Meanwhile, deep within the the darkwind forest, within the clandestine stronghold of the Exodus Order, the past three weeks had been a flurry of activity. The echoes of their inaugural mission still lingered, a testament to the unyielding resolve that defined this enigmatic collective. New recruits, drawn by whispers of the Order's unorthodox methods and unwavering dedication, had begun to trickle in, their faces aglow with a mix of trepidation and anticipation.
These new additions of people were naturally the vessels that the Exodus Order had rescued in their last mission, along with the ones that Vin and Archon had secretly taken away from the base of the Eye of the Midnight Sun at the evergreen forest and had since been initiated into the mysteries of the Order.
The rescued vessels, now freed from their enslavement, were slowly rediscovering their lost identities, their minds and bodies healing under the tender care of the Order's adepts. The whispers of their past lives, once mere echoes, began to take shape, and with them, the faint outlines of a shared purpose.
In the heart of the stronghold, the enigmatic new vice leader of the Exodus Order, known only as Archon, pored over ancient texts and forbidden knowledge from all the files they had gathered in the base of the Tenebrous Taskforce, seeking the secrets of the vessels' true potential.
The air was heavy with the scent of old parchment and burning incense, as Archon delved deeper into the mysteries of the cosmos, driven by an unyielding determination to unravel the tangled threads of fate.
Even though he had been in the Eye of the Midnight Sun for a long time, he hadn't bothered to truly investigate the vessels at all, because they were a little be of a taboo in the organization.
He still hadn't revealed his story to Vin yet, or told him who he wanted to save, and Vin didn't press him either, giving him time to do so.
Meanwhile, the vessels, now initiates, began their journey along the winding path of self-discovery, guided by the enigmatic mentors of the Order. They learned to harness the latent energies within themselves, to wield the shadows and bend the light to their will. The whispers of their past lives grew louder, and with them, the promise of a future yet to be written.
As the days passed, the stronghold became a crucible, a place of transformation where the initiates were forged into instruments of the Order's unyielding purpose. The darkness of the forest seemed to press in around them, a reminder of the dangers that lurked beyond the veil of the mundane world.
Yet, within the stronghold's walls, a sense of hope flickered to life, a beacon that drew the initiates closer to their true potential, and to the secrets that lay beyond the edge of reality.
One of the most propesterous coinsidenses was that all the vessels they had rescued were all in the fifth stage of the Body Refining Realm even though they hadn't started cultivating much.
But that didn't mean they were on the same level as the thirty initial members of the Order, who had now inadvertently become their leaders.
There were about one thousand five hundred vessels who had been rescued. And they were shared in two places.
A thousand of them were assigned to join the Paragon Legion, since they would serve as the main battle force of the Order. While the remaining five hundred were assigned to join the Shadow Garden, the intelligence agency who would serve as the eyes and ears of the Exodus Order.
As for the twenty researchers, they joined Zidane in the management of the Exodus Order, as well as the research department since that was where they were best at.
At first they were a little prejudiced and skeptical about having a child of just nine being their leader, they had no choice but to curb their little pride after working with her for three weeks.
Although there were older and as such had more experienced than her, but because of the crystal embedded in her, she was smarter than an average person, so much so that she had learnt more than thirty percent of what they had known all their lives within three weeks.
And they were all impressed with that, as it wasn't an easy feat to pull off, even with her genius talent. Part of this could also be acredited to her dedication and hardwork.
As the days passed, the Exodus Order grew in strength and purpose, their collective resolve forging an unbreakable bond between It's members.
United in their quest for a change in the jungle laws of the world and their defiance of the unknown, they stood poised on the threshold of a new era, ready to face the challenges that layed beyond the veil of sanity.
Everyday of their last three weeks had been filled with rigorous training, and although they still had a little bit of time to rest and relax.
Old Bai, Vin's Master made sure they never laxed on their training, and they had thought things were going to remain that way till they might go on another mission.
But it all suddenly changed when the surge of beasts tide occurred. And unlike Vin and the rest of the people outside the forest who were defending the small town of Neon.
They hadn't clashed with the wild beasts in the Periphery of the Darkwind forest since their base was located in the outer layer, but that also came at a cost since now they were faced and attacked by the demonic beasts in the Outer layer of the darkwind forest.
The beasts tide had coincidentally passed through where their base was located and some of them decided to deviate and attack the base in the mountain.
They were quite shocked and perplexed since they had no idea how they were going to fight an entire horde of Spirit Sea Realm beasts.
All the membes of the Exodus Order were only on the fifth stages of the Body Refining Realm and only Archon was in the Spirit Sea Realm, but he alone couldn't just take on all the beasts by himself, that was suicidal.
And so, the members of the Exodus Order steeled themselves for the impending battle, their hearts racing with a mix of fear and determination. The stronghold, once a sanctuary, had become a fortress, its walls and gates reinforced with ancient spells and incantations. The air was heavy with tension, as the initiates, now warriors, stood ready to face the demonic horde.
Archon, his eyes burning with an inner fire, surveyed the defenses, his mind racing with strategies and countermeasures. He knew that the beasts would not be easily repelled, not when they were driven by a hunger for destruction and chaos. The Exodus Order's brain, Zidane, stood by his side, her crystal-embedded mind flashing with calculations and probabilities.
The Paragon Legion, a thousand strong, formed the vanguard, their bodies honed to perfection, their spirits burning with a fierce determination. The Shadow Garden, five hundred silent warriors, melted into the shadows, their eyes glowing like embers, as they waited for the signal to strike.
Old Bai, Vin's Master, stood at the gates, his eyes closed, his spirit communing with the ancient energies that flowed through the forest. He was the key to their defense, the linchpin that held the stronghold together.
As the beasts tide approached, the Exodus Order held its breath, their hearts pounding in unison. They knew that the battle ahead would be fierce, that the outcome was far from certain. But they also knew that they had no choice, that they had to defend their home, their sanctuary, against the forces of darkness that sought to consume them.
The silence was oppressive, punctuated only by the distant roar of the beasts, a sound that grew louder with each passing moment. The Exodus Order waited, their eyes fixed on the horizon, their spirits burning with a fierce resolve. They knew that the battle ahead would be a test of their strength, their courage, and their will to survive.
In the heart of the stronghold, the researchers who were not part of the battle preparations gathered around the symbol of the Exodus Order, engraved on their bodies. The symbol, a mysterious sigil that pulsed with a soft, violet light, seemed to be the source of their power, the key to unlocking their true potential.
Unbeknownst to them, the symbol was connected to Vin, the true leader of the Exodus Order, who had been secretly draining his own life force to empower the symbol. The power that flowed through the symbol was a direct result of Vin's own energy, his own life force being drained from his body.
As the battle raged on, the symbol glowed brighter, its power growing stronger with each passing moment. The initiates, their bodies glowing with a soft, violet light, felt their strength and speed increase, their senses heightened as they tapped into the power of the symbol.
But Vin, the source of the power, felt his own strength waning, his life force ebbing away with each passing moment. He knew that he had to be careful, that he couldn't let the power drain him completely. But he also knew that he had no choice, that he had to give everything to protect his comrades, to protect the Exodus Order.
The battle raged on, the outcome far from certain. But one thing was clear: the Exodus Order would not go down without a fight. They would fight to the last breath, to the last drop of blood, to protect their home, their sanctuary, and their leader, Vin.
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