With the speed kicked up once more, Rexford pushed his body harder to close the gap to the point he was running in her shadow. Senses stretched out to pick up anything weird in the area even the smallest disturbance.

'Still nothing?' it was weird that he couldn't even pick up small traces of mental energy. If someone fought or fled in a panic there should be an echo of something at the very least. 'If the Qi is then here so someone had to have done something recently.'

"Nooo!" Up in the air Damla gave a shout of agony. She didn't continue forward but turned around immediately to head back and report. "This can't be happening!"

As she fretted, the scout spirits were running back to report to Rexford the situation up ahead.

In her rush, she forgot Rexford was even there but then again he no longer was a priority as fear had anchored itself deep in her.

"Wow, it's a freaking Bird of Paradise." Rexford had understood that much from his own understanding of the creature. But the big info dump came from the Harpy's he used Soul Siphon on recently. "It's not the strong at least..."

The Bird of Paradise had the upper body of a man or woman, close to that of a centaur that the waist level on down would be a type of animal. In this case it a large carnivorous bird. He only thought that because the creature was currently eating a Harpy.

Scattered below it was that of the remains of the Nightshade Flock he summarised, beaten and broken. These men and women looked ready for death as the only ones left fighting were in the state of Qi Deviation by the rampaging and charging of the surroundings.

'Ok, well science dictates there has to be a common element here. They have the same ancestor and a similar cultivation method...so...' Rexford ran forward and grabbed two spears on the ground then chucked them with all his might at the creature.

*Boom!* A single break of the sound barrier sent the weapons dangerously fast at skewering the beast. Both spears ripped through the front and flew out the backside in a bloody view of the carnage.

The area was quiet as the Bird of Paradise turned to look at him before falling face forward to the ground. The loud thump was ignored as Rexford couldn't get over the look in it's eyes.

"Why did it look at me so gratefully?" Confused he went over and sucked it up along with any of the other dead. 'This situation might get out of hand, I will need more energy just in case.'

All the dead Harpys were rounded up and thrown into his Black Gold Vortex. It was bad that in a matter of minutes, he deposited at least a few thousand into there. Out of the survivors he found a total of 8 and they might not make it.

"You... please.."

"What is it?"

"Do not let my Flock die unavenged!"

"The Bird of Paradise is dead. I don't sense any more nearby." His scout spirits circled around the area to make sure they didn't miss anything or anyone. "Hold still, you will be ok if I can help it."

A feeling of intense danger immediately overcame him so he leaned back while clutching the injured Harpy.

*Twip!* A crossbow bolt sunk directly into the dirt where the Harpy was just held at, then erupted in a silent light that burned briefly. Information came up that it was a Sunburst Bolt. Used in Assassinations that were meant to send a message.

"Holyshit..." Rexford gave a few blinks, glad he was not still there and with the grip of his current rescuee she was also very glad. "..you are not going to die.. just relax a little."

Of course that didn't work so he had no choice but to drop her into his Internal Space as well as the few other survivors. A few of the Spirits would have to take care of them while the stronger ones were released to take on the assassins.

Apparently, the assassins thought this was a simple matter since they came from above into the opening. It was definitely memebrs of the Sunset Flock but not any Rexford had come across before.

"Humph, what did you do with them?" The one wielding a crossbow asked. Two others by her side and two more further away with nets in hand. "Small trace of space fluctuations, quite the artifact you have there."

She looked at the World Spirit that was still disguised as a ring on his finger.

"Right, you won't tell me how you did this will you?" He asked it so straight-faced they knew he wasn't joking. "It doesn't hurt to ask."

"It doesn't but.." The Assassin Leader looked him over a little dubiously. Rexford hadn't suppressed his cultivation since he ran here and was assisting when he was shot at. "..not a bad level of cultivation. Who do you belong with?"

"Myself, I came to help the Sunset flock with their Qi Deviation..." He jumped back and down as he felt movement behind him. "..woah there, no need to get yourself killed."

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The crazed Harpy that flew passed him ate dirt before standing and snarling at him. Dressed similarly to the assassins it made him think they were at least together but one thing stood apart from the rest.

This one was a male and didn't have any wings. Covered in blood he must have had a bad encounter with someone.

"Ronit!" A member of the squad barked as she was about to fly down to apprehend him but was stopped. "What are you doing!?"

"That is not your brother anymore.. just look." An Assassin said sadly.

Ronit started to bloat in size and grow additional feathers. His face started to distort as his jaw slammed shut and turned into that of a beak.

"Yeah.. hell no!" Rexford grabbed him by the throat and forced him down to the ground. "I rather not deal with this bullshit thank you very much!" His spirits kept the Harpies busy in case they tried to attack or get in his way.

With a strong grip on the Harpy, he started to run his cultivation method while also pulling in qi from the surroundings. It would be the first time he helped someone in this state of change but he rather not deal with a possible Bird of Paradise and assassins.

