A faint green, hazy and ethereal, flickered with an indescribable clarity, as if it did not belong to this mundane world. It was like a flame, yet not quite a flame, just a misty green light hovering over Zhao Jiandu’s brow.
When the black flame faded, this tiny wisp of green fire remained. The green fire, almost imperceptible and unassuming, seemed to be the antithesis of the fierce and domineering black flame. Yet, once noticed, its presence was undeniable, far more profound than the black flame’s relentless ferocity.
Yuetong raised her eyebrows slightly, saying, “To think you could achieve the phoenix’s rebirth from the ashes. You truly live up to your title as the Empire’s greatest genius.”
However, her voice turned cold, “But that is still not enough!”
She tossed the storm behind her as if discarding something useless, rather than a coveted weapon sought by all. Then, with a dazzling flash, Dreamshock was in her hand!
The long blade pierced through Zhao Jiandu’s chest, emerging from his back. None of the many powerful figures present could clearly see how the strike was delivered.
“Stop,” a voice commanded from beyond the clouds, calm yet exuding supreme authority. Many top dark powers were no stranger to this voice, having encountered it in their nightmares multiple times.
It was the voice of Zhang Boqian, the Green Sun King.
Without any warning, Zhang Boqian appeared out of thin air, pressing his palm toward Yuetong.
“If you want him, then I’ll return him to you,” Yuetong sneered, shaking the blade to fling Zhao Jiandu away.
Zhang Boqian did not continue his attack, changing his palm’s trajectory to a grab, catching Zhao Jiandu and swiftly retreating.
In an instant, Dreamshock flashed again, the water-like blade cutting through time, striking Zhang Boqian’s back. Some seemed to hear a slight groan from Zhang Boqian, but no one could be certain.
Like ripples in a pond, space distorted, and Zhang Boqian vanished with Zhao Jiandu, as if they had never been there.
Yuetong sheathed her blade, exhaling deeply, and proclaimed, “This strike seals the karmic ties of the past!”
A deathly silence enveloped the battlefield. After a long while, the dark army erupted in a thunderous cheer, then without any command, charged wildly towards the Imperial fortress, countless berserk dark warriors leading the charge.
Zhang Boqian’s name, like a boulder, had crushed the breath out of countless dark races for years. Since his rise, many long-revered dukes and princes had fallen at his hands, and even the great lords were on the losing side, leading to rumors that some great lords even avoided battle.
Although various factors led Zhang Boqian to avoid prolonged conflict, he was still cut by Yuetong, and Zhao Jiandu was undeniably defeated. The myth of Zhao Jiandu’s invincibility among his peers was shattered.
With morale soaring, even many young, impassioned dark warriors entered a frenzied state, disregarding life and death, determined to seize the Imperial fortress to show their loyalty to Yuetong.
In a blink, the black tide engulfed the Imperial fortress. The defending soldiers’ morale had already plummeted, and with Commander Zhao Jiandu taken by the Green Sun King, they quickly disintegrated, with only a few retreating to the central fortress.
Many dark warriors were driven by their bloodlust, ignoring orders to reorganize, and pursued the retreating Imperials, leading to another fierce battle at the central fortress. The berserk dark warriors, oblivious to fear and pain, charged into Imperial gunfire and blades, relying on sheer momentum to scale the walls, tearing apart their foes in a suicidal frenzy.
Wave after wave of dark warriors followed, their madness making even the most seasoned Imperial veterans shiver. Many Imperials, relying on mechanical actions and numb will, held their ground, tearing apart the oncoming dark warriors until they were torn apart themselves.
The black tide relentlessly battered the central fortress, twisting and deforming the once-impregnable walls. Innumerable corpses filled the trenches and obstacles, and more dark warriors trampled over their fallen comrades, only to become new corpses.
The war, from the start, was a bloodbath, with attacks coming from all sides, chaotic and brutal. This was the war of attrition Song Zining had envisioned, but not the one he truly desired.
The dark races, with their high morale and numerous resources, presented a formidable force. When the four races united under Yuetong, their power far surpassed the Empire, even overwhelming Song Zining, the new generation’s military genius.
This was a high-stakes gamble, but Song Zining’s chips were too few. It was also a chess game, but the pieces were not equal.
Yuetong’s reckless tactics, throwing everything into the fray, struck at Song Zining’s only weakness.
