Around the same time Silver Extreme's expedition group touched down on Iron Mountain Quarry Settlement, Warrior of Spring's group reached Corpse Mountain Settlement.
Corpse Mountain was irregularly shaped; half the mountain was normal, while the other half looked deformed.
However, its appearance belies its sinister name, with verdant slopes and lush valleys.
Still, its name was not founded on nothing.
It stood as a normal mountain several thousand years ago, until a great beast was felled and crashed into the westernmost side of the mountain.
Although partly destroyed, the mountain's life would prosper off the corpse of the gigantic beast.
The natural course of time would assimilate this beast into the earthly mountain, becoming the Corpse Mountain it is tonight.
This entire mountain was formed in a massive depression in the ground, forming a sort of 'bowl' several hundred kilometres in diameter.
The soil of the mountain was an earthy crimson, which bled into the surroundings like an infection or a wound in the land.
...
Warrior of Spring's expedition group touched down on the Settlement.
Simple wooden buildings and stone roads.
It looked fairly normal, ignoring the crimson soil.
The most notable feature of this Settlement was the excessive amount of tilled lands.
Even after thousands of years, the beast's corpse had nurtured the mountain and the surrounding lands, filling the soil with nutrients.
Thus, agriculture prospered on this mountain.
A tall man had arrived to welcome them.
His formal clothing is a mix of crimson and earthy tones, like the soil, further adorned with ornaments in the hair. He bowed and greeted.
"Friends from Union Settlement, friends from Veiled Forest Settlement, I am most grateful for your aid in these dire times."
"Please, how could we remain inactive when our kin are facing such hardships?"
Warrior of Spring approached the man and consulted with him.
"Our group will ensure that Corpse Mountain Settlement will survive these tides and prosper."
The two of them continued to converse.
Sun stepped off the fluffy cloud, looking around and savoured the view.
He had never stepped out of Star Gazing Settlement. Union Settlement was his first time, but it looked rather mundane compared to this Corpse Mountain.
Looking around with curiosity, Sun couldn't help but notice the Settlement's tranquillity.
It felt calming, despite the sinister name.
Of course, this peace was soon to be defiled by the eventual tides of beasts and Spirits.
This peace was like the calm before the storm.
He felt solemn at that fact, but solemnity was overwhelmed as a burning heat was lit in his heart.
Why else would he be here if not to stop that very fact?
He was driven here to help fight against the tides.
To fulfil his duty as a warrior, to seek a form of consolation and redemption, Sun followed his Way to this Settlement.
Halberd in hand, his fiery gaze was towards the horizon.
He merely wished to help.
...
Shortly after, Warrior of Spring introduced the man he was talking to, who was Corpse Mountain's Settlement Lord.
"Friends, please come this way. The long night's ride must have been uncomfortable; let us enjoy your arrival with respite."
Half of the Cultivators voiced their praise; the silent ones were no less grateful.
They were ushered to their accommodations, humble housing with a great view of the tilled fields.
Their first night was mostly spent resting.
A banquet was held in the central hall, the Settlement Lord was hosting to express his appreciation.
The majority of the Cultivators attended.
However, Warrior of Spring, Shade of Autumn, and the two Third Foundation Cultivators tended to their own matters.
Sun also attended the banquet, indulging in the pleasantries of this welcoming feast.
For once, he was able to relax. Ignoring the tension looming over the horizon, Sun lived in the moment.
...
The first night before the tides, Warrior of Spring displayed some of the plans he and Shade of Autumn had come up with.
The Settlement Lord praised and left to prepare the resources needed.
Soon after, the Settlement Lord and Warrior of Spring began sending orders.
The first step of their preparations requires boosting the defences of the Settlement.
Since they had already received some minor hordes of beasts, some ramparts had already been established.
However, they were not focusing on defensive strategy.
They would receive the tide with offence.
Defence was an assurance to the Settlement's well-being.
Their next step would focus on strategic positions and firepower.
But the most important factor was longevity.
Compared to Silver Extreme's approach to the tides of beasts and Spirits, Warrior of Spring's approach was more laborious.
However, it would also be easier to execute.
There was no focus on redirecting the beasts since bloodshed was their goal.
It was just the sheer number of beasts they would be facing.
Thousands of beasts would approach them in the first tide, sane but frenzied.
Warrior of Spring first thought of destroying their unity.
Using brute force through Dao Arts would be effective, but at the cost of ruining the surrounding environment.
He contemplated for a moment and decided to drop the idea.
Destroying the environment did not sit right with him.
Utilising the thousands of beasts' corpses to fertilise the lands didn't escape his mind.
He looked over the map again.
'There are a few places that I surveyed last night, some patches of land to the southeast are made of tough stone.'
'Based on the tide's predicted movement, that area should be suffering the brunt of the damage.'
'We can modify the environment to funnel the tides into this area and fight unrestricted.'
This idea would have the least effect on flora, save for the forced modifications to the land.
It was also on an incline, allowing the Cultivators to maintain the high ground.
Warrior of Spring noted this as the likeliest area of confrontation between the tides.
However, there was one factor that concerned him.
'The only consideration is the area's flat and bare nature. Without the obstruction of trees, the tide's force would be unimpeded.'
'While advantageous to us, it would result in a more difficult fight compared to the surrounding forests.'
'It would be best to kill the tide's inertia prior to them reaching this land.'
'Hmm...'