Chapter 125
In the vast and sprawling Nortnds, stretching for thousands of miles, thend was vast and
boundless.
They traversed great mountains and deep ravines, passed through ancient towns and fortifications,
and after ten days of travel, they arrived at the site of The sh of Eight Orders, the Warriors'' Vale!
Throughout their journey, they kept a low profile, deliberately concealing their tracks and identities,
choosing secluded routes. Otherwise, given Cobalt Strike''s standing in the Nortnds, the lord of
every city they passed would havee out to greet them with great reverence. The Cobalt Strike
Commander intentionally wanted them to bond, to experience the outside world. He would
asionally drew out Magi-Monsters for them to hunt and train, keeping their spirits high so they
might present themselves in the best light at The sh of Eight Orders.
Warriors'' Vale had a long history, being the most ancient city in the Nortnds, grand and majestic,
and filled with the sense of time''s erosion.
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The city walls towered thirty meters high, forged entirely of ck onyx stone, solemn and imposing.
The gate towers were grand and atmospheric, like mighty titans guarding the ancient city, deterring
the throngs of passersby. The moat was over a hundred meters wide and dozens deep, lurking with
many terrifying Riverine Beasts; falling in would have unimaginable consequences.
Warriors'' Vale was bustling with life, home to a million souls; the flow of visitors was a vast number.
During The sh of Eight Orders, many mages also gathered here.
Standing before the city gates, Niks and hispanions admired the grandeur of the ancient
city, feeling a surge of bold aspiration. “The sh of Eight Orders, we have arrived!!”
Everyone had the heart of a champion, and everyone yearned to duel with the genius warriors. The
sh of Eight Orders would gather the strongest elites of the Nortnds, being the perfect stage to
showcase their valor!
vin, however, seemed lost in reverie. The ancient city, its bustle, the guards, the drawbridge—all
these scenes were so simr to the memories of his childhood. It was all too simr to Stormcast,
where he was born and raised, and where he left hisughter and joy. But eight years had passed,
what would it look like now? Laid to waste or overtaken by wicked bandits?
"What are you thinking about?" Cedrick noticed vin''s distraction. While everyone else was eager,
vin seemed lost in thought.
“I’m thinking of home.” vin came back to his senses, offering a slight smile.
“Do you hate them?”
“Many have asked me that. If I didn’t hate, how ungrateful would that make me?”
Cedrick looked intensely at vin, then said no more.
The city gates were wide open, and a troop of soldiers burst forth. Their armor was gleaming, and
their horses were prancing. With amanding presence, the people outside the city made way for
them.
"Commander Kashann! I am Varin, ordered to await your esteemed Organization!" A warrior in
golden armor dismounted and saluted, also greeting the other Elders.
"Have the others arrived?" The Cobalt Strike Commander threw back his cloak, revealing his true
visage.
"Order of the Ster Precepts, The Covert Bloodlore Society, Sect of the Hidden Essence, and the
Sisterhood of the Floral Enchantress. The leaders of these four Organizations have already arrived
with their Protégés. The Guild of the Earthbound Spirits just arrived, and they''re about to enter the
city. Tribe of the Skyborne Rivers and Society of Starlit Echoes are still en route, expected to arrive
tomorrow or the day after."
"Lead the way."
"Please! The Lord awaits you in the city!" Varin was very polite. Although the Commander appeared
unassuming and without airs, he was still a leader of an Organization, a sovereign figure of the
Nortnds, whose mere stomp could send tremors across its vast territories.
The procession parted, with three luxurious carriages arriving from behind. The Commander led the
Elders onto the first carriage. vin and the other nine Protégés each entered the second and third
carriages.
Varin and his soldiers observed the ten of them; each Protégé qualified for The sh of Eight
Orders was a carefully chosen prodigy of their Organization, and if they grew to their potential, they
would surely be remarkable figures.
"Look, General Varin himself has gone to greet them. Which Organization has arrived?"
"They''re so discreet, no grand entrance at all."
"It seems they walked straight here, not like other Organizations that ride in on Magi-Monsters."
"The most discreet among the Eight Orders are Cobalt Strike and Starlit Echoes, and neither of
those Organizations has arrived yet, so who could it be?"
The city gate was busy with people who, upon seeing the troopse out, gathered to specte
who had arrived. But before they could discern who it was, the Cobalt Strike party had already
entered their carriages and were escorted by the troops into the ancient city.
vin, Cedrick, Myke, Niks, and Mari, the five of them, sat together in one carriage.
vin lifted the curtain corner, looking out at the bustling, lively streets. "Which is the strongest
among the Eight Orders?"
Mari rarely spoke, but when she did, it was with authority. "Among the Eight Orders, there''s no
official ranking, but indeed some gaps do exist. The first among the Orders is widely recognized as
the Ster Precepts. Each year, at The sh of the Eight Orders, they tend to secure the first or
second ce, and it''s rumored that once they even swept the top five positions. The might of the
Ster Precepts'' Commander, as well as the strength of the Elders within their organization, is said
to be the strongest within the Eight Orders. Following them are the Bloodlore Covenant and the
Earthbound Spirits; their collective power is second only to the Ster Precepts, and the prowess of
their protégés generally surpasses those from other Orders, except for the Ster Precepts. The
other five Orders are more or less on equal footing, with no significant disparities in any area."