Chapter 271: Not to See, To See Again

In the Neutral Zone, Nánqīng City was Qian Ye’s foundation. The new Dark Flame had already taken shape, and after Song Zining’s arrival, he introduced a large-scale workshop system, claiming that he would build an imperial-standard floating warship. Though there were no signs of any warships or main cannons being built, they could now manufacture components for civilian ships. Even if they couldn’t build a complete ship yet, it wouldn’t be long before they could.

To build these warships, Song Zining had practically gone bankrupt, relocating almost half of Ningyuan Heavy Industries. This place was also the hope for the perfecting of the Hall of Heroes and was always given utmost importance.

Thus, when Qian Ye saw Song Zining’s message, he was truly startled.

Nánqīng City already possessed immense wealth, enough to make even a powerhouse like the Wolf King drool. Now, with Qian Ye, Song Zining, and Ji Tianqing all trapped in the Great Maelstrom, Nánqīng City could be said to be leaderless. If the imperial army was still around, it would be fine, but unfortunately, once the various clans entered the Great Maelstrom, those left behind in the Neutral Zone faced only peril.

At this moment, the imperial army had surely already withdrawn, and the dark races likely did the same. In this way, Nánqīng City became a vacuum zone. Although Carol could be trusted, she alone was powerless to protect the entire city.

Now, Qian Ye’s strength was different from what it was in the Great Maelstrom. If he returned to Nánqīng City in time, he should be able to stabilize the situation. Even if the Wolf King made a move, he wouldn’t be able to kill Qian Ye, who, even injured, would always be on guard against ambushes.

Assessing his own combat power, the Primordial Spear naturally ranked first. Now, the third light feather was beginning to turn gray and would soon become a light black. The Primordial Spear’s advancement was related to both its blood essence level and usage frequency. The higher the blood essence level and the more it was used, the greater the chances of ascending.

When Qian Ye’s Dawnforce reached the sixteenth rank, Tombheart became usable; at least it wouldn’t drain him completely anymore. After firing one shot, Qian Ye could still have enough energy to escape.

With the ascended Primordial Spear and Tombheart, Qian Ye could at least face average divine generals head-on without much fear.

However, thinking of Nánqīng City, Qian Ye still had lingering concerns, primarily because of Zhang Buzhou. This Celestial Emperor Zhang appeared very weak in front of true powerhouses, especially when the Eternal Flame ran rampant in the East Sea, virtually sitting right at his doorstep. Yet, he never showed himself, as if he was still in seclusion.

But Qian Ye knew that Luo Bingfeng’s death was partly due to Zhang Buzhou’s covert actions. So, saying he was uninvolved because of his seclusion was a joke.

Regarding Zhang Buzhou, Qian Ye currently had no means to deal with him. When he was truly at a loss, scanning the Neutral Zone, Qian Ye might be the only one who could save him.

Thinking of Qian Ye, Qian Ye’s heart was complicated. He never expected that not long after helping her ascend to the Holy Mountain, she would save him once. If it weren’t for her slaying the six-armed giant, Qian Ye didn’t know how long he would have been trapped.

Sighing softly, Qian Ye continued reading the letter.

Song Zining’s letter was extremely detailed, mainly describing the division of labor within the workshop system in Nánqīng City, the heads of each sector, and their relationships. He provided a thorough breakdown, even writing out future plans, giving the impression that he did not intend to return.

In the end, Song Zining wrote, “This is the general idea. As long as Nánqīng City maintains its direction, you can do as you please. I do have some thoughts on the channels of the Great Maelstrom…”

After finishing the letter, Qian Ye began to contemplate. Without Song Zining, everything had to be done by himself, and it felt overwhelmingly complex, making him unsure where to start.

The immediate priority was to enhance his strength. Only by truly establishing himself among the divine generals could he qualify to join the game of dividing territories.

There were still a few days until they reached the East Sea. Qian Ye trained day and night, and during breaks, he constantly pondered the Chapter of Prosperity in the Book of Evernight. He increasingly felt that the changes in origin force during the evolution of the universe held the secrets of the entire world. By using this as a reference, his understanding and application of origin force could continuously improve.

For a period, Qian Ye felt his combat techniques had reached a stage where no further improvement was possible. But in the face of the universe’s transformations, those minor techniques were hardly worthy of the word “realm.”

Every day, Qian Ye’s aura deepened.

The airship flew directly to Nánqīng and dropped Qian Ye and Zhu Ji off just outside the city. Before they disembarked, the captain told Qian Ye, “Seventh Young Master said that the Empire might send someone to find you soon.”

“For what?”

“Naturally, for the things you brought back from that place. Seventh Young Master’s suggestion is to not hold back, handle them however you see fit.”

Qian Ye had indeed gained a lot in the Great Maelstrom, but most of these items were priceless, and taking them out might cause considerable trouble. Calculating the potential sales, there wasn’t much to sell after all.

