The war outside Dream Island was still raging.
When the five major factions realized that their first probing assault couldn't tear through the Gold Coin Merchant Association's seemingly chaotic yet surprisingly resilient defenses in a short time—and that the Association hadn't displayed overwhelming strength—
they decisively escalated the intensity of the war.
The five Space Teleportation Arrays high in the sky activated one after another.
Then, new forces came plunging through the portals.
On the Northern Front, several warriors far larger than the others emerged first from the Maoyi Clan's portal. Dark Gold lava patterns flowed across their armor. They wielded enormous greatswords wreathed in purple-black flames, and when they landed with a thunderous crash, the sea sank beneath them.
Pouring out after them were vast numbers of Maoyi Clan infantry, along with a mechanical army of spider-like war machines powered by evil energy. In the sky to the northeast, a sharp dragon's roar pierced the clouds from the Sky Ridge Feather Clan's portal.
A group of much larger feathered dragons, their wingspans exceeding a hundred meters, burst out first. Indigo wind-and-thunder shields surrounded the knights on their backs. Close behind them came large numbers of feathered seers wielding crystals and capable of summoning lightning storms.
They hovered in the air, beginning to alter the weather on a vast scale and create violent thunderclouds favorable to the Dragon Rider Troop.
On the Eastern Front, the Jinhai Clan's portal blazed crimson.
Several Core Lava Beasts, each like a small volcano, roared as they squeezed through. Scorching magma flowed over their bodies, and every breath sent out a blazing beam of light.
Following behind were Jinhai warriors wielding long flame whips capable of sweeping across a wide area. The analysis identified them as Molten Whippers.
On the Southeastern Front, several Broodmother Trees