Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes as he took in the battlefield.
Factions immediately clashed, blood staining the ground as warriors fought over who would get to claim the nearest shrines.
Explosions of Qi erupted across the land, entire squads being obliterated before even reaching their targets.
Strongest groups formed strategic alliances, while weaker factions were already being consumed by the stronger ones.
Despite the overwhelming bloodshed, Jiang Chen didn't move immediately. He observed.
Feng Yuechan's Phoenix Flame Sovereigns had already claimed a position, their overwhelming flame Qi torching any faction that dared approach.
The Blood Dragon Brotherhood—a faction formed by rogue cultivators and mercenaries—was slaughtering its way through the battlefield, choosing violence over strategy.
Jiang Chen's golden-amber eyes flickered as he looked toward a War Shrine on the farthest edge of the battlefield.
"We take that one," Jiang Chen said.
Xiao Dong cracked his knuckles. "Finally! I was about to start punching people for fun."
Qin Tian smirked. "Smart. It's the least contested… for now."
Bai Muchen exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Let's move."
With that, The Sundering Legion burst into motion.
They moved like a spear through the battlefield, avoiding unnecessary fights while cutting down those foolish enough to block their path.
A faction of assassins tried to ambush them from the shadows—Xiao Dong crushed their leader's skull with a single punch.
A fire cultivator unleashed a sea of flames—Qin Tian's sword cleaved through the inferno, splitting both fire and flesh.
A wind-element warrior tried to outrun them—Bai Muchen grabbed his ankle and slammed him into the dirt like a ragdoll.
Jiang Chen?
He didn't even look at the cultivators attacking him.
His Voidwalker ability flickered, phasing through attacks effortlessly before tearing apart his enemies with a casual flick of his spear.
The Sundering Legion did not slow down.
And within minutes—
They reached the War Shrine.
As soon as they stepped onto the ancient stone steps leading to the Shrine, the air trembled.
A barrier of golden light surrounded the shrine, pulsing with an ancient formation.
And then—
BOOOOOOOOM!
The earth beneath them split apart as a colossal figure emerged from the temple ruins.
A monstrous stone warlord, nearly twenty feet tall, its entire body engraved with ancient inscriptions pulsing with divine power. Its eyes glowed crimson, and a massive halberd materialized in its grip.
"You dare challenge the War Shrine?"
"Then prove yourselves worthy."
Jiang Chen's eyes narrowed. "This isn't going to be easy."
Bai Muchen grinned, his Titanblood Physique surging to full power. "Good. I'd hate for it to be easy."
Xiao Dong's knuckles cracked like thunder. "Then let's break this bastard apart!"
The Guardian roared—and the battle began.
The Guardian moved faster than expected, its massive halberd splitting the air like a divine executioner's blade.
Bai Muchen met its first strike head-on, his fists colliding with the weapon in a shockwave that shattered the ground beneath them.
Qin Tian's blade flashed, cutting a streak of golden energy across the guardian's chest, but it barely even scratched its divine stone armor.
Xiao Dong leaped forward, his war gauntlets igniting with violent energy, delivering a barrage of punches that sent tremors through the battlefield.
But the Guardian was relentless.
It spun midair, its massive halberd releasing a crescent arc of divine energy—
BOOOOOOM!
Jiang Chen's Voidwalker activated instinctively, his body flickering out of existence as the attack tore through the battlefield. He reappeared behind the Guardian, Chaos Qi twisting around his spear.
"Heaven Sundering Chaos Strike!"
BOOOOOOOM!
The spear struck true, tearing through the Guardian's armor, cracks spreading through its massive form.
The stone warlord faltered, its movements slowing.
This was their chance.
"NOW!" Jiang Chen shouted.
Bai Muchen's Titan's Ascension flared to its peak, his entire body growing larger as he delivered a single, earth-shattering punch to the Guardian's core.
Xiao Dong's Stormbreaker Gauntlets surged with violent energy, amplifying the force of his attacks as he followed up with a devastating uppercut.
Qin Tian's sword blurred, releasing a crescent wave of Emperor Sword Qi that sliced through the cracks in the Guardian's armor.
And Jiang Chen—
His Chaos Qi surged, his spear glowing black-gold, distorting reality itself.
"CHAOTIC HEAVEN-SUNDERING PALM!"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
The Guardian let out one final roar—
Before it collapsed into a mountain of shattered stone.
Silence.
Then—
The golden barrier around the War Shrine shattered.
A wave of divine energy washed over them, marking their victory.
The Temple's voice echoed through the battlefield.
"The Sundering Legion has claimed a War Shrine."
From the distance, warriors who had yet to claim their shrines watched in awe, disbelief, and growing fear.
Feng Yuechan, standing atop a distant peak, smirked. "So, they've taken one. Interesting."
Other factions?
They weren't happy.
In particular, the Blood Dragon Brotherhood, who had already set their sights on the shrine Jiang Chen's faction had just claimed.
Their leader, a scarred warlord with blood-red eyes, grinned viciously. "Looks like we've found our next target."
Jiang Chen wiped the dust off his robes, exhaling slowly.
But even as he stood victorious—
He felt the intensity of battle wasn't over yet.
Not even close.
Xiao Dong cracked his neck. "We won, but why do I feel like shit's about to go down?"
Bai Muchen scoffed. "Because it is."
Jiang Chen grinned, twirling his spear. "Then let them come."
And so, the real war began.
BOOOOOOOM!