At the southern end of the Cloud Sea, Flying Fish were rare, and the white mist was thick.
A fierce gust of wind swept by, blowing away the white mist to reveal what lay within—only a vast silence remained.
Compared to the recent hustle and bustle, the area was now completely deserted.
Even Fang Yang had left, heading toward the northern end of the Cloud Sea.
Although the exit of the Flying Fish Cloud Sea was at its northern end, Fang Yang didn't venture too deep, merely lingering on the periphery.
As cautious as he was were Chen Yuan and a few other Hunters.
They all stayed far from the center of the conflict, silently observing the storm.
In the middle of the northern Cloud Sea, figures zipped past one after another.
In an instant, a torrent of alchemical flames, ice spikes, Bone Spears, and Wind Blades flew out in all directions. Simultaneously, Light Armor, Bone Shields, water barriers, and more sprang into existence.
The already colorful scene transformed into a brilliant, dazzling tapestry.
This could already be considered a small-scale battle!
'With every flash of a blade or sword, the lake evaporates inch by inch.'
'And this is just a Low Tier skirmish. I can't imagine how cataclysmic it will be when the Xuan-Yu War truly begins...'
Fang Yang rode his Frost Horse, his eyes deep in thought.
He had never forgotten that he was a member of the Cangmu Banner, pledged to serve Sen Hui's older brother, Sen Yue.
'Even if I'm on the logistics side, once a great war breaks out, who cares if you're support personnel or not?'
'The enemy's first target might even be the logistics line!'
RUMBLE—
Suddenly, the situation changed. A colossal pillar of lightning appeared, stirring up thousand-foot waves.
A heavily injured Six-winged Flying Fish surfaced on the lake!
"What? There's actually a Six-winged Flying Fish?"
"Damn it! Stop, or don't blame me for what happens next!"
"My brother is Desert Dragon! Show me some respect!"
"..."
In a mere instant, the appearance of the Six-winged Flying Fish caused the intensity of the already heated battlefield to skyrocket.
Even Chen Yuan and the few others who had remained aloof like Fang Yang couldn't maintain their composure at this moment.
Chen Yuan, in particular, immediately played her trump card, a crazed look on her face as she relentlessly tangled with Desert Tiger.
With a series of SPLASHES, one Hunter after another dove into the fray.
Except for Fang Yang, all the Hunters entered the water, vying for the Six-winged Flying Fish.
NEIGH~
The Frost White steed let out a long neigh, asking Fang Yang if he needed its help.
If Fang Yang also wanted to fight for the Six-winged Flying Fish, it was willing to charge into the fray for him, to pull the chestnuts from the fire.
"There's no need. Senior, you've already helped me a great deal," Fang Yang said with a calm smile.
The setting sun was like blood, casting a crimson glow across the sky and dyeing the Cloud Sea with a matching blush.
Within this Cloud Sea, heroes clashed and blood rained down.
And above the Cloud Sea, Fang Yang, dressed in a snow-white robe, sat astride his Frost Horse with the White Feathered Eagle perched on his hand, coldly observing everything below.
The evening glow fell upon him, suffusing him with a sacred light.
'Little punk. He's pretty good at posturing, but isn't he just too weak to join the fight?'
After an inadvertent glance, Chen Yuan immediately noticed Fang Yang's extraordinary presence.
Though her heart skipped a beat, she couldn't help but sneer inwardly.
'All show and no go. I've seen plenty of men like him!'
But Fang Yang remained standing quietly on the shore, untouched by the calamity.
'The Six-winged Flying Fish you're all fighting to the death for... I actually got one with ease a long time ago.'
An indescribable sense of satisfaction welled up in Fang Yang's heart, making him feel quite cheerful.
It was like drinking a bottle of Sprite on a scorching summer day—chillingly cool, uplifting, and utterly refreshing.
But a moment later, Fang Yang nonchalantly wiped that feeling away.
'This is nothing to be particularly happy about.'
'Compared to the Path of Longevity, everything else is hardly worth my concern.'
