The Skywing Clan information center…
Xia Fei’s hands moved rapidly across the screen. Given that the Skywings were all speedsters, this information center with Xia Geng as the head only had six members, but could easily collate the information from across the five universes at the same time.
“Give me number 317795’s final death toll,” Xia Fei ordered gravely.
“None dead. All we got is information that an altercation happened that could very likely involve the Dark Spiritualists.”
“Connect to the local medical institutes, and get the latest situation on the wounded. If they are severely wounded, the local medical institutes will display it immediately. Presently, has there been any clan headquarters that had been besieged?”
“Yes!”
“Give me a report of them, right away!” Xia Fei commanded.
Making bold speculations and careful verifications had always been Xia Fei’s habit. Sensing that the situation was off, Xia Fei personally took over Xia Geng’s job, and began to trace and verify all the information they were gathering.
An hour passed, and the situation was becoming clearer and clearer. Though fresh news reports were springing up like seedlings after a spring rain, there was actually quite a lot of disinformation and fake news, and there were plenty of exaggerated reports where the casualties were minimal at worst.
“What a good misinformation campaign. There’s an endless stream of battle information, making it seem like it’s some great war being waged across the universe, but after this whole time, none of it is anything severe. This was nothing more than the Dark Spiritualists’ accomplices causing a ruckus. Even the Dark Spiritualists have yet to make a move, and this has all been nothing more than their underlings’ messing around,” Xia Guanghai shrugged.
Xia Fei did not turn his head around, remarking softly, “The more it’s like this, then the more ominous this becomes. I’m sure plenty of clans out there who been misled into thinking that the Dark Spiritualists are making their main assault now, and would up their guard thusly.”
Xia Geng and Xia Guanghai were still confused, so Xia Geng asked, “Isn’t it good for them to be on their guard? I just asked the Grand Ancestor if we ought to bolster the patrols near our clan, and he said I should consult you first.”
Xia Fei shook his head and calmly explained, “Don’t underestimate human nature. If every major clan had their guard up, and if times like this made it hard to distinguish friend from foe, how many would lend a hand and save those in need? As long as they can achieve their goal of keeping us separated, then the Dark Spiritualists will have succeeded.”
Xia Geng and Xia Guanghai were shocked!
Xia Fei lived up to their expectations as the most formidable strategist in the Skywing Clan; not only was he capable of accurate and concise analysis, he also had a good grasp of human nature!
Strengthen their defenses? Just what use would their efforts in bolstering their defenses do when facing the line-up of powerful Dark Spiritualists? In the event a clan were to be attacked, they would of course seek aid from other clans, and normally, there would definitely be people that would come to help.
But right now, the Dark Spiritualists had used some vassals of theirs to throw Alpha Universe into a state of heightened guard, guiding everyone into prioritizing looking out for themselves. Even if they felt compelled to provide aid to others, they would not do so with the strongest force they could muster. This meant they were bound to be defeated by the already prepared Dark Spiritualists! These were the calculations Nanshazi had made!
Xia Guanghai thought about it and asked, “Are you going to report this to the top?” The Skywing Wolfpack had been made aware that Xia Fei had some connection to the Annihilation Universe, given the sudden appearance of Shen Gufeng and Lin Zhuoying during the big battle on Spirit Mountain the last time, as well as that time when Qiu Xingbang temporarily obeyed Xia Fei’s dispatch as proof.
“It’s useless,” Xia Fei shook his head. “If I’m not mistaken, things are messy up there as well. Both parties are acting in concert, and besides, those experts are the true culprits working behind the scenes here. They won’t feel any heartbreak over the deaths happening in Alpha, just like the Law Realm did toward the Human Alliance back then.”
Xia Geng and Xia Guanghai frowned. What Xia Fei said was not wrong. What the Annihilation Universe wanted was the real mastermind. As long as they could lure this perpetrator out, they would not bat an eye at the sacrifices happening in the Alpha Universe.
