Heavenly Path showed ckwood no mercy. His assault was swift, brutal, and absolute. Not even those who had undergone the ckwood''s "Millennium Blood Renewal Project" escaped his wrath. It was as if every move, every n, every secret within Sunshine Mansiony bare before his all-seeing eyes.


    Two hundred years of meticulous nning, of dreams and aspirations, shattered like ss before Heavenly Path''s overwhelming might.


    Ethan fought like a man possessed, his Celestial Pole Energy Spear a whirlwind of death, desperately trying to hold back the tide of Heavenly Path''s reincarnated fragments. Every fragment he dyed meant another chance for his kin to escape.


    "Die!" he roared, his spear piercing the Developing Skill-level body of one of Heavenly Path''s fragments.


    But there was no joy in the kill. Not with thousands more bearing down on him, their eyes burning with cold, calcting malice. The weakest among them was at the peak of Emerging Ability, theirbined might enough to shake the heavens.


    He could sense his n''s two Basic Mastery experts, even old man Phillips, locked in desperate battles against impossible odds.


    "Interesting," the impaled fragment chuckled, his voice devoid of pain. He looked at Ethan, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Master always said there were countless hidden talents in this world. We''ve had our eyes on you ckwoods ever since you eliminated Michael."


    "Michael?!" Ethan froze, his blood turning to ice. "He was one of your fragments too?!"


    Heavenly Path''s fragmentughed, a chilling sound that echoed across the battlefield. "Not just Michael. Sky Sect''s former leader, Wesley, Azure Cloud''s rising star, Eric, the Dragon family''s prodigy… they were all me!"


    Hisughter morphed into a grotesque parody of joy, his features contorting in a mask of madness.


    "Master thought I was weak, a fluke of fate to even reach Competent Force!" he shrieked. "But I''ll show him! Ten thousand years! Ten thousand years I''ve spent reincarnating, absorbing my past selves, each one a rising star, scattered across Sunshine Mansion, mastering countless techniques! I have six fragments at the peak of Rising Star, each one a breath away from Basic Mastery!"


    "And soon… there will be more. All of Sunshine Mansion''s fortune will be mine!"


    The Developing Skill fragment gripped the Celestial Pole Energy Spear, driving it deeper into his own soul. Then, in a sh of blinding light, his power surged outward, flowing into the approaching fragments, strengthening them, pushing them closer to their full potential.


    They advanced on Ethan, their movements slow and deliberate, their voices a chorus of whispers from the abyss.


    "I am displeased."


    "Ten thousand years… ten thousand years I spent cultivating these fragments, these vessels of power. And now, from the backwater swamps of Cloudview County, you ckwoods dare to challenge me?"


    "You were a nuisance, a curiosity at first. Your rapid rise to power, your brazen defiance… you even dared to set foot in my domain, to covet what is rightfully mine!"


    "But you forgot one simple truth: there is always someone stronger. And I…"


    "I am the true master of Sunshine Mansion! Even Crystal Crest cannot touch me!"


    "It''s over, ckwood. Your time is over!"


    They charged, a wave of darkness intent on erasing the ckwood n from existence.


    Ethan understood then. It wasn''t about the Heavenly Path Psychic Sanctuary. It wasn''t about Crystal Crest. Heavenly Path had been watching them all along, observing their every move, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. And now, the ckwood n had grown too strong, too ambitious for him to tolerate.


    But as despair threatened to consume him, a cold fire ignited within his soul. He looked up, his eyes zing with defiance, stopping Heavenly Path''s fragments in their tracks.


    The despair vanished, reced by a chilling calm.


    "Over?" Ethan''s voice echoed across the battlefield,ced with icy determination. "You think this is over, Heavenly Path?"


    "What?" A Competent Force fragment, impaled by Ethan''s spear, stared at him in confusion. But as his form began to dissipate, Ethan''s voice echoed in his soul, filled with chilling certainty. "This is just the beginning!"


    [Your descendant, Lucas, gravely wounded, attempted to confront the invaders but was rescued by a recovered Diana. He is consumed by a burning desire for revenge. Trait gained: Unrelenting Avenger.]


    [Your descendant, Julian, emerged from the Storage Ring entrusted to Owen by Larry. He had been concealed within by Larry''s technique, hidden from Heavenly Path''s senses. He is filled with righteous fury. Trait gained: Wrathful Avenger.]


    [Your descendant…]


    [Exiting the game world…]


    [You have spent 3 Family Will points to re-enter the game!]


    Ethan''s body flickered, vanishing from existence before reappearing in front of Heavenly Path''s stunned fragments. Even they seemed taken aback by this unexpected turn of events.


    He hovered in mid-air, his gaze fixed on his enemies, his grip tightening on the Celestial Pole Energy Spear.


    He was the Forebearer. He would not despair.


    It wasn''t over. Not while his children still drew breath.


    Heavenly Path might be a monster, a being of unimaginable power who had shattered their dreams and ughtered their kin. But the ckwood n endured. Hope…


    Hope remained.


    "For ckwood!" he roared, charging into the fray, his spear a beacon of defiance against the encroaching darkness. Every fragment he held back meant another chance for his children to survive.


    This wasn''t the end. It couldn''t be.


    The ckwood n had risen from humble beginnings, from a small vige, with nothing but Nathan''s unwavering spirit to guide them.


    His children were survivors. They would not surrender.


    The dust had yet to settle. He could feel it in his bones: he and his kin, scattered and wounded but unbroken, would fight back.


    …


    Half a dayter, a group of battered and bruised figures stood above the ruins of Glory City, their masks discarded, their faces grim. Any psychic from Sunshine Mansion would have recognized them instantly: the scions of the most powerful families and sects, their names whispered with a mixture of awe and fear.


    They surveyed the scene below, their brows furrowed in frustration.


    The ckwood stronghold was in ruins, but they could sense it: the faint but unmistakable presence of their quarry, scattered and wounded but alive.


    The Azure Cloud army, along with psychics from various factions, had converged on the ruins, their rage palpable even from this distance.


    These Azure Cloud ants, these insignificant insects, dared to defy them, to scream for vengeance.