After an indeterminate amount of time, Wei Potian finally awoke from his daze.
Opening his eyes, he saw only a small patch of sky above him, surrounded by darkness. Bewildered, he stared for a long while before realizing he was in a stone pit, its size and shape perfectly matching his body as if it had been tailor-made for him.
Upon closer inspection, his mind clearing, he realized the pit was not custom-made but rather a result of his own impact.
Struggling to sit up, Wei Potian used both hands and feet to crawl out of the pit. The new world’s stony ground was exceptionally hard, and he found himself admiring his own strength for creating such a pit.
As soon as he emerged, a pair of elegant black combat boots appeared before him. The boots were slender and beautiful, perfectly outlining the contours of their owner’s calves.
Without even looking up, Wei Potian knew it was Ye Ting. He forced a smile, “Did you knock me out?”
“Not bad, to be able to withstand one of my strikes,” Ye Ting replied.
Wei Potian stood up, looking at Ye Ting sitting on a rock, “Where are my brothers?”
Ye Ting pointed down the mountain, “They are now prisoners.”
“Prisoners?” Wei Potian’s face turned grim as he turned to look, but when he saw the number of captives, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Did they not resist at all?”
“Calmly, I told them to leave their fortifications and lay down their weapons, or I would blow your head off. They obediently complied,” Ye Ting explained coolly.
Wei Potian stomped his foot in frustration, “Those fools! How could I, the Marquis of Potian, have such a cowardly force?!”
“If they didn’t surrender, you would be dead.”
“Then so be it! I’ve lived a full life. If I die, take a message to Yu Ying. Tell her that I died a fitting death, that I was outmatched, and never seek revenge for me.”
“Afraid she might die by my hand too?”
Wei Potian, now serious and earnest, replied, “Yu Ying is stubborn. She will try to find you if she doesn’t understand. She is no match for you, and never will be.”
“What is your relationship with Zhao Yu Ying?”
“We just became engaged. It started back in the Great Vortex,” Wei Potian recalled, his face glowing with happiness.
Hearing Zhao Yu Ying’s name, Ye Ting’s expression softened, “You finally have some self-awareness, fearing for her life.”
Wei Potian sighed, “I just realized you are serious.”
Ye Ting chuckled, “Did you think I was here on vacation?”
Wei Potian sighed, “I know what the military did to you in the past. Although they are all dead now, you have every right to hate us. I lost, and there is nothing to complain about dying by your hand. But my brothers, seeing they did not resist, could you spare their lives? Even as laborers?”
“Since you’re so eager to die, I’ll grant you your wish.”
Wei Potian jumped up immediately, shouting, “Wait! You mean you’re going to let me go? We can talk about this.”
Ye Ting, taken aback, asked, “Talk about what?”
Wei Potian rubbed his hands, overjoyed, “You are truly Qian Ye’s wife. I knew it! How could you harm your husband’s brothers? Let’s negotiate a ransom. What do you think?”
Ye Ting, both amused and annoyed, replied, “I’ve changed my mind. Killing you seems more peaceful.”
Wei Potian shut up, knowing the gravity of the situation.
Ye Ting said, “This time, I won’t kill you. Go and tell the Empire, I’m here. There are some people who should hope not to meet me.”
Wei Potian, puzzled, asked, “Who are these people? Apart from those old nobles, everyone here is like me, your husband’s brothers. Beating those old men might not be easy, and you need to be careful of the Overlords…”
“Silence!” Ye Ting snapped.
Wei Potian immediately fell silent.
Ye Ting glared at him, “Have your men leave their armor and weapons, then leave!”
Wei Potian quickly agreed, “Alright,” and shouted, “Everyone, take off your armor, line up, and retreat!”
He moved swiftly, making Ye Ting laugh despite her anger, “If I see you on the battlefield again, I’ll kill you just the same!”
Wei Potian, not worried for himself, instead concerned for Ye Ting, asked, “Are they sending you to die?”
Ye Ting, out of patience, said, “Don’t think those Overlords can do anything to me. Look at this.”
In her hand, a colossal force rifle appeared, two meters long and as thick as a barrel. It was more of a cannon than a rifle. In her hand, it looked as light as paper, and she casually tossed it to Wei Potian.
Wei Potian, bracing himself, still felt the unexpected weight, sinking his hands. Summoning his force, he managed to hold it, avoiding humiliation. The rifle weighed nearly ten tons, as heavy as a ship’s cannon.
