Receiving the clan’s order to assemble also meant that the Skywing Clan needed his presence right now!
The duty bound Xia Fei immediately got up and packed up his things before striding off purposefully, sans a drop of hesitation.
Just as he made his way out to the corridor, Xia Fei had accidentally bumped into three people; Fig Corporation’s Research Division 4 Director Muzen, his aide Mamba, and Research Institute 137’s Director Kalu, who looked particularly sullen.
“Yin Fei, you’ve come out of your room at the perfect time. Let me introduce you to our superiors: This is Research Division 4 Director Muzen and Assistant Director Mamba,” Kalu reluctantly called to him.
The expression on his face was awkward. After all, he was the one who had tossed Xia Fei to the maintenance team. Now, Xia Fei was basking in the limelight and was being admired by the entire company, so much so that even an unparalleled genius like Zack could not be compared to him. This one slap given had truly been quite vicious; in addition, it had not just struck Zack but also Kalu, who could feel his face burning intensely.
Plenty of people knew of the incident when Kalu was chased out of Research Division 4 by Flynn, and with Xia Fei being viewed as Professor Flynn’s student in name, everyone could tell that Xia Fei ended up holding a lowly position in the maintenance team simply because Kalu vented his hatred on him.
Everyone could have turned a blind eye on this vengeful act of his had Xia Fei not been so outstanding. There were tens of thousands graduates from Fig Star Academy that would join the company every year, so no one cared about losing one or two, but it so happened that Xia Fei’s abilities had been made known to all! Even the only graduate in fifteen decades from the Eternity Branch could not beat Xia Fei, so what else could be even more bizarre than this?
It was just that this slap Xia Fei did was too ruthless. Not only was Zack and Kalu dealt such a heavy blow in the face, even the elders of the Eternity Branch were affected; they most probably hated Xia Fei deep into their bone marrows now.
“Hahahaha! You’ve indeed lived up to your name as a gifted graduate of Independent College. Your future is sure to be boundless!” Research Division 4’s director warmly reached out and pulled Xia Fei closer as he struck up a conversation with him.
“The battle between Zack and you today has been a real eye-opener for everyone. Not only was it exciting, you even managed to break the company record for the highest points earned answering questions within an hour! You’ve forever left a mark in the company’s history!”
Muzen was being a little official, not blushing at all as he boasted. Xia Fei was unmoved by this, as his mind had already wandered to Blizzard Fiendish Wing Villa, secretly wondering just what could have made the clan summon him over.
Glancing around at the gloomy corridor, Muzen could not help but frown as he asked in a deep voice, “Director Kalu, just what are you doing? How could a top talent of our Research Division 4—no, the entire Fig Corporation—live in such a dim place?!”
Kalu went pale. He had already expected Muzen to put him down in order to curry favor with Xia Fei. After all, with Xia Fei unexpectedly doing such a sensational feat today, forget Research Institute 137, even Research Division 4 may not be able to keep him. It was a matter of time before he left for Research Division 1!
Entering Research Division 1 was as good as ascending to the heaven, so it would be even weirder if Muzen did not take every chance he could get to curry favor with Yin Fei. Meanwhile, Kalu could only become the sacrificial lamb.
Sure enough, Muzen intentionally demanded, “Director Kalu, which research team is Yin Fei presently stationed with?”
Kalu nearly collapsed to the ground when he heard that question. Who else in the entire company was unaware of the historically greatest maintenance worker? Muzen was clearly aware of this as well, yet he persisted in asking such a question. He was evidently trying to make him look terrible!
“He’s with the maintenance team,” replied Kalu in a small voice.
*Zing*
Muzen’s eyes instantly widened.
“Maintenance team! You’ve left the company’s most promising sapling with the maintenance team?! Director Kalu, are you daft in the head?!”
Kalu hurriedly answered, “The maintenance team is terribly lacking in manpower, so I temporarily assigned Yin Fei to it, but it’s only for a few days; it’s not his actual designation. From here onward, there’s no need for Yin Fei to report for work with the maintenance team. I’ve already made preparations for him to be the deputy team leader of the mechatronics research team.”
“No need!” Muzen waved his hand dismissively. “Since Research Institute 137 has such an attitude, there’s no need for Yin Fei to stay here, either. The pressure testing lab of Research Division 4 is in dire need of a new assistant, and Yin Fei happens to fit the bill perfectly.”
Xia Fei frowned. There was no way he would be in the mood to hear these people spout nonsense. Xia Fei simply quickened his pace and left, even as he solemnly stated, “I’m sorry, gentlemen, but I have something else on, so I’ll be taking my leave first. Plus, I’ve always had a dislike for others making choices for me. The maintenance team is very good, so I hope to keep staying here.”
Xia Fei actually departed after he said that, leaving the three men in that gloomy corridor.
‘He’s a freak from Independent College, alright,’ Muzen secretly told himself. He turned around to see Kalu sweating profusely. No matter how he looked, Kalu appeared to be very detestable, so he ended up venting his anger on him.
“Director Kalu, the way I see it, you don’t seem to be very happy with working in Research Institute 137, so why don’t we do this: Tomorrow, report to the parks department? The old caretaker happens to be retiring, and they lack someone suitable to take over the reins.
Kalu only felt his scalp turning numb. The parks department was in charge of the greenery. The various plants and trees are all mechanized for automated horticulture, so the work of the parks department is literally just the maintenance of this gardening machinery! It was a line of maintenance work a grade lower compared to the general maintenance team!
Indubitably, Muzen had made this call to toss Kalu there, leaving the man to be ignored.
