Rewinding time a little, in the year of K.A. 514, months prior to the Slaughter of New Havens and Elizabeth's entrance to the world below, in a place far, far away from the human world, there existed a sect called the Featherwind Sect. This sect was very different from the Alzar Kingdom, the Xingyuu Empire, or even the Zino Kingdom. Their number was barely ten thousand, almost a pathetic amount when compared. It could not even amount to a regular city in the human world. However, humans did not govern this sect! Strange winged creatures akin to eagles or falcons ruled instead! Despite that, they were obviously not the same breed as the ones humans were familiar with. The birds were larger, towering over a typical human adult, and with their terrifying wingspan, they could easily encapsulate ten humans in their grasp. And there was an uncanny cunning hidden within their eyes, as if their intelligence matched or surpassed humanity!
Owing to their nature as birds, the Featherwind Sect occupied a very generous plot of land. Although the population was ten thousand, the sect spanned a space similar in size to the Alzar Kingdom's provinces. It was vast, very vast to say the least! In this vast forest, massive 'nests' were constructed with their rough raw materials. There was a wide range of types from the standard cup nests to mounds, and even floating ones too. Each of them was made with an extravagant flare to accommodate their large owners. Moreover, their appearances were truly deceiving. The interiors were decorated with handcrafted furniture and elegant rooms that merged with nature perfectly. They did not pale when compared to a Grand Nobility's estate at all! In fact, they might be a little superior even to Castle Reinhard!
This was not too surprising. After all, the Featherwind Sect was a Rank 3 civilization, one rank above humanity! What did a Rank 3 civilization mean? It meant that the Featherwind Sect could consistently nurture and produce Rank 3 Kings every generation! They might not be peak Rank 3 experts, but a Rank 3 King was a King regardless. They could dominate a region and carve out a piece in this hectic and dangerous world. That was why they were titled as Kings! This was a qualitative difference from humanity. Although people like Sword King Sin and Protector Avin existed, one could say it was a mere stroke of luck. Centuries could pass without a single human Rank 3 emerging!
Because of the monumental challenge in reaching Rank 3, any civilization that could consistently do so were regarded as true civilizations! They could stand out amongst the millions proudly and enter the global stage. In the Featherwind Sect, besides their Rank 3 sect master, there were thousands of Rank 2s. Thousands! One had to know that there were over a thousand Perception Realms in the Alzar Kingdom alone, but only three hundred were directly employed. The rest were a disjointed mess, scattered throughout the kingdom, but the Featherwind Sect was a single unified force. Their cumulative power was far above humanity!
At the core of the Featherwind Sect was the central hall. It was a towering building that seemed to scrape the skies itself! Its design and construction were simply sublime, as if it were a divine bird preparing for flight. A dense fog hung around it, restricted through some unknown means. But it was not water vapour that hung there, but World Energy! World Energy was the energy of the world, an energy that constituted and permeated all of creation. Whether it be the rocks or the water or the heavens or the earth, everything started and ended with World Energy! It was the mother of Martial and Magic Energy and formed the foundation of strength! With such a high density of energy around, vitality was enriched to the point it was overflowing. The vegetation was greener and larger than anywhere else, even persisting through the winter. It was like a heavenly abode!
Despite the flare and show of their unfathomable foundations, there was a heavy air at the highest room of the central hall. Nine birds sat quietly with dark expressions. None of them were simple either. Most of them were peak Rank 2 experts, standing tall with either Perception Realm Master or Peak Condensed Drop strength. Exuding a thick and heavy aura, their combat prowess was hard to gauge. Anyone here would make the Alzar Kingdom's three strongest knights struggle, and there were nine of them! From time to time, they glanced at the vacant seat at the head of the table. This was where the Sect Master normally sat!
"How goes the body connection?" a falcon eagerly asked.
A female dove showed a twisted expression. "I can't sense it. I don't know what happened to Sect Master!"
The falcon continued down the line and asked, "What about our information channels?"
"We heard that there was a huge fight on the Luminous Central Origin's main island, but the details are limited," the bird replied awkwardly.
Upon hearing no news, everyone's hearts sunk. The Luminous Central Origin was another Rank 3 civilization like them. Both could rock humanity to the core if they acted. However, there was a qualitative difference between the two. The Featherwind Sect was a sect, as its name suggested so their numbers were small as they were filled with disciples and masters. They trained the same techniques and united under a single banner. That was why they could become a Rank 3 civilization, a proud power in the world! Unfortunately, there was a saying that there would always be someone above and that was precisely the Luminous Central Origin!
Formally speaking, the Featherwind Sect was a low-tier Rank 3 civilization, as they could barely a nurture Rank 3 King every generation. They might be strong, but their achievements would stagnate thereafter. They would not progress onward! But the Luminous Central Origin was different. Not only did they have several Rank 3 Kings under their banner, but there was also a very powerful Rank 3 King who reigned! They were a true mid-tier Rank 3! Furthermore, their population was easily a thousand or even ten thousand times that of the Featherwind Sect. The power disparity between them was ridiculous to the extreme! It was no wonder the birds here were antsy as a strange premonition surged.
"Seer, can't you figure out the source of this uneasiness?" the falcon, the acting Sect Master and half-Rank 3 King, snapped.
"I've tried but to no avail. All signs point to… our Sect Master."
Everyone's faces grew ugly. Their Sect Master visited the Luminous Central Origin's main island a few months ago and suddenly lost all contact with them. The acting Sect Master then issued a declaration, "Until we confirm the status of our Sect Master, the Featherwind Sect will stay on high alert. I, along with a few other elders, will head towards the Luminous Central Origin to demand answers!"
Just as he was met with disapproval, an enormous shockwave rolled over the sect, shaking the tower until dust fell. The nine birds rushed to the window. They knew this was not a natural occurrence! When they looked outside from the tall hall, they paled by several degrees. There were dozens of airships in the distance, each the size of a normal city block. On every ship were hundreds of disciplined and organized troops wearing resplendent armor and carrying an explosively dense aura. A humongous killing intent surged out like a tsunami and washed over the entire sect, frightening the disciples to the ground. Every single soldier was Rank 2, either Perception Realm or Condensed Drop, and there were thousands of them! Unbelievably, the entire troop was formed of Rank 2 experts!
At the forefront was a smaller and sleeker airship where several people stood. Their straight posture, arrogant expressions, and fearsome armaments revealed their incredible power. There was exactly ten vice-commanders of this troop and they were all half-Rank 3! One had to know that the Featherwind Sect's acting Sect Master was at the same level, and he was the strongest combatant present. Yet, the army in front of them had ten people equivalent to him… And that was not all. A petite figure stepped out and flexed her aura. Boom! The entire sect felt crushed by an enormous invisible pressure wave from above, as the buildings and earth creaked. Even the tower groaned under her might. It was the commander of the troop, a genuine Rank 3 King!