The Great Vortex Passage was back in the Empire’s control, which was good news, yet not too exhilarating.
After inspecting the condition of the passage, the formidable Heaven-Machine expert sent by the Imperial Family announced with a sense of helplessness that the passage had become exceedingly unstable. Although it was still passable, the danger had increased significantly. Any ordinary expert entering the passage would face a high probability of perishing within.
The passage shouldn’t have weakened so rapidly, but the Everburning Flame had clearly drawn power from the void around the passage to reinforce it. When the power of the Everburning Flame dissipated, the void around the passage turned extraordinarily violent, and the passage itself became like a thread in a storm, constantly drifting and swaying.
For the passage to regain stability, one option was to wait, for the void to calm down. This would take time, and a significant amount at that. No one knew how long it might be, perhaps long enough for the Eternal Night’s army to return to the Neutral Grounds. Another solution was for the Empire to dispatch a Heavenly King to reinforce the passage, allowing it to be used again. However, after such usage, an even longer period of restoration would be needed.
When the Imperial Heaven-Machine expert proposed the second solution, the heads of all factions automatically dismissed the idea. The status of the Imperial Heavenly Kings was extremely revered; without a valid reason, even the Emperor couldn’t mobilize these lofty figures. Moreover, most of the individuals who needed to enter the Great Vortex had already been sent in during the first round. Those who hadn’t entered yet were, at best, members of lesser clans. Some aristocratic families had already sent four or five candidates into the vortex, and even if there were more slots, it would be difficult to find suitable candidates.
Now, those still waiting to enter were mostly commoners. Naturally, there were many among them who didn’t fear the risks and were willing to risk everything for a better life, but no one would bother the Heavenly Kings for the sake of these commoners.
Among those who hadn’t entered the passage, only Song Zining remained truly important. However, neither the Imperial Family nor the clans thought he should risk entering. The Seventh Young Master had already displayed extraordinary talent in military strategy and did not need to prove himself through individual combat prowess.
The current state of the passage dampened the joy of the great victory. The situation left the Empire in a dilemma, and it also tied down a sizable fleet in the Neutral Grounds.
This awkward situation, however, only lasted for a day.
A high-speed warship, painted in a light green hue, suddenly appeared in the outer space, plunging into the Eastern Sea, and heading straight for Tidehearing City.
The Imperial warships on patrol immediately stirred and then lowered their cannons. The approaching warship bore the emblem of the Northern Legion, clearly indicating its identity as an Imperial vessel.
In an instant, the Imperial forces erupted in a frenzy of activity. Warships rose into the sky, one after another, to welcome the incoming vessel. The level of respect shown was unprecedented.
Lin Xitang, who still held the reins of the Northern Legion, had built this loyal force from the ground up. Since Zhang Boqian’s advancement to the rank of Heavenly King, Lin Xitang, who had once been on par with him, had quietly become the leading marshal among the ten, and also the most enigmatic figure. Rumors had it that he was close to becoming a Heavenly King himself, and if not for his battle with the Night Queen Lilith, he might have followed in Zhang Boqian’s footsteps and reached the pinnacle.
Even without reaching the rank of Heavenly King, Lin Xitang was widely acknowledged as the top Heaven-Machine expert in the Empire. He was someone no one dared to provoke, possibly even more troublesome than a Heavenly King. For the past year, no one knew his true strength.
His combat prowess, nearly at its peak, compensated for his final weakness. In terms of proof, leadership, and strategy, who in the Empire could claim to be consistently superior to Lin Xitang? Even the right chancellor, who was currently in vogue, had to admit he was inferior to Lin Xitang.
The fervent imperialist faction had designated Lin Xitang as their spiritual leader, completely disregarding the recent hostility. To them, whether Lin Xitang was truly an imperialist didn’t matter, as long as he didn’t deny it. Lin Xitang, either unaware or having other considerations, had not publicly denied this.
Lin Xitang had become a key figure in the Empire. There were even rumors that he had masterminded the Floating Land battle behind the scenes. If this campaign ended in a complete victory, Lin Xitang would be a grandmaster of state, worthy of being recorded in history.
The Northern Legion was Lin Xitang’s loyal force, his only loyal force, even the Red Scorpion Legion was a step removed. The high-speed warship of the Northern Legion was clearly representing General Lin. No one cared about the identity of the messenger; the respect was for Lin Xitang.
Surrounded by a cluster of warships, the Northern Legion’s warship slowly descended.
Song Zining had already arrived outside the ship, waiting. As the cabin door opened, a general in the uniform of the Northern Legion stepped out, looked around, and laughed heartily, “Now, this is what I call a grand entrance!”
