"It all started thirty years ago when the demons suddenly invaded human territory, wiping out a village of ordinary humans. This treacherous act triggered retaliation from the Azure Sun Empire, resulting in a war between the empires," Voltrex explained, his voice steady.

"But Father, if the demons invaded the territory of the Azure Sun Empire, why are we of the Hundred Sky Mountains fighting at the front lines? The war has nothing to do with us," Taranis asked, confusion lacing his face.

A faint smile tugged at Voltrex's lips, realizing that Taranis was already thinking as a Prince of the Hundred Sky Mountains should.

"The Hundred Sky Mountains lie closest to the Sentinel Line—the border that separates humans and demons. Although even the strongest demon cannot pass through the array protecting the Sky Mountains, but allowing them to roam freely would become problematic for the Banes to move unhindered across the lands below."

Taranis nodded, digesting and understanding the situation before speaking again.

"Father, you said the war has been ongoing for the past thirty years. You are the strongest cultivator in the Western Continent, so how is it that even with you present at the front lines, we still haven't won the war?"

"Haha… although I am the strongest, I cannot win a war alone. The demons do not have anyone in the same realm as me, but their numbers are overwhelming, almost equal to my strength," Voltrex replied with a chuckle.

For the next five hours, Taranis continued asking various questions about the war, gathering every piece of information he might need once he reached the border.

The rest of the time, the duo spent cultivating until the chariot's speed gradually slowed as they neared their destination.

Opening the window of the chariot, Taranis leaned forward, gazing out to witness the place his father had spent the last thirty years defending.

Taranis's golden eyes widened, his lips parted, and his heartbeat quickened slightly as the scene unfolded before him.

A continent-spanning black rift wall—tens of thousands of kilometers long—was carved into the land itself.

The colossal walls rose almost to the clouds, only dozens of kilometers shorter than the altitude at which the Hundred Sky Mountains floated.

Unlike the rich and pure Soulforce of the Sky Mountains where Taranis had lived until now, the Soulforce here was unstable and impure.

The vast land beyond the wall was black and irregular, riddled with craters and distorted terrain in countless places—a testament to the long and brutal war between humans and demons.

The air was heavy with a metallic scent of blood, and not a single blade of grass seemed to grow on the land. Death energy—something only Taranis and Voltrex could sense, given that the former was a literal God and the latter was already stepping into their domain, having reached the Demi-God Realm—was at an all-time high.

"Th-this place…"

"It's scary, isn't it?" Voltrex chuckled, though his expression remained neutral.

"No…" Taranis shook his head, his golden eyes fixed on the scenery below.

"This place looks so sad."

Voltrex's eyebrow twitched at his son's unexpected statement. After remaining silent for a few seconds, he released a soft sigh and murmured, "Hmm… this place is very sad."

As the chariot moved further ahead, numerous figures standing atop the broad wall—expanded to more than a hundred meters in width—came into view. A few of them wore long white robes embroidered with patterns of thunderous clouds, while the majority were clad in metallic armor that covered most of their bodies. An emblem of the sun emerging from the mountains was embedded on the chest plates of their armor, clearly giving away their identity as the soldiers of the Azure Sun Empire.

Once the chariot landed atop the wall, its doors opened, and Voltrex stepped out, followed closely by Taranis.

When the father–son duo emerged, cultivators clad in pristine white robes were already lined up in perfect formation before them.

"Welcome back, Your Majesty!"

Their synchronized voices thundered across the ramparts, loud and unified enough to ensure every soul stationed on the colossal walls heard the proclamation.

"Rise."

Voltrex's voice was calm, yet it carried an unquestionable authority that pressed down upon the surroundings like an invisible weight.

The cultivators instantly rose to their feet, then turned toward Taranis and announced once more with lowered heads, "Greetings, Your Highness."

"Greetings," Taranis replied, his eyes drifting toward a familiar figure standing at the front of the formation, someone he had not seen in a long time.

Meanwhile, the cultivators' gazes darted toward the chariot as if they were expecting another person to emerge.

"Aurelion will not be coming," Voltrex said, already aware of whom they were waiting for.

A wave of gasps rippled through the battle-hardened cultivators in shock.

"Has something happened at the Hundred Sky Mountains?" the man at the front, who seemed familiar to Taranis, asked.

"I will explain it during the meeting," Voltrex replied as he moved forward, the cultivators immediately parting to clear a path. "For now, the Thunderbanes will be the only ones participating in this war."

With that shocking revelation, Voltrex continued toward the area where the empire's officials were gathered.

Once Voltrex departed, the stiffness in the cultivators' expressions gradually faded.

"What could be the reason Commander Aurelion didn't return?"

"Commander Aurelion's absence will surely change the tide of the war for the worse."

Sigh… "With Commander Aurelion gone, it feels like this war has just been extended by a dozen more years."

The cultivators murmured among themselves, still taken aback by Aurelion's absence. He had fought alongside Voltrex for the past thirty years, ever since the war began. Unlike the other cultivators residing in the Hundred Sky Mountains who addressed him as Lord Aurelion, he was known here as Commander Aurelion—a title bestowed upon only two cultivators by Voltrex, the king himself.

As for the other cultivator who commanded the second division…

"Taranis, how have you been?" asked the handsome man with long ocean-blue hair and eyes of the same color, someone who looked familiar to Taranis. A terrible diagonal slash scar was carved across his face. "Oh, right. You've grown quite a bit since we last met. You must have forgotten about me by now."

Taranis, who had been waiting for the right moment to initiate the conversation, immediately replied with a deep bow. "Greetings, Uncle Stormir. I haven't forgotten you at all."

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