Lassim sped across the sky, the vast expanse of the desert stretching out below him, the golden sands giving way to rocky ridges as he approached the meeting point.
The eastern ridge, a jagged line where the forest met the desert sands, loomed in the distance.
As Lassim drew closer, he could sense his teammates auras with his spirit sense against the backdrop of the surrounding environment at the bottom of one of the ridges.
The sun hung low in the sky, now the afternoon with long shadows casting across the ground, and the air had cooled slightly as evening approached.
The oppressive heat of the desert was starting to wane, but Lassim could still feel the residual burns on his skin from the defense he mounted which he had just barely escaped from.
His wounds were healing steadily thanks to [Lifestream], but the process was slower than he’d like.
As he descended toward the ridge, Lassim spotted his teammates gathered within the ridge, their expressions a mix of relief at seeing him, and exhaustion from their non-stop execution of their movement techniques as hard and long as they could.
"Lassim!" Kaelin called out, stepping forward with a wide grin. "You are one crazy fool! I can’t believe you made it out of there!"
Lassim nodded, taking a moment to catch his breath. "Barely," he admitted, his voice hoarse. "But I’m here."
Lara stepped forward, concern etched on her face. "We were worried. We felt the intensity of the battle from so far away, even after we left where we could see you with our spirit senses.. How bad is it?"
Lassim shrugged, downplaying his injuries. "Just some burns. [Lifestream] is taking care of them. How about you three? Any injuries you need my help with?"
Kaelin shook his head. "Nothing major. Just a bit drained from the run. You held off the worst of it."
Aerin crossed his arms, his expression thoughtful as he assessed Lassim. "We’re lucky you managed to buy us enough time to escape. You should focus on healing yourself first. But, we really can’t let ourselves get caught off guard like that again. The Sun Sect is clearly more prepared than we anticipated for such a simple plan."
Lassim nodded in agreement, his gaze turning serious. "Yeah, if they’re going to catch on so quickly to whatever we’re doing, and since they know our faces now... We need to be smarter about our next moves."
"Agreed," Aerin said. "But first, let’s get out of here and head to the nearest city. We need to regroup and get an updated map from the War Council before I can come up with a more unpredictable and complex plan than, ’Lassim go UNGA BUNGA and smash outpost to pieces’."
Lassim smirked at the joke and activated his communication disc and quickly pulled out and checked the map to confirm the location of the nearest Lightning Sect-controlled city.
After a brief discussion, they decided to head toward a nearby city in this southeastern region known as Thunder Hollow, a fortified city that had remained under Lightning Sect control despite the ongoing conflict.
He also sent a quick message to the War Council rune informing them of their destination and to expect a followup message after a narrow escape; no reported deaths but minor injuries. The War Council confirmed, awaiting further details.
With their destination decided, the team took to the air once more, flying swiftly through the evening sky. The journey was uneventful, the oppressive tension from the earlier battle gradually easing as they approached the safety of the city.
Thunder Hollow came into view just as the sun dipped below the horizon, the city’s walls illuminated by the glow of numerous lightning runes embedded within the stone. It was a similar architecture to that of the Lightning Sect’s headquarters but with one major difference, there was no need for all of the lightning poles to attract and redirect the perpetual storm.
There was no storm here to try and survive under; thankfully to the appreciation of the non Lightning elemental residents.
The group descended towards the city gates, their Lightning Sect insignia emblazoned on their standard sect issued and accented martial attire granting them easy passage as the guards recognized them. They were on edge but the sect’s symbol gave them a slight relief when it entered their sights.
Once inside, they made their way to the sect’s local branch, a sturdy building fortified with both physical and magical defenses that were currently in full activation in case of abrupt or sudden attacks from the Endless Sun Sect.
The interior was bustling with activity and sounds of paper shuffling, cultivators moving swiftly between rooms as they coordinated the ongoing war efforts.
Lassim greeted the clerk and then led his team to a private room they had been assigned for their use. It was sparsely furnished, but it provided the privacy they needed.
As soon as they were settled, Lassim activated his communication disc once more, sending a message to the War Council to report their situation.
He messaged to inform them of the sudden defense to their ambush approaching the third outpost that was on their route which was met by three Spirit Transcendents that they barely escaped from. Lassim tried to be concise and not get into the details of how he escaped but just that they managed to.
He also explained how it wasn’t a mere outpost but a more well defended command base and the map they had was wrong. He requested an updated and more current map so they could plan their next attacks.
The response was swift.
The War Council acknowledged the update and assured them that their records would be updated to reflect the increased threat posed by the Sun Sect’s forward command bases.
They also informed Lassim that a new map with updated intelligence, including distribution of known Sun Sect cultivators strengths, would be delivered to them within the hour by a messenger from the cartographer’s team.
