Chapter 13: The Return

After the Demon Noble spoke, he stood still, patiently awaiting a response.

Moments later, an immense pressure emanated from the coffin, as if the entire world had awakened and was now gazing down upon the three insignificant lives below.

The Grand Duke of the Passos Clan immediately knelt on one knee in mid-air. The lightless King Mephisto’s face grew even paler, and the large rings on his index and middle fingers suddenly clinked, producing a faint sound.

The Demon Noble remained standing, slightly bowing. His vertical pupils flickered with an indeterminate light, and the space behind him seemed to twist, as if something was about to burst forth. Even his innate totem was nearly visible, indicating that he was exerting his full strength, not as relaxed as he appeared.

Mephisto was unexpectedly shocked by the impact. He and the Night Queen shared the same bloodline, so he felt her pressure deeply. His face finally showed a hint of fear, clearly not expecting that Lilith, after years of slumber, would be so terrifying just in her aura alone.

“What does the Council want with me?” The Night Queen’s voice was distant and slightly hoarse, naturally authoritative yet inexplicably pleasant, as if it could evoke the deepest resonance of primordial power within people.

The Demon Noble respectfully replied, “The Celestial Fiend has once again descended upon the Eternaria Continent. The Council has confirmed that it seeks the ancient essence of the Chaos Void Beast. Therefore, we have decided to compete for it fully. Only if you can stop the Celestial Fiend will we have a chance to obtain the ancient essence.”

“That item is of no use to me, but my descendants might need it. I require three portions.”

The Demon Noble’s face showed some difficulty, but he finally gritted his teeth and said, “No problem!”

Seeing the Demon Noble’s quick agreement, the pressure in the air slightly diminished. The Night Queen’s voice sounded again, “Dear Mephisto, it seems we haven’t met in a few centuries. Have you prepared everything for my awakening?”

The lightless King had now fully regained his composure. Bowing his head in respect, he replied, “Honored Lilith, everything has been prepared.”

“Excellent. Also, make sure to charge all these expenses to the Council.”

Hearing this, the Demon Noble’s face turned pale, but he quickly smiled bitterly. He did not dare to say anything against her at this moment. Waking the Night Queen Lilith was not a small matter, but the great figures of the Council must have already prepared for it.

Once the matter was settled, they found themselves back in the valley, their vision blurring momentarily.

In the mysterious space, all the chains began to vibrate. The ancient chains wrapped around the coffin broke and fell. The massive coffin lid slowly floated into the air, and endless streams of blood poured out, cascading like waterfalls before disappearing into the darkness below.

From the surging blood, a slender, pale hand emerged, its deep black nails prominent. More striking was the fact that this otherwise perfect hand was missing its little finger.

For a bloodline race with regenerative abilities, such a flaw should not exist. Yet, it was present, on the body of a dark lord who stood at the peak of power.

This hand grasped the edge of the bronze coffin, and slowly, an indescribable woman rose from the blood.

In that instant, from the Twilight Continent to Eternaria, countless vampires were inexplicably stirred. It was a memory etched deep within their blood, a profound recognition of the sacred blood origin.

On various continents, the true rulers of all beings, regardless of their allegiance—whether to Eternaria, neutrality, or Dawn—heard a faint, distant sigh, as if it came from ancient times.

It was the Night Queen Lilith, announcing her return.

In a northern town of the Eternaria human territory, beyond the Iron Curtain, day and night still alternated. The afternoon was the best time for sunlight.

Lin Xitang sat at his desk, reviewing documents. The sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling window behind him cascaded over his shoulders, reflecting off his frosty hair.

Lin Xitang closed another heavy file and placed it on the pile of completed documents to the left. He then opened the next thick document, which was the latest battle report. His hand suddenly paused, and the paper made a harsh sound.

The person on the west balcony, startled, turned to look.

Lin Xitang looked down at the battle report, his expression calm, seemingly untroubled. However, considering the number of military affairs he handled daily, his prolonged focus on that page was unusual.

Zhang Boqian walked over, picked up the battle report, and skimmed through it. “Song Zining? Not bad, the Flame Passing Gun has not completely declined. As for the Zhao Clan, they indeed produce talents. This Qian Ye, from the subordinate household, has achieved records comparable to Zhao Jundu under the Iron Curtain. Truly rare. Perhaps in ten years, he could become a pillar of the Empire.”

Lin Xitang said nothing, rising and walking slowly to the other end of the wide desk. There, an old wooden box rested on the corner. He did not open the box but ran his fingers lightly over the sturdy, rough texture.

At that moment, both men’s faces changed. What in the Eternaria could shock these two Imperial strongmen?

Zhang Boqian’s aura suddenly surged skyward. Above the small town, a clear day turned thunderous, the sound echoing for miles. A massive cloud formed out of nowhere, pressing low over the city walls, rotating slowly and enveloping the entire city.

Lin Xitang, however, reacted poorly. His face paled, and his fingers slipped, nearly knocking the wooden box to the floor. He staggered, only preventing himself from falling by grabbing the desk edge.