Three days later, the central Imperial fortress fell. Song Zining led the remnants in a series of brilliant maneuvers, successfully evading the dark forces. But the Empire’s strategic goal of controlling the core of Blacksun Valley was thwarted. In terms of the war’s fundamental objective, the Empire had lost, though not completely.
Song Zining did not retreat to Qin’s Gate, instead relying on the Empire’s supplies to conduct guerrilla warfare, attempting to harass or eliminate dark strongholds. However, the situation was no longer as optimistic as when the Empire first entered Blacksun Valley.
The dark races, now united under Yuetong, were no longer divided and at odds. Their coordination enhanced their strengths and eliminated weaknesses, greatly boosting their combat power.
On the other hand, Song Zining, no longer the master strategist, found his Tianji Art largely ineffective due to Yuetong’s presence. He had to tread carefully, waiting for opportunities, unable to employ the same unpredictable tactics as before.
Losing both the fortresses and the advantage of maneuver warfare, Song Zining’s attrition strategy was doomed. Even a 2:1 casualty ratio was unsustainable, let alone worse. Thus, Song Zining had to be cautious, as he and the Empire could not afford to lose.
After securing the Imperial fortresses, Yuetong adopted a new strategy, ignoring the Imperial forces in the periphery and constructing fortresses of her own, denying Song Zining the chance to divide and conquer.
During this time, the Evernight Council was not idle, with large convoys of transport ships moving between the New World Gates and Blacksun Valley. Despite the Empire’s best efforts, they only knew that the council was sending low-level warriors to the valley.
These low-level warriors, unlikely to survive the harsh conditions, were sent in large numbers, which was peculiar. They would likely live for only two weeks, then die en masse. Was the council merely using them to hold the line for a fortnight before withdrawing?
Such effort, with little effect and enormous cost, made no sense. The ship losses alone were astronomical, not to mention the waste of Holy Tree sap, which was better used elsewhere.
All signs pointed to a grand plan involving the crater at the center of Blacksun Valley. If the Imperial forces stayed on the periphery, they would never discover the council’s scheme, let alone stop it.
Song Zining, exhausted from continuous battles, managed several small victories, but the overall situation remained grim.
Yuetong, with her main forces entrenched in the fortresses and key points, remained unmoved. Though there were occasional victories, Song Zining grew thinner by the day.
Dissent within the Empire resurfaced, and the military, under pressure, increased their inquiries. Everyone became anxious, knowing that the unified effort of the four Evernight races would be earth-shattering.
One day, with no other options, Song Zining decided to use his Tianji Art to discern Yuetong’s true intentions. As he activated the art, he saw those familiar dark golden eyes. In that moment, the universe seemed to contain only those eyes!
Song Zining groaned, the counting rods burning to ash, and he collapsed, unconscious.
Caught off guard, the Imperial commanders waited a day for Song Zining’s recovery, but ultimately sent him back to the Empire for treatment. Song Zining had become an irreplaceable treasure.
Even the Tianji masters, in the Empire’s dire situation, could not replace him. The repeated failures of the Tianji Hall further highlighted Song Zining’s strength.
Though no one discussed it openly, many privately believed that losing Lin Xitang, and now potentially Song Zining, would shake the Empire’s very foundation.
With Song Zining gone, Yuetong mobilized her full forces, dividing them to seek out the Imperial main force. Within days, the Imperials suffered heavy losses, with no leader able to reverse the tide.
Many then realized how hard-fought Song Zining’s small victories had been, proving his tactical brilliance even without the Tianji Art.
The dark forces, with numerical superiority, swept through the valley, pushing the Imperials back, almost driving them out of Blacksun Valley.
A mistake by an Imperial commander led to the destruction of three supply convoys, leaving the Imperial forces in the New World without supplies and in a dire position.
The Imperial court, daily discussing the sustainability of their position, debated whether to withdraw from Blacksun Valley.
The Empire was not without capable leaders, but the struggle against the dark races was comprehensive. A loss in the New World would increase pressure on the mainland, and the dark races, previously in a defensive posture, were now probing frequently. Pulling back the mainland’s defenders could risk the homeland.
Yet, the New World could not be abandoned, as the Empire still had thousands of elite troops in Blacksun Valley, each too valuable to lose.
Faced with this, Emperor Hao asked, “You all said the Empire would be rejuvenated under my rule. Is this what rejuvenation looks like? Where are my ministers who will lead the revival?”
No one had an answer.
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