Chapter 49: The Final Moments

In the pervasive aura of frost, Li Kuanglan walked out calmly and said, “To retreat before even engaging in battle, would that not tarnish the Empire’s reputation? Since I have arrived, the two of you need not go back.”

Aiden caught the staggering vampire girl, pushed her behind him, pointed to a nearby passage, and signaled for her to leave first. Then, instead of anger, he chuckled, “You lowly, insidious humans, after a thousand years, your strength hasn’t improved much, but your boasting skills have. Now, I, Aiden of the Abyss of Darkness, am here. How do you plan to ensure I never return?”

Li Kuanglan slowly drew his sword. The crystal-clear blade emerged, instantly making the temperature drop drastically inside the cave, and frosty icicles began to form on the walls.

Upon seeing this sword, Aiden’s expression changed, and he blurted out, “An eighth-level sword!”

When weapons reach the eighth level, their power can significantly affect the surrounding environment. This sword’s freezing aura was so intense that it nearly created its own domain, clearly marking it as one of the peak eighth-level swords.

Even in Xu Lang’s hands, Aiden and Ye Tong would find it difficult to handle. But Li Kuanglan not only had more origin power than Xu Lang, but his cultivation method also seemed perfectly suited to the sword, maximizing its power.

Aiden stepped sideways, blocking Ye Tong behind him, and whispered, “I’ll hold him off, and you strike when the opportunity arises. If there’s a chance, go first.”

Li Kuanglan observed their movements, and with a wave of his sword, Frosty Moonlight Cage, he said, “Trying to escape? It’s not that easy!” The freezing aura spread in all directions, covering hundreds of meters, freezing everything within its reach.

Everyone suddenly realized that within the freezing area, not only did they have to resist the ice, but their origin power also started to flow more sluggishly. With hindered origin power, their speed was greatly affected, making it much harder for Aiden and Ye Tong to escape. This freezing aura could influence the flow of origin power, indicating that Li Kuanglan had layered his domain over the frost.

Aiden’s face darkened. Anyone who could use such a large-scale domain in this damned place was undoubtedly a rare genius.

“Face your doom!” Li Kuanglan swung Frosty Moonlight Cage in an arc, and aquamarine lights like ribbons flew towards Aiden and Ye Tong. These lights, formed from freezing aura, were dazzlingly beautiful, leaving deep marks on the cave walls as they sliced through frozen rock like tofu.

Aiden roared, and black mist spread within a dozen meters, clashing with the freezing aura, creating a hissing sound as both sides dissolved each other. Though he condensed his domain to increase the concentration of the dark energy, he was still at a disadvantage, being forced to retreat.

The aquamarine lights only lost a part of their front, then surged forward, tearing through the black mist, almost unimpeded, and reached Aiden in a blink!

Aiden was shocked. He never expected to be defeated so quickly in a domain battle. Caught off guard, he could only mobilize his origin power to defend against the aquamarine light. However, as a demon descendant, his physical strength was not his forte, and he was about to be severely injured by the freezing aura.

At that moment, Li Kuanglan felt a sharp pain in his chest, and his surging origin power became chaotic, causing the aquamarine light to lose control.

Li Kuanglan shouted, bursting with origin power. The freezing aura burst out like a white fog, suppressing the internal chaos. At the same time, he raised Frosty Moonlight Cage to his forehead.

A black, ghost-like origin bullet pierced through the air, making no sound, and its origin fluctuations were barely detectable. Had it not been for Li Kuanglan’s domain covering the entire area, he might have overlooked this lethal attack.

The sniper bullet struck the near-transparent blade of Frosty Moonlight Cage, splitting into two and flying past Li Kuanglan’s cheek, deeply embedding into the cave wall.

Li Kuanglan slowly lowered Frosty Moonlight Cage, his gaze sharpening, “This is… an eye technique? Impressive! Only now are you worthy of being my opponent. But you’re still too weak. Go, and return when you’ve grown up for a final battle. But I’ll let you go this once. Next time, blame your bad luck!”

“She is the princess of the Monroe clan, you cannot let her go!” Xu Lang shouted from behind.

“Shut up! Do I need your permission on what to do?” Li Kuanglan spared no face for Xu Lang, ignoring his imperial general’s uniform and the red scorpion emblem on his arm.

Xu Lang’s face turned ashen, and he raged, “This is war, not a game! If we don’t kill her now, how many soldiers will die by her hand as she grows stronger? In war, there is no mercy!”

Li Kuanglan coldly replied, “Do you know what true war is? Victory or defeat now depends on the confrontation between the great lords, and in the future, it will depend on my sword. As long as it sharpens my sword, cannon fodder like you are worth dying in any number.”

Xu Lang growled, “Who are you to say such things?”

As a Red Scorpion General, he was highly respected in the imperial military, and he had never been treated this way. Even the most arrogant noble family member wouldn’t challenge a military officer in the Imperial Special Elite Corps, as it might offend not just an officer, but the entire military.