Finally, the council encouraged Lassim’s team to continue their assault, noting that their actions had already made a significant impact on the Sun Sect’s operations in the Eastern Region.
"They’re on the defensive," Lassim said as he deactivated the disc once he finished reading. He summarized the details further for the others, "The council wants us to keep pressing the attack. The first two bases we destroyed, along with the damage we did to the third, have forced them to slow their advance. We’ll have a new map with some extra intelligence written on it within the hour."
"But I imagine they’re still advancing on other fronts," Lara added, her voice tinged with concern.
"We won’t allow them to continue if I have anything to say about it," Aerin said firmly. "But we need to be smarter about how we proceed with the next plan." He then closed his eyes as the wheels in his brain started turning with potential strategies to consider.
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The team waited patiently in the room, taking the time to rest and recover from their earlier exertions.
True to their word, the messenger from the cartographer’s team arrived within the hour, delivering a new map with updated intelligence.
Lassim unrolled the map on the table, and the group gathered around to study it.
The map showed the current state of the war, with the Sun Sect’s forces marked in red and the Lightning Sect’s in blue.
It was clear that the Sun Sect had made significant gains in the northwestern part of the continent compared to the previous map, having taken control of a major fishing and port city.
However, their main focus still appeared to be in the south, where they had established a strong presence that extended the surroundings of their sect headquarters.
The Lightning Sect’s forces were holding their ground, but it was clear that the situation was precarious as the gains they had made since the start of their attacks until now had barely made a dent. Having most of the talented and hard working cultivators away in the God’s Trail was clearly causing problems for any real hope of a defense at the moment.
Aerin opened his eyes and carefully studied the map closely, his expression unreadable as he absorbed the information.
After a long moment, he looked up at the others, a glint of determination in his eyes.
"Like I mentioned before, we need to change our approach," Aerin said before continuing, "The Sun Sect is likely anticipating our next move from this point forward in this region. They’ve already seen us take out several outposts along a predictable route, so they’ll be on high alert for any more direct assaults nearby.
They’ve probably also already started strengthening their defenses in other adjacent places and are ready to respond the moment they spot us."
"So what do you suggest?" Kaelin asked, leaning back against his chair as he traced the route they’d previously taken in his head.
Aerin studied the map, his sharp eyes moving over the various positions they had targeted and the locations of other key outposts. "I’m thinking that this time we need to use Lassim as a decoy. Instead of just hitting one target directly, Lassim can initiate an attack on a weaker outpost.
If the outpost is too well-defended or if reinforcements arrive, he can retreat, drawing the enemy’s attention and leaving what’s left of the leadership exposed."
"And while they’re chasing after me," Lassim added, catching on, "the rest of you can slip in and take out the leaders who stay behind to defend their posts."
"Exactly," Aerin continued, his tone measured. "The Sun Sect knows how dangerous Lassim is, so they’ll likely commit significant resources to countering him. That gives us an opportunity where they haven’t seen what the rest of us are capable of to strike at their leadership. We’re the unknown factor that could still achieve success if things get out of hand.
Also, this time we’ll focus specifically only on hitting outposts and command centers where the strongest of them are still within the Spirit Ascension stage according to the map—those are the targets Kaelin and I can still take down quickly with our combined speed and control techniques if things go sideways."
Kaelin nodded, a determined glint in his eyes. "We’ll definitely be quick—get in, take out the remaining leadership, and get out before they realize what’s happened."
Lara spoke up, "And my role?"
"You’ll be our escape plan," Aerin said, turning to her. "Once Kaelin and I take out the leaders, you’ll use your defensive techniques to cover our retreat when we give you the signal. Your barriers will keep us protected from any counter attacks as we make our getaway."
Lara nodded, "I can set up a series of barriers that will deflect their attacks and obscure our escape route. We won’t stick around for long—just enough time to get the job done."
"The key to this plan," Aerin emphasized, "is speed and unpredictability. We won’t follow a standard route or pattern that we did last time. We’ll strike randomly, moving across the continent in a scattered and haphazard manner. The Sun Sect won’t be able to predict where we’ll hit next, and that uncertainty should work in our favor."
Lassim considered the plan, nodding as he saw th. "If we keep them guessing, we can catch them unprepared more often than not. The goal is to take out as many of their leaders or second-in-command figures as possible."
"Exactly," Aerin said. "We’ll focus on high-value targets—the leaders who are vital to their operations. Every leader we take out weakens their command structure and forces them to adapt on the fly. It won’t be a permanent solution, but it’ll buy us time."
"And what do we do if things get too dangerous like 4 or 5 Spirit Transcendents next time instead of 3?" Kaelin asked.
