Chapter 522: The New Elites of Deadwaste

Years ago, going to Deadwaste had been a horrible decision tantamount to throwing herself off the edge of the world. Now, as she returned yet again, Zae Zin Nim reflected that it was becoming commonplace. Not only was it a normal trip, it was returning to her husband's home, something she might expect to do many times in the years to come.

That no longer disturbed her, for all that there would be inconveniences. She had met some respectable people there, and the trip to Cloudspire had reminded her that her home had flaws as well. So she didn't mind that she would need to invest some time in helping the barbarians there survive the incursion.

This time, she shouldn't need to walk so much. They had the Clanless, plus Zae Zin Nim had taken numerous levitating vehicles and hundreds of flying swords, just to be sure.

Yes, she was capable of flight on her own now, but some things were not worth the risk.

Between the seized Brightwind resources and the support of her spouses, Zae Zin Nim was making rapid progress. Insane as it seemed, she actually saw advancement along the long road to Sky Soul when she looked at her own soul:

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Name: Zae Zin Nim

Total Power: 1777

Cultivation: Earth Soul 75% (526)

*Heavenly Sash: Cultivation +10% (52)

Coldfire Corona: 39 (417)

Pure Yin Shroud: Spinel Rank (260)

True Blackblood Physique: E-7 (442)

Soul Level: 9 (81)

>

By a coincidence she chose to interpret as good fortune, Zae Zin Nim had exactly 1777 Power at that moment. She would soon have more, but that was still her strength upon returning to Deadwaste. Far more than enough for anyone she might encounter - her own spouses were the only people who could challenge her, though she didn't want to underestimate the Frontier elites.

When the day of arrival came, Zae Zin Nim was in a good mood... and then she saw the cultivators.

They wore brown over blood red, a common symbol of the aggressive monastic clans from the Northern Expanse. She didn't recognize the mountain symbol on their ship and the back of some of the stronger cultivators' robes, but it was close enough to the Mountainfist Sect that it must be a branch. Not one of the strongest forces in the Northern Expanse, but still a potential threat.

It seemed that they had brought a small army here, including six Earth Souls and a dozen Nascent Foundation cultivators. For a branch sect, that could well be the vast majority of their strength. Had they been forced off Cloudspire and come to attack Deadwaste? What could they possibly want in Krysal?

Those questions were less important to Zae Zin Nim than the problem that this attack posed. Not a direct threat, since she could probably finish them herself, but it was an irritation. She reached out and pulled on her husband's sleeve.

"Kai, do you intend to kill them?"

"Depends on what they want," he said guardedly, watching the qi assaulting the barrier wall. "If they're just raiding Krysal, probably best to send them back alive, as a message to stop other sects from trying it."

"If we don't kill them all, then we have a problem." Zae Zin Nim took a slow breath. "They would bring word of our departure back to Cloudspire. I am willing to sacrifice the Brightwind Sect, if necessary to save your allies, but... what is it?"

To her surprise, her husband was smiling back at her. "I don't think we have to do anything. Just watch."

She didn't understand for a moment that was, in retrospect, a bit embarrassing. Then she felt a surge of Krysali qi and Cragrila launched herself off the Clanless like she was a spear herself.

One of the Earth Souls standing atop a flying sword noticed her attack and, scorning her crystalline body, raised a wall of flame with one hand. Cragrila pierced through it effortlessly and the cultivator only had a moment to look shocked before her spear went straight through his chest. It barely slowed her down and she landed atop the Mountainfist ship, then raised her spear to the air with the cultivator still impaled on it.

Zae Zin Nim hadn't checked her soul recently and was surprised that, with the modified Deathwind Spear but also her own advancement, Cragrila had over 700 Power, putting her above any normal Earth Soul:

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Name: Cragrila

Total Power: 714

Crystal Cultivation: 9999 (125)

Crystal Dantian (+50)

Acid Cultivation: 1000 (50)

Physique Level: D-2 (210)

Crystalline Blood (+80)

Soul Level: 7 (49)

Deathjade Spear (+150)

>

"Cease attacking Krysal or perish!" Her voice thundered over the walls and Zae Zin Nim saw all the cultivators turn their full attention toward her.

