The Chronicles of New Havens

Ten hours until the present time, Admiral Aura and her fleet arrived at Denmai Yi Fortress. Thanks to the Conquestian and Protector Avin, their fleet suffered next to no losses. The two admirals could hardly believe it. Nobody could stop them! They disembarked, as the stationed soldiers came and greeted them. Admiral Aura quickly learned about the situation at Yongtein and grimaced. It was very critical. They needed to reinforce General Petra's army as soon as possible. Unfortunately, they would need another several hours to fully unload all their weapons and supplies from the ships. The soldiers would also need to be reorganized, fed, and prepared for the upcoming battle. It would be a tight schedule. And that was ignoring the fact that the Jian and Jun Family's joint army was between them and Yongtein. If they got caught in an ambush, they would get slaughtered. They needed to tread carefully. She turned her attention to the man behind her.

"Protector Avin, go on ahead without us. We'll take too long to mobilize."

"I'm one person. What do you expect me to do?" He looked at her strangely.

She shook her head. "I saw your power. You and the Sword King are both extraordinary existences that can overturn the battlefield. With your help, we'll stand a much better chance."

"You overestimate me."

"No, I don't think she is," the Conquestian interrupted. "At the Blue Depth or Instinct Realm level, your power can transcend armies. You can turn things around."

"What do you know about me?"

"More than you think," he chuckled. "Either way, that's a story for another time. We should get moving."

"We? You're coming along too?" Protector Avin widened his eyes.

"Is that a problem?"

He fell silent, hearing the same words he said earlier. "Suit yourself… I won't slow down because of you. Can you keep up?"

"Of course," the Conquestian replied, surprisingly confident. "Admiral Aura, please notify General Petra of our arrival. We should reach Yongtein within a day."

"Ten hours. We'll get there in ten hours," Protector Avin stated.

"...Understood. I wish you good luck," Admiral Aura said.

Avin nodded. The next second, he casted a high-speed movement spell and stomped off the ground with terrifying force. Bang! A shockwave crashed into Admiral Aura and the others, forcing them to step back. By the time they recovered, the man was already far off in the distance. His speed was astonishing! It was clear he did not intend for the Conquestian to catch up, prompting the latter to smile wryly. This attitude was expected, given their awkward history. He gave a final few words to Admiral Aura before casting his own movement spell. Whoosh! He leapt on a rooftop and chased after Protector Avin. His speed was nothing to scoff at either. Soon, the two exited the fortress and headed to Yongtein. This time, it was Admiral Aura's turn to smile wryly. Notify General Petra? He must be joking. They were faster than any messenger!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Every time Protector Avin touched the ground, he would instantly cast another spell. His spell-casting speed as a Blue Depth Core was another terrifying part of his strength. He was like a shadow, as he streaked across the dark plains. That said, he glanced behind him. Despite getting a head-start, the Conquestian was not far behind. The man did say he could keep up after all. Perhaps, he was confident for a reason. Avin was mildly impressed. Regardless, he needed to hurry. He would go at full speed! Landing, Avin conjured three different spells at once. Triple-casting! The first increased his leg strength, the second produced a wind current behind him, and the third created a barrier. His Magic Aura spiked. Boom! The entire ground fractured underneath him, as he propelled himself at ludicrous speeds, far faster than what he displayed before. It matched, if not surpassed, the Sword King's Moon Flash! Wind screeched by him, as did rocks and branches. Without his barrier, he might have injured himself. The view of Denmai Yi Fortress rapidly receded!

At the present, he landed behind the Jian and Jun Family's joint army. It was now the afternoon. He had been travelling throughout the night and morning to catch up. To cover that much distance in less than ten hours was nothing short of miraculous! However, it was not easy. He needed to triple-cast hundreds of spells nonstop to get here. Anyone else would have exhausted their Core of Magic Energy already. To prevent that, he had woven recovery spells in between his movement spells, siphoning the World Energy wherever he passed. This barely sustained his usage and kept his Core afloat. The only drawback was his mental fatigue. He had not slept since the previous night, nor did he have anything to eat. Magic Energy was one thing, but it could not substitute for sleep or food. Protector Avin looked at the enemy army cautiously. It was massive, as it snaked through the forest. He could not see the end of it. Should he launch an attack? Or should he go around and support General Petra?

While he pondered it, an enormous aura appeared ahead. The next second, a towering flying strike cleaved through the forest as it threatened to split the heavens in two. Cloud Sea Style: Heaven's Divide! It was the Sword King! Boom! A powerful explosion and shockwave followed, shaking the entire forest. Protector Avin nearly fell over. He was shocked! This was the most powerful attack he had ever seen. He almost mistook it for an act of nature. It was that unbelievable! However, he could sense the unmistakable aura of a person behind it. Whoever was responsible was a fair bit stronger than him. Was it the Sword King? During his trip over, he heard many things about this legendary Instinct Realm swordsman. Could a human being really possess that much power?

His disbelief was understandable because despite being a Blue Depth Core himself, his experience was rather shallow. He had achieved Blue Depth Core less than two years ago, and since then, he never had an opportunity to exercise his full powers. Therefore, he was unsure what he was truly capable of. On the other hand, Sword King Sin had achieved Instinct Realm for a lot longer. He kept exploring his strength and pushing his limits. He was a battle manic. Not to mention, he had continuously honed his Cloud Sea Style to produce an all-encompassing combat system. The two Rank 3 Kings could not be more different. Still, Protector Avin had risen above everyone else to become the first Blue Depth Core in recorded history. His potential was equally as monstrous as the Sword King. As he looked at the Sword King's battle, inspiration flowed in. He was enthralled. So, Martial Energy could be used like this? What if he did this? Ideas appeared one after another in his mind. His stagnant Core was gradually flowing again!

When the Sword King finally moved to the sky, Protector Avin's aura bloomed wildly until it erupted. Boom! The entire forest was immediately submerged by his titanic aura. Nobody could catch their breath. It felt like an ocean floated in the heavens above, pressing down on everyone! Even the Sword King felt stunned. This was the first time he found someone with similar strength to him. A rare look of excitement showed on the swordsman's face. This was his opportunity! Without thinking, he charged towards Protector Avin. He had to meet this person! Meanwhile in Yongtein, a groggy Freon stirred from his slumber. His head and body were still hurting, and he was stuck half-dreaming. When Protector Avin's aura washed over him, he felt a strange familiarity within it. He relaxed after sensing it, as if he could rest safely. Far away, the Conquestian gave a bitter smile. He hoped Protector Avin would not go too overboard.

Raising his wand, Protector Avin's eyes flashed with a mysterious otherworldly light. Large torrents of World Energy manifested around him in a beautiful dance of rainbows. Several Magic Circles formed on his wand, repeating in the space above him. Three large balls of energy materialized and began circling around an imaginary center. Whenever they got close enough and grazed each other, they would generate a powerful tremor. The air trembled every time. It was clear how much energy was behind the spell! Protector Avin flicked his wand and sent it towards the enemy army. Gong! The sky rumbled like a peal of thunder, shaking the trees violently. Gong! Slightly stronger, the forest trembled like an earthquake, as rocks came loose. Gong! This time, the horses and carriages went crazy, as everyone fell to the ground. They could feel their bones vibrating! The reverberations continued to amplify, as the three balls got closer until they collided in the middle. Boom! It released an aerial shockwave many times stronger than before, blasting through the entire mountainside. Trees, rocks, carriages, and people were thrown away by the force. Since it detonated high up, the effects propagated far. A dust cloud rose. The world was briefly consumed by Protector Avin's spell!