Free Web NovelChapter 109: Chapter 109: The Arrival of the Roc Clan
The mountain winds of the Upper Realm were sharp, cutting through the jagged, snow-capped peaks of the divine Leopard Sect like invisible blades.
By early morning, the grand reception plaza a massive expanse built from polished white spiritual stones that jutted out over the edge of a sheer cliff was completely lined with inner sect disciples and guards. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
They stood in rigid, silent formation, their silver and white robes snapping violently in the cold air.
Despite the orderly appearance, a heavy undercurrent of anxiety rippled through the lower ranks.
News of the Divine Azure Roc Clan’s impending arrival had spread like wildfire through the outer mountains.
The Roc Clan was a massive, predatory lineage of primordial birds that ruled the eastern ridges with absolute, ruthless dominance.
They were notorious for their extreme arrogance, their unmatched speed, and their long-standing history of trying to completely suppress the feline tribes.
Near the front of the plaza, Elder Shen stood with his hands tucked deeply into his long sleeves, his calculating eyes fixed on the distant eastern sky.
Behind him, Shen Mao stood wrapped in a heavy, luxurious silver fox collar that shielded her delicate skin from the mountain chill.
Her beautiful face was twisted into a look of severe irritation, her fingers tightly gripping a delicate jade pendant.
"Grandpa, why must we stand out here in this freezing wind just to welcome a bunch of loud, feathered brutes?" Shen Mao gritted her teeth, her voice a sharp whisper that barely carried over the wind. "The Patriarch didn’t even show his face at the morning assembly today. He treats us like common servants while he sits comfortably in the warm hall!"
"Be quiet, you foolish girl," Elder Shen hissed back, his voice dropping into a low, warning rasp as he glanced nervously toward the high throne steps. "The Patriarch’s ears can hear a leaf fall from ten miles away. If you speak another disrespectful word, even I won’t be able to protect your tongue from his wrath. Today is a critical day. The Roc Clan is coming to test our sect’s depth. If they manage to cause trouble, it will expose whether the Patriarch’s awakening is perfectly stable or if he has hidden weaknesses we can exploit."
Before Shen Mao could reply, a sudden, piercing screech ripped through the upper atmosphere.
The heavy clouds over the eastern peaks violently shattered as three massive, magnificent azure rocs tore through the sky, their wingspans stretching over fifty meters wide.
Their feathers glinted like polished blue steel in the sunlight, and with every single beat of their wings, massive gales of spiritual wind rushed down, slamming into the reception plaza with the force of a collapsing mountain.
Several lower-ranking leopard disciples groaned, their legs trembling as they were forced to take a step back against the sheer atmospheric pressure of the descending beasts.
The three giant rocs executed a flawless, incredibly aggressive dive, pulling up at the last possible second to land heavily on the white stone plaza.
The impact sent a resonant, bone-shaking thud through the entire mountain peak.
Standing proudly upon the head of the leading azure roc was a young man dressed in sweeping, magnificent navy blue robes embroidered with silver feathers.
He had a sharp, exceptionally handsome face with thin lips and piercing, hawkish eyes that swept over the assembled leopard tribe with a look of pure, unadulterated condescension.
This was Blue Sky, the young master of the Roc Clan. Flanking him on either side were two elderly men with withered faces but immense, terrifying energy oceans swirling around their bodies, the senior elders of the Roc faction.
"Chief Leader Bai Feng," Blue Sky spoke, his voice carrying a sharp, ringing quality that naturally cut through the mountain wind as he leaped down from the beast’s head, landing flawlessly without a single sound.
He did not offer a traditional bow of respect; instead, he merely casually arched his back, a faint, mocking smirk playing on his lips. "My Azure Roc Clan received news that a magnificent bloodline awakening occurred within your borders last week. My father was deeply concerned that your small sect might not have the proper resources to stabilize such a turbulent power, so he personally sent me to offer our... congratulations and guidance."
The two Roc elders stepped forward, intentionally releasing a combined wave of their senior cultivation pressure. The invisible weight slammed across the plaza like a solid iron wall, causing the outer disciples’ faces to turn completely white as they struggled to breathe.
