A wave of realization washed over the ckwoods. They were right!


    Two hundred years after its founding, "ckwood" represented far more than just their bloodline. Across Cloudview County, countless individuals now identified as ckwoods.


    The various factions, families, the Azure Cloud army, the Heavenly Justice Hall... all were bound to the ckwood name.


    Even Glory City, frozen in time by the Primordial Blood Tree, held only a fraction of their true number.


    Since the massacre, many ckwood-affiliated groups had faced external threats. While the leaders of Azure Cloud remained their allies, the same couldn''t be said for everyone beneath them.


    Many had chosen to go into hiding, their allegiances a closely guarded secret.


    Rumors also spoke of individuals, once associated with the Thunderfire Demon Cave and the Dawn organization, who had formed their own factions, dedicating their lives to uncovering the truth behind the ckwoods'' downfall and seeking vengeance.


    "Daniel," Ethanmanded, his voice grave, "investigate this. But reveal nothing that couldpromise our safety."


    "As youmand, Forebearer."


    ...


    Within the familiar forest near Milltown, where Benjamin had once narrowly escaped death at the hands of an Emerging Ability peak expert, over a hundred figures cloaked in ck emerged from the shadows.


    An autumn wind rustled through the trees, whipping their dark robes around them. An air of mystery settled upon the otherwise ordinary forest.


    Before them stood one hundred and thirty-seven individuals, all connected to the Psychic who had hunted Benjamin all those years ago.


    An elderly man, his cultivation at the Transcendent Seed realm, prostrated himself before the lead figure in ck.


    "Please, spare me! I know not what I have done to deserve this. I have lived an honest life in Milltown, never crossing paths with you or your kind. What have I done to warrant such treatment?"


    The lead figure''s voice was a low rumble. "Fifteen years ago, your disciple hunted a young man named Benjamin."


    "I... I know nothing of this. My disciple... he perished long ago."


    The old man''s voice trembled, his face ashen. And he wasn''t lying.


    The next instant, as autumn leaves swirled around them, all one hundred and thirty-seven individuals copsed, their lifeblood staining the forest floor crimson.


    The wind tugged at the hoods of the lead figures, revealing their faces.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The Celestial Star Swordmaster!


    Chuck!


    Nate...


    Sam, Jessica''s son, who bore a trace of ckwood blood and had inherited the Jones family legacy!


    ke, son of Matthew, who had once been adopted into the Moore family and be its patriarch!


    This group, numbering one hundred and eight strong, possessed abined might that rivaled half of Azure Cloud''s forces. None were weaker than the Developing Skill realm. Each was bound to the ckwoods by unbreakable ties.


    They had gathered in secret, their movements orchestrated by ke, before venturing out from Sunshine Mansion. They understood the true nature of the enemy that had brought the ckwoods low. A simple surprise attack couldn''t have resulted in such utter annihtion. They had remained hidden, their true identities concealed, as they sought answers.


    And deep down, they clung to the belief that somewhere, somehow, other ckwoods had survived.


    Every soul present carried the weight of their connection to the fallen n.


    "Benjamin was only at the peak of the Foundational Energy realm," Sam said, his voice sharp with intelligence, a trait inherited from his mother, Jessica. "If he escaped an Emerging Ability peak expert, someone had to have helped him. The ckwoods cannot be truly gone."


    "They are hiding," ke said, his voice low and dangerous. "Whoever orchestrated their downfall is still hunting them. That''s why they remain silent."


    "Then we must tread carefully," the Celestial Star Swordmaster said, his brow furrowed. "If we reveal ourselves, we risk leading the enemy straight to them. We cannot be the instruments of their destruction."


    Chuck''s heart clenched at ke''s words. The thought of abandoning their search was unbearable.


    He had been assisting Joseph and Katie with the Heavenly Justice Hall in Sunshine Mansion when disaster struck. The ckwood''s "Millennium Blood Renewal n" had failed, resulting in the deaths of all known descendants. He hadn''t even had the chance to say goodbye to Olivia. All he knew was that she and his dear friend, Lucas, had perished in Glory City.


    He refused to ept this reality. There were still so many things he had to do. He had promised to help Lucas exact his revenge on the Crimson Gate Syndicate once he recovered. He had dreamed of having countless little sword saints with Olivia.


    "The Heavenly Justice Hall received a report," Nate said, his voice cold. "A massive storm ravaged a coastal vige in the North Sea. They say itsted an entire day, apanied by unprecedented lightning. Rumors speak of someone undergoing the nine-nine heavenly tribtion. I''ve heard whispers of a ckwood branch residing in that region. I believe it''s them."


    "I don''t care about the risks," Nate snarled, his voice thick with grief. "I will find the ckwoods. I will find out who did this. And I will make them pay for what they did to Katie."


    His words sparked a heated debate. Some feared that their actions would only bring further harm to the surviving ckwoods. Others argued that they had to find their kin, to face whatever dangersy ahead together.


    As the argument raged, Chuck stepped away from the group, seeking sce in the quiet embrace of the forest. Years had passed since he had sent Donna away. Years of silence, her absence a constant ache in his heart.


    A twig snapped, the sound of footsteps crunching on fallen leaves reaching his ears. He whirled around, his body tensing.


    "Who''s there?!"


    Psychic energy surged around him as he assessed the neer. The aura was unmistakable.


    A body cultivator.


    But this aura... it was familiar yet different. Powerful, tinged with a darkness he had never sensed before, yet strangely serene.


    As the figure stepped into the light, Chuck froze, his mind reeling.


    "Dis... Disciple? No... It can''t be. My foolish student could never possess such power."


    "Is that any way to greet your master, you mangy mutt?"


    ...


    Meanwhile, an AI Bionic Robot, its metallic body battered and stained with blood, strode purposefully towards Sunshine Mansion. Its appearance, a grotesque parody of life, sent chills down the spines of those who dared to meet its gaze.


    A single talisman, radiating the aura of a Competent Force expert, was stered across its chest. Yet, it moved with a chillingck of killing intent, deterring any would-be challengers. No one in their right mind would provoke a being of such power without good reason.


    Upon reaching the outskirts of Sunshine Mansion, the AI Bionic Robot scaled a nearby mountain, its gaze fixed on the Roberts Estate nestled at the foot of Mount Kunlun. A series of mechanical clicks escaped its mangled vocalizer, a sound that sent shivers down the spines of those who heard it.


    Within the heavily guarded estate, no one noticed the harbinger of chaos perched upon the mountaintop.