Outside the gathered cultivators and beast bonded warriors formed two concentric rings of steel around the rift, guarding the settlement of Tor and ensuring no fiend escaped.
there was of course a cacophony of chatter;
“How do you think they’re holding up?”
“I’ve heard that rifts can last for weeks at a time.”
“What happens if they fail?”
“Should more of us go in?”
“Has anyone seen Kantra?”
The questions spread through the gathered crowd, then every cultivator fell silent.
A shiver crawled down their spines.
The space beneath the jagged rift distorted, it resembled the surface of a lake after throwing a stone in, there was an odd spatial ripple.
A Beast Bonded warrior shouted; “Get ready they’re coming through!”
The distortion intensified.
Shapes began to emerge.
At first, they were only translucent shadows, but as the shapes rendered in, flesh was revealed.
Winged bird women beat frost-covered wings as they burst from the rift.
Lesser Dragon Servants followed close behind, their weapons already drawn, while several Drowsy Shamans drifted silently among them, silver rings swaying from black filaments.
“HOLD THE LINE!”
Animus flared and dozens of cultivation auras exploded into existence, crashing over the invading horde like an invisible tidal wave.
The oppressive pressure of the combined auras slowed the monsters’ advance as the vanguard of the first ring planted their feet and raised shields, axes, spears, spiked clubs and swords. This chapter is updated first at novelping dot com.
The first or inner protective steel ring was made up of offensive type cultivators that specialized in damage dealing and defense, but the outside ring were cultivators who specialized in healing and support, they would heal and buff the inner ring of steel from the outside.
Shouts arose as the outer ring began executing martial techniques buffing the inner ring;
“Wind Step!”
“Stone Skin!
“Killer Instinct!”
“Spirit Ward!”
“Regen Haste!”
Several of the inner ring’s more beefy combatants now held multiple battle blessings.
Ice Harpies shrieked and launched a volley of razor ice feathers directly at the outer ring of support!
The outer ring took evasive measures other cultivators threw up barriers.
A beast bonded warrior shouted, “Kill the flyers first!”
A fiery torrent erupted around the warrior’s beast crystal imbued battle axe; the warrior swung the battle axe fiercely at the ice harpies, and as he did so crescent moons of fire shot from the battle axe, cleaving clawed hands, legs, wings and torsos.
But the harpies just kept coming, enraged at the beast bonded axe men who had just ended several of their flock they focused their malice and descended upon him, but the warrior stayed rooted to the ground where he stood and continued to launch axe fire blades.
The drowsy Shamans focused their intent into their silver hypnoid rings and targeted the outer ring of support, several of which began to fall asleep, the drowsy Shamans began to turn slowly, focusing their combined mental energy they began to put the entire outer ring of steel to sleep.
Because the outer ring had used the initiative to buff the warriors they themselves had no Spirit Ward blessing.
Only a hand full of cultivators in the outer ring remained awake, due to the strength of their spirits, but the rest slowly fell to the ground asleep, the pressure of their combined auras faded and the blade welding dragon servants advanced forward in tight ranks. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
The inner ring of steel tightened and met the oncoming dragon men!
The lesser dragon guard roared as it charged at Boris, Marla took aim at one of the stunned Drowsy Shamans behind the towering dragon warrior and released, the arrow sailed true and pierced the creature right between the eyes, the shaggy furred yellow demon dropped to the ground dead.
With wind step increasing her attack speed Marla notched another regular arrow and dropped the second Drowsy shaman just as quickly.
But the massive dragon man was gaining ground and would soon be on top of them, thinking quickly Boris reached into his kit bag and pulled out another attack stone, one that he had been saving, charging the stone he looked toward Marla; “Get ready to run Pussy Cat.”
Taking aim Boris chucked the attack stone; “ROOTED!”
Massive roots shot out of the rock and multiplied, frantically searching for anything to root themselves to, they found the dragon man’s legs and tangled them up tightly.
The dragon man gave a hideously sharp hiss and began slashing at the thick gnarled roots; “NOW RUN FOR IT!”
The huge black pig-steel wall was now flying down the ice blue corridor at an alarming speed, darting around the rooted lizard man who was still slashing at the vines Marla and Boris vaulted at incredible speeds down the passage, every step a flying leap that sent them sailing through the air.
There was so much hang time in-between vaults that Marla spun around mid-air looking back just in time to see the dragon man get impaled on the now hurtling wall of spears!
“It’s getting faster!” Marla shouted.
Sweat beaded on Boris’s face as he looked further ahead, the long corridor came to an abrupt end, with two corridors leading off to each side.
“To hell with this!” Marla shouted.
In-between vaults Marla spun and took aim, but this time as she drew the bowstring back, she directed animus into the imbued fire drake crystal.
The fire drake crystal glowed a brilliant red as it generated a fiery charged arrow sitting in the arrow shelf.
The dragon man was still alive and swinging its brutal butcher blade, the wall was almost on top of them now, she saw a spinning cog, it looked important.
She released.
“KA-BOOM!”