Chapter 132: The Valley of the Black Sun

The fall of the Unfallen Dark Moon shook the entire Evernight World.

The Human Sovereigns stepped on the unspoken rules of the faction wars, yet no Dark Overlord spoke up. Faced with such an unprecedented situation, many Evernight nobles felt for the first time the sentiment of the Humans under certain circumstances.

The Empire’s floating warships were severely damaged in that earth-shattering battle, greatly reducing the mobility of the Imperial forces. However, upon returning to the ground, Song Zining’s assault became even more resolute, his troops advancing directly toward the heart of the Central Region.

Whether Song Zining saw through it or not, the Evernight could not allow him to penetrate the critical area of the Central Region. For several days, multiple units of the dark races launched successive attacks, pursuing and obstructing Song Zining’s Imperial Army.

However, Song Zining divided his troops into two parts, one led by himself and the other by Zhao Jundu. One unit would attack while the other rested, and they alternated, crushing all who stood against them, seemingly unstoppable.

Although the dark races sent their elite forces, there was no leader among them like Yero. They were either Marquises of Glory or Vice Dukes, not a single Duke in sight. Even if their Dark Force cultivation reached a high level, none came from prestigious lineages, meaning their bloodline talents and personal weapons were merely second-rate.

Such opponents naturally did not pose a threat to Song Zining and Zhao Jundu. Zhao Jundu’s Origin Force, though extremely eerie, transforming from green to black, had been infinitely enhanced through countless bloody battles. Ordinary Vice Dukes would flee at the sight of him, for staying meant death.

Within a few days, even while marching on the ground, Song Zining advanced hundreds of kilometers into the depths of the Central Region. Such speed turned the dark races’ interception attempts into a farce.

The cause of this result lay with the Spider Demons. Yero’s death fulfilled the Demon race’s sacrificial quota, but when it came to the Spider Demons, the question of who should make the sacrifice remained unresolved, dragging on until now with ongoing disputes.

Sacrificing at least a Duke was a matter of great importance, and no one dared to take it upon themselves. Even the Spider Queen seemed unable or unwilling to make a decision, remaining silent. The bickering continued until now, with many Spider Demons secretly hoping the issue would resolve itself over time.

The Spider Demons thought well, but Song Zining seized the fleeting opportunity, launching a frenzied assault straight to the core of the Central Region. The results of Yero’s sacrifice, which had brought down many Imperial warships, were nearly exhausted. In a few more days, the new batch of Imperial warships would be ready, and with the restoration of the Imperial forces’ mobility, Song Zining would once again be unstoppable.

Seeing the worsening situation, the Blood Clan and the Demon race pressured the Spider Demons, ultimately forcing them to nominate a decrepit old Duke on the verge of natural disability, attempting to pass off as a genuine sacrifice. However, such a candidate was hardly acceptable to the Human Sovereigns.

Without needing the intervention of the Sovereigns, just the combined efforts of Song Zining and Zhao Jundu were enough to crush the Duke’s forces and severely injure him. If not for his strong Spider Demon physique, the old Duke might not have escaped alive.

Such a result naturally did not satisfy the Blood Clan and the Demon race, leading the Spider Demons to begin another round of bickering. Meanwhile, Song Zining did not rest, continuing his advance. The Imperial forces penetrated several layers of blockades, finally reaching the heart of the Central Region.

Before Song Zining, at the end of the undulating mountains, appeared a vast, boundless valley. The valley stretched endlessly, and if not for the deep depression and a mysterious instinct, Song Zining would have mistaken it for a plain, only lower by a thousand meters.

Unlike the strange, dawn-leaning Origin Force in the New World, this valley was filled with thick, tangible Dark Force, as dense as solid matter.

The Dark Force in the valley and the strange Dawn Force of the New World were clearly distinct, never mixing. From afar, it looked like a gigantic, faintly black dome covering the valley.

Even Song Zining and Zhao Jundu found it hard to breathe at such a grand sight. At that moment, their senses expanded almost infinitely, encompassing the entire valley in their consciousness.

Yet, the valley was too vast, stretching over a thousand li. Bringing such a massive space into their consciousness caused a stark contrast, almost consuming their entire mind.

“Truly… enormous!” Song Zining could find no better words to describe it.

Zhao Jundu said, “Perhaps, this is what the vision of a Void Beast looks like?”

“Void Beasts are not so large. It is said that even the largest Void Beasts in the depths of the void are no more than ten thousand meters in size.”

“Just because we don’t know, doesn’t mean they don’t exist.”

“True.”

Zhao Jundu suddenly pointed to the middle of the valley, “Look, what is that?”

Song Zining gazed into the distance, seeing a bottomless sinkhole in the center of the valley, giving off an unusually strange feeling. This sensation reminded him of the Well of Stars in the Great Vortex, likely a natural spatial passage.

