Though he held the Tempest in his hand, Sanion found himself surrounded by his own kin, all within the range of his weapon. After a moment of hesitation, he slung the Tempest behind him and, with a flash, appeared before Qian Ye, bringing his sword down.
As an heir to one of the top bloodline legacies, and a true high-ranking noble, Sanion’s mastery of the sword was exceptional. Even in the face of Dong Yue’s relentless attack, he found an opening and successfully left a gash on Qian Ye’s body.
The armor sliced open, revealing crisscrossing scars that were still unhealed. Qian Ye seemed oblivious to the strike, as if he had no concept of pain. Bathed in blood, it seemed almost as though he found some kind of release.
Qian Ye let out a roar, piercing through the clouds and reaching the heavens. In an instant, the surroundings turned into a hell of light and fire. The overwhelming pressure made all the enemies falter.
Even Sanion, who could endure the pressure, detested the pure light and heat of the Dawnlight. He instinctively narrowed his eyes, avoiding the sight of Qian Ye, who had transformed into a blazing sun.
The moment his gaze moved, Sanion knew something was wrong. In a battle of this magnitude, there was no room for hesitation or delay.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw countless blood threads rushing towards him, many more shooting in all directions.
Vitality Plunder!
The dark red blood threads struck Sanion, most of them blocked by his armor. As a duke, his armor, which had been passed down for five centuries, was crafted from the bones of a void beast, boasting formidable defense.
However, among the dark red threads, several dark golden ones pierced through his armor, striking directly at his blood core!
It was only at the blood core that the threads were stopped by the crystal within, but the impact caused minor cracks in the crystal.
Sanion felt dizzy, and in a daze, he saw the surrounding powerhouses falling to the ground. Though the combination of Qian Ye’s Dawnlight domain and Vitality Plunder wasn’t enough to threaten the life of a marquis, they found it difficult to resist.
In a blink, the area around Sanion was empty.
Sanion felt an inexplicable danger, and instinctively, he activated his blood core, sweeping away the blood threads and entering a boiling blood state. He moved, intending to flash a hundred meters away, creating enough distance to use the Tempest!
But then, his vision blanked, leaving only a pair of eyes.
Those were Qian Ye’s eyes.
The moment he saw those eyes, Sanion felt the world slow down, his blood vitality, thoughts, and even time seemed to decelerate.
No, time hadn’t changed! It couldn’t change!
Finally, he saw Qian Ye, the wings of light spread behind him, each feather tinged with a faint black. On each wing, a single pitch-black light feather stood out, resembling the deepest part of the world, causing a sense of awe.
Qian Ye’s wings flapped, and four light feathers shot out, two pale black in front and two pure black behind. In an instant, they all penetrated Sanion’s body. The descendant of the King of Azure, the pillar of the Moviel Clan, and the member of the Evernight Council, Duke Sanion, was reduced to a blank slate.
Sanion’s body fell from the sky, hitting the ground hard, bouncing a few times, and then lay still.
Qian Ye descended slowly, landing beside Sanion’s body. He cast a cold glance at the dense crowd of Evernight powerhouses and said, “The glory is here. Will you not claim it?”
All the Evernight powerhouses focused on Sanion, none daring to approach or claim his remains. Shock and bewilderment were written on their faces.
Qian Ye bent down to pick up the Tempest, his voice like a spring thunder, declaring, “Tell her, if she refuses to see me, I will fight until she comes out!”
His last words reverberated for a hundred miles, and a dark golden flame column rose, piercing the sky!
At this moment, Qian Ye’s blood energy had fully recovered, and the brief opportunity to kill him was gone.
Yet, all the Evernight powerhouses had already lost the will to fight. Most of the powerhouses Sanion had brought were of the blood race. They looked at the dark golden flame column, their expressions shifting from shock to reverence. One by one, they knelt before Qian Ye, placing their hands on their chests in the highest respect, and then departed in an orderly manner.
Ten thousand dark warriors parted like a tide, retreating from both sides of Qian Ye, none daring to approach within a hundred meters.
Thus, the great battle came to an end.
The three god-generals gathered around, still in shock at Sanion’s corpse. Their gazes shifted to the Tempest, with a fleeting hint of greed, but it quickly vanished. They knew well that the Tempest was not something they could use. Even without considering the conversion loss of dawn origin power to dark origin power, it would drain their entire origin power in less than a minute.
Liu Chengyun sighed, “The Empire has gained another famous gun.”
Wen Yuan suddenly said, “Lord Qian Ye has gained another famous gun.”
Liu Chengyun’s face showed a hint of embarrassment, and he nodded, “Yes, it should belong to Lord Qian Ye.”
However, the possession of a famous gun was always a matter of great concern. Whether the Empire would allow the Tempest to stay in Qian Ye’s hands was still uncertain.
