Jia Wen brought East Hao, West Hao, and two Silicon-Based Lifeforms down onto the mountaintop above the clouds.
They descended from the sky, startling countless strange beasts in the sea of clouds below the peak into fleeing.
Invisible shock waves spread outward in layers, pushing aside vast banks of cloud and giving them a clear view of the Yang God Race settlement below.
"Captain, we've taken control of the monitoring station's systems."
"I also released reconnaissance eyes to circle the planet's atmosphere and run a scan. So far, there's nothing unusual above the clouds. Everything looks as it always has. Should we check below the clouds, or even in the sea?"
Jia Wen listened to his subordinate's report and nodded with satisfaction. "Good. As long as there's no problem above the clouds, don't waste time looking below."
"A Dong, A Xi, collect the goods!"
"Yes!" The two Golden Crow members, bird-headed and human-bodied in gleaming golden armor, accepted the order and descended.
Below, thousands of Yang God Race warriors were holding a solemn ceremony amid the clouds.
Thunder rolled without pause. Chains of lightning passed from one to the next, forming ring after exquisite ring of charged cloud, nested together like glowing growth rings.
"O gods who bring light to the world, you are the culmination of nature's mighty power, radiant and supreme..."
"In obedience to your divine command, our tribe offers five thousand sacrifices. We pray to you in devotion. Please descend in your divine might and grant us your blessing."
The Yang God Race called out in prayer, begging the gods from beyond their world to descend.
East Hao and West Hao drifted down into the Cloud Ghosts' view like two blazing balls of light.
East Hao chuckled to himself at the Yang God Race's invocation and said