Chapter 714: A gathering of experts!
In White Horse Constellation, there was a very common area called the Wind Garden; it was also known as Galewind Garden.
Unfortunately, the neighborhood would often call it the Mad Garden, all because this was the Skywings’ base of operation. Given how many of the Skywings were madmen, this place could be considered as the gathering point of the most insane group of people, which was why it had been coined by others as such.
The rich enjoyed constructing such large gardens; compared to the other clans in terms of wealth and prosperity, White Horse Constellation’s Phoenix Garden barely spanned a hundred acres and was practically insignificant. This was almost incongruent with the respect that the Skywings garnered. However, no one would belittle this garden, for the owner was really far too outrageous, where just the mention of the word Skywing would cause people’s hearts to palpitate.
In less than a minute after Xia Zonghai crushed his Demonic Wing Token, that garden of which the gates were usually shut to the public began opening from the inside!
*Creak!*
The quaint and black pearwood gates creaked loudly as they opened to the sides; an elder with a white beard then came strolling out from within.
Lifting his head to take in the weather, the elder looked like he was just some n.o.body as he picked up a broom and began sweeping the fallen leaves, which piled along the street, mumbling to himself, “Best to tidy the place up a little. It’s not good if the masters return and see the home in a mess.”
This street, which Phoenix Garden was on, was quite cramped; also, commoners lived around the place, frequenting dark taverns and small shops.
The elder behaved as if everything was normal, but his arrival had instantly caused fear among those living in this alley, and hushed discussions began to erupt everywhere.
Many began to spread the news. “Oh, dear! Phoenix Garden has opened their gates!”
“Are you telling the truth?”
“Why would I lie to you? I’ve seen with my own eyes the old caretaker of the Skywings, Xia Wuye! He opened the gates. He’s even tidying up the place!”
“Does that mean someone here in White Horse Constellation has run out of luck?!”
“What else! Whenever the Phoenix Gardens open their gates, it means that the Skywings will be starting a war with someone. The way I see it, I think there’s going to be a big commotion this time!”
“Shall we go look?”
“Yes, let’s! Quick, call Apothecary Tang San’er over as well. Let’s all go and ask around to prepare ourselves better mentally! It’s never a joke when the demonic blade is unsheathed!”
The word on the street spread along exponentially, and pretty soon, hundreds were gathered outside the Phoenix Garden. Practically, all the citizens living within ten miles of the place had all come.
No one in the crowd dared to say a word. They watched from afar as Xia Wuye continued to sweep the place, seemingly unable to see these onlookers, coughing like the old man that he was from time to time.
Soon, a middle-aged man appeared at the entrance of the street. He quickly paced over to Phoenix Garden, nodded to the sweeping Xia Wuye before striding into the property, his sharp eyes scanning his surroundings.
“Who’s that?” an onlooker curiously asked.
“Xia Lanshan. I heard that he had gone to study drama, and it’s been over twenty years since he last showed his face around here. I often saw him when he was younger, though,” a elderly man stroked his beard and answered in a soft voice.
Some young man, who knew nothing about the matter, asked out of his curiosity, “An esteemed Skywing learning drama? Isn’t he being a bit worthless?”
That old man glared at him before sternly chiding, “Then you’re the fool here. The Xia family is the most open clan out here in the Law Realm. Never do they force their clansmen to do anything, allowing them to pursue whatever they desire. They are unlike other clans that force their own people to learn law powers or else be disowned.”
The young man found this to be inconceivable, asking again, “Since the people of their clan can do whatever they want, it means that their combat strength isn’t comparable to other clans. Why would the people of White Horse Constellation remain very afraid of the Skywings then?”
The elderly man smiled as he calmly explained, “You’re lacking in foresight. Though the Skywings are naturally predisposed to freedom, their combat strength isn’t weak. Take Xia Lanshan for example; though he enjoys drama, his cultivation isn’t lacking. When he left home twenty years ago, he had already reached the Law Emperor tier, so he should at least have a Great Law Emperor cultivation today!”
“Whoa! A Great Law Emperor!” the crowd exclaimed. Sure enough, those people were Skywings, randomly producing a Great Law Emperor just like that! If this were some small family, it would simply be unimaginable!
