Only the Emperor knew that Lin Xitang’s return to the Imperial City was, at first, merely a gesture.
Upon his return from the battle against the Celestial Ghosts, Zhi Ji Wang admitted that if not for Lilith’s successful interception of the celestial specter, they would have had no chance to lay hands on the ancient essence. This showed just how formidable the Night Queen’s power was, still unchallenged.
Afterward, the Celestial Ghost returned to the void from the Evernight, and the Evernight Council, led by the Night Queen Lilith and the Flame Eternal Keras, the patriarch of the Mageborn Messfeld family, gathered their strongest warriors once more, carrying one of the Ten Renowned Guns of the era, the ‘Blessing of Deep Darkness,’ to challenge the Celestial Ghost in the void.
At this point, the Empire had decided to retract its forces, continuing to bide its time, only interfering with the Dark Races’ efforts to search for the remaining fragments of the ancient essence in the ‘Sleeper of Giants’ so that they wouldn’t easily obtain the pieces.
Following Lin Xitang’s return, his plans unfolded step by step. The arrogant nobles of the Evernight Council devoted themselves to the power of prophecy, but they collided brutally with the will of the void beasts, emerging battered and broken.
However, after the results of the divination from the Evernight Council were received, Lin Xitang suddenly changed his mind. He entered the Hall of Foresight and obtained a shocking result. Such was fate—only to sigh at the insignificance of all living beings and the impossibility of making assumptions.
The other end of the ‘Sleeper of Giants’ turned out to be the Ladder to Heaven!
In a momentary glimpse of fate, Lin Xitang discovered that the other end of the ‘Sleeper of Giants’ was actually a floating landmass in the void. Moreover, he faintly saw the upper continents around it.
Though this landmass was not large, it was an exceptionally rare place for living creatures to thrive, and its location, not far from several upper continents, made it a strategically important area that the Empire had long dreamed of. If it could be controlled, it would allow the construction of another void fortress for attacking the upper continents, thus expanding the survival space for all of humanity. This was the sign of the revival of the Empire’s fortunes.
This, then, was the Ladder to Heaven, the omen of the Empire’s renaissance, which should have been right here.
The next day, the Great Qin Empire officially responded to the situation on the ‘Sleeper of Giants’ battlefield in the Evernight Continent: the nation would mobilize all its strength for a full-scale war.
Clan leaders and heads of noble families were summoned one by one, and the Empire’s main military units began to move frequently. While the true purpose of the war was still a closely guarded secret, circulating only within the innermost circles, the war preparations spread like wildfire across the Empire’s three hundred provinces.
During this time of revival and upheaval, ten years of peace came to an abrupt end.
In response to the Empire’s massive mobilization, the Evernight Council quickly reacted. They activated all their espionage networks to gather information on Lin Xitang’s divination results, while also sending troops to the ‘Sleeper of Giants’ under the leadership of the King of Shadows, Mithra, and the Spider Marshal, Rocksa. On the Empire’s side, the control of the Evernight operations was taken over by the Blue Sun King, Zhang Boqian.
Thus, the Evernight formed a two-to-one advantage over the Empire. This was a common scenario in past wars, where the Evernight had the upper hand, but not a decisive one. This was because it was extremely difficult to surround and kill high-ranking lords and kings, especially since Zhang Boqian had the special ability to travel through the void, allowing him to retreat even if he was at a disadvantage.
Moreover, the two Evernight lords not only faced off against Zhang Boqian but also had the intention to check each other. If only Mithra was present, the werewolves would likely suffer, and if Rocksa appeared alone, the vampires would face heavy losses. Replacing them with other dark lords would yield similar results, and if more lords were to join, the situation might become even more chaotic.
Blackflow City was among the first regions to receive the war mobilization order. Along with it came the full allocation of war rations, a clear signal that the ‘Sleeper of Giants’ would become a genuine, all-out war between the Evernight Council and the Empire.
Qian Ye packed his equipment in his room. As the Empire declared a total war, it indeed expanded the recruitment range for those entering the ‘Sleeper of Giants.’ He had decided to enlist, but Song Zining showed no intention of participating.
After discussing the military arrangements for Blackflow City and Dark Flame, Song Zining spoke with an enigmatic expression, “Qian Ye, go with confidence. That is your destiny, and I have my own battlefield.” He leaned back in his chair, his demeanor lazy, as Zhu Ji sat obediently on his lap, her small hands gripping his wide sleeves.
Qian Ye gave him a doubtful look, “You didn’t try to divine anything, did you? It’s said that using the Heavenly Divination Technique comes at a great cost. Even the Evernight Council suffered heavy losses. Are you really okay?”
Song Zining smiled, “I don’t divine the fate of the nation, nor do I defy the heavens. I just see the good and bad fortune around me. What does it matter? Those people, who have been in power for so long, have gradually forgotten that the heavens are unpredictable. They don’t know when to advance or retreat, and they bring about their own downfall. Who can they blame?”
But who exactly these “people” were, Qian Ye wondered.
Qian Ye, accustomed to his sometimes mysterious behavior, left after seeing that everything was arranged, picked up his tactical backpack, and boarded the airship.
Song Zining, holding Zhu Ji, watched the airship shrink into a tiny dot on the horizon, then looked down and smiled softly, “Look, your creator is human. If you can’t learn to be one, he might not want you anymore!”
