A black tide surged through the sky above Qian Ye, plunging the surroundings into an eerie, premature darkness as if night had suddenly fallen. He turned to gaze far into the distance, where he could see the light of the wilderness receding as the black tide, with unstoppable momentum, stretched across the heavens.
Qian Ye’s eyes shimmered with a sapphire glow as he looked at his hands. Thin tendrils of dark force coiled around his slender fingers, more active than ever, swirling and dancing, occasionally colliding with his skin, causing a slight stinging sensation.
In this world dominated by darkness, the true vision revealed a mosaic of deep and light hues.
Qian Ye noticed that dark force continuously seeped out from the void, spreading like ink, until it met another mass, blending and transforming. On closer inspection, these rapidly changing forms were shadows of various ferocious beasts, all roaring in desperation, constantly fighting each other.
Suddenly, a wave of inexplicable restlessness washed over him, and for a moment, Qian Ye felt an overwhelming urge to plunge into the chaos and unleash a storm of destruction. He quickly regained his composure, his back drenched in cold sweat. This familiar feeling was like the old days when the black blood took hold, craving blood and slaughter.
At that moment, a profound, indescribable shiver arose from the depths of Qian Ye’s heart, and he suddenly realized what the black tide was.
It was a domain, vast beyond imagination, its boundaries unseen even with his extraordinary vision! An unknown entity had used its domain to cover this entire sky and land.
Qian Ye took several deep breaths, stood still for a moment, and then remounted his motorcycle, heading back to Darkflow City. After the initial agitation subsided, he found that the effects of the black tide and the black blood were different. The black tide caused the natural dark forces to become unusually active, making all living beings uneasy, while the black blood eroded and assimilated their minds.
Yet, this realization offered little comfort.
Now, Darkflow City and its surrounding areas, perhaps even the entire Three Rivers County, might already be under the shadow of the black tide. A large-scale evacuation was impossible. No matter the circumstances, the city was safer than the wilderness, and no one knew the extent or the reach of the black tide. In other words, no one knew where the safe zones were.
When Qian Ye returned to Darkflow City, the black tide had already passed over and continued to spread deeper into human territory. The world was plunged into a deep, pervasive gloom, even the brief hours of sunlight lost to the darkness.
Such an anomaly naturally filled the residents of Darkflow City with dread, but to Qian Ye’s surprise, he found the city surprisingly calm. This was due to Zhao Yuying’s iron-fisted measures. As soon as the black tide appeared, she summoned the senior officers of Darkflame, including Song Hu, and declared martial law throughout the city.
All the Darkflame troops were deployed on the streets, setting up checkpoints at key intersections. She then patrolled the city herself, using ruthless methods to eliminate dozens of people who were either causing panic or attempting to take advantage of the chaos. Her actions finally quelled the influx of hunters, mercenaries, and adventurers into the city.
As for the native residents of Darkflow City, most had become extremely compliant during the prolonged stay of those imperial noblewomen.
Upon returning to the Darkflame base, Qian Ye immediately sought out Zhao Yuying, asking, “Is it a beast tide?”
Zhao Yuying, unusually serious, replied, “No, but it’s worse. If I’m not mistaken, this is probably the Iron Curtain.”
“Iron Curtain?” Qian Ye was taken aback. He had always thought the term was just a metaphor, not a real thing.
“It’s not surprising you haven’t heard of it. The Iron Curtain usually appears in the homeland of the dark nations, at most extending to the distant borders of the empire, covering only a small area. All previous information has been suppressed by the empire; it’s top-secret military intelligence. I only know a little about it because of my grandfather.”
Qian Ye looked out the window, the sky still dark as before. However, it wasn’t complete darkness; a hazy, lead-gray light permeated the heavens, creating a sense of oppressive desolation, as if an endless iron curtain had covered the entire earth.
In the world beneath the Iron Curtain, there was no sun, no moon, and no stars.
“What exactly is it?”
“You should have felt it. The Iron Curtain is a domain, a vast, unimaginable domain. According to the empire’s records, the smallest recorded Iron Curtain covers half a province. As for the larger ones, no one has ever been able to determine their true boundaries.”
“If it’s a domain, there must be someone releasing it. Such power is unbelievable. What kind of being can wield such might?”
Zhao Yuying smiled bitterly. “Perhaps it’s not human. The empire has emperors, the dark races have great lords, and similarly, the ferocious beasts have their own kings. In terms of sheer power, they are the true rulers of this world. Moreover, there are incredibly powerful beings roaming the void. From a commoner’s perspective, calling them gods wouldn’t be far off.”
Qian Ye found it hard to believe, “The Iron Curtain is the domain of a beast king?”
“As far as I know, it’s always been the case, with no exceptions.”
Qian Ye was stunned, opening his mouth but not knowing what to say. After a while, he asked, “The Iron Curtain doesn’t appear without reason, does it?” Such an astonishing phenomenon meant an equally massive expenditure of energy. Even a beast king wouldn’t do something meaningless.
