Even if the continental forces were the entire reason the motion against the Glorious Veil could go forward, the locals still had to be willing to commit their own forces. Otherwise, John would turn the entire fleet around and have them go home. It would have been a shame if that happened, because there were a number of unique places- and that was just what he had already visited. The western islands were more expansive than just what he had seen.

The Great Eye Sect chose Lochan to represent them. Perhaps this was the opportunity for the son to formally take over responsibility… or perhaps they would maintain their current setup, and he was merely the best choice because of his higher cultivation. Either way, the Great Eye Sect was leery of taking away both of their Ascending Soul Phase cultivators, and they didn't really need both to be confident against the Glorious Veil.

John considered trying to enlist the Drowning Deep, but he couldn't be certain if their Sect Head's animosity was greater against them than the Great Eye Sect. Likewise, he didn't know how things would go with the Silver Mirror, but he had the feeling they wouldn't easily make a move. He didn't want to show up with large fleets and intimidate them, nor would he appreciate it if the Great Eye Sect thought the continent would back them against others.

That left only one proper choice- the Graveshore Society- but two separate sects moving together was enough to provide some legitimacy in the area while others would be fine with whoever lost the war. Because a war it was- though it might not be a long one. None of the sects controlled many islands- at most, they had their main island and some that were adjoining. At best, they had a couple resources islands scattered about, like the Glorious Veil claiming Midnight Island. Or whatever they called it themselves.

John had already informed the Graveshore Society to be ready, though he hadn't been completely explicit about what his intentions were. When the combined fleets sailed out, John made sure they didn't approach too closely.

Dina waited for him to approach the island with just a single ship. "You bring even more than last time, as well as the Great Eye Sect."

"That is correct," John confirmed. "Have the Glorious Veil continued to be a problem for you?"

"It hasn't been all that long. Merely a month or two. However…" Dina shrugged, her stark white hair moving with her shoulders. "They did make another expedition to the island you know as Midnight Island."

"I am aware," John confirmed.

"As they passed by, one of our ships disappeared."

"Is that so?" John tilted his head. "What did it look like? We may have seen it."

Whether she was asking for a ship to be given to her or really had a grievance of that sort, it wouldn't affect how John responded. He was still interested in the truth, however."

"Indeed, the vessel is named the Twilight Ivory."

That one had previous battle damage from before John's fleet had captured it, so it certainly fit. "I do believe we may have seen it… in their hands."

"How unfortunate," Dina said.

"It isn't anymore, but I'm sure you'd still prefer to get revenge, wouldn't you?"

The continent didn't need extra ships anyway, especially if they belonged to friendly locals. They just took them because it would have been a shame to leave them anchored… and they were a decent place to house the prisoners from the Glorious Veil.

-----

With Dina and the Graveshore Society on board, they had completed their final stop before the Glorious Veil. John would have liked to include one or two more local sects, but there was only so much that could be done about that. Perhaps they could have sailed beyond the Glorious Veil on their previous trip, but they had accomplished their initial goals.

Besides, John still wasn't feeling particularly charitable. They made him hurt Astrid. It didn't matter that it wasn't a terrible injury- it could have been. They could have also killed him, which annoyed him. And while neither was a targeted attack, that didn't make anything better. The fact that they had agents that would just do that meant they weren't the kind of people he wanted as neighbors. John wouldn't have wanted any of the others he met in the western sea to be poisoned on Great Eye Island.

They still had over a day until they reached the Glorious Veil's domain. Most likely, their arrival was anticipated. Various smaller vessels had been seen, and surely one of them would carry the news of the incoming fleet. If not, then John would be rather confused at the sect's current status, if they were so incompetent.

"What are you thinking about?" Astrid asked as he stood looking out over the sea.

John pondered for a few moments. Truth was always the right answer, but how he worded it still mattered. "Whether to annihilate them or to be more moderate."

She smiled. "I think it's a bit early for that. You'll have to see how they react. We're not here to slaughter people that made simple mistakes."

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"Do you think they made a mistake?"

"It doesn't matter what I think," Astrid said. She held up a hand to keep John from trying to protest at that. "It matters what we see. Along with what we have already seen."

"You're right, of course." He could come up with a hundred different ways he saw their encounters going, and none would be right. Of course, that didn't mean that his efforts would be worthless. Just that he couldn't rely on his expectations to be perfectly fulfilled.

-----

Veil Island was covered in a shroud of darkness- but once again in a unique manner. For the darkness did not live on the island itself, but above it. It filled the skies, while the land and seas were otherwise perfectly visible. Though perhaps that was John's own bias with his enhanced eyes. However, the island didn't change much from dim.

He focused spiritual energy on his eyes to take in two presences he could feel. Not much was revealed about the two Ascending Soul Phase cultivators by look, except that they too wore masks. Late and mid Ascending Soul Phase respectively.

