Chapter 362


    Once they realized they were losing, the invaders were allowed the illusion of a path to retreat. Some were allowed to slip by out the gates, while others found their ways to the edges of the Diamond Hill Sanctuary and fled over the walls, to various levels of sess. But they werent actually free from there- they were simply dealt with by groups to maximize safety. Or taken down by various individuals with sufficient ranged abilities.


    From there, the forces of Graotan moved to secure a wider area, and were quite proud to find how well local areas had done at defending themselves. Smaller cities hadnt faced Ascension cultivators, but they came together to defend their homes with numbers. Not that numbers would have mattered without cultivation of their own, as they wouldnt have been able to defeat even an Essence Collection cultivator without.


    It wasnt quite the scenario Anton had envisioned when he had the idea to teach everyone cultivation. His thinking had been much smaller, Spirit Building cultivators like Van Hassel thatrger sects like the Order found difficult to catch. These invaders seemed to have simr motivations to Van Hassel, but less so to typical bandits.


    Not all of Graotan had been sessful in driving them away. Smaller sects and some towns and viges that fought back were destroyed. Completely demolished and stripped of anything of value. Thetter was typical for bandits, but unlike with Dungannon wanton destruction was actually not a mainstay of bandits. It was wasteful to destroy a vige when they might build up more wealthter, and it resulted in too much notice being taken of their activities.


    Learning anti-ascension techniques might have provoked them somewhat, though information previously avable indicated that was how the invaders had operated before. After all, the Luminous Ocean Society was the first to be rediscovered and waspletely annihted. The same held true for others.


    The true mindset of the invaders was hard to determine, because even as they seemed individually concerned about their lives they were also quite resistant to answering questions. It was hoped that allies in Ofrurg might be able to help, but first they would have to regain contact.


    -----


    If they were actually nning to venture into Ofrurg, a small group would have been insufficient even if it wereposed of Life Transformation cultivators. Instead they were merely approaching the border, and their numbers werent quite so small as they appeared.


    I dont know how you all can bear to be covered in ants, Velvet shook her head.


    Theyre just sitting atop our clothes, Hoyt remarked, And we dont have to hide, so their abilities dont cause us the same sort of trouble.


    It might have seemed like the ants being undetectable via energy senses should have made them perfect allies for a stealth-oriented cultivator, but in truth they made things more difficult for her. When she was trying to disy a perfect falsehood of the world to her foes, points of nothingness would ruin the whole illusion. Having to cover for them added anotheryer ofplexity to an already difficult task.


    Im just disappointed there arent enough of them with the intellect for using formations, Catarina sighed. The queen can do her part, but the other ants just dont quite get anything that isnt a structure they form. Though its pretty interesting what they <em>do</em> make.


    Most of them are only a few years old, Anton reminded her. Except for the queens, most of the ants only live to a decade on the far end.


    Thats a fair point, she admitted. I doubt I would have been able to grasp much of anything about formations when I was five. Though I didnt have the chance until I was fifteen.


    Fuzz doesnt smell anyone, Alvamented. Nobodys crossed the bordertely.


    Anton nodded. That makes sense. As for beyond the border he stretched out his senses in a particr direction. He had been constantly sweeping the countryside, but there was a particr ce he was looking for. Veron was just across the border, to the point that if not for trees and uneven terrain everyone would be able to see it. For him, sensing such a city was much easier than targeting an individual with Horizon Shot. Veron looks to have run into some trouble. Its severely damaged, but it still has people moving about. Mostly too weak to be invaders, though the entire city has a haze of ascension energy lingering around so I cant guarantee anything. He nodded. But we can ask this approaching group.


    It wasnt odd for a group of Life Transformation cultivators to attract attention, and a serious response to their presence had been organized quite swiftly. Only a single very early Life Transformation cultivator led the group, but there were dozens in Essence Collection and Spirit Building. Against their particr group Anton wouldnt give the squad an advantage, but perhaps he was biased. After all, the people of Veron had <em>also</em> weathered the invasion.


    Identify yourselves! the man who headed the group called out.


    We are members of the Order of Ny-Nine Stars, Anton replied. And quite peacefully waiting on our side of the border.


    Everyone rxed a little bit, but it was clear their leader was still on guard. If you are indeed from the Order, your presence would be wee. However well have to perform the test.


    Anton was pretty sure he knew what the man was referring to, and took the moment to sweep the patrol with a test of his own. Go ahead and approach. Borders at the moment mean little inparison to the invaders.


    It was clear the man was less used to the techniques meant to pick out the members of the Twin Soul Sect as he had to get much closer and was more obvious about it, but in a way it was better that way. The rest of the group with him would have been able to sense it as well.


    Good. Youre not part of them. We learned the hard way even though sensing these invaders is quite easy, the Twin Soul Sects methods still conceal them from casual observation. We barely held together when our defensive formations were taken apart from the inside.


