Now, the question was what to do with this newfound information. He was still unsure where or how his good fortune was going to manifest, so he was hesitant to do anything excessive. Acting against the Alzar Kingdom would also be a bad idea. He was far stronger than anyone else here, but quantity made up for quality. They could swarm him in pure numbers alone! Getting out alive was trivial, except getting on the kingdom's bad side would hinder his lifestyle. This was why he severed his ties with the Whispering Shadow after the Lannisail explosion. His previous position as the captain of the First Hand would undoubtedly cause problems!
He cursed the Second Shadow, Lord Wenmord, in his mind, while conjuring an eagle formed of Martial Energy. It looked like any other eagle, except for its translucent body which glistened with rainbow colors. A small flat hat adorned its head, and a small decorative sword hung off its body. Overall, it looked very cute. This was the Sword King's martial technique, Little Sword Eagle! That said, it was not sentient. To the best of his knowledge, creating sentient life with Martial Energy or Magic Energy should be impossible. It was only an imitation of an eagle at best. He passed it instructions and released the bird. The eagle soared into the skies and flew towards the military headquarters where Benedict was. Although the windows were shut, the bird morphed and slipped in through the cracks. It was pure energy after all. It had no solid form.
The Yunyun Stronghold soon grew chaotic due to the Sword King's True Perception. Although they could not tell whether it came from an ally or enemy, every Perception Realm reported the same thing: 'something' was here! The army went into high alert, having learnt their lesson from the first Battle of the Maelstrom Gulf and Liguang. No one wanted a repeat of those disastrous battles! Similarly, the Imperian Princesses and Imperian Qiang met up with Elizabeth and her friends. They shared the sentiment that whoever was behind this phenomenon was likely the Featherwind Sect! They were the only group strong enough to affect the whole Yunyun Stronghold. While Sir Winstin, Lady Mingyu, and Cardinal Hui stood on guard, they sensed the Sword King's Little Sword Eagle slip inside. The three immediately drew their weapons and attacked! They would not allow this creature to do as it pleased!
Cardinal Hui loosed three arrows in succession which blurred mid-flight into a single attack. He controlled them perfectly to land on their target simultaneously, explosively increasing their killing potential. More than a year ago, Sir Winstin suffered against this move in their battle. This was one of Cardinal Hui's strongest techniques! Lady Mingyu and Sir Winstin dashed forward with their swords drawn at a speed that was beyond fast! They appeared next to the bird in a split-second and attacked! Using their heightened Perception Realm senses, they coordinated with Cardinal Hui and attacked precisely as the arrows landed. Without a word, the three used their strongest attacks to destroy this intruder! Instead of a solid hit though, their strikes blurred through Little Sword Eagle harmlessly. It was not something someone without Martial Energy could interact with. The eagle landed elegantly on Benedict's shoulders and chirped.
"Little Sword Eagle!" Benedict was shocked. The three Protectors prepared to attack again when he shouted, "Wait! It's not an enemy! I know who this belongs to!"
"You know this creature?" Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. She had never seen anything like it before.
"It looks a little cute," Shirley commented after seeing its little hat and sword.
"Magic Energy? This doesn't seem like it though," Freon mumbled.
"It's from my master…" He glanced warily towards the Imperial Princesses and Imperian Qiang. Was it appropriate to reveal his master's identity here? "Do you have a blank scroll, Elizabeth? I need it."
"Oh, here you go. How do you plan to use it?"
"Like this."
Benedict unfurled the scroll on the table and gestured at it to Little Sword Eagle. The bird then dove onto the page and exploded to reveal a message from his master. Everyone was dumbfounded. All that to deliver a simple, short message? A normal person would have used a courier or a messenger pigeon. No one would have used or thought up such an extreme method! Perhaps only the Sword King would do something so blatantly unnecessary.
"What does it say?" Elizabeth asked.
"It seems… my master is here in the Yunyun Stronghold," Benedict answered in half-disbelief.
