Chapter 196: Await My Arrival

In the depths of the void, a magnificent warship of the Blood Clan silently emerged, heading towards the distant and faintly visible floating land.

By the porthole stood a slender man, tightly wrapped in a splendid black robe as if he were afraid of the cold. Around him stood more than a dozen Blood Clansmen, each with an extraordinary aura. At their collars, they all wore a golden rose entwined with a snake, the mark of the First Clan, Pass, and the symbol of the Queen of Night.

One of them, as tall and sturdy as a tower, unlike the typical build of a Blood Clansman, stepped forward and said, “Holy Son, the floating land is just ahead. But are we really going to defy the order of the Council?”

The man by the porthole slowly turned around, revealing an extremely pale face with empty eyes burning with the fire of blood. The resemblance was unmistakable; it was Edward, the Holy Son of the Blood Clan. However, compared to before, he had grown alarmingly thin, almost skeletal, and still trembled uncontrollably.

Though weak enough to fall with a gust of wind, when Edward turned, a blood-red lightning seemed to flash through the void. Many of the Blood Clansmen instinctively retreated, only a few of the strongest managing to remain standing.

“Never mind those old fools; they’ve lived too long, and their courage has withered,” Edward’s voice, now hoarse and unpleasant, cut through the air.

The burly man countered, “But you are still under punishment, and you cannot exert your full strength.”

Edward chuckled hoarsely, “Zhao Jundu’s cultivation was already weaker than mine, and now, in this state, I’m barely at par with him. If we lack the courage to fight a fair battle against a weak human, what sort of Sacred Clan are we? And what sort of Holy Son am I?”

The Blood Clan’s pride and aloofness were well-known in the Evernight. Hearing these words, the many Blood Clansmen present became so stirred that their eyes welled up with blood, nearly entering a Blood Boil state.

At that moment, one of the Blood Clansmen suddenly exclaimed, pointing out the porthole, “What, what is that!?”

In the direction he pointed, a sleek, willow-leaf-like warship sailed quietly, its lines incredibly graceful, without any adornment, moving silently through the void. If not for the fact that the Blood Clansmen were all powerful, they might have mistaken the ship for being stationary.

This ghostly warship occasionally flickered, changing position with each flicker, advancing a short distance forward. In the void, a small distance seen by the eye was actually quite vast. More disturbing, however, was the warship’s strange manner of movement, which immediately reminded all the Blood Clansmen of a long-forgotten legend.

“Could it be… that ship?” A viscount of the Blood Clan stammered, his voice trembling.

But no one mocked him, even Holy Son Edward’s breath grew a bit labored.

After a moment of oppressive silence, an earl finally broke the quiet, speaking slowly, “There is a warship that moves like this, and only one. And the owner of that ship has never changed.”

Edward finally spoke, a hint of bitterness in his voice, “Yes, it is Mesfield’s Witch.”

“Wasn’t it said she was in a deep sleep in the depths of the void?”

“Don’t forget, another legend says that when she awakens, it means she has broken through the Heavenly Barrier of the Demons.”

These words hung in the air, plunging the ship’s cabin into sudden silence, as if everyone had been struck dumb.

Those who stood here were the true core of the Blood Clan, privy to many secrets unknown to outsiders, and they all understood the significance of the Heavenly Barrier, the ultimate bottleneck of the Demon race.

The same thought now lingered in their minds: After a thousand years of absence, could the Demon race finally produce a new Grand Lord? Even if such a Grand Lord was still far in the future, it was enough to shake the balance of the Evernight Council.

Moreover, given the Witch’s countless legends, if after many years, she could secure a place at the top of the Council, it wasn’t entirely impossible. Even the smallest possibility, minuscule as it might be, was enough to shock the entire world of Evernight.

Because this would fundamentally subvert the unchanging grand pattern of the Evernight Council over thousands of years.

No one doubted that the Witch, from the time she fell into a deep sleep, would eventually awaken. But no one expected her to awaken so quickly!

Less than ten years had passed since she entered the void to slumber. Ten years, in the long lifespan of the dark races, was but a fleeting moment.

Suddenly, an invisible gaze from the ghostly warship in the distance washed over them, and all the Blood Clansmen felt as if a wave of icy cold surged through their bodies, freezing their blood cores.

As the Holy Son, Edward, burst forth, turning into a deep purple blood mist, enveloping all the Blood Clansmen and resisting the intangible ice tide. Yet, his blood qi fluctuated violently, the color rapidly fading, indicating an enormous drain of energy, one that he could not sustain for long.

