Chapter 2016 : Echoes of the Ancient Desolation

Life for these Descendants of the Great Desolate was arduous enough; they had little mind for petty scheming. Their foes, the Desolate People and the Desolate Tribe, were beings devoid of reason and intellect.

Many Descendants of the Great Desolate who had dealings with him even pondered whether, if his strength proved sufficient, he might stay and aid in guarding the Great Desolate Ancient Realm.

Since he himself faced no pressing constraints, Eldrin Chen was content to enjoy the respite. He spent his time recuperating within the Great Desolate Ancient Realm while learning more of its circumstances.

The young woman clad in hides, named Amani, however, sought him out every few days, tending to him as one would a friend.

Thus, time flowed swiftly by, and in the blink of an eye, tens of millions of years had passed.

On this day, Eldrin Chen slowly roused from his healing trance. Sensing the state of his injuries, he gave a slight, satisfied nod.

"With the aid of the Chaotic Divine Liquid, the Grand Dao Divine Form has been mostly refined. It seems my recovery proceeds even faster than anticipated."

Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly, a faint smile touching his lips.

Amani's bright eyes sparkled as she replied with a smile, "Your thanks are thanks enough."

With this thought, Eldrin Chen sighed softly and patted her shoulder. "Do not grieve. Perhaps there is still a turn in fate's wheel."

"I heard that those buried there can live in a world without the Desolate Tribe [a savage and warlike race of demons] and war in their next life."

The Chaotic Divine Liquid [a primordial liquid born from chaos] truly lived up to its reputation as a Chaos Rare Treasure [a treasure of immense rarity born from the primordial chaos]. While it was not particularly adept at healing wounds, it possessed a potent effect in bolstering one's physical body and spiritual power. Furthermore, it held a slight property of expelling foreign energies.

"In the days I am gone, you must protect yourself."

Eldrin Chen collected his thoughts, then finally ceased his cultivation of the Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art [an ancient art for forging an indomitable physique]. "My thanks, then. Please convey my gratitude to your Grand Priest [a title for a venerable spiritual leader] as well."

Amani possessed exceptional talent, having attained the Grand Luo [the Grand Luo Golden Immortal realm, a pinnacle of cultivation] in merely ten million years, ranking among the most outstanding prodigies of the Great Desolate Ancient Realm [a vast and ancient domain]. Yet, not even she could be an exception to the rule.

The thought flickered through Eldrin Chen's mind, but he swiftly dismissed it.

"The Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art."

"Good! It's settled then!"

The others present exchanged glances, their expressions a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.

He never imagined that today, Amani would personally deliver it to him.

Those who have survived to this era possess cultivation bases that begin at the very least at the Earth Immortal Realm [a realm of profound power and longevity]. Even Immortals [powerful beings who have transcended mortality] above that realm must constantly face the encroachments of the Desolate Tribe [a savage and ancient race of demons].

The Old Priest was one of the nine. Gazing upon those present, he spoke with a calm countenance, "I agree with Amani. We should bestow that Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art [a legendary art for forging an indomitable physical form] upon the outsider from beyond our realm."

In this world, there are no commoners, no elderly, weak, women, or children. Regardless of cultivation level or social standing, every single person who can lift a weapon is a warrior.

The young maiden's voice faltered slightly, and the light in her bright eyes dimmed. "If I die," she said, "remember to bury me within Alang Mountain."

"You guessed wrong."

"Alas—"

As she spoke, her smile faded once more, replaced by a look of sorrow. "In a few more years, the Desolate Tribulation [a cataclysmic era of invasion and strife] will descend. When it does, I too must march to the front lines to fight."

Over these years, during his moments of leisure, Eldrin Chen had employed his artifact-forging skills to craft numerous precious Magical Artifact [enchanted tools and weapons of great power] for these Descendants of the Great Desolate [the stalwart inheritors of a primordial legacy].

"It seems that within a single Kalpa Tribulation [a vast cosmic cycle of destruction and renewal], my injuries will be fully Restoration [restored to their original, pristine state]." …

Eldrin Chen smiled, extending his hand to link pinkies with hers in the promise.