Anyone hearing him say this would be puzzled, as he referred to the “creator” in the ancient language, specifically denoting the direct progenitor of a vampire.
Zhu Ji’s small face bore a look of adult despair. She suddenly turned her head and buried her face in Song Zining’s chest.
Upon arriving at the Zhao Clan’s forward base, Qian Ye saw a bustling scene. Almost everyone was busy. Every corner of the base was under construction, with the western wall completely demolished and expanded outward. Additionally, a large airship landing field was being repaired, its scale many times larger than before.
Qian Ye was shocked. This clearly indicated that the Zhao Clan was preparing to send a large force. Had the war already escalated to this extent? The Zhao Clan had their own battlefield in the Western Continent, and the borders were not peaceful, yet they were still bringing more troops here!
The guards at the gate, recognizing Qian Ye, immediately rushed to greet him, “Young Master Qian Ye, the Duke has instructed that if you arrived, you should see him immediately!”
Duke? Qian Ye was slightly startled, and upon learning it was Duke You, he was even more surprised. Many of the Zhao soldiers running back and forth seemed familiar, and upon seeing Qian Ye, they all moved to the side, bowing respectfully, their deference evident.
It was clear that their respect for Qian Ye was genuine, even bordering on reverence.
Soon, Qian Ye followed a Zhao soldier to the central command center and entered a reception hall.
In the hall stood a tall, straight-backed old man, standing with his hands behind his back, contemplating the map of the Evernight on the sand table, deep in thought.
Qian Ye entered the reception hall and stood quietly, not interrupting the old man’s contemplation. Although he had never seen this old man before, standing behind him, Qian Ye felt a subtle sense of suffocation, and even his flow of origin power was somewhat suppressed, becoming sluggish.
This was no small matter. Qian Ye’s origin power had already reached the half-step Crystal stage, one of the top three Dawn Origin Powers, the Dawn Enlightenment. In terms of attributes, no other origin power should be able to suppress him. Yet, standing behind the old man, he clearly felt suppressed, indicating that this old man’s cultivation was far above his. Even Nan Gong Yuanwang, among the strongest he had ever seen, paled in comparison.
Neither the old man nor Qian Ye moved, and after a long silence, the old man finally acted, slowly turning around, looking Qian Ye up and down, nodding in approval, “To possess such combat power at such a young age, and to have such a calm and steady nature, is rare. I’ve heard of your achievements, but hearsay is often exaggerated. Today, I see that you surpass even the rumors. Impressive, truly impressive.”
The old man pointed to a nearby seat, “Sit.”
After sitting, the old man slowly said, “I am Zhao Xuanji.”
“Duke.” Qian Ye bowed. When he visited the Zhao residence, he had mostly stayed in Zhao Yuying’s villa and had not met the Zhao elders.
Meeting face-to-face now, Qian Ye truly realized the unfathomable depth of Duke You. His combat power might even surpass Zhao Wei Huang. But why was the first-ranked expert of the Zhao Clan, who should be in the Western Continent, suddenly in the Evernight?
As if guessing Qian Ye’s question, Zhao Xuanji said, “Since you are here, you should have some idea of the situation in the Evernight. The reality is even more perilous and significant than what outsiders know.”
Qian Ye recalled Song Zining’s parting words, and his heart stirred. He then listened intently to Duke You.
Zhao Xuanji continued, “The battle against the Celestial Ghosts is over the ancient essence of the void beasts, which everyone knows. The Empire is now fully mobilizing, claiming to compete for the remaining fragments. Though fragmented, even a small piece contains profound secrets of the universe, and those with the opportunity can use it to overcome all bottlenecks up to the level of a Divine General, paving the way for advancement. The conditions for recruiting strong warriors are unprecedented, even allowing individuals to keep one fragment for personal use, without having to turn it over.”
Qian Ye nodded. It was precisely these conditions that had drawn him in. The ancient essence was both a treasure for cultivation and a strategic weapon resource. In normal times, there was no way to obtain it. Once obtained, whether handed over to the Empire or used personally, it would bring rich rewards.
But the human race could use this to create Divine Generals, and the corresponding Dark Race equivalents were dukes. Given that the Dark Races generally had longer lifespans and relied more on bloodline inheritance, a duke could found a clan. How could they easily give up? Clearly, the ‘Sleeper of Giants’ would erupt into a bloody slaughter.
However, he also sensed that Duke You had more to say.
Indeed, Zhao Xuanji continued, “You are not an outsider. There is a deeper secret behind this battle, and you should know something. Why am I here? The ‘Sleeper of Giants’ hides a world beyond, crucial to the future of the Great Qin Empire. The Empire has decided to seize it at all costs. I am here to lead the Zhao Clan’s forces, to restrain the power of the Evernight. If necessary, we may have to fight some hard battles.”
Qian Ye was stunned. The rise of the Empire had only taken a thousand years, and several hundred years of fortune was a profound concept. Zhao Xuanji spoke lightly, but Qian Ye detected a strong intent to fight. A battle requiring the first-ranked expert of the Zhao Clan, Duke You, to oversee could not be small. If the Zhao Clan was acting this way, the other clans and noble families would not be far behind. The entire Empire was mobilizing.
Qian Ye asked, “What about the Fourth Young Master?”
“Jun Du was among the first to enter the ‘Sleeper of Giants.’ He returned two days ago and went back again last evening. This time, he should be there for quite a while.”
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