Fortunately, the ice tide came and went swiftly, vanishing without a trace, leaving only the extreme pallor of the Blood Clansmen and their still-shuddering bodies as evidence of its existence.

Edward returned to his human form, standing silently, his face darkened to the extreme.

A viscount, known for his fierce nature, raised an eyebrow and roared, “She dared to attack us unjustly; this cannot be tolerated! My lord, let me take the warship and fight her to the death! You go back, return after the punishment, and avenge us!”

The other Blood Clansmen echoed loudly, all resolved to die. That unexpected attack had disgraced them. Such humiliation, as members of the First Clan Pass, how could they bear it?

The dignity of the Queen of Night, Lilith, was no less than that of the Demon race.

Yet Edward did not rage, instead, he stared somewhat blankly out the porthole. After a moment, he sighed lightly, “That wasn’t an attack… she… just took a look.”

“Took a look”?

All the Blood Clansmen were speechless; this was a level they could not reach. Even the most ferocious among them no longer mentioned the idea of a death match.

A death match and suicide were two different things. They didn’t even qualify for a fight.

Edward shook his head, “Her power isn’t as great as you think, but… forget it, you wouldn’t understand.”

The Blood Clansmen present, no ordinary individuals, all understood the meaning behind Edward’s words. The weaker the Witch in the ghostly warship, the more terrifying she was.

The ghostly warship continued on its trajectory, heading straight for the floating land.

Inside the warship, a chaotic darkness permeated, shrouding everything in pure, near-absolute dark force.

The entire interior of the warship was filled with dark force.

Suddenly, a slightly mechanical voice sounded, “Miss, Edward, the Holy Son of the Blood Clan, is on your list. Shall we engage in battle?”

In the deep darkness, a figure slowly materialized, seemingly formed of dark force, all details blurred. Yet, the mere outline of her body, traced by a few curves, was enough to incite thirst.

She moved like a wraith, gliding slowly to the porthole, and said softly, “Edward is bound by the Blood Burn Punishment; he is not worth wasting time on. There, that is where I should go.”

She pointed to the distant floating land.

The mechanical yet oddly gentle voice responded, “What is there?”

“The future Emperor of the human race. Even if it’s just self-boasting by the humans, it’s worth seeing, don’t you think? Humans are not a race prone to exaggeration.” She paused, then added, “Also, I can sense that my true enemy of destiny is there.”

“Truly surprising, do you mean the future Emperor of the human race?”

“Perhaps, or perhaps… not.”

It was the first time since awakening from her long slumber that she could not confidently judge something related to herself.

The ghostly warship continued to flicker, heading toward the floating land.

In the great hall of the Evernight Council, almost all the councilors were present, either in person or as projections. Today’s meeting was exceptionally important, with only one topic: the potential emergence of a sixth Emperor in the human race.

Dozens of the most elite figures in the Evernight world, now openly discussing and secretly exchanging thoughts, stirred the entire hall with waves of elemental storms. It was no wonder they had lost their composure, as recent events had been too shocking.

The last time the human race experienced such splendor, the Great Qin Empire was born. And if among these six Emperors, another truly outstanding figure emerged, even if one Emperor was missing, it would be a renaissance under a Martial Ancestor. This was not impossible. Although the nominal strongest human, the Fingerpoint King, was now aging and unable to advance, Zhang Boqian’s rise was too rapid and too domineering. If no one could stop him, once he solidified his position, he would be another Martial Ancestor.

And Zhao Jundu, even if he advanced a few more levels, would not yet catch the attention of the real giants of the Evernight world. But along the way, he had performed flawlessly. He remained calm when needed, acted when necessary, and, at a critical moment, boldly turned the tide of battle. Though it seemed to shake the future’s foundation, if he did not dare to fight at such a moment, what use was his pure elemental force?

Thus, Zhao Jundu displayed true perfection, even in his magnanimity.

Such a person was difficult to evaluate. The Evernight giants debated endlessly, realizing they couldn’t pinpoint Zhao Jundu’s future. He might barely become an Emperor, surpass Zhang Boqian, or even fail to become an Emperor at all.

Every argument had merit and support, leading to no conclusive answer. Gradually, a dominant opinion emerged: to send at least a duke-level powerhouse to decisively eliminate Zhao Jundu, nipping the threat in the bud. Those who supported this view mostly believed that Zhao Jundu’s future accomplishments would match or exceed Zhang Boqian’s.

However, there were also vehement opponents. The empire was vast, with a population as numerous as the grains of sand, producing countless geniuses every year. How could every genius be eradicated?

In the heat of the debate, someone coldly interjected, “Do you think Lin Xitang will definitely not become an Emperor?”

At these words, the entire hall fell silent.