Wings Of Deception
Chapter 51 Journey

Chapter 51: Chapter 51 Journey

Bubble picked only one disciple, while the remaining chosen birds were quickly distributed among the House of Swallow hall. The process was swift and efficient.

John stepped forward and made an announcement, his voice clear and commanding:

"Listen up. Your punishment is to raise your disciples well—in health, discipline, and skill. They are your responsibility now. Make me proud by raising a future worthy of our name. Now, say it with me—’Long live the Sky Domineering Clan!’"

The fourteen alpha birds immediately chirped in unison,

"Long live the Sky Domineering Clan!"

Next, over three hundred Beta-birds echoed the chant. Although many tried their best, a few still fumbled the rhythm or tone, their calls faltering slightly.

John raised his wing and the forest went dead silent.

He continued,

"With our clan growing in size, we must also grow in strength. From now on, martial competitions will be held weekly, monthly, seasonally, and yearly. Rankings will be determined based on performance. Top ranks will receive rewards. Those at the bottom? Punishment. That’s all. Dismissed."

The flock dispersed, each alpha guiding their newly acquired betas. They took off into the air and soon settled across the broad branches of the giant sacred tree, claiming their territory.

John smiled as he watched the birds settle into their new lives. After observing them for a few more minutes, he turned and returned to his cavern.

The moment he stepped inside, he felt a sudden, familiar shift.

His feathers quivered.

Then—poof—he morphed back into his original form: the mockingbird.

The next day, chaos unfolded again in the Sky Domineering Clan.

The morning wake-up call became a thunderous chorus as three hundred new singers joined the early dawn ritual. But John was long used to the routine.

He was a bird now, and all the noises, chirps, and cries felt oddly... normal.

He spent the day watching their training sessions, critiquing form and energy control.

Then he practiced his own skills.

Later, he poured over the ancient maps—long leather scrolls inked with forgotten trails and secrets of the sanctuary.

Just like that, a week passed.

And then came the day of the grand meeting.

He had been officially invited.

That meant he had to attend—it was a rare opportunity. A chance to learn about the other powers that ruled this sanctuary, and more importantly, gain deeper insight into the cultivators who lived in this closed realm.

John prepared thoroughly. This place was chaotic. Anything could happen at any time.

To stay ready, he brought his entire personal force—his pets—with him.

Yes, he had tested it beforehand: he could store the Beta birds inside his internal spatial realm, and it worked.

He was marching to this gathering with an invisible army, hidden but ever ready.

There was only one issue: the clan would be left alone.

At first, John considered leaving Woodie behind as the guardian. But the naive woodpecker flatly refused.

She was eager to travel, her eyes sparkling with adventure.

She insisted she had already mastered her connection to the magical tree.

As she had promised before—now that she could fully control it, she was free to leave the clan and participate in missions.

After much pestering, John relented and agreed to take her along.

Though, deep down, he’d already seen her prowess in battle—how she used the tree like a living weapon. So, at the last minute, he changed his mind about her staying.

She was coming.

Everyone else was safely tucked away in his internal realm—except for Bubble.

Bubble, after all, was his ride.

"Is everything in order as I told you?" John asked, checking one last time.

"Yes. I triple-checked. Everything is prepared according to the protocol," she replied, sounding confident and precise.

"Alright then," John nodded. "Let’s go."

Woodie chirped and activated a magical bubble.

The air shimmered.

A floating bubble took shape and began morphing into a bird-like form. Gradually, it turned into a near-perfect clone of Woodie—only much larger, crimson-feathered, and radiant with ethereal energy.

In his human form, John leapt into the air and landed gracefully on the back of the large swallow-like clone. Bubble flew up and perched on his shoulder.

"Is this the Bubble Clone technique you mentioned?" John asked, intrigued.

"Yes," she replied simply.

"Good," John grinned. "This will be more useful than I thought."

He laid back slightly on the feathered mount and asked,

"How long can you maintain this skill? If it drains your mana too much, we’ll find another way. I need you at your peak in case a fight breaks out."

"Don’t worry, sir," Bubble assured him. "It consumes little mana and only once. As for control—everything I pre-program into it is executed perfectly. No need for constant command."

"Excellent." John smirked, eyes narrowing toward the sky.

And with that, they took off—riding the wind, soaring through the ever-changing skies of the sanctuary. Behind them lay the Sky Domineering Clan. Ahead... politics, power, and the strange destinies that brewed quietly beyond the clouds.

The journey was long, but John had prepared well in advance. Days ago, he had mapped out this route, ordering his Beta birds to scout and chart the terrain in detail. The entire topography had been drawn out and memorized—the hills, valleys, rivers, and key vantage points. He knew exactly where the summit would be held: the Hollow Giant Willow Tree, an ancient relic known across the sanctuary as a sacred meeting point for the powerful.

Still, John wasn’t in a rush.

He had no intention of arriving early.

Instead, he chose to take a detour—a wide arc around the direct path to the summit. Every twist in the path was calculated. He flew low over valleys and high over ridges, studying the terrain, noting energy fluctuations, new beast dens, and potential threats. Knowledge was power. And he intended to possess all of it.

More importantly, John believed in making an entrance.

There was no prestige in arriving early, sitting quietly, and waiting for others to show up.

"Let them wait for me," he muttered under his breath, eyes glinting with quiet amusement.

"That way, when I arrive, they’ll know exactly who commands the stage."

Bubble didn’t comment. She understood.

Even without words, she could sense his growing confidence—the weight of his ambition pressing gently on the air around them.

The crimson clone-bird glided smoothly under him, her form stable and unyielding. Every gust of wind curved around her effortlessly. Every creature they passed either fled or bowed in silence. Even the clouds seemed to part at their approach.

John’s detour served another purpose too: it gave him the chance to assess the sanctuary’s mood. Were there other factions mobilizing? What kinds of beasts were gathering? Any new power rising quietly under the radar?

He watched the distant landscapes shift, forests giving way to mountain crags, and rivers winding like silver veins through the land. Occasionally, he’d spot signs of powerful magical beasts—claw marks on trees, howling echoes in the distance, or broken terrain where titans had battled.

Everything was being recorded in his mind.

This wasn’t just a journey.

This was reconnaissance.

A predator circling the jungle before making a leap.

A few hours later, they reached a high cliff overlooking the valley where the Hollow Giant Willow Tree stood. From this vantage point, the scene came into view—majestic and alive. The ancient tree’s roots spanned like the legs of a giant spider, and its trunk was hollowed by time and legend, wide enough to house hundreds.

Beasts had already begun gathering at the base, some perching on the tree’s limbs, others guarding the perimeter. Flags and emblems representing different clans fluttered in the breeze. It was a convergence of strength, politics, and age-old rivalries.

John narrowed his eyes.

"Showtime."