They all wore dark gray, form-fitting soft armor. The wings on their backs were a deeper color than those of ordinary Feathered People—almost ink-black.
All five had their auras completely contained. Standing there, you might overlook their presence entirely if you weren’t looking carefully.
But the High Priest could feel the razor-sharp killing intent hidden beneath their calm exteriors.
The Wind Shadow Hunters, the Feathered People Civilization’s most elite assassination unit, specialized in decapitating key enemy targets.
The five who had come this time were all top-tier combatants below Level 45. Their captain, Shadow Blade, even had a successful assassination of a human Quasi-Grandmaster on his record.
Of course, he was merely a member of the team back then. This time, however, the Energy Level restrictions required him to be the captain.
"Captain Shadow Blade," the High Priest greeted with a slight nod.
The figure at the very front of the five stepped forward. He was a Feathered Person who looked to be around thirty years old, his face cold and severe. His eyes were a pure, non-reflective pitch-black.
"High Priest, we’ve already studied the intelligence on the target." Shadow Blade’s voice was low and raspy, like a blade scraping against metal.
"Xu Wuyi. His Heart Phase Traits are area-of-effect Flame attacks, making him extremely lethal to cluster formations. His individual close-quarters combat ability is unknown—or rather, has never been demonstrated."
He paused, then continued, "Our plan is to have the conventional forces continue the counteroffensive, forcing the Federation to deploy him. The moment he makes his move, we will lock onto his position and then..."
Shadow Blade clenched his fist.
"A single, killing blow."
The High Priest was silent for a few seconds before asking, "Are you certain?"
"If the intelligence is accurate, there’s a ninety percent chance he’ll appear on the front lines," Shadow Blade said, his tone flat. "And so long as he appears, he’s a dead man. The five of us working together can kill anyone short of a human Quasi-Grandmaster."
He spoke with absolute confidence.
Such was the confidence of the Wind Shadow Hunters.
The young Priest beside them said excitedly, "Then what are we waiting for? Have the troops step up the pressure and force him out!"
Shadow Blade, however, shook his head. "No need to rush. Pushing too hard might scare him off. We’ll let the conventional forces continue to chip away at them first. We’ll make our move when the Federation feels they still have the advantage."
He looked at the High Priest. "We need a battle of sufficient scale—one that he’ll feel is worth his intervention, but not so much that he suspects a trap."
The High Priest understood his meaning.
"I will make the arrangements."
On the eighth day, the intensity of the Feathered People’s counteroffensive increased significantly.
A force of over five hundred simultaneously attacked three Federation outposts, one of which was a medium-sized resource collection station.
The Federation put up fierce resistance. The two sides were locked in a four-hour stalemate outside the station. In the end, the Federation defenders were forced to retreat due to heavy casualties, and the collection station fell into the hands of the Feathered People.
This was the first major strategic point the Feathered People had reclaimed since the start of the war.
When the news reached Sandstone Base, the atmosphere in the command hall grew even more grim.
But a slight smile touched the corner of Zhao Rui’s lips.
’The fish is finally about to take the bait.’
He turned to his adjutant. "Relay my orders. All troops are to assemble in Zone E-9 tomorrow. Now that the Feathered People have taken the collection station, their next target will certainly be the energy hub there. We will fight them in a ’decisive battle’."
The adjutant was taken aback. "Colonel, the terrain in Zone E-9 is wide open. It’s perfect for the Feathered People’s aerial forces to maneuver, which puts us at a disadvantage."
"That’s the point. It has to be advantageous for them," Zhao Rui said, patting his adjutant’s shoulder. "They’ll only take the bait if we’re at a disadvantage."
「The Ninth Day. Early Morning.」
The sky of the Flowing Sand Star Realm was still a dim yellow. Two hazy, amber suns rose from the horizon, coating the desert in a golden sheen.
Zone E-9 was a vast expanse of gobi desert.
On the Federation’s side, over eight hundred Martial Artists had already assembled, constructing a simple defensive position. Energy Shield Generators hummed, raising a pale blue curtain of light around the perimeter.
Three kilometers behind the main position, inside a hidden cave.
Xu Wuyi, Lei Hong, and Ye Guanlan were hidden here.
The cave had been specially prepared. Its entrance was optically camouflaged, and the interior was fitted with an energy-dampening device to ensure they wouldn’t be detected by the Feathered People’s reconnaissance.
Xu Wuyi stood at the mouth of the cave, peering through a gap in the camouflage at the distant fortifications.
His gaze was placid, his dark golden pupils betraying no emotion.
Lei Hong sat leaning against the cave wall, his War Axe resting across his knees, his eyes closed in meditation.
But Xu Wuyi could sense the Qi and Blood in the big, bald man’s body slowly beginning to circulate faster, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
Meanwhile, Ye Guanlan was squatting on the ground, using several Energy Crystal Stones to lay out a small detection array. His movements were precise and swift. A few minutes later, the array took shape, emitting a faint blue glow.
"It’s a detection array. It can cover a five-kilometer radius." Ye Guanlan stood up and spoke to Xu Wuyi. "The moment the Feathered People enter its range, I’ll know."
Xu Wuyi nodded but said nothing.
He was waiting.
Waiting for the Feathered People to take the bait, and for the hidden Hunter squad to reveal itself.
The minutes ticked by.
At 9:17 AM, a dense, dark mass of Feathered People appeared on the distant horizon.
At first, there were dozens of black specks, then hundreds, until finally, a swarm of them blotted out half the sky.
The sound of their beating wings merged into a dull roar, like the rumble of thunder before a storm.
"They’re here," Ye Guanlan said, looking at the large cluster of light that had appeared on his array. "A preliminary estimate puts their numbers at over twelve hundred."
Lei Hong’s eyes snapped open. He grinned. "Excellent!"
Xu Wuyi’s gaze locked onto the rear of the Feathered People’s formation.
Although his senses were dampened by the cave’s shielding device, he could still faintly perceive several exceptionally sharp auras hidden within the dark, dense mass of troops.
Like swords hidden in their scabbards.
The Feathered People’s forces halted five hundred meters from the Federation position and began to assemble into formation.
They didn’t attack immediately. They were waiting for something.
A few minutes later, five figures rose slowly from behind the main force, hovering in midair.
It was the Wind Shadow Hunter squad.
Shadow Blade hovered at the forefront, his ink-black wings absorbing all light from the dim yellow sun. His gaze swept over the Federation’s position before finally settling on the seemingly tranquil stretch of gobi desert behind it.
"The target... you think he’s there?" a young Hunter beside him asked in a low voice.
He was the youngest of the five, codenamed "Shadow Stab." Though powerful, he had an impatient personality.
Shadow Blade didn’t answer.
He was waiting for the Flame Martial Artist to appear.
If Xu Wuyi was truly here, he would have to intervene in this battle. Its scale was large enough to be "worthy" of his attention.
If he didn’t... it would mean he wasn’t in the Flowing Sand Star Realm after all.
Time continued to tick by.
At 9:40 AM, the Feathered People began their first wave of probing attacks.
Three hundred Feathered Warrior Generals dove down, hurling Energy spears at the Federation position. The pale blue projectiles rained down upon the Energy Shield, causing it to ripple with each impact.
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