! I will go down south!"
"Yes!" The elders saluted and left her alone.
Zariel then glanced up at the dark, swirling sky above, her eyes narrowing. She clenched her fist, a surge of power coursing through her. "I'll show them. I'll show them all."
As she stood there, contemplating her next move, the ground beneath her feet began to tremble. Zariel looked down, a frown crossing her face. "What now?"
The ground split open, and a massive figure emerged. It was another demon, larger and more imposing than the others. He bowed deeply to Zariel.
"Princess Zariel, I have come to assist you," the demon said, his voice rumbling like thunder.
Zariel raised an eyebrow. "Assist me? Who are you, and who sent you?"
"The name's Thorn, the emperor sent me himself, Princess," the demon replied. "He believes you might need additional support."
Zariel laughed, a harsh, mocking sound. "Additional support? How touching. Father must really be worried." The thought of her father, the demon emperor, made her gag. That perverted old man—even his hundredth daughter cannot be spared by his lustful claws.
The demon didn't respond, merely standing there, waiting for orders.
"Fine," Zariel said. "You want to assist? Then make yourself useful. We're launching an assault, come with me and I expect you to lead the charge first. Show me what you can do."
The Thorn bowed again. "As you command, Princess Zariel."
Zariel watched as the demon turned and began organizing the divisions, a thoughtful look on her face. "Maybe this won't be such a waste of time after all," she murmured. "Maybe there's still some fun to be had."
She took a deep breath and pulled out a cold, black crystal from her pocket. She looked at it as it shone red under the light of the demon gate. Since the gate had fully opened, many demons kept coming out, and soon there would be more demons than humans in the nearby kingdoms.
With that, she stepped forward and joined her demonic army. The air was thick with tension, and the ground shook from the power of the gathered forces. The demons were ready to attack, and Zariel was prepared to unleash her menace on the mortal world and take land to make her own domain.
…
It had been days since Gabriel finished his month-long cultivation. Meanwhile, in another part of the Grey Mountain Sect, in the 4th mountain peak, a beautiful woman sat on her bed in the main hall of the peak master's quarters. She looked at a basket filled with items and placed it on her lap, gently picking up one of the items.
The basket was covered by a white blanket. She took out a comb and caressed it softly. Her expression was gentle, but her aura was gloomy and lonely.
Skyler, who had remained in the sect the entire time, had been designated as a reserve force to protect the sect from the demons by the sect master, while sending most of the elders out of the sect to support the battle.
She had been in her room, her heart aching as she reminisced about her youngest disciple who had died in the first demon attack. Ever since then, she had secluded herself, focusing on cultivating.
Her heart had been bleeding the most, as she had lost many of her disciples. Because of this, her peak had become a place of gloom and depression. Many of her disciples had shared strong bonds with each other, but the demon invasion had severed those bonds, taking their lives along with it.
The news of the human loss on the battle had caused a panic also on her peak, many had left her side, leaving her with those only loyal to her and been grateful for her. Skyler didn't mind those disciples leaving, her heart had been heavy since the day demons appeared.
Jessica's loss, who had been close to her ever since she took her under her wing and who she trained to become a sword cultivator was a massive loss for her, among her main disciples, she was the most approachable and cheerful who didn't mind her reserve personality.
"I'll make them pay." A colorless aura radiated from her body as her hatred grew, she hated demons for taking the life of her disciple, who she considered as her daughter.
Knock knock knock
"What is it." Her back straightened, putting the wooden comb back in the basket while looking at her door.
Soon a feminine voice reported, "Master, the sect master will hold a meeting among the remaining elders within the sect."
"Okay, I'll be there."
…
Skyler walked down alone from her mountain peak and headed towards the first peak, taking winding paths that led her through familiar and serene landscapes. When she reached a certain juncture where the paths diverged towards different mountain peaks, she paused. Her gaze fixed on a particular path, and her mind wandered back to a memory.
Jessica had once excitedly pulled her along this very path, her laughter echoing through the mountains as they climbed towards the 7th peak. The memory was bittersweet, a reminder of what had been lost. But today, Skyler felt a pull, an instinct to check on someone she hadn't seen in over a month. The 7th peak master, Gabriel, had been in closed-door cultivation for a long time now. Perhaps it was time to see if he had emerged.
Right, isn't Serana's master cultivating for more than a month now? Recalling the 7th peak master, she decided to check if that guy had finished cultivating.
Just as she was about to enter the path towards 7th peak, a huge tremor on the ground shook the sect!
"What happened!?" Skyler was shocked locking at the source of the tremor, her eyes widened as a massive mushroom cloud appeared in the distance, that's where the first mountain peak is!