It was the same with the Law Realm in the past, steadfastly guarding a corner of the universe, while they left all the other weaker lifeforms to fend for themselves.
However, ever since the battle at the Cosmic Gate, the Law Realm had changed. They began to establish frequent contact with more vulnerable groups like the Pan-human Alliance. They even opened up their spatial traversal array for use. As for helping commoners open up their seventh brain region, that was also becoming more prevalent, and it was none other than Xia Fei who had pushed for it.
“Disturbing the tall grass to scare the rabbit, but the thing is, who is the rabbit that the Dark Spiritualists are aiming for? Let me hear your opinion on this: would they use this opportunity to attempt a sneak attack on us?” Xia Geng asked, somewhat worried.
Revenge. The enmity between the Skywings and the Dark Spiritualists was significant, with the former having foiled the latter’s plans time and again, and Xia Fei’s shadow had been cast over them.
Xia Fei chuckled, “If Nan Shazi is no fool, then he will not make a move on us. Killing off the Heavenly Might Spiritualist School or major organizations like that could scare the others and is a good show of their might. What do they stand to gain from coming after us? There’s so few people out there that know about the Skywings being here in the Alpha Universe, after all.”
“Then we might as well sit by and watch the tigers tear each other apart,” Xia Guanhai mused, unconcerned. “The more chaotic the world becomes, the more beneficial it becomes for us! The way I see it, we might as well form small covert teams and wherever war breaks out, we can go over there and fish in troubled waters!”
Xia Guanghai was getting more and more excited, his face almost red, “Since we’re all so fast that most won’t be able to stop us, when the time comes where some clan is left in ruin, we can just kill everyone still alive and snatch everything they own! Let’s reap the spoils of war properly!”
When Xia Guanghai said this, Xia Geng and several other clan members from the information department cheered in agreement. The Skywings had always been adept at thriving during chaotic situations!
It was not just Xia Geng, Xia Fei had always enjoyed the act of looting spoils. Given how they did not have a good relationship with these people, none of them saw any harm in seizing what they owned. Since someone else would end up doing the same anyway, rather than letting others benefit from the act, it was better if they were the ones who did it. In this day and age, was there anyone that would say no to profit?
Unfortunately, this time Xia Fei had actually shook his head firmly, “Greed for such small profits will end up compromising greater gains in the future. While it is fine for our brothers that are Law Gods and under to act as they deem fit, it is necessary for us to leave the better portion of our forces behind, to prepare for an impending emergency.”
Xia Geng was startled and asked, “Do you mean to say that those above might not be able to immediately sort out the waves being made in Alpha? Could this break out into a protracted war?”
“The possibility exists, but the key is that I’m not used to letting others have control over my fate. I don’t care how those above plan to resolve this, we just need to take care of ourselves.”
Just as he said that, the Alpha Universe communicator on Xia Fei’s wrist rang. Xia Fei walked to a corner and turned it on. It was none other than the Patriarch of the Aurora Clan, Wistful Heizus. Though the old monsters had returned, the Patriarch post was still being helmed by Heizus, since Wistful Zaifeng and the others had long since left aside worldly affairs and were no longer familiar with the clan.
“Is something the matter?” Xia Fei asked.
Heizus replied, “You ought to have learnt by now that the entire Alpha Universe has descended into chaos. This could very well be the doing of the Dark Spiritualists.”
Xia Fei nodded, “There is indeed such a possibility, but the people acting are all their underlings, while the true experts are still in hiding.”
Heizus answered, “I’m not contacting you over this. The ancestors have all discovered something suspicious, and they are hoping you can come over and take a look.”
“What sort of suspicious things?” Xia Fei asked, curious.
“I can’t speak of it here. The ancestors have all specially instructed me not to speak about this,” Wistful Heizus said severely.
Xia Fei was mildly surprised, “So secretive? Then what is this matter related to?”
