"What the…?" Mei Hongli muttered, the word hanging in the air as he stood frozen, bewildered by the empty space where his points should have been.
One moment, his targets were there, standing like ripe fruit ready to be picked, and the next, they were gone, leaving behind nothing but the faint, shimmering dust of broken illusions.
A heartbeat later, a figure appeared before him, cloaked in swirling purple gaseous flames and crackling golden lightning. The pressure of that aura struck Mei Hongli at once. His chest tightened as he faced the newcomer, and the smug expression he had worn while hunting clones vanished.
At first, he was startled, but as soon as he recognized the face staring back at him, a hot flame of fury replaced his confusion. "Feng Luotian!!" he bellowed, his voice loud and rough with anger.
But as Mei Hongli looked closer, his rage shifted into a cold disbelief.
Despite the familiar face, Mei Hongli could hardly believe who stood before him. The pressure from Luotian's purple flames was unmistakable: he was a Six Fangs Fighter. The boy Hongli had dismissed as powerless earlier that morning was now facing him with an aura he could no longer ignore.
"No," Mei Hongli muttered, shaking his head until his fat cheeks wobbled. "You can't be Feng Luotian. Who are you? What trick is this?"
Luotian's lips curled into a sly snigger, the sound sharp and mean. "Why does everyone from your group ask the same question?" he mused, his tone mocking the very air between them. "There's nothing impossible in this world, you know. You just have to be strong enough to see it."
Mei Hongli's mind reeled like he had been struck. "No, it's just not possible!! Wait—" his eyes widened as a sudden, terrible realization dawned on him. "What happened to my men?!"
Luotian gave him a friendly smile, but his eyes were as cold as ice. "Oh, they're all waiting for you outside. I sent them ahead to get the best seats for your arrival."
"What?! How can—" Mei Hongli stammered, his shock etched into every deep line of his face. He struggled to understand how his carefully built wall of protection had been torn down so fast without him hearing a single scream.
"Stop wasting my time," Luotian interrupted, his voice cutting through the air. His tone dropped to a chilling level that made the nearby leaves seem to shiver. "It's time to flush out the main cheater from this place. You've had your fun."
Before Mei Hongli could form another word, Luotian's piercing gaze bore into him, and the purple flames surrounding the boy flared up like a forest fire, blazing as he stared down Mei Hongli.
* * *
"Look! It's God's Son!! He really has an aura on him. He's not a cripple anymore!!" someone in the crowd shouted, their finger pointing wildly at the giant projection. The commanding presence of Luotian, radiating with a new confidence and raw strength, was impossible to deny.
The crowd's murmurs swelled into an uproar. On the stage, Mei Hongyi stumbled back two steps, his pale face and shaking hands betraying his disbelief as he stared at the screen. "S-Six Fangs? Feng Luotian is now a Six Fangs Fighter? How is this possible?!"
His words, spoken in total shock, carried far more weight than he realized. Although he couldn't feel Luotian's power through the screen, his years of experience told him the truth just by looking at the density of that purple aura. His exclamation confirmed what the gathered crowd had scarcely dared to believe.
"Six Fangs?!" someone repeated in a stunned whisper. The news exploded through the arena in a wave of astonished voices.
"Six Fangs?! Are you kidding me? A month ago he couldn't even lift a heavy rock!"
"From a commoner to Six Fangs in just one month? That's not human—it's divine! That's a GOD!"
"Yeah, it took me five long years of hard work just to reach Four Fangs! This makes me want to give up!"
"As expected of God's Son! At this rate, we'll have another God protecting our city in no time!"
The excitement over Luotian quickly turned into a deep anger toward Mei Hongli. People turned their eyes to the scoreboard, and the smell of resentment spread like wildfire.
"And then there's Mei Hongli. Look at his score! His father's the proctor, and he's clearly cheating!"
"Yeah, there's no way he's ahead of Goddess Mei. She's way stronger than him!"
"Even if she's sharing points in a party, the gap shouldn't be that huge. And don't forget Ying Lizhua—he's the best talent in the city and he's still behind by more than 400 points! Mei Hongli said he'd win fair and square? What a joke!"
