The Eternal Dao Sect: Legacy of Chaos

Chapter 22: Five Years Later – A New Dawn The stronghold of the Eternal Dao Sect was vastly different now, compared to five years ago. From an inconspicuous fortress nestled deep in the mountains, it had grown into a sprawling citadel that shimmered beneath the morning sun. Towering walls forged from reinforced spiritual stone encased the stronghold, warding off any threats from the outside world. Large gates let in streams of disciples, all proudly wearing the emblem of their sect. Sparring sounds echoed across the training ground, punctuated by bursts of energy as cultivators pushed their limits.

Standing atop the main tower, Jayson gazed over the land below. His face was razor-sharp, his eyes bearing a weight of responsibility he would never have dreamed five years ago. The wind tore at his dark robes, with their gold embroidered symbols of the Eternal Dao Sect. At his side, the Chaos Sword rested in its sheath, faintly humming as if alive.

"Five years." Jayson muttered to himself. "And yet, it feels like we're only scratching the surface of what's to come."

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice. "You're always so serious these days, Jayson."

He turned and saw Diane approaching, her Radiant Compass floating beside her. The intricate design pulsed with ethereal light-a testament to the many hours she had spent perfecting it. Diane was now a force to be told-her aura at once calm yet commanding, like a still lake hiding unfathomable depths.

"You can't afford to be anything else when the world's survival depends on you," Jayson replied with a faint smile.

Diane chuckled, her expression turning grave as she followed his gaze out over the sect. "The Mellians have been too quiet of late. It's unnerving."

"That's what concerns me," Jayson said. "The silence is always the precursor to something worse."

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The New Eternal Dao Sect

Below them, the rest of the group showed the growth of several years.

On the southern training grounds, Mike twirled his spear with practiced ease, his movements a blur as he demonstrated a new technique to a group of wide-eyed disciples. His attacks were precise, each strike carrying devastating force that left deep cracks in the training dummies. He grinned at the stunned expressions of his audience. "That's the difference between brute strength and refined technique. Learn it well, or you'll never stand a chance out there."

Nearby, Cindy was leading several other formation masters in a mock battle. Her hands moved in an intricate pattern as she cranked out different formations of both defense and offense with incredible speed. Quiet yet firm, she spoke to the group, "Your formation must change smoothly. Hesitation is no different from failure."

At the gates, Victor stood tall, his star shield leaning against his side, while he oversaw the recruits guarding the entrance. His presence was commanding; discipline was rampant within the ranks, and even the most stubborn recruit followed his orders without question.

Joyner returned on the winged, phoenix-like beast as the sun neared its crest. He landed majestically in the courtyard before the mansion, peopled by several gasping onlookers. Joyner dismounted the creature and strode to the main tower, wearing a grim look.

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A Dire Report

The room was alive with activity as the group assembled into the war council chamber: maps and reports littered the large, centerpiece table detailing the state of the world.

Joyner didn't waste any time. "We've got a problem. A rift opened near the southern border. Our scouts reported strange activity, but by the time I arrived, there was no sign of the Mellians."

"No sign whatsoever?" Diane asked, furrowing her brow.

Joyner shook his head. "It's as if they vanished. But that's not all. There was… something else. A figure, cloaked in shadow. It didn't attack, but its presence alone was enough to paralyze one of our best scouts."

The room fell silent, with the group looking around uncomfortably at each other-the unsaid message was loud: this wasn't the doing of the Mellians.

Jayson's grip tightened on the Chaos Sword. "We need to investigate. If this is what I think it is…"

Before he could finish, a scout burst into the room, clutching his side as blood seeped through his armor. "A rift—opened near the eastern pass! Mellians are pouring through!"

The group leapt into action, as if their years of training had signaled that this was it.

---

The Battle at the Eastern Pass

The eastern pass was a small valley, enclosed on either side by broken cliffs and provided with natural choke points, one of which the Eternal Dao Sect had firm fortifications on. By the time Jayson and his friends arrived, the battle was well on its course.

Mellians swarmed the battlefield, their metallic bodies glinting in the sunlight. These were unlike any the group had fought before. They moved with precision, coordinating their attacks as if guided by some unseen hand.

"These aren't mindless drones anymore," Cindy said, a hint of worry in her voice.

"That means they're being controlled," Jayson replied grimly.

Victor raised his shield, blocking a barrage of energy blasts as he led the charge.

Chapter 22 (Continued): The Five-Year Forge

The five years of preparation by the Eternal Dao Sect were soon over. All of them had become completely different forces of nature. What once was a group of muddleheaded idealists commanded respect in all parts of the world.

Jayson's Ascension

Jayson-the-abandoned son of the Grayhair Clan-plunged deep into the Chaos Aptitude. Concealed in his ancestry, he was to find an ancient manual left behind by some forgotten ancestor: a Chaos Codex. It not only honed his skills with the sword but also came to tame that chaotic energy, which once would have consumed him.

