“Hahaha! Finally! We’re through!”

“How many years has it been? We’ve finally broken through the damn border! Will this be a new age for our tribe?”

“My brothers! The succulent pigs in the human domain have grown fat and are waiting to be slaughtered! Hahaha!”

“Tsk tsk! Is this the human domain our ancestors told us about?”

“Humans! Tremble in fear. Your masters have arrived!”

With the breaking of the Stele, the realm that emanated from it collapsed at a speed visible to the naked eye. Like mountain ranges continuously collapsing, the despairing sight ground on. 

Color drained from the faces of those of the Moon God Sect. Horror and anxiety flooded their beautiful eyes. Even the head sectmaster was stunned despite her usual calm demeanor.

Countless shadows swarmed furiously through the collapsed rubble like a school of carp leaping over the waters. There seemed to be no end in sight. It was as if the place beyond the boundary was hell, while the human domain was heaven.

There were clear physiological differences between them and humans.

Their shoulders were broad and burly, paired with a waist that was as thick as a bear’s. They were a head taller than most humans and naked from the waist up. Their muscles seemed to have been poured from bronze, well-defined and filled with explosive strength. 

From the waist down, they either wore kilts made out of animal skin or odd-looking wraps of leaves, branches, or bizarre ornaments. Moreover, tattoos covered their faces, making them seem even more foreign. Even the shapes of their heads were completely different.

Some were bald, some had shoulder length hair or braided hair, while others wore strange ornaments on top. However, the biggest difference was without a doubt their skin tone. Perhaps due to geographical and environmental reasons, their skin was mostly bronze or darker in color.

Their noses were also an eye-catching characteristic. It was extremely big and seemed to take up a third of their faces. They were an extremely recognizable race.

They were the invaders! There was no doubt of it!

Their chiseled muscles, maddened eyes, and brazen actions were clear indications that they were war-hungry barbarians. Batch upon batch of them followed. 

The Moon God Sect was surrounded in the blink of an eye. The three sectmasters had only brought a few trusted disciples to the border. Their numbers didn’t exceed thirty.

In comparison, over tens of thousands of savages from the Embittered Savage Tribe had swarmed through the border in a few breaths. The Moon God Sect was completely surrounded before they even had time to escape.

“Haha! Such fortune! To think that so many beauties were waiting for us just beyond the Boundary Stele!” 

“Tsk tsk! Our ancestors didn’t lie! The women of the human race do seem soft and tender!”

“Hahaha! I finally understand why our ancestors are so obsessed with the human domain! Just look at them! There’s nothing to complain about!”

“They all seem so exquisite! We’re in for a treat!”

At least a dozen layers of the barbarians had surrounded them. Lust and desire was written all over their faces. They would've pounced on the women already if their leaders hadn’t stopped them. Even still, they were aching to make a move.

“Ooo! Ooo! Ooo!” The warriors of the tribe stood shoulder to shoulder and danced while muttering strange chants. They were clearly celebrating with song and dance. The more excited ones even stroked their crotch and leered.

From the Moon God Sect’s point of view, there seemed to be no end to the savages. The younger and more timid disciples were thoroughly terrified and hid behind the sectmasters. Unfortunately, they were surrounded from all sides. No matter where they hid, ran, or scampered, lascivious grimaces greeted them.

The warriors howled ceaselessly and made various lewd gestures at the women. Some even tore apart the scant cloth at their waist and swung their private parts at the humans. They were as vulgar as one could be.

The female disciples could only respond with endless shrieks. They covered their eyes, humiliated and terrified. The head sectmaster was an experienced warrior. “What are you panicking for?! Maintain your composure!” She yelled.

The exhortations from their leader helped the shrieks slowly die out. However, the disciples  were still white as ghosts. Clearly, their fear hadn’t lessened one bit.

The three sectmasters exchanged glances and transmitted silently to all of the sect members present. “We will cover you while you retreat. Remember, try your best to escape, but if you don’t…” The head sectmaster shifted her gaze at the leering barbarians. “You know what to do!” She warned coldly.

