Michael spoke, his voice carrying a weight of realization, "From Edward, I''ve seen the nature of you ckwood people. You''re wild, like beasts, like a pack waiting to strike. "


    "Outsiders say that a lone ckwood is untouchable, but I''ve felt it—when you ckwoods gather, you''re terrifying, like a pack of wolves."


    "ckwood has grown so much in just over a hundred years, making Cloudview County restless, and I am no exception."


    He took a deep breath, "Today, I thought it was finally a time to be at ease, yet I hadn''t realized how many yers were in this game."


    "I want to know, under the cunning calctions of The Oracle Chamber, how will you ckwoods respond? What makes you, Olivia, so confident and assured?"


    Olivia''s lips curled into a slight smile.


    She remembered how, thirty years ago, her Forebearer had instructed her to start nning for Azure Cloud.


    Twenty years ago, when Forebearer told her that nothing was simple, she knew he was watching everything, his ancient wisdom from the Ability Realm seemingly piercing through all, inspiring her!


    Forebearer had been manipting everything from behind the scenes, perhaps sensing theplexity of the situation many years ago.


    "Thirty years ago, our thoughts aligned with those of the Duke; we wanted everything."


    "Twenty years ago, my ckwoods actively entered the game."


    "A few years ago, we stepped off your chessboard, and..."


    Olivia scoffed, "Do you think the rumors that ckwood represents a new era, that ckwood controls half of Cloudview County''s fate, are because of your Duke''s Mansion pushing us into battles with the major forces? No, it was us, the ckwoods!"


    "Azure Cloud Pavilion is the past, ckwood is the new dawn!"


    ...


    High above.


    A deep voice resonated, Donald''s gaze was vacant, the Williams n members looked around in terror, even Forebearer was rmed, let alone them.


    But no one knew the extent of Donald''s fear.


    The ckwoods had arrived...


    His Competent saw a coffin, just like the one he had seen outside Sky Sect that day, ckwood''s mission this time... four men!


    Nathan, Lucas, and...


    Azure Cloud Pavilion''s Jason, and... the deceased Gary!


    The n members'' voices continued to rise, the Williams had already begun calling for help.


    "Reporting to Forebearer, the transmission Energy Stone from Ghost Eye Demonic Gate has reacted, they told us... to hold on a bit longer, they are near. But... that''s what they said just now."


    "Mount Longevity also responded, they told Forebearer to act more pitiful... to beg for mercy, maybe Nathan will be merciful, what does that mean, Forebearer?"


    "Renowned Sect responded, asking if Forebearer really said he would make Williams soar over Azure Cloud? They said at his age, he shouldn''t speak such shameful words!"


    "..."


    Listening to his n members'' reports, Donald felt his liver and galldder split.


    He had never been as terrified as he was facing that explosion outside the gates of Sky Sect.


    The energy boat was still speeding, his soul trembling, the daylight snow seemed ck to him, as if he was seeing a storm in a cloudy sky.


    The responses from those sects sounded like ckwood''s mockery.


    It seemed as if a giant hand from the sky appeared, a hand of ckwood, pressing down on him, crushing him to dust.


    In his entire life, he had never felt as vulnerable as now.


    "Lies, all damn lies!"


    He realized.


    His energy locator was fake, the nine major forces'' encirclement of ckwood was fake, even... the notion that ckwood held half of Azure Cloud''s fate was fake, even the legendary The Oracle Chamber...


    These years, he might have been hoping in lies, wanting to be a new memory of Cloudview County!


    Like a clown made for mockery, still a buffoon!


    "Ah!!!"


    It seemed that from thirty years ago, a conspiracy against him had begun, or rather... a conspiracy against the entire Cloudview County!


    In this, his energy locator was never his hope, but rather, it was to lure him out of Williams'' residence, to destroy Williams.


    A trap!


    "Impossible!" Donald''s roar echoed from afar. Atop the Death Coffin, Nathan stood with his hands behind his back, already spotting the Williams'' airship, "A mid-grade ability vessel, capable of carrying ten thousand, equipped with a seventh-grade defensive array and six primary ability crossbows. Sadly, its size is its downfall, only as fast as a primary ability shuttle."


    Swords slid from their sheaths, slowly gathering in the sky above to form a sword energy rainbow. Lucas could see the reluctance in his father''s eyes. But this frugality probably ran in the family, as Lucas also remarked, "It''s a pity, father. This mid-grade ability vessel won''t make it through today. Itsplex manufacturing process is a marvel, and I wonder if our youngest can build a better one."


    "Julian, a seventh-grade craftsman, should be able to construct one. After the battle, remember to have someone collect the fragments. They are our family''s spoils of war, not to be touched by others."


    ...


    In front of the screen, Ethan scratched his head as he watched the father and son discuss. "They''re already counting their spoils before the battle has even started, huh?" Coming from humble beginnings, they knew the value of resources. But they had the confidence to back it up!


    Ethan clicked on their profiles, checking their information. Lucas, early Developing Skill... Don''t be fooled by his low level; his uniqueness lies in his traits!


    [Your descendant has walked the path of the sword for many years, defeating countless swordsmen.]


    [With a sword case holding twenty thousand des, forged over many years with fire, from a thousand swords body, he achieved a transformation—into a body of ten thousand swords!]


    [His body is like a mid-grade ability weapon!]


    Decades have passed, and Lucas has consistently pursued the way of the sword, deserving such aplishments. In that sword case, a long swordnded in Lucas''s hands. The sword was pitch ck, as if cracked, with strands of ability gathering the fragments into the de.


    [Celestial Star Sword]


    [Grade: Supreme Ability Weapon]


    [Description: This sword, obtained from The Celestial Star Swordmaster, can transform into celestial stars!]


    The rumors were true; Lucas had indeed met and fought with the Celestial Star Swordmaster! [Your descendant faced ''The Celestial Star Swordmaster'' from Star Dance County in battle. The swordmaster, facing a bottleneck in his swordsmanship, heard of Sword King Lucas in Cloudview County and came to challenge him. The two fought as mortals, using only sword moves and sword intent.]


    [The battle covered eight hundred miles,sting seven days and nights, with Lucas being defeated ten thousand times, breaking the sword saint''s moves over a hundred times, but in the final strike, he won with a single move that split a mountain into three, enlightening the sword saint.]


    [Your descendant Lucas received the supreme ability weapon, the Celestial Star Sword, as a gift from The Celestial Star Swordmaster!]


    [In their exchange of moves, Lucas gained a few strands of the sword saint''s sword intent, advancing his sword technique ''Sword Journey of a Thousand Miles'' to the mysterious level ''Celestial Sword Rainbow''.]


    That battle was undoubtedly the most beneficial in Lucas''s life! Seven days and nights. People thought he could actually escape the sword saint, but in reality, they were feeding moves to each other, neither winning the other''s sword, almost bing sworn brothers on the spot.