"Once we've slain those Desolate People, we'll go see that Seven Domains of the Southern Abyss you mentioned, see if it's truly as prosperous as they say."

He lifted his head, looking beyond the courtyard, and spoke, "Enter."

At the same time, far away at the heart of the Great Desolate Ancient Realm, within the Great Wilderness Sacred Hall, nine Elder gathered in a circle.

The denizens of the Great Desolate Ancient Realm excel in physical body cultivation, consequently their skills in alchemy, formation arrays, artifact forging, and talisman crafting are exceedingly crude, not even matching those of the Chaotic Fiendgod from the Seven Domains of the Southern Abyss.

Amani gathered her resolve. Taking Eldrin Chen's hand, she declared firmly, "I must cultivate diligently, breaking through to the Primordial Unity realm, and even to the Chaos Realm."

Eldrin Chen fell silent. The Great Desolate Ancient Realm lay in ruins, its inhabitants living perpetually on the knife's edge between life and death.

"If, and I mean if..."

Eldrin Chen shook his head with a wry smile, sighing, "What treasure have you found this time? Let me refine it for you."

The Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art possessed an extraordinary origin. It was a Flesh Sanctification Method [a cultivation art focused on purifying and strengthening the physical body] painstakingly developed by the ancient sages of the Great Desolate Ancient Realm, tailored to the unique conditions of the Primordial Chaos Desolate Sea.

Eldrin Chen was deeply curious about this method. However, the cultivators of the Great Desolate Ancient Realm guarded it with fierce secrecy, forcing him to abandon any hope of obtaining it.

Amani giggled and immediately handed a thick stack of books to Eldrin Chen, saying excitedly, "Look, what is this?"

Seeing his look of astonishment, Amani then smiled and explained, "This Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art leads all the way to the Primordial Chaos Realm [the primordial state of undifferentiated chaos, the ultimate goal of body cultivation]. I pleaded with the Grand Priest [the supreme spiritual leader of the tribe] for a long time before he finally agreed to teach it to you."

"Brother Eldrin, I'm here!"

The green dress the young maiden Amani wore was something Eldrin Chen had crafted for her in his spare time.

Over these years, Eldrin Chen had refined a single drop of Chaotic Divine Liquid [a primordial liquid containing divine power of chaos]. By harnessing the divine nature of Chaos [the primordial, formless state before creation] within it, he had managed to erode another tenth of the lingering Grand Dao Divine Form [a supreme divine ability embodying a fundamental cosmic principle].

"Hmm!"

Eldrin Chen was momentarily taken aback, a flicker of surprise crossing his features.

Amani bounded in, clad in a gown of verdant green, her hands hidden playfully behind her back. With a mischievous glint in her eye, she teased, "Guess what I've brought for you?"

It was precisely because of this that the Great Desolate Ancient Realm was sparsely populated. Amani's father, mother, grandfather, and even her siblings had all fallen in the wars defending against the endless incursions.

A moment later, a voice of discontent arose. "He is, after all, an outsider from beyond our realm. How can we grant him our cultivation arts?"

"And why not?"

Others voiced their support, one speaking decisively, "It is merely a single scroll of a cultivation art. Even if he obtains it, it is of little consequence. Since he is not one of the Desolate People, we must unite with him."

"But he is, after all, an outsider from beyond our realm. If he stays here too long, what if he poses a threat to the Sacred..."

"Silence!"

At that moment, the foremost figure among the nine silhouettes cut short the dispute.

"High Priest."

Hearing this, the expressions of those present shifted slightly, and they all bowed in respectful greeting.

The elder addressed as the High Priest coughed once before speaking, "With the Desolate Tribulation imminent, our paramount objective is to ensure the Great Desolate Ancient Realm does not fall."

"All else is secondary."

Continuing, the High Priest added, "To unleash the power of 'It,' one must have cultivated a Great Luo Primordial Spirit [the supreme spiritual foundation of a Great Luo realm cultivator]."...

"All Descendants of the Great Desolate cultivate the Flesh Sanctification Method [a body-refining technique that tempers the physical form to extreme resilience], and there have been no new cultivators who have achieved the Great Luo Primordial Spirit [the Primordial Spirit realm of the Great Luo stage, representing a pinnacle of spiritual cultivation] in recent times."