After disembarking, Qian Ye didn’t immediately return to Nánqīng City. Instead, he took little Zhu Ji straight to the edge of the landmass. With his enhanced strength, his speed had greatly increased, and within a day, they arrived beside the warship where Qian Ye resided.

As Qian Ye stood outside the warship, he heard Qian Ye’s voice, “You’re here.”

Her tone was indifferent, without any fluctuation, as if speaking to a stranger with no connection.

Taking a deep breath, Qian Ye said, “Thank you for what happened in the Great Maelstrom.”

“No need to thank me. I should be the one thanking you.”

For some reason, Qian Ye felt a hint of sarcasm in Qian Ye’s words, though he couldn’t pinpoint what was off. Not knowing where the problem lay, he remained silent for a moment before saying, “I got something in there that’s very suitable for you. It’s hard to preserve, so I brought it to you as soon as I returned.”

With that, Qian Ye took out the Sea Lotus Bloom. Wrapped in the Light of Dawn, this strange flower remained in full bloom.

Seeing the Sea Lotus Bloom, Qian Ye’s emotions seemed to waver slightly. After a moment, she said, “It is indeed useful to me. I never thought you’d actually get it. I assume the price was steep?”

“By chance, I didn’t really pay much,” Qian Ye replied.

Qian Ye didn’t ask further. A strand of blood aura emerged from the warship, coiled around the Sea Lotus Bloom, and pulled it inside. The thick, sturdy walls of the warship were as if non-existent to her. Just this display of spatial manipulation was astounding.

After storing the Sea Lotus Bloom, Qian Ye’s voice softened a bit, “You giving me this will only accelerate my awakening. Have you thought about that?”

Sighing, Qian Ye said, “I can’t bear to see your soul incomplete.”

“But the old Qian Ye won’t come back.”

Qian Ye fell silent. This was a dead knot in his heart, impossible to untangle. Was the old Qian Ye the real her, or was the present Qian Ye the true her? Perhaps there would never be an answer.

Seeing Qian Ye’s silence, Qian Ye said, “Fool, don’t do such things again. And…don’t try to find me.”

Qian Ye’s body trembled slightly. “Why?”

“I’m no longer a secret here. Soon, the Council will come looking. After I fully awaken, I don’t know what I’ll choose. Maybe I’ll return to the Council, or maybe I’ll avoid it. Either way, I won’t stay here.”

“How…can I find you?”

“There’s no way, and no need. Come find me when you can suppress the Evernight Council. Otherwise, you’ll die.”

Qian Ye took a deep breath. “But that’s too far off.”

“What else do you expect? In human eyes, you’re a vampire. In the eyes of the Evernight race, you’re still human. The more fame you gain in the Empire, the more Evernight you kill. Can this hatred be easily forgotten? If you dare to go to Evernight, you’ll be hunted down.”

“I’m not afraid of death.”

“Not fearing death comes in many forms. Some are brave, but most are foolish. Do you think I’m the kind to be moved by foolishness?”

Qian Ye was speechless.

Qian Ye’s voice turned low and soft, “It’s not your fault. You’ve already done well. The only issue is time.”

Qian Ye was rapidly improving, but reaching the peak still required time, which was precisely what he lacked and could not rush.

“Then, farewell.”

Silence descended in the warship. Gali Nan stood nearby, watching Qian Ye for a while. Seeing that he remained motionless, Gali Nan coughed and said, “Sir Qian Ye, it’s time to go back.”

Qian Ye nodded and followed Gali Nan out of the valley. When Gali Nan stopped, Qian Ye suddenly asked, “When I come next, will there be no one here?”

“Lady’s matters are never shared with me. So, I don’t know.”

Qian Ye nodded, the melancholy in his eyes refusing to fade. Carrying Zhu Ji, he walked away, finally disappearing into the snowstorm.

Gali Nan didn’t immediately return. He watched Qian Ye’s figure gradually disappear, his expression complex. He murmured, “Sir Qian Ye has become even stronger. From now on, he truly deserves to be called ‘sir.’”

Previously, when Gali Nan met Qian Ye, he still felt he had a fighting chance. But this time, for some reason, he couldn’t muster any fighting spirit. Gali Nan’s bloodline was highly sensitive to the strength of powerhouses, and it was because he knew Qian Ye was unbeatable that he lost his will to fight and surrendered.

Now, Qian Ye was starting to give him the same feeling of being unbeatable.

Gali Nan glanced toward the warship, sighed inwardly, and shook his head, muttering, “My lady… alas, it’s a pity. He just had to meet her.”

At that moment, Gali Nan seemed to see a figure in the snowstorm. Startled, he squinted, but saw nothing, as if he had been hallucinating.

Gali Nan was suspicious. He quickly approached the warship, circling it and carefully examining, but found no trace of anyone having been there.

“Was I just seeing things?” he muttered to himself.

When the morning light came, Qian Ye was already outside Nánqīng City. He put Zhu Ji down and said, “Wake up, we’re home.”