“I’ve only heard rumors. It might be that the kings discovered something rare and essential, or a special place, and they released the Iron Curtain to assert their sovereignty and set the stage. It’s said that two of the ten famous guns’ souls were born within the Iron Curtain.”
Qian Ye fell silent. At the level of the ten famous guns, it was the battlefield of great lords and emperors. Forget the Darkflow City battle zone, even the entire Three Rivers County, or the expeditionary army, were like insignificant ants. Those great figures probably didn’t even bother to cast a glance here.
However, because of this, if a fire broke out, the fallout would be catastrophic. Even a minor disturbance could devastate both Darkflame and Darkflow City.
This was Zhao Yuying’s first encounter with the Iron Curtain, and she wasn’t entirely sure what would happen next. But she and Qian Ye shared the same thoughts: a large-scale evacuation was impossible. Even disregarding the city’s residents, moving the entire Darkflame army would be a significant operation, and who knew what consequences it might trigger.
For now, they could only wait and see.
But neither Qian Ye nor Zhao Yuying liked being passive. After agreeing on a plan, they prepared to explore the city and the wilderness separately, hoping to gain more control over the situation.
As time passed, Qian Ye gradually adapted to the oppressive and irritable atmosphere brought by the Iron Curtain. Apart from that, there seemed to be no other abnormalities. However, a domain was a domain, and being within someone else’s domain was dangerous. The Dusk had just proven this to Qian Ye.
In the void beyond the Evernight Continent, a lightship tens of meters long glided through the air. Shaped like a vintage sailing ship, its high mast bore several sails that fluttered and billowed, surrounded by a faint aura of force.
The ship was a muted gray, with the most striking feature being a bronze statue of a vajra carved at the bow, exuding solemn dignity. Two wings, each equipped with propellers, were attached to the sides, with no other visible means of propulsion. For a floating vessel capable of crossing the continent, its construction was surprisingly simple.
The lightship was exceptionally fast, even surpassing some of the empire’s renowned military fast ships. In moments, it reached the Evernight Continent and, without slowing down, transformed into a streak of gray light, swiftly disappearing into the distance.
Below the lightship, the edges of the void were rapidly fading, and mountains and rivers flashed by like fleeting reflections.
As the ship sped along, a gentle voice suddenly came from the topmost room of the two-story cabin, “We have distinguished guests. Stop the ship.” The voice, though not loud, instantly filled every corner.
The lightship decelerated abruptly, hovering in mid-air. The entire process was seamless, without any jolt. This was not only due to the superior performance of the floating vessel but also the skill of the operators.
In the void, a hearty laugh echoed, “Indeed, you can’t hide anything from you.”
Suddenly, a flash of lightning illuminated the sky, followed by a gathering of clouds, which swirled and converged, forming a massive cloud spanning nearly a kilometer. A figure descended from the sky, standing on a small boat.
It was a true small boat, only a few meters long, resembling the type used for fishing on rivers, with the only difference being its metallic luster and the occasional flickering of rune-like patterns.
The figure was tall and imposing, with a pair of phoenix eyes radiating a vibrant spirit, exuding an unparalleled aura. None other than the imperial marshal, Zhang Boqian.
Lin Xitang walked onto the deck, “Marshal Zhang, it’s been a while. Meeting here is quite a coincidence.”
Zhang Boqian grunted, scrutinizing Lin Xitang and then sweeping his gaze over the lightship. Though no one else emerged from the two-story cabin, the soldiers inside, who were looking at Zhang Boqian, all felt a chill, as if his sharp gaze could penetrate the walls and see them clearly.
Zhang Boqian’s face was somewhat grim. “Come down and talk.”
Lin Xitang smiled faintly, neither responding nor moving.
Zhang Boqian sneered, “The mighty marshal of the empire, too afraid to leave his own ship?”
Though Lin Xitang’s expression remained unchanged, his eyes flickered slightly. “I assume Marshal Zhang has recently met with King Dingxuan.”
The duel between Zhang Boqian and King Dingxuan was the most watched event in the empire. Oddly, after the scheduled time had passed, neither the imperial family nor the Zhang clan had released any information about the battle. The only confirmed news was that the imperial family and several other emperors had officially recognized Zhang Boqian as an emperor, meaning the Great Qin Empire now had five emperors.
Thus, when Lin Xitang initially discovered that the visitor was Zhang Boqian, he was quite surprised. A battle of that caliber almost never ended without significant casualties, often requiring years of recuperation. So, why had Zhang Boqian come to the Evernight Continent so soon after the battle?
Zhang Boqian replied, “Indeed, I have.”
A gleam flashed in Lin Xitang’s eyes as he asked, “What was the outcome?”
“If you want to know, come down and talk.”
Lin Xitang chuckled, stepping aside. “Why don’t Marshal Zhang come aboard for a short visit? We can have a cup of tea and chat about the local scenery and recent events. How about it?”
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