Cold wind swept across Northern Plains.
Fang Ming stood on the back of a crown eagle and looked down at the land below.
In the distance, the tribe banners were already visible. Countless tents spread across the snowfield like patches of dark frost. Fires burned between them, Gu Masters moved in groups, and the noise of shouting, cheering, and battle cries rose into the air.
Yu Tian heroes assembly.
He had arrived.
Fang Ming did not rush down immediately. He sat calmly on the eagle's back and let the wind pull at his fur cloak, while the other two crown eagles circled nearby.
Below and behind them, the rest of the eagle group moved in layered formation.
Three rank five crown eagles formed the core.
A dozen rank four wind chaser eagles flew in wider circles.
Farther out, the lower-rank eagles spread into small clusters, scouting the surrounding terrain and watching the movement of troops.
This was not a large force.
Compared to famous enslavement path experts, it was even small.
But size was never the most important point.
Fang Ming's gaze swept across the sky, then moved to the camps below.
A wolf tide could overwhelm the earth.
His eagle group ruled the sky.
That was enough.
Fang Yuan had needed a small tribe in order to rise. At the start, Fang Yuan had been weaker, and he needed a platform, manpower, and time to rebuild his wolf group step by step. Wolves were also easier to gather in Northern Plains.
Fang Ming did not need that route.
He was already rank five peak stage.
His eagle group had already formed.
Small tribes could not help him much. They could not gather rank five crown eagles for him, nor could they offer the kind of platform he wanted.
If he was going to enter the Imperial Court struggle, then he would step directly onto the main stage.
That was why he had come to Yu Tian.
That was why he had come to Hei Lou Lan.
From above, Fang Ming observed the assembly carefully.
The smaller forces had already split apart and attached themselves to stronger camps. The two great banners that mattered now were Hei tribe and Liu tribe. Around them gathered many allied forces, all preparing for the struggle that would decide who entered Imperial Court blessed land.
The great blizzard would come sooner or later.
When it arrived, any tribe left outside Imperial Court blessed land would suffer terrible losses.
And inside Imperial Court blessed land stood the true temptation.
Eighty-Eight True Yang Building.
That was what Fang Ming cared about.
Not reputation.
Not loyalty.
Not tribal glory.
Only opportunity.
Below, a great commotion suddenly broke out.
Fang Ming's eyes sharpened.
It came from the battle stage.
The heroes assembly was still using public duels to test strength and weaken opponents before the real war began. But what he saw now was no ordinary duel.
A burly figure rampaged across the field with terrifying force, his body surging with qi path power. Hei tribe's side had already fallen into disorder around him.
Mo Shi Kuang.
Even from afar, Fang Ming could see why this person was dangerous.
He was not only strong. He was the type of person who treated the battle stage like paper and rules like dust.
A wounded Gu Master was thrown back, blood spraying across the snow.
Hei Xiu Yi.
One of Hei Lou Lan's important defensive experts.
Now, he was badly injured.
The boundary of the battle stage had already lost meaning. Hei tribe's Gu Masters rushed forward in anger. Liu tribe's side also moved, some wanting to support Mo Shi Kuang, while some wanted to exploit the confusion.
In only a few breaths, the orderly duel had turned into a chaotic melee.
Fang Ming did not descend yet.
He watched.
Hei Lou Lan stood at the center of Hei tribe's formation like a black mountain, broad and brutal, his aura fierce. Around him were various experts, but the chaos had still damaged his side's momentum.
On the other side, Liu Wen Wu still looked composed, though his camp was also being dragged into the mess.
Both sides were taking losses.
Both sides knew this was bad.
And because of that, Fang Ming smiled faintly.
His moment had arrived.
He rose from the crown eagle's back and stood upright, one hand behind his back.
Under the Thieving Heaven disguise, his face had changed. His frame was broader, his features were rougher, and his aura was different. Nothing about him resembled the Fang Ming who had left Southern Border.
He now looked like a Northern Plains lone cultivator who had endured countless winds.
"Go," he said softly.
The crown eagle beneath him screamed.
Its cry tore through the sky like a blade.
Every head below lifted at once.
Another eagle cry followed.