Kalu had spent a very long time climbing up the ladder, to his current position as Research Institute 137 director, after being kicked out of Research Division 4 by Flynn all those years back. Now, he had been kicked into the parks department by a student of Flynn, someone whom the professor had not even met once! Each time was even harsher than the last!
…
Fiendish Wing Villa. Ice and snow surrounded the place for thousands of miles, and even the sky was enveloped in white snow.
“So this is the Fiendish Wing Villa?” Xia Fei stood outside the villa and took in the view before striding in.
The configuration of Fiendish Wing Villa was far more complex than Wind Garden. After all, it had winding corridors that twisted and turned, as well as countless courtyards that overlapped with one another. Now that Xia Fei was here, he could feel the unique sharpness that the Demon-sealing Fiendish Blade possessed!
In contrast with Wind Garden, Fiendish Wing Villa brimmed with an electrifying intensity! Killing intent could be felt all around!
The atmosphere in the villa was tense. Xia Fei saw plenty of clansmen along the way, a stern expression on all of their faces, almost as if something major was happening right now.
Xia Fei only recognized Xia Tian and Xia Guanghai from the clan, and now that the latter was off on a mission and Xia Tian had secluded himself for a period of intense cultivation, all those he met were unfamiliar faces.
Everyone nodded at Xia Fei whenever they crossed paths, demonstrating a cursory recognition of one another. People of the clan had already learned about Xia Fei and Xia Tian even before they arrived, which was why Xia Fei did not feel alienated even though this was his first time meeting them.
In the front yard, the rendezvous point, Xia Fei spotted five Skywing Law Sages calmly standing on their respective spots, each one of them already in full-battle order. Adorned with their respective suits of war armor, these gathered warriors were having a discussion in low voices. The moment they saw Xia Fei, these five Law Sages greeted him. From all these, he could already guess that perhaps they wanted him to join them in their operation this time.
“Over here, Xia Fei,” Xia Ke rumbled in a deep voice.
Xia Fei made his way over and gave both peak Law Sages Xia Ke and Xia Lianning a bow. Now that their grand ancestor was not around, these two were in charge of all the matters pertaining to the clan.
After being introduced, these three sat around the table in the grand ancestor’s study. This was the first time Xia Fei had come to Fiendish Wing Villa, so he of course was intrigued by everything he saw around him. A simple query and Xia Fei was slightly surprised to learn that they were in the residence of the grand ancestor, whom he had yet to meet in person. He could not help but give the place a few glances despite him feeling a tad disappointed that the elder was not present.
“Here’s the situation. It’s the grand ancestor’s original intention to let you find your footing in the God Race territory, considering it a test of sorts for you, but things have since changed. We have no choice but to call you over to the Fiendish Wing Villa. As for the assignment that the grand ancestor gave you, wait till this matter is settled before resuming that,” Xia Lianning said.
Xia Fei nodded. “I understand, but may I know just what sort of situation are we in?”
“A very important situation,” Xia Ke answered severely.
Surprised, Xia Fei pricked up his ears and listened intently.
“You already met Xia Guanghai. At the moment, he’s leading a squad in the far-away Turbulence. It’s very complex out there, with conventional space and dark space intertwined. It’s very bizarre and dangerous.”
‘Turbulence?’ Xia Fei suddenly thought of something. According to the Atlantean records, they had discovered the Beast Spirit Codex from the Turbulence. Unexpectedly, this technique, which could control countless beasts in the universe, ended up becoming the bane of the clan, which caused its extinction, disappearing from the Law Realm forever not too long after.
Since Xia Guanghai was actually on a mission out in the Turbulence, could there perhaps be some relation to this?
Xia Lianning paused for a moment before continuing. “Xia Guanghai bringing his squad to assault the Turbulence was all in accordance with our grand ancestor’s request. According to the venerable one, we Skywings need the support of the Immemorial Mystical Armaments right now!”
With that said, Xia Ke and Xia Lianning both glanced at Xia Fei’s right arm. It was no longer any secret that the Immemorial Mystical Armament Peacock Blue was hidden there. Anyone who knew of Xia Fei was aware of him having relied on it to get to where he was today.
Xia Fei was puzzled. “The Immemorial Mystical Armaments? There are thirty of them, and each is a powerful weapon in its own right, but people can’t possibly cause such a big fuss over them, can they?
Xia Ke shook his head. “The grand ancestor didn’t specify anything; it’s only our guess that this has got something to do with the recent instability seen in the Cosmic Gate.”
Xia Fei was startled once more, with him also being interested in the Cosmic Gate’s existence.
Xia Lianning continued where Xia Ke left off. “The Law Realm isn’t boundless. The two peak races control the center of the Law Realm, extending outward over a radius of a trillion lightyears. Places beyond are all considered the territory of dark lifeforms, and now that the Cosmic Gate has started destabilizing again, those dark lifeforms hiding in the far reaches of space have also begun moving about.”
“Dark lifeforms?!” Xia Fei suddenly felt his heart shudder. It turned out that there was not just one type of lifeform in the universe. In the Law Realm, though the different sapient lifeforms were of different species, at the very least, all were fairly closely related to one another.
Take Oro’s Lionhearts as example; the Lionhearts had bodies covered in golden fur and had massive builds, but they nevertheless shared eyes and mouths that were not too far off from the humans. There was no essential difference to them, but who knew in what ways were these so-called dark lifeforms different?
It would be extremely dangerous if the territory of dark lifeforms surrounded the outer regions of the Law Realm!
Considering the vastness of the universe, with practically no end in sight, nobody knew just how many intelligent yet evil lifeforms resided in the unknown parts of space!
If all those dark lifeforms became hostile to the Law Realm, both sides would be locked in a deadly battle with each other!
“What do you need me to do?” Xia Fei gritted his teeth and asked solemnly.
