With the leader dead, the remaining foes were even less of a match. While the Viscount managed to escape, it did not mean the others could also flee from Song Zining’s domain. They crashed about like headless flies, and with only a slight delay, Qian Ye had already charged into Song Zining’s realm. He wielded his sword like the wind, felling both werewolves and vampires with one slash each. In the blink of an eye, he had killed all the viscounts that Wei Potian had been holding back.
“Qian Ye, you…” Song Zining was shocked, managing to say only half a sentence before being interrupted by Wei Potian: “What are you babbling about? Go and help them!”
Inside and outside the domain, both sides were still locked in fierce combat.
Many low-level dark fighters, unable to see what was happening inside the domain, continued to fiercely attack the human warriors. Without a word, Song Zining unleashed another domain, splitting the battlefield. Then, Qian Ye and Wei Potian swept through the area, killing off the remaining enemies in no time, leaving none alive. However, the two of them together didn’t kill as many as Song Zining did. His Domain of Three Thousand Drifting Leaves was extremely lethal in slaughtering cannon fodder; a single leaf was a butcher’s blade, capable of harvesting a life with a mere touch.
With the battle settled, subordinates would clean up the battlefield. At this moment, Qian Ye finally had the chance to ask, “Why are you two here?”
Song Zining glared at him, saying, “Why, is it only you who can come here?”
Wei Potian shot Song Zining a fierce look, snarling, “Hell, if it weren’t for this doghead strategist tricking me, I wouldn’t have come to this damned place to suffer!”
Qian Ye was taken aback. It seemed that these two were still at odds, but Song Zining was clearly upset with him, for reasons unknown. With nothing to hide from his brothers, he directly asked, “I mean, how did you two end up together? And, Zining, have I offended you in some way?”
Wei Potian spat on the ground and said, “Qian Ye, don’t mind him. This guy is just jealous! He couldn’t take down that viscount after a whole while, but you came and chopped him up. No wonder this small-minded guy is so bitter! If I hadn’t been tricked by this scoundrel, I wouldn’t have cooperated with him.”
Wei Potian seethed with anger, but instead of starting a fight, he only glared at Song Zining from time to time. Now, Wei Potian exuded the calm and steady presence of a seasoned general, no longer the impetuous youth he once was.
Qian Ye was still unclear on why the two had joined forces. After a few more questions, he finally understood the reason.
It turned out that on the day the news of the Zhang clan’s defeat spread, Song Zining found Wei Potian and gave a flowery analysis of the current situation. He pointed out that the Zhang clan’s remnants’ successful withdrawal to the Zhao clan’s territory was crucial. Even though he, Song Seven, was insignificant, he wanted to get involved at this critical moment. But alone, he was powerless. At this critical juncture, he was willing to put aside past grievances and cooperate with Wei Potian to ambush the pursuing dark race soldiers, protecting the Zhang clan’s retreat.
Wei Potian, who had led troops for several years, knew Song Zining was right. Although he found Song Zining insufferable, he had to admit that the pretty boy was a skilled military leader. Their strengths complemented each other, so he agreed.
Wei Potian acted swiftly, immediately dispatching two hundred elite troops and boarding a high-speed transport. They descended directly into the heart of the battlefield. Their timing was fortuitous; they encountered the dark race pursuit forces almost immediately, and the fighting had been continuous since then.
Seeing Wei Potian’s battered armor and the numerous wounds on his body, and the fewer than a hundred remaining Wei family warriors, one could imagine the intensity of the battles. In less than a day, the Wei family had lost over half their men, which explained Wei Potian’s bad mood.
Wei Potian, guessing what Qian Ye was thinking, snorted and said coldly, “There’s no such thing as a battle without casualties. Before coming here, I was prepared not to return, and my brothers aren’t afraid to die. But if this guy had told us everything beforehand, giving me half a day more to prepare, we would have lost fewer brothers. Ask him about his damned domain!”
Song Zining, who had been muttering about the importance of speed, fell silent when he heard the word “domain.” He turned his face away, fanning himself furiously, pretending to admire the scenery.
Qian Ye sensed something amiss and asked, “Zining, what’s the issue with the domain?”
Qian Ye hadn’t noticed anything wrong with Song Zining’s domain, finding it incredibly lifelike, capable of blocking perception, and quite extraordinary. He didn’t understand Wei Potian’s anger.
Wei Potian snorted and said, “Ask that pretty boy!”