"I hope God's Son thrashes him into the dirt!"
"Yeah! God's Son!!"
"God's Son!!"
The chant began as a low hum, then grew as more people joined in. Soon, cries of Luotian's name drowned out every other sound around the exam site.
"God's Son!!"
"God's Son!!"
"God's Son!!"
The fervent chant echoed through the arena like a tidal wave, a massive roar of admiration and support for the boy they had once called a cripple. The very air seemed to vibrate with their shouts. It was clear now that Feng Luotian had captured the hearts and hopes of the people, and nothing could stop the surge of momentum he had created.
Mei Hongyi spun around on the stage, his face red and his teeth grit, ready to unleash his fury on the person who had dared to insult his son. But before he could utter a single word of anger, a calm yet commanding voice cut through the noise.
"Hongyi, care to share what's happening?"
The moment those words reached his ears, Hongyi's heart skipped a beat, and a cold sweat broke out on his neck. He turned slowly to see six figures ascending the wooden stage with measured, heavy steps. Their presence was so strong that it immediately drew the eyes of every person in the crowd, silencing the noise. These were not just any people—they were the most influential and powerful individuals in all of Divine Bird City.
Leading the group was none other than the Peacock Lord, Mei Xuankong. As the head of the Mei Clan and the most powerful cultivator in the city, his presence felt like an immovable mountain. His sharp eyes rested on Hongyi, waiting for a response that didn't come.
Flustered and shaking, Hongyi bowed deeply, his voice thick with a forced respect. "C-Clan Chief! Greetings, Clan Chief! Greetings, Milady, Supreme Elder, and First Elder! Even the Eagle Lord and Heron Lord are here as well! Welcome!"
Peacock Lord had brought with him five figures of immense power, each one a towering presence that felt like a weight on the air. Together, they represented the very top of the city's strength. Their arrival alone was enough to make even the most confident fighters tremble with awe.
Among them was Mei Xue'er, the Peacock Lord's wife and Mei Yue'er's mother. Her beauty was nothing short of breathtaking—she had dazzling features, a stunning figure, and an aura of grace that seemed to stop time itself. Despite being nearly forty years old, she looked no older than a young woman, a trait Yue'er had clearly inherited. But her charm was only one part of her; Mei Xue'er was a One Wing Master, a level of power that made her one of the city's most dangerous figures. As the wife of the Peacock Lord, she held the title of Peacock Lady.
Next to her stood the man known as the Supreme Elder, Mei Hengkong. He was the Peacock Lord's father and Yue'er's grandfather. To most, he appeared to be a frail, thin old man leaning on a simple walking stick, but this was only a mask. Mei Hengkong was a legend from the old days, once the strongest man in the city as a Four Wings Master. Having passed the clan's leadership to his son, no one knew exactly how strong he was now, though many believed he had climbed even higher than his old peak. His calm face hid a deep, scary level of power.
Another major figure was Mei Changkong, the First Elder of the Mei Clan. He was the senior advisor responsible for watching over the city's business alongside the Peacock Lord. As Mei Hengkong's younger brother and the Peacock Lord's uncle, he was a giant of the previous generation. He still carried a lot of weight as a Three Wings Master. His long years of experience and his sharp mind made him a vital part of the clan's leadership.
One of the two honored guests accompanying the Peacock Lord was Ying Tianzheng, the respected head of the Ying Clan and grandfather to the young genius, Ying Lizhua. Known throughout the region as the Eagle Lord, he was a massive power from the old days, holding the cultivation of a Four Wings Master.
Despite his deep wish to step down and enjoy a quiet life in retirement, Ying Tianzheng stayed on as the leader of his clan because there was no one worthy enough to take his place—until fate finally stepped in.
Everything changed when his grandson, Ying Lizhua, did the impossible by awakening his bloodline at the incredibly young age of nine. Labeled as the greatest talent Divine Bird City had ever seen, Lizhua's amazing skill brought back all of Ying Tianzheng's hope for the family name.