The elderly man was somewhat pleased as he continued speaking. “Besides, that’s not the only reason the circle is so afraid of the Skywings. The reason is that this clan is really vicious and crazy! Do you know why everyone calls the Skywings the Sharpened Demonic Blade?”
“No clue,” the young man shook his head and answered.
“If you don’t know, then head back home and ask your grandfather.”
The crowd guffawed, which somewhat eased the fear they all felt from opening the gates of Phoenix Garden.
Unfortunately, this laughter was short-lived.
One!
Two!
Three!
It was as if the people of the Xia family had received some secret call, for they appeared one after another! In five minutes, six others had stepped into Phoenix Garden!
The Skywings were unorganized by nature, and usually, only the old caretaker and the Law Enforcement Board’s Xia Zonghai hung around Phoenix Garden while all the other members of the clan were scattered all over, busy with their own businesses. There were those who did drama, some who sang, some who devoted to pharmacology, some who worked on toxicology. In any case, it was as if the people of the Xia Family had plenty of interests and hobbies, and enjoyed traveling the stars, going all over the vast expanse of s.p.a.ce. This was actually the first time for many of these onlookers seeing so many Skywing appear together!
They moved very quickly, their faces all wearing unconcealed grumpiness. Their gazes, like knives, were akin to the glares of savage wolves that would eat humans, bones and all, as they gradually gathered in the midst of the nature around them.
Each of them knew that today in Phoenix Garden would be unlike those that they had had in the past. The scent of a coming storm made the atmosphere oppressive!
“Xia Niu! That’s another Skywing Law Emperor! What is the Xia family planning on doing by calling so many experts back home?! Is unrest about to break out in the Law Realm?”
“Is a war between the G.o.d Race and the Demon Race perhaps on the brink of breaking out?”
The hearts of the onlookers beat faster and faster. Several had even started to sweat profusely. At this point, even a fool could tell that the Skywings were about to get into a big fight!
In about fifteen minutes after the Demonic Wing Command had been evoked, twenty-three Skywings had entered the Phoenix Garden, and they all had Law Emperor or even Great Law Emperor cultivation!
“No way! Even the Law Overlord Xia Tian has come home?”
The crowd was reeling when a bespectacled and gentlemanly elder appeared in that narrow alley outside Phoenix Garden!
Xia Tian looked very cultured, even smiling at these neighbors before he pa.s.sed through the gates.
Unfortunately, this smile to the ma.s.ses looked more like a nuclear warhead in the eyes of these citizens, igniting the pressure that had been cooking in them!
“That’s it! It’s all over! This time, the Skywings are surely going to go wild!”
“The demonic blade is unsheathed!” Even that very composed elderly man could not help but begin shouting, saying a whole load of nonsense, getting extremely agitated.
“That person just now is a Law Overlord? His temperament doesn’t seem to match,” the chatty young man whispered.
“That man, Xia Tian, practices meditation! How could his temperament be lacking!”
“Remember: No matter how these Skywings look on the outside or whatever hobbies they have, they are all just a facade! Once anyone provokes them, even a G.o.d will regret their actions, for these people are all insane! The most insane madmen in the Law Realm!” The veins on the forehead of that elderly man twitched as he said this in a low voice.
The young man gulped. A Law Overlord who meditated? It was indeed impossible to understand the Skywings with conventional logic. Not only were they the sharpest blades in the Law Realm, they were also the most eccentric!
However, that made them somewhat alike to Xia Fei. Aside from cultivation, Xia Fei dabbled in machinery and pharmacology. He could be considered a man of many talents. Furthermore, he would always have a genial smile on his face whenever he was not fighting, not looking in the least bit like the crazed lunatic that he was when fighting.
Everything was just the surface in the end. Actual lunatics never openly wore their insanity on their faces; rather, it was carved deep in their bones, something that could never be gone! Anyone familiar with Xia Fei would know that, while he was someone who appeared reasonable, he was actually a madman at heart!
These people could no longer bear it and pushed forward He Gang, the oldest among them, to ask in greater detail about what was happening. They were hoping to learn just what the Skywings were up to and if the neighborhood would be implicated.