“It’s related to the location where the ancestors had been residing all these years. From what they said, it seems to be related to the issue of energy change,” Heizus muttered vaguely. It seemed like he was also in the dark as to why Zaifeng and the others were looking for Xia Fei.
Energy?
Xia Fei mulled over that, and suddenly thought of something. When he was over at Undercurrent, the Dark Spiritualists had been desperately gathering Spirit Energy. Nobody knew just what they were doing with so much energy, but it was definitely not going to be something good!
“I understand, tell them that I’ll be making my way over right now,” Xia Fei responded.
…
*Whoosh*
A Blueblood warship landed right in the middle of ruins.
Roderick came dashing out from the warship, his eyes wide, his entire person teetering on insanity!
This was the only base the Devil Shadow Dragoons had here in the Annihilation Universe! The entire base had been reduced to rubble!
Thick smoke billowed, indicating that a battle had broken out only recently, and Roderick had just been one step behind!
Everyone was shocked. It was hard to believe that across this area of sixteen hundred square kilometers, the Headquarters of the Devil Shadow Dragoons in Annihilation and the first-class facilities it boasted would be gone, just like that!
“What happened here?! Just what exactly went down!?” Roderick bemoaned to the heavens, his expression one of excruciating pain.
He could clearly remember the crumbled training center being built to the left, and the blazing inferno to his right that had been the Devil Shadow Dragoon’s armory. In front was the spatial transference array, the entire structure once personally set up by Roderick’s own hands. Now it was completely in ruins!
“Patriarch! There seem to be sounds coming from behind that huge boulder,” the guard accompanying Roderick noticed.
“Quick! Go take a look!”
*Whoosh*
Three figures sprinted over, and extracted someone from behind the boulder in no time. This individual’s left arm had been cleanly cut off, and he was on the cusp of death.
“Carson!” Roderick recognized the men. He was a warrior from his own clan, and a Destiny Dragoon!
He darted over, shaking Carson as the man clutched onto his arm stump, asking insistently, “Carson, just what exactly went wrong here?!”
Carson opened his eyes slightly, and rasped breathlessly, “Patriarch, our comrades were ordered to guard this place, to investigate who the traitor among the Devil Shadow Dragoons was…”
Carson coughed painfully, as Roderick hurriedly urged him, “Yes, I know about that. I was the one who gave the order! What happened in the end? Just how did things turn out like this?!”
Carson grimaced, “Patriarch, when you originally advocated for the reformation of the Devil Shadow Dragoons, I’m afraid you were sorely mistaken. All thirteen of them, they were all traitors! Everything here is their doing! The Devil Shadow Dragoons were all turncoats! The fifty-seven teams of Destiny Dragoons have all been slain right here, on these very grounds!”
Carson let out a heart-wrenching howl, not even caring that Roderick was the Zadin Clan’s Patriarch.
*Zing*
Roderick suddenly felt a bout of dizziness come over him. He dropped down to the ground, as the other Zadin Clan guards around him all lowered their heads.
Devil Shadow Dragoons, the Fiend Race; they had all originally been tabooed in the Annihilation Universe. Back then, it was Roderick and his colleagues who had defied all opinions and decided to reform this legendary division, only to face obstructions from various forces. Even the base of the Devil Shadow Dragoons had been called an ominous place.
No one would have thought that the rumors would turn into reality, and now all thirteen Dragoons had all turned traitors! They even slain every single Destiny Dragoon team that was watching them!
The sadness he felt was even greater than his heart could take. Roderick had worked very hard in order to pick out the warriors that would have qualities similar to the Fiends, and the only reward he got from all that was betrayal, as well as a catastrophe!
Thinking back to what that person had said outside the New Heroes Alliance Headquarters, Roderick thought to himself, ‘Thirteen isn’t an auspicious number, thirteen… So you already knew!’
*Squelch*
There was a rush to his heart, and Roderick spat out a mouthful of blue blood as he collapsed to the ground face-first.