Full of pride, he quickly made Ying Lizhua his official successor, though they kept this news hidden within the Ying Clan for the time being. To Ying Tianzheng, the boy's rise was not just about keeping the family line going, but also about bringing the Ying Clan back to its former glory.
The final figure in the group was He An, the current head of the He Clan. Even though he was younger than the other chiefs on the stage, his great talent had already earned him a lot of respect.
As a Two Wings Master, his power was lower than most of the masters standing around him, but his future potential and strong leadership made him a man to be feared nonetheless. Known as the Heron Lord, he carried the heavy hopes of the He Clan's future on his shoulders.
Peacock Lord, Eagle Lord, Heron Lord, and the missing Sparrow Lord—head of the Sikong Clan—together held the title of the Four Lords of Divine Bird. They were the symbols of the city's balance of power, with each man representing one of the four great clans: Mei, Ying, He, and Sikong.
Even Mei Hongyi, who was usually very sure of himself, was turned into a shaking, stuttering mess under the sharp eyes of these six powerful people. Even though he was a Two Wings Master himself, the heavy pressure of their presence left him feeling small and rattled. His mind raced as he tried to find a way to explain the mess happening in the exam, but he knew in his heart that no lie would satisfy this group of giants.
Swallowing hard, Mei Hongyi finally managed to speak, his voice thin and quivering like a leaf in the wind. "Please excuse my bluntness, but why are you all here?"
Before any of the others could reply, Mei Hengkong, the Supreme Elder, spoke up. His voice carried a heavy, ancient authority that sent a sharp chill straight down Mei Hongyi's spine. "I've come to watch my granddaughter. Got a problem with that?" The words were short and blunt, but the power behind them felt as massive as a mountain.
Mei Hongyi immediately fell over his own words, his head bobbing up and down in a series of deep, frantic bows. He looked exactly like a chicken pecking at grain in a dusty yard. "N-No, Supreme Elder! Of course not! I wouldn't dare have a problem!"
The strange sight caught the eyes of the crowd. A low buzz of talk started as people tried to figure out what was happening. Many of the younger people watching had no idea who the old man was, since Mei Hengkong had lived in quiet retirement for so many years. Most of them only recognized the leaders who ruled Divine Bird City today.
Mei Hengkong, leaning his weight on his simple wooden walking stick, made his way slowly across the stage. He moved toward the screen showing his granddaughter, Mei Yue'er. He took a seat nearby, his quiet and calm face hiding the world-shaking power that lay beneath his thin, old skin.
Excited whispers spread through the crowd as people recognized the new arrivals.
"Even Peacock Lord has come to watch the exam!"
"Well, of course he has. Goddess Mei is fighting this time!"
"True, it makes total sense. This is a huge day for the Mei Clan's future."
As they kept talking, more eyes turned toward the old man. His presence alone was enough to make people wonder and guess.
"Who's that gramps over there sitting so close to the Lord?" one young man whispered, having no idea how dangerous his casual words really were.
"Be quiet!" his friend hissed, panic showing in his wide eyes. "How dare you call him 'gramps'? Didn't you see how the Second Elder acted just now? If a Wing Realm Master is bowing that low, do you really think you'd survive if that senior got angry at you?"
Realizing he had almost invited a disaster, the youth quickly slammed his hands over his mouth. He sank deep into the crowd, his face turning as white as a sheet as he tried to hide from the scary old man's sight.
Meanwhile, Peacock Lord waved his hand to invite his guests to take their seats. He sat down next to his father, with his wife, Mei Xue'er, sitting gracefully by his side. Her beauty was so bright it seemed to light up the stage, drawing amazed looks from everyone, though no one was brave enough to say it out loud.
The First Elder, Mei Changkong, took his place standing behind Peacock Lord as he always did. He kept a proud and respectful posture while his sharp eyes watched everything happening on the screens.
The whole stage gave off a feeling of both quiet peace and crushing power. Having all these top leaders in one place turned the arena into a meeting of the city's most dangerous forces. The weight of their combined attention on the exam made the air feel thick and serious, leaving the crowd in a state of quiet, shaking respect.