A series of edicts, each as thunderous as the last, finally made the ministers realize that the son of the once songstress had grown into a true sovereign, with decisiveness and grace.
The Emperor Hao gazed at Empress Li and said, “I have removed all obstacles for you. From now on, can you take charge of the entire Tianji Pavilion, ensuring such incidents never happen again?”
“Since Your Majesty has instructed, I shall do my utmost.”
Emperor Hao nodded and turned to leave. The ministers hastily followed behind.
As he exited the Tianji Pavilion, Emperor Hao saw a figure standing outside the main gate, tall and steadfast like a mountain. He raised his hand to stop the ministers, saying, “You may go back. I need to have a private conversation with King Qingyang.”
The ministers did not dare to disobey and quickly left from the side, boarding their airships and returning to the court. However, as soon as the airships ascended, a tremendous explosion occurred, turning one into a ball of fire. Shards of the ship flew in all directions, but no one emerged. Clearly, all the ministers aboard had perished, none escaping.
King Qingyang stood motionless until the burning mass turned into billowing black smoke, then said, “The methods were a bit crude.”
Emperor Hao laughed and said, “As long as it works. Normally, eliminating them would require much effort, but now that the Tengshe is rising, what do we need to be cautious about?”
“It’s a critical time; removing some variables isn’t a bad idea. But will the Zaiyao truly proceed as we anticipated?”
Emperor Hao replied, “No matter what, the Zaiyao has reached this point, and there’s no turning back. All we can do is wait, wait for the day of destiny.”
Zhang Boqian looked at Emperor Hao, a hint of worry in his brows.
But Emperor Hao paid no heed, saying, “Let’s go. There will likely be another confrontation in the court today. It’s also time to mobilize the nation, to guard against the desperate struggles of the dark races.”
The two walked side by side, stepping into the void.
Outside the Tianji Pavilion, only the remnants of the airship continued to burn.
In the Eternal Night Council, the ancient and melodious chimes echoed, reverberating throughout the world of Eternal Night. This was the most urgent call to assembly, and any council member who heard the chimes was to arrive as quickly as possible. The meeting would convene 24 hours after the chimes rang, regardless of who was absent.
In fact, only the Speaker and the three Holy Mountains had the authority to sound the ancient chimes.
Countless figures rose from various continents, hurrying to the council. On the square outside the council, high-speed airships frequently arrived, dropping off revered council members.
In the council hall, most of the seats were already occupied. The meeting had yet to begin, and the early arrivals discussed nervously, a sense of unease permeating the air. They couldn’t pinpoint the source of their unease, but a lingering fear persisted.
At that moment, solemn and majestic auras flowed down from the Holy Mountains, gradually silencing the hall. All present knew the Holy Mountains had arrived. Their auras were distinct, and all three Holy Mountains were present.
On the high seats, another overwhelmingly powerful aura appeared. The sight of the rugged, ancient-faced man caused a stir among the council members. No one had expected that the Wolf Lord would also appear. With the werewolves having suffered severe losses, the Wolf Lord was their de facto ruler. His opinion was the voice of all werewolves.
The hall gradually quieted, and the Speaker’s voice rang out, “We are gathered here for a matter of great importance, one that requires the unity and shared sacrifice of all holy races. The esteemed Emperor will inform us of what has transpired.”
The Emperor’s figure appeared on the Holy Mountain. The hall erupted in excitement. For many years, most council members had never seen the Emperor in person, so this was an extraordinary moment.
Some council members felt even more uneasy. The more unified the actions of the Holy Mountain’s leaders, the more serious the situation.
The Emperor gazed down at the council members and said, “This gathering is for one reason: we finally know what the Zaiyao, which the humans have been planning for a thousand years, truly is.”
The hall erupted like a bomb, the din of discussions creating a terrifying roar that echoed through the entire chamber.
The Emperor raised his hand, waiting for the council members to quiet down, then continued, “Because of Anwen, we could observe distant events, and this is what we saw.”
The Emperor waved his hand lightly, and the entire council hall was engulfed in darkness. In the depths of the darkness, an endless starry sky began to appear. The council members found the starry sky familiar yet somehow different, though they couldn’t pinpoint how.
As the starry sky image zoomed in, one council member exclaimed, “This is the void to the west of the dome!”
The other council members nodded in agreement.
Though the stars looked similar, the council members, being the elite of the Eternal Night world, could discern even the slightest differences.
As the starry sky image drew closer, many council members instinctively held their breath.
The closer the image, the deeper the observer had ventured into the void. The council members knew well how far into the void one must travel to see such a sight. Many council members would never venture so deeply into the void in their lifetimes.
There was an invisible boundary in the void. Once crossed, one entered a world of unimaginable ferocity. Void beasts roamed there, unpredictable storms raged, and the mere cold and void could claim the lives of most council members. The difference between inside and outside the boundary was like that between a calm lake and a stormy ocean.
The observer in the image had clearly crossed the boundary and continued to delve deeper.
At this point, a particularly bright area appeared in the starry sky. One star shone brighter and larger than the others, its brilliance making it difficult for the council members to look at directly.
The image paused for a moment before continuing to zoom in on the star. Moments later, the star’s true form was revealed—a burning planet!
Many council members began to tremble. A duke gasped, “That’s not a star, but… but a sun!”
The Emperor’s voice was grave, “Yes, it is a sun, a new sun. It is approaching us at an incredible speed. Soon, it will enter our world, and when it does, our sky will have three suns.”
The power of a sun was evident in the upper continents, where it burned eternally. The original sun of the Eternal Night world had already turned a third of the land into an uninhabitable hell. If another sun were to come…
They dared not imagine it.
“Is this… the Zaiyao?”
“Yes, this is the Zaiyao,” the Emperor answered.
“Are… are we going to be destroyed?”
“If it truly arrives.”
Seeing the burning sun, the hearts of all council members sank like ice. No one could have imagined that the human plan, spanning a thousand years, was to bring a new sun to the Eternal Night.
Such a grand scheme, even the Holy Mountains could not have conceived. Who had planned it, and who had found this new sun? How had the supposedly weak human race managed to move a sun?
These questions might no longer matter.
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