At the very instant his Divine Soul "looked" toward the Featherfolk territory,
deep within the lake of his heart, an unfamiliar presence resonated faintly and wondrously with him across the distance, without the slightest warning.
Meanwhile,
above the Royal City of the Featherfolk Kingdom, in Hongfang.
At this moment, the Royal City had long since lost its former serenity, its rolling seas of clouds and soaring immortal creatures.
Countless white-winged Featherfolk corpses lay strewn across the battlements. Their once-spotless feathers were soaked in dark red blood, a scene of utter devastation.
Broken banners, collapsed palaces, and the lingering stench of blood and smoke all told of a battle of unimaginable brutality that had only just ended.
On the temple plaza at the highest point of the Royal City stood a tall, slender young man in robes whiter than snow, his hands clasped behind his back.
Ji Wuji, leader of the Sun-Eater Alliance.
Behind him, a middle-aged Featherfolk with grayish-white wings, dressed in the official robes of the Featherfolk Kingdom, bowed with a face full of flattery.
"Your might is unrivaled, Alliance Leader. Our foolish king has now been put to death, and apart from Yun Lou, you have swept away all resistance in the capital."
Rubbing his hands, the Featherfolk smiled ingratiatingly. "Your humble servant, Yun Qi, knew long ago that you were the one favored by destiny. That was why I braved such danger to open the gates for you, coordinating our efforts from within and without. For this service, I hope you will... remember your humble servant in the days to come."
Ji Wuji did not even raise his eyelids.
Yun Qi had been the Featherfolk Kingdom's guardian High Priest, a man of immense power and rank. But after committing a grave crime and finding himself at the