The Demon Emperor stood by the porthole, quietly observing the battlefield below. The sound of footsteps came from behind, and Prince Perseus entered, saying, “The latest battle report is here, do you wish to hear it, Your Majesty?”
“Nothing but casualty figures. Does it even matter anymore? In a few days, all the surviving Holy Race will be dead.”
Perseus bowed and prepared to leave.
“Wait.” The Demon Emperor stopped him and said, “Go ahead and tell me.”
“In the past 12 hours, the Holy Race has lost about one million and three thousand soldiers, and two hundred and ten warships, including four main battleships and two Duke-class command ships. The human fleet is nearly annihilated. We expect to gain complete air supremacy within a day, and we can then deploy our troops directly into the capital of Qin.”
The Demon Emperor chuckled and said, “Listening to these numbers, it feels like we’re fighting a normal war. It’s indeed quite good. Indeed, we need to numb ourselves a little.”
Perseus hesitated, asking, “Your Majesty, what do you mean by that?”
“Nothing. What must come will come, and you’ll understand soon. Go ahead and follow the usual plan.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Perseus bowed again and couldn’t help but glance at the bright star, now the size of an egg, visible through the porthole before he left.
The Demon Emperor seemed to be talking to himself, saying, “In these few days, our Holy Race has lost over ten million warriors, and our fleet has been reduced by two-thirds. It’s truly unexpected how resilient the humans are without a full-scale war. But we still have tens of millions of warriors left. Unfortunately, it might be too late.”
“None of those cannon fodder deaths matter,” Lilith’s voice echoed in the Demon Emperor’s ear.
“Are you still preparing for that ritual?”
“It will be successful very soon.”
“Is it really necessary?”
“If the humans want to exterminate all life that relies on dark force, then let them pay the price. I may not be able to kill every single human, but I can certainly wipe out the city below at the cost of my own blood. What will those who think the dawn is coming feel when they realize the dawn has arrived, but not for them?”
“Once this ritual begins, all high-ranking humans will be destroyed instantly. But their Light of Origin will also lose control, and that might be the real end of everything.”
“Even now, you still hope?” Lilith sneered.
“No one really wants to die, and I’m no exception.” The Demon Emperor smiled bitterly and then said, “Perhaps there’s still a chance to talk.”
“We have lost ten million warriors, and the humans have suffered over six million casualties. These are the most elite soldiers on both sides, with families and loved ones. Can such hatred be resolved through talks?”
“Perhaps it can, perhaps it can’t. Let’s see what happens in the next few days.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“According to Anwen’s calculations, the new sun will enter its orbit in four days. The key to helping the new sun is the Imperial Diviner mages. If we cannot reach an agreement, then release the ritual at the last moment of the new sun’s orbital adjustment, eliminating all Diviner mages. This will cause the new sun to deviate from its orbit and crash into the center of the Evernight world, ultimately forming a new system with our two suns. No one can predict how this system will operate or develop. When that happens, all life in the Evernight world will be extinguished. The humans will truly perish along with their ambitions.”
“And if it fails?”
“If it fails, we still have some time. I will gather all the senators to push the floating landmass into Qinland, perhaps creating another neutral ground. Qinland now hosts most of the human elite, and at least half of the human race can be eliminated.”
Lilith was silent for a moment before saying, “Don’t forget the Lost Season.”
The Demon Emperor said nothing.
On the Floating Land, in the Unfallen City, Qian Ye walked through the streets, blending into the crowd. Everyone around him was in a hurry, but no one noticed Qian Ye.
Several large flying ships rose into the sky, turning towards Qinland. From their sluggish maneuvering, it was clear that they were fully loaded with personnel and equipment.
At this point, there weren’t many people left in the Unfallen City. Many were waiting for available airships to rush to Qinland and join the battle.
From time to time, Evernight’s aerial fleets flew overhead, their altitude beyond the reach of the Unfallen City’s defense systems. All the warships passed without attacking, rushing towards Qinland.
