The door of the airship opened, and a slender, silver-haired man emerged. He wore a standard black imperial military uniform with a stand-up collar, but there were no rank insignias.
His face was neither old nor young, as if time had lost much of its significance for him. His eyes, deep and clear, were like still waters, reflecting the myriad aspects of the world, drawing one’s gaze in and making it impossible to look away.
Habs’s accumulated irritation, which had almost reached the point of rage, suddenly vanished, and he returned to his usual calm and composed self.
He gazed deeply into those eyes, and after a long while, sighed, “Why does it have to be now?”
Lin Xitang, after stepping out of the airship, did not look at Habs but instead gazed around as if there were countless vistas even in the boundless void. When his eyes turned toward the empire, they were filled with unmasked affection and love, quite different from his usual cold and nearly icy demeanor.
He said slowly, “If it weren’t now, how could I be like this?”
At this moment, there was a faint, invisible ripple in the void, as if the supreme being who had been silently watching everything also felt something and inadvertently revealed it.
Lin Xitang turned to look into the depths of the void and said, “It’s rare for His Majesty the Demon Emperor to be so free.”
A black sun rose from the void, and the world fell into darkness.
The vast Evernight fleet instantly lost all its light. Whether it was the force arrays, metal, or crystal shells, or even the lighting fixtures, everything that emitted, refracted, or reflected light was swallowed by the darkness. This included the small airship that brought Lin Xitang here.
All the Evernight powerhouses seemed to return to the moment of their initiation into darkness during the coming-of-age ceremony, surrounded by nothing but darkness. Not one of them remained standing; all submitted to the overwhelming will of the vast presence.
In this void, only Lin Xitang and Habs were unaffected.
A figure slowly stepped forward. Though not particularly tall, his presence filled the heavens, and with each step, the entire void trembled. His form and face were shrouded in shadow, and even Habs’s keen eyesight could not pierce through it.
The Blood Prince quickly averted his gaze, took a half-step back with his right foot, and bowed, showing respect to the Evernight sovereign.
The Demon Emperor stood before Lin Xitang and gazed at him, “How could I not come when I saw you heading to the floating continent?”
The voice of the Dark Sacred Mountain was like soft silk, surprisingly gentle, and his tone was casual, as if speaking to an old friend.
No matter the defensive network of the empire or the blockade lines set up by Evernight in the outer space of Qin Continent, even with the presence of the dark lords, they were full of vulnerabilities in front of Lin Xitang.
Only the will of the Dark Sacred Mountain could not be taken lightly. Yet, who would have thought that, when the bloody funeral was about to commence, the Demon Emperor’s gaze would shift from the empire itself?
Lin Xitang smiled slightly and said, “Thanks to Prince Habs, I have been gravely injured for many years. Even if I reach the floating continent, what can I do?”
“I was just a step late, allowing you to land for a brief moment, less than half an hour, no?” Although he said this, the Demon Emperor’s tone remained gentle, without any trace of anger.
After saying this, the Demon Emperor examined Lin Xitang carefully and said in surprise, “You only have a little over a year to live?”
“Isn’t that already common knowledge?”
The Demon Emperor paused, then said, “Based on your age, you should have five or six years left.”
Lin Xitang just smiled faintly. The Demon Emperor, who probably didn’t even remember his own age, knew so much about such a god-general of the Dawn camp. It was clear he had some insight.
The shadows that concealed the Demon Emperor suddenly dissipated, revealing a perfect visage in every detail. “Though you are a great threat to Evernight, you are worth my meeting in my true form.”
Lin Xitang saw the Demon Emperor’s appearance and was slightly taken aback before saying, “Thank you.”
The Demon Emperor gave a self-mocking smile and said, “Rosenia’s mind is fully on the new world, and Lilith is still asleep. So, once I learned you were coming to the floating continent, I came. Only I could come.”
Lin Xitang looked at Habs and smiled, “To stop me, it seems the Fire Crown alone would suffice.”
The Demon Emperor replied, “No preparation is too thorough in your presence. I wouldn’t have been at ease if I hadn’t come. Besides, I’ve wanted to see you for a long time. If I miss this opportunity, I might never get another.”
The Demon Emperor paused and added, “Isn’t Prince Habs also here with all the fleets he could muster, forming a blockade?”
This statement, made by the Dark Sacred Mountain at this moment, was ambiguous. Habs, however, remained calm and listened quietly.
Lin Xitang said, “If he hadn’t brought more people, he might not have stopped me.”
Lin Xitang’s military strategies were known for their unpredictability, even capable of concealing the movements of a large army. Now, alone and with sufficient mobility, the vast floating continent and the boundless void would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. The net strategy, however, needed only to be fine and dense.
The Demon Emperor, however, understood the other implications of Lin Xitang’s words and nodded, “Ah, I see. Lord Lin intends to secure a decisive victory in the floating continent battle with his own life.”