"Over these years, to fuel 'It' in resisting those Desolate Tribe [a savage and ancient race of demons], we have nearly exhausted our life force, burning like the last flicker of a lamp's oil. Once we perish, who will stand against those Desolate Tribe Emperor Lord [a title for a supreme ruler among cultivators or demons]?"

Upon hearing this, the eight individuals present fell into a heavy silence.

Seeing this, the old High Priest took a deep breath and said, "I observe that this outsider possesses an extraordinary Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core and highest essence of a cultivator's being]. Perhaps he can harness a portion of 'Its' power and become the next Great Wilderness High Priest [the supreme spiritual leader of the Great Wilderness]."

With the Desolate Tribulation [a cataclysmic era of calamity foretold to befall the land] imminent, Amani left behind the Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art [a foundational body-refining technique of the Great Wilderness] and departed in haste.

Eldrin Chen watched her leave without further comment. He simply returned to his courtyard in silence, retrieved the Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art, and began to examine it.

With but a single glance, Eldrin Chen's brow furrowed slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing his features.

"This Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art is crude and unrefined, yet it holds remarkable insights."

The reason was that the cultivation method of this Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art was exceedingly ingenious, a truly unorthodox path within Flesh Sanctification Method techniques.

This lineage's method does not cultivate the Nine True Spirit Divine Patterns [a system of nine mystical patterns representing pure spiritual power]. Instead, emulating the nature of the Chaos Desolate Tribe [the primordial and most savage lineage of the Desolate Tribe], it forges within the body a single Great Wilderness Inner Pill [a condensed core of primal wilderness energy, serving as the foundation of this body-tempering art].

The Great Wilderness Inner Pill [a core formed by condensing the essence of a cultivator's entire being] is condensed from the concentrated essence of a cultivator's entire being, possessing immense power. Cultivating it is not actually difficult; it is even extremely straightforward and places no particular demands on one's innate talent.

However, to cultivate the Great Wilderness Inner Pill, one must consume vast quantities of flesh and blood, and specifically, the flesh and blood of Chaos Ancient Beast [primordial beasts born from the chaos of creation] is required.

It is precisely because of this that these Descendants of the Great Desolate [a lineage of cultivators who follow the path of the ancient desolate beasts] are able to withstand the scouring torrents of the Primordial Chaos Desolate Sea [a primordial ocean of chaotic and desolate energies].

Of course, if the Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art [a body refinement art that emulates the ancient desolate beasts] merely involved imitating the Chaos Ancient Beast to condense an inner pill, it would be nothing extraordinary.

After all, no matter how powerful the imitation, it could never surpass the inherent power of the Chaos Ancient Beast itself.

The ingenuity of the Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art lies in what comes after forming the inner pill: using the pill's power to inscribe countless formation patterns within the body.

These patterns are crude and domineering, resembling more the formation patterns found within Magical Artifact [enchanted artifacts imbued with mystical power].

Therefore, strictly speaking, the Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art refines the human body as if it were a Magical Artifact.

In comparison, the traditional Path of Fleshly Body Sanctification [a gentler, more orthodox path of physical refinement] is more temperate, while the physical form forged by the Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art is more domineering, simpler, and far more brutal.

Yet, this path carries an exceedingly high probability of death.

Forging magical artifacts? If one fails, you simply reforge it—a straightforward, even brutal process where convenience reigns. But to treat a person as a Magical Artifact to be refined... the slightest misstep leads to utter annihilation, body and soul extinguished.

As recorded within the Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art, even among those with Earth Immortal [a supreme cultivation realm] lineage, those capable of mastering this art are scarcely one in a thousand.

Yet now, nearly every inhabitant of the Great Desolate Ancient Realm cultivates the Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art.

This implies that the vast majority of the Descendants of the Great Desolate have perished beneath the unforgiving demands of this very art.

But there is no alternative. Without mastering the Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art, survival outside the sanctuary halls of the Great Desolate Ancient Realm is utterly impossible.

For the entire Great Desolate Ancient Realm is itself an environment akin to a Mortal Realm [the realm of ordinary humans] cast into hell.