Qinland was the final battleground for all races.
The Unfallen City had changed a lot. It had transformed from a purely military fortress into a bustling city, though some of the street layouts were still familiar to Qian Ye.
Standing at the corner where he once escaped with Ye Pupil and Zhao Jundu held off the pursuers, he recalled the city wall that should have been nearby. That was where Qian Ye received the blow from the former Marshal and fled to the neutral ground with Zhu Ji and Ye Pupil.
It was in the Unfallen City that Qian Ye’s fate took a turn, setting him on a path of no return.
But after witnessing the Rising Serpent, Qian Ye was unsure whether his fate’s turn was merely a coincidence or predestined.
He looked up at the increasingly bright star and then entered a small building nearby.
It used to be a tavern, now empty, but the bottles of alcohol remained on the counter, clearly indicating the owner’s hasty departure, leaving the door unlocked.
Qian Ye walked behind the bar, poured himself a drink, and sipped it slowly. The alcohol wasn’t of high quality, but he could no longer taste anything.
A mysterious figure in black entered the tavern and glanced around.
“As long as I don’t want anyone here, no one will be here,” Qian Ye said, holding his glass.
The mysterious figure removed her hat and mask, revealing a head of long hair and a breathtakingly beautiful face. However, her beauty had no effect on Qian Ye.
She smoothed her hair and said, “I can’t believe it. In just a few years, you’ve grown so much.”
“Why did you, a demon-born, come to discuss vampire matters?”
“Am I, Lin Jia’er, not significant enough?”
“Do you think you are?”
Lin Jia’er’s eyes flashed with anger, but she suppressed it and remained respectful, saying, “Now, the other major figures of the Holy Races are fighting on the front lines. I am the only one they could send.”
“Sending you means they don’t want to talk?”
“No, sending me means I won’t be returning. From now on, I can do anything for you.” She emphasized the word “anything.”
Qian Ye was unmoved and said, “If you don’t bring Ye Pupil to me, there’s nothing to discuss. And you don’t have much time left. Don’t push me now. The only result of that will be me going to the Sacred Mountain and having a final showdown with the Night Queen.”
Lin Jia’er said, “Your Majesty! This is a critical moment for the survival of the entire Evernight. Do you think the humans will spare you or Ye Pupil after they destroy Evernight? With the Light Force everywhere, where can you hide?”
Qian Ye ignited a ball of crimson-golden flame on his fingertip, the Light Force of Dawn’s Awakening, forcing Lin Jia’er to step back to withstand its heat.
Lin Jia’er’s face changed, and at that moment, she truly realized Qian Ye’s strength and understood that his reputation was not just a legend but a real threat to her life.
Qian Ye observed her expression and said, “That’s your foolishness, still refusing to accept reality, hoping to keep your revenge alive. The one who sent you is also not very smart.”
Lin Jia’er understood the implication and trembled, falling to her knees, pleading, “Your Majesty, I made a mistake! Please give me another chance, I beg you!”
Qian Ye calmly said, “I will say this one last time. How you captured Ye Pupil is how you should return her to me. Otherwise, if the Night Queen doesn’t come to me, I will go to her. Don’t talk to me about the survival of the race. I only care about Ye Pupil. Even if all the demon-born are wiped out, it doesn’t concern me. As you saw, even if there were only two Holy Race members left, it would be me and Ye Pupil. Even if the entire world is filled with burning Light Force, I will protect her until the end of my life.”
Qian Ye finished his drink and said, “Go and deliver the message. You have… two hours. After that, if I don’t see Ye Pupil, Lilith will see me.”
Lin Jia’er bit her lip and said, “You are no match for the Queen.”
“Is that so?” Qian Ye smiled and said, “By the way, I forgot to mention that before I meet Lilith, I will first visit the Demon Emperor.”
Lin Jia’er’s face instantly turned pale.
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