Drifting clouds laze across the sky.
Bright starlight illuminates the barren lands, a cold breeze sweeps over artificial mounds of dirt.
It is the second hour of Early Hour.
Everyone had already left Iron Mountain Quarry Settlement's Army Hall.
Just an hour prior, Silver Extreme gave a speech to raise the morale of the defensive forces.
He lit the flames of war in everyone's hearts and prepared them for the eventual coming of the tides.
The army cheered and roared, full of vigour.
...
The Iron Lotus, Night Breaching Spear, stands on the ground; its red tassel waving like a bloody flag.
Donning ferocious gold armour and white leather padding over tight black robes.
Dawn stands beyond the ramparts, her body still, unlike her waving hair.
There was a natural air of authority and power around her, an aura befitting someone of her status.
She held a position on the front lines, acting as one of the main forces to confront the tides, stationed in the centre of the defensive line.
The other two Third Foundation Cultivators would be at the south-southwesternmost point and south-southeasternmost point of the defensive line.
Behind her were the Second Foundation Cultivators, remaining just beyond the ramparts.
The First Foundation Cultivators and the mortal army occupied the ramparts.
This was not just a simple tactic where the strongest take the brunt of the attack.
Dawn and the other two Third Foundation Cultivators served important roles during the first moments of the tide.
Closing her eyes, Dawn immersed herself in the world.
She could feel the flowing winds and grains of dirt that it dragged into the air.
The starlight was bright and warm, while Night's embrace was cold.
There were the sounds of breathing a few hundred meters behind her.
There was more, too.
Feelings of anticipation, whether fervour or unease.
Subtle shifting of armour and the fleeting scent of essence.
Far beyond their artificial mounds and trenches, pitapat sounds echoed through the ground.
Like the faint beating of hundreds of drums in the distance.
Bringing back her attention, Dawn waved her spear, the red tassel signalling to the people at the ramparts.
Then, she immersed herself in the world again, blocking out needless sensations and tuning in to something specific.
In order to retain their stealth, the Third Foundation Cultivators relied on their senses for communication.
Soon enough, Dawn felt a single thud of a heavy object, signalling her to proceed forward.
So she followed the order, and so did the other two Third Foundation Cultivators.
Moving forward quietly, they began channelling Qi into an ornament on their bodies.
Dao Art — Elusive Monkey's Deception.
The ornament shone and blurred, as did Dawn.
It was a Dao Art medium that masked one's presence.
Sight, hearing, and smell were unable to detect the Elusive Monkey's Deception.
Touch could only be avoided, it could potentially disrupt the Dao Art.
Taste was not recommended.
Dawn ascended the mounds and over the trenches.
Soon, she could see the first tide racing over the distance.
A frenzied group of beasts, shrouded in a cloud of dirt.
Immersing herself in the world, she was able to sense their hunger, desperation, and fear.
They were running from something.
Of course, what chased them was left far behind.
The tides came in sequences caused by a sort of domino effect.
The second tide pushed the first, the third tide pushed the second.
This meant well for Dawn and the rest of the Cultivators.
The beasts were tired and left with broken wills.
The only thing driving them forward was a greater, stronger will.
She dived into one of the trenches, sitting four meters below the ground level.
Pushing her immersion further, she heard past the relentless stampeding.
Deeper among the beast group, beyond the hundreds of beasts, a greater presence could be felt.
Thumping steps and heavy breathing, it was large.
Thick and tall, likely a few tons in weight.
Among the various beasts they knew would be among the tides, Dawn deduced that it was a Grand Bear King.
A Mystical Beast was leading the whole group of beasts.
Consequently, it was a bear group.
After a few moments of waiting, she would see the first signs of beasts.
Dirt clouds were being kicked up above her. Brown fur occasionally came into her vision.
The calls and groans of the beasts shook the ground subtly.
Using this chance, Dawn gripped the Elusive Monkey's Deception ornament and jumped out of the trench in a single leap.
Landing on solid ground, Dawn had to jump again just to dodge a running bear.
She landed again and rebounded, dodging yet another bear.
She couldn't be touched, otherwise it might affect the Dao Art medium of the Elusive Monkey's Deception.
Dawn was forced to jump between the open spaces of the countless bears.
Despite their chaotic movements, by immersing in the world, she can sense the subtle movements of each bear.
This allowed her to judge and predict their movements with a small margin of error.
The Dao Art medium kept her hidden as she jumped through the bears.
Jumping further ahead, while the dirt cloud obstructed her vision, she could feel the surroundings gradually feel heavier.
A great presence was nearby.
Sure enough, there was a clearing of solid ground where the bears didn't dare tread.
Within a ten-meter radius was empty, standing in the centre was a large beast.
It was on all fours yet still reached five meters tall.
Dark fur with greyed ends.
Four massive paws that could slap a boulder into dust.
It was wrapped with thick muscles and dense fur.
The Grand Bear King possessed an imposing appearance.
It towered over Dawn as it moved unhurriedly.
She readied herself as it drew closer.
The first step of their plan.
Ambush the linchpins of the tides and destroy their order.
Target the Beast Kings and Mystical Beasts. Without leaders, the beasts' will would suffer.
Dawn tightened her grip around the Night Breaching Spear, the leaf-shaped blade shining a pale gold.
There was a subtle shift in her presence which alerted the beast, but how could it react in time?
Dawn charged, drawing a beautiful arc of pale gold.
A crescent blade flew out and struck the Grand Bear King on the chest.