This world knows no blue sky or white clouds. The World's Placental Membrane [the celestial barrier separating the world from the void] is riddled with cracks, through which the waters of the Chaos Sea Waters [the primordial, formless energies of chaos] ceaselessly pour. The land is naught but rivers of magma and seas of fire….

Only the most tenacious of flora, like the Chaos Realm Grass, can endure within the Great Desolate Ancient Realm.

The children of the Great Desolate Ancient Realm are all nurtured within the Great Wilderness Sacred Hall [the sole sanctuary and pure land for the living beings of this realm].

These young ones must remain within the Great Wilderness Sacred Hall until adulthood, and they are permitted to emerge only after successfully cultivating the Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art.

If one cannot cultivate the Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art [a formidable physical cultivation technique designed to withstand the harsh energies of the primordial world], then even achieving the Immortal Ascension Realm [the realm of ascension to immortality] would not allow one to leave the Great Wilderness Sacred Hall [the central sanctuary within the Great Desolate Ancient Realm], for one could be extinguished at any moment by a single strand of Chaotic Malign Qi [a volatile and destructive energy that permeates the primordial chaos].

"Born into such a desperate place, they have no other choice."

"Survival of the fittest. Cultivating this Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art is perhaps their only path to survival."

Eldrin Chen let out a soft sigh, a wave of poignant reflection washing over him.

Compared to this Great Desolate Ancient Realm [the primordial and perilous world they currently inhabit], the multitudes living in the Seven Domains of the Southern Abyss [the seven major regions of the southern world], even those in the weakest of Minor World [smaller, subsidiary realms], might as well be dwelling in a paradise.

Setting aside his wandering thoughts, Eldrin Chen pondered for a moment before beginning to deduce the principles of the Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art.

With his current depth of understanding, deducing the secrets of the Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art was not overly difficult. After extensive study, he continuously refined and perfected this volume of the art.

Soon, he had simplified the foundational initiation method of the Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art.

According to his revised method, by cultivating the Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art step by step, the success rate increased from roughly one in a thousand to approximately one in a hundred.

Of course, this success rate was based on the descendants of this realm's Earth Immortal [a powerful immortal realm tied to the earth and its energies] bloodline as the standard.

Fortunately, within the Great Desolate Ancient Realm [a primordial and perilous world], those capable of surviving long-term have almost all attained cultivation at the Earth Immortal [a realm signifying profound power and longevity] realm. Therefore, this requirement did not pose any significant issue.

After refining the foundational aspects of the art, Eldrin Chen then attempted to merge the principles of the Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art [an ancient method for forging an indestructible physical form] with his own cultivation path. Yet, despite years of dedicated effort, success remained elusive.

Eldrin Chen's Refine Self Through Self Dao [a supreme art of self-perfection through one's own unique path] was born from the essence of multiple supreme scriptures, including the Nine Revolutions Heavenly Art and other Chaos Emperor Scripture [legendary texts left by ancient Chaos Emperors]. Synthesized with his own profound foundation, it had already reached a state of near-flawless perfection.

Even with Eldrin Chen's comprehension surpassing that of the Chaos Celestial Emperor [a legendary progenitor of chaos cultivation], seamlessly integrating the Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art with his own path proved an insurmountable challenge—at least for the present moment.

"The method of the internal elixir [a core formed within the body through cultivation] inherently conflicts with the Five Viscera Divine Spirits [a divine ability that manifests spiritual avatars from the five vital organs]," he mused.

"Furthermore, the array-based principles of body tempering clash with the Six True Spirit Divine Runes [a profound art centered on six primordial spiritual runes], making a harmonious fusion exceedingly difficult."

"It seems," Eldrin Chen concluded, "that for now, I am incapable of absorbing the essence of the Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art and fully integrating it into my own foundational cultivation."

"However," a new thought dawned, bringing a flicker of excitement, "this Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art might serve to perfect the Path of Self-Sacrifice [a dangerous cultivation path that involves sacrificing one's own foundation for power]."

A low whisper echoed in Eldrin Chen's heart, accompanied by a surge of keen anticipation.

