The image was not very clear, often distorting, but it was still possible to see Aaron standing on the throne, wildly waving his arms and hysterically shouting, “Bring him back to me…”
“There’s no need, I’m already here.”
Qian Ye appeared in the image, striding into the castle hall, drawing out the Eastern Peak, and sending a distant strike at Aaron!
The image abruptly cut off.
Yatong stared blankly at the now-dull ruby, unmoving for a long time. Her face showed no anger, no sorrow, just a frozen expression.
“Your Highness?” The count was startled and cautiously called out to Yatong.
He called out several times before Yatong came to her senses, asking, “Has the authenticity of those images been confirmed? What happened afterward?”
“Apologies, Your Highness, the retrospective imagery can only go so far. However, our people have thoroughly examined the scene and tested the body of Viscount Aaron. The conclusion is… everything you saw is real.”
Yatong regained her composure and asked, “So, it was indeed this person who killed Aaron?”
“Yes. And we have preliminarily confirmed his identity. His name is Qian Ye, originally serving in the Imperial Expeditionary Force, and in fact, he is the governor of Blackstream City. During the Blood War, he aligned himself with the Zhao family, or at least cooperated with them.” Mentioning Blackstream City, the count’s expression became somewhat unnatural.
For the dark races that had participated in the recent battles of Evernight, Blackstream City had become an ominous name. First, there was the Battle of the Blackwing King’s Treasure, which diverted the dark army, then the Iron Curtain Blood War where Song Zining defeated the dark forces with a single city. Subsequently, it was discovered that the pair of new Imperial stars, one of whom was Qian Ye, also hailed from Blackstream City.
“Qian Ye…” Yatong murmured the name softly.
The count’s face was filled with worry. He knew very well about the relationship between Aaron and Yatong. Aaron’s position in the Munro clan was entirely due to Yatong’s unwavering support. With Aaron’s sudden death and the recent pressures on the Munro clan and Yatong, he was deeply concerned that the princess might not be able to bear it and do something foolish.
He gently advised, “Your Highness, this man must not be underestimated, especially under the Iron Curtain. He may even be more dangerous than Zhao Jundu. Revenge can wait. Once the Iron Curtain disperses, we will surely make him pay in blood.”
Yatong slowly closed her eyes and said, “I understand.”
The count’s heart did not ease. In the past month, Qian Ye had already proven his terrifying strength with countless corpses of dark race geniuses. The Munro clan had a formidable force in that castle, with the advantage of terrain, yet they were completely wiped out by Qian Ye, leaving only a third-tier viscount seriously injured and escaping.
By the end of the Blood War, the dark races had extensively studied Qian Ye and Zhao Jundu. Although Qian Ye was not as high-ranking as Zhao Jundu, and his combat techniques were not as flawless, his strikes were immensely powerful, focusing on direct, overwhelming attacks. Under the Iron Curtain, such power was virtually unstoppable, even for dark race over-limit elites.
Thus, Qian Ye and Zhao Jundu each had their strengths. Below the rank of baron, facing Zhao Jundu was almost certain death without secret arts. Above the rank of baron, over-limit elites were even more unwilling to face Qian Ye, whose power was simply depressing.
Yatong was the strongest genius of the Munro clan of her generation. In the few years since her return, her progress had greatly pleased the elders, and she was also a crucial bargaining chip in several potential major deals. If she were to engage in a life-and-death struggle with Qian Ye, the resulting damage would not be something the Munro clan could afford. Moreover, Blackstream City seemed to be a place cursed against the dark races, even the count himself preferred to stay away from that city.
Yatong let out a soft breath and said, “If there are no other matters, I will take my leave.”
Behind her, dozens of dark race elites stood quietly. Seeing Yatong’s gesture, they approached. Among them were both blood races and other races, with some blood races wearing the Mandala emblem of the Munros, while others bore the insignia of the Sword Guardians, the direct troops of the Evernight Council.
The count stepped in front of Yatong, anxiously saying, “Your Highness, please reconsider? The council is not forcing you to enter now. The situation below the Bottomless Vortex is unknown and extremely dangerous. Given your status, you should not and do not need to take such risks. Let those with inferior bloodlines go. Whoever gets the ancient essence, you will have a chance to obtain it. At least, they can pave the way first.”
Yatong did not answer, merely shaking her head, then leaping down, vanishing into the significantly thinned black mist.
The dark race elites followed suit, jumping down one by one. The last blood race in the group, with a blood-colored mandala emblem at his collar, whispered to the count as he passed, “This is just an exploration. We will return after passing through the prismatic turbulence. The clan has one more chance to convince the princess.”