Then a third.
Three rank five crown eagles descended through the clouds, their enormous wings casting shadows over the battlefield. Their golden-brown feathers gleamed under the pale light, and their eyes were sharp enough to make many rank four Gu Masters feel a chill in their hearts.
Below them, the wind chaser eagles formed an outer ring, darting through the air like streaks of gray lightning.
The lower-rank eagles spread wider, turning the airspace above Yu Tian into Fang Ming's territory in an instant.
The effect was immediate.
Hei tribe's chaotic advance slowed.
Liu tribe's pursuers also stopped.
Even Mo Shi Kuang paused and looked up.
No one dared ignore three rank five eagles.
A rank five eagle was not merely a beast of the same rank as a Gu Master. It was a true ruler of the sky.
Mortal Gu Masters could learn to fly. They could use wings, clouds, gusts, or movement Gu to force themselves into the air.
But flying and ruling the sky were two different things.
In the mortal realm, a Gu Master's flying skill was simply not on the same level as an eagle's natural control. This was even more true when facing rank five crown eagles, and there were three of them here.
If any expert dared to fly up carelessly, they would not be fighting one beast.
They would be entering the territory of three kings.
Faces on both sides turned ugly.
This was especially true for the few flying Gu Masters below. They understood better than anyone how much of a disadvantage they would be in if they were forced into a real aerial clash.
One of the crown eagles folded its wings and dove.
It did not attack Mo Shi Kuang directly.
Instead, it struck the ground between the two sides with a storm of wind and force, causing snow and earth to explode upward. The impact split the field and forced several charging Gu Masters back.
The second crown eagle swept low, its wings beating violently. The gust it created scattered several projectiles and pushed back a group of Gu Masters who had been closing in on Hei tribe's wounded.
The third crown eagle remained overhead, circling high and watching.
Its presence alone felt like a blade hanging above everyone's neck.
The wind chaser eagles moved next.
They flashed across the field in arcs. They did not strike to kill, but cut off positions, circled overhead, and made it clear that the sky was no longer free ground.
The chaotic battle slowed.
It was not because anyone had agreed to stop.
It was because neither side wanted to be the first fool to ignore three rank five eagles.
Only then did Fang Ming descend.
He landed on the back of the central crown eagle as it lowered toward Hei tribe's side. When it came close enough, he stepped down onto the snow.
His boots touched the ground lightly.
The three crown eagles remained above.
The wind chaser eagles continued circling.
The lower-rank eagles spread farther out, already scouting the edges of the battlefield.
Fang Ming did not bow too low.
He clasped his hands toward Hei Lou Lan.
"I am Fang Ming," he said. "A lone cultivator of enslavement path. I heard Yu Tian heroes assembly gathers the strongest of Northern Plains, so I came to seek a place under Lord Hei."
Hei Lou Lan stared at him.
His gaze was fierce and direct, like a beast sizing up prey.
But he was not looking only at Fang Ming.
He was also looking at the sky.
At the three crown eagles.
At the formation that was still maintaining order above the battlefield.
At the immediate effect Fang Ming had created the moment he entered.
Hei Lou Lan laughed loudly.
"Good!"
His voice rolled across the field.
"You chose a fine time to arrive!"
Fang Ming replied calmly, "The timing was deliberate."
Several experts near Hei Lou Lan glanced at him with complicated expressions.
Some were wary.
Some were impressed.
Some were already calculating his worth.
Water Demon Hao Ji Liu narrowed his eyes, looking first at Fang Ming, then at the eagles.
"Three rank five crown eagles. Not bad."
On the opposite side, Liu Wen Wu was also studying Fang Ming carefully. He had the air of a refined noble, but his eyes were sharp. He understood instantly what had changed.
This was not a huge beast army like a wolf tide.
But it was something no less troublesome.
Air control.
Battlefield vision.
Unstoppable scouting.
Fang Ming did not need thousands of eagles.
With these three crown eagles, no one below could casually contest the sky.
That alone made him dangerous.
Mo Shi Kuang snorted and took a step forward, his expression still savage from battle.
"Another one?"
One of the crown eagles screamed overhead.
Mo Shi Kuang looked up.
