Qiqi leapt off the all-terrain vehicle and strode to the front of the convoy. Under the dazzling lights, she saw nine figures standing in a row, blocking the entire path.
They were all draped in the traditional deep black cloaks of the Blood Clan, with high collars and strikingly pale, handsome faces that made them both imposing and charming. The blood-red mandalas on their collars pierced the eyes of all the senior officers of the 60th Division, making the desolate plain seem suddenly perilous.
The wild wind howled across the wilderness, and the short hair of the girl in the center danced in the air. She had rare black hair and black eyes, a trait uncommon among the upper ranks of the Blood Clan. Despite this, her position at the center marked her as the most honored among the nine. On her collar was a mandala of a light golden hue.
Only nine Blood Clansmen, standing in a line, yet their presence was like a range of mountains, suffocating in its enormity. They faced the elite of the 60th Division of the expeditionary force, nearly four hundred battle-grade soldiers, and two war general-level strongmen. Yet, it was the 60th Division, from top to bottom, who felt fear.
A burly old man approached Qiqi and whispered, “Miss, that’s a golden mandala!”
“What does it mean?”
The old man’s face turned sour. “A golden mandala can only be worn by direct descendants of Prince Monro or those of equivalent high status. It means even if we win today, we’ll face endless retribution from a Blood Clan prince!”
Qiqi nodded nonchalantly. “So what?”
The old man didn’t know how to respond. He couldn’t say that such a high-ranking enemy shouldn’t be confronted by a mere expeditionary division. He suggested carefully, “Miss, perhaps we should come back another time?”
Qiqi fixed her gaze on the girl in the center. Their gazes clashed like invisible blades. Without turning her head, she said, “What, the 60th Division wants to flee without a fight?”
This burly old man was the brigadier general of the 60th Division. He had already noticed that the Blood Clansmen seemed to have no intention of starting a fight. The best option was to retreat and report the appearance of the high-ranking Blood Clan members. A full-scale battle could be disastrous, especially if something happened to the heir candidate of the Yin family.
However, Qiqi did not seem to accept this. The brigadier general’s face was more helpless. “We’re not fleeing, just… maybe another time would be better. We’re not prepared.”
“Retreat now, and you won’t have to worry about the Blood Clan prince’s revenge; just our Yin family’s.”
Qiqi’s words were calm, but the old man could only smile bitterly. Feuding with dark races could be settled on the battlefield, but offending a noble house often ended in destruction.
Most of the elite officers of the 60th Division had disembarked and formed a battle formation behind the general, facing the Blood Clansmen. But even together, they seemed less formidable than the opposition.
At last, the statue-like Blood Clansmen showed some movement. The girl in the center raised her hand, and the one on her right stepped forward, his voice soft and eerie. “Turn back, and we’ll spare your lives today.”
His voice was low, but it carried clearly across the distance.
Qiqi’s phoenix-like eyes flickered upward, usually seductive, but now sharp as an arrow. “I like beautiful women, but you disgust me!”
Nighteye’s eyebrows arched slightly, and her previously unfocused eyes suddenly became clear, reflecting Qiqi’s image.
Qiqi felt an invisible hand gripping her, the force threatening to crush her bones. With a loud thud, waves of blue and white light surged around her, like clouds falling from the sky. Her face, flushed from near-suffocation, eased slightly.
A cold smile appeared on Nighteye’s perfect face, and her black eyes shimmered deeper. The closest Blood Clansmen, Sari and another, looked terrified and took a step back, almost bowing.
Meanwhile, the chaotic light around Qiqi seemed on the verge of collapse!
An old man, with a subservient look, stepped forward and slashed the air in front of Qiqi. A loud bang erupted, flames flared where he struck, and the invisible force was broken.
The old man glanced at Nighteye, his eyes sharp as knives. But Nighteye remained calm, showing no sign of the backlash he expected. The old man’s expression turned serious, and he retreated behind Qiqi.
Qiqi coughed violently, pointing at Nighteye and shouting, “Blow that woman up!”
Several siege vehicles raised their short, thick cannons. With a roar, large shells arced through the air, targeting Nighteye.