The disciples trembled. They understood what the sectmaster was implying. They were to take their own lives if they couldn’t escape. Death was better than being ravaged by the beastly barbarians!

The second sectmaster was next to speak. “As cultivators, why are you acting like the common womenfolk? What was the purpose of all your training if all you do is tremble in the face of danger?”

The second sectmaster had always had a short temper. She feared absolutely nothing and was the calmest in their current precarious situation.

“I will lead by example! If I’m defeated, I’d rather implode than be tarnished by these savage beasts!” Her voice was filled resolve and integrity.

The head sectmaster nodded. “That’s how it should be. I will do the same!”

Their conversation calmed the disciples down. Calm prevailed and the girls looked at their current predicament in a new light. 

However, Holy Maiden Xi Yuan burst into an angry tirade. “Isn’t junior sister Qingxuan smart?! She’s having the time of her life at Veluriyam Capital. How can she be at peace living like a princess while our lives are threatened? The second sectmaster’s love for her has gone down the drain!” 

She felt the world so very unfair.

Xu Qingxuan ordinarily received the highest treatment among all of the youth in the sect and was widely regarded as the foremost holy maiden. Many worshipped her as a goddess.

And yet, she was swanning around in Veluriyam while the sect was risking their lives in the harshness of the northwestern wastes. The disgusting faces of the Embittered Savage Tribe made Xi Yuan want to throw up. It was no wonder that she was filled with hate and resentment.

The second sectmaster’s visage turned ice-cold. “Are you stirring up trouble? And now, of all times?”

On the brink of death, Holy Maiden Xi Yuan no longer felt the need to hold herself back. “Second sectmaster, this junior isn’t stirring up anything! These are merely my heartfelt words. If junior sister Qingxuan truly cares about the sect, why doesn’t she come to our aid when she clearly knows the northwestern wastes are endangered? Isn’t her brother the young lord of Veluriyam Capital? Why doesn’t she ask him for help?”

Her complaints did make some sense and riled up many of the younger disciples, making them consider Xu Qingxuan a traitor.

The second sectmaster flew into a rage. “You’ve always been jealous of Qingxuan and afraid to express it! So you no longer see the need to hide your true feelings, is it? How do you know that Qingxuan didn’t ask Jiang Chen for help? Do you know who won the war between Veluriyam and the Order of Wind and Cloud? Are you even aware of the current state of affairs in the human domain?”

She might’ve not been a highly educated and cultured person, but she knew very well that her disciple was anything but an ingrate. Thus, she couldn’t stand to let her true disciple be slandered by Xi Yuan.

Xi Yuan had more to say, but she was disrupted by the head sectmaster. “Shut up! How can you afford to think about that given current circumstances? Do you think we don’t know what kind of person Qingxuan is? If it weren’t for her, do you think Veluriyam would’ve cared to propose a polite alliance with us?”

This was the unbridled truth. If it weren’t for Xu Qingxuan, Jiang Chen could very well have led an army and taken his mother by force. In fact, he could’ve destroy the sect with a flick of a finger, given his strength and resources!

Not even Pillfire City was a match for him, let alone the Moon God Sect.

“Qingxuan isn’t like that! Nor is young lord Jiang Chen! They must have their reasons for not coming to our help!” Holy Maiden Xu Shan rebutted. 

While they were talking, the Embittered Savages suddenly opened a path to allow a few figures to walk in.

One of them was very tall and stocky. He was dressed differently from the others and had on much more luxurious tattoos and accessories. The armor on his shoulders, chest, and waist was exquisitely crafted. One could easily tell that he was a noble.

He didn’t share the same crude brutishness as the other members of his tribe. He had neatly braided hair, an enormous pair of dangling earrings, and didn’t have any overly conspicuous tattoos on his face. It was clear that he was of a different status than the others. Moreover, he didn’t seem very old.

He was escorted by four cultivators, two middle-aged and two even more elderly. The entourage seemed to have a different status from the others as well. Their attire was leagues better the common barbarians. However, they were all protecting the young noble and extremely respectful towards him.