Chapter 254: The Arrival of Death

In the Inner World, if one were to look down from a great height, it would resemble a vibrant yet eerie and cold painting.

However, now, this painting bore a grayish-black mark, occasionally spilling over and continuing forward. It was as if an inexperienced painter or a child had haphazardly scribbled on the canvas.

Zooming in on the picture, one would discover that the areas where the colors spilled were, in fact, battlefields of varying sizes. The corpses strewn across the battlefield included both Atuva warriors and several types of previously unseen monstrous beasts.

At the apex of the gray mark, a giant let out a final roar, swinging his weapon in futility as his massive body slowly fell, stirring up a cloud of dust. In front of him, Parochia, the Lord of Mysfield, stood calmly, wiping a drop of blood from his fingertip with a white handkerchief.

He casually tossed the handkerchief away, knowing that his subordinates would catch and secure it for later disposal.

The giant fell, his head landing precisely at the toe of Parochia’s foot, but not a single speck of dirt could touch the Lord of Mysfield.

Parochia stared coldly at the giant’s still-open eyes and asked, “Where is your Sacred Mountain?”

His words were conveyed directly into the giant’s mind through a mental shock, a method different from the one used with Qian Ye, which caused intense pain to the recipient.

The giant showed signs of pain, moaning and trying to cradle his head, but his hands only made it halfway before falling limply, and he gave up resisting. He then responded mentally.

“You slaughtered… my people. The world will not… forgive you… Atuva, never surrenders!”

Parochia coldly replied, “Then die.”

With a flick of his finger, the giant’s head exploded.

“Let’s go, to the next place, until we find the Sacred Mountain.”

Parochia rose into the air and slowly flew forward. Everywhere he passed, the surroundings would change color, like an aging canvas, losing its vibrant hues and leaving behind a dominant gray and black. This was the source of the intermittent gray marks seen from above.

The Evernight powerhouses swiftly cleared the battlefield and followed. Two dukes exchanged a discreet, uneasy glance.

This expedition was originally to find Li Jia, but after a few battles, it turned into a search for the Sacred Mountain. The Sacred Mountain of the Atuvas was undoubtedly one of the most likely places to hold secrets in the Inner World. However, given the Atuvas’ demonstrated strength, any dark race would need to be fully focused.

According to the Emperor’s original plan, such an important target should have been addressed in the second phase, once the Tower was completed and all the Lords of Evernight were present, to launch a decisive exploration and reveal its secrets.

But Parochia was the Lord of Mysfield, and his decisions, at least for now, could not be opposed, nor dared to be.

There was also a hidden meaning.

Intelligent races like the Atuvas, though still primitive, were immensely valuable in the eyes of the Evernight Council. With proper training and equipment, the Atuva warriors could become formidable.

However, Parochia’s actions completely closed the door to any future peaceful communication. The only paths left for the Atuvas were annihilation or enslavement, with no possibility of cooperation.

The group continued forward, and Parochia’s domain was eradicating all life around him, announcing his presence to the entire Inner World.

This was a declaration of war, a provocation.

Around them, the once frozen silence was broken by the rustling of leaves and the scurrying of creatures, large and small, fleeing in terror. Some, however, collapsed in despair after a few steps. The strange trees, unable to move, curled their leaves and their central dark red orbs pulsed and wrinkled, clearly in agony.

Parochia ignored everything, moving slowly, embodying a merciless reaper, wiping out all life in his path.

From a distance, hidden among the leaves, Qian Ye frowned, lowering Long Zang. At the edge of his vision, he could see the grayish-black aura surging forward.

“Has his injury healed?” Qian Ye murmured to himself.

Qian Ye did not see Parochia directly; otherwise, the Lord of Mysfield, with his immense power, would have sensed the gaze. This meant that even from a distance, Qian Ye had only one chance for a surprise attack.

Qian Ye had come to track the Li Jia exploration team but unexpectedly encountered Parochia along the way. The Evernight Lord made no attempt to conceal his presence, so even from a distance, Qian Ye recognized him.

Observing the aura, Qian Ye noticed that the Lord of Mysfield’s demonic energy was vast and unblemished, seemingly fully recovered from his previous injuries.

A fully-restored demon lord, Qian Ye’s initial strategy was no longer viable. Even if Parochia stood still and let Qian Ye attack, he might not be able to deal a significant blow. If he failed to incapacitate Parochia, the counterattack could be fatal.