Zhang Boqian’s phoenix eyes burned with combat intent. He looked out the long window, across the vast sky, as if spanning millions of miles, and focused on a distant place. After a long while, he said, “The Night Queen?”

Lin Xitang frowned, quickly walking to the desk and spreading out a blank military order. Zhang Boqian, however, held his hand, coldly asking, “What just happened?” The cloud was still spinning above the town, and his domain had not yet withdrawn.

“Backlash,” Lin Xitang replied, knowing he couldn’t hide it. When Zhang Boqian’s domain had expanded, triggered by the Night Queen’s return, it had shielded him from half the backlash of his divination.

Zhang Boqian’s face darkened. “You’re risking your life, even daring to calculate Lilith!”

Lin Xitang said nothing, sighing inwardly. He had been calculating Song Zining and Qian Ye, only to have the divination suddenly go awry. Though he was not a Heavenly King, he should not have received the information about the Night Queen’s return. Yet, Lilith’s sigh had surfaced, doubling the effect and nearly causing a backlash.

Seeing Lin Xitang’s silence, Zhang Boqian gave a cold laugh. “Don’t do such reckless things again. You haven’t fulfilled what you promised me. If there’s any mistake, you know the consequences.”

In the northwestern wilderness of the Eternaria Dark Territory, the rapidly running Yeya suddenly stopped, involuntarily kneeling and clutching her head with a painful scream. In that instant, she seemed to hear a sigh, followed by an excruciating pain, almost splitting her head.

Fortunately, the pain came and went quickly. Yeya supported herself on the ground, breathing heavily, almost exhausted.

The several vampires accompanying her, caught off guard, rushed far ahead before realizing what had happened. They hurried back, anxiously asking, “Your Highness, what happened?”

Yeya stood up and said, “I’m fine. Let’s continue.”

These vampires, all Viscounts, obeyed her command and continued running forward.

In the distance, beyond the mountains, a green light suddenly shot into the sky, piercing the gray Iron Curtain and causing ripples.

Seeing the power, the vampires’ faces changed. One exclaimed, “Green Sky! That’s Zhao Jundu!”

Zhao Jundu’s name was not only known in the Empire; in the dark races, he was even more famous. Initially, many young geniuses from the dark races challenged him, hoping to kill the so-called top talent of the Empire. For the dark races, who valued absolute power, nothing better proved their worth.

However, none who challenged Zhao Jundu returned. When he ventured thousands of kilometers into the dark realm and returned safely, the entire Eternaria was shocked. Since then, no one dared to challenge him under the Iron Curtain.

Beyond the mountains, Zhao Jundu was engaged in a fierce battle with someone.

Yeya immediately said, “Let’s go see.”

A vampire Viscount blocked Yeya, urgently saying, “Your Highness! That’s Zhao Jundu!”

Yeya frowned. “So what?”

Another, older Viscount tactfully said, “Your Highness, it’s said Zhao Jundu is equivalent to our first-rank Viscount. He is famous in the human Empire and truly capable. Although you are not afraid, you are at a disadvantage in terms of primal force. It’s not advisable to attack rashly.”

Yeya led the way toward the battlefield, coldly saying, “I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

The Viscounts were anxious but didn’t dare stop her. They tried to persuade her, “Your Highness, you are destined to surpass a Prince and are the future of our Monro Clan. Even if you want to kill Zhao Jundu, why rush? In a couple of years, it would be the same.”

“It’s fine, I’m just going to take a look.” With that, Yeya’s figure flashed, bypassing them and heading full speed toward the battlefield.

The Viscounts, alarmed, hurried to follow. If Yeya were to suffer, they, and perhaps their descendants, would be executed.

When Yeya reached the mountaintop, she saw two figures in a fierce battle on the plain below.

Zhao Jundu held the Green Sky in his right hand and the short Green Water Blade in his left, his demeanor calm. Eight purple auras flickered in the air, demonstrating his mastery of the domain.

Around Zhao Jundu, a figure moved so fast it was almost invisible, leaving countless afterimages. He circled Zhao Jundu, attacking and retreating like lightning. His black longsword emitted a mournful howl, striking Zhao Jundu like a tempest.

Every moment, the figure launched dozens, even hundreds of attacks, but Zhao Jundu only occasionally countered with the Green Water Blade or the Green Sky. Each strike forced the opponent into a desperate position.

Under the Eightfold Seal, the figure’s domain shattered into fragmented blood-red pieces. Every time the eight purple auras flashed, his movements became sluggish and stiff. At these moments, the Green Water Blade would appear precisely, and when the Green Sky roared, a vast expanse of greenish-blue water would cover the area, making it impossible for the figure to dodge.

Yeya immediately saw that Zhao Jundu was overwhelming in the domain contest, breaking the opponent’s domain into pieces, and victory was only a matter of time.

As the Eightfold Seal reactivated, the figure slowed once more. Yeya and her followers finally recognized the person fighting Zhao Jundu. Their faces changed, and one Viscount whispered, “Lord Fera?”