The Body of Self-Sacrifice [a unique physical state achieved through the Path of Self-Sacrifice], forged by sacrificing one's entire cultivation foundation, was inherently perilous. The dangers faced during the Self-Sacrifice [a critical breakthrough stage on this path] were arguably even more terrifying than those of conventional body tempering arts.

However, after stepping into the Ascending Immortal realm, the Path of Self-Sacrifice has not yet fully developed the potential of its physical combat prowess.

The realms created by Eldrin Chen, such as World Creation, Three Realms, Cosmos, and Immortal Treasury, focus more on the development of internal and external worlds rather than the excavation of raw bodily strength.

It must be understood that the physical body of the Path of Self-Sacrifice, which merges all foundational aspects including the power of the Primordial Spirit Method [a cultivation art focused on refining the spiritual core], is itself a supreme-grade embryo possessing immense malleability.

If one were to reference the methods of artifact forging, treating the Body of Self-Sacrifice as a peerless treasure to be tempered a thousand times and inscribed with myriad supreme-grade formation patterns, it might attain a physique of truly heaven-defying combat power.

As for the Great Wilderness Inner Pill [the core energy source of the Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art], it serves as the power source for the Great Wilderness Body Tempering Art. This role could be entirely supplanted by the Inner World, and the effect would likely be far more potent....

Contemplating this, Eldrin Chen felt a stirring of inspiration and immediately desired to attempt refining the cultivation method of the Path of Self-Sacrifice.

Yet, at that very moment, Eldrin Chen's brow furrowed slightly. He rose and stepped out of his secluded cultivation chamber.

Upon exiting, Eldrin Chen discovered that the skies of the Great Desolate Ancient Realm were now veiled by towering, heaven-piercing formation patterns.

Before the primordial membrane of the Great Desolate Ancient Realm, a vast and hideous fissure connected the interior to the Chaos [the primordial, formless void beyond ordered realms]. Countless Descendants of the Great Desolate stood guard before this rift, weapons in hand, their expressions grave.

Fortunately, a colossal curtain of light, vast enough to blot out the sky, sealed the edges of the fissure, barricading the breach in the world.

However, colossal rifts in the heavens such as this one, the Great Desolate Ancient Realm, numbered in the hundreds. The one before them was merely one of the largest among them.

"BOOM—"

Even as Eldrin Chen observed, roars echoed from within the Chaos [the primordial, formless state before creation].

From the depths of the Vast Chaotic Void, countless Chaos Ancient Beast [primordial beasts born from chaos] surged forth in a tide of fury. Among them were Chaotic Fiendgod [demonic deities of chaos] vast enough to blot out the sky, alongside humanoid figures—the Desolate People [tribesmen of the desolate wastes].

"The Chaos Desolate Tribe [tribes of chaos and desolation], and the Desolate People?"

Eldrin Chen murmured, a slight frown creasing his brow.

Most of these Chaos Desolate Tribe were Chaotic Fiendgod whose minds had been eroded by the Desolate Decay Power [a corrupting power of decay and desolation]. The Desolate People, however, were often former denizens of the Great Wilderness Primordial Domain [the primordial realm of the great wilderness], their own kin from ages past.

From what Eldrin Chen understood, when the Great Wilderness Primordial Domain was grievously wounded in ancient times, they initially seemed unable to find the Divine Jade [a sacred jade capable of warding off corruption] that could resist the erosion of the Desolate Sea.

In those desperate days, many abandoned Grand Luo Golden Immortal [Golden Immortals of the Grand Luo realm] ventured into the Primordial Chaos Desolate Sea [the sea of primordial chaos and desolation] in search of other Origin Domain [realms of primordial origin], clinging to that slender thread of Vitality [life force and vitality].

Others, who attained the Dao in later eras, also journeyed into the heart of the Primordial Chaos Desolate Sea.

Some of these beings vanished, but the vast majority devolved into Desolate People [mindless, feral remnants of ancient cultivators]. Driven by primal instinct, they congregate around the periphery of the Origin Domain [the primordial heartland of the Great Desolation] and frequently launch assaults upon the inhabitants of the Great Desolate Ancient Realm.

