The battlefield was on fire beneath the blood-red sky, the ominous glow of whose light cast long, leaping shadows upon the ground. The clash of approaches and the roars of spiritual monsters resounded, shaking the foundations of the Eclipse Flame Sect. At the center of the Infernal Flame Array, the sect disciples, perspiring and clearly exhausted, chanted incantations in order to maintain the canopy of fire that shielded them from total annihilation.
But cracks began to show, hardly perceptible at first, now evident as spiderweb-like fissures filled with glowing sparks.
"Be strong!" rang out the voice of Shen Huang, the commander of the Eclipse Flame Sect, from his vantage point suspended in mid-air. His dynamic fiery aura glowed brightly, a beacon of hope for his people.
Above the battlefield, Shen Huang and Zuo Tianlong hovered, locked in a perilous contest of power. Both bore the aspirations and visions of their factions on their shoulders.
"You just keep trying, Zuo Tianlong," Shen Huang stated firmly. "But greed will be your downfall."
Zuo Tianlong's face twisted into a smile, his crimson robes billowing behind him as he formed a vortex of dark energy in his hand. "Determination? Shen Huang, no, this is destiny. Your sect has wallowed in wealth for too long. The wealth of the Eclipse Flame Sect is mine!
Abruptly, Zuo Tianlong performed a swift action to summon his spiritual beast. The earth trembled as a giant blood-red wolf with radiant eyes materialized. It loomed over the battlefield, causing its barks to shake the air.
Shen Huang responded at once by summoning his own spiritual animal—a regal lion escorted by searing flames. The two animals met in mid-air, their deafening roars as they bit and scratched each other.
"That's enough!" Shen Huang shouted. "If you want to know how powerful the Eclipse Flame Sect is, then I will let you know!"
He raised his two arms towards the heavens, invoking a colossal column of fire that curled up like a serpent. The fire burst into numerous meteors, each blazing as intensely as a small sun. The heavens were a sea of fire as Rain of Flame descended upon the battlefield.
The Blood Crimson Sect's disciples stared upwards in terror, their cries drowned out in the din of incinerated meteors crashing on the ground. Craters detonated, and the earth cried out in agony as flames consumed anything in its path.
Zuo Tianlong snarled. "You believe that would be able to stop me? Behold the power of the Blood Crimson Sect!
He struck his hands on the ground and summoned his most powerful ability: Crimson Dominion. The battlefield was awash with a sea of blood-red energy that welled up, forming a massive shield. Each meteor that hit it sent shockwaves radiating across the battlefield, but the shield remained intact.
When the two approaches clashed, the atmosphere was covered in steam, smoke, and ash. Bai Cheng, observing from within the crumbling shield, shielded his eyes from the blinding flashes of light.
Flame Sect disciples were at their breaking points in the Infernal Flame Array. They had worked for hours, and they were about to run out of spiritual energy.
"Can't… hold on any longer," one of the disciples groaned, collapsing to the floor.
Keep going!" another old man yelled, but he was also pale and tired. "If the formation collapses, the sect will collapse as well!
Bai Cheng's fists were balled as he watched. He wasn't a cultivator himself, but the determination in their eyes touched his heart. "'Even when they're so exhausted, they still fight on," he thought. "Why can't I be like them too?"
But the enemy did not leave them time to recover.
Zuo Tianlong's voice broke through the noise clearly. "Stop playing around. Bring it here."
Out of the red horizon came a colossal shape—a giant snake, its scales black and emblazoned with red stripes. Its eyes glowed with malevolent light, and every breath it took was thick with poisonous gas.
The Flame Sect disciples all breathed in at the same time. "The Blood Serpent…"
"Prepare yourselves!" Shen Huang's oldest son yelled, his face very stern. "Strengthen the formation! Don't let it through!"
The snake hissed, its split tongue rapidly darting back and forth as it stared at the dome of flames. Then, with a deafening roar, it sprang forward. Its massive form contorted and struck the barrier, sending shockwaves rippling through the air.
The disciples yelled as the ground shook hard. The serpent attacked over and over, each hit making cracks in the fiery dome.
Bai Cheng lost his balance as the ground trembled. "This thing… it's going to break through!" he exclaimed, a fear building within him.
With another powerful blow, the serpent smashed a part of the array. Fire broke out but faded as Blood Crimson disciples flooded through the gap in a black tide.
"Take up your weapons, everyone!" Shen Huang cried. "Die fighting! Defend the sect!"
Disciples of the Flame Sect took the lead, their abilities shining as they met the oncoming tide of warriors. Blades clashed, energy blasts detonated, and the earth was a chaotic jumble of flames and blood.
Bai Cheng hung back near the rear, his heart pounding as he watched the carnage. He had seen death before, but this. this was a massacre.
The elders of the Flame Sect unleashed enormous bursts of flames, burning many of their enemies. However, the Blood Crimson disciples fought back with equal brutality. Their dark magic robbed their enemies of life, leaving them with empty bodies.
Over the battlefield, the Blood Serpent glared balefully at the heart of the sect. But before it could attack, a mighty shout rent the air.
In the midst of the group, the Eclipse Phoenix took flight, its wings ablaze with radiance as it soared into the air. Its body radiated golden flames that seemed to liquefy the very air they touched.
The two monsters clashed in mid-air, their impact lighting up the battlefield like a second sun. The claws of the phoenix tore through the serpent's scales, scorching them with molten wounds, and the serpent writhed and bit, its fangs poisoned with venomous power.
"Look!" a Flame Sect disciple exclaimed. "The Phoenix is stopping it!"
But within the phoenix's movement, there was a struggle that Bai Cheng could see. Whenever fire and darkness met, they shook the ground, but neither beast appeared to gain the upper hand.
Shen Huang and Zuo Tianlong also clashed on the ground, and their attacks ravaged the earth around them. Shen Huang's fire consumed everything it touched, and Zuo Tianlong's blood energy tainted the earth so that it was a writhing red mass.
You can't win, Zuo Tianlong!" Shen Huang screamed, his flames burning hot. Zuo Tianlong sneered.
"Perhaps. But even if I perish, your side will be exterminated along with me as well." The Significance of Viewing Bai Cheng gazed at the commotion that was ensuing, his heart aching.
He knew that the scene before him was all a memory, but the anguish and pain on the faces of the Flame Sect disciples was too vivid. What am I doing here?" he snarled, clenching his fists. "What am I supposed to be learning from this? The roar of the phoenix and the hiss of the serpent echoed above, a reminder at all times as to what they were fighting for. The battle was not for treasure or pride—it was for life.
Bai Cheng was between the flames and the shadows, and he sensed that this was only the beginning of something much larger.