Zhang Boqian stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze returning to Lin Xitang, sharp as a lightning bolt. “Do you really want me to go up there? If I accidentally damage your precious ‘Bluebird,’ I won’t be responsible for it.”
Lin Xitang, unfazed by Zhang Boqian’s aggressive demeanor, responded calmly, “Brother Boqian, regardless of any past grievances between us, this is not the time to resolve them, is it?”
“Not now, then when? After this battle?” Zhang Boqian retorted coldly. “This time, the Empire is willing to get involved in the Iron Curtain, but why are none of the four old men showing up? Do you think you can handle the situation alone and claim what’s under the Iron Curtain?”
The matter at hand was still top-secret military intelligence. The mobilization of troops was all carried out under the Emperor’s orders, meaning that even the Marshals would only know something if their armies were called upon. As for the secret orders to the major clans, they would be issued in a few days.
Zhang Boqian had clearly already heard some news, but it was unclear how much he knew.
Lin Xitang’s brows furrowed slightly before smoothing out. He spoke slowly, “The true intention of the Imperial family this time is to give up on that thing…”
Zhang Boqian’s eyes suddenly sharpened. “Give up just like that? Whose idea was this?”
Lin Xitang paused for a moment before answering, “This time, the center of the Iron Curtain is the Celestial Demon.”
Zhang Boqian was taken aback, a dark cloud passing over his face. “Why is it here?”
In the far reaches of the void dwell several mysterious and terrifying beasts, one of which is the Celestial Demon. This name originates from the records of the Dark Races, who had encountered it long before the Thousand Night War. No one knows its true form, as every time it appears, it exhibits different outer forms, even appearing in multiple places simultaneously, making it seem to have countless incarnations.
Due to this ability, the Celestial Demon can fully utilize its combat strength in any environment. In other words, there are no specific countermeasures, only a head-on, deadly battle.
Moreover, unlike the fierce beast kings that inhabit the continents, the Celestial Demon, being a void creature, may find things of immense value, but these might be meaningless to humans or the Dark Races.
Lin Xitang continued, “This time, the Iron Curtain has a special rule: warriors below the 13th level on our side and Barons of the third rank or lower on the Dark Races’ side can move freely within it. However, once their levels exceed this, they will be attacked by the Celestial Demon’s incarnations. Since we are not going after that thing, I will only act as a supporting force and not enter the field unless necessary.”
Zhang Boqian sneered, “The old fogeys in Evernight probably won’t see it that way. Do you think they will let you pick up the scraps?”
“Even if there is danger, running away is always an option,” Lin Xitang replied calmly. When it came to survival skills, his Great Derivative Heaven’s Mystery Technique was undoubtedly the best among the Marshals.
Zhang Boqian pondered for a moment and understood Lin Xitang’s unspoken words. “Since the Imperial family doesn’t care about what’s inside the Iron Curtain, this mobilization is… a bloodbath?”
Lin Xitang confirmed, “Yes, a bloodbath! But this time, it is a bloodbath between the Empire and Evernight. Three of the ten elite legions will participate, and high-ranking military merits will be awarded to encourage the noble families to send their best descendants. The strength of the new generation of the Great Qin Empire and the Evernight Parliament will be tested beneath the Iron Curtain!”
After hearing this, Zhang Boqian scoffed, “A flock of sheep, no matter how much they are honed, cannot become lions.”
Lin Xitang smiled faintly. They had different ideologies, and arguing about this was pointless.
Zhang Boqian, however, gave him a sharp look. “Such a grand plan, dragging in the young talents of each family, surely isn’t something you could pull off alone, is it?”
Lin Xitang lowered his eyes. “This plan involves not only the military elite but also the nobility and their titles. It is naturally the wise decision of His Majesty.”
Zhang Boqian’s face darkened slightly. “But who doesn’t know that His Majesty follows your every word.”
Lin Xitang raised his eyes, his deep and clear gaze like an endless abyss. “Surely, Your Highness, the King of Qingyang, wouldn’t believe such frivolous gossip.”
The Imperial family had recently bestowed the title of King of Qingyang on Zhang Boqian. Although the title of king was not hereditary since the reign of Emperor Wu, it was clear proof of the recognition of his Sky King strength, and the Zhang family had regained the glory of the founding era.
Zhang Boqian snorted. “Lin Xitang, whether this is your idea or His Majesty’s, you know in your heart.”
Lin Xitang whispered, “What difference does it make? I am loyal only to His Majesty and the Empire.”
A murderous aura surged from Zhang Boqian, then subsided. He said indifferently, “I will stay in Evernight for a while to see what is inside the Iron Curtain and who the Dark Races have sent. You can oversee your grand strategy from the sidelines. Just be careful that you and your Emperor don’t outsmart yourselves.”
Lin Xitang replied with hidden meaning, “It all depends on how this bloodbath unfolds.”
