“What should we do now?” a councilor shouted, and soon more and more councilors joined in. Never had they felt so lost, so in need of guidance from the Holy Mountain.
The Demon Emperor had gathered the darkness and the stars, yet the new sun continued to burn in the sky. Though it was but a phantom, every councilor could feel the relentless outpouring of light and heat, and most importantly, the force of dawn.
“I believe you have all sensed that this sun is constantly releasing the force of dawn, far exceeding our Eternal Night’s original sun. This is not my doing, but a fact,” the Demon Emperor’s voice, like a cold wind, sent shivers down every councilor’s spine.
“What will happen when it enters our world?”
The Demon Emperor raised his hand, and beside his throne on the Holy Mountain, a young demon descendant appeared—Anwen.
A stir ran through the councilors. For a thousand years, no one who had not ascended the Holy Mountain had ever set foot upon it. Now, Anwen’s direct appearance indicated the Demon Emperor’s stance.
Anwen lifted his hands, and in them appeared images of the twenty-seven continents of the Eternal Night, along with all the planets and the sun. As he moved, the same scene appeared in the center of the great hall. A new sun appeared in the outer space, crashing straight into the Eternal Night, causing the continents to start burning. All but the deepest layer of the Eternal Night turned into a fiery hell.
“In the worst-case scenario, the new sun will directly enter the Eternal Night, piercing through the center of the continental belt, stopping just as it is about to leave, then returning to the center. In this case, as you can see, all the continents except the Eternal Night will become uninhabitable. It is estimated that 99% of life in the Eternal Night, including the humans themselves, will perish.”
The councilors stirred, and Anwen signaled for silence. He then adjusted the image, showing the new sun arcing instead of colliding directly, starting to orbit the Eternal Night.
“Since the humans can pull in a new sun, they likely have a means to control it. Complete annihilation of both us and the Holy Clan is not their goal. The most likely scenario is that the new sun will enter a stable orbit around the Eternal Night, farther than the current sun’s orbit, so it doesn’t incinerate life. In such a case, the new sun will continuously release the force of dawn, gradually transforming the Eternal Night into a world dominated by dawn. All the Holy Clans, rooted in the force of darkness, will be extinguished!”
Though Anwen’s voice was not loud, it thundered in the ears of the councilors.
Anwen bowed and retreated, disappearing from the Holy Mountain.
The councilors were at a loss, some discussing, others praying, and some even weeping. None had expected the end to come so suddenly.
At this moment, the Demon Emperor’s voice rang out, “In this time of crisis, we need the strength of every Holy Clan, including the werewolves.”
The Wolf Sovereign rose and nodded in agreement.
“Also, the vampires.”
Lilith’s figure emerged and then vanished, causing another stir. No one had expected Lilith to awaken and return to the Holy Mountain.
“…and the spider demons.”
On the Holy Mountain, the Spider Queen Rosnia appeared, a small figure before her.
The Demon Emperor’s voice grew louder, “You have heard. The humans have brought this sun, and no matter what they plan, the Holy Clans will be doomed! We must stop the sun from reaching the Eternal Night, no matter the cost! We must find and destroy the method they used to bring the new sun. From this moment, all past grudges must be put aside, and we must launch a full-scale attack on the humans!”
“Annihilate the humans!!” a demon duke roared.
“Annihilate the humans!” countless Eternal Night warriors howled, surging out of the great hall, heading in all directions.
In a blink, the great hall was empty, except for the Holy Mountain where no one moved.
“Still haven’t convinced her?” the Demon Emperor asked.
“That is my own business,” Lilith replied coldly.
The Demon Emperor did not get angry, saying, “Understanding the secret of the Lost Season is one of the keys to this battle. Of course, if she refuses to speak, it doesn’t matter. We will eventually know. But by then, it will be too late.”
Lilith said, “I don’t need your reminder.”
“Even if you hide in the deepest void, you cannot escape the force of dawn. At that time, you will live in a furnace, day and night, enduring the burning of the force of dawn! Are you willing to endure this fate to protect her?” the Demon Emperor’s voice became stern.
Lilith spoke slowly, “Kain, do not think I dare not kill you. Provoking me will only lead to destruction. You have already lost most of your strength. If I kill you and then annihilate your dukes, the demon clan will no longer be one of the four Holy Clans, never again.”
The Demon Emperor was taken aback, then smiled bitterly, “I really don’t understand. Why, at this moment, would you rather spark a civil war to protect her?”
“I am not protecting her, but I know her character. No matter what tortures are used, she will not reveal a single word, only watch our destruction silently.”
“But we have no time left.”
Lilith twirled the ring on her finger, speaking slowly, “But there is one thing I am curious about. The humans used the power of the River of Blood to bring the sun. How did they come to know so much about the River of Blood? Among all the Holy Clans, the vampires and the demon clan know the most about it.”
The Demon Emperor sighed, “Since you already know, I have nothing to hide. Yes, a thousand years ago, the contamination of the River of Blood and the elimination of the vampires from the source was the core of the secret cooperation between our clan and the humans. Knowledge of the River of Blood was passed to the humans during that time. It seems we were deceived by the humans as well.”
Lilith showed no surprise, saying coolly, “Kain, you have disappointed me greatly.”
“The cooperation began in the Lost Season. The details of how it started were the responsibility of the previous Demon Emperor, and I did not know them. After the Lost Season, I even forgot many of the specific details of the cooperation. It went on for centuries, successfully pushing the River of Blood away from the Eternal Night, nearly making it disappear. But later, my instincts told me something was wrong, so I stopped the cooperation. I thought it was over, but it wasn’t.”
Lilith laughed coldly, “No wonder our vampire power declined during that time, and even I had to increase my sleep. Your demon clan, truly foresightful!”
The Demon Emperor smiled bitterly, “This is not the time to argue. Even if I have wronged you in the past, in this war, our demon clan has paid a price.”
“Your demon dukes are unharmed, while the vampires and werewolves are dead.”
“The greatest price is my injury,” the Demon Emperor said helplessly.
“Indeed,” Lilith agreed.
“Perhaps, we can seek a new ally,” the Spider Queen, who had been silent, spoke up.
“Who?”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage