In the sprawling expanse of Azure Cloud, twenty-four counties bowed under the sway of twelve major powers, a single n, one monk, two sects, three mountains, and five great temples. Today, they all emerged!


    Most had received the letter. It was like a long-nned conspiracy, waiting for any move from ckwood.


    At the outskirts of Cloudview County, atop the Duke''s mansion, Michael stood on the rampart, his gaze sweeping the horizon, his ears catching whispers from afar. In this fierce winter, with snow swirling and thendscape serene, he narrowed his eyes.


    An elderly man approached, flying on a sword, and knelt on one knee before Michael. "Father!" This was Michael''s only son, Keh, who, though over four hundred years old, stood by his father, indistinguishable as parent or child.


    With a wave of his hand, he revealed a cage trapping a paper kite that fluttered its wings, "Again, The Oracle Chamber. Today, all forces of Cloudview County have moved, targeting ckwood."


    Michael''s face remained expressionless.


    Keh frowned deeply, "Father, for tens of thousands of years, our Johnson family has steered clear of Cloudview County''s affairs. Now, more than ever, we should mediate. This is the way of the Johnsons, who govern Azure Cloud. With twelve powers present, and Azure Cloud Pavilion as the orthodox power, plus our Duke''s mansion, Cloudview County might be weak, but no one dares to offend."


    "What do you think?" Michael asked.


    "I think our Duke''s mansion should withdraw promptly, regardless of the major powers'' siege on ckwood. Or we should step forward, dering Edward as a son-inw of the Johnsons, which should deter any offenses against us. This is the best strategy."


    "Armchair strategy," Michael said, disappointment evident as he nced at his son. "ckwood has be a thorn in the side for all major powers in Cloudview County. As long as ckwood exists, they will never rest easy. Do you think our intervention would make them set aside their grudges?"


    Keh became anxious, "But father, this bloodshed, no matter who wins, they will be the new Azure Cloud Pavilion. But what about us, the Johnsons? With Cloudview County losing many of its masters, we are doomed either way!"


    "The reason Azure Cloud Pavilion exists, bing a memory across Cloudview County, is because the dynasty needs them. They gather the finest of Cloudview County to face the demons and barbarians surrounding us..."


    "This is The Oracle Chamber''s trap, targeting our Duke''s mansion!"


    Before he could finish, Michael shook his head, "For 130,000 years, generation after generation of princes have guarded against The Oracle Chamber, feared its schemes, and today..."


    "Our Duke''s mansion enters the fray!"


    ...


    [Special Event—The Fifth Generation''s Bridal Contest!]


    [At the Azure Cloud Martial Pavilion, the young princess of the County Prince''s Mansion is holding a martial contest to choose a suitor. Your descendant, Edward, along with his siblings, faces the prodigies of the entire Cloudview County at the Azure Cloud Martial Pavilion, vowing to suppress all these so-called talents!]


    Ethan stared intently at the screen.


    He had adjusted the game''s time to mirror reality seamlessly.


    In front of Edward, the Spiritual Tribute was burning, and Ethan switched the view to Olivia.


    [Your descendant Olivia has important matters to discuss.]


    Now, Olivia appeared as she did in her twenties or thirties, dressed in a long white gown, her cool demeanor like the winter snow, yet striking as a snow lotus that captures the eye at a nce.


    Her stunning face always seemed to carry the most amiable smile, her hands holding Cards, "Forebearer, the five children have now arrived at the Azure Cloud Martial Pavilion. From this moment, we be the de of the County Prince."


    As Olivia finished speaking,


    Another special event suddenly appeared!


    [Special Event—Rising Storm]


    [The County Prince''s Mansion wants ckwood to act, to eliminate the major forces of Cloudview County andpletely reshuffle Cloudview County. Your family joins in, and now the major forces of Cloudview County, vying for the Azure Cloud''s fate, decide to seize half of the Azure Cloud''s fate upied by ckwood.]


    In the game, Ethan saw a chessboard, with ckwood as a pawn.


    It seemed to him that Michael had acknowledged Edward as his son-inw, but Ethan could feel that just being inws, Michael wouldn''t simply sell his soul for ckwood. Even the Sky Sect and ck Tortoise wouldn''t run errands for ckwood for the sake of a disciple.


    And now, the emergence of this special event further indicated that this siege on ckwood was untrustworthy!


    ckwood...


    Just a fuse, a knife!


    "Forebearer."


    As he pondered, Olivia''s smile widened, "My child can feel that in this grand scheme, there are hidden maniptors using everything they can. We, ckwood, are merely pawns."


    Ethan squinted slightly, just as he had when he saw ckwood in the years following that bloody massacre, when Cloudview County was unusually calm.


    He always felt something was off but couldn''t pinpoint what it was. Now, everything seemed to be bing clearer.


    Ethan typed on the keyboard.


    [If they want us to be pawns, they better be prepared for us, ckwood, to leap off the chessboard!]


    Thunderfire Raging Python emerged from the soil, conveying Ethan''s words to Olivia with a deep voice.


    "Commander says, do it!"


    Ethan''s expression, originally solemn, froze as he read the words above Thunderfire Raging Python''s head. Suddenly, he felt the urge to switch his temple guardian beast or perhaps treat the whole n to a demon king-level snake soup.


    Olivia, too, looked astonished at the Thunderfire Raging Python. "Did the Forebearer really say that?"


    The Thunderfire Raging Python''srge eyes flickered with confusion before it ryed Ethan''s words verbatim, "Isn''t it all the same?"


    Olivia decided to ignore the temple guardian beast and bowed respectfully towards the Forebearer Cards. "Child understands, in this great conflict of the era, child is ready to make our ckwood the chess yer. We, the descendants, fear not the harsh winter!"


    "Now, we just wait for the major forces to make their move!"


    "And wait for... the children of the fifth generation."


    The scene shifted back to the Azure Cloud Martial Pavilion.


    The children of the fifth generation still looked down upon all the prodigies.


    The incense stick had burned down significantly.


    Over two thousand talents had gathered at the Azure Cloud Martial Pavilion, ranging from the peak of Foundational Energy to the False Core stage,ing from twenty-four counties and even other regions.


    But with the arrival of the ckwood members, everything changed, and talents began to leave one after another.


    Under the snowstorm, snowkes gentlynded on the shoulders of everyone present at the scene, making this winter day extremely cold.


    They didn''t even know what the deal was with those two strange little monks and nuns, who Edward was, why the little girl riding a fierce tiger had such a strong presence, or what the story was with the guy riding a donkey.


    But the word "ckwood" meant everything!


    Over thirty years, the deeds of ckwood had spread far and wide, no longer just the tales of ''bodies cast before the Azure Cloud Pavilion'', ''one man battling three Competents'', or ''Dawn alone holding the Azure Cloud Pavilion''. The younger generation even considered the words ''blood-stained ckwood'' taboo.


    It didn''t matter whether it was about cowardice or shame, nor did it matter about the disdainful looks from those who still remained at the scene. Surviving was enough.


    The hundred-plus floating tforms in the sky became a joke in this snowstorm.


    What need was there for tforms?


    The descendants of ckwood were ready to smash everything!