    Graotan was fortunate to not encounter that particr trouble though they did seem to assume there would be traitors among us. Anton shook his head. They hadnt specifically checked for members of the Twin Soul Sect, but they also hadnt epted random new people either. And while Anton couldnt guarantee his ability to read the Life Transformation cultivator in front of him, the Spirit Building cultivators were open books that corroborated his story.


    Forgive my manners, the man said. Im Commander Tallgate. All of you at your cultivation, you would be Elders of the Order, correct? Anton nodded. I see. Then I- he squinted. Umm you appear to have an ant on your shoulder?


    I am aware, Anton said. They are valuable allies in the fight against the invaders.


    The man shrugged. Cultivators made use of beasts of all sorts, so even if he hadnt heard of these particr creatures he wouldnt question it. If you want news about Ofrurg as a whole, Im afraid we dont have it. We drove off the attackers and have been fortifying our defenses ever since.


    Catarina looked into the distance. I can fix your formations for you.


    We repaired them already, though we appreciate the offer.


    Oh. Then I can upgrade them. That seemed her nice way of saying that the formations were so weak as to be barely noticeable which was urate even by Antons standards.


    I the man shrugged. Sure. I trust the Order doesnt intend to cause any trouble.


    Not with anyone native to this world, Anton grinned. Though we dont n to stay long right now. Were merely here to check out the situation.


    As they rode towards Veron, Anton saw people working in the fields. Once, they would have been ves. Now, they were cultivators able to handle entire fields by themselves.


    Things are pretty different in the past couple decades, Tallgatemented. I used to be working in those fields. I still could, but my life branched in a different direction.


    Anton nodded, But youre a Life Transformation cultivator now? You must have great talent. He <em>did</em> look quite young, though it was hard to tell with cultivator sometimes.


    I- Tallgate shook his head, I dont know about that. Would someone with talent let so many people die? Veron and the surrounding area had more than a handful of Life Transformation cultivators more powerful than myself, and Im the only one who got through rtively uninjured. Two are gravely wounded and the rest he shook his head.


    The Order lost many as well, Antonmented. The six of us were nearly half of what remains from what was briefly more than twenty. You dont get to choose who lives in a battle. Sometimes, its old men like myself.


    He started cultivating at the same time as us, Hoyt pointed out. Dont let him fool you on that part.


    Uh I dont know how to respond to that, themander admitted.


    In the city, Catarina quickly moved to study the formations. She was already altering them when someone showed up to protest- then stopped themselves as they saw her working.


    Anton hadnt been nning to actuallye to the city, but now that he was present he couldnt help but do <em>something</em>. Clearing away rubble was within his capabilities, and he had some experience with construction as well. Hes put together a barn or ten in his time, though structures meant to have more style andfort than pure function he had little experience with. Even so, he could hold tools, lift things, and keep an eye out for people approaching the city who shouldnt be.


    -----


    Though Graotan had stabilized internally, there was little time to rest. News from Ambati was still positive- in that they seemed to be fighting back with some sess. Droca had less news, but no invaders appeared near the borders. The situation in Ofrurg was unknown on therge scale, but now that Veron knew Graotan was rtively safe they would be able tomunicate if more news came in.


    While some were assigned to that, Anton was on the northern border, looking into Estary. Sensing such arge amount of the world at once didnt make it feel smaller like he might have imagined, though certainly some ces seemed closer together. Misty Hill Pce, for example, was not so far from the border that it was beyond Antons senses. Or at least what remained of it. He only felt ruins, until he started finding bodies. No living cultivators, either from the Misty Hill Pce or upying it. Whoever had participated in the attack had already moved on. Likewise, the border was empty of anyone.


    Even though Estary had been friendly with Graotan they still watched the border up until the time of the invasion, mainly for purposes of cultivators trying to evade either oversight from either country. With them gone, it meant they were either upied, or dead. Anton hoped for the former, and did not have enough time to closely inspect the area to determine thetter. Except at one specific border crossing, where the limited structures in ce were still intact.


    Things might not have seemed so grim if the nearby towns and cities werent all destroyed or abandoned. Estary might need aid but the same could be the case in Ofrurg. Even if Ofrurg was doing well, joining up with allied sects there would ultimately make everyone stronger. But time was an issue. Where would Graotan aid first? They couldnt reasonably split and aid both, or they would risk annihtion. It was already nearly a miracle that they had done as well as they had, and that was with a death toll that was as high as a quarter to a third of those in the country, though obviously the counts were not finalized yet.


    Of course, Graotan could choose to fortify its own borders. There were even arguments for such actions, but realistically if they waited the invaders would simply have time to consolidate their forces and wipe them out. If they helped, they could at least work with others to minimize the destruction that could happen. Defending their homnd was all well and good, but defending their <em>world</em> also needed to be considered. And even if alliances with Estary were vague promises, there were several sects in Ofrurg that had sworn to aid each other during the invasion if possible.