Of course, if it were a realm breakthrough, he would be overjoyed—that would be worth celebrating with a drink!
And so, a peculiar scene formed: Fang Yang stood on the shore, smiling as he watched the chosen geniuses engage in a breathtaking, epic struggle.
The contrast between the two scenes only served to highlight how relaxed and at ease Fang Yang was.
He had to admit, acting according to his [Seek Fortune, Avoid Disaster] talent was indeed quite satisfying!
...
「Another night fell.」
Under the moonlight, the Ten Thousand Birds Tribe once again held a grand bonfire feast.
However, the last feast was to welcome the arrival of Hunters like Fang Yang, Desert Tiger, and Hong Qishang; this time, it was to bid them farewell.
The liveliness of the event hadn't diminished in the slightest; if anything, it was even more joyous.
As before, Fang Yang was seated toward the back of the central area.
What surprised him, however, was that the person serving him was still—Lu Yao!
"My lord, please enjoy." Lu Yao knelt on one knee, offering a piece of carved roasted meat to the White Feathered Eagle.
The White Feathered Eagle turned to look at Fang Yang. When it saw him nod in approval, it happily lowered its head and began to eat the roasted meat.
Although surprised by Lu Yao's reappearance, Fang Yang didn't make any unnecessary moves.
He just calmly drank his fine wine and ate his roasted meat, completely unperturbed.
For he had long since seen through most of the fundamental nature of this world.
'To be honest, this is a world where a person's starting point in life is determined before they are even born.'
'Not only that, but it's also a world where their final destiny is almost set in stone from birth.'
'The Golden Clan, the Great Xuan Dynasty, the Red Flame Demon Country, the Daoist Mansion of Eternal Life...'
'Aside from the relatively free Earth Domain, the other seven great domains are all controlled by the orthodoxies established by Tier Nine venerables.'
'A world like this is cruel, almost completely blocking the path of advancement for Cultivators of humble origins. It's enough to make one feel endless despair.'
'Over the years, every great domain has had no shortage of capable and ambitious people who wished to burn this order to the ground. But the cruel reality is that no one has ever succeeded. Not even once!'
Fang Yang had no particular opinion on this matter.
He was single-mindedly devoted to the Dao, pursuing Changsheng.
'Whoever blocks my Path of Longevity will die. If you don't block my Path of Longevity, you can do whatever the hell you want.'
Therefore, Fang Yang had no desire to know the hidden reasons behind Lu Yao's reappearance.
And yet...
"Heroes have always emerged from the young. Young friend Fang Yang, come, let me toast you."
"If Lu Yao has done anything wrong, I hope you can be magnanimous."
The Ten Thousand Birds Race Leader had, for the first time ever, walked down from his main seat.
At that moment, all eyes in the venue followed him to this spot.
The crowd was shaken. No one could have imagined that the Ten Thousand Birds Race Leader held Fang Yang in such high regard.
Chen Yuan was astonished, Hong Qishang was full of admiration, and Desert Tiger's expression was grim.
Fang Yang was also a little surprised internally. 'Lu Yao's background is truly something else.'
But Fang Yang's face showed nothing. He remained calm, exchanging toasts with the Ten Thousand Birds Race Leader with impeccable etiquette.
"I hope you will accept this medicinal stew made from Four-winged Flying Fish," Lu Yao said respectfully, causing the nearby White Feathered Eagle to drool with desire.
"Mm," Fang Yang nodded lightly. Since things had come to this, there was no need to refuse.
Immediately, under Lu Yao's care, the White Feathered Eagle joyfully began to eat the medicinal Four-winged Flying Fish stew, its wings flapping uncontrollably to express its delight.
As soon as it finished eating, the White Feathered Eagle fell into a deep sleep, clearly too weak to absorb the nourishment.
However, streams of orange-yellow flame began to emanate from its wings, and Primordial Qi started to circulate within it.
'It's about to advance from a wild beast into a Tier One Fierce Beast... Even a dumb bird gets lucky sometimes...'