Chapter 31: Sudden Changes

The wound on Ye Tong’s hand was not large, yet the blood, drawn by an unseen force, transformed into a stream of crimson, hurling itself towards the Blood Gate. This stream had threads of gold weaving through it, distinguishing it from the twilight-tinted stream of Mu Se.

Witnessing this, Mu Se’s face turned ashen. Stirred by the Blood Gate, the bloodline of both her and Ye Tong was completely roused. To the eyes of the assembly, this was clear proof of the significant disparity in their bloodline strength.

As soon as the blood stream touched the Blood Gate, a majestic, low growl erupted from the depths beyond the gate.

The growl pierced through the space, surging into the sacrificial hall. The aura of the powerful figures present, all aligned with the Evernight faction, abruptly diminished, as if the peaks of mountains had been shaved down. Even the towering, formidable figure seemed to shrink by a third.

Suddenly, they realized that this was just a fragment of Anduya’s consciousness, and yet it had overwhelmed the gathered councilors. It underscored the sheer power of the Blackwing Monarch at his zenith!

Following the growl, the primal force arrays on the Blood Gate lit up in rapid succession, far outpacing Mu Se’s speed.

In a blink, all the primal force arrays were activated, and in the center of the Blood Gate, a colossal eye slowly emerged. It rotated, sweeping over everyone present with a slow, steady gaze.

When the giant eye gazed upon them, each person felt a crushing pressure, overwhelming and relentless. The more powerful the councilor, the greater the pressure felt. The younger generation, however, experienced a much milder effect.

As the giant eye swept past, half of the councilors could not withstand its might, involuntarily stepping back several paces.

Standing outside the crowd, Mu Se’s despondent expression suddenly brightened as she noticed this anomaly. Though severely weakened, she felt almost no pressure when the giant eye passed over her. Thus, she began to ponder.

The giant eye finally settled on Ye Tong, its pupil alone larger than Ye Tong herself. Its cold, lifeless gaze softened, and a deep, resonant voice reverberated.

“My descendant, child of the same blood, you have finally arrived. I have waited for this day for a thousand years! Now, accept my gift and prepare to carry the same fate as mine. Darkness be with you, my child.”

The blackness in the depths of the pupil began to flow, instantly forming a boundless, profound passage, leading to an unknown destination.

At the deepest point of the passage, a crimson light flickered, and then several rubies spewed forth like a gushing spring.

Yueton suddenly let out a shrill cry, “It’s the Origin Blood! Anduya’s Origin Blood!”

With only a few senior councilors remaining calm, the rest scrambled, rising into the air to intercept the flying rubies.

A single drop of Origin Blood could create a descendant carrying Anduya’s bloodline. Though not as powerful as his pure-blood offspring, Mu Se, or the awakened original species, Ye Tong, such an ancient and potent bloodline promised a future marquis, or even a duke.

Anduya left seven drops of Origin Blood, and the disputes over their distribution were sure to follow. Even the twelve most ancient clans of the blood race, bearing the names of antiquity, would not easily give up a marquessate.

As the crowd was still busy intercepting the Origin Blood, the entire underground city was suddenly enveloped in an indescribable feeling—a bleak, timeless, and domineering malevolence, as if a primeval beast had descended.

In the deepest part of the giant eye, a golden light flickered!

“Core Array!!” Gesitu shouted, immediately jolting those still focused on the Origin Blood.

In an instant, all eyes turned to the golden light.

Instead of advancing, the councilors swiftly retreated, landing outside the altar’s bounds. The younger elites followed their elders, retreating as well.

Having witnessed the might of Anduya, no one dared to ignore his will. The records found by the Evernight Council had already confirmed it was the work of the great lord, stating clearly that the Core Array would choose its master. Only those who carried the same, pure bloodline as Anduya were worthy to control it.

Though their eyes burned with desire, no one dared to forcefully claim it. This Core Array was tied to another legendary weapon. If the Dark Camp could control it, it would suppress the human race, a matter of great importance for the balance of power.

Moreover, it was highly anticipated to confront Manjushri head-on. Forcing it due to greed and destroying its heritage would result in the presiding council giants tearing the perpetrator apart on the spot.

According to the established procedure, only Ye Tong and Gesitu should remain on the altar. Ye Tong, with her awakened bloodline, would take the Core Array, while Gesitu assisted.

The golden light leaped out of the pupil, hovering briefly in the air.

In that moment, everyone held their breath, hearts seeming to skip a beat.

Suddenly, a figure leaped high, rushing toward the golden light.

It was Mu Se!

She moved with lightning speed, screaming, “It’s mine! Only mine!”

