Elder Sterling did not give the imperial general time to turn his mount.
A thunderous battle cry erupted from fifteen Golden Core throats at once. The cedar gates slammed fully open against the stone ramparts as fifteen figures blurred into streaks of radiant light.
Leading the charge was Elder Sterling. His green robes whipped in the wind, completely free of the tremors that had racked his limbs an hour ago. His ancient steel straight sword trailed arcing braids of purple thunder.
Beside him, Sect Master Horgath roared with primal fury, swinging his heavy brass staff like a mill wheel. A wave of golden staff-energy erupted from his swing, smashing through three iron shields and sending ducal sentries flying across the gravel. Patriarch Chen and Grand Elder Lu flanked them, their restored spiritual lakes pouring torrential waves of elemental power down the gorge road.
Patriarch Chen unleashed a surging torrent of river-qi that washed twenty cavalrymen from their saddles. Grand Elder Lu hurled sweeping hammer-waves that shredded ducal banners and snapped spear shafts like dried twigs.
General Vorn’s three hundred elite cavalrymen panicked immediately.
Their heavy armored war-beasts reared and shrieked in terror, refusing to advance into the blinding glare of fifteen Golden Core masters. A single peak cultivator was enough to anchor an imperial regiment. Fifteen of them charging in tight formation was a living avalanche.
