Chapter 155: The Thunderous Overture

The black moon continued to unleash a fierce barrage, causing the patrol boat to falter even as it desperately tried to escape. The ship was pummeled until it began to spin out of control, with flames and thick smoke spewing from its battered hull. As another large chunk of metal tore away, the vessel began to tumble in the air, clearly losing all command.

Seeing that the patrol boat was on the verge of crashing, Nan Hua, who had yet to land a hit, leapt to her feet and unleashed a burst of fire from her machine gun. However, the distance was too great, and her bullets seemed to vanish into the void.

The patrol boat finally succumbed to the assault, plummeting to the ground in a fiery descent before erupting in a massive explosion, sending a plume of dark smoke billowing into the sky.

The two remaining floating vessels, witnessing the scene, immediately turned tail and fled, forgoing any attempt to climb. If the black moon could destroy a military patrol boat from thousands of meters away, it could certainly do the same to a floating boat cruising at an altitude of a thousand meters.

“Looks like there’s no more fun to be had,” Song Zining said with a shrug. He then raised his battle rifle and bellowed, “All other vehicles, proceed according to the plan!”

The six behemoth vehicles behind them rumbled back to life and rolled towards the city. The three vehicle-mounted cannons remained deployed, their barrels rotating to point menacingly at the sides of the road, ready to strike.

In the distant encampment, chaos erupted, and soon the gates flung open. From within, dozens of war machines and over a hundred troop carriers poured out, rolling towards the dark carriages like a steel tide.

Qian Ye paid no heed to the advancing army, instead channeling his origin power and bellowing, “Nangong Yuanwang, Nangong Zhen, come out! Stop hiding and let your men die for you!”

His roar reverberated through the air, akin to thunder. Despite the distance, it echoed in the ears of every Nangong warrior, making them wince.

In the center of the formation, Nangong Zhen, who was meditating in his command vehicle, opened his eyes slightly, a hint of grave concern flashing across them. The distant roar made him feel an indistinct sense of threat.

However, since the challenger had openly called out to him, Nangong Zhen, given his status, could not remain silent. He sneered, “A bunch of brats, why should I trouble the second elder? With my presence, dealing with you is more than sufficient!” Though he did not raise his voice, it carried clearly to Qian Ye.

Upon hearing this, Qian Ye and Song Zining exchanged a glance, already understanding each other without words.

Song Zining turned to Nan Hua and said, “You will stall the two generals. Duan Hao’s team will assist you.”

Nan Hua, who had been about to complain, suddenly thought better of it and nodded in agreement.

Song Zining turned back to the Black Moon and gestured towards the advancing Nangong warriors. The Black Moon nodded and then rubbed her fingers together in a very serious manner, mimicking the act of counting money.

Even the usually composed Song Zining was taken aback by the Black Moon’s adept and solemn gesture. But the Seventh Young Master, with his immense wealth and debonair nature, was most afraid of women who avoided talking about money. As long as a price was set, everything could be managed.

Without hesitation, Song Zining agreed, and his straightforward demeanor immediately caught the Black Moon’s eye.

When they were still hundreds of meters apart, Nangong Zhen soared into the sky, looking down upon the undaunted dark carriages. His gaze swept over Qian Ye, Song Zining, and the others like lightning.

When Nangong Zhen’s gaze fell on Qian Ye, he felt as if his entire being had been laid bare, a chill running down his spine. He knew that these veteran strongmen were truly formidable.

Yet, Nangong Zhen was far more shocked than Qian Ye. This was the first time he had seen the legendary lord of Black River City in person. Just now, when Qian Ye had activated his origin power, nine nodes of light shone clearly, indicating that this young man, who had inflicted heavy casualties on the Nangong warriors, was not yet a general.

This realization was even more shocking than finding out that Qian Ye had hidden techniques or that his rank was unknown!

Even though he was not a general, he had broken through the central army, killed the first-class viscount Lued, and survived a blow from Nangong Yuanwang, managing to escape afterward. Such a person, once he became a general, would surely soar to unprecedented heights.

Now, Qian Ye and the Nangong family were deeply at odds. Even in the negotiation proposal Nangong Zhen had offered, sparing Qian Ye was a condition. However, the Nangong family never intended to let him go unscathed, believing that crippling his origin power was the least they could demand.

At this moment, Nangong Zhen’s eyes narrowed, filled with murderous intent. Someone like Qian Ye, rising from the chaotic and lawless land of Eternal Night, alone and with no background, would be an endless nightmare for the Nangong family if he decided to fight to the death.

He turned his gaze to Song Zining, his expression growing colder. He mused, this young man was also not one to be trifled with. The battle at Black River City had thoroughly antagonized him. Although killing him would cause trouble, it would be best to disable him to prevent future problems.

As Nangong Zhen harbored these sinister thoughts, Song Zining called out, “Lord Nangong, we meet again so soon. How can such a great figure like yourself have so much free time to enjoy the scenery of our humble land?”

Nangong Zhen pointed to the devastated outpost and said coldly, “What is the meaning of this, Seventh Young Master? Can you explain it to me?”

