"Retreat!!!"
Suddenly.
The Western Frontier commander stared at the black-robed figure and unleashed an earth-shaking roar. "Go to the Primordial Central Province and summon our clan's Longevity Ancestors!!!"
That cry shook heaven and earth, piercing the Four Seas and Eight Desolations and the boundless wilds.
The people of the Western Frontier looked bewildered. Countless disciples of various traditions were stunned, still trying to discover what momentous event had sent such an immortal voice echoing toward them. It all seemed utterly inexplicable.
Beside an incense burner on a Heavenly Mountain.
An immortal crane cultivated calmly beside it, entirely unmoved, merely listening quietly to the disciples chatting among the mountains and rivers of the cultivation grounds.
Whoosh...
Several crane feathers drifted gently down from the summit.
"Thank you for your blessing, Senior Dao Crane!"
"A Dao Venerable's feathers! Boundless, boundless fortune!"
"Our thanks, Dao Crane!!"
In an instant, disciples from every branch were swept up in excitement over this opportunity, completely forgetting the strange heavenly voice from moments before.
Yet...
The gifted disciple who had obtained an Immortal Feather suddenly widened his eyes, his expression horrified as he said in a low voice, "...What, what...?!"
He abruptly flung the Immortal Feather away.
"Senior Brother, how dare you! What are you doing?!"
"Eldest Senior Brother, don't think you... you..."
"..."
Suddenly, the atmosphere throughout the noisy mountain range began to turn eerie. The countless voices about to reproach him abruptly vanished, and every disciple stared fixedly at the discarded Immortal Feather.
The wind was a little cold, and a little strong.
The Immortal Feather drifted far away.
The disciples of every branch followed it with their eyes, their faces visibly paling until they turned deathly white. Many had even begun to tremble faintly all over.
The Immortal Feather was stained with