Although this statement was rather impolite and carried a hint of rudeness and arrogance, the heads of the clans, out of respect for General Lin, tolerated it and saluted, “Welcome, General!”
Only a few recognized the man standing on the gangway and took a second look. Upon recognizing him, they exclaimed, “Isn’t that the Marquis Wei’s son, Prince Wei?”
This shout jolted everyone, and they began to scrutinize him. Soon, many recognized him as the heir of the Bole Wang of the Far East, Wei Potian.
Everyone quickly bowed again, greeting, “Welcome, General Qiyang, the Heir of the Bole Marquis!”
Wei Potian waved his hand in displeasure, “Call me Wei Potian, not Qiyang!”
Many were aware of Prince Wei’s preference. However, according to Imperial etiquette, since the Marquis Wei had not officially changed his name, Wei Potian’s private renaming was a serious breach of protocol. Doing this in public was even more inappropriate. While it was unlikely, it was possible for someone to report this. But the Wei family, as a powerful fiefdom, was influential, and no ordinary official would dare to provoke them.
So, everyone found themselves in an awkward position, unsure how to respond. Fortunately, someone quickly said, “Prince Wei, you must have had a tiring journey.” This vague acknowledgment satisfied everyone. The crowd instantly became more relaxed and surrounded him, showering him with flattery.
Unlike Song Zining, Wei Potian was a genuine heir, with his position as successor firmly established. In recent years, Wei Potian had achieved remarkable victories in the Far East, and his combat strength had grown rapidly. His succession to the marquisate was almost certain. He was the future Marquis Wei, and his status was far above the elders of the present clans.
Moreover, the Northern Legion’s uniform he wore added to the intrigue. Was this a sign of an alliance between the Wei family and General Lin? Had the Wei family aligned with the Imperial Family, or was General Lin planning to break away from the imperialists?
This was a matter of great importance, and all the clan leaders decided to investigate thoroughly upon returning. However, the immediate priority was to curry favor with the Marquis Wei’s heir. After all, Wei Potian was still unmarried, and the position of the Marquis’ wife was still vacant, which was quite appealing.
Wei Potian stood in the crowd, smiling and greeting everyone. Compared to his earlier hot-headedness, the current Prince Wei was much more adept at socializing.
Song Zining remained where he was, unable to avoid the attention.
Wei Potian spotted him from afar and waved, shouting, “Zining, you’re here too? Hahaha, why are you standing so far away? We haven’t seen each other in a while, we should get closer!”
Song Zining’s face turned pale, and he made no attempt to hide his displeasure. Strangely, despite his deep cunning, he couldn’t stand Wei Potian, wishing he could kick him back to the Far East. Especially since Wei Potian was so ostentatious, making a spectacle of their reunion.
The Seventh Young Master was here to welcome the envoy of the Northern Legion, out of respect for General Lin, not the Wei family’s boar.
But Song Zining’s immobility did not deter Wei Potian, who kept waving, calling, “Zining, why aren’t you coming over? There are too many people here, it’s a bit crowded. But it doesn’t matter, I don’t mind, hahaha!”
Someone, less adept at reading the room, chimed in, “Seventh Young Master, the Prince is calling you! Come over, quickly?” He looked envious, wishing he could take Song Zining’s place, showing himself as a sycophant.
Song Zining, seeing no other choice, walked over and clasped Wei Potian’s hand, smiling, “Qiyang, it really has been a long time!”
While using Wei Potian’s given name, he applied pressure, intending to show this boar a lesson. Confident in his cultivation, Song Zining’s apparent lack of practice was just a facade, and his actual strength was always closely following Qiyan’s. In comparison, Wei Potian’s cultivation and origin force rank were slightly inferior. In a test of strength through handshakes, it was a matter of origin force, and Song Zining believed he couldn’t lose.
However, when he grasped Wei Potian’s hand, Song Zining was shocked. It felt like holding a small, impossibly hard mountain. The more he squeezed, the more fiercely it pushed back. Pain began to throb in his hand.
Assessing the situation, Song Zining slowly released his grip, smiling, “It’s been a long time, Brother Qiyang. Your cultivation seems to have improved. That’s quite impressive. It seems your luck is running high. Why come to this remote place instead of building achievements?”
These words were a veiled barb, implying that Wei Potian had only come due to a stroke of luck, likely having just broken through.
Wei Potian understood his meaning and laughed, “Zining, you got one thing right. My luck has indeed been excellent! Haha, not long ago, I received personal guidance from General Lin, and then broke through several bottlenecks.”
Upon hearing that he had received direct instruction from Lin Xitang, everyone was filled with envy and quickly showered him with flattery.
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