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...
The night draped the Silver Winged Family's territory in a cloak of deep indigo, the canopy above rustling softly as a cool breeze wove through the towering trees.
Within the guest courtyard, a deceptive stillness reigned until it didn't. The patrols encircling the mansion housing Nie Li's companions had swelled to a formidable force, their silver armor glinting faintly under the moonlight.
Dozens of guards stood shoulder to shoulder, forming an impenetrable ring around the perimeter, their spears and swords at the ready. (Image)
They hadn't breached the mansion's walls yet but their presence was a silent promise of action, awaiting only the Patriarch's command to storm inside.
As the hours ticked by, the shift change began. Weary guards, their faces etched with exhaustion from the long watch, shuffled away, replaced by fresh faces.
But in the flickering torchlight, a subtle shift went unnoticed each new guard were members of Elder Sikong Yan or Sikong Wei's faction.
Slowly, methodically, their numbers grew, until seventy percent of the sentries were loyal to the two elders. They moved with purpose, seizing control of the gates and rearranging the postings shunting guards from other factions to the outer edges, far from the heart of the action.
Under the cover of this orchestrated chaos, Sikong Yan and Sikong Wei emerged from the shadows, their imposing figures cutting through the night. Yan's broad frame was clad in dark robes, his weathered face set in a scowl of barely restrained fury, while Wei's leaner build moved with a predator's grace, his gray eyes glinting with cold calculation.
As they approached the main entrance, the original sentries those tasked with barring all entry bowed low, their loyalty to the elders overriding any standing orders.
In the Silver Winged Family, with only three Black Gold rank elders and one stationed afar at the trading town, Sikong Yan and Wei held sway as the clan's mightiest pillars beneath the aging Patriarch.
Their autonomy was unquestioned, their actions seen as an extension of Sikong Yi's will by all who served.
Inside the mansion, Duan Jian sat cross-legged on the first floor, his meditative trance unbroken despite the chains Nie Li had draped over him a façade of captivity, complete with a fake inscription shimmering faintly across his abdomen.
His breathing was slow, deliberate, until a ripple in the air stirred his senses. His dark eyes snapped open, narrowing as he felt the weight of a heavy presence pressing against the stillness.
Footsteps echoed from the upper floors, and Xiao Ning'er appeared, descending the stairs with quiet grace, the Book of Beast Array clutched in her hands.
Behind her trailed Cao Wang, Du Ze, Lu Piao, and Xiao Xue, their faces taut with alertness, weapons gleaming in the dim light filtering through the windows.
Xiao Ning'er's gaze met Duan Jian's, a silent understanding passing between them. She nodded once, sharply, and he rose, the chains falling away with a soft clink as he shook them off.
His towering frame loomed behind her, muscles tensing as he prepared for what was to come. The others gripped their weapons—Du Ze's broadsword, Lu Piao's twin short blades, Cao Wang's longsword but Xiao Ning'er raised a hand, her voice low and steady.
"Save your strength. We'll hold them with the Book of Beast Array first, then fight our way out if we must."
Outside, the elders slipped through the entrance, their confidence buoyed by their underestimation of the "children" within.
Their mission was clear: capture Xiao Ning'er and retreat. With her in their grasp, even the Patriarch would hesitate to intervene, leaving Nie Li's hands tied.
They stepped into the main hall, their boots silent against the wooden floor, and paused at the sight before them. Xiao Ning'er sat alone in the center, bathed in the soft glow of a lantern, the book open in her lap as she read with serene focus. (Image)
The scene was almost tranquil deceptively so. Yan's lips curled into a sneer, his hand gesturing to Wei as they prepared to strike.
Boom! The air erupted with a deafening roar, the floor trembling beneath their feet as the Book of Beast Array sprang to life.
A blinding surge of light exploded from its pages, coalescing into a shimmering barrier that enveloped the hall. From within the array, demon beasts materialized—thousands of Gold rank spirits and hundreds of Black Gold rank monstrosities—snarling and clawing at the air as they surged toward the intruders. (Image)
Far above, in the treetop palace perched among the ancient boughs, Sikong Yi reclined on a cushioned divan, a goblet of wine cradled in his weathered hand.
The chamber was a haven of opulence silk drapes cascading from the walls, the air heavy with the scent of jasmine from the attendants who moved gracefully around him.
Beauties in flowing silver gowns danced to the soft strum of a lute, their laughter a fleeting distraction from the Patriarch's gnawing unease.
His health had waned, his once-rigorous training abandoned for these fleeting pleasures as he counted down his dwindling days.