But they didn't as they huddled up and flew higher to observe the situation.

It took much longer than before and a few of his Spirits reported members of the Sunset Flock were on their way over. Led by Duru and Damla, the latter constantly blames herself for leaving him behind.

"Done." Rexford let go of the Harpy who dropped to the ground exhausted. "He should be fine in a few days but I can't say the same about his wings."

"He can grow new ones in time, the technique is not that difficult." His sister if what was said before meant anything picked him up. Rexford was reminded they were actually people and not birds or something that turned into people. "Thank you for your help, but we have no way of paying you."

"You also owe me for trying to kill me too."

"That was not the case, we were trying to stop the infection from spreading." The lead assassin stated. She already caught sight of her kin coming and the disappearance of the various spirits. 'Why does he have so many Harpy Spirits and who is this person?'

"Huh, this is not an infection." Rexford shook his head as he explained what was going on. How it was something in their Cultivation Manuals and the environment reacting with each other. "I also think the "change" is affecting something in your Bloodline as well."

The change was the coming of more Qi and Magical energy. Not to mention all sorts of bullshit later on according to the Butcher's memory. Like more Supernatural occurrences that science couldn't explain and handled poorly.

"That.. no one told us of this." Deniz, the assassin team leader shook her head in barely held anger. "What was the elder thinking having us out here doing this? We are half the size of our beginning team."

Seeing Durur she almost shouted at the Harpy for them not being informed of the situation. Instead, she took it out on Damla who was fretting over Rexford to make sure he was fine. The number of apologies made his head swim as he told her she did the right thing all things considered.

She was not really a fighter and common sense said for him to have run away instead of doing whatever he did. Considering his speed she knew he could keep up and her last sight of him put Rexford behind her a good distance and not under her shadow.

"Enough of that now, a bigger problem is going on." Rexford pointed to the surroundings that he slowly pulling into his "storage ring" but really putting into his Internal Space. "This Flock is done for and if you do not make a change soon, so will yours."

"It's not right to take their belongings like this."

"I am taking it before you do.. so mind your business." He snarked towards the Harpy. "Not fooling me in the least that you will not take their belongings or their territory for that matter."

He was not wrong as they would assimilate the territory into their own. He was just beating them to the punch really.

"Deniz, stop yelling at Damla we need to return. That includes you Rexford." Duru hoisted him up by her talons mid-retrieval of the property. "Not much time left before they render a decision."

"Tch!" Rexford was both pissed for the goods left behind and also how she didn't even ask first. "I need to learn a flying technique to prevent this from happening!"

Ignoring the talks of the Harpy's he started searching what he currently picked up. A small check on the survivors with the spirits showed they were doing well at least. But the goods from the wreckage would take some time, especially with him having to for any pills, medicines, or manuals.

.

Flock Leader's choice-

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Duru and Damla were currently with Rexford at Sunset Cliff to relax after the report was given and he made it known he was leaving. After he sent a few text messages off and studied/watched how they cultivated in a way that matched the improvements made. The

Harpies really used the sun to their advantage in every step of the way of their development. Bombarding themselves with an intense light that burned the flesh and generated Warm Qi that burned the insides for refining.

Working out under intense conditions like that, forced their bodies to improve and produce more Blood Qi. Even after they started to break through into the Qi Refining Realm.

He was pulled from those musings by the elders and decision makers of the Flock coming over. Thankfully the Assassin group did not talk about the survivors he took away beforehand. Something about them was still a little off but it was mostly them fighting against the Qi Deviation and trying to keep control of themself via willpower.

They did not trust Rexford entirely but saving a member of their group went a long way and talking with members of the Flock was also helping.

"We can't help but overlook your choice of business partners." The old buzzard voiced. She was the major opposition and really was just a right pain in the ass. "If you cut your ties with them we can have a very prosperous partnership."

A few of the other Harpies had smug looks as they flexed their power. Recently they have made several advances with the usually held back resources. As the problem with many being unable to fight and progress made them more reserved, they pushed for the use of rarer ingredients.

Which to Rexford threw up some major red flags.

"I am good, my deals with others are none of your concerns." Rexford answered the old woman simply. Brushing her spiritually just to show he really didn't care for her problems and to confirm something he thought of. "You have nothing to offer me to push for something like that either."

The old buzzard gave the same feeling as the Bird of Paradise but also the same feeling as Duru and the Flock leader. A strong aggression but also tapered down by something besides just willpower.

"Stupid boy!" The old buzzard slammed her cane into the dirt as she released her power to try and suppress him. "You are better off as a meal to further my cultivation!"

She grew the size of a hummer faster than the Harpy Ronit did. A stark contrast to her previous shape and visage. Not only did she sprout several pairs of wings and a fully bird head now, but her old hands also turned to thick sharp talons with powerful destructive power.