Lin Xitang, seemingly moved, sighed softly, “With the situation as it is, how can it be called a decisive victory? This battle was started by me, and so it must end with me. Such an outcome is, in fact, the best.”
Habs, who had remained silent, could no longer hold back. “I don’t understand. With a year left, why do this? Moreover…” He suddenly realized and stopped himself.
“Is it not right for me to exchange my remaining life for a piece of the floating continent?”
Habs could no longer contain his anger and said sternly, “Once you announced your arrival on the floating continent, I mobilized all my fleets to intercept you, and His Majesty the Demon Emperor came personally. Tell me, which is more important: your remaining life or the floating continent?!”
Such a direct question left Lin Xitang momentarily at a loss for words. After a moment, he smiled bitterly and said, “An opponent’s evaluation is always higher.”
“Because we are enemies, we understand your value best,” Habs said in a low voice.
The Demon Emperor interjected, “Prince Habs is right. Even if you only had half a year left, I would rather give you the floating continent in exchange for your death. As long as you live, I will never rest easy.”
The Dark Sacred Mountain’s voice was exceptionally gentle, as if he were not deciding someone’s fate but discussing a garden tea party invitation with an old friend.
Habs’s face turned pale. The Demon Emperor continued to stare at Lin Xitang, and Habs sensed the sovereign’s will brush past him.
By this point, Lin Xitang had a good idea. The problem likely lay with the Longevity King. The fall of the Celestial King was a pain for the empire. He might not have previously touched the core of the empire, but after confirming the success of the Starlight Initiation, the Longevity King surely understood that Lin Xitang had been supporting the star wheel for years in place of the crippled sect. Whether for revenge or the lingering desire to overthrow the star wheel, he had revealed this information to the demonic race. Fortunately, the Starlight Initiation was irreversible.
Lin Xitang had one more thing on his mind. He looked at the Demon Emperor and, feeling a rare curiosity, asked, “Since Your Majesty has come in person, have you seen the succession of the Celestial King on the empire’s Qin Continent?”
“Something that happens every few years is not as important as this,” the Demon Emperor admitted. “And if you stayed in the Great Qin and never went to battle again, it would indeed be troublesome.”
Lin Xitang was startled and said with self-deprecating humor, “It seems I underestimated myself.”
Habs said, “Not you, but your human race. Your emperor underestimates you.”
Lin Xitang laughed and shook his head, his eyes softening slightly. “This has nothing to do with the emperor!” He thought for a moment and then said with a slight smile, “There are some smart people in the Great Qin who do not underestimate me. If I didn’t come to wrap up the loose ends of the floating continent, they would not sleep or eat well in the future.”
“Your human race really excels at infighting,” Habs commented.
The Demon Emperor gave a helpless, bitter smile, “We four races don’t seem to be much better.”
The unique aura of the Dark Sacred Mountain, without the imposing presence of a powerhouse, made it so that even a god-general from the opposing camp and a prince from his own, both with significant differences in status and rank, conversed with him as if in a casual chat. His words were frank and charming.
Yet, the void world, devoid of light, constantly reminded everyone that the Demon Emperor, Kane, was one of the most powerful beings standing at the pinnacle of this world.
Lin Xitang said, “Does Your Majesty have any interests in the floating continent?” He was clearly alluding to something and continued, “I just killed a trader involved with Evernight.”
The Demon Emperor asked, “Why didn’t you ask Habs?”
Lin Xitang countered, “Does His Majesty know that the trader was a bloodkin?”
The Demon Emperor, caught off guard, laughed and said, “Alright, whatever interests there were, they are yours now.”
This statement from the Demon Emperor was crucial. Whatever plots or schemes the Evernight Council had set up on the floating continent were now abandoned.
Lin Xitang, having achieved his goal, did not inquire further about the specifics of the scheme. He simply said, “It’s about time. Let’s settle this here, but don’t expect me to surrender. A warrior’s best end is on the battlefield.”
The Demon Emperor suddenly asked, “Do you have any unfulfilled wishes?”
Lin Xitang, taken aback, thought for a moment and then said, “I did want to see someone…” He glanced at Habs and smiled, “But Prince Habs acted too quickly, leaving me no time. Ah, it doesn’t matter. Whether I see them or not, it’s all the same.”
After saying this, Lin Xitang’s aura surged. In this world of darkness, points of light flickered, extremely faint but breaking through the endless dark.
The domain “Star Peak Flow”!
Lin Xitang, in front of these two great figures of the Evernight world, unleashed his domain without reservation.
The Demon Emperor’s hand moved, hesitated, and finally said, “Prince Habs, send him on his way.”
As he spoke, the space before them abruptly changed, and the three, who had been standing a few meters apart, were suddenly separated by a hundred meters, within the attack range of a god-general.
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