Emerald gazed out the window of her aircraft, watching the squad leaders and the Void Reapers descend. Turning her attention back to the controls, she piloted the helicopter away from the mountain.
As for them, they descended quickly into the valley below.
Esther and Kenzo Tatsuya reached the ground the fastest. Their powerful bodies slamming into the earth with a powerful explosion of dust, leaving deep imprints in the ground. They were quickly followed by Ramiro Tristan and Alex Goldstein, crashing down without fanfare.
Ramiro picked himself up from the rubble, his clothes dirty and dusted, while Alex shook his shimmering gold form once, shaking off all the dirt that clung to him.
Xue Xiaoyao and Caspian Rivers descended next, landing softly, their water and blood dissipating. Cinder Lopez of Nightfall followed suit, her flames softening her landing just as Vikir came along, beating his draconic wings.
Calypso quickly handed and hopped off her drake, but not before crashing into Zheng Yuxuan, knocking him into the dirt.
Julian and Alesha carried Ivan Valentim to the ground, their powers receding, while Alexandrine stepped off her scarf with the grace of a noble lady. The last person to arrive at ground level was Nina Mirella, who had calmly walked down from the sky using stairs of condensed mental energy.
Once everyone gathered in a loose circle, they gazed upon their surroundings, enraptured by how different it looked from the sky.
The raging river had transformed into a gentle one, spraying cool mist along its bank. The tall mountains shrouded the valley in darkness, yet light still managed to find its way down here.
Large crystals lined the mountain face, a vibrant array of blues, purples, and greens, while wisps of light occasionally rose from the moist soil.
Kenzo knelt down on one leg, his hand running through moss and dirt. He stood, his brows furrowed tight.
"This mountain range contains an Imprint. Judging by the size and scale of everything, something powerful must have perished here"
Alexandrine walked over to the mountain face, her heels sinking slightly into the soft earth. She took off one pristine white glove and pressed her hands against a protruding crystal.
It was warm to the touch, a stark contrast to the relatively cool valley. Alexandrine reeled back slightly, feeling a slight pulse under her palm, as if the crystal was alive.
Calypso gazed up as far as she could, seeing the crystals stretch the the very top of the mountain, "Based on scale alone, this Imprint isn't no Wisp, Whisper, or Echo"
Zheng Yuxuan joined in with her, "I reckon this isn't a Reverberation or Corporeal either. This entire mountain is able to fool the eyes of anyone viewing it from a distance"
"That means it's an Aberration at the very least," Esther added, "At least, a Divine-Cursed Awakener has been slain here, their Star Core remaining to this day"
A loud, manly voice boomed from overhead, "Excellent deductions!"
Their heads swiveled skyward as the voice echoed all around them, bouncing off the valley walls, yet they could not deduce the source of the voice despite their skill.
Abruptly, the same voice spoke again, this time much closer, "Where are you brats looking, I'm right here"
Their heads snapped back, quickly assuming battle positions.
A stout, muscular man with dark skin crouched atop a ledge several meters away from them. His hair was braided into thick sections, and his graying beard was also braided, reaching halfway down his chest.
He wore nothing but a pair of black pants, his wrists wrapped in a layer of bandages while a tall banner stood behind him. The purple banner waved about despite the lack of wind down in these depths, and a flame pattern seemed to move about on its surface.
Esther crossed her arms, "Who's this dwarf"
The man's face reddened, veins popping from his forehead, "This fucking brat…"
Kenzo elbowed the girl, "I believe that is one of the seven sages of the Valley of Enlightenment"
She flipped her braids back, chains clicking by her side, "No duh, I just thought that they would look much more impressive"
The man clenched his fists, veins popping as his joints creaked. The sheer strength he radiated was suffocating, as if it were gravity pressing down on their shoulders.
"I see you inherited all of your Harbinger's bad habits," his voice was rough as sandpaper, "That bastard is always making trouble for me"
Hearing his words, the Void Subjugation Corp leaders and the Reapers all brandished their powers, their gazes hostile.
Kenzo stepped forward, cracking his knuckles, "With all due respect, Sage, nobody insults the Harbinger and gets away with it"
Witnessing the scene, the burly man didn't shy away, instead bursting out into laughter. His voice traveled loudly along the mountain walls, echoing with powerful reverberations that shook the earth.
His grin was sharp, "At least you all have some fight in you, not bad"
He bent his legs slightly and leaped down, carrying his large banner with him. Landing sharply on the opposite side of the river, he stood, clutching the pole of his banner with a bright smile.
"While we Sages do owe Miss Emerald, your Harbinger was a pain in our ass back in his younger days, and he never came back to settle the score. The nerve of that man!"
Taking in a deep breath, he gripped the banner with both hands and swung it in a wide arc. The cloth came to life, spewing out purple flames that clung to the mountainside for thousands of meters. The flames burned endlessly, lighting up the dim valley with a vibrant glow.
The youths quickly grouped together, forming a small circle as flames burned around them with a searing heat.
"We will accept you, but of course, you'll have to pass a tiny little trial of passage"
He smiled, showing off his pearly white teeth, "Don't die, oh and you little lass," he pointed a thick finger at Esther, "Don't fucking die, I'm going to kick your ass later"