Song Zining, no longer able to pretend, cleared his throat and said casually, “It’s nothing. It’s just that, um, my domain lacked a rock for decoration, so I used that guy to fill in. I saw the rock was in bad shape and criticized him a bit.”
Wei Potian turned sharply, roaring, “You think I care about that? But your damned domain had no power at all! How many of my brothers died because of it?!”
Qian Ye was surprised. Song Zining’s Domain of Three Thousand Drifting Leaves was mysterious and versatile, capable of killing with each falling leaf. How could it lack power? In terms of domains, Song Zining ranked among the top of the new generation of the empire, comparable to Zhao Jundu’s Eight Directions Seal.
Song Zining, somewhat embarrassed, said, “Well, it’s a long story…”
He pulled Qian Ye aside and explained quietly. After a while, Qian Ye understood. Song Zining’s ambition was to create a world of illusions within his domain, a world of infinite possibilities. If he succeeded, he could create countless worlds with a single thought, making it hard to distinguish reality from illusion. Further advancements might even turn the false into the real, making every step within the domain a perilous one, where a drop of water could drown and a flame could incinerate.
However, this path was extremely difficult. Qian Ye knew it required the strength of a King of the World, and even then, the possibility was slim. Achieving such a domain was harder than becoming a King of the World.
Indeed, it was no wonder that he, who in the Underworld, could say, “I see the future of the great path,” disregarding even the Kings of the World. Such ambition made Qian Ye feel ashamed for his own petty calculations.
At this moment, Wei Potian, who had been eavesdropping, could no longer hold back, raging, “Nonsense about an illusory world! This guy just wanted to show off and add some flashy background for women. This pretty boy only has eyes for women, what great path!”
Qian Ye was stunned. Song Zining stamped his foot, “Ah, Brother Wei, we’ve fought side by side, must you say everything?”
“You’re still talking! If you hadn’t messed with those pointless things, your domain would be much more powerful, and fewer of my brothers would have died!”
After a while, Qian Ye finally understood the situation. Recently, Song Zining’s cultivation had advanced rapidly, reaching level twelve, and his understanding of the Three Thousand Drifting Leaves had deepened. Instead of increasing the domain’s lethality, he chose to create a more realistic world. To Wei Potian, this was a useless and flashy effect.
Throughout the battle, Song Zining had effectively trapped the enemy but failed to harm them. For instance, he had held the strongest First Viscount in check, but beyond that, he was powerless. Wei Potian and his private army had to handle the rest. In Wei Potian’s eyes, Song Zining should have been able to kill the First Viscount, but with the domain, it became a stalemate. If not for Qian Ye’s arrival, Wei Potian, surrounded by the enemy, would have been in serious trouble, and Song Zining’s fate wouldn’t have been much better.
Understanding the situation, Qian Ye couldn’t decide who was right or wrong. He patted Wei Potian on the shoulder, saying, “Alright, Zining did his best. His domain can disrupt the enemy’s senses, and it may prove useful in the future. We’re still on the battlefield, let’s talk about the rest after the fight.”
Qian Ye’s words calmed Wei Potian, who only glared fiercely at Song Zining.
Song Zining, seeing he had gotten through, approached Qian Ye, scrutinizing him from all angles.
Qian Ye, feeling uneasy, asked, “What are you doing?”
Song Zining fanned himself, saying, “Qian Ye, did I see you knock that viscount back earlier?”
“Yeah, what’s the problem?”
Song Zining snapped his fan shut, exclaiming, “Problem? That’s a huge problem! That was a First Viscount! You knocked him back?”
Vampires, at the same level, were far superior to humans in both strength and speed. However, Qian Ye’s blood essence had reached that of a First Viscount, and a true First Viscount, far surpassing ordinary ones. Thus, he could send the opponent flying with a collision.
The vampire viscount never expected to lose to Qian Ye, and caught off guard, he was beheaded by a single sword strike from Qian Ye.
Although Song Zining knew Qian Ye was a vampire, he didn’t know the deeper secret of the purple blood. Qian Ye, not wanting to reveal too much, simply said, “Isn’t knocking him back normal?”
“How is that normal?” Wei Potian chimed in. He had clashed with the viscount and nearly been sent flying, knowing the opponent’s strength. In comparison, Qian Ye’s strength was simply inhuman.
Just as Qian Ye was about to explain, a sharp whistling sound filled the air. Looking up, he saw a small floating boat emerge from the clouds, trailing thick smoke, and swaying as it fell towards the ground.
Song Zining, with keen eyes, immediately shouted, “That’s a Zhao clan floating boat!”
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