"We quit this plan at the first signs of real danger that they’d fully adapted," Aerin replied without hesitation. "This strategy is all about guerrilla warfare—quick ambushes, targeted strikes, and fast retreats. We don’t engage in drawn-out battles or risk getting surrounded. We hit hard, disrupt their operations, and then disappear before they can mount a serious response."
Aerin looked thoughtful, then added, "This strategy won’t last forever, but if we can keep them off-balance for even a week or so, it’ll buy us time until reinforcements arrive."
Aerin paused for them to soak it in, "So, that’s the plan. We will stick to this to buy us time until more of our sect’s forces, particularly those returning from the God’s Trial, are available. That will be the next phase.
If we can keep this up for even a week or two of disruptions, it should help us wait long enough for once those cultivators that failed in the early stages to start exiting the trial, which we can then begin to request additional team members to join us for larger-scale assaults. By the end of the month, or at the latest the end of the following month, most of our elite forces should be back.
When that happens, the Sun Sect will be facing an overwhelming force that should let us push back, regain our lost ground, and possibly get rid of the Endless Sun Sect forever."
Lassim replied, "So for now, the goal is to buy time, weaken their leadership, and keep them guessing. Sounds like it should work and going around the country and possibly disrupting the timing of the attacks to space them out even more should make things more unpredictable."
The group sat in silence for a moment, absorbing the details of the plan. It was risky, but it played to their strengths and kept them out of prolonged danger.
Most importantly, it would keep a larger organization like the Sun Sect off-balance for a bit, which was their real goal the War Council wanted them to fulfill anyways, giving the Lightning Sect time to regroup and prepare for the larger battles ahead.
"We’ll need to stay in constant communication so I know what’s happening if I’m running around and away from the targets as a decoy," Lassim said, his tone serious. "If anything goes wrong, I’ll be far out of Spirit Sense range and will need to react quickly if I need to be able to regroup quickly with you."
"Let’s set up a secure communication network using the runes in our discs with ear pieces," Aerin replied. "It’ll be more useful and I’ve seen the sect’s covert missions use them, but they’re not really widely known about. We’ll use coded messages to minimize the risk of giving away our true intentions once our enemies are in front of us and we have to speak out loud.
We’ll set up a list of different codes for common phrases like attack, retreat, regroup at ’x’ location, and anything else we can think that would be useful."
Kaelin grinned, the excitement clear, "Speed, unpredictability, and code words. Hit them where it hurts and disappear before they can retaliate. This sounds fun!"
Lara nodded, her face set with determination. "We’ll need to be at our best, but if we execute this plan well, we’ll be able to make a difference."
Lassim also felt excited as he considered the plan. It was a bold strategy, but it was also more well thought out than his previous, "UNGA BUNGA SMASH OUTPOST" simple plan.
By using their strengths and exploiting the Sun Sect’s vulnerabilities, they could turn the tide of the war, even if only temporarily.
"Then it’s settled," Lassim said, rolling up the map. "We’ll rest tonight and set out at first light. Let’s make sure we’re ready."
The group dispersed from the branch office to a nearby inn where they secured individual rooms to prepare for the coming assault, each of them focused on their tasks.
Lassim took a moment to review the plan once more, feeling a sense of satisfaction as he considered their strategy. It was a solid plan, one that played to their strengths and took advantage of the Sun Sect’s weaknesses. With any luck, it would be enough to buy them the time they needed.
If things happened to go bad again, he wasn’t afraid to use the teleportation, or spatial fabric technique or whatever name he’d eventually use to call it, to survive. The longer he could keep it hidden, the better though.
As the night deepened, Lassim placed his jade mat on the floor next to the bed to meditate, focusing on his breathing as he allowed [Lifestream] to continue healing his wounds. They were almost fully restored and new skin had regrown and replaced the blisters.
The spatial void energy still hummed within him, leaking from the void tunnel to the heavens where his constellation resided above the copy inside his inner world. Its power is much more noticeable to his senses, giving him a reminder of the new power he now had access to and had tapped into during his escape.
He knew that mastering this power would be crucial in the battles to come, but for now, he’d need to really practice how to use it. For that, he’d need some sort of plan to test its different aspects and things the energy was capable of.
Could he isolate specific objects to transmit more than just himself and what was on his body through the fabric of space? Could he launch attacks from his position and send a lightning bolt or blade of water or even a [Hydroburst] through it and attack from continents away? There were too many possibilities and he’d need a long time to be able to test all of them.
Sadly, he needed to focus on this sect war first. Once it was finished, the proper testing phase could begin. It wouldn’t be easy, but Lassim was confident that he was up to the challenge and could survive for a while with this team in the Sect War.
As he drifted into a light trance, Lassim’s mind turned to resting mode and slowed his thoughts.