"I wonder when that brat will return," he muttered, swirling the wine in his cup, his fidgety fingers betraying his calm facade.
Sikong Hongyue stood nearby, her silver hair catching the firelight as she adjusted the dagger at her hip. "Elder Lin sent word, Father. He's still in the trading town and would likely return once he bored."
"Uhm," Sikong Yi grunted, his brow furrowing. "Hongyue, do you think that kid would run off?"
She tilted her head, considering. "I don't think so. He's not the emotional type, but he seems to care for his followers in his own way. And I doubt he has any reason to flee."
Her words had barely faded when a thunderous boom shook the palace, followed by the guttural roars of demon beasts.
The floor quaked, goblets toppling from tables as the dancers stumbled, their laughter turning to gasps. Sikong Yi bolted upright, his wine splashing across the floor.
"What's going on? A beast tide? Here?" The explosion's reverberation stung his ears, a sound like rolling thunder that set his heart racing.
Hongyue's face paled, her hand flying to her dagger. "What happened?"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A barrage of elemental fury lightning crackling, poison mist swirling, fire bursting, and ice shards raining tore through the night outside. The treetop palace shuddered violently, its wooden beams groaning as if on the verge of collapse.
"Not good—it's the guest courtyard!" Sikong Yi's voice sharpened with alarm. He exchanged a glance with Hongyue, and together they leapt from the balcony, soaring through the air toward the source of the chaos.
Below, the guest courtyard blazed with light, the Book of Beast Array unfurling a spectacle that lit the sky.
Thousands of Gold rank demon beasts—hulking Razorfang Boars, swift Shadowclaw Panthers swarmed the grounds, their roars a deafening cacophony.
Among them loomed Black Gold rank titans: the Venomspire Scorpion, its tail dripping with lethal ichor; the Frostfang Direwolf, its icy breath frosting the air; and the Blazewing Raptor, flames licking its feathers as it screeched.
They clashed against the guards, a whirlwind of destruction with Sikong Yan and Wei at the forefront, their robes torn and bloodied from the sudden assault.
The array, though a shadow of Nie Li's Ten Thousand Beast Array, wielded explosive power both defensive and offensive capable of challenging a Legend rank Demon Spiritualist.
Within the clan, only Sikong Yi could hope to match it, and even he couldn't shatter it outright.
Xiao Ning'er stood at its heart, her soul force fueling the barrier, but she harbored no illusions of victory. Against thousands of clan members, hundreds of Gold ranks, and the home advantage, survival and retreat was triumph.
The commotion rippled outward, a beacon visible to the other thirteen families scattered across the mountain realm.
In distant villages and fortified holds, eyes turned toward the Silver Winged Family's territory, murmurs rising like smoke.
"What's happening over there?" a villager whispered, peering from his window as the sky flared with unnatural light.
"Demon spirits so many, and so strong!"
"Is this some new weapon of the Silver Winged Family?" another speculated, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
A third shook his head, pointing at the chaos. "Look, it's attacking them! It's someone else's doing."
Back at the courtyard, Sikong Yan staggered, clutching a gaping wound across his chest, blood seeping through his fingers.
"Damn it, what the fuck is this?" he snarled, his voice raw with pain and disbelief.
A handful of guards rushed to his side, their faces pale with awe and terror as they gaped at the array's might, they have never seen anything like this before.
One stammered, "It's—it's unreal, Elder!"
Sikong Wei ducked a lashing tail from the Venomspire Scorpion, his robe singed from a near miss. "It's that brat's trump card left with the girl. Her soul force powers it, but she can't hold it forever."
His eyes gleamed with a mix of fear and greed, envisioning the array in their hands unassailable dominance within reach.
Sikong Yan spat blood, his venomous glare fixed on Xiao Ning'er's silhouette within the barrier. "What kind of monsters are these kids? Even this girl is a Black Gold rank expert!"
The wound throbbed, but the itch in his soul burned hotter, the humiliation suffered at Nie Li's hand fueling his resolve.
Sikong Wei nodded, his breath ragged. "That bastard's with them too, Duan Jian. I don't like the feel of him either. How'd he get so strong?"
"Must be that brat's doing!" Yan roared, steadying himself. "Guards, hold your ground! Focus on defense, the Patriarch's coming. Let's see how they fend him off then!"
The guards rallied, their shields raised against the onslaught, their eyes darting between the elders and the array's relentless fury. The night stretched taut, a battlefield suspended in a fragile stalemate, each side waiting for the other to break.