Li Kuanglan looked at him for a moment, then laughed, “If you truly have the capability, you should know who I am. Since you don’t recognize me, you must be nothing. Still daring to shout here? Today, I encountered a future opponent, and I’m in a good mood, so I’ll spare you. Go back and rise a few ranks, and you’ll know who I am.”

Xu Lang, stunned by this reply, his face twisted with anger, but he quickly sobered up.

Li Kuanglan’s words held some truth. Xu Lang’s current contacts were only on the fringes of the military upper echelons, and his understanding of the noble families was limited to public knowledge. Thinking of this, his anger subsided, and he reconsidered his next move.

Li Kuanglan ignored him, turning to see Aiden preparing to leave, while Ye Tong stood motionless. Frowning, he said, “Why haven’t you left yet? Any moment now, I might change my mind.”

Suddenly, a foul wind blew from a distant passage, filled with the stench of blood. This blood aura reeked of decay and death, entirely different from Ye Tong’s fragrant, vital blood aura.

From the direction of the blood aura, a heavy, hoarse voice spoke, “It won’t matter if you change your mind. Let’s see if you can leave now!”

The blood aura grew thicker, and soon, a visible, murky blood wave clashed with Li Kuanglan’s freezing aura, dissolving and annihilating each other. The newcomer had not yet appeared, but a domain battle was already underway.

The result was a stalemate. Li Kuanglan’s domain and sword qi merged, giving him a slight advantage, but the blood aura’s range was wider, pressing him back in turn.

Amidst the rolling blood waves, Marquis Yuri emerged. Seeing his rose and serpent emblem, Li Kuanglan’s sword intent flared. No matter the situation, the Marquis of the Paz family was not to be underestimated. Li Kuanglan’s sword intent was overwhelming, and he seemed to merge with his sword, becoming a sharp, cold weapon.

At the level of Yuri and Li Kuanglan, the domain would destroy everything in its range. Aiden and Xu Lang almost immediately released their domains upon the clash, retreating swiftly. Though their domains were destroyed, it gave them enough time to escape.

The battle erupted and ended in an instant.

Within a blink, the freezing and blood auras filled every corner. Both domains shattered and repaired multiple times. In the center, Li Kuanglan and Yuri fought, but the only thing visible was the entangled, breaking, and reforming blue and red auras.

On the edge of the clashing domains, Ye Tong stood quietly. Her body was surrounded by a thick blood aura, with faint golden threads. This was her domain, small enough to cover only her standing ground, yet it held firm against the blue and red auras.

Inside her domain, a blood aura beast, like a tiger, hovered, with several fluttering ribbons. This beast was highly intelligent, dashing back and forth, shattering any invading blood aura and sword intent.

Li Kuanglan and Yuri abruptly separated.

Li Kuanglan glared at Yuri, huffed, sheathed Frosty Moonlight Cage, and left. Xu Lang, watching from a distance, also retreated.

Yuri, no longer smug, was serious. When Li Kuanglan’s figure disappeared down the passage, a hint of relief appeared on his face.

Though the battle between Li Kuanglan and Yuri did not determine a clear winner, they mutually respected each other’s power and decided to part ways.

Under the shadow of the Sky Ghost and fierce indigenous creatures, the relationship between the two powerful factions in the cave had subtly shifted. They no longer fought recklessly, avoiding pointless mutual destruction when evenly matched.

After Li Kuanglan left, Aiden breathed a sigh, walking to Ye Tong, though he remained wary of Yuri.

Yuri looked at Aiden and said, “Lord Aiden, I have something to say to Princess Ye Tong. It would be best if you stepped aside.”

Aiden showed no intention of leaving, “I think I should hear what you have to say. Besides, with me here, I can prevent any accidents.”

Yuri stared at Aiden, his eyes full of bloodlust. His domain was still active, and though he didn’t attack, the pressure made Aiden’s face change. Yet, despite the strain, Aiden stood his ground.

Yuri’s aura suddenly relaxed, and the killing intent dissipated, “I represent the Queen of Night and the Holy Son. Will Lord Aiden still insist on listening?”

“The Queen of Night’s will may not apply in the Abyss of Darkness,” Aiden replied.

Yuri’s smile twisted, “The same can be said for you. The will of the Abyss of Darkness, or even the Supreme Sovereign on the Sacred Mountain, may not apply to our Sacred Bloodline.”

Aiden’s face darkened. As a pure-blooded descendant of a noble demonic family, he had never taken other bloodlines seriously. If not for the strange world and his council mission, he might have already confronted Yuri, regardless of the power gap.

Ye Tong raised her hand to stop Aiden and said, “Lord Yuri, you should not be on the list to enter the Giant Beast’s Sleep. Speak, what message does the Holy Son have for me?”