The so-called Desolate Tribulation [the cyclical calamities that plague the Great Desolation] of this realm are, in essence, wars instigated by these Desolate Tribe [feral demonic hordes] and Desolate People. They act on instinct, their attacks a desperate, unconscious striving for Restoration [the recovery of their shattered intellect and reason].

Roughly every ten cycles of Kalpa Tribulation [cosmic cataclysms], these Desolate Tribe gather their mindless fury and march upon the Great Desolate Ancient Realm.

Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly, a ripple of contemplation stirring within the depths of his gaze.

"Within the Seven Domains of the Southern Abyss, it seems no Desolate Tribulation has ever been recorded," he noted.

Speaking to this point, Eldrin Chen soon gave a slow shake of his head.

The Seven Domains of the Southern Abyss are guarded by over twenty Chaos Celestial Emperor and three thousand Primordial Chaos Emperor Monarch [powerful monarchs of the Primordial Chaos realm]. Even if a Desolate Tribulation were to arise, it would be effortlessly quelled.

After all, the Desolate Tribe possess no true intellect, acting solely on base instinct. They are utterly incapable of organizing warfare on any grand, coordinated scale.

In truth, during each Desolate Tribulation that strikes the Great Wilderness Primordial Domain, the attacking Desolate Tribe hordes comprise merely one-tenth of the feral tribes lurking in the surrounding wastes.

Otherwise, given the sheer, overwhelming numbers of the Desolate Tribe and Desolate People, were they ever to unite and marshal their full, mindless strength for an assault, the Great Desolate Ancient Realm would have been shattered and overrun long ago.

"Slaughter them all!"

Just as Eldrin Chen's thoughts were swirling, the war within the Great Desolate Ancient Realm had already erupted.

Tens of millions of Chaos Ancient Beasts surged forth in attack, accompanied by the auras of over a thousand beings at the Grand Luo Golden Immortal level.

In that very instant, several hundred figures soared out from within the Great Desolate Ancient Realm.

These were all Descendants of the Great Desolate at the Grand Luo Golden Immortal level, the vast majority of whom had stalled at the early or middle stages of that realm. The young woman Amani was among them.

She cast a glance at Eldrin Chen and sent a mental message: "Remember our agreement."...

Eldrin Chen remained silent, yet a slight frown involuntarily creased his brow.

The Great Desolate Ancient Realm possessed only three hundred Grand Luo Golden Immortals. Relying solely on its tattered World-Protecting Grand Formation and the fractured, crumbling ancient realm itself, even if they could withstand this Desolate Tribulation, the losses would likely be devastating.

"If this battle continues as it is, and had I not arrived, this realm would likely face utter annihilation within a hundred Kalpa Tribulations."

As Eldrin Chen's thoughts flickered, he saw the various Descendants of the Great Desolate in the heavens above begin to move.

At the forefront stood a burly man at the Great Luo Golden Immortal Great Perfection realm. He raised his long spear high and roared, "Descendants of the Great Desolate, Mulberry and Catalpa lies behind us. This time, we cannot retreat a single step."

"Protect Mulberry and Catalpa! Not a single step back!"

The Descendants of the Great Desolate roared in unison, their faces etched with the resolve of those prepared to die for their cause.

Eldrin Chen watched silently, then turned his gaze to the ravaged ancient realm behind them—a world scarred by mountain fires and flowing lava. A profound sense of poignancy stirred within him.

Even this shattered, Decay-ridden ancient world was their homeland, the sole sanctuary upon which their survival depended.

In this Primordial Chaos Desolate Sea, there were no distinctions of age, gender, or status. Every soul who took up arms became a warrior.

For the sake of survival, for the sake of their home, they had no opportunity for retreat.

"Not a single step back!"

Eldrin Chen suddenly spoke. Without waiting for the final moment, he summoned the Primordial Chaos Heaven Halberd and ascended into the sky.

Placing himself between the enemy and Amani, he smiled and declared, "I shall lend my aid as well, to help you guard your Mulberry and Catalpa!"

Upon hearing this, Amani's bright eyes shimmered with a trace of a smile.

She offered no further words. Gripping her war spear, she strode forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Eldrin Chen and declared, "Among us, the Descendants of the Great Desolate, our women have never stood behind our men."