The Blood Clansmen around Nighteye growled, and with a gesture, the shells froze in mid-air before exploding.
Nighteye finally spoke, simply, “Kill them.”
Eight Blood Clansmen of the Monro clan showed different expressions—some worried, some ecstatic, some bloodthirsty, some frenzied. They moved, leaving afterimages, crossing the distance in an instant and diving into the 60th Division’s formation. Blood splattered into the air!
The 60th Division’s two war generals intercepted Sari, and the two old men behind Qiqi burst forth with tremendous power, blocking another elderly viscount.
Nighteye turned and vanished into the vast wilderness.
Qiqi had four war generals, but Nighteye, with only two, showed no concern.
In the earthen castle, a new battle began.
The fighting was fierce. Many survivors of the expeditionary force, though exhausted, still charged the stronger dark warriors, sometimes heard were the muffled explosions of hand grenades, as soldiers opted for mutual annihilation!
Qi Ye still moved like a ghost through the ruins. Suddenly, a fifth-level Blood Clansman appeared, seeing Qi Ye and his Twin Blossoms, his eyes turning blood-red. “You dare provoke Count Rosso!”
“So what?” Qi Ye sneered. The Twin Blossoms hummed, blooming in the heart of the Blood Clansman.
The Blood Clansman aimed his gun, but his movements were too slow, and he never got to fire.
Outside the earthen castle, Baron Mac was pacing anxiously in his tent.
All the Blood Clansmen were silent, fearful of angering the baron, who had just drained a subordinate. But the baron was even more agitated after feeding.
He waited for the sound of the Eagle Strike. When it fired, a high-ranking warrior would fall. But its silence now brought more pressure. No one knew when it would strike, or whom.
Baron Mac wasn’t afraid of the Eagle Strike, but if it fired silver bullets… his face paled.
Princess Nighteye had left, leading her guards to intercept the 60th Division. Before leaving, she ordered him to take the earthen castle and prevent any human special forces from attacking from the east.
But the battle in the earthen castle raged on! The baron was baffled. How could such a small garrison last so long? The humans were as tenacious as werewolves and as stubborn as spider demons. No living prisoners had been captured.
In this little defensive node, the baron had lost two-thirds of his forces, a loss he hadn’t dared imagine. Taking the earthen castle would mean facing a storm of fury.
And there was that person, surely the cause of this! That arrogant human!
The urge to enter the castle was strong, but a sense of danger held him back. The baron felt a strong presence lurking nearby, waiting for a chance. This instinct had saved his life many times.
Then, outside the tent, Nighteye’s voice rang, “Your behavior is unworthy of a baron.”
Mac was shocked. “Princess! Why are you back?”
Nighteye entered, sitting in the luxurious chair. Several powerful Blood Clansmen followed, wearing the crest of the Moonlit Castle. Though not as fearsome as the mandala, they were still significant.
It was the crest of Count Rosso, with bloodlines indicating they were direct descendants.
Nighteye stared at Mac, her eyes reflecting his trembling form. “Count Rosso’s descendants found me. Someone killed a descendant, stole his Twin Blossoms, and used them in battle. Do you understand the implications?”
Mac trembled. “Yes.”
“He’s in the earthen castle, isn’t he?”
“…Yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“I… just found out.”
Nighteye’s eyes cleared, and the killing intent faded. Mac almost collapsed, wishing he could kneel like the other warriors.
She said, “For your years of service, I’ll let it go. I’ll handle this human myself and see what he’s capable of with Rosso’s Twin Blossoms.”
Nighteye left, the descendants following. They sped across the battlefield and into the earthen castle.
Qi Ye was pulling his sword from a Blood Clansman. He stopped, looking in a direction, a chilling premonition overtaking him.
Qi Ye dropped his sword, drew the Twin Blossoms, and unleashed his might, even as his organs suffered damage. The Twin Blossoms lit up, flowers blooming in the air.
Qi Ye pointed the guns at the empty space ahead, slowly backing away.
A figure, cloaked in black flames, stepped into the street.
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