On a nameless peak in the Evernight domain, stood an odd old man. His long, unkempt hair, which had not been washed for days, was matted and tangled. His clothes were tattered, resembling those of a scavenger.
He was emaciated, with dull yellow eyes, looking like one of the wretched masses. However, if a strong insight skill user were present, they would notice the dense, tangible dark origin power swirling around him.
The old man stood at the peak, looking up at the sky. The Iron Curtain extended to the front of the mountain, the gray-black line clearly visible.
There were more than a dozen figures on the mountain, mostly demonic warriors in splendid dark armor, and a few Blood Race members, the weakest of whom was a Baron.
Everyone was cautious, not daring to approach the old man, even avoiding the stray dark origin power emanating from him. The mountain was not large, so they stood almost at the edge of the cliff.
The old man gazed silently at the boundless Iron Curtain, lost in thought, or perhaps waiting for something.
At that moment, a black dot appeared in the distance, shooting towards the mountain. It was a metal ball enveloped in thick dark origin power, like black fog.
The metal ball suddenly unfolded into a human shape. A middle-aged demonic man, whose armor was the outer shell of the ball, landed in front of the old man. The dark origin power around him touched the old man’s swirling black clouds and immediately recoiled, sticking close to his body, forming a thin layer to keep the black clouds at bay.
Despite this, he was the only one who dared to approach the old man, and the others looked at him with awe.
“What news do you bring?” the old man asked.
The middle-aged demonic man only spoke after the question was posed. “We just received information from an insider. Marshal Lin Xitang of the Empire has arrived in Evernight, likely for the Iron Curtain. Also, the Empire’s elite legions are being mobilized, and their final destination is most likely Evernight.”
“Additionally, there are two unverified reports. One claims that after the military assembly, the Imperial family will issue orders for the noble families to send their best descendants and offer high-ranking military merits, indicating that the battlefield is likely the Iron Curtain. The other report says that the newly promoted Sky King Zhang Boqian has suddenly left the mainland, and someone saw him heading to Evernight.”
“And your opinion?”
A simple question, yet the demonic man was tense. After careful consideration, he said, “I believe the Empire intends to fight a bloodbath. The thing under the Iron Curtain may be secondary.”
Hearing this, the demonic and blood race members on the peak were thoughtful.
The old man asked, “Is that truly what you think?”
The middle-aged demonic man, sweating, said, “Yes.”
The old man, still looking at the sky, asked, “And you all, do you agree?”
The group hesitated but finally answered, “Yes.”
The old man sneered, “That is all you can see? Whatever is under the Iron Curtain, if it is useful, can change the great balance. What does winning or losing a bloodbath matter? Winning is a costly victory, and losing is a small loss. How many battles must be fought to change the current situation? This small gain or loss blinds you. What future do you have?”
The middle-aged demonic man, sweating, said, “You are right, Lord.”
The old man glanced at him. “I understand you are not convinced, but it does not matter. As long as you do not disobey my orders, I won’t kill you. I have to give that old man some face.”
After a pause, the old man asked, “Zhang Boqian is coming to Evernight? That’s interesting. What was the outcome of his Sky King battle? If he won, my presence alone might not be enough. We need to call in more old men.”
The middle-aged demonic man said, “Rumors say the battle happened, but the result… is unknown.”
The old man did not speak, only waved his hand. This time, he did not even say the word “waste.”
After a moment of contemplation, the old man said, “The thing under the Iron Curtain is the most important, but the bloodbath must also be fought. The Great Qin Empire has set up a game, and we must play it well. Hmph, the Empire’s resurgence? Let’s see what they use to revive.”
With that, he waved his hand. “Go and prepare. If we are determined to fight this bloodbath, we must prepare for at least a month. We, the old men, will take responsibility for the thing. But if we lose, you must reconsider.”
The group bowed and disappeared from the peak.
Outside Blackstream City, Qian Ye stood on a high ground, looking around. At his feet lay the bodies of several beasts. These ordinary beasts, smelling the Blood Race aura he had intentionally released, should have fled in fear. Yet, they now seemed to have lost their instinctive fear of death, attacking him relentlessly until he was forced to kill them one by one.
Killing these beasts was a trivial matter, but their numbers were becoming a nuisance.
The sky remained leaden gray, and the Iron Curtain had already covered the entire Three Rivers County. The expeditionary force reacted much faster than usual, with orders to the divisions in the Three Rivers County to contract their lines and hold their positions without fail. Reinforcements from the army and the Empire were on the way.
The order to the Darkflame Division, though using the same number, was now addressed to the Darkflame Independent Division, indicating that the expeditionary force was no longer entangled in this issue.
Additionally, with the appointment of Zhao Yuying as the new commander, came a top-secret military intelligence report, detailing the owner and rules of the Iron Curtain, emphasizing the need to hold the position and leave the rest to the higher-ups.
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