For the first time since the chaos had begun, he did not advance.
He was violent, but he was not stupid.
No matter how fierce he was on the ground, flying into the air against three rank five eagles would be madness.
Fang Ming did not challenge him.
He had no need.
This was not the moment to reveal strength path, and it was not the moment to trade blows with a monster whose background he had only just observed.
His goal was much simpler.
Show value.
Join Hei Lou Lan.
Enter the Imperial Court struggle from the front gate.
Hei Lou Lan stepped forward and shouted toward both sides, "Enough!"
His voice was filled with rank five pressure.
The battle had already lost its original meaning. Now, with Fang Ming's eagle group hanging overhead, both sides had an excuse to stop without losing too much face.
Liu Wen Wu smiled faintly and raised a hand.
"Then let us stop here for today."
His voice was elegant, but his eyes stayed on Fang Ming for longer than was comfortable.
The Gu Masters on both sides slowly withdrew, though many still looked up uneasily.
The three crown eagles never left their positions.
This made the withdrawal smooth.
No one wanted trouble under those shadows.
Hei Lou Lan turned back to Fang Ming.
"You say you are a lone cultivator?"
"Yes."
"Why join me?"
"Because Lord Hei is one of the two strongest forces here. Because Imperial Court blessed land lies ahead. Because a lone cultivator still needs a banner if he wants to walk the right road."
Hei Lou Lan grinned. "And not Liu Wen Wu?"
Fang Ming's answer came without pause.
"Liu Wen Wu gathers elegant men and careful minds. Lord Hei gathers people who can tear open the road with strength."
Hei Lou Lan laughed again, even louder than before.
"Good! Very good!"
Some of the surrounding Gu Masters also laughed, and their mood relaxed slightly.
The words were flattering, but not excessive.
More importantly, Fang Ming had already proven himself useful before he spoke.
That was worth more than any speech.
Hei Lou Lan's gaze sharpened. "You are rank five. Your eagles are good. But if I take you in, I want more than pretty feathers in the sky. What can you do for me?"
Fang Ming answered steadily.
"I can scout openly where others must sneak. I can pursue fleeing experts. I can watch troop movement across a wide field. I can detect ambushes. I can harass from above. And if Lord Hei wishes, I can make the sky belong to Hei tribe."
Silence followed for a breath.
Then Hei Lou Lan slapped his thigh and roared with laughter.
"Make the sky belong to Hei tribe!"
His eyes shone.
"Good. I like that."
Fang Ming remained composed, while inside, his thoughts were calm and clear.
This was enough.
He did not need to display overwhelming power.
He did not need to become the center of the army.
He only needed Hei Lou Lan to see what others lacked.
Hei tribe had many strong ground experts.
But sky control was another matter entirely.
With his eagle group, Fang Ming could become a blade that Hei Lou Lan had not possessed before.
Hei Lou Lan stopped laughing and looked at him seriously.
"From today onward, you are part of my side."
Fang Ming cupped his hands. "Then I will trouble Lord Hei."
Hei Lou Lan snorted.
"If you perform well, I reward heavily. If you are useless, I throw you aside. Understand?"
"I understand."
"That is enough, then."
Hei Lou Lan gestured toward the camp behind him.
"Come. Tonight you drink with us. Tomorrow, you tell me everything you saw from the sky."
Fang Ming nodded.
As he followed Hei Lou Lan's side back toward camp, countless eyes stayed on him.
Some were from Hei tribe.
Some were from allied forces.
Some were from Liu tribe's side.
None of them could ignore him now.
Not because he had arrived with endless numbers.
Not because he had personally crushed a rank five expert.
But because the moment he appeared, the sky above Yu Tian had changed hands.
Overhead, the three crown eagles circled slowly.
Proud.
Watchful.
Untouchable.
Fang Ming walked beneath them with steady steps.
His public identity had begun.
A rank five enslavement path expert who controlled eagle groups.
Useful.
Dangerous.
Worth watching.
And hidden beneath that image, his strength path remained quiet, waiting like a blade under a sleeve.
Yu Tian heroes assembly was only the beginning.
But Fang Ming had already stepped onto the board.