The werewolves would not give up easily. Either the Wolf Sovereign or the Wolf Ancestor might personally intervene. After leaving the New World, the Grand Dukes would no longer be restricted, and whether Qian Ye could keep the Tempest remained a question.
Ignoring Liu Chengyun’s thoughts, Qian Ye looked at the retreating dark army and asked, “Did you hear what I said just now?”
The three god-generals nodded, each feeling a sense of unease.
Qian Ye said, “I am thinking of how to bring the dark races to their knees.”
The god-generals exchanged glances, thinking that after defeating six dukes and killing one, along with obtaining a famous gun, that should be enough.
But they kept quiet, waiting for Qian Ye’s next words.
Qian Ye continued, “You have followed me for some time and have earned your share of merits. Now, I will give you a choice: either follow me to the central region and fight the dark races to the death, or return now.”
Duke Minghai was stunned, “With just these people, to fight the dark races?”
Qian Ye’s forces numbered only fifty thousand, while the Evernight army had at least four hundred thousand, possibly more. Such a move would be like throwing eggs at a stone.
Though Qian Ye had defeated many strong opponents, most of the dukes were merely wounded and fled. If they truly banded together, Qian Ye might not stand a chance. Moreover, even if he defeated all the dukes, the dark races’ true leader, Nighteye, remained undefeated. As long as she did not fall, the Evernight would not truly lose.
Even with the Tempest in Qian Ye’s hands, Nighteye still had the Dream Shaker. The Evernight also possessed four other famous guns. If she could borrow the Tempest, she might also acquire the Deep Dark Blessing.
Ignoring Duke Minghai’s doubt, Qian Ye looked quietly at the three god-generals.
After following Qian Ye, they understood his nature. His decision was firm and unchangeable; the only choice left was to follow or retreat.
Liu Chengyun spoke first, “The Empire’s soldiers came here to fight, not to die…”
“Speak of your own decision, don’t lecture me,” Qian Ye interrupted him.
Liu Chengyun was silenced, his face reddening with anger, but he dared not act, “I choose to withdraw.”
Qian Ye nodded, instructing his aides, “Very well, note it down. Cowardice in battle, military merit revoked. Send him back to the Empire.”
Liu Chengyun was shocked and furious, “I have fought for the Empire, how can you do this? You cannot revoke my merit like that, do you think you can rule alone?”
“Here, I can,” Qian Ye said, turning to his aides, “Seal his origin power.”
“How dare you!” Liu Chengyun glared, but the guards obeyed only Qian Ye’s orders. Despite his god-general cultivation, he dared not resist. Liu Chengyun knew that if he acted, Qian Ye would retaliate, and he would show no mercy.
Having witnessed Qian Ye’s defeat of Sanion, Liu Chengyun knew he could not escape.
In a moment, Liu Chengyun was subdued, bound, and the guards nailed anti-magic devices into his origin power nodes, sealing his power.
Several guards then carried Liu Chengyun away, preparing to transport him back to the Empire.
Duke Minghai watched Liu Chengyun being taken away, sighing, “Old age brings folly. We came here to use our bodies for our families, not expecting to return alive. Why retreat now? What shame! Old Liu, you are foolish!”
After his lament, he turned to Qian Ye, “My old bones are yours, Lord Qian Ye!”
Qian Ye nodded, instructing his aides, “Double Duke Minghai’s military merit. Use Liu Chengyun’s. If it’s not enough, deduct from mine.”
Duke Minghai was surprised, “How can this be?”
Qian Ye smiled faintly, “I didn’t plan to return alive, so the merit is useless to me.”
Duke Minghai was truly shocked, “Lord, why say such things? You are still young, with the realm of Celestial Emperor ahead of you!”
Qian Ye shook his head, “I won’t reach it.”
Duke Wenyuan suddenly said, “If Lord Qian Ye wishes to die, I will accompany you.”
“Oh?” Qian Ye was surprised, not expecting this.
Duke Wenyuan said, “I am already a dead man, and if I return, I will face punishment. I would rather die in battle. I only ask that you protect my family and transfer my military merit to them. With your connections, this should not be difficult.”
“Agreed,” Qian Ye nodded. He would entrust Zhao Jundu with this, and with the Zhao Clan’s influence, it would not be hard to arrange the aftermath.
Next, Qian Ye addressed the generals. Some chose to fight, others to retreat. For those who chose to leave, Qian Ye allowed them to return without revoking their merit.
After the generals, it was the officers, and below them, the soldiers.
Many high-ranking officers retreated, while many lower-ranking non-commissioned officers and ordinary soldiers chose to fight. Qian Ye used a lottery system, selecting one in ten, allowing most to remain.
The next morning, Qian Ye led thousands of loyal soldiers to the central region and the Gate of Inner Realm.
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