It was designed uniquely, with four square barrels arranged in a matrix, engraved with ancient, somewhat fierce wolf totems. On closer inspection, the totems were made of countless intricate force arrays, layered upon each other.
Such a precise array was extremely rare in the Empire, likely crafted by a master. Wei Potian also felt a chill of deadly intent, as if being stared at by a void beast, making his hands tremble. From the malice, he sensed a deep hatred for dawn force.
A rifle with a soul!
With its unique appearance, Wei Potian exclaimed, “Storm!”
“Yes, Storm,” Ye Ting nodded.
Wei Potian’s mind reeled. This was a famous gun of the Wolf Clan, and Ye Ting was a Noble of the Blood Race?
At the same time, he instinctively clutched the Storm, momentarily tempted to run away with it, but quickly dismissed the impractical idea. Not only was Ye Ting incredibly fast, but leaving his thousands of soldiers behind would be a dire fate for them.
To Wei Potian, the lives of his troops were far more valuable than a single famous gun.
Ye Ting, half-smiling, asked, “Not running with it?”
Wei Potian sighed, returning the Storm to Ye Ting, “I can’t trade my brothers’ lives for a gun. Besides, I can’t use it anyway, so why bother?”
“At least you have some conscience.”
“Isn’t Storm the famous gun of the Wolfmen? Why do you have it?”
“Developing the new world is a major concern for the entire Eternal Night. The Council decided the Wolfmen should participate. To guard against your so-called Overlords, I need good weapons. I always thought Storm was suitable for me, so I borrowed it for a few days.”
Ye Ting spoke lightly, but Wei Potian was secretly shocked. Having Storm meant Ye Ting’s status in the Eternal Night Council was even higher than the entire Wolf Clan.
Her claim that she could handle the Overlords with Storm was unbelievable. After all, she was only a Glorious Marquess, far from the Overlord level. However, Wei Potian didn’t think she was boasting. The fact that the Eternal Night Council trusted her with a famous weapon showed their confidence in her.
With Storm in hand, no general in the front lines of the Empire could match her.
Sensing his thoughts, Ye Ting said, “Rest assured, as long as the Overlords don’t intervene, I won’t use Storm. Otherwise, the battle would be too dull. Time’s up, go!”
Wei Potian, burdened with worries, led his private army away.
The dark races couldn’t help but make things difficult, like counting boots as part of the armor, forcing many soldiers to leave barefoot. However, the minor hardships were insignificant compared to being alive. The soldiers, grateful for Wei Potian’s choice to prioritize their lives over the gun, were completely loyal.
In the Empire’s forward base, Song Zining frowned over a map, ignoring the sounds of battle outside. A staff officer rushed in, “Commander Song, the enemy casualties are over fifty percent; they can’t hold on much longer! Our flanks are in position, none of the Wolfmen will escape!”
Song Zining, however, showed no joy, his brows tightening, “Yes, the Wolfmen… why suddenly the Wolfmen? And only the Wolfmen?!”
Suddenly, quick footsteps sounded outside, and Wei Potian’s loud voice rang out, “Zining, I’m back! Guess who I met?”
Before Song Zining could guess, Wei Potian excitedly blurted out, “Ye Ting! Qian Ye’s wife!”
“Ye Ting!!”
The pen in Song Zining’s hand dropped to the floor.
Wei Potian, stunned, looked at the bouncing pen, “What’s wrong? Seeing Ye Ting surprises you this much?”
Song Zining, recovering, forced a smile, “Nothing. I haven’t seen her in a long time. How is she? How did you meet her? Come, sit down and tell me everything.”
After Song Zining dismissed the staff, Wei Potian slumped onto a sofa, dejectedly, “Ah, don’t ask. This time was a big embarrassment. I thought I was strong enough to handle three or four Marquesses. But my Thousand Peaks, which I cultivated to the peak, couldn’t even withstand her slap! When she struck the second time, I passed out.”
Song Zining listened quietly, occasionally asking for details. When he heard that Ye Ting had Storm, his face darkened.
Wei Potian, noticing Song Zining’s unease, asked, “What’s wrong?”
Song Zining, restless, suddenly asked, “Do you really believe what she said?”
Wei Potian, taken aback, replied, “Why not? She is, after all, Qian Ye’s wife.”
“Long ago, she was no longer.”
“When did this happen?” Wei Potian was bewildered.
“Ah, you wouldn’t understand,” Song Zining rushed out, calling for a staff officer and ordering the immediate withdrawal of all guerrilla forces.
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