On the Heavenly Rift Peaks, from time to time, Jayson was training solo: repeatedly hanging in the grip of death countless times in an attempt to increase his consciousness toward Chaos Dao using near-deadly injuries as stepping stones. Thus, until the fifth year arrived, his ambitions in the world emerged no longer out of revenge but to preserve the world at large. His Chaos Sword pulsed with an aura of such a level of strength that even space could be torn apart by it.

Diane: The Strategist of Radiance

Diane, the female counterpart of the leader of the Eternal Dao Sect, was trained in tactical combat and celestial energy. Her clan, the Radiant Veil Clan, welcomed her back after hearing of her achievements, giving her access to their sacred grounds.

It was there that she had been put through the Radiant Trial, a test of strength, will, and heart. She emerged victorious and was gifted the Radiant Mirror Artifact, enabling her to reflect most attacks and amplify light-based techniques. This gave Diane a boost of confidence to lead her comrades into battle while providing a strategic mindset.

Mike's Reinvention

Five years of learning the art of spear combat were spent by the commoner-turned prodigy Mike, but the greatest trial in life was yet to come from Cindy. The Style Clan, reputed for mastery of formations, did not accept the commoner background of Mike.

Unfazed, Mike went through the Trial of the Constellations, which was a Styles Clan ritual, reserved for the blood and blood only. The surprise to everyone, he emerged successful, thereby commanding respect from Cindy's clan and sealing the two even more. His spear skills now contained formation-breaking techniques, which made him a nightmare to all the formation masters.

Others' Growth

Joyner, as stoic and calm as ever, became a virtuoso of the elements, merging fire and wind into destructive vortexes that made him a force of destruction on the field of battle.

Victor was a shieldbearer, a protector who once traveled to the Northern Glaciers in search of the Eternal Shield, an artifact capable of blocking even the most powerful of attacks.

Jayden turned into an unreachably elusive shadow, perfecting his stealth techniques and the arts of assassination. Meanwhile, each of them made his own unique path: Joe, Lucas, and Ben mastered new weapons, abilities, and domains that complemented the group dynamic.

The Transformation of Sect

This Eternal Dao Sect grew from a few hopeful warriors into a powerful faction. They had their base atop the Sacred Mount, which was surrounded at the peak by natural formations, making it impossible for any intruders to penetrate. The library was filled with ancient scrolls, while the treasury was full of relics and resources they gathered during their many adventures.

They also gained allies-minor sects and independent warriors who saw the Eternal Dao Sect as the beacon of hope against the Mellians.

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The Ominous Silence of the Mellians

While for these five years, the world had lived in uneasy peace, news about the Mellians died down. It wasn't because they were defeated; something far more terrible was brewing.

In the shadows, the Mellians had regrouped and adapted. Scouts sent to investigate their activities often didn't return. Those few who did came back with stories of Mellians that had morphed into more powerful forms, their metallic bodies now coursing with eldritch energy.

Yet to the rest of the world, the Mellians had been only the vanguard in a greater danger. On the dark expanse of space, the Dark Apostles watched the events of this insignificant planet with growing chagrin.

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The Coming of the Dark Apostle

It happened one day, while he was out on patrol near the Sect's territory, that Jayson and his closest comrades came across an ancient ruin; it was nothing like anyone had ever seen before, almost as if it were misplaced-a technological wonder in a world ruled by cultivation.

The deeper into the ruin they pressed, the thicker the air seemed to get, a presence settling atop them like none they had known. A figure emerged from the darkness, its body shining with an otherworldly aura beneath its dark wrapping.

"You have done well," the figure said as its voice reverberated within their minds. "To destroy the Mellians was no small feat. But you are fools if you think this is the end."

Jayson stepped forward. His Chaos Sword hummed with power. "Who are you? Are you their master?"

The figure merely laughed, a cold, hollow sound. "Master? No. The Mellians were merely toys, test subjects to stretch this world to its limits. And you… insignificant as you are… managed to ruin our experiment.

Diane's Radiant Mirror flickered with reflections of the ruin's dim light as she prepared herself for combat. "If the Mellians were tools, then what are you?"

"I am a Dark Apostle," he replied. "And this is your warning: the next time we meet, there will be no mercy.

He vanished, and the assembly was left in a daze. For the first time, this group realized the Mellians were mere pawns of a game they did not know.

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Storm Before the Calm

The sense of urgency now filled the minds of the group as they rode their way back to the Sect. The Dark Apostles had no constraints binding them as it did the Mellians. Stronger, smarter, and far more dangerous.

Jayson stood before his comrades, his voice resolute. "We've spent five years preparing for the Mellians. But now we face a new enemy-one that won't underestimate us."

Diane nodded, her Radiant Mirror glowing softly. "Then we'll rise to meet them, just as we've done before."

Mike, ever confident, spun his spear. "If they think we're insignificant, we'll make them regret underestimating us."

With their resolve just like before, their bonds stronger than ever, the Eternal Dao Sect prepared for the greatest battle of their lives. The Mellians were only the beginning, for now; the real war had only just started.

End of Chapter 22