A flash of killing intent crossed Ye Tong’s face, and Mu Se’s sprinting figure reflected in her eyes. In her state of extreme excitement, Mu Se sensed an indescribable danger. Her primal force exploded, clashing with Ye Tong’s attack in mid-air.

Mu Se’s charge abruptly halted, and she hung suspended in the air before spitting out a mouthful of blood. On the ground, Ye Tong groaned, swaying, her face turning pale as two lines of blood trickled from her eyes.

In this confrontation, Ye Tong held her own against the battle-hardened Mu Se.

The golden light, sensing something, suddenly moved, then flew towards the two.

Mu Se, elated, reached for the light, but the instant her fingertips touched the golden aura, she was struck by lightning, flung outward like a broken kite.

The golden light, unaffected, continued along its trajectory, heading towards Ye Tong.

Several councilors showed disappointment, but most were pleased. The Evernight Council itself was indifferent to the numerous clan conflicts, especially those within the clans.

As long as the Evernight faction gained another legendary weapon, it would hold a six-to-three advantage over the human race, which was the bigger picture. The identity of the weapon’s owner, while important, was not the most crucial factor.

Before her awakening, Ye Tong was merely a daughter of a small family, without any prominent backing. However, this made her more approachable. In contrast, Mu Se, though from the oldest clan, was a pure-blooded heir, and thus naturally bound by her lineage. The clan’s enemies would never allow her to easily obtain the Core Array.

Ye Tong slashed her right hand with a dagger, then greeted the light with bloodstained hands. This was both a ritual and a proof.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, waiting for the historic moment.

Ye Tong’s ability to open the Blood Gate and summon Anduya’s Origin Blood and the Core Array meant her bloodline had been recognized by Anduya’s residual will. She was the rightful heir to the Core Array.

However, just as the light entered Ye Tong’s hands and everyone thought it was settled, a sudden change occurred!

The light shot upward, piercing the air with a sharp sound, and vanished through the dome.

Only the Evernight giant and a few senior councilors managed to track its trajectory. Their consciousness followed the light, breaking through the thick earth layer, watching it vanish into the night sky, never to be seen again.

Everyone was stunned.

In the silence, Mu Se wanted to laugh maniacally but restrained herself, closing her mouth and wiping the blood from her lips.

Ye Tong was also frozen, staring at her hands, then at the direction the light had vanished, her mind blank.

The dome of the underground city remained unscathed, as if the light had never been there.

The silence persisted until the imposing figure roared, “Find it! Determine where the Core Array has gone!”

The crowd woke from their stupor, accepting the reality. Anduya’s Core Array: the Primordial Wings, had neither chosen Mu Se nor Ye Tong, instead fleeing to the distance.

The councilors immediately contacted their subordinates outside, and soon, everyone’s faces turned grim.

On the surface, many had seen the golden light emerge from the earth and fly south. But it moved faster than a meteor, leaving the Evernight giant and the senior councilors behind, while the dark warriors, unaware of what transpired, were useless.

“Chase it! Immediately!”

“There are human core cities in that direction.”

“Then mobilize the army, and sweep away anything in its path!”

Killing orders spread in all directions. Soon, the elite forces began moving towards the last known location of the Primordial Wings. Hours later, a massive dark army marched south. The next day, the troops stationed near the designated battlefield started moving.

The continent of Evernight was once again thrown into turmoil.

The Empire had amassed five main legions on the Evernight continent, with half of the elite legions already deployed. Spies within the Evernight faction were activated, and news of the dark army’s movements quickly reached the Empire. A military force of this scale could not be concealed.

In the headquarters of the expeditionary force, the Duke of Dingguo and Marshal Luo Mingji watched as the military map showed a swarm of black arrows, all pointing in the same direction. Varying in size, each arrow represented a formidable army.

The Duke of Dingguo stroked his short beard, saying, “They’re coming in full force!”

Marshal Luo nodded, “They’re not using any feints or cover. Am I mistaken, or do they seem desperate? Duke, what is your take?”

The Duke of Dingguo pondered, noting the mountains and human cities in that direction. The only known information was the rich deposits of black crystal and a few rare metals.

Without much thought, he slapped the map, declaring, “We must send our troops! No matter what they plan, we cannot let them have it easy. All combat-ready legions must be deployed, and we’ll intercept as many as possible.”

Marshal Luo nodded, “Agreed!”

Orders were swiftly issued, and airships took off, heading in all directions. A day later, the elite legions at the front began to move. Behind them, the remaining three and a half legions and the expeditionary force would follow.

The numerous forces of both factions converged on the same area. If they clashed, it would be earth-shattering!

In a tiny corner of this region, Qian Ye was sound asleep.