Chapter 1323: Chapter 127: King of the Winged People
Xuan Yuan glanced at his nephew and said indifferently, "How you move forward is your decision. I am only responsible for killing; I will not interfere in anything else." Although the Holy Church’s team seemingly revolved around Xuan Yuan, the true command was entirely in Xuan Ye’s hands, with Na Yan and Ballon assisting from the sidelines.
Seeing how Xuan Ye was rebuffed, a sneer crept across Ballon’s face behind Xuan Yuan. Within the Holy Church, only the Pope and Xuan Yuan could reprimand Xuan Ye like this.
Na Yan, the Red Robe Priest standing on the other side of Xuan Yuan, said, "Priest Xuan Ye makes a good point. Let’s do it this way. We just purchased enough food for ten days yesterday; it should sustain us until the mission is completed. Once we enter the Tian Yuan Clan’s territory, our large group will inevitably draw the attention of various clans, so there’s no need for concealment. We should gather as quickly as possible and strike the Dark Demon Clan’s den at lightning speed to capture them all. Judgment Chief, this mission depends on you after all. You can’t abstain from giving your opinion!"
Na Yan, the oldest of the four Red Robe Priests, harbored the least ambition. Especially after his daughter, Nasha, married Xuan Ye, he seldom involved himself in the Holy Church’s affairs. He firmly believed that the young Xuan Ye would definitely become the next candidate for Pope. Therefore, Na Yan had always been subtly helping Xuan Ye to increase his influence within the Church, making him the implicit leader among the four Red Robe Priests.
Xuan Yuan regarded Na Yan with more courtesy than he did Xuan Ye and nodded, "That sounds excellent! Let’s proceed as you suggest. As for the Dark Demon Clan, I am actually very much looking forward to it. I hope they have some experts worthy of my action." He was addicted to martial arts. Ever since Ah Dai blasted him with the Heavenly Thunder Clash, turning him into a dust-covered mess over the past year or so, he had been practicing diligently. His martial arts had improved several notches, and now he was eager to find an opponent who could match himself to test the extent of his abilities. If it weren’t for the Pope’s constant constraints on his actions, he would have sought out the four Sword Saints long ago.
Such a large-scale operation by the Holy Church was unprecedented in nearly a century. Whether it was Xuan Ye, Na Yan, Xuan Yuan, or Ballon, all had absolute confidence in their side. With their overwhelmingly strong combination, they hardly took the Dark Demon Clan seriously. Xuan Ye did not bring his wife, Nasha, along. He was still very cautious as Nasha and Xuan Yue were the two most important people in his heart. He did not want his beloved wife to face any danger. Over this matter, Nasha had had a big quarrel with him but eventually stayed in the Church after being persuaded by Na Yan.
In the evening, the group of over a thousand from the Holy Church finally left the great plains of the Ah Lian Tribe. Seeing the vast forest ahead, Xuan Ye stopped, checked the sky, pulled out a map to confirm their direction, and called to Ballon not far behind, "Ballon, direct everyone to gather here. Let’s rest outside the forest for the night, and start our mission early tomorrow." To develop Ballon’s leadership skills, Xuan Ye had kept him busy coordinating the scattered members of the Church along the way, and no mistakes had occurred.
Just then, a whistling sound came through. The already dim sky suddenly filled with a dozen dark shadows. Xuan Ye, startled, quickly chanted a light-based Defense Spell, and a white light shone forth from his body, putting the surrounding Church members on high alert. The dark shadows swiftly swooped towards where Xuan Ye and the others were. A few Judges of Light had already drawn their weapons, protecting Xuan Ye and preparing for any changes. The dark shadows landed gracefully about five meters away from Xuan Ye, and upon closer inspection, all of these figures were clothed in black and classified as an Alien Race because, despite their human-like appearance, each had a pair of large wings on their back, with different colored feathers, and each one held a Longsword, eyeing Xuan Ye and his companions warily.
A notion struck Xuan Ye, and he stepped forward, asking, "May I ask if you are members of the Winged Tribe from the Tian Yuan Clan?"
One of the figures, possessing Red Feathers, stepped forward and looked Xuan Ye up and down, replying, "Indeed, we are the seventh patrol squad of the Winged Tribe. Who are you? Why have you come near our territory? Don’t you know that our Tian Yuan Clan doesn’t welcome humans? Whatever your intentions, please leave quickly."
Xuan Ye smiled slightly and said, "I have always heard that the Winged Tribe is a peace-loving race. Is this how you treat friends? We are members of the Holy Church, and we are here for important matters. We’ll rest here tonight and early tomorrow, we might need to use the roads of your Noble Domain. Could you make an exception for us?"
Hearing Xuan Ye claim to be from the Church, the Red Feather Wingman visibly relaxed and said indifferently, "Since you are from the Church, can you tell us your purpose for being here?"
Xuan Ye glanced at Xuan Yuan beside him and smiled, "I’m afraid that won’t do. I know you’re questioning our identity. How about this: Please lead me to your Clan Leader. Once I see him, I will naturally reveal the purpose of the Church’s visit. Until I meet your Clan Leader, our men will not set foot in the forest. What do you think?"
The Red Feather Wingman asked, "Just you alone to see our Clan Leader? Can you represent the Church?"
Xuan Ye nodded, "Yes, just me alone. With so many of you, you surely aren’t afraid that I’ll cause any trouble. I am Xuan Ye, the Red Robe Priest of the Church, fully authorized to make decisions on behalf of the Church on this mission." He knew that the Tian Yuan Clan’s territory was home to many Alien Races, and if they couldn’t build good relations with the local species, it would be difficult to find traces of the Dark Demon Clan in this vast land. The well-reputed Winged Tribe was a breakthrough opportunity for him to connect with the various clans of Tian Yuan. The Winged Tribe was another major race within the Tian Yuan Clan, comparable to the Elf Clan, and gaining their support would make the mission to eliminate the Dark Demon Clan much more effective. Therefore, Xuan Ye was willing to set aside his pride and speak amicably.