The passage continuously spewed black Origin Force, with no way to sense what lay at the other end. Around the sinkhole, undulating mountains burned with faint black flames. Despite the great distance, these flames still gave Song Zining and Zhao Jundu a searing, needle-like pain.

They exchanged glances, both seeing the shock in each other’s eyes. Regardless, those black Origin Force flames were untouchable, leaving few paths to enter the sinkhole. Only a handful of routes remained, with the most direct and wide path being between two mountains, one tall and one short.

Beside that path, the foundation of a fortress had already been built. The fortress was incomplete, with thousands of workers busily constructing various buildings.

“So, that is the true entrance,” Zhao Jundu nodded, “It seems the dark races’ real objective is there.”

“A valley filled with Dark Force will be difficult to handle.”

Zhao Jundu walked to the edge of the valley, dipping his hand into the layer of Dark Force, then said, “It’s fine. The Dark Force here is also unusable by the dark races.”

Song Zining tested it as well, immediately feeling a burning pain, like dipping his hand in acid. He nodded, “Indeed. This Dark Force is like poison to any life form, utterly unusable. In such an environment, the dark races might be even more uncomfortable than us.”

Turning around, Song Zining prepared to gather his troops. Although he had seen the entire valley with some unknown power, it would take a full day to reach the center even with airships.

During that brief moment of overview, Song Zining did not see any other dark forces near the fortress, indicating the Evernight Council believed it secure enough without placing more troops.

The total number of dark forces that could enter the New World was limited, and many had been defeated by Song Zining, leaving no additional forces to guard the valley.

This was the perfect opportunity. The dark races had not anticipated the Empire’s swift restoration of its fleet. The immense and efficient Imperial military system was fully demonstrated at this moment.

“Taking down the fortress won’t be hard, but what then?” Zhao Jundu asked.

“Destroy everything, burn what cannot be moved. In short, leave nothing for the dark races, not even a brick or piece of iron.”

Zhao Jundu looked at the vast expanse of the valley, frowning, “Don’t we need a base? In this valley, resupply will be difficult, and we might lose.”

“Without a base, we still have a chance. With a base, we are guaranteed to lose.”

Zhao Jundu thought for a moment and understood, “So you want to bleed the dark races as much as possible.”

“They have a limit to the forces they can send into the New World and owe us a position. None of the Overlords dare to act. This is a rare opportunity, one that will not come again. I would rather let the dark races get whatever treasure they seek, but in return, I will severely cripple their elites and main forces. Thirty years from now, our actions today will show, and the Empire will gain not just floating land, but an entire continent.”

Song Zining took a deep breath, then said, “Our numbers of strong elites pale in comparison to the Evernight. They hesitate to risk their possessions, but sooner or later, someone will realize this. Outside, we never had such a good chance to balance the scales. Given my situation, I must make the most of it!”

Zhao Jundu shook his head, “Your strategy is open, and they may see through it. The confrontation of armies is one thing, but the strength of the strong is another. If that object is indeed of great use to the dark races, they might even welcome it.”

“Let’s fight first and see. We don’t know what the dark races want, so we must do what’s in front of us. The heavier burden falls on those above us.”

“There’s no other choice.”

Moments later, the massive Imperial floating fleet set sail once more, charging into the valley, heading straight for the dark races’ unfinished fortress.

In the Great Hall of the Evernight Council on Holy Mountain, the bell of emergency rang again, sending the alarm through the void to all continents.

Numerous powerful auras converged from all directions, with several Princes tearing through the void, arriving directly from afar. They could all feel the rising Origin Force of the three supreme beings on Holy Mountain, all of whom were present, watching over everything in the council.

Many council members rushed in, and those who could attend were already present. They all knew something of great significance to the entire Evernight had occurred.

Indeed, every powerful being entering the hall was shocked and hurriedly paid respects to Holy Mountain.

At the peak of Holy Mountain, the three figures stood tall and majestic, motionless, waiting for the remaining council members. This wait lasted a day and a night. For beings with lifespans of a thousand years, a day was but a blink of an eye. To the long-lived, patience was never in short supply.

Finally, the Demon Emperor slowly opened his eyes, saying, “All who can come are here. Let us begin.”

The Night Queen nodded, while the Spider Queen remained silent, like an eternal, immovable statue.

From the lower seats, a Duke stood and made a brief report, then said sternly, “You must have all seen the detailed battle reports. The Humans destroyed our base in the Black Sun Valley. Someone must be held responsible!”

Another Duke responded, “Who do you think should be held accountable?”

The speaking Duke slowly said, “Given the importance of the Black Sun Valley, this responsibility should be traced back to Holy Mountain.”

The entire council hall fell into a momentary, stunned silence.