Despite his arrogance, Duke Yuan Guang’s demeanor had improved significantly thanks to Song Zining. After all, losing to the third power of the Empire wasn’t entirely shameful.
Song Zining, once known as a suave and charming young master, had long since learned the ways of the battlefield. After his swift defeat of Duke Yuan Guang, no one dared to challenge him. They followed his commands without question.
Having subdued the many rebellious elements within the army, Song Zining finally achieved true command. He then embarked on a series of battles that left everyone in awe. He assembled a massive fleet of floating warships, moving through the central region, not bothering to establish fortresses or outposts, but instead focusing on eliminating the forces of the dark races whenever the opportunity arose.
Many raised objections to this strategy. Those from noble families, who had an innate attachment to land, felt uneasy about not establishing strongholds on the vast territory. In reality, however, they hadn’t conquered any land, and Song Zining had no intention of doing so.
Furthermore, this approach was extremely costly, especially for the floating warships. Although the Empire had provided the most streamlined versions, even developing special warships for the New World with nothing more than engines crammed inside hulls, the daily expenses were astronomical. The imperial treasury was depleting at an alarming rate.
This extravagant spending made the officials uneasy, and Emperor Hao demanded regular reports on the treasury. His face grew increasingly grim after each report, yet he still approved the new shipbuilding budget, gritting his teeth.
The military leaders were in a constant state of anxiety. On one hand, the rapid depletion of funds was daunting. On the other hand, the reports of victories were genuinely impressive, with several notable names from the dark races appearing on the list. Considering the dark races’ losses were far greater, they had to endure.
It was like a contest between two giants, both bleeding, but it was only a matter of time before one would collapse. The Empire’s blood loss was slower, while the Eternal Night was a colossal entity, making the outcome uncertain.
The process was so excruciating that even the Northstar King refrained from visiting the military, only instructing them to summon him if needed.
No one had expected the battle to unfold this way. The Eternal Night seemed unable to sustain the pressure and began to change their strategy.
The Maysfield family launched a sudden counterattack, reclaiming the gate fortress. However, the Empire had left only a small force to monitor the area, which immediately withdrew upon seeing the demonic army.
The Maysfield army continued to sweep deeper, finding the Empire’s fortresses practically empty, with only a few troops remaining. They didn’t engage, choosing to flee at the first sign of the enemy.
After capturing several fortresses, the demonic duke hesitated. The distance from the gate was considerable, and Song Zining’s tactics were unpredictable. Could this be a trap to lure his forces into a decisive battle?
Although his force was sent to contain the Empire, and it would be acceptable to suffer some losses, no commander wanted their own troops to be the ones annihilated.
In this state of indecision, the demonic army moved cautiously, slowing their advance. Yet, they encountered no resistance until they approached the Empire-controlled Four Sacred Trees Forest, where the vital tree sap supporting the entire New World war was produced. The Empire could not afford to lose this place.
The demonic duke, driven by his ambitions, attacked the Empire’s forward base. This time, he faced significant resistance. The Empire’s defenders held out for an entire day before being overwhelmed and forced to retreat.
Despite the heavy losses, the sight of the well-stocked warehouses in the base made the duke feel it was worth it.
As twilight descended, bringing the night to the New World, the duke’s unease grew. He began to doubt if this was indeed a trap. For a moment, he considered retreating, but the endless forest nearby made him hesitate.
As a core member of a noble family, he understood the significance of the Four Sacred Trees Forest. If he could capture and hold it, he would achieve great success, potentially surpassing his natural limits with access to rare resources.
The forest, under the moonlight, was an irresistible temptation, almost making it impossible for the duke to look away. It represented power, wealth, status, and extended life. In essence, the Four Sacred Trees Forest was everything.
Amidst his hesitation, the duke spent the night, and as dawn approached, his resolve began to strengthen. Suddenly, he saw a vast fleet of floating warships on the horizon, their numbers sinking his heart.
By then, it was too late to retreat, and the Empire’s forces, all aboard floating warships, were too fast to outrun.
In a blink, the Empire’s fleet arrived outside the fortress. The duke could see Zhao Jundu and Song Zining standing on the flagship’s deck. He realized that Song Zining had lured him there with the supplies of the fortress and the Four Sacred Trees Forest, allowing the main force to encircle and destroy him.
The trap was simple, and the temptation real. If the duke had abandoned the forest, he might have escaped. Now, his only choice was whether to flee and abandon his forces.
There was no need to consider. The duke set up defenses, placed his strongest fighters in key positions, and then, as the Empire’s forces prepared to attack, he suddenly shot into the sky, fleeing at full speed.
Thankfully, Song Zining and Zhao Jundu made no move to pursue, and the duke, slightly relieved, fled as fast as he could, leaving his forces behind to their fate.
The Maysfield family’s reinforcements had not arrived, justifying the duke’s escape.
As he flew at top speed, a figure in a black robe appeared before him, calmly stating, “I have been waiting for you.”
The duke froze, a chill rising from the depths of his soul, uncontrollable!
“King Ding Xuan!” the duke cried in despair.
In the grand hall of the Evernight Parliament, the ancient bell tolled, its sound echoing across the continent, signaling the gathering of the dukes and princes. The majestic holy mountain, as always, stood solemnly, and a figure appeared at the parliament’s entrance, ascending the steps.
The bell tolled seven times, the signal for an emergency meeting. Soon, several powerful figures, along with a few marquises, gathered in the hall. These marquises, acting as representatives, were there to record the proceedings.
The hall was unusually empty, and the three supreme beings were conspicuously absent. This was highly unusual, as even if they couldn’t be present, they usually left projections to make decisions.
In the center of the hall, a voice rasped, “Poloquia of the Maysfield family, what has brought us here, and why are you so enraged?”
“Our youngest hope, Duke Frey, perished in the New World. Our agreement was that his role was merely to contain the enemy. Why did the Imperial main force suddenly return, and how did the despicable King Ding Xuan appear? What are your forces in the central region doing? Are they all useless?”
The Green King replied, “Our vampire losses were also significant. Did you not know?”
“Three of our spider lords have fallen.”
Poloquia’s voice rose, “But Frey didn’t have to die! If I hadn’t engaged in a great battle with the Northstar King, how could King Ding Xuan have succeeded?”
“It was inevitable. Your Maysfield gates opened right next to the human territories.”
Poloquia growled, “I demand compensation.”
“That is impossible,” Mithras outright refused.
Poloquia coldly retorted, “If your vampires hadn’t fought so aggressively, stirring the New World’s will against us, we wouldn’t be in this situation. Now, we can’t act freely, but the humans have no such restrictions.”
Mithras sneered, “Have your demon kindred shown restraint?”
Lorza, the spider lord marshal, interjected, “Let’s not argue. Both your sides have been aggressive, while we spiders have been more restrained.”
Immediately, Mithras and Poloquia turned their ire on Lorza. Mithras said, “Your spiders have taken the largest share.”
Poloquia added, “Yes, even the Spider Queen has acted, further infuriating the New World’s will!”
Lorza, caught off guard, tried to shift the blame, “Don’t forget the werewolves. Their leader, Soras, has appeared multiple times, likely causing much of the trouble. Also, the Peak of Many Summits seems to be plotting something, possibly in collusion with the humans in the Wall Continent.”
Mithras impatiently stated, “A mere celestial general is not worth discussing. We need to address the human kings.”
Lorza asked, “How long do you think it will take for the humans to provoke the New World’s will?”
The Flame of Eternal Burning, who had remained silent, answered, “Two more moves.”
The hall fell silent.
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