The ground continued to tremble as the sound of countless footsteps approached. The heavy, oppressive atmosphere was an unmistakable sign of the impending conflict.


    Mira, Nova, Eden, Seraphina, Everly, and Rayna exchanged solemn nces, knowing that the time hade to prove their worth as the elites of the Battle Maiden Sect. Although hesitant to leave everything to the six women, Leona, and the other Elders could only grit their teeth and follow through with their assigned roles in defending the branch Sect.


    "I can sense someone in the same Realm as me," Leona said, her frown warping as only now did she begin feeling anxious. Everyone''s lives were on her shoulders; if she couldn''t defeat the enemy Mortal Shedding Realm expert, everyone here would die, and the Battle Maiden Sect would lose the first battle of this war.


    ''It''s been a long time since I felt this way. I hope I haven''t gotten rusty over the years.'' Leona thought.


    She turned to the others and said, "I''ll deal with him. In the meantime, you should begin making preparations should I lose. We don''t want thousands of years of effort to go to waste all in a single day."


    "...Yes, Sect Master!" The Elders said, albeit hesitantly. While they wanted to help, they were in no position to do so as they were only in the Soul Transformation Realm. Dashing out of the room, they all took their positions and prepared for battle.


    Leona gave Mira and the others a deep look but could only smile wryly when she saw they were already marching out of the building, their steps heavy and full of confidence.


    ''I guess I can only put my trust in them for now. The Elders will step in should things get out of hand, but I believe Leader Aelina wouldn''t send these girls alone without a good reason.'' Giving them onest nce, Leona shed out of the building and made her way toward the enemy Mortal Shedding Realm expert.


    As Mira walked out, she made her way over to where Rhydian was. She had left Elenei back at the Sect to watch over Dominique and regain her strength, so she wouldn''t have to worry about her during this battle.


    "Fly Eden around and give her a full view of the battlefield. If you see any stragglers, give her a bark, and don''t hesitate to take them out yourself." She said, giving the wolf a few pats on the head.


    Rhydian nodded and walked over to Eden, with her head held high and reluctance written all over her face. She didn''t want to be Eden''s mount during this battle, but given their objective, it was much more convenient for everyone if she were.


    "Do you have the Recording Crystal ready, Eden?" Nova asked as she put on her armor and took out her spear.


    Eden nodded, showing a palm-size translucent crystal in her hand.


    "Yup! I''ll start recording everything when I''m up in the sky."


    "Good!" Nova nodded, then she directed her gaze toward Seraphina, Everly, and Rayna. All had suited up into their armor and were wielding their weapons.


    Seraphina, the stalwart tank, donned superior armor and brandished a formidable sword and shieldbo.


    Everly sported lightweight armor, clutching a saber as a backup for her Fire and Lightning affinities.


    Reyna and Eden wore only minimalistic armor to protect their vitals, as thetter was the archer who would spend all her time in the air, while the former would use her double daggers and assassination skills to weave through the enemies unseen.


    Then, there was Mira, who stood there, scythe in hand, giving off a menacing and bloodthirsty aura that matched the iing army''s. She wore no armor, just the white Battle Maiden Sect disciple robe devoid of any stain.


    "Is everyone ready?" Nova said, to which they all nodded.


    "Then, let''s show the world what it means to mess with the Battle Maiden Sect!"


    The six of them nced at each other before giving a light nod and disappearing, each going to their respective positions.


    Rhydian soared skyward, carrying Eden on her back. Mira, Nova, and Seraphina boldly advanced to the battlefield''s forefront. Hovering behind the trio, Everly poised to unleash havoc below, while Rayna vanished, eluding even her allies'' eyes.


    Mira, standing at the forefront, focused her senses and could feel the enemy''s numbers. There were thousands upon thousands of them, with tens in the Soul Transformation Realm. While it was a formidable force, Mira and herpanions were confident in their abilities topletely obliterate them from existence.


    The Crimson yer Sect''s army finally appeared on the horizon, a dark, imposing mass that seemed to consume thendscape as they approached. Their crimson robes fluttered in the wind, contrasting starkly with the greenery of the Ancient Beast Mountain Range.


    As the enemy drew closer, Mira and herpanions could see the faces of the Crimson yer Sect''s warriors. They were a mixture of men and women, all with a cold, ruthless glint in their eyes.


    Among them, a figure on horseback stood out from the rest, their imposing aura giving away their status as themander of the invading force.


    "Battle Maiden Sect, surrender your resources, andy down your arms! If you do so, we may give you a painless death! Should you refuse, your bodies, Qi, and souls are ours to do with as we please!" Themander shouted, their voice carrying across the battlefield, echoing through the air.


    Mira and herpanions exchanged nces and smirked, finding this situation almostughable! In themander''s mind, it seemed as if he never once thought that he would lose. To him, the Battle Maiden Sect''s only choices were to surrender and die quickly or fight and die painfully.