Clan Leader Bai Feng stood at the base of the grand hall steps, his golden-trimmed robes perfectly still despite the rushing gales. His face remained a mask of cold, majestic authority, his violet eyes narrowing slightly as he looked down at the arrogant youth.
"The Divine Azure Roc Clan is remarkably well-informed," Bai Feng replied, his deep voice smooth and entirely calm, easily cutting through the senior elders’ oppressive weight. "However, the leopard tribe’s heritage is absolute. We require no external guidance to manage our own bloodline. The young master has traveled far. Please enter the banquet hall so we can conclude this formal visit."
Blue Sky let out a soft, thoroughly amused laugh, adjusting his silver-feathered cuffs as he strolled past the rows of stiff leopard guards. "Oh, there is no need to rush, Chief Leader. We came exclusively to see this newly awakened genius. Why is it that he has not come out to greet his guests at the plaza? Could it be that his core is too unstable to leave his bed, or is the leopard tribe simply hiding a counterfeit talent?"
Behind the line of elders, Shen Mao’s eyes flashed with a sudden, malicious spark as she watched the exchange. ’Go on,’ she thought, her lips curving into a hidden, venomous smile. ’Force that arrogant Patriarch to come out. Let’s see if he can call the Roc Clan ’trash’ the way he called me.’
"The Patriarch’s movements are not for an outsider to question," Bai Feng said, his voice dropping into a flat, deadly tone that made the temperature on the plaza drop by several degrees. "Follow me to the hall."
Blue Sky shrugged his shoulders, his hawkish eyes glittering with absolute confidence. To him, the leopard tribe’s cold attitude was merely a sign of severe panic and weakness.
With a lazy wave of his hand, he led his delegation up the grand stone steps, entirely convinced that before the day was over, the entire Leopard Sect would be thoroughly suppressed beneath the wings of the Roc Clan.
The grand stone corridor leading from the reception plaza to the Great Feast Hall was lined with ancient, heavy bronze cauldrons that burned with high-grade spiritual coals, casting flickering orange shadows across the walls.
Blue Sky walked with an exceptionally wide, confident stride, his silver-feathered navy robes billowing behind him as if he already owned the entire mountain range.
The two Roc elders followed closely at his heels, their sharp, hawkish eyes continuously darting toward the hidden alcoves and defensive arrays, their faces wearing expressions of pure, unadulterated condescension.
"This Leopard Sect has truly fallen from grace, Elders," Blue Sky murmured smoothly, his voice laced with a sharp, mocking tone that easily carried through the stone hallway. "Look at these defensive arrays; they are using ancient, multi-layered stone scripts that were outdated in the eastern ridges two centuries ago. If my father gave the command, our primary roc fleet could tear these mountain barriers to absolute shreds within three hours of flight."
"Young Master speaks the truth," the leading Roc elder replied with a low, sneering huff, adjusting his heavy navy cuffs with a pompous sniff. "The feline lineages have always been slow, heavy, and overly reliant on their physical bloodline density.
They lack the elegant speed and the high-altitude aerial mastery of our sublime avian tribes.
This supposed ’supreme awakening’ they are bragging about is likely nothing more than a minor core density increase that they are using to scare off the smaller border sects."
Elder Shen walked a few paces behind the delegation, his hands tucked deeply into his long grey sleeves as his calculating face remained perfectly still. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
He was intentionally absorbing every single drop of the Roc Clan’s arrogance, using his internal spiritual sense to track the shifting weight of the atmosphere.
Beside him, Shen Mao walked with graceful, slow steps, her eyes fixed on Blue Sky’s handsome, wealthy profile with a sudden surge of greedy ambition.
’If the Patriarch continues to treat me like common trash,’ she thought, her fingers tightening around her silk ribbons, ’then perhaps the future Mistress of the Eastern Ridges would be a far more satisfying title for my status.’
Clan Leader Bai Feng led the way at the front of the line, his majestic golden-trimmed robes completely dark against the bronze firelight.
He did not turn around to counter their petty insults, nor did he offer a single word of defense for his sect’s honor.
His face was a mask of cold, timeless indifference that mirrored his son’s expression perfectly.
He knew that every single word of arrogance leaving the mouth of this young bird was simply adding another layer of wood to the massive, terrifying face-slapping fire that his son was currently waiting to ignite inside the grand hall.
