"It doesn't really give off the vibe of a sect graced with the Wrath moniker. But then again, did any of the other sects actually do?"
Shen Fei's head was slightly tilted as he gazed upon the sect, or rather island, that stretched out ahead of them. A small mass of land covered in light blue buildings, trees jutting up here and there to give the entire area a fresh appearance. The water that surrounded the island was perfectly calm, reflecting the sky and the edges of the island, not even the light breeze could move the surface of the water.
Liang Chen and the others also stood around him, observing the quiet island that seemed to welcome them. Liang Chen's eyes were a bit narrowed, as if he was trying to peer through the buildings and check out the centre of the island. Now that he was closer, he could feel it. This sect contained one of the rewards Purgatory had prepared for him.
Before he reached the Sky's Wrath sect, he had three rewards left. One of those rewards ended up pointing towards Li Zhao Xu, but the resonating feeling that indicated it had vanished after he talked with her so he guessed that the reward was a bit more abstract this time, be it the information she could provide or the background she could connect him with. And of the two left, one was tucked away here and the last one was hidden likely within either the Land's Wrath or Abandoned Heart's Wrath.
"I wouldn't let the calmness fool you, but you've probably already sniffed it out, haven't you?"
Zhao Xu gazed upon the city with unconcerned nonchalance, her pupils sliding towards Liang Chen as she spoke. And indeed, Liang Chen had already discovered the source of this calmness, the reason behind the eerie silence that covered the island. But then again, the reason behind it was something he was far more closely attuned to than Zhao Xu so perhaps that was only to be expected.
"I know there wasn't much to expect to begin with, but I still hope there aren't too many like this in the future, it's unpleasant because it's uncertain."
Liang Chen grumbled slightly as he stepped forward, a gentle gust of wind aiding him in crossing the natural moat that separated him from the island. The source of the silence became visible the moment he set foot on the island, the dark blue stone serving as the pavement was strangely soft beneath his feet.
There was a desiccated corpse sprawled out on the ground in front of him, hands reaching for the water's edge. This was the one that had managed to make it farthest, only a handful of steps away from the water that she hoped would give her safety, the water she had put her faith into. Death had already conquered this city, its reign so fresh that Liang Chen could still catch the scent of it in the air.
The soft whooshing sound he heard as he headed for Sky's Wrath was also present here, the angry howls of the deceased, was even stronger here than back there. The entire sect had died in anger, in throes of wrath and despair. And for once, Liang Chen hadn't been the cause.
"I wonder...what answer will you give me?"
Liang Chen muttered again as he stepped past the desiccated corpse, drained of both moisture and energy. The city was dead, its inhabitants drained of every last drop. But there was one vibrant source of life still present in the depths of the city, a single living being brimming with so much energy that it felt like the air would start trembling. But the energy didn't feel entirely cohesive, it felt like a mismatch of different types that had just been haphazardly stitched together.
Liang Chen didn't rush as he strode through the city, he moved at a calm pace, his soul already stretching outwards and connecting with the vengeful vestiges that filled this twisted land. Corpse after corpse became visible as his group moved through the city, some seemed like they had died while going about their business while others looked more like the first corpse he had seen, eternally frozen in a final desperate attempt to escape.
It took the group a bit of time to reach the centre of the city, what should have once been a sprawling plaza decorating the front of a grand sect. But the sect had been torn down, the debris that remained of it strewn about the plaza. Some of the chunks had smashed into the ground so hard that they had gouged out the stone and dug trenches through the streets, there were even a few holes that seemed like they pierced all the way through the island, a bit of fresh cold water sloshing about within them.
And sitting amongst the rubble was the sole source of lifeforce and energy on this island, barring Liang Chen's group. It was a tall woman with skin so tanned it had turned dark, a head full of unruly blonde hair and a pair of striking blue eyes. She was rather muscular, both her arms bare thanks to the fact that her blue robe had its sleeves torn off at the shoulder. Some of her veins were bulging slightly due to all the energy coursing through her body but she didn't seem to let it bother her as she focused her gaze on Liang Chen.
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"You've come. I was curious if you would try to go directly for Lao Ye or if you would try to first take out the remaining sects, it seems like you ended up being the thorough type. That's good."
The woman's voice was a bit rough, strained even, it was as if she was tightening her throat at all times. Shen Fei and Zhao Xu studied the woman somewhat curiously, stepping back at the same time to indicate that they had no intentions of getting involved in the battle. Liang Chen's gaze wasn't focused solely on the woman, occasionally sweeping about to inspect the destruction.
"I'm a bit surprised that you decided to kill them all. I would have expected evacuation to be the first counter-measure, that way there would at least be a chance for the sect to rebuild in the future."
The disciples were the lifeblood of the sect, no sect could function without disciples. Yet this woman had torn down the headquarters of her own sect and brought ruin to her own disciples, it was a strange sight even in a land as twisted as this one. He had honestly stopped hoping that there would be people worth sparing here, but having them all die without being able to make sure still left him somewhat uneasy.
"Counter-measure? I see, you still don't fully understand us, you wouldn't use words like that if you did."
The woman shook her head as she spoke, her movements almost a bit sad. He brought ruin to them, he tore them down one by one. But in the end, he didn't actually understand them, and in turn, perhaps they didn't understand him. They just fought without understanding each other, killed without knowing, they really were perfect for this land.
"Yi Ze Ruan, Sect Master of the Ocean's Wrath and the one who mourns the diseased waters."
The woman, Yi Ze, stood up and placed her fists against each other, a simple greeting without a hint of flourish. She didn't look as if she was about to partake in a battle to the death, nor did she look like she had just torn down her own sect. She looked calm, accepting, almost as if this moment was one she had known about and awaited for countless years already.
"Liang Chen, Sect Master of the Storm Wolf sect."
For the first time since he entered this ruined land, Liang Chen introduced himself, returned the greeting he was given. Well, he had introduced himself to Li Zhao Xu at this point already, but it wasn't quite the same. Yi Ze gave a slow nod of her head as Liang Chen introduced himself, lifting the large two-headed axe that was resting against the stone rubble at her side.
"Liang Chen... It seems like I was one of the few who got the honour of receiving an introduction. But very well. Liang Chen, let me tell you something. In our sects, there will never be counter-measures for when we get attacked, for when someone who can threaten our existence arrives."
She hoisted the axe against her shoulder as she spoke, what remained of the stone beneath her feet creaking thanks to the weight of the weapon. The patchwork of energy coursing through her body started to move, an additional surge of energy rising from the waters beneath and around the island, she clearly wasn't going to try something as foolish as hiding some cards in hopes that she could win without them.
"We are the wrath sects, our duty, our reason for existing, it is all to feed and revitalize Purgatory with the death she desires. When we can, we use the deaths of others. But when the time comes, we shall use our own, that is what it means to belong to the wrath sects."