Anwen’s face turned pale, as if he too had sensed something. He took out a metallic, gleaming board of unknown material. Upon closer inspection, it flickered with symbols that closely resembled runes, as if deconstructing some profound principle.
Qian Ye’s attention was now fully on the River of Blood, and he effortlessly followed its flow upstream, quickly approaching its source. He felt that the unusual changes in the River of Blood were originating from there.
As he captured the information from the source of the River of Blood, he suddenly sensed many powerful wills also focusing their attention on it, yet those wills did not belong to the blood race!
This was a feeling impossible to describe in words, and one that should not exist by common logic. However, Qian Ye knew his senses were correct, and Anwen’s actions served as further proof. It meant that the disturbance in the River of Blood could be perceived by more than just the blood race.
The intensity of the River of Blood’s tremors was undeniable. Even the commotion caused by Qian Ye ascending to the rank of Grand Duke was far less significant; in comparison, it was like a mere ripple.
A thought flashed through Qian Ye’s mind: Could this anomaly in the River of Blood have triggered something at the very foundation of the world?
He carefully discerned those powerful wills, some of which were familiar, such as the strong and domineering will that clearly belonged to the King of Green Sun, Zhang Boqian. Most of the wills, however, remained hazy, only revealing the presence of beings. Clearly, those great lords and kings did not intend for others to discover their identities, even if they were detected.
Qian Ye began to worry, but even though his strength had increased at an unprecedented rate, it was still insignificant compared to these powerful wills, let alone any attempt to guard against them.
Qian Ye quickly dispelled unnecessary thoughts and focused on tracing the source of the River of Blood. Even just approaching it, he could feel its grandeur, surpassing that of a continent. When Qian Ye’s cultivation was weaker, he could not deeply comprehend the River of Blood. Now, standing at the threshold of the ultimate realm, he realized that his perception only reached an endless expanse of waves, with no end in sight.
The surge of the River of Blood grew more intense, and quietly, a few more wills added their focus. It seemed that some reclusive or busy great lords and kings had also noticed this unusual activity.
Everyone was waiting, watching for the next change.
At that moment, in the center of the Black Sun Valley in the New World, the previously faint black flames suddenly intensified. The surging flames engulfed several demonic investigators, turning them to ashes in an instant.
In the Evernight World, Qian Ye’s senses passed through the powerful wills, cautiously probing towards the source of the River of Blood. The closer he got, the greater the resistance. To see what was happening, he needed to get close enough.
In a flash, Qian Ye surpassed most of the powerful wills. This position was already quite close to the true source, but Qian Ye felt he still had energy to spare. He hesitated, looking at the five formidable wills ahead.
Qian Ye could sense more and more wills noticing him, but since he was already this far, if he could blur his aura like those wills, he wouldn’t need to worry. If it didn’t work, he would have been exposed long ago, and hiding further would be futile.
Qian Ye steeled his resolve and moved forward, surpassing two wills, reaching his limit. Ahead, only two formidable wills remained, one clearly the Demon Emperor, the other the Queen of Spiders.
Qian Ye knew this did not mean he was the strongest under the Supreme, but because the River of Blood was, in a way, his home field.
Other races’ great lords and kings needed to penetrate the world’s rules and find the fluctuations of the River of Blood to trace it. Those with insufficient power, like Anwen, could only rely on special equipment for observation. Qian Ye, however, had no such trouble; he naturally synchronized with the River of Blood’s flow.
From this position, he could faintly sense the source. Around it, twelve blood seals rotated slowly. Most of the seals were dim, with two almost nonexistent, on the verge of fading away.
Even though it wasn’t the first time seeing this, Qian Ye couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
The River of Blood gradually calmed, but the undercurrents beneath the surface grew more turbulent, as if something was brewing. All the wills focused intently on this rare moment.
Under the watchful eyes of almost all the strongest beings, the River of Blood roared. A wall of waves rose at its source, crashing downstream with overwhelming force.
At the source, a seal suddenly leaped into the air, emitting waves that spread throughout the boundless void, as if declaring its existence.
It descended slowly, joining the twelve blood seals, rotating with them as if it had always been there.
Qian Ye had never seen this seal before, and he was curious who could have ignited this new seal.
In the Magma Fortress, Harbos opened his eyes, his gaze filled with unspeakable complexity. After a moment of shock, the Demon Emperor said, “How… how could this be?”