    "EDEN! Let them know what you think of his proposition!" Nova yelled, and not a split secondter, an intense amount of Qi gathered high in the sky above everyone.


    All the Unorthodox Faction disciples were startled by this and looked up wide-eyed, only to see a sh of light.


    A momentter, arge wooden arrow surrounded by a cyclone of wind descended from the sky onto the enemymander''s position!


    "NOOOO-!!" Themander yelled, as he could sense the power behind that attack, and raised all his defenses, using every bit of his Qi to try and save himself, but-


    *BOOOOM!!!*


    -the arrow went straight through his head, splitting his body in two before exploding on impact, creating a massive crater on the battlefield and killing any people in his general vicinity!


    The battlefield fell silent for a moment, the shock of the enemymander''s sudden demise rippling through the ranks of the Crimson yer Sect. Mira and herpanions stood tall and resolute, their unwavering determination sending a clear message to their opponents – they would not be intimidated, nor would they ept such tant disrespect.


    The Crimson yer Sect''s warriors hesitated, their morale shaken by theirmander''s swift and brutal death. But the hesitation didn''tst long. A powerful figure stepped forward from among them, d in crimson armor and exuding an aura even more oppressive than the previousmander''s.


    "I am General Zhang, second-inmand of the Crimson yer Sect''s 5th Battalion!" The figure roared, his voice full of fury and malice. "You will pay for your insolence! Soldiers, attack!"


    "Attack!"


    "Kill those women!!"


    "How dare they kill themander when he tried to offer them mercy!!"


    With renewed vigor, the Crimson yer Sect''s army surged forward once more, their bloodlust fueled by the desire to kill and avenge their fallenmander. Although they might be extremely selfish and usually wouldn''t care about the death of such a person, this was a time of war, and he was an influential person, even in the ranks of the Crimson yer Sect.


    For him to die so easily and pitifully before the battle even started was a disgrace to not only them but the entire Sect.


    "Hahahaha! Now that''s more like it!" Seraphina raised her sword and shield, hitting them together as she taunted the enemy.


    The battle began with Mira, Nova, and Seraphina taking the lead, forming a seemingly imprable line that held the frontlines. As the Crimson yer Sect''s warriors charged forward, their weapons raised, and their battle cries echoing across the battlefield, Mira and herpanions showed no fear.


    Mira''s scythe danced like a whirlwind, its razor-sharp edge slicing through the air with deadly precision. Each swing easily cut through the enemy ranks, severing limbs and ending lives in an instant. Her movements were fluid and graceful, each step and pivot taking her to the next target without pause.


    Nova, on Mira''s right, wielded her spear with the skill of a seasoned warrior. She thrust and parried with expert precision, her weapon a blur as it pierced through the enemy''s defenses. Her footwork was agile, allowing her to deftly avoid iing attacks while maintaining her offensive pressure.


    To Mira''s left, Seraphina stood as an unyielding bulwark, her sword and shield deflecting blow after blow from the enemy''s relentless assault. Her shield seemed to be an imprable barrier, absorbing the force of each attack and protecting her allies from harm. When an opening presented itself, her sword struck out like lightning, ruthlessly cutting down enemies.


    Behind the vanguard, Everly unleashed her power as shebined her Fire and Lightning affinities. Fireballs and lightning bolts rained down upon the enemy forces, incinerating and electrocuting those unfortunate enough to be caught in their path. The explosions and sizzling sounds of her elemental attacks filled the air, creating a symphony of destruction that resonated across the battlefield.


    High above the fray, Eden and Rhydian surveyed the battlefield with keen eyes, recording the entire battle through the Recording Crystal.


    Whenever Rhydian detected a straggler or a threat, she barked a warning, allowing Eden to rain down arrows from the sky. Each arrow, imbued with her Wind and Wood affinities, struck with deadly uracy and force, skewering multiple enemies at once.


    Meanwhile, Rayna moved like a shadow, weaving through the chaos with her double daggers and assassination skills. Her movements were swift and silent, leaving only a trail of blood and fallen enemies in her wake. She struck from the shadows, her des finding the weak points in her targets'' defenses before they even realized she was there.


    As the battle raged on, the Crimson yer Sect''s forces began to dwindle.


    Despite their numbers, they were no match for thebined might and skill of Mira and herpanions. Each of the six women disyed exceptional prowess in their respective roles, the synergy between them creating a deadly force that the enemy could not ovee.


    The battlefield became a sea of blood and carnage, the once-greenndscape marred by the crimson stains of the fallen.


    However, despite killing so many enemies, it was as if there were a never-ending stream of them; the more they killed, the more that popped up.


    To make things worse, the Soul Transformation Realm enemies hadn''t made a move yet, deciding to sit back, send in the cannon fodder, and observe before they made a move.