Old He arrived outside Phoenix Garden with a big smile. Bowing to the still sweeping Xia Wuye, he asked, “Wuye, look at how anxious the entire neighborhood is; is something major about to go down?”
Xia Wuye was the caretaker of Phoenix Garden. He was not originally a member of the Skywing, but because he had no kin of his own and had spent many years in servitude of the clan, he had eventually changed his surname to Xia. Everyone treated him as one of their own, never once seeing him as an outsider.
Xia Wuye straightened his back and chuckled. “It’s nothing much. It’s just that someone in the clan evoked the Demonic Wing Command, so everyone all came.”
The moment he heard the three words ‘Demonic Wing Command’, Old He Gang’s face turned ashened. It was no wonder the Skywing experts had gathered here today, arriving one after another. It turned out that the Demonic Wing Command had been evoked! It was only expected that all the members of the clan would make their way back in the first instance!
Xia Wuye looked at these nervous people and softly sighed.
“The enemy seems to be one of the Nine Great Clans, so it’s best if you all seek shelter temporarily elsewhere.” With that, Xia Wuye resumed sweeping the floor. He made it sound as if the mention of the Nine Great Clans and a war erupting were casual occurrences.
“T-Th-The… THE NINE GREAT CLANS!” It was as if someone had stabbed He Gang’s back with a knife, for he sputtered those words effortfully.
…
The Dragon Ascension Martial Hall, Kuzan Feng’s office.
Experts had gathered!
The Four Heavenly Kings of Dragon Ascension, Busey, Salem, Kurani, and Dotzel and Hallmaster Kuzan Feng. These five superior Law Overlords were all present!
No clan in the Law Realm had five Law Overlord warG.o.ds counted among their numbers. Not even the Nine Great Clans could do this!
This was the strength of Dragon Ascension! The number-one martial hall across the Law Realm lived up to its name!
The news that the Moonward and the Skywing clans had declared war on each other had of course reached the Dragon Ascension’s ears. Aside from being a martial hall, Dragon Ascension bore the responsibility of reporting directly to the G.o.d Race.
The atmosphere was heavy, and the faces of these Law Overlords were stern. With the demonic blade, Skywings, going against one of the Nine Great Clans, these people knew just how grave the consequences of this huge war would bring. It would definitely result in a flurry of bloodshed, which was rarely witnessed in the Law Realm!
*Beep beep beep*
The secret communication device on Kuzan’s table suddenly rang, and everyone lifted their heads, prepared to hear the first-hand report.
“Speak!” Kuzan was terse, his expression grim.
“Understood!” The man in black on that screen gave a bow as he reported the situation. “The Moonward Clan has already begun evacuating Cherry Garden and Plum Garden, leaving just their strongest fighters behind. Meanwhile, the warriors of Skywings have begun gathering at Phoenix Garden.”
“How’s the strength of either force?” Kuzan urgently asked with a frown.
“The Moonward Clan’s three Law Overlords are all present, namely White Ward, Ulcen Ward, and Golcen Ward. They also have close to forty warriors who have Law Emperor cultivation and above!”
Three Law Overlords and forty Law Emperors!
The Moonward Clan had quite the strength, indeed, being one of the Nine Great Clans.
It must be stated that the entire Yu family only had three Law Emperors, with both Yu Jiang and Yu Guding already dead, yet in just half an hour, Moonward Clan had managed to gather such a powerful force, which just went to show how much strength they had!
“Golcen Ward? Hasn’t he been called to join the G.o.d Race already?” Kuzan asked even as he recalled this fact.
“He came back,” the scout said. “According to our investigations, Golcen Ward has only been recruited by the G.o.d Race last week and hasn’t yet officially registered. Going by the rules, he can’t be considered as part of the G.o.d Race, so he’s eligible to return home and join in this war. This isn’t going against the rules.”
Everyone nodded their heads repeatedly, agreeing with the a.n.a.lysis their scout had made. The G.o.d Race was a super war band and it was only natural that they would not join in on the going-ons in White Horse Constellation. However, Golcen Ward had yet to register in an official capacity, meaning that he was not restrained by the rule.
Busey shook his head as he said in a solemn voice, “The Moonward Clan has three Law Overlords. Looks like the Skywings are going to be in trouble this time.”