Qian Ye finally understood why, after the opening of the new world, the Eternal Night races, despite their united front, became increasingly silent.
Initially, he had thought that even without the intervention of the Holy Mountains, the Eternal Night races could still suppress the Empire. Now he realized that during the opening of the new world, the Holy Mountains had engaged in a life-or-death battle with Anduya. The remnants of that great battle were the sinkholes in the Black Sun Valley.
The reason for the new world’s harsh treatment of the Eternal Night’s strong was also clear at this moment.
However, Qian Ye, now nearing the pinnacle of the world as a powerful entity, deeply understood the significance of a single strong figure to an entire race. If this was the case for a grand duke, how much more so for a Holy Mountain? Anduya had mastered an unprecedented form of Phantom Blur Primordial Force; given enough time, he could have become a rival to the Queen of the Night, or even stronger.
Yet, he chose to fight to the death to protect the dark source and to prevent the human race from being utterly exterminated. In the end, he perished.
In that moment, Qian Ye felt a mix of unreality and disbelief. How could this be?
Anduya, as if sensing Qian Ye’s thoughts, spoke calmly, “I did not do this for the human race, nor for the Empire. The only reason I did this was for Yuqing.”
“South Gong Yuqing?” Qian Ye was taken aback. He had read some accounts of South Gong Yuqing’s life, and in the South Gong family, she was just another woman who left a small mark. Her status and position were worlds apart from Anduya.
Mentioning Nan Gong Yuqing, Anduya let out a soft sigh, his demeanor turning desolate. To keep a promise and perish for one person, this feeling, Qian Ye understood.
However, Qian Ye felt a vague sense that the battle, which had been ongoing for hundreds of years and continued into the opening of the new world, might have deeper ties among the Holy Mountains than he had imagined.
“You mentioned an unexpected person appearing, causing you to lose the war. Who was she?”
“Defeat was inevitable. Even without the Demon Emperor and the Spider Queen, I might not have won against Lilith. Even if there was a chance to win, I might not have been able to do it, as she had spared me several times before. Since my fall was just a matter of time, why worry about it? Ending it sooner meant I could see Yuqing sooner. Do you think there is another world after we fall?”
Qian Ye did not know how to respond.
Anduya, already fallen, asked this question, the answer obvious. He must have known it himself, but was unwilling to accept it. Without a next life, there would be no place to reunite.
Anduya did not wait for Qian Ye’s answer, nor did he seem inclined to reveal who he had met. Gazing into the distant sky, he said with a tinge of sorrow, “Whether or not there is, as long as I believe there is, it exists. My time has come, and I must go. The Phantom Blur Essence here is enough to pave your way to the rank of Great Lord.”
“Is there anything you need me to do?”
Anduya hesitated slightly, “Perhaps Rex… forget it, he was always alone. Since he fell, let it be.”
He waved his hand and walked towards the distant horizon, disappearing.
A once mighty Black Wing King, the former ruler of the Eternal Night, had left this world forever. The war that followed, the miracle of one man fighting three Holy Mountains, would be buried in the sands of time, forgotten by all but Qian Ye.
For some reason, Qian Ye felt a tear in his eye, perhaps due to the strong wind in the secret realm.
Long after the familiar yet unfamiliar figure disappeared, Qian Ye suddenly remembered something and shouted, “Come back! You haven’t told me how to use the Primordial Wings!”
His voice echoed in the secret realm, but there was no response. In a daze, it seemed Anduya appeared, waving his hand nonchalantly, “Use them however you wish.”
Moments later, Qian Ye came back to his senses, realizing Anduya had truly vanished, forever. Perhaps in some unknown corner, a remnant of his will lingered, but without a body, it was just a soulless mechanism.
Qian Ye had many questions left unanswered, especially about the relationship between the Queen of the Night and Anduya. But perhaps Anduya did not want anyone to know, choosing to bury this past in history.
Qian Ye reflected that if the relationship between Anduya and the Queen of the Night had not been so strained, there would have been another ruler on the Holy Mountain, and the Blood Race could have achieved complete dominance over the other three dark races.
If this situation had lasted until today, with the addition of Nighteye and Qian Ye, the Blood Race could have truly unified the Eternal Night, and the Twilight Campaign would never have occurred. The Azure King might have occasionally woken up to wander around and see the world.
Unfortunately, there are no what-ifs in the world.
Anduya was gone, but the war continued. In a sense, Qian Ye, who had mastered the Chaos Primordial Force, was another dimension’s version of Anduya.
This war against the Demon Race and the Parliament was destined to reach the end of the world.
After a moment of silence, Qian Ye left the secret realm and headed for the Holy Land. Absorbing the Phantom Blur tree essence could wait; the first priority was to stop Medanzo.
Leaving, Qian Ye’s speed was much faster than when he ascended the mountain. After a series of void flashes, he soon reached the edge of the Holy Land.
In the Atharva Holy Land, there was a commotion. Soldiers were gathering in the square, and several giant warriors were being helped into their armor by their kin.
In the Atharva tribe, all adults were warriors, so the children were responsible for running and transporting supplies.
Another flash, and Qian Ye was above the Holy Land, seeing a small unit of twenty or so soldiers assembled and leaving for the battlefield.
Qian Ye pulled an elder aside, pointing at the unit, and asked, “Where are they going?”
“To the battlefield, of course! We are at war with the Black Devils!” the elder replied.
“What good will a few men do? Why not wait for the other units to gather and go together for reinforcement?”
The elder looked puzzled, “Isn’t that a waste of time? It will take at least half a day to reach the battlefield.”
Faced with such a war-ignorant elder, Qian Ye was speechless and unable to explain. He simply said, “Stop them! Wait for all units to gather before setting out. Where is the battlefield? I’ll go there now.”
After the elder informed Qian Ye of the battlefield’s location, Qian Ye felt even more helpless.
The Atharva people were incredibly fast, and it would take them hours to reach a battlefield that was at least a thousand kilometers away from the Holy Mountain. With their small number of warriors, Qian Ye couldn’t understand their thinking.
The elder, however, said matter-of-factly, “Our Holy Mountain must not be defiled by the Black Devils! We will do everything in our power to stop them as far away as possible!”
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