John guided his voice to Lochan, sailing upon the best ship in the Great Eye Sect's fleet. "Are these the two you recognize?"

"Yes," the man replied. "Atreus, the sect head, and his wife Satu."

"Think we can take them?" John asked Astrid.

"Do I? We have an elemental advantage. Of course we can."

Her confidence was well placed, but John knew that respecting the late Ascending Soul Phase was important. Both were higher rank… but they did have a true advantage. Their light would be offensively significant, while at the same time they would resist darkness better than expected. Or rather, it wouldn't be in the slightest advantaged against John and Astrid had the experience to stay on top.

Then again, if it was five Ascending Soul Phase cultivators versus two they wouldn't even have to bother thinking about such things. Not that it was.

"You feel that?" John asked Astrid.

She grasped his hand, integrating with his energy. Normally, she was far more obvious than him, and if she just did a wide sweep of the area around them she might give something away. "Ah, I certainly do. What do you think this means for our chances of diplomacy?"

"They could simply be setting up contingencies," John postulated. He didn't believe that though.

He monitored the hidden individuals. He would have been able to pick them out underwater even before spending time with the Blind Tower. Now, he found it almost trivial. Then again, it was hard to hide darkness under water from one with both elements. It was possible, but John was on high alert- and stronger than the other two, at the mid and early Ascending Soul Phase respectively.

At some point, Atreus decided they were close enough and spoke. "This is the domain of the Glorious Veil Sect. Who dares sail with such a fleet?"

"The Great Eye Sect dares," Lochan spoke confidently. "I bring with me our guests who were grievously harmed by your own hand. Debts must be settled."

"Is that so?" Atreus's voice echoed. "You speak of something we had no part in. But should your foreign guests be offended, draw closer so that we may apologize."

Astrid blinked. "... How can a darkness cultivator be so bad at deception?"

"Complacency. Wanna fall for it anyway?"

"Sounds perfect."

John raised his voice. "We will approach, together with Lochan who equally deserves an apology for the incident."

Technically, their ships were already approaching. They just let the flagships pull ahead, as the others were at low sail. They weren't crazy enough to anchor anywhere around their current location.

John wondered if Lochan had already figured it out. It was a bit hard to tell at a distance, but he was a powerful cultivator who had to be able to handle himself. So as John felt one group pass beneath the continental flagship, he also sensed another heading towards Lochan's ship, somewhat ahead of the Glorious Veil's vessel.

John kept his expression neutral. "Sometimes people make bad choices." Mostly, he was referring to those that seemed to be headed for Steve and Yustina. They certainly had a lot of Consolidated Soul Phase cultivators mixed in… but that wasn't going to be enough.

The Glorious Veil would be falling today, it seemed.

The flagships were still fifty meters apart when the attacks came. Atreus and Satu sprang into action at the same moment, rapidly covering the distance between themselves and John and Astrid. They brought along with them most of their ship, blending their darkness elemental spiritual energy together.

Lochan was ready. Before the attacker even surfaces, he had focused light element into the water. Normally, it would have hindered the resulting fire element but he used the water itself to further enhance his sunlight magnification. The ships were just inside the shadow of Veil Island, but he pulled sunlight from far behind him. A man burst out of the water with a whole complement of others around him, boarding Lochan's ship- but John saw a slight bit of smoke rising from the man's forearms. Not a lethal injury, but an excellent start.

Better to focus on his own foes, though. He wasn't at all worried about Steve and Yustina, not against a single Ascending Soul Phase cultivators- no matter how many Consolidated Soul there were. The seas might already be boiling around them.

John's apprentices took strong defensive stances, prepared to stand against the incoming enemies. More of their fleet would come support them quickly- now that there was an attack nobody was going to respect the false formality in place. However, they had to be able to endure for half a minute or so- including against a late Ascending Soul Phase cultivator.

"Which one first, do you think?" John asked Astrid as he calmly took her hand.

"Weak first," she said.

That was a bit harder with this group than Zula had made it seem. Picking out which of the group wasn't as easy as it should have been. John could no longer see the gray hair of Atreus nor make out the figure of Satu.

Still, he knew how they worked to some extent- and they were completely unfamiliar with him. John had no intention to hide himself or do something strange with improvised clones. Instead, he would take things seriously by sticking to tried and true methods. He wished he knew the Shimmering Islands technique to completely negate surface tension on the water- that could have been a serious disruption for the approaching group. Instead, he was far more boring, using the water as a way to channel lightning. He wouldn't be able to pick a target, so it could choose for him.

His three core cycle disciples followed the flow of his energy and replicated the attack without him even having to say anything. Lightning jumped over the side of the ship and into the waters. John knew it wouldn't defeat their foes, but if it could disrupt their coordination for a moment it would be good enough.

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