This was a tricky situation.

Qian Ye decided to wait for a better opportunity and increased the distance, following Parochia’s forces.

Fortunately, maintaining his domain was taxing, and Parochia did not notice Qian Ye nearby.

As the grayish-black primordial energy receded, Qian Ye leapt down from the strange tree, intending to follow, when he heard a rustling sound behind him.

Turning sharply, he saw Su Shi emerge from behind a tree.

“You can find me?”

Su Shi pointed to the strange tree beside him and said, “Every life in this world is a sentinel and eye for our Holy Clan. If necessary, even rocks and withered trees can serve. I wanted to find you, and they told me where you were.”

Qian Ye pointed to the distant grayish-black aura and asked, “So, you know about this?”

“That’s why I came to find you.”

“To find me? What do you want?”

“They are also your enemies, right? The Mother Tree told me you killed some of them when you first arrived in our world,” Su Shi said.

Qian Ye admitted, “Yes, they are from Evernight, my enemies. There are others in this expedition, known as the Empire. The Empire’s strong ones are also enemies of Evernight.”

“The Empire? The Mother Tree didn’t mention them. So, they must have landed outside our Holy Clan’s territory.”

“Find them, and try not to conflict. Perhaps we can cooperate.”

Su Shi nodded, “Cooperate against Evernight? Alright, I will remember that.”

Looking at Qian Ye, he finally gathered the courage to say, “But now, our Holy Clan is in crisis, and we need your help.”

Qian Ye did not immediately agree but said, “This is not easy.”

“What do you need? Brother from the distant world, we will give you what we have. Look, he is leaving indelible scars on our land!” Su Shi exclaimed.

“That is the Lord of Mysfield, and he is very… powerful. Even I have only one chance, and I cannot kill him.”

“Is it because of his protective field? We have a way to temporarily weaken or even remove it.”

Qian Ye’s eyes lit up, “If the protective field can be removed, I can severely injure him. Maybe I can’t kill him, but at least he won’t return to the battlefield for a while. But, do you really have a way?”

The terrifying aspect of a Grand Duke lay in their near-perfect control of primordial energy. Wherever they went, their domain manifested, and they could instantly call upon the surrounding energy, creating an impenetrable defensive force field.

For example, if Qian Ye ambushed Parochia, the moment the primordial energy bullet reached him, Parochia’s defenses would be activated. Even Qian Ye’s full-power attack would barely breach the force field, and the remaining power would only cause minor injuries.

The Demonkin’s control of dark primordial energy was the best in Evernight, making their defensive powers exceptionally strong.

To bypass Parochia’s domain, only the Primordial Spear could do it. But the spear’s power against a Grand Duke was insufficient. If Qian Ye were also a Grand Duke, the Primordial Spear could severely wound Parochia, but as a mere Archduke, the power was lacking.

This dilemma made Su Shi hesitate. He had witnessed Parochia’s horror; no matter how brave the warriors, they were massacred the moment they stepped into his domain. And Parochia had not yet shown his true strength.

At this moment, another Atuva female warrior appeared behind Su Shi, declaring, “We can remove the protective field of that Endless Black Devil!”

The new female warrior was taller than Su Shi, her face resolute and heroic, her javelin adorned with red and yellow ribbons, more ornate than Su Shi’s. Her eyes, filled with anger and urgency, also scrutinized Qian Ye.

Qian Ye knew that among the Atuva, the power of weapons was similar, and status was indicated by bright colors and decorations. This girl’s more elaborate decoration meant she was a stronger warrior, with a higher status.

“Who are you?”

“I am Su Wen, Su Shi’s sister. I can speak for the Holy Clan, but I haven’t seen your strength. I need proof.”

Facing the aggressive Su Wen, Qian Ye remained calm and said, “How do you want to prove it?”

Su Wen held her javelin, assuming a combat stance, “It’s simple, defeat me…”

Before she finished speaking, Qian Ye was already in front of her! Su Wen felt dizzy, as if countless colorful blocks were swirling in the air, and she was being trampled by countless beasts. She was disoriented, not understanding what had happened.

Beside them, Su Shi was dumbfounded, watching as Qian Ye lifted Su Wen and slammed her into a tree trunk.

Although Su Wen was not weak, this blow was substantial, leaving her dazed, teetering on the brink of unconsciousness.

Qian Ye paused, then pulled her out of the tree and placed her on the ground, asking coolly, “Is this proof enough?”