"They're closing in on us." The one that shouted was Lahena, Resha's mother. She was in charge of scouting and supplying the group with Prana. Hovering next to her was an Eight-Storey Storage Lantern. At a thought from her, it reverted to its original size as the door on the third floor opened, causing Parute Fruits to spill out like a stream.
Lahena used her Prana to split the Parute Fruits into eight streams and fed them to everyone in the group. She munched and swallowed her portion, hurriedly activating the Mystic Bone Art to convert them into Prana.
"What's the distance?" Duvara asked, experiencing pain throughout his body, for he had overextended his transformation duration. His Spirit Container was under significant pressure, beginning to sport cracks. He looked at his team members, 'Dammit! All of us are in a similar state. Can we throw off our pursuers and somehow return to the settlement?'
"175…174…no, it's already 173 Kilometres. They're approaching fast!" Lahena said in a fluster, "They're all masters, so their speed is indeed superior to ours."
"There's only one way left then," Duvara expressed a moment's hesitation before gritting his teeth, "I'm sorry, everyone. We can be condemned for all history. But our settlement's future rides on this."
"Say the word, Duvara. We're all in on this." Vuya, the woman next to Lahena sported a determined expression. She was Virala's mother, "We're all prepared to sacrifice ourselves."
"No, I'm not talking about us." Duvara sighed, "Bora Tusk sent us on this mission. We accepted it knowing very well what's at stake. Sacrificing our lives isn't an issue."
He faced back and stared in the direction of the approach taken by their pursuers, "But not them. We're robbing their future. They too are Mammoth Clansmen. So, I can feel their pain. I just…wish to apologise for what we're about to do next."
"They'll never forgive us, Duvara." Mya, Orakha's mother stated calmly. She was at the back of the group, staring at the cage containing the baby Empyrean Tusk in desperation, "No matter what, this should reach our Clan. Give the orders, Duvara!"
"I'm grateful, everyone. Once I deliver the baby Empyrean Tusk to our Clan, I'll join you guys." Duvara shed tears as he stared at a man and woman that were at the back of the octagonal formation, "Apar and Mya, please lay down your lives for our future."
"We'll be glad to do so." Apar, Yennda's father saluted as he broke out of the formation and rushed into an adjacent ravine on their left. At the same time, Mya broke out and rushed into the ravine on their right.
Apar sensed the team rush past him as he arrived at a halt before a mountain, staring at the densely populated Zinger colony, sighing in relief upon sensing a Zinger King's presence among them, 'There's a Zinger King here. It means this colony has a sizeable military. It's enough to give our pursuers a headache.'
"My Deity, the Empyrean Tusk, as a humble servant of yours, I pledge my everything." At his words, his Mystic Bone Art flared up and consumed him, "My flesh, my mind, my soul, consume everything and transform it into Prana for one final push!"
In a matter of seconds, his body shrivelled up until even his bones were combusted, losing all their mass. His lifeforce was wholly consumed while he lost his sanity. His entirety was channelled into his Primary Nature, combining it with a Skill to unleash a brand-new effect, mutating his Prana Shock.
Prime Skill—Acoustic Shock!
By fusing a Skill into a Primary Nature, the cultivator can alter the effects of the Primary Nature into something deadlier. The result was termed Prime Skill. Only the best of the best among cultivators would reach such a level, a rarity even among Mammoth Clansmen.
The eight cultivators of the group that were alive and their six dead members had attained such a level. That was why they were dispatched by Bora Tusk on a secret mission to return with a baby Empyrean Tusk.
And other than Bora Tusk, these fourteen cultivators were the only ones that knew about Gannala's ageing self.
All that remained of Apar was his skin that plopped on the ground. Everything else of his being had been consumed, resulting in a shining sphere of Prana that floated high up in the air, reaching a kilometre in altitude.
It pulsated, unleashing eight waves in total. The energy waves became high-pitched sounds, grating to one's senses to the extent that their Spirit Containers rattled. The waves spread in a conical form, traversing more than ten kilometres before they became too dispersed to be effective.
But that was enough, for they had enveloped three mountains in their effect.
"Kieek!" The Zingers shrieked at the sound, irritated by it as they lost their sanity, leaping from their mountain to fly away. To avoid the effects of the sound waves, they wished to move away from the source and hence flew in the same direction as the waves' propagation.
After all, the farther they fled from the source, the weaker the waves became. They had instinctively done so, for the sounds turned them insane, unable to entertain cognitive thoughts. And in the direction they fled towards were the charging Mammoth Clansmen masters whose Empyrean Tusk baby had been stolen.
Apar's actions caused almost 40,000 Zingers to flee. Mya had better positioning and hence was able to make more than 50,000 Zingers flee. The two groups joined into a wave that proceeded towards the charging masters.
The canyon was filled with them, slowing down the masters.
"Destroy these bastards!" A master at the forefront commanded coldly, unwilling to slow down for even a moment and allow the poachers to flee further, "Kill everything in our way."
The masters rained attacks on the Zingers, causing a bloody battle to break out.
"Two hundred kilometres." Lahena said in tears, "That's all we bought from their sacrifice. The masters have begun closing the gap once again."
"Guess it's our turn." Banna, Grehha's mother said, arriving at a stop in a narrow ravine.
Accompanying her was Roha, Blola's father. The duo sacrificed themselves in the same manner as Apar and Mya. But the effects of their ability were slightly different.
Two blinding spheres of Prana were created that each seeped into the cliff walls and vanished. Even the Zingers there stared in confusion, wondering why nothing happened. But what they didn't know was that these abilities were timer based, capable of masking their existence until they went off.
After some time passed, the group of masters rushed through the narrow canyon. And right at that moment, there was a spike in Prana.
The timer had been set up based on the speed of their approach. Since the masters were efficient and consistent in their pursuit, the calculation was perfect. And at the perfect moment, the two abilities went off.
Prime Skill—Land Shock!
Shockwaves travelled throughout the two mountains at their resonant frequency, fracturing them to bits. Massive chunks of earth from the two mountains fell into the narrow canyon, covering it entirely.
The masters were buried underneath.