Harbos looked somewhat strange, replying, “Shouldn’t you be happy that the thirteenth clan seal, the one closest to the dark origin, has appeared?”
The seal of the long-lost thirteenth clan of the blood race, which had almost been forgotten, had appeared! In an instant, the void buzzed with undercurrents, and many top-tier powers received the message, each reacting with surprise and various thoughts.
Compared to the change in the rules, the power displayed by the seal was not yet at the level of a great lord, meaning a newly awakened founder of the blood race, with the rank of a Crowned Prince, had appeared, making the situation less conspicuous.
As the seal ignited, the River of Blood gradually faded, disappearing into the depths of the void.
In Qian Ye’s perception, the thirteenth clan seal was different. Now, he understood that each seal represented a system, a path of power, and could harness part of the River of Blood’s power.
For this reason, the Crowned Princes of the blood race were unique in the Evernight, and the stronger ones could stand up to great lords. Even a Crowned Prince like Howard, skilled in various auxiliary methods, could engage in a prolonged battle with a fellow great lord.
After the thirteenth clan’s seal appeared, the missing knowledge about this part started surfacing in the inherited memories.
Qian Ye discovered that this new seal was similar to the Pas clan’s, one of the two ancient blood clan seals closest to the dark origin. But the Pas clan’s seal recorded the broadest path in the River of Blood, with complete and thorough methods to develop the blood race’s blood power.
In contrast, the thirteenth clan’s seal had almost no traces of blood power, appearing to consist entirely of dark primal force. It was so pure that it hardly resembled a blood race seal.
Dark primal force had many variants, and on the power spectrum, different races had different ranges. Although there were exceptions, for the majority, it was a rule. Over countless years of evolution, the major dark races had developed their own paths, such as the demonic aura of the demon race and the blood aura of the blood race. The neutral dark primal force was harder to control. There were many paths to the summit, and while climbing outside the paths was possible, it was unbearably difficult.
Seeing this seal, Qian Ye understood why the thirteenth clan had disappeared. As a blood race, not reinforcing blood power was inefficient, leading to gradual elimination. Though the sudden disappearance of the thirteenth clan’s direct descendants remained a mystery, even if they had survived, they would weaken, like the unlit seals.
In the depths of the seal, Qian Ye sensed a familiar presence—Nighteye. Given the current situation of the blood race, it was unlikely anyone else could have become a Crowned Prince.
Qian Ye withdrew his senses, silently pondering that he must hasten his own progress.
Anwen, lost in thought, watched as the runes on the board calmed down. After a moment’s calculation, he said, “The blood race has a new founder, most likely Her Majesty Nighteye. I didn’t expect that, despite the strong team sent by the Council, she managed to ascend. She truly is an awakened ancient powerhouse!”
Qian Ye sighed, “I hope it is her. You can go, but even if I leave Sarfis, I’ll head to another demon territory.”
“For warriors, dying on the battlefield is their fate. But here in Sarfis, it’s all civilians. They are tired of war and not good at fighting. Killing them is meaningless,” Anwen said calmly.
“Perhaps.”
Before leaving, Anwen couldn’t help but say, “You should reconsider your next destination. I’m not saying this because you’re going to the demon territory. The connection you discovered in the family lineage is our highest secret. Even the families themselves don’t fully understand its significance, and it’s one of the matters the Emperor himself is concerned about. Now, he has one more reason to kill you. Even the Fire Crown might not be able to stop him.”
Qian Ye’s expression was odd, “The Fire Crown… maybe it’s my enemy as well.”
Anwen was taken aback, then seemed to understand. He opened his mouth, hesitated, and finally said nothing.
Qian Ye didn’t want to hear any more explanations from Anwen. He nodded and leaped into the void.
In the Black Sun Valley, countless armies of the Evernight were arrayed, awaiting the decisive moment. In the sky, the Everburning Flame, hidden within azure flames, overlooked the enormous sinkhole.
Once there had been a towering black fire, but now not a single ember was visible, nor any heat. The entire valley had turned cold.
A demonic warrior flew up to the Everburning Flame, saying, “Your Majesty, the vanguard is ready.”
The Everburning Flame glanced at the soldiers at the front of the army, nodding, “Very well, send them in.”
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