If that previous sensation originated from his master's True Perception, then it made sense why it felt awfully familiar. However, how was that possible? It should be impossible to trace down his whereabouts without any prior information! Benedict knew his master was powerful, but this exceeded what a human could do. This approached the realm of gods! He was left thoroughly stupefied by his master's unfathomable powers.
"What?" Elizabeth, Shirley, and Freon shared in the shock. Sword King Sin Quelldown, the legendary Instinct Realm swordsman, was here? As a Rank 3 King, he was one of the strongest humans in the world right now! He reigned as king! Elizabeth had a complex expression on her face though. It was unknown what she was thinking.
"My master wants to see me. It also says my senior martial brothers are here too."
"Does it explain why they're here?"
"It doesn't."
"It was your master's True Perception that caused this panic then?" Freon asked. He was very familiar with the concept due to his uncle, Protector Avin, wielding the same ability.
"I'm very sorry for the trouble that my master caused!" Benedict bowed his head apologetically. For some reason, he felt embarrassed on his master's behalf.
"Why should you be apologizing? You didn't do anything wrong!" Shirley giggled.
"But…"
"We thought it was the Featherwind Sect attacking again, so this is much better. No harm was done," Freon exhaled, reflecting everyone's relief.
"What's wrong, Elizabeth?" Shirley asked.
"…It's nothing. I will inform General Petra," Elizabeth said absentmindedly.
"We're hiding the fact that we've survived the Battle of Liguang, so should I still meet my master?"
"He sent you a message directly meaning he knows you're here," Freon pointed out. "It's a good idea to meet him though. With his power, we could counterattack against the Featherwind Sect. It could be the key to turning around this war!"
Princess Ming remained silent, despite harboring her own doubts. Could someone truly contend against the Featherwind Sect? This was a group that dominated the Battle of the Maelstrom Gulf and later the Battle of Liguang. Even apex experts like Sir Winstin, Cardinal Hui, or Lady Mingyu were nothing but children against them. The Featherwind Sect had broken free from the definition of 'strong'. They were true monsters! Truthfully, she failed to see how anyone would match up to them. Yet, reality was stranger than she thought. Benedict might be keeping his master's identity hidden except she could infer who it was. Someone who could influence the whole Yunyun Stronghold, alarm Perception Realm Masters, wield strange techniques like Little Sword Eagle, and nurture a swordsman like Benedict… Who else could it be aside from the rumored Instinct Realm swordsman, Sword King Sin Quelldown? Princess Ming wondered though. Could he be trusted?
"Was it wise to alarm the Yunyun Stronghold, master?" Hidek respectfully asked.
"It makes no difference. They would've found out sooner or later."
"Be that as it may…"
The Sword King glared at Hidek flatly. "Your heart still lacks confidence, and it shows in your swordsmanship. You won't surpass me that way, much less advance to Instinct Realm." Hidek made a sour face. He politely raised his concerns, yet he was reprimanded instead! On the side, Lanar sneered gloatingly until the Sword King turned to him. "As for you, Lanar, you're too arrogant! You must polish your heart and mind, or your sword will never reach Sword Intent!"
Upon seeing their disheartened appearances, Sword King Sin snorted. He was not saying it to discredit their efforts. He genuinely wanted them to surpass him and take the Cloud Sea Style to new heights! Anyone could pick up a sword and use it, but a true swordsman was more than just swordsmanship. It was far more complicated than that! They had a lot to learn. Of course, the same went for him as well.
The three headed to a tavern and ate. The meals on the ship were horrendous to stomach, so any fresh food was welcomed with open arms. Perhaps the other soldiers and sailors thought the same, but it was particularly busy. People were constantly flooding in and out of the tavern doors! It was surprising that any establishment could be so busy this close to the warfront. The Sword King and his disciples dined in peace when he suddenly drew his sword on a waiter. The waiter took one step back out of surprise, but they did not falter. Their eyes were unusually calm! And the second he did that, the tavern became quiet. Every conversation stopped as all eyes turned towards them. It was incredibly creepy! However, the Sword King snorted. He was not an idiot. He could tell every customer was a High Knight of the Realm or greater and this waiter was a Royal Guard in disguise. The Alzar Kingdom had arranged this show for him!