At this point, the count could only smile bitterly, pondering which elders to invite.
Blackstream City remained unchanged, with its festive atmosphere undiminished. The shockwaves of the battle miles away had only strengthened the resolve of the people to seize the moment. The reappearance of the Iron Curtain meant that life was still uncertain, making it all the more important to enjoy the present.
Qian Ye stood atop the Darkflame base’s watchtower, looking down at the city. After witnessing the devastating battle that left a massive scar on the continent, he felt acutely aware of the fragility and smallness of most lives. The laughter and merriment below might turn into a sea of fire in the next moment, just like the dark race city he saw being consumed by earth fire.
The parade ground appeared somewhat empty; the Darkflame warriors had completed their day’s training, and the remaining squad was responsible for weapon testing, but the commotion they caused made it seem like an entire legion was drilling.
On the field, a petite figure darted, leaped, crouched, and rolled, but these dazzling movements did not affect her shooting. Original force bullets rained down on the moving targets around the parade ground from all angles, with hardly any misses.
A group of artisans and technicians bustled at the edge of the field, among them, the demonic Bas stood out, and Nan Gong Xiaoniao was also there. When she hurried between the arrays and equipment, her long braid swayed, tracing a graceful arc in the air.
Suddenly, the gunshots and explosions stopped, and a loud cheer erupted from the field. All the artisans, technicians, and warriors cheered, clearly indicating a significant breakthrough in the test.
Nan Gong Xiaoniao rushed into the field and embraced the tall girl, Black Moon, both of them jumping with joy.
Qian Ye watched all this with a calm heart.
In that instant, he suddenly saw his own mental world. Below was the surging tide of the Bingsha Jue, ceaselessly moving forward, while above was the blood-red sky, slowly flowing like clouds, following an indescribably profound path. Evernight and Dawn, the two poles of the world, continued to operate as they had for millions of years, grand and serene, coexisting and symbiotic.
Something within Qian Ye was stirred. In that moment, he seemed to hear the voice of the world, ancient and distant yet close, profound and unfathomable yet strangely familiar.
He turned his head and saw Song Zining approaching from the stairs.
Since cultivating the “Celestial Realm,” Song Zining had become even more ethereal and untainted. Even among the many noble families’ teams stationed in Blackstream City, numerous noble ladies with both status and ability favored him. They found that this Seventh Young Master had reached perfection in character and bearing, with no flaws to be found. Even his break with the Song family had become an admirable trait.
Song Zining had long passed the stage of starting from scratch and had proven his capability to build a foundation. Had he remained in the Song family, he would have been a top contender for the family head. That would have put him out of reach for these noble ladies. Now, it was perfect.
Whenever Song Zining appeared in public, he always exuded an unblemished, pure presence in the corrupt world. In private, however, he continued his pursuit of “traversing the mortal world, refining the lustrous heart.” In his own words, fewer beautiful women meant fewer whetstones, not conducive to refining a heart pursuing the Way of Heaven.
Qian Ye had once questioned this, particularly disliking the time Song Zining spent on grooming and dressing. But Song Zining insisted that it was an era where both strength and appearance mattered, making outer appearance incredibly important. If he ever neglected his appearance, it would mean his resolve was weakening.
To Song Zining’s convoluted logic, Qian Ye had long given up and accepted it, letting him do as he pleased.
Song Zining seemed to glide on the wind, walking with a slight levity, and soon reached Qian Ye.
“Any new news?” Qian Ye asked.
“The great change in the heavens and earth the other day was indeed caused by the clash between the strong from both sides and the Heavenly Demons. The Evernight side awakened the Queen of Night, Lilith, and two Great Lords. On the Imperial side, the foremost of the Celestials, Pole Star King, and Grand Marshal Zhang Boqian also participated. This great battle affected a range of over ten thousand kilometers. Had it not ended quickly, even the Evernight Continent itself might have suffered permanent damage.”
As he spoke, even with his composure, Song Zining took a deep breath, unable to conceal his intense longing.
Hearing the name of the Queen of Night, Qian Ye was shocked. Lilith was no ordinary Great Lord. For millennia, she had been the strongest bloodline, and many dark races believed she was the foremost in the entire Evernight world. Even the proud and mysterious demon races respected her. The Evernight Council awakening Lilith indicated their determination to succeed.
“What is the Heavenly Demon searching for?” Qian Ye, having seen the shattered star at the battle site, was curious.
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