Song Zining chuckled lightly, with a hint of levity, “It’s nothing serious. These fellows didn’t know their place and dared to shoot at my carriage. People who don’t understand the rules should not be working under Lord Nangong; it would tarnish your reputation. So, I took the liberty of punishing them a little.”

Despite Qian Ye’s readiness for a bloody battle, he couldn’t help but feel both amused and exasperated by Song Zining’s audacity.

Nangong Zhen’s face turned livid, and he spat, “Fine! Today, I must teach you a lesson on behalf of your elders, or you’ll never know your place!”

“But I only killed a few dogs. Is Lord Nangong this easily agitated? Besides, Lord Nangong seems to have forgotten that this land belongs to Black River City. On my territory, I can kill a few people without anyone saying a word. But when the Nangong family cut off my escape route and pursued my brothers, where were the voices speaking up for me?”

With this, Song Zining’s smile faded, and he said coldly, “To think you want to teach me a lesson on behalf of the Song clan. Do you really think you are worthy?”

His voice, clear and resonant, carried far, reaching the ears of the thousands of Nangong warriors.

Nangong Zhen could no longer contain his rage and roared, “Insolent pup! I will wipe you out today!”

He donned a pair of golden-copper gloves and shot through the air, delivering a punch from a distance of nearly a hundred meters. The force of his punch enveloped Qian Ye, Song Zining, and Nan Hua.

Though the punch was powerful, Qian Ye’s true vision saw through it, and he smirked. At such a distance, the power was too dispersed. Nangong Zhen was too arrogant. However, Qian Ye and Song Zining had already reached an understanding. Seeing Song Zining’s signal, Qian Ye held back.

Song Zining roared, his spear gun flickering with runes, creating a trail of sparks in the air like a rising beacon. He thrust his spear at Nangong Zhen’s punch.

The spear’s might not only nullified the force aimed at Song Zining but also weakened the energy heading towards Qian Ye and Nan Hua. Qian Ye, standing slightly behind Song Zining, kept his sword sheathed, deflecting the remaining energy with a simple sweep.

Nan Hua, however, struggled more. Her twin blades clashed with the force, causing her to stumble back, her face turning pale. She had initially been eager to join the fight, even feeling a bit resentful that Qian Ye and Song Zining hadn’t included her. Now, she realized that this was not a battle she could participate in.

While Nan Hua knew that Song Zining, despite his frivolous exterior, was unfathomable, Qian Ye’s strength far exceeded her expectations. She glanced at Qian Ye, still somewhat unconvinced that he had killed Lued, thinking it was due to Song Zining’s intervention. Only now, with a direct comparison, did she realize that Qian Ye’s victory was genuine.

Failing to achieve his goal, Nangong Zhen felt humiliated, but his confidence returned. Judging by their performance, he felt confident that he could defeat them within a hundred moves without invoking the Celestial Ghosts.

He roared, his body moving like lightning, diving towards Song Zining. Among the three, Nangong Zhen was most wary of the Seventh Young Master. However, a fleeting doubt crossed his mind: how had Qian Ye, with such seemingly weak combat power, escaped from Nangong Yuanwang?

Nangong Zhen’s speed was unmatched, and before the thought had fully formed, he was already in front of Song Zining, delivering a punch straight to his chest. The punch was a concentrated pillar of force, glowing faintly like an origin bullet.

Leaves fluttered around Song Zining as he opened his domain, thrusting his spear gun thirteen times in rapid succession, creating a web of fire to barely block Nangong Zhen’s punch.

Seeing that Song Zining could stand up to his punch, Nangong Zhen’s face darkened, and he snarled, retracting his origin ban. The Nangong family’s secret technique was ineffective against Song Zining, but he was not limited to one domain.

Nangong Zhen stepped sideways, and a green aura appeared around him, instantly manifesting a lush forest within a hundred-meter radius, dispelling and suppressing Song Zining’s domain. He stepped forward again, delivering another punch.

This punch was still a concentrated column of force, but it glowed with a tangible radiance, revealing his intent to kill. He held nothing back.

Song Zining retreated rapidly, his spear flashing as he struck countless times. But no matter how far he retreated, Nangong Zhen followed, his force like a relentless river.

Qian Ye joined the fray, his East Mountain sword cleaving through the air like a giant axe, striking Nangong Zhen with each step. Nangong Zhen, who had perfected his origin power, found the strikes against his shield merely weakening his own force.

In moments, the trio was locked in battle hundreds of meters away. Nan Hua, staying put, met the two Nangong generals, her twin blades dancing as she enveloped them in her domain.

The two generals opened their domains, but Nan Hua’s domain was overpoweringly strong. She fought two on one and held her own. Her agility and speed allowed her to outmaneuver her opponents, though injuring them was another matter.

The sound of origin guns rang out, as the other Nangong experts tried to close in, only to be disrupted by Duan Hao’s team. The distance was too great for immediate close combat, so they began a long-range exchange.

Suddenly, the deep rumble of artillery drowned out all other sounds, and the Black Moon, seizing her opportunity, began to unleash a furious barrage from the custom-made machine gun.