"Okay, maybe we have a problem," Kai admitted, "if Cragrila kills them all. But what I meant was that I don't think we need to act ourselves. We've been training them long enough."

Zae Zin Nim nodded as she realized that her husband was correct. She had thought of a cultivator sect like this as an army that no nation on Deadwaste could possibly hope to defeat. That was no longer correct: the other cultivators were attacking Cragrila, but even without the benefit of surprise, they couldn't bring her down.

The other Earth Souls, realizing they couldn't blow their opponent away, retreated to a formation that summoned a great spiritual mountain. Zae Zin Nim watched it form over the city with a frown... then saw it explode into pebbles of qi that soon dissolved.

Inafay and Orotaisin spun through it, holding hands, a whirlwind visible around them. This was actually a simple formation she had taught them, a two-cultivator technique that they had made their own. Once Zae Zin Nim wouldn't have believed it was possible, but the Deadwasters' technique crushed the Cloudspire technique.

They circled around one another, building up speed, then Inafay hurled her partner with a burst of green mana. Orotaisin shot down, elemental wind streaking around him. Despite their defeat, the cultivators remained confident, creating a great shield that they no doubt expected to stand up to simple mana abilities from Deadwaste.

But, as she knew now, the Elemental Nations tapped into something deeper. Orotaisin struck the formation and exploded in a column of mist, shattering their qi and sending them flying in all directions. They hadn't gone far before Inafay swept down, attacking one Earth Soul and driving him away from the group.

Inafay would be fine, so Zae Zin Nim looked onward. The new trainees had jumped to attack as well, some even using flying swords that Kai must have distributed, but they were more her husband's concern than hers. It seemed that they were holding her own, so his estimation had actually been correct. She watched closely nonetheless.

Even Nirka, who Zae Zin Nim still scowled to see, was holding her own.

<

Name: Nirka of N District

Total Power: 205

Crystal Cultivation: 1922 (64)

Cultivation: Qi Condensation 3% (10)

Physique Level: E-9 (106)

Soul Level: 5 (25)

>

She had somehow gotten atop the city wall and now struggled with a Nascent Foundation cultivator - despite her shortcomings, she had over 200 Power, which was enough to hold her own. It looked as though there were locals within the city beginning to attack as well, and she could coordinate with them. Annoying as Nirka was, Zae Zin Nim reluctantly accepted her as an ally in this fight.

For a moment it looked as though they might have serious trouble, as a pair of Earth Souls fled Cragrila to try to wipe out the weaker trainees. That was the sort of thing that might make Kai leap to their defense, even if it would ruin their deception.

To her surprise, the cultivators were intercepted by the Tonjin brothers. Zae Zin Nim didn't know them very well: as far as she was concerned, they were less muscular, less handsome versions of Kai, and she didn't care if they went off and did their muscular things somewhere else. They both had Power in the 300s range, stronger than the trainees but short of these Earth Souls who surpassed 400.

Except, after surviving the initial assault, the brothers each drank a potion. So many different forces whirled within them that Zae Zin Nim could only focus on Raghi, who had consumed a more complex potion.

<

Name: Raghi Tonjin

Total Power: 474

Scrapper Class: 73 (83)

Whistlewind Potion (+50)

Ironfist: Quartz Rank (20)

Physique Level: D-2 (210)

Ironbody Potion (+25)

Soul Level: 6 (36)

Heartblood Potion (+50)

>

Their bodies glowed from within and their Power leapt by at least 100, with Raghi even nearing 500 Power. Had Juray really made such a powerful boost?

That made them capable of fighting the Earth Souls: the muscular men were slower, but they pushed through the qi attacks, and while the cultivators were shocked that their targets weren't coughing up blood, the brothers got into melee range. It went much worse for the Earth Souls after that.

As the battle raged toward its conclusion, Zae Zin Nim realized that they had done the impossible: a force from Deadwaste was standing up to an entire sect from Cloudspire. She had no idea how to feel.